by Dave Freer
He continued. "Your theft was the worst incident in Amphir's history as a safe-city. We cannot back off. It would cost all of us our jobs, and our city its reputation. You will return the black opal, and we will have ten times its weight of the thief's flesh. Then you can walk away from here."
Cap stood silent for a minute. Then: "We don't have the jewel any more."
The Amphirian officer shrugged. "Then it is twenty times its weight. And the name of the man who purchased it. He will return it, and be refunded. If he should refuse . . . then we count him as a thief, too. Come. The thief. It is one of those three, who actually took the stone. Then the rest of you can go." He pointed to Keilin, Bey and S'kith
Cap shrugged. "Keilin. You wanted to do it this way." Keilin felt his jaw dropping. Cap continued. "Twenty times the weight in flesh. See you don't take a drop of blood in the process."
The Amphirian laughed humorlessly. "We've heard that one before. The courts of Amphir were kind enough to pass a waiver, exempting us from all claims for damages caused in the execution of our duty. Now, to whom was the jewel sold, and for what price?"
"To the Tyrant. Twenty thousand in gold. Far more than it's worth, really. He wanted a jewel that had successfully been stolen from Amphir," Cap continued blandly, pushing Keilin forward.
"Hang on, Cap. You can't let the boy take the rap alone," said Beywulf, stepping forward. "You lot. I'm bigger than him, and it was only a little bitty stone anyway. Take your flesh out of me."
"No." S'kith too had stepped forward, his voice, as usual, terrifyingly flat. "You can take the flesh from my body. I am not so fat, and will eat better anyway. But try to take it from my friend here, and I will kill many of you first. Keilin, you let them take it from me. I will not feel the pain."
A snort came from behind them. It was Leyla. "Oh, that's enough, Captain Wickus. Yes, I recognize you, even if you don't remember me. Here. This is the gem." She produced a black opal.
The man accepted it warily. "Who are you?"
"Never you mind. I just remember you when you were a pompous little boy. Haven't changed much. Now you split the flesh cut between them. Off their buttocks. They can all afford to lose the thirty grains. Cap, give them an anesthetic," she said, queenly and commanding.
"I have been ordered to take it from their chests, madam." The word was a careful insult. "Inside their chests."
She shrugged. "Your orders don't permit you to interfere with innocent parties. They've confessed. Therefore the rest of us, Shael and Cap and I, are walking up to you now, innocent and untouchable. We'll watch you exact the fine. If you don't do it to my satisfaction, I'm going to rip you open from neck to ball bag, not that that's ever been any use to you. Shael'll do the same to another of you. Cap, how many do you think you can kill? Remember they're law officers. Can't touch us unless we break their law. They have to work within the local law too. Killing people is not against the law here, is it?"
Shael held her dagger as steadily as she could, wishing her hands weren't so shaky. She was too scared to trust her voice. She began to walk forward with Leyla and Cap, as Cap said savagely, "Not less than five, Leyla. Nasty deaths, too. Are they allowed to defend themselves?"
"Killing people is against the law in the Tyn States. Unless I command otherwise, of course," said the heavy-set man with the flying eyebrows so recognizable from the coins.
Shael dropped her knife. It clattered on the wooden slats, and splashed into the water below. "Father?"
"Yes, m'dear. What a chase you've led me on." He turned and called over his shoulder, "Henry Balscom."
He came forward out of the mist, the heavy browed, brutish face she had frozen into her memory, from Shapstone and the confrontation with Deshin. He was smiling now. "Mornin', yer Highness. Nice to see you again," he said, his coarse voice bringing back memories of the desperate chase in Shapstone's palace.
"You had agents among Deshin's traitors," she accused her father, her angry finger stabbing at him.
"I only knew about it at the very last moment. Barely in time to escape myself. You don't think I'd sacrifice such a proportion of my power willingly, do you?" he replied calmly.
"Excuse me," said Captain Wickus, hovering between relief at the intervention and annoyance at finding himself ignored, "Who are you? Will you take yourself and your child off this dock? I've permission from the Tyrant himself to use it. You're not wanted here."
For an answer Henry knocked his legs out from under him, and kicked him over the edge of the pier, to splash into the shallows below. He leaned over the edge to address the spluttering man. "Yer never address the Tyrant himself like that again, dog turd."
