by Pam Uphoff
Max swallowed. "Sixteen full compasses worth."
"And my pyramid." Dobs bit her knuckles.
"We'd better go check." Falco looked out the doors. "It's cold but not snowing. The Museum is only about half a day away from the corridor point."
Harry stood up and looked at Falco. "Think about where it is."
Falco pictured the museum as they'd last seen it, out in plain sight, the desolate rocks . . . A whip of cold wind had him scrambling to remember Orion's warm spell, while he staggered and slid over ice and snow to the door.
They all piled quickly through the door and into the warm interior.
Falco glanced around for evil mages, trying to ignore the corner of his brain that was wondering how the building was heated.
Harry stalked through the scattered statues. "That's Gil Rodgers. Warren Whatshisname, pain in the ass." He walked up the stairs, turned, eyeing the artwork, then up to the top floor. "Damn, the most powerful mages in New Tokyo, except, of course, Olsen and Seabaugh."
Falco compared the empty areas with his memories. "I think there's a dozen or so missing. I only freed the archmage and Paul, Max's brother, at first. Then four more, so we had a full compass. But now the rest of that compass is gone, and there was another there, where just the one guy is left." He looked around. "Paul was in that compass over there. The other seven are still here. Max and I were stored down in the basement with all the wives and kids."
"So they've probably got two full compasses of trained mages." Harry stumped over to join Falco, looking at his father. Even as a statue, he looked tired. The other men of his compass were in various states of exhaustion. One kneeling, propped up with a hand on the wall, one sitting on the edge of a raised platform holding what was probably a real statue. "Hawkin was a good man. Is. But he just kept his head down and ignored politics. Let's ask him about what happened at comet fall."
Two flicks of Harry's fingers and Hawkin Newton jolted back, startled.
"What . . ." His head turned to the windows, the sweeping view of desolation. His shoulders slumped. "It didn't work. Oh damn."
Falco braced himself. "You were pushing the comet?"
His dad shook his head. "I wish it had been that simple. The nucleus broke up and we split up into three groups of four or five compasses each . . . we cleared ours. Came back and helped Jack's group . . . Cleared that one and just folded. We were tapped out . . . Mercy was bubbling people . . . Probably just so they didn't have to deal with us, but I thought, what the hell, it would be safest . . . plenty of rocks up there that were going to hit, large enough to be dangerous, and we were done. We couldn't help any more. Some of the mages were putting on a good show, walking around. Drinking champagne of all things . . . everything went black . . . I was getting worried, when you let me out."
He staggered over to the window and leaned on it. "There were four or five other big pieces. How many got through? How many people died?"
"Two that were probably almost a mile wide." Harry sighed. "Millions died. There will never be a solid count. It's been a thousand years, and we've rebuilt society. Let's get your wife out of the basement, and go someplace warmer where I can explain things to you. It's the middle of winter, everyone else can just stay here until spring."
Falco gave him an awkward hug. "Don't worry, Dad. There's plenty of opportunities for all of us, here." Hawkin hugged him back, equally awkward. Trembling.
Orion pulled a bottle out of nowhere and extended it. "Here, sir, I think you need this."
Dad took it and drank half in a gulp. "Thank you." He looked despairingly out the window. "We just weren't strong enough. Even when we were concentrating on our bit of the comet, I could feel Marcus's group bobbling their piece. I think they handed it off to the Old Wolf." He drained the bottle. Wiped away a tear and turned from the view.
Mom was deep in the tangle of "unimportant baggage" that had been shoved into the basement. They pulled out about a third of them, spacing them around the ground floor. Falco recognized a bunch of the kids. Not truly friends, but he'd seen some at school, taken mage lessons with others, hung around with the kids of his dad's compass while their parents socialized . . .
"Good Gods, what is all this!" His mother's voice from above.
Falco hustled up the stairs with the little kid statue he was already carrying. Set it down in a the row of them and skipped over to hug her. "They're all fine. We'll get them out in the spring."
He glanced toward Harry, who nodded.
