TWENTY SIX
Benjamin and Denny couldn’t pretend they were asleep once they heard the Lieutenant declare that Benjamin would take Rebecca to the castle. Benjamin had read the letter, so he knew he would be going with her. But the image of him and her alone trekking across the Thieves’ Plain was unsettling. Benjamin had assumed the Lieutenant would lead them. He glanced briefly at Denny, feeling the flame from his glare. It was easy to guess that Denny would have liked that honor to be his. After the yelling stopped, the door slammed. Benjamin stood up, only to have the ground (or rather, Denny’s legs) pulled out from underneath him.
“Get off!” Denny shoved Benjamin back to his cot. “Lieutenant, sir. You can’t have Benjamin alone with Rebecca. That can’t be safe.”
The Lieutenant leaned back in his chair, his hands over both eyes. He peeked at Denny and sat up. The Lieutenant looked spent. This last couple of weeks had wrung them all near dry, but the Lieutenant was the only one to sit in a dungeon for part of it.
“You’re right, Denny. Maybe you should go too.” The Lieutenant studied the bowl of porridge Odie set in front of him and then peered at Denny.
Denny blinked, unsure if he’d won or lost the argument. “You want us to leave you alone?”
“I’ve got Odie and a horse.” The Lieutenant’s eyes strayed to Benjamin as he stumbled to the table. “That will be enough for what I need to do.”
Odie set bowls down for everyone including Rebecca, who was still cooling off outside. Benjamin nodded his thanks to Odie, who shrugged and dug into his bowl.
“I envy you,” Benjamin said, getting a smile from the Lieutenant as well as Odie. Denny scowled at him and stabbed his breakfast with his spoon. The room quieted as they ate their breakfast. Rebecca marched back in with an abundance of determination, more than what was needed to eat breakfast. Benjamin kept an eye on her; he had a feeling his very life might be in danger.
She pressed her faded skirt flat against her lap as she sat. She looked across the table at the Lieutenant, who stopped midbite to raise his eyebrows. Yes? She nodded and began to eat in a formal manner that made everyone at the table squirm in his seat. Odie refilled bowls. Rebecca plastered a smile on her face and ate.
The Lieutenant finished his breakfast and waved off Odie’s offer of thirds. He rubbed the back of his head, hesitating as he looked at everyone at the table.
“Odie, you’re going to stay here with me. You can run messages for me and keep your eyes open.”
The giant brother lifted his head and nodded. He looked relieved. Benjamin guessed Odie preferred to work alone (or at least away from Rebecca). But don’t we all? Benjamin thought.
“Denny will make sure Benjamin and Rebecca get to the castle safely.” The Lieutenant paused to emphasize the importance of Denny’s part.
Benjamin shoved his bowl back, folded his arms, and tried to look at the Lieutenant, but settled for the old man’s hands instead, which were tracing the edge of the table. The Lieutenant didn’t speak. Benjamin glanced up, only to be met by his father’s uneven gaze. His black eye sucked Benjamin in. The man really needs to put his eye patch back on, Benjamin thought, unsettled by the scrutiny.
“I’ll take Rebecca to the castle, if that is what you want.” He shrugged and tugged on a hangnail.
“It’s going to need to be more than just taking Rebecca to the castle, I think.”
Benjamin sagged into his chair and peered into his father’s black eye. What more could the Lieutenant expect from him? Black-Eyed Barnaby’s death had been his guiding star. In the world of villainy, a dead father was far more desirable than a living one. He didn’t know what to do with a living father. He’d never dreamed his father was alive, ever. And yet, here he was, sitting with his father, a spy for the king and the guardian to the heir to the throne of Lam, and plotting against the archvillain he’d dreamt of serving. No one could dream this.
The Lieutenant sighed. “If you were king, what would you do about Mouthrot?”
Benjamin raised his eyebrows. “I would have already sent troops in and razed the whole fortress. Left nothing standing.”
Denny rolled his eyes with a groan. He’d already explained why that was a bad idea. Any direct action by the king would shatter the treaty King Aldo’s father had made. The Lieutenant ignored Denny’s objections.
