Kevin nodded and headed back to his room. He’d changed his clothes and almost finished his coffee when Chris came in, followed by Alek.
“I’m sorry, but I forgot to confirm the time you’d like to leave this morning,” Alek said from the doorway.
Kevin nodded. “Let’s leave about five minutes before six.
“I’ll be in your office when you’re ready.”
After Alek pulled the door to and left, Chris said, “I love the way they remind you you’re supposed to take one of them with you.”
“Yeah,” Kevin said. “Always so polite.”
“And yet we all know they’re really telling you off for trying to slip out of here without them.”
“I know,” Kevin said with a laugh. “Guess I’d better get down there or he’ll think I left without him anyway.”
~ ~ ~ ~
The castle was still asleep when Kevin and Alek returned with Caezar and Ramen, so Kevin sent the retired soldiers to the dining room and said he’d meet them in Gen. Crandal’s office at 8:00.
After Alek left, Kevin went back upstairs and changed into his dark green tunic. Once he was dressed, he knocked on Chris’s bedroom door, but Chris wasn’t in there, so he went back to his office and started going through messages.
A few minutes later, he realized there was someone in his reception area, actually two someones, one male and one female. He set the messages aside and listened.
The male voice was Darrell’s, but he wasn’t sure about the female voice, so he used his seeing eye. Darrell was talking to Serra.
“We can talk in here,” Darrell said. “The pages won’t be in until after breakfast. Now, what did you want to see me about?”
“I don’t know what to do about Tonnie,” Serra said. “She’s barely eight years old, only a year older than Corey, but she seems a lot older. I couldn’t get her to play with the other children yesterday. It’s like she doesn’t remember how to play. She’s had to grow up too fast, She’s past that part of her life.”
“What does she want to do?” Darrell asked.
“She wants to be in charge. She wants to look after the others, which wouldn’t be so bad if she were a bit older, but there’s no way Corey’s going to let her tell him what to do. Caitlyn’s a different story. She’s used to everyone telling her what to do so it doesn’t bother her, but Corey’s protective of his sister. He doesn’t want anyone telling her what to do, especially some other child.” Serra paused. “The other children sense the tension between Corey and Tonnie. They don’t understand what’s going on, but they feel it, and since they’ve known Corey longer, they take his side, which isolates Tonnie even more. And it doesn’t help matters that they live in the same house. They never get a break from each other.”
“Have you talked to Joan?”
Serra shook her head. “I hate to bother her. She’s got enough to worry about right now with all the preparations for the reception.”
“All right,” Darrell said slowly. “How can I help? What do you want me to do?”
“I don’t know. You’re good with children. I was hoping you might have some suggestions.”
Darrell didn’t say anything for a minute. “I can’t come up with anything right now, but let me think about it. In the meantime, I can have one of the guards take the boys fishing this morning. If nothing else, it’ll get Corey out of the way for a while.”
Serra nodded. “That would help this morning, thanks. But I’ve got to come up with something that’ll work on an everyday basis. Let me know if you think of anything.”
Darrell nodded. “I will, and don’t worry. We’ll figure out something.”
Then Kevin heard the door shut as they left. He drummed his fingers on his desk. They hadn’t come to him. They’d just used his office to talk. And unless he was willing to admit eavesdropping on a private conversation, albeit one that was held in his office, he couldn’t let them know he’d heard anything. So, if he did happen to think of something that might help, he’d also have to come up with some way to pass it on. Kevin shook his head. Nothing was simple anymore.
~ ~ ~ ~
A little before eight, Kevin left his office and headed for Gen. Crandal’s. He got there as Gen. Crandal was opening the door. Caezar and Ramen were inside waiting for them.
“Good morning,” Gen. Crandal said to his two men. “What can you tell us about Glenarbour?”
“Not much, sir,” Caezar answered. “We played in every tavern in town but we didn’t hear anything about anyone doing any raids anywhere in the area.”
