Skyrider of Renegade Point

by Erik Christensen

  “You know perfectly well the barracks are nearly empty,” he said.

  She turned away from him, busying herself again with her papers. “Not my problem. Unlike them, I’m here doing my job, not hundreds of miles away on a wild goose chase. If this matters so much to you, why don’t you and your friends fly out to the choke points yourselves and blockade the exits?”

  “Because we’re busy looking for the rebels, and—”

  “Will, sweetheart,” said Melissa, who had slipped beside him, unnoticed. “Shut up.”

  “Melissa…how did you—”

  She placed a finger on his lips. “Shh. That was the opposite of shutting up.”

  William glared at her, miffed at the interruption, but remained silent. After all, he wasn’t getting anywhere with Ungless himself. What harm was there in letting her have a try?

  Melissa smiled at the surly harbormaster. “Keri, you mentioned your limited resources. What will happen to your operating budget if the king’s taxes leave this harbor in rebel hands?”

  “Listen lady, the duke won’t punish me for something that’s out of my control.”

  “What choice will he have?” asked Melissa. “The king won’t let him get away without paying taxes, will he? The duke will have to raise the money again or cut back on expenses to make up the difference, possibly both. On the other hand, play a part in rescuing the duke, and he’ll see you as invaluable. Who knows, maybe you’ll even get a promotion. If we don’t get the duke back though, who knows what his successor will do with you—or your job.”

  Ungless stared at her for a moment, weighing the possibilities. Then she turned to William. “You should listen to your wife more; she’s smarter than you are. Okay, here’s what I’ll do: I’ll have the chains put across again, and I’ll send a single ship to each entry and anchor it nearby. I can’t make any promises about how long I can keep them there, though.”

  “Thank you, Harbormaster,” said William. “I hope we won’t need them for long.”

  They rushed back to the others to find that the crowds had finally dissipated, the hope of a thousand-crown reward outweighing their desire to glimpse a hero.

  “Well?” asked Jack.

  William put his arm around Melissa’s shoulder. “Thanks to my better half, the harbormaster agreed to put the chains up and anchor a single ship at each choke point. We didn’t get everything we wanted, but it might be enough.”

  “Do we continue with the same search plan now?” asked Rachel. “I didn’t finish searching my area before the storm hit.” The others nodded their agreement.

  “King’s crown…” muttered William as he slapped his forehead. “I completely forgot—Vincent’s kidnapping must have driven it from my mind. Just before the storm hit, I saw smoke rising from one of the islands. I couldn’t see where it came from, so we flew up to signal you guys, but the storm forced us back down. We spent the night on that same island. The smoke was gone by morning, but I decided to check it out anyway.”

  “You did that alone?” asked Jack, dumbfounded. “How many times—”

  “I had Clyde and Adonis with me,” said William, raising his hand to cut him off. “And besides, the site was abandoned. But it looked like lots of people had been there, and for at least a day or more. I was careful not to disturb too much, because I wanted Rachel and Maya to inspect it.”

  “But it could have been anyone,” said Jack. “What’s got you so convinced it’s worth looking at?”

  William counted on his fingers. “It’s not a permanent settlement, so that rules out fishermen. It’s far from town, so it can’t be traders. It’s recent, so it could be the rebels. It could be smugglers too, but wouldn’t they also want to be close to town?”

  “Maybe,” said Rachel. “But smugglers would also have a base further away to hide during emergencies. But none of us have found anything else worth investigating. Let’s go.”

  They mounted quickly, and William caught a small grin from Melissa seconds before they took flight. His heart warmed, and he smiled to himself for the duration of the flight. William led them around the island, searching for signs of activity before picking a beach to land on.

  “Are you sure we should land?” asked Jack as he dismounted.

  Rachel gave him a playful nudge. “I thought you’d be happier on the ground.”

  “Oh, I am,” he said. “As long as we don’t get attacked.”

  “It doesn’t look like we are,” said Maya as they approached the campsite. “Rachel, where do you want to start?”