“Why?” the Lieutenant asked.
“Because a man who killed my brother and sent an assassin against my sole heir is not a risk that should be tolerated.” Benjamin shrugged. “If word got out how successful Mouthrot was at nearly destroying the royal family, the risk to Lam would be more than breaking a treaty. The people would lose faith in King Aldo’s sovereignty.”
The old man grinned back, lifting his chin high. He didn’t look quite as old when he smiled like that. Benjamin focused on a glob of porridge on the table.
“You can’t let an enemy like that live,” Benjamin said. “Everyone in the Thieves’ Plain knows that.”
Rebecca looked up, wide-eyed, seeing the truth of Benjamin’s words. Denny rubbed his chin, uncomfortable with the change of wisdom. Benjamin smirked. It hit him: this was why the Lieutenant needed him—a native who could explain the Thieves’ Plain to gentry.
“That is exactly what the king needs to hear.” The old man continued to smile, his dark eye sparkling. “The Thieves’ Plain is a foreign place. His counselors have never understood its differences or its similarities. There are rules older and deeper than any treaty. You are a native of this land, Benjamin. You will not be blinded by Lam’s fears and misunderstandings.”
Benjamin laughed at this. He stood up and strode around the table. Rebecca watched him intently while Denny watched Rebecca. Benjamin liked the idea that the king needed a true villain to lead him and Lam to safety. It tickled him deeply. This was an opportunity he wouldn’t dream of passing up.
Odie cleared the bowls to make room for the map the Lieutenant pulled from his pack. Benjamin focused on the Lam side of the map. He’d never dreamt of crossing the divide marked by the Sunrise Mountains in the north and Waldren’s Wood in the south. Both cursed places held the last remnants of magic in the world. Goose bumps tingled down his arms. Oh Great Wolves! Maybe this is what I was really meant to do!
He met the black eye of the Lieutenant’s gaze and didn’t flinch. This was just a man who needed his skills, he realized. That was something Benjamin could work with.
The Lieutenant turned his mismatched eyes to Rebecca and cleared his throat. “We need to talk about disguises.”
TWENTY SEVEN
The road was hot and Benjamin’s stomach was empty. He glanced at Denny, who also looked miserable, but neither dared complain. Rebecca was in a mood to drive them all into the ground. She rubbed at the frayed edges of her recently cropped hair and marched unhampered by a skirt.
The Lieutenant had declared that hats could fall off, so he pulled out the scissors and cut her braids off. Brave man! Rebecca stared straight ahead, not saying a word. Even now, she remained silent, but Benjamin could see the tension screaming through her body. It drove her faster than their apprehension did.
Benjamin’s feet were killing him, and he was sure he was about to collapse. He looked at Denny, who nodded. Agreed, they would be allies in this. Denny pulled out his waterskin just as Benjamin called Rebecca’s new name. “Bernie!”
She halted as her new name struck her and turned. Her face was red and streaked with sweat and dirt, but she nodded in agreement, her fatigue finally catching up to her.
Denny sighed in relief. “I see a tree over there. We can get out of the sun for a while.”
Rebecca followed stiffly, but softened as she settled under the tree to drink and eat alongside them.
Oh, the relief! Benjamin was tempted to take his boots off, but was pretty sure he’d never get them back on again. Instead, he put his feet up on a rock and chewed on his apple. Rebecca drank slowly and chewed thoughtfully on some dried meat. Denny offered his own apple to he
r and she waved it off absently.
“I haven’t seen my uncle in a very long time,” she said. She tapped her hat against her waterskin, a sign of nerves Benjamin had not anticipated. Her hair was plastered down in the front and stood up in the back.
Denny scanned the horizon as he drank.
Benjamin reassured her between bites. “Once he hears about your near-death experience, the daughter of his beloved brother, you’ll have him wrapped around your finger. If nothing else, tears are very helpful.”
“Tears? I can’t let anyone at court, especially his advisors, think I’m some fragile flower. My life depends on how I present myself at court. I may not want the throne, but I certainly do not want to spend the rest of my days a prisoner in the castle—or dead.”
