[Blood on the Reik 02] - Death's City

by Sandy Mitchell - (ebook by Undead)

  “I think I would. Thank you.”

  “I really had every intention of returning, you know,” Artemus said earnestly He was sitting on the narrow bed in the larger of the two rooms he occupied in the Scriveners’ guildhall, a surprisingly modest edifice by the standards of some of its more ostentatious neighbours. The other room was almost filled by a desk, angled to make the most of the light from the narrow window, on which a half-completed manuscript stood along with the book from which it was being copied and a bookshelf containing almost a dozen volumes. Rudi occupied the single chair. “I was sure I could repay your kindness by doubling our funds at the very least.”

  “Maybe you would have done if the game hadn’t been rigged,” Rudi said, trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.

  “At Tilman’s, of all places. I would never have believed it. But Hanna knew that woman’s hand all right, so there must have been some chicanery involved.” His voice took on an expression of puzzlement. “What I don’t understand is how she was able to spot the tampering. I’ve seen plenty of marked decks in my time and it looked perfectly all right to me.”

  “I suppose we were just lucky she did,” Rudi said, not wanting to discuss the topic any more than he had to.

  “Small recompense for you, though. I hope you haven’t been left in too dire a situation by my folly.”

  “Not so bad,” Rudi admitted. “Tilman and a couple of his thugs came after me, but I saw them off and got most of our money back.” He hesitated, feeling a little uncomfortable for the first time. “I’m afraid I wasn’t too concerned about recovering your share, though.”

  “Easy come, easy go.” To Rudi’s relief he didn’t seem too upset about it. “I’m simply pleased that things are a little easier between us than they might otherwise have been.” An expression of concern crossed his face. “But you might find some rather unpleasant people holding grudges as a result of your actions. You should all take care to be vigilant.”

  “If you mean the league,” Rudi said, the scribe starting slightly at the sound of the name, “I think we’ll be all right. Hanna’s going to be spending some time at the college with Kris, Fritz is working for that Imperial nobleman we got out of Tilman’s in one piece, and I’ve just joined the Black Caps.” He indicated the hat tucked into his belt.

  “My goodness, how very enterprising of you all,” Artemus said. He stared at Rudi with growing respect. “And you’re quite right, those are all positions which should protect you from any overt reprisals.” He shrugged again. “But I still feel I should make some sort of restitution, even though the money’s been repaid. If there’s anything I can possibly do for you?”

  “There is,” Rudi said impulsively.

  Artemus raised an eyebrow in polite enquiry.

  “Teach me to read.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  “I like it,” Hanna said, glancing around the narrow room. “It’s very homely.”

  “Thanks,” Rudi said, not quite sure how to respond. It was the first time he’d ever lived in a space that was exclusively his, and the first time he’d ever had a guest in it, unless you counted the other residents of the watch barracks he’d made friends with since moving in here a month or so ago. The accommodation was a little more spartan than it had been at the Dancing Pirate, and the food in the mess hall considerably more basic, but he couldn’t have afforded to carry on living there on a watchman’s wages anyway. “Not bad for a shilling a week.”

  “Is that all?” The girl sounded impressed. “I’m paying nearly twice that.” She shrugged, trying to sound cosmopolitan, like the lifelong city dwellers they were slowly becoming used to living among. “But that’s Templewijk prices for you.” Kris had found her lodgings near the college, in a boarding house occupied entirely by female students and guarded by a landlady Rudi strongly suspected had been a pit fighter or a templar marine in her younger days. The only occasion on which he’d attempted to visit he’d been stopped at the door by a muscular arm casually carrying a meat cleaver and asked his business in no uncertain terms. Only his watchman’s hat, he suspected, had prevented him from being ejected bodily from the premises.

  Hanna had laughed when he told her, having been grudgingly admitted as far as the front parlour, where a couple of equally uncomfortable-looking young men in scholar’s robes had been waiting for their own friends.

  “Don’t let her fool you,” she’d said. “Clara’s bark’s a lot worse than her bite.” But Rudi had been more than happy to leave when she’d suggested eating at a tavern she liked nearby.