And then they were all standing around on the icy road in front of the Tavern. Harry ushered them all in and Grace rushed off and through the side door. She was back in seconds with a tray full of cups and a pot of honey. The girl with the long black hair followed, with a huge steaming teapot.
Falco stepped over to talk to Max and Orion. "I'm going to get my parents' settled here, then I'll be back. We need to find Val and Drei . . . and maybe we should start by tracking down the archmage."
They all looked at Dobs. She scowled at them . . . and then down at her nearly flat belly. She nodded. "I need to get back to Tiger. Just . . . be careful. You have to come back. Both of you."
"Come back from what?" Grace juggled plates while looking worried. "That sounded a bit ominous." She served his parents with experienced efficiency, as they looked around in concern.
"We're just going to check that the archmage isn't responsible for a couple of people's disappearances. All we need is a quick look, then we can try and figure out who else could have messed with them." Falco shrugged.
Rae Newton frowned at her son. "What do you mean by messed with, who are you talking about, and why are you . . . on the opposite side of anything than the archmage?"
Max cleared his throat. "Because my father is a sociopath aligning himself with some of the criminal elements out here. Because he was the archmage a thousand years ago, but he has no connection to the mages alive now, nor the local archmage. Because he is a foreigner taking advantage of the slack law enforcement out here on the frontier of a civilized nation. Because he has no respect for the law. Because he cheats people. Because he is knowingly fencing stolen goods. Because he hired men to kill Dobs."
Hawkins set his fork down gently. "It sounds like we all have a problem."
"Indeed."
They all twitched at the new voice.
A large man in uniform stepped out of the kitchen door, followed by others. "I'm Captain Easterly of t'King's Own." He tipped his head toward Max. "We've been hunting a man with a darkish complexion and a distinct widows peak. Nighthawk spotted you and raised t'alarm. I suspect though that we need to speak t'this father of yours."
Max winced. "I haven't seen him for six months. What's he done now?"
"Fencing stolen goods, as you say." Easterly shrugged. "Mostly we're hoping for a lead to t'Gold Gang, or any other bandits out in the New Lands."
Falco remembered the man and the wizard woman Marcus had met, and carefully lowered his shields. Replayed the whole meeting.
All the uniformed people smiled hungrily. "Oh yes Auchel Ibrah and the white witch." The woman soldier with the long dark braid rubbed her hands together.
Falco cleared his throat. "I . . . think she might be a wizard, not a witch and I don't think she was kidding about the man being her third Auchel Ibrah. I think she's the one you really need to catch."
"Do we need to shadow this fellow . . . What's your dad's name?" One of the other soldiers looked at Max.
"Marcus Olsen." Max dropped his shield and started picturing mages. "John Seabaugh. Christopher Hatch. Lee Nelson, and Jessy Burke. My brother Paul." He sighed. "Seven women, wives and sisters. Three little kids." He pictured them all carefully and clearly.
Dobs hugged him. "It's not your fault."
Falco bit his lip. "What about the missing mages? I have no idea who they were."
"Two compasses. I almost hate to say that I wish Xen was awake." The dark haired woman shrugged. "We'll just have to deal with them ourselve
s."
The redheaded woman nodded. "And then we'd better get the rest of them out of those bubbles and make them fit in and behave."
Dobs eyed them. "You're both witches, aren't you? There's a whole pyramid in the museum. My mother and grandmother. Aunt Clean. What . . . "
"Yes, what will we do with a whole new pyramid? At least nine completely unknown witches?" the dark woman looked at the redhead. "Take them to Answer?"
The redhead winced. "Well, Answer . . . will hold them to a high and honest standard. Or they can take themselves off and fend for themselves, legally." She caught Dobs' eye. "People blame all witches for what a few do. Answer will not allow them to act like this archmage."
"So . . . we need to locate them and watch them without alarming them." Easterly eyed them. "Orion, will they recognize you?"
