The girl seemed less than reassured at being confronted by two members of the court. “Are you going to take me to jail?”
“James,” said Jazhara, “you’re not going to put this child in jail, are you?”
With mock seriousness, James said, “By rights I should. A dangerous criminal like this preying on innocent people at night!”
The child’s eyes widened slightly, but she stood unafraid and didn’t flinch. James softened his tone. “No, child. We’ll not put you in jail. There’s a place we could take you, if you like. It’s called the Sign of the Yellow Shield. They take care of children like you.”
The reaction was instantaneous. “No! No! You’re just like the other men. You’re just like the bad men!” She struck at James’s face with her free hand, and tried to pull away.
James hung on. “Hold on! Hold it! Stop hitting me for a minute.”
The girl ceased hitting him, but still kept tugging. James slowly let go of her arm and held up his hands, palms out, showing that he was not going to grab her again. “Look, Nita, if you want to stay here that’s fine. We’re not going to hurt you,” he said softly.
Jazhara asked, “Who were you talking about, Nita? Who were the bad men?”
The girl looked up at the mage and said, “They say they’re like the Yellow Shield, and all good children go with them, but they hurt me!” Her eyes started to fill with tears, but her voice was firm.
James asked, “How did they hurt you?”
Nita looked at the former boy-thief and said, “They took me to the big house, and they locked me in a cage, like all the other children. Then they told me to dye cloth for Yusuf, or else they’d beat me, and some of the other children, the bad children, they took and they never came back and there were rats and squirmy things in our food and - ”
“This is horrible,” said Jazhara. “We must act on this ‘Yusuf,’ but first we must care for Nita.”
“Well, I suppose we could take her to the palace,” began James, turning to look at Jazhara.
It was the chance the girl had waited for. As soon as James looked away from her, she was off, sprinting down the alley toward the street.
James stood and watched her turn the corner, knowing that he could probably chase her down, but deciding not to. Jazhara stared at James with an unspoken question in her eyes. James said, “I told her she could stay with us if she wanted to.”
Jazhara nodded. “Then you will do something about this?”
James leaned down to pick up Jazhara’s purse. He dusted it off and as he handed it to her he said, “Of course I will. I grew up on these streets. This isn’t about duty, it’s personal.”
Jazhara turned away from the palace and started walking back the way they had come.
“Hey!” said James, hurrying to catch up. “Where are you going?”
“Unless this Yusuf lives in the palace, we need to go deeper into this poor section of the city, I am guessing.”
“Good guess,” said James. “There’s a dyer named Yusuf up in what’s called ‘Stink Town,’ to the north - it’s where all the tanners, slaughterhouses, and other aromatic businesses are housed. But now?”
Looking at James with a resolute expression, Jazhara said, “We can’t start any sooner, can we?”
“Apparently not,” replied James. Then he grinned.
James kept his eyes moving, peering into every shadow, while Jazhara gazed resolutely forward, as if fixed upon a goal. As they walked purposefully through the Poor Quarter of Krondor, Jazhara said, “Do you expect trouble?”
“Constantly,” answered James, glancing down a side-street they were passing.
The rising stench in the air told them they were close to their destination, the area of the Poor Quarter given over to those businesses best kept downwind. “Where do you think this Yusuf resides?”
James said, “The cloth-makers are all located at the end of this street, and along two others nearby.” Turning to look at Jazhara, he said, “You realize, of course, that the place will almost certainly be closed for the night?”
Jazhara smiled. “Which will give us an opportunity to look around unnoticed, correct?”
James smiled back. “I like the way you think, Jazhara.”
Several times along the way they passed individuals hurrying by, the city was never truly asleep. Those who passed cast appraising glances at the pair, either as potential threats - or as possible victims.
They reached an intersection and glanced in both directions. Off to the left, all was quiet, but to James’s surprise down the street to the right a few places were still obviously open for business. “The dyers’ trade must be very profitable for these establishments to be conducting business all night.”
“Or they’re paying nothing for their labor,” said Jazhara as they passed one such open establishment. The door was ajar and a quick glance inside indicated there was nothing suspicious taking place; a dyer and others - obviously members of his family - were busy preparing a large shipment of cloth. Most likely it was to be delivered at dawn to tailors who had ordered the material.
They moved along the dimly-lit street until they reached a large, two-story building, before which stood a large man with a sword at his belt. He watched with a neutral expression as James and Jazhara approached.
James asked, “What is this place?”
The guard answered, “This is the shop of the honorable Yusuf ben Ali, the illustrious cloth merchant.”
Jazhara asked, “Is he in?”
“No. Now, if that’s all, you’ll excuse me.” Since the guard showed no sign of leaving, it was clear that he expected James and Jazhara to move along.
James said, “I find it odd to believe your master is out at this late hour, and you are merely standing here guarding a workshop in which no one is working.” He moved to stand before the man. “I am Prince Arutha’s squire.”
Jazhara added, “And I his newly-appointed court mage.”
At this the guard’s eyes flickered over to her for an instant, then he said, “My master is indeed within. He is working late on a shipment that must leave tomorrow on a caravan and wishes not to be disturbed by any but the most important guest. I will see if he considers you to be important enough.” He turned his back on them, saying, “Follow me to my master’s office, but touch nothing.”