  “Are you all right for money?” he asked awkwardly. Hanna nodded, resting her elbows on the small table which occupied most of the space left free by the bed and the chest of drawers, which now contained all of Rudi’s worldly possessions with considerable room to spare. Except for the bow and his sword, which were propped up in one corner.

  “I’m getting by. The college is letting me help out in the faculty of Herbalism and Alchemy.” She laughed at his awestruck expression. “It’s not as exciting as it sounds, just boiling things and distilling things mostly, so the students don’t have to prepare their ingredients from scratch. It doesn’t pay much, but it covers the rent.”

  “Any progress on the other thing?” Rudi asked cautiously, noticing the faint bulge in her headscarf was still present.

  “Not much, no,” she said, a more sombre expression crossing her face for a moment. “The good news is Professor Aaldbrugh has seen things like it before. He even prepared a few for the temple of Manann a couple of years back, when their witch hunters broke up a major Chaos cult.”

  “So he must know how to get it off,” Rudi said, with a sudden flare of optimism.

  “That’s the problem,” she said. “This one isn’t supposed to be removed. Gerhard thought he was going to kill me in a couple of days at the most, remember?” Rudi nodded sombrely, clenching his fists involuntarily at the thought. Hanna was silent for a moment, then sighed. “I might as well tell you the rest.”

  “Tell me what?” Rudi asked, a shiver of apprehension running through him. Hanna rose to her feet and began pacing the yard or so of clear floor. Whatever she was going to say was going to be bad, he could feel it. The girl hesitated again, then hurried on.

  “If we can’t find a way to remove it, it’ll kill me. Not for a while yet, but probably by the end of the year. The seizures will keep on getting worse, until eventually my body won’t be able to take the strain.” Her voice was unnaturally level, fighting for calm. Abruptly she lost the battle, her blue eyes flooding with tears. “Oh Rudi, I’m so scared!”

  “It’ll be all right.” Instinctively he moved towards her, enfolding her in his arms. She responded instantly, clinging tightly to his torso, while her body shook against his. After a while she pulled away, with a loud sniff, and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

  “Thank you.” She swallowed, a trace of her old decisiveness beginning to come back. “I needed that. It was just… putting it into words made it more real, somehow.”

  “If there’s anything I can do to help…”

  “I wish there was. But sometimes I think it’s completely hopeless.”

  “It’s never hopeless,” Rudi said. “Your professor will come up with something.”

  “That’s exactly what Kris says.” Hanna’s expression softened and Rudi felt an irrational surge of resentment. “I don’t know what I’d do without him. He’s been a tower of strength.” Something of his feelings must have shown on his face, because she smiled at him with greater fondness than she’d ever shown before. “And so have you. All the way from Kohlstadt. I’d never have made it here without you.”

  “I wouldn’t have made it without you either,” Rudi said, and her smile broadened.

  “Flatterer. But with Kris I feel like I can really be myself for the first time in my life. Apart from mother, I’ve never been able to talk about the magic to someone who completely understands and accepts me for what I am. You’ve
no idea how much that means to me.”

  “You spent a lot of time with Alwyn,” Rudi pointed out. “She was a mage too.”

  “Not like Kris,” Hanna said. “He’s more subtle. Much better grounded in the theory of it all.” She glanced up again, her eyes shining with excitement. “Oh, and I nearly forgot the most important thing! They’re letting me take some classes while I’m there! Just the theoretical side of it, obviously, as I can’t cast spells at the moment, but they’re treating me like a real student!” She shrugged, with an attempt at appearing casual which was as transparent as it was futile. “I suppose it’s the least they can do for presenting them with such an interesting challenge.”

  “That’s wonderful,” Rudi said, feeling a little out of his depth. Fate had thrown them together as reluctant travelling companions and now it seemed their paths were diverging again. He knew Hanna’s gift would always make her part of a world he could never hope to understand, but he felt a twinge of regret anyway. As if sensing his mood, the girl smiled at him.

  “And talking of being a student, how are your studies progressing?” She indicated the thin bundle of bound paper Artemus had given him a few days before, lying on the table where he’d left it. It had clearly been printed cheaply and in bulk. The type was uneven, and the pictures crude and poorly executed, but it was the first book Rudi had ever owned and he pored over it religiously every chance he got.

