by J. D. Miller
“She might be new, but she’s far from worthless, if that’s what you’re implying,” Carter muttered. “It comes naturally to her from what I’ve seen. She’s got a keen eye and can play most people like a fiddle.”
This improved Silvia’s mood dramatically. Flushing slightly, she grinned at him.
Still, Ramus crossed his arms, eyeing the duo carefully. “I don’t know, man. Plenty of people have raw talent, but they’re still a pain in the ass to lug around.”
Carter flinched, waiting for the hammer to fall, but Silvia stayed surprisingly calm. She smiled brightly and then giggled flirtatiously. Carter’s mind went blank. Across the table, Ramus seemed equally dumbfounded.
Silvia only giggled more. Standing, she walked behind Carter, putting her hands on his shoulders. Despite himself, Carter stiffened. Ramus watched, clearly uncomfortable, as Silvia leaned down farther, wrapping her arms around Carter’s neck and hugging his head to her. Carter’s mind completely stopped functioning. The warmth of Silvia’s chest against the back of his head melted all ambitions, leaving him limp in her hands. Every nerve in his body stood on edge, screaming for him to run.
“He’d be lying of course if he said my feminine charm wasn’t a part of it.” Silvia cooed, her voice soft and alluring.
Carter shivered. Ramus gaped at the two of them, his eyes wide.
Both Silvia and Ramus burst into laughter almost simultaneously. As Silvia’s weight left Carter’s shoulders, he resisted the urge to blush, scowling deeply instead.
“Heh. Wow. Okay, I withdraw, you win.” Ramus lifted his hands in surrender.
Silvia responded with a victorious grin as she plopped back down next to Carter. “Oh no, I’m sorry, did I hurt someone’s pride?” Silvia jeered.
“Shut up.”
A second wave of laughter filled the room. After a moment or two, Carter finally broke. He smiled weakly as the other two doubled over in their chairs.
“Anyway,” Ramus said, drying his eyes with his sleeve. “While we’re all in such good humor, I think we need to talk about your little scavenger problem.”
Carter steeled himself. “Might as well.”
Ramus nodded. Standing, he faced away from them, staring into the fireplace. “Rumor around the trading bands here is that the Arcfall Covenant will arrive in Boston the day after next. That gives you only a day’s lead on them. And if they are using cars, catching up to your horse would be easier than—”
Carter cut him off. “Yeah. I know.”
Silvia shank in her chair next to him, her eyes darting around the room.
“Yeah. Sorry.”
“Anyhow…”
Ramus cleared his throat and then continued. “I’m assuming you know to stay off the main road?”
Carter nodded. “Yeah.”
“Good. Stick to the back roads, and keep an eye on Dullahan. If he gets his hooves twisted the wrong way, you’ll have to continue on foot.”
“I know.”
Ramus smiled, but Carter stared back grimly.
He’s assessing me.
“Do you have a backup plan?”
“Yeah. I sent a letter to the church between here and New Manhattan. The guy I hired said he was heading out by car with a caravan, so it should be reaching the monks any time now.”
“Why send a letter to the church?” Silvia asked.
“A fair question,” Ramus said, nodding to one of his servers, who had thus far stood silently in the corner. After he rushed off, their host turned to Silvia and explained. “The church is in the middle of a very important transition. They are attempting to become the leading political power in the northern lands. Doing so would allow them to spread their doctrine as far as they please, and eventually they could send their crusades into other countries. For a normal government party, rising to power would be simple; they’d just invade and take over by force.”
“But the church can’t do that, can they?”
“No. The church preaches peace, so they have to act the part, lest they lose credibility. The only way they can gain the power they seek is through public support. As the Northern Lands doesn’t have any centralized leadership, all they have to do is bide their time and make sure they are perfect in the public’s eye.”
Silvia nodded, her eyes lighting up as she digested the explanation. “So they will help us?”
