I wanted urgently to get out into the fresh air, away from the stink of death. There was a strong chance, though, that Alvantes had only rescued me out of a warped sense of justice. If he'd let Moaradrid have me, he wouldn't get to see me executed in the proper manner. As long as I stayed where I was, I could delay that possibility at least.
The decision was taken from my hands. The door flew open and Alvantes snarled, "Out."
It seemed a safe bet he was talking to me. I clambered past and stepped quickly back to a safer distance. Two of the household staff were already carrying the coach-driver – who had apparently performed his daredevil escape with an arrow jutting from his stomach – away on a stretcher. Two burly servants disappeared into the carriage, with a second stretcher and a black drape. When they climbed out, their sombre burden rose to an incongruous mound about its middle. Even in death, Panchetto managed to be ridiculous.
Other servants were helping Alvantes's guards inside. The battle had reduced the original dozen to the pair I'd seen from the back window. One of them was clutching a ghastly slash in his chest; he'd be lucky to last the night. Saltlick stood away to one side. As ever, he seemed oblivious to his wounds. None of the staff were making any attempt to aid him. I walked over. When he didn't look up, I said, "Saltlick…"
He ignored me.
"Saltlick, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made you help me."
I couldn't help noticing how his coat was torn to shreds. The clothier's prediction had proven more than accurate, though I doubted he'd anticipated an armed assault. My treasure was gone, strewn over the streets of Altapasaeda as an unexpected gift for the early-rising citizenry.
Saltlick, as if he sensed my thoughts, reached inside the tattered folds, fumbled around, and drew out a small bag. He dropped it at my feet and turned his back on me.
I wanted to leave it, I truly did. I could feel his contempt radiating like heat from an open oven. My mind told my body to turn away and preserve this one sliver of dignity. But it was habit that won out – that and a voice saying, you never know when you'll need it. I didn't have to be poor to be repentant, did I?
My fingers closed around the bag and felt the endlessly comforting heft of coin.
"Damasco."
I crammed the bag into a pocket and span round, trying not to look guilty. Alvantes was glaring at me with unconcealed loathing.
"I'd kill you now and never lose a second's sleep, if it was up to me."
That, of course, implied it wasn't. Which meant… "Estrada?"
"Marina feels some loyalty or pity towards you. Whatever it is, she's asked me to overlook your seemingly endless history of misdeeds. That, of course, was before you poisoned her. Perhaps when she's recovered I can persuade her to change her mind."
"Perhaps."
"In the meantime, Damasco, do what I tell you, when I tell you, without question or argument. Or so help me, not Marina Estrada or anyone else will keep your neck out of the noose."
"I understand."
Alvantes glared at me steadily. "I tried to persuade him to take more guards, to not expose himself. He was a good man at heart. He couldn't understand evil, even when he was face to face with it. So I can't honestly blame you for his death. Yet somehow, I still do."
He turned and marched away.
Part of me wanted to call after him that I did too. The rest of me knew Alvantes wouldn't believe one word of it. Anyway, he might be right but he was still a sanctimonious boor, and I'd be damned before I let him think I agreed with one word that came out of his mouth. If I'd made mistakes, there were some depths to which I'd never stoop.
I turned my attention to the hustle and bustle filling the yard. Coachmen had led away the Prince's carriage and brought out another in its place, a coach-and-four of more subdued design. A fresh group of a dozen guards had gathered to replace the wounded.
That was my first thought, anyway. Their livery wasn't that of the royal court; they were dressed instead in dark green, with a serpentine blue emblem on their chests that I recognised as belonging to one of the richer local families. What were they doing here? They were taking orders from Alvantes, odd behaviour for private retainers. I was even more baffled when another mob of guards came out dressed in full cloaks and leading a wagon filled with hay. Moaradrid was still at large, and Alvantes's response was to have his men play dress-up?
Alvantes muttered something to one of the liveried guardsmen, who strode over to me and said, "The captain says get in the coach."
I tried to remember my vow of good behaviour, bit my tongue and marched over, with him close on my heels. I opened the door, and stumbled back. My first thought was that the figure propped in the far corner was Panchetto, and I was doomed to ride for eternity with his pitiful, headless corpse. Gathering my senses, I realised the bundled shape was nothing like the Prince's: slim, of medium height and, most significantly, female.
"Captain says you're not to do anything to upset the lady Estrada," the soldier observed from behind me. "She's still groggy, what with you poisoning her. Captain says if you do anything to upset her he'll upset you worse."
"I'll try to remember." I stepped up and took the seat opposite. Only once he'd slammed the door did I add, "Anyway, I only drugged her."
