by Wayne Meyers
My eyes blinked rapidly as I turned my gaze from the High-Master to Master Voralius, who appeared as confused as me, and then back. “What do you ask of me, High-Master?”
Instead of answering, he pulled a book from beneath his robes. “Do you recall this volume?”
I nodded once I saw the large yellow and orange dragon head with gold script above it, on a black background. “Yes. It is the training manual someone tried to steal through the seamstress.”
High-Master Chendor turned the book over in his hands until he faced the cover. “The writing is from Old Earth in a dialect we did not preserve save for the peacekeeper masters. But there are pictures, and somewhere out there may be another book that teaches one to learn this dialect.”
“What is it for?”
“It documents some of our most advanced techniques. How to train for them. How to do them. How to counter them. There are two volumes in our set, and ten such sets in all, each covering a different style of fighting, and they are dispersed across Bellisprodus. The master of one would not know the styles of the others. Only the Grand-Master has access to learn these ancient languages and can read them all, making him aware of what each volume contains.”
My interest piqued despite my worries. “But why, High-Master? What is the purpose?”
Master Voralius answered me. “To prevent one peacekeepers’ guild from overcoming them all. There would always be nine other guilds to counter them using fighting styles they were unfamiliar with.”
“Which cities are these books located in?” I asked.
“Only the Grand-Master knows,” replied High-Master Chendor. “We are forbidden to speak of it with the other High-Masters. No one should know which of the thirty-two cities contain these special sets, and which do not.”
My mouth twisted as I pointed toward the book in his hands. “Then how did they know about this volume?”
“An excellent question,” said Master Voralius. “Almost as curious as why the High-Master now holds the second volume in his hands instead of it resting safely in our library vault along with the first.”
The High-Master looked Master Voralius in the eye and though the latter was taller, it seemed it was he who stood before a giant. “I cannot let her die.”
Master Voralius stiffened. “Then they did offer a trade. We thought they might. If they are asking for volume two, we now know for certain that Col gave them volume one.”
“Yes, all true. A boy came to the gate this afternoon with a letter for me.”
“Did he get a look at the owner?”
High-Master Chendor shook his head. “The man was masked and slipped from an alley with the envelope. He gave the boy a gold coin and told him where to go and what to say. That’s all he knows.”
My head was about to burst as this exchange went back and forth. “You mean they will kill Babette?”
The High-Master cleared his throat. “Yes. And take another apprentice. Then another. And kill them all until we give up the book.”
My mouth opened and shut. “We can’t let them do that. How can they get away with this? We’re the peacekeepers.”
Master Voralius chuckled. “I suspect it is not our intent to let them kill anyone.”
“No, of course not.” High-Master Chendor handed the book over to me. “Take this.”
“What?” I had thought nothing could agitate me more than the threat of Babette’s murder, but found myself mistaken. “Something this important—to me? I cannot even defeat a higher apprentice. How could I be trusted—”
“Calm yourself, boy.” Master Voralius patted my shoulder. He turned toward the High-Master. “They asked for him specifically?”
The High-Master nodded. “Not asked. Insisted. No one else.”
“Interesting.” Master Voralius looked thoughtful.
“They were also friends, if you recall, before Abrigus left us.”
“So, a passing fancy?”
The High-Master shrugged. “Perhaps. Or guilt. Whatever the reason, Hofen must deliver the book to them, and they will permit Babette to return with him.”
“Abrigus?” I echoed. “Who is that? Why did he leave?”
Master Voralius hushed me. “Some things are not for your ears just yet. Right now, you must listen very carefully and follow our instructions to the very core. Do you understand?”
Seething, I nodded. All I understood was Babette would die if I did not deliver this book, and that was enough to stifle my curiosity for the moment. I stuffed it into the largest of my robe’s inside pockets. “Where do I go?”
High-Master Chendor glanced at Master Voralius, who shrugged. “Are you certain, Hofen? You do have the choice to refuse this dangerous task.”
“I’m sure.”
“They could go back on their word and kill both of you, or decide that two hostages mean even more forbidden books from our library.” High-Master Chendor stared at me closely.
“I’m still sure. When do I leave?” I would do anything to get Babette back. There wasn’t a question of not doing this, so I pushed the looming fear from my mind.
Master Voralius kneeled so that his face was level with mine. “Your only task is to deliver this book. That is all. If everything goes well, they shall free Babette, and you are both to return here. Do not dally, do not stray, but come straight back. We shall send for you if we have any further need, otherwise it’s back to normal.”
“And Babette?” I asked.
Master Voralius smiled. “We’ll make certain she was physically unharmed and have a physician see to her if she’s fraught. Otherwise, that is all. Back to your training, both of you, and follow the new rules regarding walking alone until such a time as we say otherwise.”
“Any other questions?” the High-Master asked mildly as Master Voralius stood upright. “We do have a deadline to contend with.”
“No, sir.” I patted my robe where the book’s corner jutted out from beneath the coarse fabric. “I’m ready.”
