“So this monster was the first to hatch?” James asked, shaking his head.
“That poor child was no monster,” said Jazhara. “Whoever created it is the monster.” She looked to James. “Somewhere in Krondor is a magician who makes black mischief. Someone who wishes great turmoil in the Prince’s city.”
James closed his eyes. “As if Bear wasn’t enough.” He sighed and said, “One problem at a time. Let’s find Rat-Tail Jack and Mace and then Lucas.”
They turned and began retracing their steps, back the way they had come.
As they walked Jazhara said, “That creature can’t have been down here long.”
James looked thoughtful. “Mace said the trouble first started a week or so ago.”
William said, “Maybe whoever created it wanted to see if the magic worked, then when it did, planned to make more.”
“I think you’re right,” Jazhara said, “Which means the magic is very powerful, for not only does it twist the human design, it works quickly, perhaps in a few days or a week.”
“So the creature really was a baby,” said James. “In both senses.”
“Yes, and in pain.” Jazhara’s voice was bitter. “This is the sort of horror that turns people against those of us who practice the mystic arts. It is why magicians are shunned and hated. I must send word to Master Pug and let him know a rogue magician of powerful arts is in Krondor.”
James said, “Ah, I’d leave that to the Prince. Arutha tends to prefer a more direct approach. If he feels the need to inform Stardock, he will.”
Jazhara said, “Of course. I will merely advise His Highness to send word to Master Pug.”
They continued on in silence, occasionally pausing when the sound of others in the sewers reached them. Eventually they returned to the spot Mace and his gang had halted them. William said, “Are they gone?”
James kept walking. “They’re nearby, trust me.”
They moved to the large canal and found Rat-Tail Jack still picking over the sewage floating by. As they approached, he looked up. “You’re alive? Guess that means we need to be rewarding you, Squire.”
James said nothing, but looked quizzical.
“How about we don’t kill you for breaking oath with the Mockers and entering the sewer without our leave? That reward enough for you, Squire?”
All James said was: “Lucas.”
“Monster’s really dead?”
“Yes. Now, what do you know about Lucas?”
Jack stopped poking at the floating detritus. “We was keepin‘ an eye on Lucas. He’s an old . . . business associate from way back, but we was figurin’ he was handling some business that rightly was ours. One night three boats rowed by some grim-looking lads came up the main canal from the harbor. Couldn’t get close enough to see which of the old smugglers’ hideaways he used, but we’d have found it sooner or later. Lucas went up to his inn.
“Then he drops right down among us yesterday and offers us his inn if we just let him pass. Well, for that nice little inn of his, we said ‘pass,’ and he scurries off. Knows the sewers, does old Lucas, ‘cause the lad set to tail him got shaken before he reached the smugglers’ landin’. Still, enough, we figure we’ll get around to findin‘ him, ’cause the lads checkin‘ around up top hear rumors of pirates and gold. We figure Lucas knows where their treasure’s hid. That’s why he was free with his inn and all. So we figure we’ll send a couple of Bashers on him but then this monster shows up and all them treasure hunters start running through the tunnels . . .”
“Where is he now?”
“We have a good idea of where he was, Squire, but you know how it goes with us Mockers. Always misplacin‘ things. Of course, for a price, anythin’ can be found.”
“We killed the monster,” said William.
“And for that you get free passage, nothin‘ more,” replied Jack.
“What’s your price?” asked James.
“One favor, from you and your new friends, to be named later.”
“What?” William exclaimed.
“Why?” asked James.
Jack said, “It won’t be asked soon, maybe never, but we think there’s trouble comin‘. Big trouble. That monster was just the tiniest bit of it. And we need all the friends we can get.”
“You know I can’t break my oath to the Prince and do anything illegal for you,” said James.
“I’m not askin‘ for that,” said Jack. “But we need friends, don’t we, Jimmy the Hand?”
James pondered the request, then said at last, “That we do, Rat-Tail Jack. You have my oath.”