  Rachel cast her gaze across the site, looking for details that William couldn’t even guess at. She nodded at the garbage pit. “We’ll save that for last. I want to check the paths around this camp first. Everyone stay right where you are for a few minutes.”

  William picked a log to sit on while Rachel went about her business. She followed several small trails leading out from the campsite, returning by the same path each time. At one point she remained out of sight for several minutes, and William considered following her to make sure she was okay, but Melissa put a hand on his arm to stop him.

  Moments later, Rachel returned. “All the signs point to a large number of people,” she said. “Based on the size of the firepit, the number of logs set around it, that garbage heap, and the tracks, I’d say at least twenty, maybe thirty. And a few boats too—their imprints were still fresh on the gravel.”

  “How do you know all this?” asked Oz, clearly amazed.

  Rachel smiled at him. “Years of practice. And I had a good teacher.”

  “So, was it smugglers or rebels?” asked William.

  “Impossible to say for sure,” said Rachel. “But smugglers don’t usually work in such large numbers.”

  “So what now?” asked Jack. “Even if we assume the rebels camped here, where does that lead us?”

  “We sift through the garbage now,” said Rachel. “And we look for clues.”

  “What kind of clues?” asked William.

  “Anything that tells us something we didn’t know before,” said Rachel. “Every object tells a story, every choice they made reveals something. If we’re lucky, we might notice some sort of pattern, or find something that tells us where they’ve been.”

  William shivered as he recalled sifting through the garbage at Kirby’s camp. They found many of the same things, including discarded animal carcasses, apple cores, and even a few metal tins. Not surprisingly, plenty of it appeared to be of marine origin. “What sort of shells are these?” he asked.

  “Oysters,” said Maya. “The bay is full of them.”

  “Could they have collected them here?”

  “Unlikely,” she answered. “The beach here is too gravelly. Oysters prefer to bury themselves in sand. These are all about the same size, meaning someone went to the trouble of sorting them. Only a shopkeeper would go to that trouble, which means someone bought these at a local shop.”

  “Ugh, what is this? Or rather, what was it?” Jack held up a flattened, rotting bird carcass.

  Maya took it from him and inspected it from all sides. “It looks like a pigeon. Rachel?”

  Rachel nodded. “Yep. Look at the nostrils above the beak.”

  William’s heart pounded. “Pigeons are city birds, aren’t they? Even the wild ones? That means Bird was here. Or at least one of his pigeons was.”

  “It’s too much of a coincidence to be anything else,” said Maya. “The rebels must have been here.”

  “Okay, but where does that leave us?” asked Jack as he wiped his hands on his pants. “They may have been here, but they aren’t now. And every second shop in the fish district is an oyster seller, and we can’t check them all.”

  “Does this help?” asked Melissa as she held up a large burlap bag as far away from her body as she could.

  Maya squinted at the bag’s markings. “It’s pretty dirty, but it looks familiar. Lay it flat on the ground.” Melissa did so, and Maya continued to stare at it. “I’m pretty s
ure I know what it is, but I want a second opinion. Charlie, can you tell what the label says?”

  Charlie inspected it briefly and nodded. “Rosengard and Wong,” he said without hesitation.

  “Who are they?” asked William.

  “Oyster sellers in town,” said Maya. “One of the biggest. Either the rebels found this sack and used it for something else, or they bought their oysters there. Given how many shells we’ve found, it’s pretty obvious which one it was.”

  “Do you know where their shop is?” he asked breathlessly.

  “Of course,” said Maya. “I walk past it every day on my way to the clinic.”

  “Then let’s go,” said William. “We need to ask if they remember selling to them.”

  “Hang on,” said Jack. “What if it’s a dead end? Shouldn’t we go through the rest of this…stuff…to look for more clues?”

  “It’s garbage, you sissy,” said Rachel. “And we’ve gone through all of it.”

  “Besides, we don’t have a lot of time,” added William. “Every moment we spend here, we give the rebels a chance to hide or find a way to escape.”

