Imperial Assassin

by Mark Robson

  The Legions were already beginning their first sweep through the city. They would enter every building in the city and tear it apart in their search for the Guild. It was unlikely they would miss much. Wherever the headquarters was, it would have to be all but invisible to avoid discovery in the face of such a determined search, she thought grimly. Shand help Reynik if he was there when the Legionnaires found the place.

  Femke had searched the entire area around where her source, Shedrick, had claimed he had seen an assassin disappear. There was no indication of anything unusual there. Shedrick had always been a reliable source in the past, but Femke had her suspicions that he might have been drinking on the night he claimed to have followed this ‘assassin’. Nothing about his information made any real sense, but his tale did remind her of Reynik’s account of the silver wolf spider talisman disappearing after he removed it from an assassin’s body. One story of a magical disappearance was unusual, but two such stories about assassins and their possessions indicated more than coincidence.

  It was late – too late to expect an appearance from Reynik. Femke threw a few copper sennuts on the table as a tip for the serving girl. She rose and threaded her way through the tables towards the door. There were still a few last contacts she could try. There was always a faint chance one of them might provide her with the lead she needed.

  Femke was almost at the door when she noticed the man sitting at the corner table at the far side of the inn common room. Her heart skipped a beat. It was Reynik. He did not look up from the plate of food he was eating, but she could tell he was aware of her presence. A single glance at him was all she needed to get the information she required. She waved her thanks to the landlord and exited onto the street.

  Reynik was using the code she had taught him. He had not contacted her because he was being followed. Instead, he had sat somewhere she was likely to see him and arranged the items on the table to convey a message. His knife had been sideways above his plate with the sharpened blade away from his body, which meant ‘Do not approach’. He was eating with his right hand only. His left was casually placed on the table next to his plate with his thumb tucked underneath his palm and the four fingers extended. Femke was to meet him at the rendezvous point arranged for the fourth day.

  A short while later Femke browsed a stall at one of the many open markets some distance from the inn. She saw Reynik coming this time, but again he did not approach. As he passed, Reynik straightened his cloak. It was the signal ‘Check my tail’. Femke stayed at the stall and surreptitiously monitored the passers-by for any sign that someone might be following him. There was none. He seemed to have shaken any watchers. Reynik circled the market, occasionally pausing to browse stalls. When he approached the second time, Femke gave him the ‘All clear’ signal and he casually wandered up to her.

  ‘Well?’ she asked.

  ‘I’m in,’ he replied, ‘but they don’t trust me yet. I’m being followed everywhere. I’m fairly certain I’ve thrown them off, but they have more than one following me at any one time.’

  ‘Are you aware of the purge by the Legions? Will they find the Guild headquarters, do you think?’

  ‘I’m aware of it, but the Legions are wasting their time. They will never find the headquarters, as there is no conventional entrance to it. The assassins have magical icons that transport them to and from an underground complex of caverns. Where the caverns are is anyone’s guess. They would do better to look for the individuals. Each of the assassins wears, or carries a silver object.’

  ‘A wolf spider talisman by any chance?’ Femke asked.

  ‘No. The only person carrying a wolf spider talisman is me,’ he replied. ‘By killing the previous owner, it seems I inadvertently set myself up to become the talisman’s next keeper. I’m guessing that Phagen was either carrying a silver falcon, or a sea snake, as those were also without keepers.’

  ‘Damn!’ Femke swore, biting at her lower lip. ‘The Legionnaires have all been briefed to detain anyone wearing silver wolf spiders of any description. Can you get rid of it? Or avoid wearing it when you’re out? Hide it somewhere and recover it when you need to transport back to the Guild headquarters?’

  ‘No, that’s not possible. If I try to do that, I’ll die. The icon has been linked to my life force somehow. I don’t pretend I totally understand it, but I do know that I’m bound to the Guild now. I can’t just walk away.’

  Femke could not totally hide her dismay.

  ‘I’d better get a message to the Emperor quickly. I’ll get him to change the order,’ she said. ‘So there’s a falcon and a sea snake – what other icons are there?’

  ‘All of the icons are predators – real and legendary. Viper, puma, cougar, bear, fox, firedrake – you get the idea? There are twenty altogether. Shalidar carries a dragon. I’m sure of it. Femke, what am I going to do? The Guildmaster is going to tell us how the Guild will respond to this purge by the Legions later. What if I’m given a hit to carry out? Should I follow it through to maintain my cover? It made me sick to kill when the person was already condemned to death for treason. I don’t know if I could kill someone in cold blood without such a justification.’

  ‘Yes . . . no . . . I don’t know. Give me some time to think. It’s a difficult question,’ Femke said, her voice hesitant. ‘If you get given a hit, tell me. I’ll think of something. Have you managed to identify anyone else in the Guild?’

  ‘No. Whenever they meet, they remain hooded and cloaked throughout. The layout of the meeting hall is interesting. The assassins do not mix, but sit in individual booths looking in at a central room where the Guildmaster presides over the meeting. As far as I can tell, the assassins never work together unless directed to by the Guildmaster.’