Chapter Eleven—Close Call
As I hurried to the address High-Master Chendor had given me, my mind churned in conflicting directions. On the one hand I was deeply worried about Babette and wanted her returned safely, but on the other, it seemed sacrilegious to turn this precious book over to our unknown enemies. What would they do with such a volume? Were they trying to collect all ten sets and if so, to what purpose?
The designated meeting spot wasn’t too far from the guild, so it didn’t take me long to arrive. There were only a few people walking about this street, which contained rows of shops selling goods imported from other cities. One sold beaded necklaces from Nitlick, one wolf fur rugs and clothing from Shasho, and another copper pots and pans from Corallius.
The shops were closed for the day, therefore only the residents who lived in the apartments above the storefronts were milling about. I supposed most were home eating dinner for it was unusually quiet. While I stood and waited in front of the small Corallian sandwich shop I had been told to go to, my mind struggled to find some solution that both delivered Babette to me and preserved the book for the guild. One by one in my head I turned over hastily conjured plans.
Refuse to turn over the book after Babette was released, then grab her and run.
Turn over the book, but when they freed Babette, snatch the book back, then grab her and run.
There were others. Most of them involved me grabbing either her or the book and running but did not continue beyond that. There was one idea where I attacked the kidnappers as soon as they appeared, took them by surprise and threw Babette over my shoulder, then fought my way out with the book still safely tucked within my robes. That took a bit more thought than the previous plans, and so consumed was I in its fearless execution, that the small boy now standing before me took me completely unawares.
“I said, are you the peacekeeper apprentice they calls Hofen?”
Startled by the voice at my elbow I jumped, then tried to awkwardly pretend it had been deliberate b
y looking up and down the street with exaggerated movements. “Yes, I am.”
He was younger than me, and very tiny, the top of his head barely reaching my stomach. I had never seen a boy that small before and found myself staring. He was dressed in very plain gray robes with a dirty nose and vacant stare. His face was very thin, sallow, with sunken eyes. I had the impression that if I pushed him, he would just blow away like a leaf before a gust of wind.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scares you. I’m to takes a book from ya, they said.”
“You didn’t scare me,” I bristled, even though he had. He was such a slight thing it was no wonder I hadn’t noticed him sneaking up on me.
A hint of a smile crinkled the corners of his mouth. “I scares lots of people because I’m so quiet. That’s why theys call me Maus.”
“Who calls you that?” I asked, thinking he might give away some clue that would lead us to whoever was behind Babette’s kidnapping.
He gave a tiny shrug, as though it was of little concern. “Everyone.”
“But what’s your real name?” If he told me who he was, perhaps we could track him down later.
He was too smart to fall for my ruse. “I don’t have one. I suppose Maus is it.”
“Do you know why they sent you to me?”
“Nope, and don’t care. I gets paid, and I gets to eat.”
This made no sense. “Why don’t your parents feed you?”
He looked up at me and stared with his large, dark eyes. “I don’ts have any.”
“No parents?” This took me aback, and my mouth closed.
“If it pleases you, sir, I needs the book. They told me to hurry and they’d pay double.”
Scratching the back of my neck, I pondered the situation. He knew my name and to come here for a book, so Babette’s kidnappers must have sent him. If I gave him the book he probably wouldn’t be too hard to follow, and I could find out where these conspirators were hidden. But then there was Babette to consider. They wouldn’t free her until they received the book, and if they noticed me following Maus, who knew what they might do to her?
“Oh, and you haves to stay here, sir,” he said as an afterthought. “They said to makes sure you don’t follow me, and if you do, they said bad things would happen to the girl.” He gave a shudder. “I don’t knows what they meant, but it didn’t sound good.”
I frowned. “And when will they release the girl?”
His face turned even paler. “After they haves the book. They said if it’s the right book, I’m to bring her back here to you.”
My thoughts churned ever faster. “No. I’m coming with you, and I’ll deliver the book myself. It’s too valuable to trust to you.”
“Sir!” His eyes widened. “I can’ts.”
Hoping I was making the right decision, I folded my arms, hugging the book to my chest beneath the robes. “Then I guess you don’t get to eat tonight.”
Maus’ eyes narrowed, and he sucked noisily on his teeth. “Guess I goes hungry, then. Orders were to leaves you here to wait.”
Hoping my face did not reflect the panic I felt inside, my heart thumping, I feigned indifference and shrugged. “I’ll be waiting here. When they bring Babette to me, only then will I turn over the book.”
He hopped back and forth from foot to foot, looking as though he’d bit into a lemon. “I can’ts bring you there, sir, I can’ts. They would hurt me.”
“Well, then just tell me where they are, and I’ll go by myself.”
Maus shook his head back and forth. “No, can’ts do that either. You stays here and I’ll go back and ask for instructions. Hope they don’ts hurt the girl over this.”
The blood thudded in my ears at this, but I maintained my composure. “If I don’t see her, how do I even know she’s still alive? They want to conduct a fair trade, then I need to know she’s okay.”
