Intrigues (53 page)

By the time the coach began to slow, Edmin had pruned his list of employees down to seven names. Those seven would be loyal and discreet, and chances were excellent that he would still be able to locate the men. They would have had no reason to leave the city and every reason to stay, which meant they would know everything going on. Edmin would need the details of what was happening to know where to send his men, where those men could cause the greatest amount of disruption…

"Ah, it seems we've finally arrived," Edmin's father said, his tone showing that he was being deliberately jolly. "Once our two coaches have reached the house, I'll send some of the servants back to brush at the tracks we're making going in. It will be best if no one knows we're here until we have control of the city again."

"As you say, Father," Edmin agreed, knowing there was no use in speaking of anything else. "We can have a meal from what we bought at that last inn, and then I'm for bed. By the way, who did this house belong to?"

"I know you've never been here, but I used to visit quite often," Embisson answered, a disturbing smugness to his tone. "This was Advisor Zolind Maylock's house, and Zolind was the most powerful man of his time. That same power will soon be in
our
hands, which makes this house the most appropriate place we can stay."

Again Edmin nodded without saying anything, as the only thing he had to say would be less than complimentary. Advisor Zolind Maylock was, according to his former sources, probably the first casualty of the Blending he had allowed to come to power. There had been more than enough witnesses to the man's "heart attack" the night he died, but the death had been too convenient for the interlopers. If Zolind had lived he would have found
some
way to bind or destroy the five people he disliked so much, but those five people had proven to be stronger than anyone had ever dreamed they could be…

"We'll have to have at least one lamp lit before we go inside," Embisson said, drawing Edmin's attention again. "After that I want
all
the lamps lit, as a statement of our arrival. This house is far enough out of the way that no one will notice."

"But if someone does notice, we'll have thrown away the secrecy we need so badly," Edmin countered at once, not about to let
this
point slide by. "Once we're successful we can light all the lamps, as a statement of victory that no one will be able to miss."

"Oh, all right," Embisson grumbled after a moment, his glance at Edmin showing disgust even in the dark of the coach interior. "If you'll feel safer having the lamps unlit, we'll keep them unlit. But you really must get over this sudden squeamishness of yours, Edmin. We won't find it possible to succeed unless we move forward with boldness."

"As you've said so often, Father, there's a difference between boldness and foolishness," Edmin pointed out in a way he hoped would do some good. "Boldness
will
win us the day, if we make certain not to cross the line."

"Yes, yes, I know that well enough," Embisson said, still grumbling but in a lighter key. "We're almost to the house now, and I really need to stretch my legs before I find someplace comfortable to sit down."

"Then why don't you take two of the servants inside while I direct the rest in covering our trail," Edmin suggested, deliberately trying to sound casual. "That way everything will still get done and we'll also be able to eat sooner."

"That's a good idea," Embisson agreed, now sounding as though he hid extreme weariness. "And sleeping in a decent bed is another idea with appeal. Tomorrow we'll both be feeling like our old selves."

Edmin fervently hoped so, but there wasn't enough time to dwell on the hope. Their coach pulled up in front of the very large house, and once both coaches had stopped it was time to get things done.

They had brought eleven servants with them, and seven of the eleven had had to travel in the second coach. With someone sitting on the coach floor the space had been extremely crowded, but no one had seriously expected Edmin and his father to share
their
coach. The two drivers - and the one servant sitting with each on the boxes - climbed down to help everyone get out, but having Embisson stand around for too long a time wasn't wise.

For that reason Edmin took the first two female servants helped out of the coach, and told them to go inside the house with his father. He also gave them the small stable lamp he'd had the foresight to include with their luggage, and once the lamp was lit Embisson was able to lead the two women inside.

After making sure that his father was indeed gone, Edmin then gathered the remaining servants and explained that his father was suffering from the pressure of events that had upset him greatly. For that reason any orders given by Embisson that might lead to their discovery in the house was first to be cleared with Edmin. The servants seemed more relieved than surprised at the order, leading Edmin to believe that they'd noticed his father's oddness even before he did.

After that it took only a moment to send three of the men to brush out their trail, and the rest to see to hiding the coaches and horses. The other two women were sent into the house with instructions to pass on his orders about not listening to his father to the first two women once it was possible to get the women alone. All the servants had been told that if Embisson and Edmin were caught,
they
would be tried and imprisoned along with their employers. The servants now believed that everyone in Gan Garee had gone crazy, and none of them cared to risk prison to find out if they'd been told the truth.

Dinner was a quick and simple affair, after which Embisson took a lamp and retired to the rooms which had been Zolind Maylock's. Dust covers had been removed from the furniture and clean linen had been found in storage chests, and all the necessary beds were ready to be used.

But Edmin couldn't retire yet despite what he'd said to his father in the coach. Embisson had given private instructions to the leaders of their guardsmen, which presumably meant the guardsmen would know where to find them. The entire force was supposed to be in the city well before midnight, and the leaders were supposed to report as soon as they arrived. Those leaders also needed to be told about taking orders from his father, so Edmin waited up to take care of the matter.

