by John Migacz
CHAPTER 36
“There was a wife, a great big liar,
Her marriage went from pan to fire.
She diddled here she diddled there,
She diddled all without much care.
Singing dee dee diddle dee do diddle dee;
Singing dee dee diddle dee do.
She…”
Balthus stopped singing and looked across his luse to Adrianna. “Come on,” he said. “You know the words!”
“I should. You have been singing them for the past two hours. I think your luse has gone deaf.”
“Critic,” he said.
The ride down the well-maintained road to Freetown had been easy. Stopping at inns late and leaving early, they would make the trip in less than three days.
“Did I ever tell you that as a young man I had aspirations to be a bard?” asked Balthus as he stroked his luse’s floppy ear.
“Nooo, I never heard that one. What happened?” she said.
“Couldn’t carry a tune,” he said chuckling, “though I never lacked for enthusiasm. Here’s one you never heard before.”
As he opened his mouth, Adrianna glanced down the road. “Riders ahead.”
Balthus loosened his sword in its sheath. “Let me do all the talking.”
“You usually do,” she replied.
Riders on the Freetown road were nothing unusual nor were they necessarily to be feared, but Balthus never liked to leave things to chance. Peering through the dust, he saw pennants on lances. “It’s the Lancers,” he said and relaxed.
King Justin I, self-styled “Conqueror of the World,” had built a small network of roads across his domain and established the King’s Lancers to patrol them. The current ruler, King Justin IV, upheld the tradition, but not as wholeheartedly as his sires. At one time a traveler could cross the King’s realm from one end to the other and never worry about his purse. Now, foreign wars and higher costs kept most of the Lancers away from doing the job they were created for.
Balthus counted twenty lances – a large patrol. As they neared, Balthus and Adrianna walked their luses to the side of the road. Balthus shielded his eyes and stared down the road at the patrol leader. When in earshot, he cupped his hands and shouted, “The King’s Lancers are either old or drunkards!”
The patrol leader raised his arm and the Lancers slowed to a halt. The leader shouted, “We’re both – old drunkards!” He grinned.
As the dust settled, Balthus and the patrol leader walked their luses toward each other and clasped hands. “Balthus, you bastard, how the hell are you!”
“Fine, Rolf. How are you? And what are the Lancers doing this far from a tavern?” asked Balthus.
“Ha! Good question.” Rolf wiped his heavily-lined face with a large handkerchief. The dirty rag looked to contain at least an acre of the King’s road. “We are out here earning a few extra silvers. Several bands of mercenaries have been harassing travelers the last few days and the merchants of Freetown put up big rewards to drive them off. They don’t want their Fair ruined. And you?”
“Going to the Fair. Adrianna has a hankering to spend my hard-earned gold.”
“Adrianna, how fare thee?” said Rolf, nodding to Adrianna. “Still tagging along after this derelict, I see.”
“Someone has to look out for him, and it’s such a big job only a woman could do it,” she said.
“Ha! When are you going to leave this drunkard and take up with a real man?” Rolf asked, jabbing a thumb into his chest.
“You keep avoiding me Rolf, and I’m tired of chasing you.”
Rolf laughed again.
“I don’t see Dag with you,” said Balthus. “I thought you never went anywhere without him.”
Rolf’s smile faded. “Dag took an arrow in the throat last winter from some stupid farmer. He didn’t even mean to loose the arrow; it was just one of those things.”
“Damn. That’s a shame,” said Balthus, shaking his head. “I guess you can’t avoid the one with your name on it.”
“No,” answered Rolf. “You can only avoid the ones marked ‘To the Citizens of the Realm.’”
“Good man, Dagmar,” said Balthus. “Meet me in town tonight and we will hoist a few in his memory. The first round is on me.”
“Sounds good. Where will you be staying?”
“The King’s Arms,” said Balthus.
“The King’s Arms?” said Rolf. “If you can afford the Arms then you’re buying more than the first round.” He nodded to Adrianna. “I’ll see you two tonight.” Rolf rode back to the column and raised his hand. The Lancers broke into a trot.
Balthus and Adrianna waited until the last man passed, then continued down the road.
“Too bad about Dagmar,” said Adrianna.
“Yes, a solid man, with absolutely no luck. Once, I saw him roll six star points in a row in a game of Transor. Of course he bet against himself on all six rolls. Good man, no luck.”
“I’m glad you have good luck,” she said.
“Of course I do. I have you, don’t I? And you’re lucky too, because I’m about to sing you a love song.” Balthus cleared his throat and sang at the top of his lungs.
“There once was a woman from Fussee!
Who had no hair on her – ”
“Oh, spare me!” Adrianna grimaced and spurred her luse.
“Hey,” yelled Balthus. “Come back! It gets better, honestly!” He spurred his luse after her.