He pursed his lips as he reflected on this. Finally, he clucked his tongue. “I cant’s think of any harm in that. You stays here like I said. I’ll hurry.”
Without waiting for a reply, Maus turned and bolted down the street. I watched for a few seconds until I was certain he wasn’t planning on looking back, and then I followed.
He kept to the quieter side streets, crossing over main avenues. I wondered what his story was and how these people had convinced him to run their errands. How was it he had no parents, and where did he live? Doing my best to remain hidden in case he did happen to turn around, I darted into doorways and behind parked wagons lined up along the sidewalks. When there were people walking about, I moved from knot to knot so that there was always someone in between myself and him.
What exactly I had planned when we reached his destination I could not say. Perhaps I would run back to my meeting place if I saw them release Babette, and then let the masters know where they were hiding. But I could not just give him the book and hope Babette came strolling back to me. That was a far greater risk than what I was doing now.
In the middle of a residential street lined by tall buildings and groups of strolling people, a figure leaped out from a doorway and yanked Maus over to one side. It was nearly dark, and I almost missed it. As I managed to slip from behind a portly green-robed journeywoman down a short staircase next to them, a furious, muffled voice yelled at him.
“What do you think you’re doing? Where’s the book?”
Maus stammered back, “He wouldn’t gives it to me without seeing the girl. I saids I’d go back and ask.”
Separated by a stone divider, I hugged the rough material and listened. They stood above me leaning on an iron fence and had only to look down to notice someone standing there. The doorway in front of me led into a darkened candle shop, with a sign pasted to the glass door that read, “Will Open in the Morning.” A pile of dried leaves had collected in the corner.
The man’s voice lowered and deepened, but I could still hear him. “We told you what would happen if you didn’t bring the book back to us.”
“But he wouldn’t gives it to me, sir. What was I to do?”
And then I was yanked backward, hard, a hand over my mouth. Before I could turn or bite I found myself within the candle shop, and the door was quickly shut in front of me. My arms were pinned against my body by a powerful grip.
There were at least three other figures before me I could make out in the dim light drifting in from the street. One stepped close and took my chin between two fingers. His breathing was muffled. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I realized he was wearing a black cloth mask wrapped over his face, and his black or grey robe’s hood was pulled low.
“You are Hofen?” His words were a demand, not a question.
“I am.” My knees began to shake.
“Let him go.”
The arm around my body relaxed, and I tottered for a moment before I found my balance. My arms crossed over the book beneath my robes.
“I should thank you,” said the masked man, not unkindly. “Your masters were well hidden, and we might not have spotted them until you unexpectedly removed yourself from where you were supposed to be.”
My cheeks burned. “The masters were watching me?”
A curt laugh. “You didn’t know, did you? No, they would not have told you, expecting you to obey their commands like a good little boy. Peacekeepers are not encouraged to think for themselves, are they now?”
“Who are you?” I blurted. Something about this man made my skin crawl, though he spoke pleasantly enough.
“No one a worthless apprentice need concern himself about. As much as I’d love to stay and chat, I’m afraid time is one enemy I will never be able to defeat. The book, if you please.” He held out a gloved hand and stood, waiting.
“Not until I see Babette.”
There came a low rumble from the other men standing around us. From the sound, there were more than I had seen in the darkness dressed from head to toe in black.
The masked man sighed. “You know I can just take the book from you, do you not?
If I can do that, even kill you first, why would you fear my word is only as good as a peacekeeper’s?”
“A peacekeeper’s word is worth more than yours, kidnapper!”
He shook his head. “So they tell you, right? Yet they lie to you all the time.”
“They do not,” I protested.
“You knew they were following you, watching you?”
My cheeks flushed. “That’s not lying. They must have done that to protect me from you.”
“Such vehemence. And denial. Well, you are still young, and wisdom comes through age and experience. You will learn there is little between a lie and negligence. One is outright, the other subtle, is all. I’ll bet they wouldn’t even talk to you about this until they needed you. They certainly don’t trust you. Why should you trust them?”
His words stung, so I ignored them. “What do you plan to do with the book?”
A chuckle. “Change the world for the better, my dear boy.”
I shook my head. “If you wanted to make things better, you wouldn’t need to do this.”
“Regrettably, too many are convinced what we have now is good enough. Have you ever heard the expression, ‘the end justifies the means?’”
“No.” This wasn’t actually true, for Spaldeer had mentioned this phrase to me before, but I was hardly going to share that with this man.
“Well, before I am done, you will. And then you shall understand everything and thank me for it.”
Footsteps approached, and a breathless man gushed, “We’ve lost track of Voralius. It’s time to go.”
“Indeed.” The masked man’s hand moved faster than I could see, and the book was in his grasp as easily as if I’d put it there myself. “I shall see to it the girl is released. A most charming young lady. I must admit I’m loathe to free her, but a bargain is a bargain.”
“What about him?” one of the men asked.
The masked man turned away from me and strode toward the back of the shop. “What about him? He’s served his purpose.”
“Should I kill him?”
The masked man stopped but did not turn around. “Whatever for?”