"Quite," said the Tyrant. "Now, dear. Let's go."
There was a silence, broken only by the sounds of Captain Wickus struggling to shore. "Like hell I will, Father. You've got some explaining to do."
He sighed. "It's cold and very early. I'll explain to you some other time. Right now I've more important things to do. Let's go and get you a bath and some clothes more fitting to your station."
"I'll jump over the pier edge and swim for the main channel if you come one step closer to me, before I've had some answers," she told him in a small hard voice. Keilin couldn't see it, but he knew that her chin would be coming up as she said this.
"Shael, stop being so childish. Come along now." Keilin could hear anger and just the edge of fear coming into the Tyrant's voice.
Shael read voices far more accurately than Keilin. With a defiant tilt of her head she stepped onto the very edge of the pier. "I want to know why you gave the use of this pier to this ambush party from Amphir. I also want to know how you got out of Shapstone. I don't believe you did. I'm willing to bet you sold yourself . . . to the Morkth."
A reluctant chuckle. "You're my daughter all right. Yes. An agreement was reached. The Morkth freed me to weaken Deshin's control. As to Amphir . . . Saril Jaine's defection left me rather weak in the covert operations area. So we used some of my lesser operatives, ones that had penetrated Amphir's cash-fat Jewel Police. It was from them that we got word of you and your companions. Before we could reach you, someone in your party was foolish enough to steal something from Amphir. From then we used their resources to keep track of the whole party. We were also obliged to keep them off your track somewhat. We couldn't chance you being hurt by accident while the thieves were being arrested."
He gestured at the dock. "We wanted you safe out of Deshin's territory, so we facilitated this. Of course we have a hand in the river blockade runners. Otherwise they might bring in things we didn't want, and allow things, like escapees and unaltered communiques from spies, to leave."
"So, here they are about to have pieces carved out of them, all merely as an aside to getting your dear daughter back. How charming. How well you reward the people who've kept me alive since you crawled away into the woodwork."
Keilin had felt the knife of her sarcasm often enough before. It was however plainly a novelty to the Tyrant. And not one he was enjoying either. "You should mind your tongue, daughter mine. You've picked up some appalling habits from these commoners."
She raised her eyebrows. "Fix it, Father. You created this mess. Now sort it out."
He looked at her, his eyes narrowing. "You really do have a mind of your own, don't you? We always thought you would be our greatest asset in extending the Tyn States. Now we are sure of it. What do you suggest we do, rapier-sharp child?"
"Don't be so patronizing, Father. I'm not exactly a little girl any more. Knowing you, I doubt if you have less than a thousand men back there. Toss this bunch into the river," she said coolly.
"Three thousand actually. And taking us hostage won't serve either. We took steps—which we're not planning to tell about." He smiled insincerely. "Not drowning . . . it's so bad for the water quality downstream. There are better ways. You"—he turned to the dripping captain—"We need to talk to you. Back there." He pointed to a low shed, dimly visible on the shore. "Wait."
They stayed li
ke puppets. Well, mostly. Bey drifted toward Shael. "I can hear them perfectly well," he said quietly. "Your father is telling Wickus that, as you are about to marry his prince, he'd better cooperate. He's also said that once he's taken you away they're welcome to slit all our throats."
Leyla made a retching noise. "Shael. Prince Jaybe is at least fifty-five. He likes his girls young. Prepubescent. He keeps at least one with him all the time. Get used to the idea."
"It doesn't matter which midden he had planned to bribe with me. I'm not going. At least . . . I'll run away as soon as I can," she said quietly.
Captain Wickus was doing a wonderful job of fawning and shivering at the same time. "Ah . . . I believe you mentioned an anesthetic, my good lady. His Highness has assured me that it would be best to follow your suggestion after all. Er, so as not to affront you ladies, perhaps the pris . . . gentlemen will care to come to our temp'ry headquarters over there." He pointed at the hut from which he and the Tyrant had emerged. "Also I could grab a dry blanket."
"No. You do it right here. It won't be the first men's bare bottoms Shael and I've seen. We don't trust you. Besides, the shivering'll help you lose some of that lard." Leyla's voice was hard.