They entered the building and discovered a brightly-lit display area, showing finely-woven cloth dyed in the most marvelous colors. A bolt of crimson silk was allowed to spill from a rack, the best to show off its scintillating color. Surrounding them was indigo and bright yellow linen, cotton of every hue, all waiting for potential buyers. A door to the rear of the showroom was closed, and a narrow stairway ran up along the left wall to a single door. A large chandelier ablaze with a dozen candles hung from the ceiling.
Beyond the viewing area, huge vats of dye stood, while large drying racks held freshly dyed cloth. James saw two children, no older than ten years, moving a rack aside to make way for another being pushed by another pair of children. The youngsters were dirty, and a few appeared to shiver beneath their thin ragged clothing. Jazhara noticed one little girl, who looked to be about seven years old, yawn, struggling to keep her eyes open as she pushed the heavy drying rack. Two guards stood watching the children.
The guard who had accompanied them inside said, “Wait here. I will fetch my master.”
James asked, “Isn’t it late for the children to be working?”
The man said, “They are lazy. This order must be ready by noon tomorrow. Had they finished at dusk, they would be asleep in their beds now. They know this. Do not talk to them; it will only slow them down. I will return with my master.”
The man hurried across the large room and disappeared through the rear door. A few minutes later, he and another man returned. The newcomer was obviously a merchant, yet he carried a curved desert sword - a scimitar. He wore Kingdom tunic and trousers, but elected a traditional desert man’s head cover, a black
cloth wound as a turban, its length allowed to drape below the chin, from right to left, the end thrown across the left shoulder. He had a dark beard and the swarthy looks of Jazhara’s countrymen, a fact confirmed as he reached them and said, “Peace be upon you,” the traditional greeting of the people of the Jal-Pur.
Jazhara replied, “And upon you be peace.”
“Welcome to my workhouse, my friends. My name is Yusuf ben Ali. How may I serve?”
James glanced back at the laboring children. “We’ve heard how you work around here. This place is being shut down.”
If the man was surprised at this pronouncement, he didn’t show it. He merely smiled. “Oh, you’ve heard, have you? And what exactly did you hear?”
Jazhara said, “We’ve heard about your working conditions and how you treat children.”
Yusuf nodded. “And let me guess, you heard it from a young girl, perhaps less than a decade in age? Or was it a young boy this time?”
“What do you mean?” James asked.
“My dear sir, it was all a lie. My competitors have taken to paying children to accost guardsmen and other worthy citizens. They ply them with stories of the ‘horrors of Yusuf’s shop.’ And then they vanish. My shop is then closed down for a few days while the Prince’s magistrate investigates, and my competitors flourish.”
Jazhara said, “But we’ve seen the working conditions inside.”
Ben Ali glanced over at the ragged youngsters and shook his head slightly. “My dear countrywoman, I may be unable to provide for the children as I would like, but even I have a heart. They have a roof over their heads, and hot meals, and clothes. It may not be the extravagance that you would be used to, but, as the wise men taught us, poverty is food to a righteous man, while luxury can be a slow poison.” He inclined his head toward the children. “We work late tonight. This is not unusual in my trade, but I assure you most nights these children would be safely asleep. When this shipment is done, I shall send them to their beds and they will be free tomorrow to sleep; then, when they awake they shall have a day of rest and play. What would else you have me do? Put them back on the streets?”
Children working to support their families were nothing new in the Kingdom. But this smacked of something close to slavery and James wasn’t convinced this man Yusef was what he seemed. “What about up there?” he asked, pointing at the stairs.
“Ah, the second floor is under construction - we make improvements. It is not safe at present to see, but when it is done it will expand our capacities, and will include better quarters for the children.”
James was about to speak, when Jazhara said, “James, may I have a moment alone with this gentleman?”
James was surprised. “Why?”
“Please.”
James glanced from Jazhara to Yusuf, then said, “I’ll be outside.”
When he was gone from the building, Jazhara lowered her voice and said, “You work for my great-uncle?”
Yusuf bowed slightly. “Yes, kin of Hazara-Khan, I do. And I wished to speak to you alone. You did well sending our young friend away. A Kingdom nobleman is a complication. Does he know your great-uncle’s position?”
Jazhara smiled. “As Governor of the Jal-Pur, or as head of Keshian Intelligence in the north?”
“The latter, of course.”
“He may suspect, but what he knows is not the issue. This place is what matters. Is what the young girl said true?”
“The Imperial treasury hardly provides enough support for this operation,” said Yusuf. “I must supplement my means; this shop is very successful, primarily because the labor is almost free.” He looked at her disapproving expression and said, “I’m surprised at you. I expected a great-niece of Hazara-Khan to value practicality over misguided morality. Deceit, after all, is the first tool of our trade. What I do here aids me in my work.”
“Then what the girl said was true. Does my great-uncle know about this?”
“I have never bothered to inform him of the details of my operation, no. But he appreciates my results. And now that you are here, they will be greater than ever!”