Ramus grinned. “Exactly. The church isn’t exactly the biggest fan of tradesmen; we are too greedy for their liking. But smile the right way and pay a big enough tithe, and they will grant you asylum for certain. If worse comes to worst, you should be able to lie low there until the Covenant gives up their search. Anyway, that’s the long and short of it, right, Carter?”
“Hmm? Oh, yeah.”
“Anyway,” Ramus muttered, sitting back down, “you seem all squared away. I can’t say I’m not going to miss your company, but I wish the two of you luck on your journey all the same. God knows you’re gonna need it.”
“Thanks, Ramus, for everything,” Carter said. “We’d have never made it this far without your help.”
Ramus nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. Carter noted the bags under his friend’s eyes.
It’s almost like he’s the one preparing for a long journey.
“Promise me you’ll drop in next time you’re around,” Ramus said suddenly, breaking the silence. “Both of you.”
“You know I will,” Carter said. “You’re the only affordable inn in this whole damn city, after all.”
“I will, too,” Silvia added. “I’ll make sure you’re both here, so I can be sure you’re staying out of trouble.”
Ramus gave her a faint smile. “It’s settled then,” he said. “Next time we are all sitting around this table, we’ll be able to laugh about this whole Covenant business. It’ll even be my treat.”
Just then, the server returned, a bottle and three glasses in hand. Carter sat upright. Ramus clapped his hands together as Silvia watched the unfolding scene with great interest.
“Right then. Before we all go our separate ways, I think it’s only right we send you off with a toast,” Ramus said, popping open the wine bottle.
As he rose from the table, Carter did so as well. Grabbing the glasses, he held them steady while Ramus filled each with a bubbling red liquid. The smell of fermented grape diffused through the room like a calming wind.
“Okay then,” Ramus said, passing out the glasses. “A toast! To Carter and Silvia; may their path be safe and well lit, guiding them forward.”
Carter and Ramus raised their glasses. After a moment’s hesitation, Silvia mimicked them. Right after the glasses clinked together, Carter drained the wine in a single go, letting the sour alcohol tingle down his throat.
“Umm.”
Putting down his glass, Carter glanced over at his companion. Her glass remained full as she stared down at it. Her face contorted, presumably from the smell of the wine.
Ramus grinned widely. “What, not a fan of wine?” he asked. “My apologies, I should have asked.”
“No, it’s just…is it supposed to smell like that?”
Carter frowned. “Yeah, all wine smells like that. Have you never had it?”
“No. Alcohol is banned on The Shell. It dulls the brain, so it has no use.”
“Well, little lady, you have a bit to learn about the surface then, aye?” Ramus snickered.
Carter refilled their glasses, smiling wordlessly. Silvia glanced back and forth between them and her cup, clearly anxious.
“W-what’s so special about it?”
“Nothing really, but it helps keep you warm when you sleep on a cold night, and it can numb the mind in times of crisis. Plus, the better quality ale you can afford, the higher standing you have on the surface.”
“It’s also used in pleasantries quite often,” Carter added. “It’s not uncommon for a buyer to offer a traveling salesman a drink.”
Silvia listened for a moment, swishing her drink around in the glass. Then, without warning
, she downed the entire thing in one gulp.
Carter flinched visibly. He drank often enough to be considered a heavyweight, just like Ramus. Silvia, however, could stand to take things slow.
Well, I guess we’ll see how much she can handle, huh?
As soon as she swallowed, Silvia’s face screwed up tight, her lip quivering. After a moment, she wheezed slightly, setting the glass down on the table in front of her.
“You okay?” Carter asked, holding back a grin.
“Y-yeah. I-it just burns.”
“That’s normal, I’m afraid.”
“A-another glass please.” As she spoke, Silvia pushed the glass back over to Ramus.
Carter shot the innkeeper a look, but he wordlessly smiled and refilled the cup. Silvia downed it just as quickly. She did the same with the third glass. And the fourth.
“Ooooooh. Uuuuh…”
By the time Silvia finished her fifth glass, she could barely keep her head upright. Carter, still sober, sighed. His companion, a lightweight in her first cage match with alcohol, had drunk herself into a stupor.
