by Arthur Slade
Chapter 12
Hidden in Maps
The Library of Avenus was an impressively large building with massive columns on either side of the doorway. A green garden thick with vines and walnut and olive trees surrounded the structure. Men and women were sitting on stone tables outside, drinking coffee or tea in steel mugs and reading bound books. Children were poring over scrolls with illustrations. Someone had created books for children!
Libraries were sacred to the Avenians. The citizens were said to be obsessively in love with stories and wrote down every tale they heard from all corners of Ellos, including the Akkad Empire. They stored them in this library.
“I could die here,” I said.
“Don’t be stupid,” Megan gruffed. “It’s just a big building for books. It’s not like we’ll find any good weapons inside. Now if it was a weaponry museum, you really could die there.”
I wasn’t certain whether she was attempting to be funny, so I gave a half chuckle.
“I don’t know if Maestru Beatrix is here every day,” Thord said as he led us through the open wooden doors.
The inside of the building was twice as impressive as the outside. The tall domed ceiling was made of transparent stone that let in light and brightened the rows and rows of books. Avenians in ragged togas and others in finery browsed through the selections or sat at reading tables. There were even more children inside. Three women and two men in grey robes sat behind a long wooden desk in the library’s centre — the librarians.
Thord glanced around. His hair was longer and a little unkempt, but that somehow complemented his face. He had a perfect nose.
I stopped staring at his nose.
“Well,” he said. “Last time I was in the maps section looking for islands to escape to, and she just appeared. Let’s try there.”
We followed him over to a section where the shelves were wider and the books much larger. I opened one giant book to discover it was jammed with full-colour maps of the Akkad Empire. They were hand drawn and beautiful and represented hours and hours of labour for an artist. It still amazed me that anyone could pick any of these books up and flip through the pages. I found maps of the Akkad Desert, of the western mountain regions, and stopped at a street map of Akkadium itself, the capital. Just knowing Corwin was in that impressive city, standing beside the emperor Sargon at the centre of power for the Empire, made me shiver with anger.
And fear.
Because what were three assassins to the power of an empire? No more than pesky fleas. Vast resources were being used to hunt us down.
Maybe Megan was right about fleeing.
“The colour comes from the pigment of the Beck cherries,” a voice said beside me.
A familiar voice.
“Maestru Beatrix,” I whispered, and turned with a grin on my face. The grin faded when I saw that a man stood beside me. He had short dark hair and was clad in an Avenian-style grey toga.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I said. “I thought you were someone else.”
“I am that someone else,” he said; his voice continued to be familiar and feminine. “Look closer.”
The face was rough, with a bulbous, warty nose. There were no telltale signs I was staring at a mask. The eyes were green and twinkling with humour.
“Is … is that you?” I asked. “Maestru Beatrix?”
“Yes,” she said. “I took ages to create this face and to perfect my man talk.” Then she said, in a male voice, “These are the finest and most detailed maps in all of Ellos. I believe every outhouse in every country has been marked. That kind of detail can save your life and your bowels.”
My eyes widened, and I barked out a laugh, then cut it short, not wanting to attract attention. “I— I’m so happy to see you. To know you’re alive!”
She grinned and her mask moved with the smile. “You are alive and you have two eyes,” she said. “There must be an incredible story there.”
“Yes, there is,” I replied. “And you — you have a story too.”
“Oh, I have thousands,” she said. Then, as she saw Megan and Thord step closer, she pointed. “You want to read the Grindenium Cycles,” she said, using her male voice again. “Such good taste for such young minds. Follow me.”
She led us through the stacks to a side room with what looked to be a special collection of books along the walls. Next to that was a pile of older, smaller books with a sign that read: THESE BOOKS ARE A GIFT FOR YOU. TAKE ONE. Did that mean I could just walk out with a book?
Maestru Beatrix closed the heavy oak door.