Perhaps I had overdone it, though. Estrada was still snoring loud enough to wake the dead. I looked to the windows, which in contrast to the Prince's carriage were glassless openings covered with cheap damask. The curtains were half-drawn on both sides. On our left, the majority of the two groups of guards – or hired swords, whatever they were – were mounting up. On the right, two of the cloaked guardsmen were ushering Saltlick towards the cart. Saltlick clambered onto the back, and after some muted discussion back and forth, lay down amidst the hay. The men then spent a minute arranging it over him, until there was no trace that the vehicle contained anything but straw.
Once again, I'd picked the worst possible time to ally myself with the forces of right and justice. They were clearly led by a lunatic.
We jolted into motion, heading back the way we'd come. The household retainers, with their caparisoned mounts and rich tunics, fell in to flank us. I could see the wagon behind once we'd pulled into the streets, similarly escorted by the cloaked guards. They were keeping a discreet distance from us.
This kind of subterfuge was hardly Alvantes's style. Could he really be so afraid to go up against Moaradrid and his band of ruffians?
Only when we passed through the southwestern gate, the one called the Henge, did I understand the sense in Alvantes's elaborate precautions. Perhaps I should have guessed. It wasn't the warlord Alvantes feared, it was the army he'd camped on Altapasaeda's doorstep.
I stared through the gaps in the curtains, trying vainly to gauge the numbers gathered to either side. This force far outnumbered the one I'd encountered outside Muena Palaiya, and probably this was only half of it, since they'd certainly have blocked the northward gates as well.
Though "blocked" was perhaps too strong a word. "Blocked" would have meant an unmistakeable declaration of war, and if Moaradrid had intended that, he wouldn't have wasted time with anything as tiresome as diplomacy. Three separate encampments had formed, one for each gate, but far enough from the road to discourage an impression of blatant hostility. Still, I could see sentries posted, for all that they were trying not to look like sentries. They would be watching for me, Estrada and Saltlick, and assuming they weren't aware of his murder, for Panchetto, and any attempt to escape to Pasaeda to alert the king.
A throng of peasants travelling together into the farmlands around Altapasaeda, or a wealthy but over-cautious family out on a daytrip, however, were things they might overlook. They'd be suspicious. They might report it back to Moaradrid. They probably wouldn't stop us. Under my breath, I said, "It looks like we'll make it."
"Cretin." The word was slurred but intelligible. I looked round to find Estrada half-sitting, half-lying against the panelled wall. Though she still looked groggy, her e
yes were open and fixed on me.
"You're awake."
"No thanks to you." Now even the slurring was gone. Her voice was clear and cold.
"Estrada, I'm sorry. I mean it, I am. I was wrong to drug you, wrong to try and rob Panchetto, definitely wrong to drag Saltlick into that whole sorry mess…"
"Spare me, Damasco."
"What?"
"Spare me. And keep your voice down."
That wasn't what I'd expected. I was repentant, wasn't I? I was even sincere. Weren't good people supposed to respect things like that? Estrada's tone was… well, not quite contemptuous, because that would have implied a degree of interest.
Perhaps I'd really gone too far this time.
I glanced back outside, and saw that we were pulling past the furthest edge of Moaradrid's encamped troops. Though they were paying us more than usual interest, there was no sign they were following, or suggestion of that they would try to stop us.
I remembered what I'd said to provoke Estrada's unkind response. I'd assumed at the time that her critique of my intelligence was just casual abuse. Now I wondered. "Maybe I'm not such an idiot," I said. "Alvantes has led us right through their lines."
Estrada looked at me disdainfully. "No, you definitely are, Damasco. You don't understand at all, do you?"
Her mouth cracked into a faint smirk that never made it as far as her eyes. There was something uncharacteristically cruel in that smile, something that sent fear crawling up my spine. "Alvantes has no intention of escaping. Just the opposite, in fact."
CHAPTER 20
I didn't remember falling asleep, but the next I knew, dreary dawn light was smudging the drapes and we were no longer moving. I was glad to see that Estrada had disappeared. She'd refused to explain her cryptic comments, her tone had remained on the colder side of frosty, and I'd quickly given up any hope of a conversation.
I sat massaging cramp out of my legs and considering my next step. Now more than ever I had good reason to try to escape. Alvantes and Estrada didn't want my help; they'd made that more than clear. I could still repent if I wanted to. The pouch of coin would keep me in comfort for a few weeks, long enough to consider a change of career. I could even go home, see if my parents were still alive. I hated the thought of Moaradrid getting away with his crimes, but what could I do to change it? Men like me didn't stop men like Moaradrid, any more than a rabbit could stop Saltlick. I'd never been anything but a thief. Now that I considered it, I'd never been particularly successful at that.
The door sprang open. I expected Estrada, but it was Alvantes who glared through the entrance. "Good morning, Guard-Captain," I said. "We've stopped."
"Well observed, Damasco."
"Have I got time to stretch my legs?"
"I should think so. We'll be here a while."
I looked at him questioningly, but it was obvious he wasn't going to say any more than Estrada had. I moved to step past him, and felt a hand clamp on my shoulder.
"One moment."