"Nope. They've never seen me . . . but if they've got Val and Drei under some sort of control they may give us away." Orion scowled. "I'll be your scout, no problem." He looked over at Max and Falco. "So where shall we start looking?"
"Their newest claims were just north of Southern Hell." Falco pictured the maps . . . "The old ones are about halfway between there and Two Trees. But they were talking about buying a whole ghost town . . . and they bought that house in Havwee."
Dobs nodded. "We should check there first. I'll bet at least half the wives will be there."
Easterly nodded. "We'll start in the morning. I'll report back to the boss, and be back early."
Falco and Max exchanged glances. Nods.
Max looked back at Ras. "We'll go too. We know where my f . . . where Marcus may be, and we'll recognize all of his people."
Falco nodded. "And you may need a compass. With us, you've got eight mages."
They all stayed at Harry's.
The soldier who joined them in the morning was new. "Lieutenant Lily Parsons. Unfortunately something critical has sprung up, and they've thrown Magic Central at it." She cast a glance at Harry. "Earth is back." She turned her attention back to them. "So I'll be liaising—that is to say, let me know when you've found the Mages, then we'll try to figure out how to find their Gold Gang contacts and follow them, back home. And get them all. It would be nice if the next time we hang Auchal Ibrah a new one didn't spring up a month later."
Chapter Sixteen
Spring Equinox 1395
Gold Rush Territory
Falco stroked the neck of the big bay horse. "Tiddly Winks was a ridiculous name for such a big strong stallion. We'll just forget about the first part of that and call you Wink. Right?"
The horse nodded, ears perked.
Falco grinned. Not that he understands, but I'll take that as a sign that that's what they actually call him.
Ras had curled a sarcastic lip at their team, and Aldo and Neil had loaned them "some proper riding horses." As if they hadn't been touting them as carriage horses . . .
Max looked pretty natural, up on the big black one. Bet we wind up buying them.
Havi, a cousin of some sort named Cor, Ras, Orion, Korbin, Kevi, Max, and Falco. Eight mages. Just in case we find ourselves facing a compass of mages. Or two.
"We've got to be sneaky!" Kevi looked desperately at Orion, who shrugged. "Have a plan! Use disguises!"
Havi and Cor rode ahead, looking like a determined pair of near-twins. With Havi's mustachios as an obvious difference, their other facial differences were easy to overlook. And of course they were both black-haired and honey-eyed. Two of the original Goat Boys—if I can believe that particular tall tale.
Havi looked back at Kevi. "Son, if there's Mages looking to cause trouble between other magic users, it'll be easier to let them find us than the other way around."
"So long as we find Drei and Val." Orion set his stubborn jaw.
"Yes." Havi stopped and turned his horse around to face them all. "Listen up. We do not know if they have Val or Drei. We do not know if they have done a single illegal thing. We are eight powerful men and we are going to ride into their town. They are going to see us as a threat, no matter how innocent they are. Do. Not. Kill. Anyone. Got that?"
Max stirred. "I know Dad was fencing gold for at least one gang."
"Not a 'kill on sight' offense."
Falco bit his lip. "And that Captain Easterly wants to use them to find the Gold Gang."
"Yep." Ras looked around at them. "So what we are is a compass of mages, checking out these interlopers. Nothing to do with criminal activity. Nothing to do with missing boys. No connection the Army or the government."
"Heh, heh, heh." Cor grinned. "I know we're trying to sneak, but a confrontation could be fun."
Falco swallowed nervously. "Marcus is powerful."
Confident grins were their only reply.
There was a web of corridors known only to the magical community. From Rip Crossing they were three corridors from Karista. Then Havwee to Southern Hell and Marcus's newest claims were just ten miles north.
Cor nodded. "I don't feel anything, here."
Kevi scowled. "We aren't even there yet."
"You think a mage can get to within ten miles of our home without us knowing? They either aren't there or are very well shielded."
Orion snorted. "If they have a corridor they can pop out right on top of you—like Max and Falco did at Rip Crossing."
