Zane Halloway: Omnibus Edition

by P. T. Hylton

  Beth’s lips returned to that thin red line and she looked out the window, sulking.

  They waited for another five minutes, with Beth Farns fuming, Franklin fidgeting nervously, and Zane looking out the window. Then there were three quick raps on the door.

  Zane marched to the door and pulled it open.

  Lily was breathing heavily, as if she’d been running. Flecks of blood dotted her hands.

  “Not mine,” she said by way of greeting, following Zane’s gaze.

  He nodded sharply and stepped aside to let her enter.

  Before she’d gotten through the door, he said, “What happened?”

  She held up a small round object that glowed with a soft light, and a wide smile broke across her face. “I got it is what happened.”

  A bit of the tension drained out of the room.

  “Good, good,” Franklin said, laying out two pieces of paper on the table in front of him. “Bring it here.”

  While Franklin was arranging the papers, Lily looked at Zane and pointed at the stone, then moved a finger in a slashing motion across her throat.

  It took Zane a moment, but he got it. Harrison Oliver was dead.

  He had questions, so many questions, but now wasn’t the time to ask them. Lily wanted to keep the information from Franklin for the time being, and Zane would follow her lead, as much as it went against his nature. It made sense. Finding out his longtime boss was dead would probably make Franklin more upset than he already was, which might cause him to back out of the job.

  Zane had spent days researching Franklin before he’d contacted the man. Franklin had worked for Harrison Oliver for nearly twenty years. he had been a manservant, much like Dursten had been to the Farns. As a manservant, he’d hitched his fate to that of his employer. However, unlike Dursten, Franklin’s master hadn’t had the rise to prominence Franklin had hoped. Over the last twenty years, he’d watch Harrison Oliver go from a young, respected officer with all the promise in the world, to a middle-aged officer passed over for the best assignments, to an old officer who was well-respected but would never again be promoted.

  Perhaps Oliver had been disappointed, too. Ten years ago, he’d turned to the bottle and turned to it hard. He was secretly drunk most of the time now. As his position dictated he could be called on at any time, night or day, to perform his official function, Oliver had trained his manservant Franklin how to do it for him. The need had only arisen twice before, but Franklin had performed flawlessly both times.

  And now Zane needed him to do it again, this time without his master’s permission.

  “Give me the shimmer,” Franklin said in a low voice, his eyes still on the two papers in front of him. As he waited with his hand outstretched, he said, “These papers are good. I wouldn’t be able to tell them from the real thing. Whatever you paid for them, it was worth it.”

  Lily gave him the shimmer. Franklin hunched over the papers and went to work, moving the device in complex patterns.

  After a few moments of everyone silently watching Franklin work, Lily asked, “What happens when we cross?”

  Franklin sighed, clearly annoyed, the shimmer still moving across the papers. “Would someone please answer? I need to concentrate.”

  Zane said, “When we get to the wall, they’ll check our paperwork. If it passes inspection—”

  “It will pass,” Franklin interrupted.

  “Fine, when it passes inspection,” Zane continued, “they’ll apply our badges and we’ll be waved through. From there we’re on our own.”

  Zane saw the concern on Lily’s face, though he could tell she was trying hard not to show it. He felt the urge to say something comforting but suppressed it.

  A few minutes later, Franklin sat up and smiled. “There.”

  “May I?” Zane asked.

  Franklin nodded, and Zane picked up one of the sheets.

  The paper itself looked unchanged. But the words…the words seemed to hover. It was as if they’d been written on the air three inches above the paper rather than on the paper itself. The effect was unsettling, and looking at it too long made Zane feel slightly dizzy.

  “Those will get you through,” Franklin said. “Now, I’ll take my payment and be done.”

  Zane flipped the man a gold throne, and Franklin snatched it out of the air.

  “And the other half when you’re back through,” Franklin said.