Balanced half in and half out of the carriage, I had little choice.
"You have something that's not yours. It's time you gave it to someone who'll take better care of it."
Well there went any hope of my new life. I pulled out the coin-bag and proffered it to him.
"Not that. Hells, if you survive to spend it you've earned it. No, it's the stone I want."
I drew forth the giant-stone and placed it in his cupped hands. I'd gotten used to its weight. Without it, I felt lighter. "May it bring you as much comfort as it has me, Guard-Captain."
Alvantes gave a barking laugh. "Maybe next time you'll be more careful who you steal from."
I couldn't help smiling. "That's all behind me. I'm a new man."
"Really? We'll see."
He tucked the stone inside his jacket and marched away, back to where his men were waiting. I noticed the mock-farmers had abandoned their disguises, revealing Altapasaedan City Guard livery beneath. The others had settled for tearing the misleading emblems from their tunics. Though a few of them remained on horseback, there was little sense of urgency. Some sat smoking; others were polishing weapons, checking gear or talking in low voices.
This wasn't just a rest break. We'd stopped altogether.
Were we waiting for the Castovalian irregulars we'd parted from all those days ago? It was hard to imagine this nondescript glade as a preordained meeting place. I tried to remember what Estrada had told me of her plan, but it had been so absurd that I hadn't paid much attention, and it all seemed a long time ago.
Perhaps the easiest solution was simply to ask her. Estrada was sitting with Saltlick in the back of the cart. He was no longer hidden, and wasn't likely to be again, since he'd eaten a good proportion of his camouflage. Estrada was tending to his latest wounds. A gash in his leg looked particularly raw and unpleasant, and he was still carrying his left arm gingerly. Still, as always food seemed to have improved his spirits and bolstered his constitution. He smiled when he saw me. Then his mouth turned down belatedly into a frown.
Poor Saltlick, he wasn't meant for holding grudges.
I waved, and called, "Good morning Saltlick, Estrada."
"What do you want?" Estrada's tone had thawed slightly, but it was still a long way from friendly.
"I want to know what's happening. Why have we stopped?"
I climbed onto the back of the cart, Saltlick shifting to accommodate me.
"What difference does it make to you? You'll follow along until you find an opportunity to sneak away, or rob us, or drug us."
"I told you I'm sorry. I want to help. Even if I didn't, I have a right to know what's going on."
"A right? You have a nerve, Damasco."
I threw my hands up in an attitude of defeat. "Estrada… Marina… if only to pass the time, could you please let me know what we're doing here?"
She sighed. "We're waiting."
"For the other troops?"
"For Moaradrid."
It took me a moment to digest that. My initial shock was brief, though, for fragments of Estrada's plan were coming back to me. We were bait, she'd said, bait for an ambush. We were drawing close to the southernmost tail of the Castoval, so wherever the meeting place was it had to be close.
Yet if our only purpose was to play hare for Moaradrid's hounds, why had we crept in disguise through his lines?
First things first, though. Estrada was right, I tended not to pay attention to anything beyond my immediate circumstances, and this wasn't the first time it had got me into trouble. I suspected I'd missed plenty of useful details during our time in Altapasaeda, but one gap in my knowledge gaped more widely than the others did. "You knew Alvantes before this week, didn't you?"
"We're old friends."
I'd swear she blushed. Even if she didn't, Estrada was a terrible liar.
"You were more than that."
"All right. We were… lovers, I suppose you'd call it. A long time ago. Then Lunto was promoted…"
"Lunto?"
"Lunto Alvantes."
I suppressed a snigger.
"…and I became involved in politics. It got more and more difficult to see each other."
"So that's why he's helping you?"
"He's helping because it's right. Because he doesn't want to see a beast like Moaradrid ruling the Castoval and maybe even be king one day. Panchetto wasn't a bad man, but he could never see farther than the walls of his palace. We never meant for him to be hurt, though," she finished sadly.
It had begun to rain while we'd been talking, weighty drops that shattered on the ground, the cart sides and our clothes like a thousand tiny drums tattooing in unison. Milky light on the horizon gave way to hillocks of grey cloud topped with treacle-black gloom. I noticed then how cold it was. "Why don't we get back inside the coach?" I asked.
"Will you be all right on your own, Saltlick?"
Saltlick had been lolling with his head back, letting raindrops course into his throat. He looked up long enough
to nod and grin at Estrada. "Go home," he said.
Estrada glanced towards the mountain peaks that closed the valley. Hidden somewhere in those heights was giant territory. "Yes. Not long now, Saltlick."
We were in the carriage with the door shut before I asked, "You've told him you'll help him get home?"
"And I will. Once this is over that's my first priority."
Estrada sounded as though she meant it. I made a silent resolution that, whether or not she helped Saltlick return to his family, I would. It was the least I could do after last night, and of all the promises I'd made recently it was the one that most deserved to be honoured.
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