  “But they could be nearby,” said Jack. “Why don’t we at least circle around a few more islands?”

  “We can peek at them as we fly by,” said William. “But our luck is finally starting to turn, and I don’t want to waste this opportunity. Sooner rather than later, I want to know what this oyster seller knows. I’ve got a hunch it’ll lead us somewhere.”

  Chapter 28

  “Are you Rosengard or Wong?” asked William. The shop stood at a confluence of river channels, its open front facing the market street and its back against a pier. The building itself was sparse, little more than a wooden frame with clapboard walls and roof. Barrels lined the walls, and buckets sat on display tables, full of oysters soaking in salt water. The place smelled more like the sea than the sea did itself.

  “Neither,” said the man as he stole a glance at the drones waiting outside. “I just mind the shop for them. Name’s Andy.” He was short and slight, with stray patches of beard. A knitted cap covered his head, and his teeth sported several gaps. He stared at William with gentle, frightened eyes.

  “We’re looking for someone you might have sold to. Tall fellow, crooked teeth. A long beak-like nose.”

  Andy nodded vehemently. “Yes, I remember selling several bags about three days ago to a man with a giant nose, like a bird’s. He even had tiny feathers stuck to his clothes. I found it a bit unusual, because I’d never met him before, and most of my customers are regulars, especially the ones who buy that much.”

  William nodded. The oyster seller looked nervous. Like most merchants in the area, he was dirty and smelled of his wares. A bulky sweater covered his small frame despite the morning’s warmth. “How was he traveling?” asked William.

  “By boat, my lord,” said Andy, looking back and forth between William and the others, casting an occasional glance at Clyde. “Moored it out back. He had a couple of men with him who loaded the bags, and another who did the rowing. The boat was full of barrels and crates, like they was buying for a crew going to sea.” He swallowed hard. “Am I in trouble, my lord?”

  “Not at all,” said William. “You’ve been quite helpful.”

  “Do you know where they went?” asked Rachel. “We need to find these men.”

  Andy shook his head. “Haven’t seen him for days. I reckon they’re halfway to Ibyca by now.”

  “We don’t think so,” said Jack. “We believe they’re hiding, waiting for a chance to leave the bay. Any idea where they might hide?”

  “I don’t get out by boat much, sir. Haven’t had to since Missus Rosengard hired me.”

  “So much for your hunch, Will,” said Jack. “Looks like a dead end.”

  “Can I ask what this is all about?” asked the oyster seller.

  William glanced at the others, weighing how much to say. “The men we’re looking for have kidnapped the duke.”

  The man’s jaw dropped. “You don’t say! I knew those men looked like trouble, but I never would have guessed—are you sure they took the duke?”

  “That, and other crimes,” said Rachel.

  “There’s a reward for finding them,” said Melissa. “So if you happen to know where they might be hiding, you could be a rich man.”

  “Oh, I know about the reward. Everyone does. Even so, I’d happily tell you if I knew, even without the money,” said Andy. “The duke’s a kind man, and he’s bought many a bag of oysters from me, gives me a generous tip every time. I wouldn’t want no harm to come to him.”

  “Can you think of anyone who might know where we could find them?” asked Rachel.

  Andy looked at her doubtfully. “I don’t want to get my friends in no trouble.”

  “You wouldn’t be getting them in trouble,” said Maya quickly. “In fact, they might even share the reward with you.”

  “Well,” said Andy with hesitation. “I suppose I could ask old Nick.”

  “And where is he?” asked William.

  The oyster seller gave him a puzzled look. “He’s right there, my lord,” he said, pointing to a decrepit man sitting motionless by a brazier in a darkened corner that no one had noticed. “Keeps me company most days now that he’s too old to fish. Hey Nick, come over and talk to these people. They won’t do you no harm.”

  The old man rose slowly and limped his way toward them. “Strange days,” he muttered. “Dukes vanishing, people showing up with dragons and asking funny questions. I miss the old days.”