  Zane could tell the man was concerned he’d never see them again. But Zane had to give Franklin incentive to make sure their papers were good enough that they’d make it back here rather than end up in prison.

  “Just like we discussed,” Zane said. Franklin started to stand, but Zane held up a hand to stop him. “There’s something else. Something that won’t be easy to hear.” He nodded to Lily.

  Her face was unreadable. “Harrison Oliver is dead.”

  The color drained from Franklin’s face.

  “I didn’t kill him, if that’s what you’re thinking,” she said.

  Zane sighed. Her people skills still left a bit to be desired. He’d hoped that would come with time, but he was beginning to have his doubts.

  Lily turned to Zane. “Two men were there when I arrived. Ferox, maybe. Oliver was dead on the ground. They had the shimmer. I took it from them.”

  Zane nodded at the concise field report. It was concerning news. Two people attempting to rob the same government official the same night they did? It couldn’t be a coincidence. For a moment, he considered that it might be Beth who’d sent them. But that made no sense. It was in her best interests to have them succeed.

  They needed to get the shimmer back to Oliver’s home immediately. A government official found murdered was one thing, but if he was found dead and his shimmer—one of only six of its kind in existence—went missing, the government would likely shut the gate and not let anyone through the Blue Wall until the shimmer was found again.

  “I need to put this shimmer back,” Lily said, echoing Zane’s thoughts.

  Zane agreed. He put a hand on Franklin’s shoulder. “I know this is difficult, but I’m going to guide you through it. You spent the evening visiting friends on the east side. I’ll give you names of people who will back your story. In a few minutes, you’re going to go home and find Harrison’s body. You’ll immediately contact the authorities. Understand?”

  There was a vacant look in his eyes. The man was in shock, Zane realized.

  Zane turned to Lily. “They might still be watching Oliver’s house.”

  Lily shrugged. “Won’t be a problem. I’ll slip past them.”

  She was right. Zane was impressed when she returned only an hour later, the job successfully completed.

  The next morning, Zane and Lily headed for the Blue Wall and towards the elvish ghetto.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Lily shuddered as they passed under the shadow of the Blue Wall. No matter how long she lived in Barnes, it always happened. She couldn’t help it. It came from a childhood spent hearing horror stories of elves who slipped through the Blue Wall at night and stole bad children, taking them back to their home to cook and eat.

  Indeed, when she’d gotten her assignment as Zane Halloway’s apprentice, her first thought hadn’t been of the honor of being assigned to one of only four assassins in the Ferox Society. It wasn’t of the skills she’d learn and how it would put her ahead of her classmates on her career path. No, it was that she’d be stationed in Barnes, home of the largest elvish ghetto in the nation.

  The sight of the wall made her feel small, like a little girl again. It was a deep blue that almost seemed to glow. She felt terrible for all the people who had to live under that shadow.

  Today they weren’t merely passing under the shadow of the wall. They were crossing over into the elvish ghetto itself. The thought terrified Lily, but she did her best to keep her feelings hidden. She was no longer a little girl, she wasn’t even an apprentice, and she had to put those childish fears aside. Despite her best e
fforts, they kept creeping up.

  The cart jostled and leapt as it rolled over the many bumps in the road leading through this less-than-affluent section of the city. Lily and Zane sat crammed into the front bench of the small cart. Zane had the reins. Lily saw his eyes were unconsciously scanning the surroundings, undoubtedly looking for any sign of danger.

  Zane said, “I’m sorry, but I have to ask again. Pumpkins?”

  Lily shrugged, but she felt her face grow hot.

  They were posing as merchants bringing supplies for sale into the elvish ghetto, one of the few legitimate reasons for crossing the Blue Wall. It had been Lily’s responsibility to acquire the cart and the produce they were supposed to be selling. Her logic had been that this was a one-time trip so she should acquire the cheapest items possible. So she’d bought this rickety old cart and filled it with pumpkins, the cheapest product for sale at the merchant she’d visited.

  “Something wrong with pumpkins?” she asked.