“What do you mean?”
“It is well known of your falling out with your family and your choice to study magic at Stardock. Only your great-uncle’s power has shielded you from those in the Imperial Court who think you a potential risk. It is time for you to grow up and face your responsibilities. You are a child of the Empire, a citizen of Great Kesh. Your loyalties must lie with them.”
“My loyalties also lie with this court, and the Prince. I am the court mage, the first to be appointed to this position.”
Yusuf studied the young woman’s face. “Sometimes the ties of blood must be held above the ties of hollow words.”
“I am not a spy!”
“But you could be,” insisted ben Ali. “Work for me; grant me secrets from the lips of Krondor’s courtiers and make your family proud!” His expression darkened. “Or disgrace your country, your family, and continue as you are. Your great-uncle can provide only limited protection if you swear that oath to Arutha.” He paused, then added, “These are harsh choices, Jazhara. But you are now an adult, and the choice, as ever, must be yours. But know that from this point forward, whatever choice you make will change you forever.”
Jazhara was silent for a long moment, as if considering the merchant’s words. Finally she said, “Your words are harsh, Yusuf, but your actions have shown me where my loyalties lie.”
“Then you will help me?”
“Yes. I will honor his teachings and the ideals of my nation.”
“Excellent! You’d best leave now, before your friend becomes suspicious. Return again when you’re settled into the prince’s court and we shall begin.”
She nodded and walked toward the door. She passed the still-laboring children, one of who looked up at her with eyes dulled from lack of sleep. In those eyes, Jazhara noted a flicker of fear. When she reached the door, she glanced over her shoulder at the smiling spy and the three guards who stood nearby.
James waited at the end of the alleyway. “Well?” he asked as she approached.
“Yusuf is a spy for my great-uncle.”
James could barely conceal his surprise. “I don’t know which I find more astonishing; that he is what you say, or that you’ve told me.”
“When I left my father’s court and trained at Stardock, I set aside my loyalty to Great Kesh. What my great-uncle does, he does for the betterment of the Empire.” With a nod of her head to the entrance to Yusuf s shop, she added with a steely edge to her voice, “But this one seeks to line his pockets with gold from the suffering of children, and his service to the Empire is of secondary concern, I am certain. Even were I in service to Kesh, I would not long abide his continued existence.” She gripped her staff and James saw her knuckles go white. Although he’d known the court mage for but a few hours, he had no doubt she was not making an idle threat; no matter where Jazhara’s loyalties might lie, she would see Yusef pay for his crimes against the children.
“What do you propose?” he asked.
“There are but three guards. You are, I assume, a competent swordsman?”
“I am - ” began James.
“As I am a competent magician,” interrupted Jazhara. “Let’s go-As they strode back toward the dyer’s shop, James felt the hair on his arms stand up, a sure sign magic was being gathered. He had never liked the feeling, even when he knew someone on his side was employing it. Jazhara said, ”I will distract them. Try to take Yusuf alive.“
James pulled out his rapier and muttered, “Four to one and you want me to try to keep one of them alive? Wonderful.”
Jazhara entered the shop ahead of James, and Yusuf turned as she did so. “What - ?” he began.
Jazhara’s pointed her staff at him and a loud keening sound filled the air as a ball of blue energy exploded off the tip of the staff. It struck the merchant, doubling him over in pain.
James rushed past the magician, q
uickly scanning the room for a sign of the children. They were gone. The three armed guards hesitated for a moment, then sprang into action. James was about to strike the guard on his right when the energy ball caromed off Yusuf and struck the guard to James’s right. James quickly switched his attack to the center assailant.
James had fought multiple opponents before, and knew there were certain advantages. The most important thing he had found was that if his opponents hadn’t practiced as a unit they tended to get in one another’s way.
He lunged and took the center assailant under his guard, running him through. As he withdrew his blade, he leapt to his right and as he had hoped, the man on James’s left stumbled into the dying man in the middle.
Yusuf’s sword suddenly slashed the air near James’s head. He had recovered from the magic Jazhara had thrown at him and was now on James’s right, his scimitar expertly slicing the air.
“Great,” James muttered. “The spy has to be a master swordsman.”
The two remaining thugs had regained their feet and were a danger, but Yusuf was the true threat. “Jazhara! Keep those two off me, if you please.”
Jazhara advanced and another burst of energy shot across the room, this time a red blast of lightning that caused the air to crackle as it struck the floor between James and the two guards. They quickly retreated as smoke began to rise from the wooden floor.
James didn’t have time to appreciate the display, for Yusuf was proving a formidable opponent. It looked as if there would be almost no chance of keeping the Keshian spy alive, unless he got lucky. And given a choice, he’d rather keep himself alive than spare Yusuf and die in the process.
James used every trick he knew, a lethal inventory of combinations and feints. Twice he came close to cutting the Keshian, but twice in turn Yusuf came close to ending the struggle, too.
James circled and the turn brought Jazhara and the other two thugs into view. One had left the magician and was coming to help his master finish off James, while the other approached the magician warily, as Jazhara stood ready with her iron-shod staff before her.
Krondor Tear of the Gods Page 4