  “Quite well, I think. I’ve got all the letters now, and I’m starting to get a feel for how they go together.” With a sudden surge of bravado he flicked the primer open and began to trace the line of type with a hesitant forefinger. “Karl is a rabbit. See Karl hop.” He glanced up shyly, half-expecting a scornful remark, but Hanna was looking at him with a faint expression of surprise.

  “You can really read that? After just a few weeks?”

  “Yes.” Then his innate honesty made him add, “it was a bit harder the first time though.”

  “I see.” To his relief there was still no trace of mockery in her tone. “That’s really quite remarkable. Artemus must be very proud of you.”

  “Haven’t you seen him at all?” Rudi asked, grateful for the chance of changing the subject. Unused to praise, he found it vaguely embarrassing.

  “No,” she said, her tone a trifle defensive. “Templewijk’s a big place and I spend most of my time at the college. It’s not all that surprising we haven’t run into one other yet.”

  “Oh.” Rudi had told her how to find the Scriveners’ guildhall as soon as she’d returned to the Dancing Pirate, the day he’d met the scribe again. Since then he’d visited Artemus regularly once a week, initially for reading lessons, but on the last occasion the scribe had handed him a quill and encouraged him to try forming the letters for himself. The experience had been an intoxicating one. With rising excitement he had laboriously spelt out “Karl is a rabbit,” and found that the words were just as easy to read as the ones in the printed book. Artemus had smiled broadly and promised to show him how to link the letters together, making whole words easier to write.

  “I’m sure I’ll see him around sooner or later,” Hanna said.

  “I’m sure,” Rudi agreed tactfully. Clearly she hadn’t forgiven Artemus for the incident in the gambling den. Looking for another subject to discuss, he asked the first related question which came into his head. “Seen anything of Fritz lately?” To his surprise Hanna nodded.

  “Not for a couple of weeks, though. That nobleman, von Eckstein, came to the college and Fritz was with him. Mathilde whatshername as well.” A mischievous grin flitted across her face. “I think he’s a bit smitten with her.”

  “Well she’s been working for him for a good few years,” Rudi said. “I suppose they see quite a lot of each other.”

  Manna snorted in the way he remembered so vividly from their old life in Kohlstadt, and looked at him scornfully.

  “I meant Fritz, you numbskull. If you ask me von Eckstein’s not really interested in feminine company.” Rudi, who didn’t have a clue what she meant, nodded vaguely, and Hanna grinned. “Just as well Fritz isn’t too quick on the uptake sometimes. It’s probably saved the both of them no end of embarrassment.”

  “Fritz and Mathilde?” Rudi shook his head in disbelief. “But she’s so old. She must be twenty-five at least.”

  “Some men like the mature type,” Hanna said dryly. “And you know Fritz. Easily impressed by anyone who can take him in a fight.”

  “That’s true,” Rudi said, ignoring the implied slur. “So how was he?” He hadn’t seen the older boy for almost a month now, on the last day of the week at the Dancing Pirate they’d paid for in advance, when Fritz had returned to collect the few possessions he’d left behind in their shared room. Fritz had moved out to new quarters at the Imperial embassy the day after commencing his new job, and Rudi had barely had time to give him the three guilders he’d recovered from Tilman before he went.

  The last time they met they’d shared a meal together, with a peculiar sense of finality, before carrying their packs away from the Pirate in different directions; Rudi towards the watch barracks and Fritz northward to the Hoogbrug and the opulence of the Paleisbuurt ward, where the foreign embassies jostled for position with one another and with the residences of the wealthiest merchants in the city. Who, it seemed, formed the government of the place, or at least the richest ten did. Competition to join or force the weaker members out of that exclusive group was fierce and sometimes bloody, and Rudi didn’t envy his colleagues in that part of the city at all.

  “Same old Fritz,” Hanna said. “Just smarter clothes.” Rudi nodded. It had been the first thing he noticed the last time they’d met. The simpleton had acquired a whole new wardrobe, which carried the unmistakable aura of high quality tailoring, and an ornately-worked cudgel of some hard, dark wood, which hung at his belt. Rudi had been quietly amused by that. Von Eckstein was evidently too shrewd to have trusted his new employee with a sword. “He bought us lunch.”