  “Nothing at all,” Zane answered, but she couldn’t help noticing the mischievous grin on his face. “Pumpkins are very sensible. Would have been even more sensible last month.”

  Lily had no idea what that meant, but she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of asking.

  A few moments later, the smirk melted off Zane’s face, and a serious look replaced it. He shifted in his seat and looked toward the Blue Wall. For a moment, Lily thought he was going to give some final instructions or reminders, but he didn’t. What else was there to say? They’d either make it past the Blue Wall, or they wouldn’t.

  They came to a place where the road widened. The cart rolled to a stop as they reached the gate. The two guards on either side of the road approached slowly, each with a hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

  The guard on Zane’s side of the cart said, “Busy day. You’re my second passage already.” He nodded toward the cart. “What’s your cargo?”

  Zane cleared his throat before he spoke. “Pumpkins.”

  The guard looked a bit taken aback. “Really?”

  The other guard walked to the back of the cart and peeked underneath the tarp. “They’re pumpkins.”

  The first guard squinted at Zane. “You do know the Midnight Festival was last month, right?”

  “We do,” Zane said in a confident voice.

  The guard scratched his chin. “I’ve never seen pumpkins come through here other than for the Midnight Festival. I always thought as far as the points were concerned, pumpkins were only a festival thing.”

  Zane’s face darkened, but only for a moment. Lily thought it was likely the guard’s casual use of the word points that bothered him. It was a term Lily’s father had often used back at home, a reference to the elvish trait of pointed ears. Lily had used it herself a time or two. But since attending Ferox Academy, she’d learned most considered it a derogatory term. One of her professors had said using that word behind the Blue Wall would be tantamount to taking one’s own life. Yet here was a guard right outside the elvish ghetto using the word as casually as if he were a thousand miles away from the nearest elf.

  “These pumpkins are part of a larger business opportunity,” Zane said. “The specifics of which are between me and the points.” He emphasized the last word, practically spitting it back at the guard.

  The guard frowned, the jovial friendliness suddenly gone. He held out his hand. “Papers, please.”

  Zane passed him the two sets of papers.

  “One moment,” the guard said, then he turned and walked back to the Blue Wall.

  The other guard stood behind the cart, arms folded across his chest. Lily couldn’t help but notice he was subtly blocking their only escape route.

  Lily carefully watched the guard at the gate. He was turned so that his body partially blocked her view of his actions. She could still see his right arm and the edge of the paper he held.

  This was the moment of truth, Lily knew. The guard had a specialized tangle he would use on the paper. If the illusion had been properly applied by a government-approved shimmer, the illusion would react one way. If it had been applied by any other shimmer, or applied incorrectly with an approved shimmer, the illusion would react another way. In a few moments, they would either be passing through the Blue Wall or on their way to prison.

  The guard moved something across the surface of the paper, and the text on the page suddenly glowed a bright, smoky red.

  A cold sweat broke out on Lily’s brow. Was red text good or bad?

  The guard walked back to them, his face unreadable. He handed Zane the papers.

  “Follow me,” he said, and turned and walked away without waiting for a reply.

  Were they being led through? Or were they being taken to a holding cell? Lily looked at Zane, and he gave her a tiny, reassuring smile.

  The two guards pulled the gates open and motioned them through. Zane clucked his tongue and gave the reigns a quick snap, and the horse began walking forward.

  The cart went through the gate, and suddenly they were inside the Blue Wall. It was dim in here, and it felt a few degrees cooler than the outside. There was a heavy gate in front of them. The elvish ghetto would be on the other side of that gate, but the grating was too tight to see anything but a bit of sunlight poking through.

  The two guards stepped inside and pulled the gate behind them shut. The first guard moseyed up the cart. His posture was relaxed, but Lily noticed his hand was resting on the hilt of his sword.