“Ise need m’re pleeeeeze.”
Ramus glanced awkwardly at Carter and then hid the bottle under the table. “Sorry, lass, but that was the last of it, I’m afraid.”
“Oh?” Silvia burst into a giggling fit, wiping her mouth absentmindedly. “Ishadn’t notizzzzz—” She didn’t get the chance to finish as her head slid onto the table.
“Well, that was an unexpected twist,” Ramus remarked, handing the bottle back to the server.
“You said it,” Carter agreed, frowning. “Why’d you keep pouring her drinks?”
“She kept asking for them. What was I supposed to do?”
Carter sighed. Standing, he walked over to his sleeping companion. Her head rested between both arms, which were sprawled over the table, and her legs hung limp off her seat. He poked her shoulder, naively hoping she would wake up, but to no avail.
“Want some help moving her?”
“No, I’ve got it. Thanks again for the dinner, Ramus.”
Ramus put on his best trader’s grin. “Just call it an investment. I’ll be seeing you, Carter.”
Just like that, Ramus set off, leaving Carter alone with his companion. For a moment, the alcohol in his system betrayed him, causing his chest to tighten as his friend walked out into the pub.
It may very well be years before I make it back to Boston, between Silvia and the Covenant. I hope Ramus stays out of trouble.
After a moment, Carter looked back at his companion. Bending down, he lifted her, letting her flop limply against his back. Silvia murmured, her arms hanging loosely over his shoulders. Standing, he hoisted her up and made for the door.
A few minutes later, Carter stumbled into their room. After laying Silvia down, he quickly lit a candle and surveyed the room around him. His drunken roommate sprawled across her bed, snoring away. Carter sighed, smiling to himself.
Moving carefully, he removed Silvia’s scarf and shoes. Throwing them into the corner, he lifted her limbs, pulled out the covers, and tucked her in. Underneath her blankets, Silvia murmured softly and then rolled on her side, silent.
Carter stretched and yawned, suddenly tired. Pulling off his own shoes, he was crawling into bed when a slight rustling noise caught his attention.
“Carter?” Her eyes were closed and her voice slurred, but Silvia struggled against her covers all the same.
“I’m here, Silvia. What’s wrong?” Carter asked, peering across the room.
“Do you think I’ll ever see my family again?”
“Yeah, of course. You will be with them again before you know it.”
Silvia smiled slightly, her body relaxing under the covers.
“I know. I can’t wait to see them again.”
“I know you can’t.”
When the struggling stopped, Carter lay back against his pillow. Slipping an old photograph from his pocket, he unfolded it. In the dim lamplight, a younger Carter smiled up at him, his parents on either side.
I can’t wait to see them again.
Silvia’s words echoed in his head. Sighing, he tucked the photo back into his coat. Then, hanging the jacket off the edge of his bed, he blew out the lamp.
Unlike him, Silvia might still get the chance to see her family again. He’d do anything to help her get home, no matter the cost.
Chapter Six
Carter’s hair stood on end as a low moan filled the small room. For a moment, he lay completely still, his eyes sweeping the darkness for some sort of intruder.
What the hell is that?
The moan sounded again. Carter reached for his gun, still hidden away in his coat pocket. But as his fingers grasped the handle, realization dawned on him. Standing up, he relit his lamp, letting its soft glow engulf the room.
Silvia lay curled in a ball under her covers, stock-still. A third moan rose from the bed. Grabbing the covers, Carter slowly pulled them back, exposing his companion to the cold night air.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
Silvia’s knees were tucked up to her chest. Despite it having been pitch black only moments before, her eyes bore into the wall next to her bed as if her life depended on it. Her shirt clung to her, hiked up, exposing her back.
Despite the hour, Carter suppressed a grin. Reaching down, he pulled her shirt back down. As he moved, his hand accidentally grazed her bare skin, pulling Silvia’s eyes from the wall to him. Her eyes bore into his relentlessly, as if begging him to kill her.
“Water.” Her voice crackled in and out, barely audible despite the utter silence.