“Ah, I see.” Benjamin perked up at the idea of the intrigue in court life. “You’re right, of course. Though, many women have used tears as a shield to hide their more dangerous weapons.” He wiped the apple juice from his chin.
“Didn’t I hear that your uncle might marry again?” Denny asked. “That there was a duchess or some young noblewoman he was interested in?”
Rebecca nodded. “It’s one of the reasons the Lieutenant tried to persuade the king to let me receive my education elsewhere. The Lieutenant volunteered his estate in the east country, since a new queen might see me as a threat,” she said with a shrug.
“Just tell her you don’t want the throne,” Denny said, glancing back at Rebecca.
“That might make her more suspicious.” Benjamin scowled. “You would have to show her you're not a threat by becoming either her strongest supporter…or the most useless.”
Rebecca frowned, rubbing her hands through her short hair.
“Mention within earshot of her spies how dull court life is and how you long for the country life.” He inspected his apple core for a good place to bite. “Act dispassionately about the whole thing, but remain loyal to Aldo. Keep your head down.”
Rebecca chewed for several minutes on her lunch as she thought about what Benjamin had said. Facing a near-murder had a positive effect on her, Benjamin decided. The fact that she was listening to him right now without biting his head off was a good sign. Denny bit into his apple and squeezed his brows together. Benjamin closed his eyes. He focused his attention on the weak breeze against his sweaty skin. The thrumming of distant horse hooves caused him to bolt upright. His travel companions looked around in alarm.
“Just lay down.” Benjamin tipped his hat over his face and rested his head on his pack. “They may pass by if we don’t give them anything to inspect.”
Rebecca and Denny relaxed stiffly.
“Remember, Bernie,” Benjamin said, out the side of his mouth. “We’re on our way to our cousin’s place. Sick family. Et cetera.”
They felt the hooves strike the ground next to them as dust billowed over them. One horse passed by, but the second one stopped abruptly. Dust fell on them like rain.
“Hey!”
Benjamin pushed up his hat with one lazy finger. Pretending fatigue was easy. He hoped his pounding heart wasn’t visible through his shirt.
“What are you doing so far off the road?” said a gruff voice. A tall man leaned forward in his saddle, the dust on his face cracked by the deep lines in his face.
The first horse trotted back over.
“The dusty road?” Benjamin coughed and fanned the dust away from his face. His gut twisted as he recognized the man from the Lieutenant’s hideout. He forced his body to relax, focusing on how tired he was. He didn’t look at Rebecca.
“Hmm.”
“We thought we’d save ourselves some miles and cut across country.”
“Just the three of you, then?” A stout thug joined them.
“Yep,” Benjamin said, lowering his cap but keeping an eye on the men. These men were idiots, he reminded himself. If Rebecca didn’t panic, they’d get out of this fine. “Don’t worry; we’re just passing through.”
“Fine. See that you do,” said the tall man.
“What’s his problem?” The stout man pointed at Rebecca as she scrutinized the man’s face, as if she was trying to place him.
Benjamin lifted his cap and peeked at Rebecca and scoffed, “Bernie’s first time from home.”
“Never seen two real-life baddies before, eh?” The stout man puffed his chest out in pride.
“Yeah, something like that.” Benjamin turned his nervousness into annoyance. “Well, if we can’t get peace and quiet around here, we might as well head out.”
Denny and Rebecca sat up and rubbed their eyes. The tall one watched them for a moment, sneered, and waited for them to leave.
They pulled their bags on and looked around. How to get around these marauders? Benjamin decided the direct route was best.
“Dodger is this way, yeah?” He pointed past the men, who nodded. That was agreeable to them. A cloud of dust enveloped them.
“Stick to the roads around here if you don’t want trouble!”
The men gestured in the direction of the main road and kicked their horses into motion. Benjamin coughed and waved the dust away.
“Do you think they have a point?” asked Rebecca, watching the men disappear. “Would we look less suspicious on the main road?”
“You’re lucky you didn’t get smacked talking to them that way,” Denny said, shaking his head.