“We didn’t hear anything about anyone recruiting either. If someone had been recruiting, then at least the raid would have made sense,” Ramen said. When Kevin frowned, Ramen explained. “If the recruits were new to the slaving trade, they’d need training, and pulling a raid in a quiet family settlement’s a good way to train them.”
Kevin nodded.
“We even dropped hints we might be interested in signing on, but no one contacted us to follow up on it,” Ramen added.
“To be honest, I don’t think the raid in Syrando had any connection to anyone in Glenarbour,” Caezar said. “I don’t think anyone there had anything to do with it, knew anything about it, or was involved in selling the slaves.”
Gen. Crandal nodded. “I agree, but I just got another update from Lt. Martyn. They still haven’t seen any sign of the captives, and no boat large enough to hold that many people has passed them.”
“Could they have used two boats, or even more?” Caezar asked.
“We thought of that, especially since the one we know they were using on Garby Creek wasn’t large enough to hold all of the captives, but Marcus questioned people all over that area. If they had a second boat it wasn’t anywhere nearby. But even if they did use several boats, the ones that have passed Pylar’s Landing headed for the Agrenon Bay have been riding too high in the water to have much cargo, human or otherwise.”
“Where could they have gone?” Ramen wondered out loud.
For a couple of minutes, no one said anything. Finally Gen. Crandal spoke up. “They aren’t the only ones who’ve disappeared.” He picked up two messages and walked over to a large map of Camden on his wall. “Both of these came in yesterday.” He held one up. “Last Monday, a week ago yesterday, a small village, Feldon’s Port on West River, was hit by slavers.” He pointed to a spot on a river Kevin recognized as the Hudson on Earth.
“I thought slavers only attacked coastal settlements,” Kevin said as he looked at the little dot that represented Feldon’s Port. It wasn’t far from the coast, but it was probably at least a couple of days travel.
“They usually do, which makes that raid strange, but it’s not the strangest one.” Gen. Crandal stepped to the other side of the map and pointed to a spot on the east coast of the lake Kevin knew as Lake Michigan. “Slavers hit a small family settlement ten miles from Fredaport.”
Caezar looked at the map and frowned. “Why would slavers be in that area? Especially this time of year? The only way out is Lander’s River, and it’s going to have ice chunks in it before they can make it out of there.”
Gen. Crandal shrugged. “I don’t remember slavers ever hitting anywhere on these lakes before. I can’t imagine where they’re headed unless they’re planning to take the captives north to Brendolanth. But if they do go to Brendolanth, where to then? I doubt there’s much of a market for slaves anywhere in that area.”
Ramen studied the map for a minute. “Glenarbour’s the only logical place, but I’m not sure they could make it there without having to go overland, and that would be too risky.” He continued looking at the map for a few minutes, frowning.
Caezar shook his head. “Doesn’t make a lot of sense, does it?”
“Why were they in that area to start with?” Ramen asked. “They couldn’t have been there just to raid for slaves.”
Gen. Crandal walked back over to his desk. “I’ve been wondering the same thing.”
; “How many captives were taken?” Kevin asked.
The general looked at the messages again. “Three men, two women, and three children.”
Ramen shook his head. “Those captives are going to be more trouble than they’re worth. Something else must be going on here.”
“Was anyone killed?” Kevin asked.
“Not in either of these raids.”
“At least there’s that,” Kevin said quietly. “What about the raid on the West River? How many were captured there?”
Gen. Crandal looked at the message again. “Twelve in all, seven adults, five children.”
Caezar nodded. “That one makes more sense, both in location and potential profit, but it’s still a bit risky. There are a lot of places along that river where someone might notice captives. It’s not like they can get out of Camden quickly.” Kevin frowned, so Caezar explained. “The longer they’re in Camden, the higher the risk of getting caught. On the Kivee, they can always get to the west shore, pull up, and be in Brendolanth or Nandelia. They can’t be arrested for raiding in Camden unless they’re actually in Camden.”