  “Don’t make a fuss, Nick,” said Andy. “These people are here to find the duke. This is Lord William Whitehall—you’ve heard people talk about him. He’s the feller who discovered dragons and rebels and such. He’s asking about that man who bought several bags a couple of days ago.”

  Nick spat on the floor. “Disgusting fellow. Didn’t like the look of him at all…not one bit. What’s he gone and done?”

  “We believe he’s responsible for kidnapping the duke and stealing a large amount of money,” said William.

  “And you want them both back, I suppose,” said Nick. “I don’t blame you—I would too. Ain’t had much money these past few years. Can’t row a boat no more, or haul in a net. I get by though.”

  “You’ve done plenty of fishing in your time, then?” asked Melissa.

  The old man squinted at her. “A great deal more than I care to remember, miss. Hard work, it was. No wonder my joints ache all the time.”

  “You poor thing,” said Melissa, giving him a sympathetic look. “You must have sailed all over the bay. Do you know of any places these men might hide, along with a ship or two?”

  “Ships aren’t built for hiding,” said Nick with a shake of his head. “Now, a rowboat—those you can hide easily. Done it a time or two myself when I needed to leave my boat for a while. Wouldn’t want no one stealing it.”

  William suppressed a groan of frustration. “We’re not talking about hiding a boat. These men are trying to hide from us—at least thirty men, probably more. And we believe they have a ship or two, possibly three.”

  The old man looked surprised. “Then why are you asking fishermen? It’s smugglers you want to talk to. Fishermen spend all their time on the open water looking for fish, no thought of hiding. Smugglers are the ones skulking about, trying not to be seen. That’s who you should talk to.”

  William exchanged surprised glances with the others again. “Where do we find smugglers?” he asked.

  Nick grinned, showing even more gaps than the oyster seller. “Well that’s the trick, isn’t it? They’re all hiding!” He cackled at his own joke as he shuffled back to his chair in the corner.

  “Sorry about that,” said the Andy with an apologetic grin. “I was hoping he’d be more help. He means well, but—actually no, on second thought, he really doesn’t.”

  “The old man’s right,” said Rachel as they left the shop. “Looking for smugglers is a good idea. I s
hould have thought of it before.”

  “But where do we find them?” asked Jack. “Like Nick says, they don’t exactly want to be found.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong,” she said with a grin. “You live an honest life, so you don’t know how dishonest people do things. If you want to find a smuggler—or any criminal—you talk to a tavern keeper. No one knows the underside of a town like someone who deals with drunks all day.”

  “Ah,” said Jack in surprise. “Like Dan Deacon back home…only I suppose there’s more criminals here. Not to mention taverns.”

  “We’ll need to send the drones back to the duke’s manor first,” said Maya. “Otherwise no one will speak to us. Believe me, word gets around this town fast.”

  “And we should split up, too,” said William. “We’ll cover all the taverns faster that way. Let’s meet back here when we’re done, and we can send Clyde to fetch the drones.”

  “Charlie and I will look around the old district,” said Maya. “We know all the hidden alleys. Some of them have bad reputations, but Charlie will keep me safe.”

  “I’ve spent a bit of time in the trade district,” said Jack. “Rachel and I can go there.”

  “I’ll keep Jack safe,” said Rachel with a wink.

  “That leaves you three with the market district, Will,” said Maya. “It runs along this bank for the next quarter mile or so, plus that little island right there.” She pointed upriver where a small bridge stretched across a narrow channel. “Keep your eyes open; it’s easy to miss the little side streets.”

  “I’m worried Clyde will tip people off to who we are too,” said William to Melissa as the group went their separate ways.

  “If he does, he can stay with Oz outside,” she answered. “Then again, people might be more inclined to open up to the Defender of Rebel Falls than a stranger. Let’s see what happens.”

  “Does this look like a tavern?” he asked, looking up at the sign over the door depicting a frog and a turtle. “Or some sort of exotic food shop?”