  ‘What about Shalidar and Phagen? Are you telling me the Guildmaster was behind the plot in Mantor?’

  ‘I don’t know, Femke. I can only tell you what I have seen. The Guildmaster does seem to have a tight rein on the other Guild members, but that might be due to the unusual circumstances at present. He is universally respected . . . and feared. If Shalidar was acting against the Guildmaster’s wishes, then he is either very brave, or very reckless. I get the impression the Guildmaster would kill any of the members of the Guild without hesitation if they stepped over the line.’

  ‘Shalidar has always lived on the edge,’ Femke said thoughtfully. ‘Look at his history. I doubt the Guildmaster was aware of how closely Shalidar was tied to Lord Vallaine. He would have claimed to know nothing of the sorcerer’s deception in the Imperial Palace. Because Vallaine used arcane arts to disguise his true appearance, the Guildmaster would likely accept Shalidar’s explanation. Any rational man would give the benefit of the doubt under such circumstances. No, it’s my guess that Shalidar was acting outside of the remit of the Guild in Thrandor. He thrives on danger and risk.’

  Reynik nodded. ‘That is logical, in a twisted sort of way,’ he admitted.

  ‘Listen, Reynik, could you get me into the Guild? If I could get in, I might be able to find some sort of reference to where the complex is located. I don’t know much about magic, but I do know that just like moving things conventionally, moving things magically will take more energy the further they have to move. That means the Guild is most likely under the city somewhere. If I could just find one small clue, then I might be able to tell the Emperor where to start digging. Once we dig out their nest, it will be much harder for them to survive.’

  Reynik thought for a moment. His first journey into the Guild complex had been achieved through Viper’s icon. There was no reason he could think of that the same should not be possible using his spider.

  ‘It should be possible,’ he said cautiously, ‘but the transfer is disorientating the first couple of times you experience it. It’s likely that you’ll be incapacitated for some time once I’ve got you inside. If anyone finds you during that time, you’ll be helpless.’

  ‘Is there anywhere you can hide me while I recover?’


  ‘Well, the only people to enter my quarters are the servants and the Guildmaster. If I get you in during the dead of night, there would be no reason for the servants to be there. It’s also unlikely the Guildmaster would be there in the small hours. I could put you under my bed. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to look there. We’ll have to wait a few days. I’m still being watched at the moment. The fact that I’ve shaken off my tails today will probably result in my being monitored all the more for a while. Let’s meet again in three days. If I desperately need to speak to you in the meantime, I’ll come to your room in the Palace.’

  ‘OK, Reynik. The rendezvous schedule can stay as we arranged. I’ll meet you at the appropriate place. Be careful.’

  Shalidar was distracted. The thought of inheriting the Tremarle estate was playing on his mind. If he were to inherit the title to the House of Tremarle, then what was there to prevent him from aspiring even further? He had put the Mantle on the shoulders of one Emperor and would have done so a second time had it not been for Femke. If he were Lord Tremarle, what was to stop him from aspiring to put the Mantle on his own shoulders?

  The Guildmaster could hardly complain, as it would not breach the creed. Neither would it be detrimental to the Guild – they would regain their status and more. To have one of their own at the helm of the Empire would put them beyond reproach. His ascension would have to appear legitimate, of course. He could not simply organise a blood bath that left him on the throne. The Guildmaster would see straight through such an obvious ploy. Therefore, he could not rise to power overnight. He would have to use all the guile and cunning he possessed to bring such a thing to pass, but it was not beyond the realms of possibility.

  The first major obstacle was Surabar. He would have to kill the Emperor to become the legal heir to the Tremarle Estate. This would violate the creed. No matter how he twisted the circumstances, he could see no way around this fact. It was not the violation of the creed that made Shalidar flinch from attempting it – he had habitually circumvented the creed ever since joining the Guild. What worried Shalidar was how he could cover his tracks such that the Guildmaster would not feel bound to order his death.

  ‘Shand’s teeth!’ he muttered, scanning the road ahead for signs of his mark. Brother Wolf Spider had disappeared. Where had he gone? Shalidar turned around to see if he had inadvertently overtaken the young man during the daydream. There was no sign of him.

  What should he do? Cougar was out there somewhere following as well. He would have to hope that Cougar had been more attentive.

  The young man had done nothing suspicious during his venture out into the city today. He had wandered through the market place, spoken to a few known tattle touts and had lunch on his own in a quiet tavern. Notably he had been buying information from the touts rather than selling. If the new boy had tried to sell information, then he and Cougar would have been forced to act.

  Despite Wolf Spider’s behaviour so far, Shalidar was not yet ready to give him the benefit of the doubt. His instincts still told him there was something untrustworthy about the newest member of the Guild.

  He had met the young man before somewhere. He was sure of it. Shalidar was good with faces – normally he had no problems remembering where and when he had seen someone before, but this young man’s face eluded him. ‘It must have been recently,’ he thought, ‘because he’s barely more than a boy. Maybe he reminds me of someone else. That could be it. But who?’