  He spoke in a monotone, rapid voice, as if he’d given this speech verbatim hundreds of times. “Once you pass through those gates, you are under Elvish law. It is recommended you visit the magistrate with any questions as soon as possible, as ignorance of the law is not an excuse for breaking it. If you are attacked, robbed, or otherwise have harm done to you, please lodge your complaint with the Elvish magistrate as crimes committed beyond the Blue Wall are not the concern of the Opel crown. If you die under suspicious circumstances, it is the responsibility of your next of kin to inform the Opel crown, who may or may not investigate the matter at his own discretion. If you are taken hostage, no ransom will be paid by the Opel crown or any of its nobility. By passing through that gate, you temporarily forfeit all your rights as a citizen of Opel. Upon your return, you will pay a forty percent tax on all items bought, sold, or bartered during your visit beyond the Blue Wall. Failure to declare transactions and make a full payment of taxes owned is punishable by imprisonment. Do you have any questions about the Opel crown’s responsibilities to you in regards to your visit beyond the Blue Wall?”

  “No,” Zane said.

  The guard looked at Lily. “I’ll need an answer from each of you.”

  “No,” Lily said.

  The guard pulled out a small round object that looked a bit like the shimmer Lily had taken from Harrison Oliver’s home the previous night. He pressed it to the backs of each of their hands. When he took it away, there was a blue image of a throne. It looked like a tattoo.

  “That’s your ticket back through, and it only lasts a week,” the guard said, “so be about your business and hurry back.”

  The guards then walked to the far gates and pulled them open. Pale sunlight poured in, and, although she had only been in the dim interior for a few minutes, it stung Lily’s eyes.

  The lead guard paused for a minute, then said, “I haven’t seen you pass through here before, so I’m going to say one more thing. Don’t believe anything the points tell you. Lying comes as natural to them as breathing does to you or me. And they have a way of swaying you to their way of thinking with just the sound of their voice.” He paused for another moment. “I guess I’m saying keep your wits about you. I hope to see you come back through.”

  “Thank you,” Zane said, a bit briskly. “We’ll take your advice to heart.”

  The guards waved them through. They rolled forward and entered the elvish ghetto.

  The first things that struck Lily were the houses. They were tall, skinny thi
ngs, and some of them seemed to lean at angles that defied gravity. Everything about their design, the rhombus shape of their windows, the brightly painted colors, the shrubbery planted on their roofs, was strange and foreign. It was like stepping into another world.

  And then there were the elves themselves.

  Lily had only met one elf, a servant in a place called the Oasis, a secret retirement community for abditus. He had done nothing to relieve Lily’s fears about his people. His words had somehow clouded her mind, making her think it was a good idea to turn herself over to the Oasis’ leaders. Zane, however, had resisted the persuasive techniques.

  But now, she was on a street filled with elves. On average, they were slightly taller than humans. Lily guessed they ranged from about six foot to seven and a half feet, and they tended to be thin, though she saw a few fat ones as well. Their alabaster skin, pointed ears, and dark eyes seemed to be universal among them.

  Lily noticed most of them walked with their heads down, which surprised her a little, even though it probably shouldn’t have. It was all part of the mystery of the elves.

  For centuries, elves had lived free in Opel, sometimes working as the kingdom’s allies, but more often as enemies. They were greatly outnumbered by the humans, but they thrived in small communities, often deep in the woods as far as possible from human cities. In the old stories, elves were depicted as mystical tricksters, able to perform amazing feats of magic using only their bare hands. They were willing to do favors for humans, but the price was always high. Their words often had hidden meanings, and the humans who dealt with them were usually surprised when they discovered the full extent of what they’d agreed to.

  How much of that was true, Lily did not know. What was certain was the elves were a proud and noble people who were not to be trifled with.

  Fifty years ago a war had broken out between humans and elves in Opel. By all accounts, the elves had devastated the human armies in the first months of the war. They were skilled in both magic and battle strategy, and some of the reports told of elvish armies defeating human armies ten times their size.