  “Really?” Rudi said, in some surprise. “That was very generous of him.”

  “I’m sure von Eckstein paid in the end,” Hanna said, and remembering Mathilde’s remarks about expenses Rudi nodded in agreement. “But it was nice of him all the same. He was at a bit of a loose end anyway. Von Eckstein was talking to someone in the Faculty of Navigation and they said he could only take one servant in. Not surprisingly he chose Mathilde.”

  “So you came across Fritz just hanging about the place,” Rudi said, trying to picture the hulking youth in the quiet cloisters of the college without smiling. He would have been as obviously out of place as an ox in a bakery. Hanna nodded.

  “More or less,” she said. “We were just passing, on our way to the Quill, so we asked him to join us when we saw him. We weren’t expecting him to pick up the bill, though.”

  “We?” Rudi asked, quietly dreading the answer, and Hanna nodded.

  “Kris.” She flushed a little. “We’ve been spending quite a lot of time together actually.” She shot him an appraising look. “You don’t mind, do you?”

  “Of course not,” Rudi said, a little too hastily. “Why should I?”

  “Good.” For some reason the faint blush of red in her cheeks deepened a little. “I’m glad you like him.”

  “Why wouldn’t I?” Rudi asked, baffled.

  “No reason.” Hanna glanced around the little room, searching for another topic of conversation. Unable to find one, her fingers began toying idly with the thong supporting the leather pouch around her neck. An awkward silence began settling over them like dust.

  “Is that still helping?” Rudi asked, more for something to say than because he expected an answer.

  Hanna nodded gratefully. “Yes. Although no one seems to know why.” She smiled at some amusing memory. “When I showed it to them, and told them where it had come from, they practically wet themselves. They thought it was something really dangerous. Apparently it falls from the sky sometimes, if you can believe th
at, and it’s so charged with Chaos just holding a piece can turn you into a mutant.”

  “Should you be carrying it then?” Rudi asked, alarmed at the thought.

  “Luckily it turned out not to be whatever they thought it was, or Shallya alone knows what they might have done.”

  “Do they know what it really is?” Rudi asked.

  “It’s just a bit of rock. It doesn’t even look magical if you’ve got the sight. But it seems to drain off the energy that damn talisman’s blocking, somehow. If it wasn’t the only thing stopping my head from exploding they’d have it locked up in a workroom with a team of experts working on it day and night.”

  “Perhaps you can sell it to them,” Rudi suggested. “Once you don’t need it anymore. If it’s as unusual as that it must be worth a fortune.”

  “Maybe I will,” Hanna said, although the tone of her voice said otherwise. “Or trade it for a scholarship, so I can complete my training and get a licence.” Her voice became a shade wistful. “Imagine that. I could go anywhere I liked and do anything I wanted and never have to worry about looking over my shoulder for someone like Gerhard.” Her voice hardened. “I could walk right up to him and spit in his eye and there wouldn’t be a damn thing he could do about it.”

  “He might not see it quite like that,” Rudi said cautiously. There was a brooding intensity around the girl now, which he found disturbing, and he suspected she was contemplating revenge again. He smiled in an attempt to lighten her mood. “Besides, he’s probably leagues away. With any luck we’ll never see or hear of him again.”

  “I suppose you’re right,” Hanna said, although for once her expression was unreadable.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Rudi’s sanguine mood lasted the rest of the afternoon, which he passed pleasantly enough walking Hanna back to her boarding house and sharing an early supper with her and Kris at the Quill and Ink, the tavern round the corner they generally frequented, only to evaporate at the conclusion of Sergeant Rijgen’s briefing at the evening shift change. This week he was on the night watch, which unlike most of his colleagues he preferred. The streets were emptier, and although the chances of trouble were higher after dark so were the corresponding chances that anyone in the vicinity would turn out to be responsible for it. On a couple of occasions when they hadn’t been, he’d been able to lead his patrol to the perpetrators by following footprints and other signs which had apparently been invisible to his urbanite colleagues. He still wasn’t sure who’d been the most surprised, the felons, the watchmen, or himself to discover that his tracking skills could still be applied in this utterly unnatural environment.