“I’m one of them. That’s how we talk to each other,” Benjamin glared back at Denny. “Less suspicious than please and thank you.”
Rebecca tugged her cap down. “Let’s keep walking before they come back. I believe the road is this way.”
“Okay,” Benjamin said. “If we cut more this way, we’ll join the road closer to the Gray Gander. We’ll blend in better there.”
“And if we run into these guys again?” Denny said.
“We’ll tell them we got turned around.”
Denny rolled his eyes.
Life is harder with people who can speak for themselves, Benjamin thought smugly.
TWENTY EIGHT
The Gray Gander was more of an information stop than an inn. Any traveler would be better off sleeping under the stars than in the bat-infested rooms of the Gray Gander Inn. Benjamin had passed by there a few times on field trips from school to observe highwaymen and scoundrels.
“In and out. Surly and quiet. That’s your type, remember?” Benjamin turned to Rebecca and Denny, who rolled their eyes and looked annoyed. “Right?”
“We can’t answer, remember?” Rebecca said. “We’re surly and silent.”
Denny barked at the comment and inspected the Gray Gander.
“Excellent.” Benjamin blushed. “Last time I was here, it was full of pickpockets, so watch your purses.”
“That won’t be an issue, since none of us has any money,” Denny squeezed his eyebrows together. “So why are we going in there, then?”
“Well, to hear the news, mainly. See how the road is up ahead. Anywhere we should avoid?”
“Won’t we look out of place not eating?” Denny asked.
“Eat? Here?” Benjamin laughed. “No, I wouldn’t eat here unless I was near starvation, and then I’d still think about it. Blah. I’m not sure anyone actually eats here.”
“Well, what do people do here?” Rebecca added.
“What most scoundrels and robbers do: drink until they rot a hole in their guts or can’t walk straight. Sometimes, they also exchange information and stories.”
The inside was surprisingly bare for an inn on a busy road. They found the sturdiest table, and the man behind the bar raised his head to look at them. Benjamin raised three fingers. The man nodded back.
“What are you doing?” Denny whispered. “We don’t have any money.”
“Speak for yourself.” Benjamin patted a vest pocket.
“I’m not sure dousing ourselves in alcohol will help us,” Rebecca said under her breath.
Benjamin leaned in. “This stuff is more like dirty water than
alcohol. We’ll be fine. Think of it more as a prop.”
The man from behind the bar dropped three glasses of brownish liquid on the table. He scooped up the coins Benjamin left on the table.
“Innkeeper? Where are all the thugs?”
“Hmm,” he sniffed through his heavy mustache. “The roads have been nearly empty the last two days. Men on horseback are blocking all roads in and out of Lam. Haven’t you seen them?”
Denny and Rebecca nodded.
“Hurried you along then? If this is how Shreb Junior plans to run Thieves’ Plain, he won’t last long.” The innkeeper returned to his bar and grimy rag.
“Hmmm.” Benjamin scanned the room. “Any talkers?”
Rebecca fiddled with her glass and avoided eye contact. Denny picked at the table’s chipped paint. He rolled his eyes.
Rebecca leaned forward and muttered, “What about that one? The one with the crunched hat?”
“The downtrodden one?” Benjamin asked.
“I know some people like to talk when they’re sad. A sympathetic ear?” She pushed her untouched glass over. “He could use a drink.”
In a show of chivalry, Denny offered her his drink. She waved him off and cupped her hands around an imaginary glass.
“Good luck,” Denny said as he brought the drink to his mouth, but then thought better of it. He looked sullen. Benjamin scooped up the glasses and strolled to the sour man.
“You look like a man who could use another drink.”
The man’s deep lines smoothed for a moment and then returned to a grimace. “What are you selling? Trouble? No thanks!” He held up a large, calloused hand.
“Can’t a villain offer to buy information with a drink without being accused of greater mischief?” Benjamin said cheerily. He added a wink for good measure.
“Hmm.” The hand came down, and Benjamin set the glass beside him.
“You’re the second man to accuse me of looking for trouble just for carrying on business.”
“Oh? You ran into the Troublemaker Police too, then?”
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