So Keilin found himself presenting his bare buttocks to have a lump the size of a half-thaler coin cut out of him. His face was burning considerably more than his bum. He had mutely submitted to Cap's injected local anesthetic. He'd quietly gone through S'kith's nerve-block exercises too. One of them had worked. The flesh was carefully weighed on antique jeweller's scales while the Tyrant snorted his impatience. A neat form of debt discharge was handed to Bey, who happened to be nearest.
"That's done then," said one of the Amphirians, who had been forced to cut with care he'd been ill prepared for. He decided to take out his ire in another way. He shoved Keilin right over the nearby pier edge. "Go for a wash, thief!"
Arms flailing, Keilin fell to splash in the cold black river water. For a moment he started to panic. He'd drown right here. Then his feet touched the ooze bottom. He was barely thigh-deep.
From above came the sound of several blows, as well as an anxious call of "Cay! Are you all right, Cay?"
"Fine!" he called up. Then realizing how ridiculous this sounded he continued, "Just wet. It's shallow here. I'll walk in and come round."
He waded towards the shore. The burst of intense worry and fear from Shael had washed through his mind like a tide. He knew now. He had to get her out of there. And tied to the last pier piles was the answer. He hadn't even seen it in the dark water. It was a wide flat-bottomed boat, hidden under the pier.
Now he understood. The river wharf's normal complement of vessels were lying at anchor somewhere off in the river. But their crews had come in, possibly leaving a watchman or two on the boats. He simply slashed the painter and scrambled into it. Using the pier pilings and timbers he silently pulled the craft along to where the acrimonious debate was continuing. Obviously his comment about the river being shallow here had been noticed. Shael had moved considerably further out along the pier, until she found the way behind her blocked too. Soon he was just below them. Bey's grizzly ancestry gave him preternaturally sharp hearing. He'd both heard and smelled Keilin coming back. There was really no need for the boy's whisper.
"And you want me to marry some fat old pervert. My! I should have stuck to Deshin. He was at least going to make me an empress."
"It's what you'll end up being, my dear. To a far greater empire than that fool can hold. Power stretching from Arlinn to Amphir. Between Amphir and my holdings, with the forces of Arlinn rallying to my call, I'll crush his pretensions very rapidly. The fickle ones that rallied to him will desert him just as fast. Anyway, as to your future husband's sexual preferences, they need not concern you. We had you taught that. You'll find your own discreet entertainment. At least he's normal, not like your other suitor."
"At least Deshin's lover was there of his own free will, and not as a confused little girl told to please the prince . . . or else." Leyla's voice spoke volumes.
"Shut up, woman. Hold your tongue before your betters."
"To hell with you, you pompous old fart. And I'll kill you before those bowmen of yours can get a decent bead on me," said Leyla, angry now beyond logic.
Shael laughed. A harsh, bitter sound. But it did stop the incipient conflict for the moment. "Betters!" she jeered. "One of my friends is an original member of the Cru you pay lip service to. The others are people that any just ruler would ennoble tomorrow. From you all they can expect is murder. However, if you guarantee their safety, I'll put up with your scheme. Once they're safe to Dublin Moss, that is. Well?"
Keilin felt the man above him suddenly snap. It was a terrifying maelstrom of rage, insane hatred and desire. How dared she dictate terms!? She was just like that bitch of a mother of hers. Well, he'd killed that fettering ice box as soon as she'd littered this one. Now he'd rid himself of her. He would not be controlled. He was the master!
The boy had his hand in the ankle pouch even as she said, "Well?" He stood up in the boat holding the core section as close to the boards of the pier as he could reach. He shut his mind off from the bellow for guards, and simply reconstructed in exquisite detail her naked body lying on his bunk in the moonlight. Then he allowed his mind to go further . . . filling in the details, even the scent of her . . .
"Jump!" Beywulf shouted. "Come on! Keil's got us a boat." They splashed into the water like ripe fruit all around him. Some things even hit the boat. Keilin grabbed S'kith and hauled him inboard before he even had a chance to panic. Then the two of them heaved Shael out from Leyla's supporting arms. The boat was moving away from the pier into the mist. Looking over the side Keilin saw Bey and Cap pushing it along. And the cold misty air was full of a delicate perfume. Keilin passed an oar to S'kith and pushed them still further out into the mist. Ahead he could see the dark outline of the river-parallel quay.