“All three of you, alive,” she said. “I am so very thankful.” She hugged me first, her short arms tight around me. It made me realize that she was a head shorter than me. She gave off a pleasant scent of sandalwood. She then squeezed Thord in a similar hug, and he made her look even smaller. And finally she wrapped her arms around Megan, who returned the hug, albeit stiffly. “The three of you are such a wonderful sight to see. Please have a seat.”
We sat at the rectangular wooden table in sturdy wooden chairs. There were several piles of loose stalk paper in front of us for note-taking. This was some sort of study room.
It was still odd to see Maestru Beatrix with a male face, and I marvelled at the detail and how alive the mask looked.
“You keep staring at me, Carmen,” she said. Then she stuck a finger in the air. “Oh, this!” She peeled off a mask of such thin material it was almost impossible to see. Her face — her real face — was a comfort. I’d grown up visiting the library, and she was the closest I’d had to having a mother figure in my life. I relaxed, as though part of me hadn’t believed it was her until I saw her real face.
“That’s a marvellous mask,” Thord said. “What’s it made of?”
“My own special mixture. It feels like a second skin and sweat goes through it. The best part is you can eat with the mask on. I have to wear it almost all the time, so it needed to be flawless.”
“What’s in the mixture?” I asked.
She gave me a great big grin. Her smiles always magically made me smile too. “You are consistently inquisitive, Carmen, but we librarians have our secrets. Someday, if you’re good, I may teach you.”
“It’s so wonderful to see your face again,” I said.
“And to see all of yours.” She stared at each of us in turn, and the look of warmth and caring she gave us was almost overwhelming. “The fates have been kind. Do tell me how you escaped.”
We told our tales. She nodded, looking thoughtful and not interrupting with questions. She’d always been gifted at listening. And as I spoke, I felt this sense of protection, as if a warm blanket were being lowered over me. She would know exactly what path we should take.
“I learned a bit of Thord and Megan’s story,” Maestru Beatrix said. “Thord was kind enough to relate portions to me. But you three have survived the greatest blow our guild has ever been dealt, and you should be proud of that.” She tapped the table. “And you should flee as fast and as far as your feet will carry you.”
“Flee?” I said. “But they killed so many of us. Our fortress was sacked. And they … they burned your books.”
“Books can be replaced,” she said solemnly. “Knowledge can be rediscovered. But the dead cannot return to life.” She shook her head. “Three young assassins can’t face the might of the Akkad Empire. The wizards tried and failed partly due to our pursuit of them. I am lucky that the librarians of Avenus will hide me, but they can’t hide you. And no amount of money will keep you safe.”
“Just before he died, Maestru Alesius made me promise to find Banderius and ask for aid,” I said.
“Truly?” Her face was hard to read. “That braggart did not spend much time in my library. He believed he already knew everything.”
“But would he aid us?” I asked. “To set things right. To perhaps somehow restore the guild?”
“Restoring the guild is a hundred-year project. Let it go. What you need is to survive, first and forem
ost. And I am puzzled by Alesius’s suggestion. Why Banderius? I admit I am biased against that man. He burned a library book.”
“He did?” I nearly spat, I was so shocked.
“What’s so bad about that?” Megan asked. I shot her a glare, but she was smiling. Oh, another attempt at a joke!
“Yes. He burned it. Though he was thirteen at the time, so I should forgive him. One day I might.”
“Then why would Maestru Alesius suggest him?” Thord asked.
“Alesius rarely gave up on any of his students,” she said, looking directly at me. He hadn’t given up on me, despite the fact I was blind in one eye. I wondered if he’d had to fight hard to keep me in the school. “Banderius is a strong supporter of the guild, and despite his bravado he’s saved more than one assassin from the gallows. He also is likely the only assassin who could out-think your brother.” She let out her breath slowly, as though not certain how to say the next words. “Perhaps he is your best chance at survival.”
“As long as we stick together we have a better chance,” Thord said. And he put his hand on my shoulder as he said this. His palm was warm and my skin began to tingle there. But then I saw he had his hand on Megan’s shoulder too. She gave him a frown and he removed both hands.