Kevin nodded.
“That’s why slavers stick to coastal settlements. Hit the settlement and run out to sea. Not much chance of getting captured like that,” Gen. Crandal added.
“Then why these raids?” Kevin asked.
“That is a very good question,” Gen. Crandal said.
“What are the chances of catching up with them before they get out of Camden?”
“They should have been pretty good on the West River. That raid was discovered the next morning, and by mid-afternoon soldiers were waiting for them at the mouth of the river, but so far, nothing. Or at least nothing as of yesterday morning, when they sent the message,” Gen. Crandal answered.
“Sounds a lot like Syrando,” Kevin said.
Gen. Crandal nodded. “As to Longleaf Lake, they’ve stationed soldiers at both exits from the lake, but they can’t do much about the border with Brendolanth.”
Kevin nodded. “Anything I can do?”
“Not that I know of or I’d have already asked.”
“What do you want to do about Lt. Martyn and his men?”
“Let’s leave them where they are for another week,” Gen. Crandal answered. “Those slavers have to be out there somewhere.”
Chapter 28
A Little Follow Up
Kevin stopped by Karl’s office after lunch Thursday. Joan’s desk was almost covered with stacks of papers, and she was concentrating so hard on the stack in front of her she didn’t notice when he opened the door. After a couple of moments, she realized she wasn’t alone and looked up. “Hi,” she said with a smile. “What can I do for you?”
“Nothing,” Kevin answered. “I wanted to see how things are going with Petri. Where is he anyway?”
Joan sighed. “He’s a godsend. He’s only been here since Tuesday but he’s made himself indispensable. I don’t know how we ever managed without him.”
“I do. You borrowed some of my pages.”
Joan made a face at him. “I sent him to find Cryslyn with a list of questions that need answers. Do you want me to send him to see you when he gets back?”
“No, I just wanted to see how things were working out. I know you’re busy right now, and if having him around was causing you extra work, I was going to find somewhere else for him to get some office experience.”
Joan looked thoughtful for a moment. “I can’t be sure, but I think he’s already had some experience working in an office. Either that or he picks stuff up awfully fast. I know he’s talked to Ariel quite a bit, but he seems to know what needs to be done before I tell him.”
“Have you had a chance to ask him about his past?”
Joan shook her head. “He’s too much help for me to risk alienating him by asking a lot of personal questions. We’ll get to that after he knows me better. Teenagers can be tricky.”
Kevin nodded. “How about the little ones? Are things going all right there?”
A small frown formed on Joan’s forehead. “Corey and Caitlyn are adjusting better than I expected, but Tonnie’s a different story.”
“How so?”
“You’d have to be around her a lot to pick up on it, but she’s a bundle of nerves. She’s constantly looking around for anything that needs to be done. It’s like she’s afraid she’ll miss something and be blamed when it doesn’t get done. She wants to be the one to take care of Caitlyn and Corey, but to her, taking care of them means keeping them out of sight, putting herself in front, like a barrier. It’s like she’s trying to hide them to protect them.” Joan shook her head. “I have no idea what that child’s life must have been like before she came here. She has scars on her body that I can’t explain. They’re not normal kid scars, but they aren’t from beatings or anything like that either. They’re different, and to be honest, a bit scary. It’s almost like she’s been tortured. I want to take her in my arms and tell her everything’s going to be okay, but she’s got a very fragile hold on things right now and I don’t want to destroy it. I feel like the least little thing could push her over the edge. She needs help, Kevin.”
“Have you talked to anyone about this? Maybe Theresa?”
Joan nodded. “She’s checking with some of the other sisters to see what they’d recommend.”
“How about Serra? Have you asked her how things are going out at the playground?”
“No, and I should have. To be honest, I’m expecting to hear things aren’t going well and I don’t know what to do about it. I think she needs a lot of one-on-one time with a caring mother figure right now, and I can’t do it, and neither can Gracie. We’ve talked about it, but there’s no way either of us can provide that kind of attention and get all our other stuff done.”