“We think Lucas is near the basement where old Trevor Hull hid the Princess when you were a boy. There are a couple of cellars from torn-down buildings that you can still get into, large enough to hide some treasure, and close enough to the water to get it there.”
“I know the area,” said James. “We’ll be out of the sewers by sun-up.”
“See that you are. We can’t control every murderin‘ dog down here.”
James motioned for Jazhara and William to follow him and they continued along their way, heading for the central canal.
The trio moved silently and slowly. In the distance they could hear the low murmur of men’s voices.
James and his companions made their way cautiously to a point near an intersection of the main canal and another large waterway. Crouching low in the darkness, their lantern shuttered, James, Jazhara, and William waited.
Six men, all wearing black, were consulting with one another, speaking very softly. Jazhara’s intake of breath behind James told him she recognized them. James and William already knew them for what they were: Izmalis. Keshian assassins. More than a dozen had turned up in the desert fortress of the Nighthawks that Prince Arutha had destroyed just months earlier.
James had no illusions: if Jazhara could strike with some magic spell that would incapacitate two or three of them for a few minutes, then he and William stood a chance. In an open fight without the advantage of surprise, it would take a miracle for the three of them to survive.
James turned and tapped Jazhara on the shoulder, pointing to the six men, and then he put his lips next to her ear. In his softest voice he asked, “What can you do?”
Jazhara whispered, “I can try to blind them. When I tell you, close your eyes tightly.”
She whispered the same instructions in William’s ear. Then she rose from her crouch and began an incantation, her voice soft. Something - a too-loud word, a rustle of cloth, the scrape of a boot against stone - alerted one of the assassins, who turned to peer into the gloom. Then he said something to his companions, and at one they ceased their discussion to look where he indicated.
Slowly they drew weapons. James whispered, “Do it now!”
Jazhara said, “Close your eyes!” and let loose her spell. A shaft of golden light sprang from her hand and exploded in a searing-hot, white flash. The six assassins were blinded instantly. Jazhara shouted, “Now!”
James sprang into action, with William just a step behind him. Jazhara uncovered the lantern, throwing the tunnel into stark relief. The young squire struck the first man with the hilt of his sword, knocking him into the canal. “Take one alive if you can!” he shouted.
William struck down one man, but almost got run through when he found his next opponent in a defensive posture, ready to respond to the sound of an attack. “Think I’ll try to stay alive, first, James,” he said, using his long sword to get over the blinded man’s guard and kill him.
Jazhara came up next to William and struck another assassin across the face with the iron-clad butt of her staff. The man crumpled to the floor.
James found the next two Izmalis had regained some of their sight and were poised for attack. As James knew from experience, multiple opponents often got in one another’s way, but these two looked practiced at fighting in tandem. “I could use some help,” he said to Jazhara.
As soon as he spoke, both men launched a coordinated atta
ck, and only his preternatural reflexes saved him. The first man struck out, the curved blade of his scimitar slicing at James’s mid-section, while his companion struck a half-beat later, coming in where James should have been standing had he made the expected response to the initial attack.
Instead, James had blocked to the right with his blade, and instead of retreating he had pressed hard on his own weapon, forcing the first assassin to continue moving to his left. With his left hand, James gripped the Izmali’s right elbow and threw his weight into the man, sending him spinning into the canal.
Suddenly the second assassin facing James was alone, with Jazhara bearing down with her staff, ready to strike, and James was now on his off-hand side.
William engaged his last opponent and called, “I’ve got this one cornered!”
The Izmali facing Jazhara said something in a language James didn’t understand, then raised his left hand to his mouth, and toppled to the stones. William’s opponent did likewise, falling into the canal with a splash.
“Damn!” shouted James, grabbing the collapsing assassin before he hit the stones. As he expected, the man was already dead.
Jazhara looked at the assassin James had knocked into the canal and said, “He floats face-down.”
“What happened?” William asked.