As the sonic boom struck, Cap, Beywulf and a third man struggled onboard. They slid under the quay, feet thundering above them, and out onto the river. The supercargo found a knife being pressed to his throat. Behind them the mist was suddenly retina-searing purple. "Hell's teeth!" Cap burst out. "That's no hand weapon. The Beta-Morkth have brought a bloody strike craft in. Over the side everyone, and hang onto the boat. You too, you Amphirian fool. They have heat-imaging sights on those lasers. Mist and darkness are no cover at all."
CHAPTER 16
The rain and snow-melt upstream made the Elbe a fast-flowing river at this time of year. Also numbingly cold. Still, judging by the actinic light flashes, and mist-muted screams, its chill and its speed were something to be intensely grateful for. But it was still teeth-chatteringly icy. It was with great relief that Keilin greeted Cap's "Okay. All aboard. Gently. We don't want to capsize the damned thing. S'kith and Bey from opposite sides first."
Soon the wet and shivering party, including the terrified-looking Amphirian official, were back on board. "Thank goodness you dropped those packs onto the boat and not into the water, Bey," said Leyla, her cold-clumsy fingers struggling with the catch on hers.
It was slowly growing light, the mist hazing into grey indistinctness, instead of virtual darkness. Bey primed a little alcohol burner down on the floorboards of the boat. The others, including the Amphirian, whom someone had taken pity on, huddled in blankets or struggled into dry clothes. Cap looked across at Keilin with measuring eyes. "When we get rid of this gentleman, you've got some explaining to do." He looked at the still shivering, wide-eyed involuntary passenger. "You can stop looking so afraid. We'll drop you off at the first safe landing we see. Then you can trot along to your high command and tell them that our debt to them is discharged. That'll at least get them out of our hair. I don't think any of your companions will have survived that fracas back there. As to you," he turned to Shael, "I'm afraid you're an orphan."
"I didn't lose anything," she said shortly, turning away and staring off into the mist.
* * *
They set the unfortunate Jewel Recovery Unit man off at the river's edge a mile or so beyond a small fishing village. Then, once they were out in the stream again, Cap rounded on Keilin. "Well, little psi. That was your work back there. Where's the other core section?"
Keilin had had time to anticipate this. The ankle pouch was safely in S'kith's keeping. "I haven't got one, sir," he said, putting as much forthright honesty into his voice as he could muster, "but I think I can explain."
"Make it good," Cap said grimly.
"You've the pendant you took from me in that bag. And some others. I climbed the pier pilings and was just below you when it happened. I . . . got hit by a wave of mad hatred. I think it must have come from Shael's father. Could he have been a psi, too? Ask Shael and S'kith. They also felt it, I bet. I . . . I think we all panicked. All of us. Even though we weren't touching the sections it must have been enough to activate them." He held out his hands. "That's all I can think of, sir."
Cap snorted. "I suppose, given the bloodline, it is possible." He turned to the other two, "Well? Did the great wave hit you too?"
They both nodded. "It was terrible. He held my mother under in her bath," said Shael quietly. "He . . . he was completely mad."
S'kith added dispassionately, "He was going to kill us all. We were lucky to get away."
Cap sneezed. "Dammit. Now I think I've got a cold. I'll have to put some damn shielding around those stones. I wonder what'll work? But first I'm going to search you, boy, myself. Then Bey can make me another of those hot drinks. Also, I want to hear from you, Leyla, just what you gave to that friend of yours, to save these bums' bums from more carving."
She shrugged. "Amphir is my city. I am a jeweller's daughter. I knew they would find us sooner or later. So I bought this stone. It's in the river now . . . but it was returned. They'll never know it wasn't the right one. A good thing that fool Wickus never had the sense to try and scratch it with a diamond."
Cap sneezed. "Get me that drink, Bey, for God's sake. I suppose it was good thinking. But that's supposed to be my job. That's the trouble with this outfit. Too many damn chiefs and not enough indians. Thank goodness I've got Bey and the Morkth-man who do what they're told."