“No, and you don’t need to feel guilty about it either,” Kevin said. “But maybe we can find someone else who can help this little girl. Surely, somewhere in Milhaven there’s a woman who’s already raised her kids and has enough time and experience to take on this child. Who would know if there was someone like that around?”
“I have no idea.”
“Serra’s from around here, isn’t she? Doesn’t her mother live in Milhaven? Maybe her mother would know someone, or at least be able to give you the names of some people to ask. There’s got to be someone out there who would like to help this child. We just have to find her.”
“That’s a good idea,” Joan said. “I’ll talk to Serra this afternoon.”
“Let me know how it goes.”
~ ~ ~ ~
Laryn was waiting for Kevin when he got back. She followed him into his office and closed the door. “Could I borrow the key for a few minutes?”
Kevin took out the key to Terah, and held it out to her. “Anything I should know about?”
“It’s nothing like that. Steve mentioned he’d love to have some seafood, so I thought I’d make a quick trip to a fish market and pick up some shrimp. Miranda said she’d cook it for him.”
Before Laryn could take the key, Kevin jerked it back. “I want to go. I’ve wanted some seafood for months now, but I had no idea where to go to get it. Let’s get enough for everyone.”
Once again, Laryn held out her hand for the key. “If we’re going to get that much, you’ll have to go with me to bring it back.”
“Wait a minute.” Kevin walked over to the door. “Chris, could I see you?”
Chris finished what he was saying to Ariel and then joined them in Kevin’s office. “What do you need?”
“Laryn’s going to take us to a fish market. I want you to know where it is.”
“Okay, but what are we going to use for money?”
Laryn shook her head. “We don’t need any, not where we’re going anyway. Everyone down there knows to send the bill to Cryslyn and she’ll settle up. All we need to do is tell them what we want and bring it back home.” Then she looked at Kevin. “Anytime you want to buy something, have them send the
bill here. Don’t try to pay for it on your own. Everyone knows who you are, and they figure the Master Sorcerer is too busy to pay any attention to how much things cost, so if you were to show up with a bit of money, they’d double what they normally charge. That won’t work with Cryslyn.” Before Kevin could say anything, she turned to Chris. “And you. As soon as you look at food, especially desserts, you get this dazed look in your eyes, and prices would go sky high. Never pay for anything at any type of market. Have the bill sent to Cryslyn. She’ll pay a fair price and they all know it.” She held out her arms. “You two can go, but let me do the talking.”
Kevin and Chris both said, “Yes, ma’am” as they put their hands on her arms.
In a few seconds they were at the docks of a busy port. Boats were unloading the morning catch as merchants haggled over the prices. Laryn walked up to a hefty man with a beard and mustache. “Good afternoon, Lucius. Good catch this morning?”
“Not bad. You looking for some fish?”
“Might be,” Laryn answered. “I was hoping to find some shrimp, too. Crabs would also be good. Got any of those?”
“Maybe,” he said as he walked towards his boat. “Let’s go see what we have left.”
Fifteen minutes later, Laryn had ordered enough fish, shrimp, oysters, and crabs for a couple of meals for the whole castle. Lucius dumped it all together in one big barrel. “Don’t forget to bring my barrel back. You bought the fish, not the barrel.”
Laryn smiled at the big man. “You’ll have it back in less than half an hour. Just give me time to get it unloaded.”
Lucius nodded and moved on to his next customer.
Laryn raised her eyebrows at Kevin, so he used his outstretched hand to pick up the barrel and the three of them went straight to the castle kitchen.
After Miranda had all the fish unloaded and sorted, Laryn returned Kevin’s key. “You know where to go, so I’ll leave you to return the barrel. See you at dinner.”
When Kevin got back to his office, Chris handed him an envelope. “This came while we were out. It’s sort of heavy, but it came by falcon.”
The Fourteenth Key (The Chronicles of Terah Book 3) Page 24