Havi waved a dismissive hand. "If they've got Val and Drei they might have made them set up a corridor. Except Val and Drei don't know how. It's a bit more difficult than scratching around a bubble until you manage to pop it."
They were all riding big dark horses. Well, Havi's Splash had narrow jagged pinto spots through his dark bayness, but he was mostly dark.
They halted on the edge of the Rip and looked over the piles of gravel on the shore of the river. "They aren't here." Max slumped.
"Seabaugh was looking at ghost towns with corridors. He wanted the buildings. And the easy travel." Falco looked at the older men. "Is there a map? Anyone we could ask?"
"Most of the western towns were abandoned before they started running corridors everywhere." Orion's eyes narrowed. "And most of the southern and eastern towns are still going concerns. We need to check the towns in between. And those probably connect to Lucky Strike."
They rode straight through the corridors to Lucky Strike. There were eight arches.
"There was only one, a year ago!" Falco gawped a bit. "How easy are they to do?"
A soldier had stepped out of the post building beside them. He chuckled, nodded politely to Havi. "This little girl—well actually she's pretty tall—handed these rocks to the miners that were going through the towns they were targeting. Paid them to just drop them off anywhere in the town. She came back a month later and opened all seven new corridors in two days."
"Q." Havi nodded.
The soldier shrugged. "Quail Oldham, she said. She said she owned Oldham Engineering."
Cor snickered. "How formal and all business-like."
Havi cleared his throat. "I recommend we do all the small towns first. We can probably only get to them from here."
Orion nodded reluctantly, and aimed his horse at the arch labeled 'Misery'. Four shacks. A man took one look at them and bolted into one. Kevi could hear the lock snapping into place. The older men looked around and turned and rode back into the corridor.
"That didn't take very long." Orion complained.
"Humph. If they were there, we'd have been able to 'hear' them. We both remember the Ash Compass. It sort of hummed in the background even when they weren't doing anything." Cor sniffed, and turned his horse into 'Suzzannah'.
Suzzannah had six buildings, they were a step up from shacks and even more deserted than Misery.
Blue Sky was lively, with some interesting odors coming from the biggest building in town, which proved to be a dry goods store with attached restaurant. Apart from Havi's horse terrorizing the idiot that stole him while they ate, there was nothing of interest to them. Splash stopped jumping arroyos and large boulders and buck
ed the man off in the middle of the street as they walked out of the restaurant. The would-be horse thief pulled himself shakily to his feet and bolted.
Havi ignored it all and mounted up.
Splash arched his neck and pranced.
Big Muddy was uninteresting. Gold Mountain was a large town with multiple corridors to little towns. Falco sighed, and braced himself for another round of viewing ghost towns.
"Dinner, gentlemen?" Havi asked. "And we can check out the flea level of the local hotel. Tomorrow we can find mages."
It took until the day after, actually. One of the fifty-two corridors out from Southern Hell led to the town of Black Ridge. It was neither ghost town nor boom town. There were children on the street and women hanging laundry, and the houses seemed to be occupied, even though the store they were facing was empty.
The kids ran inside and men started coming out, splitting into two groups and circling up.
"Here we go." Havi dismounted and sent Splash away.
Marcus, Paul . . . Seabaugh . . .
At least one full Compass, and some extra mages. We are in trouble!
Ras walked out and faced the gathering mages. "I am Archmage Ras D'Rip. This is Master Wizard Havi Dyditson. We heard that a new group of mages had moved in. We thought we should drop by and invite you to join the existing magical community."
Seabaugh snorted. "Pack of barbarians."
Marcus crossed his arms. "We do not join with lesser magic users. I suspect your magic is as degenerate as your technology."
Max stepped forward. "You need to remember that here you are no longer the archmage. The laws and customs are different."
Marcus snorted. "Indeed they are. I've asked. No one believes in magic anymore. You weaklings hide in the shadows and obey the commoners." His voice sharpened. "Max, step away from those men. Get back over here where you belong."
"No. I stand here."
"You traitor! My own flesh and blood!" Marcus's furious voice rose nearly to a scream.