“Every country in Ellos would be afraid to anger the Empire by harbouring you,” Maestru Beatrix said. “Killing an assassin is a way to get on good terms with Emperor Sargon.”
“We’ll do our best to associate only with people who hate the Empire, then,” Megan said.
“Our problem is finding Banderius,” I said. “These are the scrolls I stole from Gregum.” I showed her the list of assassins that included the crossed-out names.
She read it and tears filled her eyes, though none ran down her cheeks. “Ah, one is too many. Several of these were students I taught. The emperor is finding us so very quickly.”
“Well, he does have my brother’s help,” I said. “But I think this scroll might hint as to where Banderius is hiding. We can’t read it because it’s in Oldtongue.”
I handed her the scroll. She opened it and read the old words with what looked like ease. Then she started at the top again.
“What does it say?” I asked when she seemed to be reading it a third time.
“It’s a recipe,” she said. “A very peculiar recipe. Here are the ingredients: eye of Hokum flower, skull of Bardur fox, berry of Black Lotus vine. It’s not clear what it makes — a potion, a poison, or a hearty soup. And at the bottom are the words, The messenger has one arm. The blade will come.” She frowned. “It’s nonsensical. I’ve solved every riddle of the Stone Lions, but this is a puzzle I can’t fathom. It looks like a random list.”
“Perhaps if we get the ingredients, we somehow will find Banderius,” I said. “It could be …” I faltered. “I’m not sure how.”
“Do you think Gregum understood what it meant?” Megan asked.
“Never,” Maestru Beatrix said. “He was horrible with languages. But Corwin was gifted at languages, and perhaps he could have read it with the help of the emperor’s translators. But even if they could translate it — it makes no sense.”
Thord cleared his throat. “It makes perfect sense,” he said. We turned our gazes to him. “It’s not a recipe — it’s a map. And I know exactly where Banderius is.”
Chapter 13
Even Further Than Deira
“Don’t just stand there gloating.” Megan gave him a shove that nearly knocked him off his chair. “Tell us.”
He playfully rubbed his shoulder. “I’m very familiar with each of those ingredients. And they only come from one place: my homeland of Woden. The Hokum flower, the Bardur fox, the berry of the Black Lotus vine. They are all from the fields around the city of Gudheim.”
“You come from Woden?” Megan asked. “I thought there were only sheepherders up there.”
“There’s nothing wrong with sheepherders,” he replied. “Be sure to thank one next time you sit down to a plateful of mutton. And don’t ever make fun of my home country.”
He said this last line with a hint of menace. Since I never knew where I came from, I never felt an allegiance to any kingdom. My allegiance was to the place I grew up. “What do these ingredients have to do with Woden?”
“My mother ran the gardens of Gornia.” He paused as if he expected us to recognize this supposedly famous place. “Well, they are well known in Gudheim.”
“I’m sure many boring things are,” Megan said.
This got a frown out of Thord. “Anyway, I believe this list is showing us where Banderius is.”
“It’s a complicated way to find him.” I leaned on the table. “Very few people would know where those ingredients were from.”
“He was a master of riddles,” Maestru Beatrix said. “And he had an odd sense of humour. Though the berry of the Black Lotus vine and the petals of the Hokum flower are used in soporific potions. So it is a riddle that many assassins might figure out. He also knows every nook and cranny of Ellos, so it doesn’t surprise me he’d be familiar with Gudheim.”
“So you think he sent this out to fellow assassins?” I said.
Maestru Beatrix thought for a moment. “Yes. This ‘recipe map’ could have been retrieved from the home of a dead assassin — someone Banderius knew personally. And Corwin is trying to decipher it right now, or he has deciphered it and is hunting for Banderius. His death would be a prize kill, like when Sargon had the great wizard Davak crucified on an oak tree. That was the final blow to any strong wizard resistance. Banderius’s death would be the end of hope for any living assassins.”