  The answer was clearly not ready to leap out at him, so he decided to let his subconscious work on it. If he stopped trying to consciously work it out, his memory block might dissolve. Doubtless he would wake up suddenly in the night when inspiration struck, and it would all become clear, he thought. He hoped so.

  Shalidar decided to walk back to the nearer of his two transfer stones and get back to his room in the Guild headquarters. He had not gone far when he trod on something sharp that caused a jab of pain to shoot up his leg.

  ‘Ow!’

  He stopped and inspected the sole of his right boot. The sole had worn thin. A sharp stone was still sticking out from where it had penetrated the leather, which was both annoying and painful. He plucked it free, revealing a small hole. The boots were old, but so comfortable that he was loathe to replace them.

  Shalidar thought for a moment. He was not one hundred per cent certain, but he vaguely recalled a cobbler’s stall on the nearby street market. He had never used the man’s services before, but it was a simple job. It would not take a cobbler long to re-sole the boots. The weather was pleasant and Shalidar was not in a hurry any more. He could afford to sit and wait for the repair to be completed, which would save him the expense of buying another set.

  Having made up his mind, Shalidar limped around to the street market and found the cobbler’s stall. This time his memory had not failed him. It was exactly where he remembered it. The cobbler was not busy, and was delighted to pick up the trade. He bustled around, bringing a stool for Shalidar to perch on and a cup of water for him to drink while he was waiting. The assassin watched him in amused silence for a while before looking along the street to see what else was going on.

  His eyes brushed past the couple casually chatting at the tanner’s stall, but his focus was quick to snap back to them when he realised whom he had just seen. ‘Femke!’ he breathed. ‘And young Wolf Spider! Now I have you. Now I remember.’

  ‘What news, Femke?’

  Femke entered the Emperor’s study, ensuring the door was firmly closed before approaching Surabar’s desk. As usual, he was leafing through a large stack of parchments. The man’s thirst for knowledge was unquenchable, she decided. It was a good trait for one in the ultimate seat of power, but also a dangerous one. There were times when too much knowledge served only to complicate decisions. To Surabar’s credit, however, he had not shied away from making the difficult choices.

  ‘Reynik has succeeded, your Majesty. He has been accepted into the Guild.’

  ‘He has? That’s fantastic news! Where are they hidden? I’ll have an entire Legion surround the place . . .’

  ‘Unfortunately, your Majesty,’ Femke interrupted, raising a hand to indicate she had not finished, ‘it’s not that simple.’

  Surabar gave her one of his penetrating looks. ‘I’ve always hated the word “but”. I sense one coming now. Come, Femke. What is your “but”?’

  Femke smiled. ‘Reynik has penetrated the Guild, but does not know the location of the Guild headquarters.’

  ‘Why not? Have they not taken him there yet?’

  ‘Yes, he has been there. The way I understand it, no one knows where the headquarters is, because it is not accessible by normal means. Even those within the Guild do not know where it is. Your Legions are wasting their time searching the city. The Guild cannot be found this way. Reynik has discovered that the Guild headquarters is a huge complex of underground caverns that are not directly accessible from the world above. The only way in and out is by using one of twenty silver icons that have been imbued with a powerful magic. When an icon is brought into contact with a particular stone, it transports any who are touching it into the Guild headquarters.’

  Emperor Surabar got up from his chair and began to pace back and forth across the room. He ran his fingers through his silver hair as he stalked up and down. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘It does make some sort of sense. I can understand how they’ve remained undetected for so many years. One thing puzzles me, though. It is hard to believe that something so big could be constructed without any record being made of it. It is beyond the realms of probability that there could be a complex of caverns perfectly formed for the Guild to just move in to, so they must have been excavated at some time. If we follow that logic through, then there must once have been an entrance to the caverns. What became of those who excavated them? Did any create records of the project? Builders are often methodical men. I would not be surprised if such a record existed.’

  ‘It may have done so in the distant p
ast, your Majesty. However, the Guild would have sought to destroy any such records, and we may be talking centuries since the complex was constructed.’

  ‘The air in any sealed caverns would have become stale long ago if they had no direct link to the outside world. No. I don’t think Reynik has the full picture yet. The logistical practicalities of supplying such a set of caverns with everyday necessities would make the arrangement you describe unworkable. The Guild must get supplies from somewhere. That means someone is providing them with food and other provisions. This tells me two things. One – there must be an alternate entrance of a conventional nature. It may be that only a select few in the Guild are aware of it, but it must exist. And two – there must be a money trail to follow. Money and records go together. Somebody will be keeping a set of records somewhere. If not, how could suppliers keep track of what they were owed?’

  Femke was not so certain. She followed the Emperor’s logic. His reasoning was sound and he clearly had a head for logistics, however, Femke was more of a lateral thinker. What if there was no access big enough for a person to enter through? What if ventilation shafts circulated fresh air and the stores were supplied through a system that utilised more magic? Would the ventilation shafts alone give enough of a clue as to where the caverns were located? It seemed unlikely.

  ‘So what do you suggest, your Majesty? Reynik has agreed to get me into the Guild headquarters using his icon. Is there anything in particular you would have me look for whilst I’m there?’