“What?” Carter asked, leaning down next to her.
“W-water. Please, water…or I’m gonna…”
Carter didn’t need to hear the rest. Covering her back up with the blankets, he slipped on his shoes and headed for the door. Fortunately, he didn’t have to go far.
Just outside the door, a jug sat in the center of a large bucket. Apparently Ramus really did think of everything when it came to his patrons. Scooping up both items, Carter stepped back into the room.
“What? Uuuuh!”
Silvia’s eyes went wide, her hands covering her mouth. She convulsed, quivering like a rabbit. Carter jumped into action, pushing the bucket under her mouth and pulling the covers away from her in the same motion. Moments later, his companion convulsed again, heaving into the bucket.
“Ugh…oh God…oh God, why?”
Silvia’s eyes watered, her grip on the bucket iron-tight. Sitting down on the bed next to her, Carter put his hand on the center of her back. For a split second, Silvia froze, stiffening her spine as if under attack. Then, after lurching again, her back drooped.
“A-am I dying?” she asked, her voice hoarse.
“Heh, afraid not.” Carter grimaced. “Don’t worry, though, it’ll be easier once you get done with the bucket.”
“Uuuuuuugh.”
Carter patted Silvia’s back, watching wordlessly as she finished. Despite the cold, Carter wiped his brow, too warm for comfort. Silvia’s back radiated heat. The sensation against his hand made him feel unexplainably weak, almost as if he were overheating.
“Di-did you get the water?”
“Yeah, here.”
Carter stooped down in front of the bed, picking up the jug and helping Silvia lift it to her lips. She drank for what seemed like an eternity, gulping the water down. Carter didn’t say a word.
After she lowered the jug, Silvia curled up on her side, moaning once more.
Carter gave her a wry smile. “You okay?”
“No.”
“How do you feel?”
“Well, my head’s on fire, my ears are ringing, and I’m sore all over. Other than that? Fantastic.”
Carter’s smile grew. Covering her with both sets of blankets, he grabbed the soiled bucket by the handle and made for the door. “I’m going to see about getting rid of this before the room starts to smell, okay?”
Silvia
didn’t respond. Out of the corner of his eye, Carter noticed the blankets shift, but the room remained silent. Turning, he pulled the door closed behind him.
Idiot, you should have grabbed your coat!
The hallway felt even colder than the room. Shivering, Carter crept over to the stairs. Careful not to trip in the dark, he felt his way down the banister. As he reached the landing, however, he slowed. Up ahead, the door to the receptionist area was closed. Carter raised an eyebrow.
Ramus never closes the door.
Creeping forward, Carter put his ear to the door. Somewhere in the next room, a pair of voices argued back and forth, two men from the sound of it. Carter tried to listen, but the voices were a blur, picking up pace as the argument came to a head.
I’ve got a bad feeling about this.
Carter took a deep breath, his stomach churning. Turning the knob, he edged the door open, careful not to make a sound.
“And I told you I haven’t seen him.” Ramus’s voice echoed across the bar. “Are you calling me a liar, gentlemen?”
“Not at all, sir, but rumor has it you and he are friends. That true?”
“Guys, he was just staying here. I was helping out a patron, nothing more.”
Carter’s heart froze. Ramus sat at his desk, arms crossed as a man with a shaved head stood opposite. On either side of him, guards stood at the ready, rifles in hand.
Drew? But how? The Covenant can’t be back already!
All the color drained from the world. Carter stumbled back, catching himself on the stairway railing. Taking a deep breath, he processed the scene unfolding in front of him.
This is a trap.
Carter bolted up the stairs, taking special care not to make any noise. He could hear someone still moving around downstairs. Reaching his room, he slipped through the doorway, locking the bolt behind him. Then, sliding down the door, Carter fought to catch his breath.
“Carter?”
Silvia’s head popped out from under the blankets, her eyes peering down at his. Carter brought his hands to eye level. They were shaking. Making fists, he let his head fall back against the door.
Get it together, Carter. Think!
“Carter, is it them? Are they here?”