“Nighthawks. They’ve taken their own lives. Fanatics.” Addressing Jazhara, James inquired, “Did you understand what he said?”
“I think he ordered his companions to die, but I did not recognize the language. It is said the Izmalis have their own tongue, that no one outside their clan may learn.”
William said, “We found some like these when the demon was summoned at the abandoned fortress in the desert.”
“Demon?” Jazhara asked.
“I’ll tell you back at the palace,” said James. “But it’s clear the Nighthawks numbered Keshians in their bands.”
“Which makes them a threat to the Empire as well as to the Kingdom.”
James regarded the young woman for a long moment, then said, “It might be wise to send some specific information to your great-uncle.”
“Perhaps,” said Jazhara, leaning upon her staff, “but as you’ve observed, that’s for the Prince to decide.”
James grinned. “Let’s check the bodies.”
They examined the four assassins who hadn’t ended up in the canal and came away with nothing. The only personal items they wore were the Nighthawks amulets around their necks.
“I thought we’d seen the last of these in the desert,” said William.
“We hurt them, certainly, and we destroyed one nest, but there are others.” James stood up and tucked an amulet into his shirt. “I’ll give this to the Prince. He won’t be pleased.”
“What were they doing down here?” asked Jazhara.
William said, “Searching for the treasure, I expect.”
“If they’re to rebuild their nasty little empire, they’ll need gold,” agreed James. He glanced around. “We came in time, I think.” He moved to a large wall with two iron rings set into it and turned the one on the left. After a moment, a deep rumble started and the stones moved aside.
“Lucas!” he shouted. “It’s James. I’ve come from the Prince with help!”
From deep within the darkened passage a voice called, “Jimmy! Thank the gods it’s you. They’ve been searching for me all over, trying to kill me.”
James motioned for Jazhara to bring the lantern and the three of them entered the tunnel. A dozen feet in, Lucas stood holding a crossbow, and as soon as he recognized the two young men, he laid it down, relief on his face. “The thugs of that madman, Bear, have been after me for an entire day.”
“They’re not the only ones,” said William. “Treasure hunters and assassins and thieves as well.”
“Damn,” said Lucas. “Knute said his men were hand-picked, and would keep silent, but I suspect the fool couldn’t keep his own gob shut.”
“What is it Bear’s after?” asked James.
“Damned if I know, James,” replied Lucas. The old man sat down on a water cask. “I was going to help Knute fence the booty from his last raid. I guess Knute double-crossed Bear, because Bear and some of his men showed up at my inn and started killing everyone in sight. I barely got out alive myself after telling Talia and the others to flee through the kitchen.”
James and William exchanged glances. In a soft voice James said, “Talia’s dead, Lucas. Bear caught her and tried to get her to tell him where you were hiding.”
Lucas seemed to collapse from within. His face turned gray and his eyes welled up with tears. “Talia?” His chin fell to his chest. For a long while he sat silently, then said with a sniffle, “I lost my sons in the war, but never thought that Talia . . .” He sighed. After another long silence, he said, ‘This deal with Knute would have set me up. She wouldn’t have had to be a barmaid anymore. She would have had a proper dowry for a proper young man.“ He looked up at William.
William also had tears in his eyes. “You know I cared for her, Lucas. I swear to you we’ll find Bear and Talia will be avenged.”
Lucas nodded sadly. “All this trouble, all this black murder, and now it’s pointless. I should just return the booty to Knute.”
“You haven’t heard about Knute?” asked James.
“I heard the guards picked him up night before last. He’s in jail.”
“Not anymore,” said William. “Bear broke into the jail and cut Knute to pieces.”
“By the gods! He’s gone mad,” exclaimed Lucas.
“We’ll deal with Bear,” William avowed.
“Thank you, William,” said Lucas, “but mind your step. Talia may be gone, but you’re still with us, and I’d prefer it if you stayed that way. This Bear is dangerous, and he’s got magic on his side.”