“Then we have to get to him before Corwin,” I said. “It’s our only chance to receive his counsel and perhaps the help of his sword. Plus, who knows how long he’ll wait in Woden. If no one comes, Banderius might choose to vanish forever.”
“But Woden is a full month’s march northwards,” Megan said. “And that’s only if we don’t stop to sleep.”
I knew it wasn’t a month’s march for me. But Brax couldn’t carry three passengers. He didn’t even want to have one.
“Maestru Beatrix, what should we do?” I asked.
“I am not your maestru any longer,” she said. “You could follow the wisdom of the remaining wizards who hired boats and sailed away to the west.”
“None of the wizards returned,” Megan said. “No one returns from those seas.”
“Yes, there’s that,” Beatrix answered. “Your best course is to gather information. Banderius is an egotistical man, perhaps the most egotistical I’ve known. And I’m including your brother when I say that.” She looked at me. “But Banderius is brilliant and if there is anyone who can uncover secret places for you to hide, he would be the one. He swore the Red Oath to aid guild assassins, so I’m confident he’ll help you.”
“We still have the problem of a month’s travel,” Thord said. “If Corwin is looking for him, he’ll just fly there on a swan in a few days.”
“I may be able to solve that problem,” Maestru Beatrix said. “At least for two of you.” She pulled her mask back on again. I was amazed at how quickly it changed shape to make her look like a man. An ugly man! She even broadened her shoulders. “Come with me; it’s a walk.”
The three of us followed her out of the room. I was last, so I paused and took the top book from the pile. It was titled Bartum’s Revenge and was small enough to fit into one of my cloak pockets. I knew nothing about it or the author, but it felt good to be carrying it near my heart.
We followed Maestru Beatrix out of the library. She was in a secretive mood and she led us through the streets without telling us a word about our destination. She stopped to buy a fresh and wonderful-smelling loaf of bread and four sausage pastries. Then we left Avenus by the same gate I’d entered. One guard nodded at Beatrix, and I wondered what contacts and bonds she had formed. He already knew her by this face. Would she have to wear that mask for the rest of her life?
We walked on, and
when Megan and Thord had fallen a few steps behind, Beatrix said, “I wasn’t aware that Maestru Alesius kept a magical eye in a jar.”
I blushed. I didn’t want to lie to her, so I said, “He didn’t. But I can’t tell you where it’s from.”
“I’m just glad you have it,” she answered.
In time we came to a large white stone farmhouse. Behind it was a two-storey manger made of the same impressive stone — the barn must have cost more than many of the homes in Avenus! They had made all the fencing of similar alabaster stone.
“One librarian owns this.” Maestru Beatrix gestured around her.
“A librarian is this rich?” Thord said.
“There’s no law against librarians becoming wealthy,” Maestru Beatrix replied. “And we do know how to invest our meagre pay.”
She removed her mask and led us into the barn. There were several impressively muscled horses inside, eating at a bale of hay. They had that horse smell to them, which I always had enjoyed. It meant travel. There was very little manure in the barn. Perhaps the Avenians did not want a single drop of mud or manure to hit the floor. It was almost an obsession.
“These are racehorses!” Megan said. The look on her face was of such shock. “There is more wealth inside the building than outside.”
“Well, they are champion horses,” Beatrix said. “They won the Green Dome Races three times in a row.”
Megan’s eyes grew even wider. “And we’ll get these horses?” she said. “They must fly like devils.”
“Never, by Belaz!” Maestru Beatrix said. “Your mounts are waiting up above us.” She easily climbed a wide ladder on the wall that led into the loft. “Ah, there you are, my sweeties.”
Something stirred at the sound of her voice and made the boards creak, and I got the odd feeling that there was a dragon up there.
I was the next up, and once I stepped off the ladder and turned, I shuddered. There were four black, angry eyes staring at me and two razor-sharp beaks pointed my way.
Two giant black guild swans. They glared at us with their intelligent dark eyes. One lifted her wing and scratched at her side with her beak, all the while keeping an eye on us.