Jazhara said, “What kind of magic?”
“Dark powers, milady. Knute was terrified after he saw Bear work magic. That’s why he broke with him.” He shook his head. “You want to see what the bastards were after?”
James nodded. “I am a bit curious.”
Lucas rose and led them to a stout wooden door. He threw aside the bar on the door and pulled it open. Jazhara stepped forward with her lamp, and even James had to let out an appreciative low whistle.
The small room was filled knee-deep in treasure. Sacks of gold coins were piled atop several small chests. Solid gold statues and piles of jewelry were strewn about. Lucas stepped into the room and opened one of the chests. Inside was more gold, and a small statuette. Jazhara reached down and picked it up. “This is Ishapian,” she said softly. “It is a holy icon of their church, the Symbol of Ishap.”
James’s eyes grew wide. “They hit an Ishapian vessel! There couldn’t be a more dangerous undertaking for a pirate, by my reckoning.”
Lucas said, “Most men would say foolhardy. Bear wanted something off that ship, something specific. Knute was certain that, whatever it was, it wasn’t among the loot he’d stashed down here.”
Jazhara asked, “How did he know that?”
“Knute told me that Bear flew into a rage when the ship went down, despite having taken all this.” He waved his hand. “It’s one of the reasons Knute left Bear to drown. He was afraid Bear blamed him for the ship going down too fast.”
“A reasonable fear, considering what Bear did to him,” observed Jazhara.
William looked confused. “How does this help us? We still don’t really know who we’re chasing, and what he’s searching for.”
Lucas opened another chest, one that looked different from the others. It was made of dark wood, much older, and appeared never to have been cleaned. It was stained and the hinges were rusty. He pulled out a rolled-up parchment and handed it to James. Then he handed a battered, leather-bound book to Jazhara. “It’s all there. These papers list every ship that Knute’s crew have sunk over the years, including this last job with Bear.”
James looked at the map. “This will tell us wher
e the Ishapian vessel was hit.”
“Knute was thorough, I’ll say that for the little gnoll,” admitted Lucas.
“It still doesn’t tell us what Bear is after,” observed Jazhara.
William said, “Could we bait him into coming to us if we spread a rumor that we know what he’s after?”
James said, “Maybe, but first things first. I must go to the palace first and report to the Prince.” He turned to Lucas. “You stay here with William. I’ll send Jonathan Means and some deputies down here to take charge of all this gold.”
“What will you do with it?” asked Lucas.
James smiled. “Give it back to the Ishapians. We may not know what Bear was after, but I’ll wager a year’s income they do.”
Lucas’s shoulders sank slightly, but he nodded.
Jazhara and William followed James out of the room, and they returned into the sewers. As they hurried down a corridor toward the nearest exit, they heard the secret door to the old smugglers’ hideout closing behind them.
SIX
Intrigues
Arutha waited for the page to leave.
When the youngster had departed from the Prince’s private office, the ruler of the Western Realm of the Kingdom of the Isles looked at James. “Well, this is a far worse mess than we had imagined, isn’t it?”
James nodded. “Much more than a simple hunt for pirate loot, Highness.”
Arutha graced the magician with his half-smile, and his dark eyes studied the young woman. “You’ve gotten quite an unusual reception in our city, haven’t you, milady?”
James quipped, “Given our recent history, Highness, it may be more usual than either of us likes.”
Jazhara smiled at the casual banter between the two men. “Highness, my instructions from Duke Pug were simple: Come to Krondor and help you in any fashion I might, relative to issues of magic. To those ends, I am here to serve, even if it means having to practice the more bellicose side of the art in defense of your realm.”
Arutha sat back and made a tent with his fingertips, flexing them in and out a little, a nervous habit James had observed in him since the first day they met. After a moment, he said, “We have two such topics of discussion, both of which may require, as you put it, ‘the more bellicose side’ of your arts.”
Krondor Tear of the Gods Page 11