A book kept Edmin company - and kept him awake - for quite some time, but then sleep managed to creep over him. Edmin dozed for a time, waking up and falling back asleep, and then the sound of a footstep and the gleam of a lamp woke Edmin all the way. He sat up to see his father entering the room, a frown on the old man's face.

"Edmin, it's four in the morning," Embisson announced with disapproval. "I got up to get a drink of water, and saw the light of your lamp. Why haven't you gone to bed yet?"

"I was waiting for the leaders of our men to report," Edmin answered with a frown of his own. "You did tell them where we were going, didn't you, Father?"

"Of course I did," Embisson responded, annoyance quickly turning to disturbance. "They should have had no trouble getting into the city, so why haven't they arrived yet?"

"There are only three possibilities," Edmin said slowly, a nasty thought coming to him. "They could have been caught coming in and are under arrest, but that isn't very likely since they weren't all coming in at the same time or place. They could have decided to start an enterprise of their own, but that isn't very likely either. They're not so dim that they would give up the promise of wealth and position for a quick hit and run attack."

"No, they knew well enough that their best chance lay in cooperating with
us
," Embisson said, disturbance now growing stronger. "So what could have happened to them?"

"The third possibility," Edmin answered in a growl as he stood, much too tired to play games of false politeness. "Noll somehow got to them, he and that wife of his. It was our gold that paid those men, so their loyalty should have been ours. I told you that woman was up to something, but you insist on thinking of women as helpless. Only a fool discounts an enemy because of gender."

"How dare you speak to me like that?" Embisson demanded, his skin darkened with outrage - and something else. "That woman is nothing any
man
has to worry about, but not having a woman of your own twists your thinking on the subject. You - "

"Wake up, old man!" Edmin interrupted harshly, glaring at the person he so used to respect. "You've messed up all the way around, you and that stupid plan you thought so much of. We've been used, and even beyond that we now have to get out of here. Noll and his wife won't want us running around loose while they put their own plans into effect, and as soon as the men reached them they knew where we intended to go. They won't turn us in to the city officials, but that doesn't mean we won't end up dead at the hands of the men who used to be ours. We have to leave here right now, and I just hope it isn't too late."

"Cowardice really has a hold on you, doesn't it, boy?" Embisson snarled, his face having paled from what Edmin had said. "Those people won't do anything to
me
, they wouldn't dare! They know I'm a High Lord even if
you've
let yourself forget the fact. I'm not going anywhere but back to bed, and tomorrow I'll put together a new plan that doesn't include the guardsmen - or you. You'll be too busy running and hiding to give me any help anyway."

And with that Embisson turned and stalked out of the room, leaving behind an Edmin whose mind had made the only decision possible. Dragging along the senile wasn't practical when one had a mission to complete - or when one had vengeance to arrange. The father Edmin had so loved and admired was gone forever, and the sooner he accepted that fact and got on with life, the sooner he would accomplish what he had to.

The servants woke immediately, and once Edmin told them that they weren't safe in that house they worked fast to get the coaches ready. Edmin also took the gold they'd brought from Bastions, leaving only a small amount for the foolish old man who still thought he was important. It was all he could do for the old man, all he had time for.

This time Edmin shared his coach with three of the servants, an effort meant to deliberately remind him that they were all fugitives together. If his plans turned out to be successful he would be their superior again, but for the moment he was no better than they.

But he abhorred being common, so he had adequate reason to do his best and return himself to his former position. It would be a fight, but he'd been in fights before and he'd won. But first he had to concern himself with Noll and his wife, and Edmin suddenly realized he knew exactly the place from which to accomplish that concern…

High Lord Embisson Ruhl sat in the bed which had once belonged to Zolind Maylock, annoyed with himself for not being able to sleep. He'd been lost in his thoughts for quite some time, the distraction starting when he heard the sounds of a coach leaving. He'd hoped that Edmin would pull out of whatever madness had taken him over, but instead Edmin had actually left. The poor fool was welcome to the coach, especially since Embisson was well able to afford to buy another if he needed it.

But Embisson
had
no need of another coach, not when he'd already established himself in Zolind's house. This house was a symbol of success that Embisson meant to use as a rallying point, a familiar and reassuring symbol for all those who would join him in his efforts. He would put the word out, and every noble who heard about his return would come forth to volunteer his help…

"But that can't be," Embisson suddenly muttered, wondering where such a foolish idea could have come from. "There aren't
any
other nobles left in the city, everyone knows
that
. How can I rally people who aren't here?"

It seemed to Embisson that he'd been living in a world surrounded by mist, and now the mists were dissipating a bit. The Nolls, the people he'd expected to use, had used him and Edmin instead, and now he and Edmin were in the city without the support they needed. Staying in the city would be, at best, useless, and at worst, suicide. They had to retreat and regroup, and decide what their best plan of action would be.

Once Embisson realized that, he lost no time getting out of bed. Edmin had to be roused along with the servants, and then they had to leave. Embisson dressed quickly, ignoring the fact that he hadn't been able to bathe, and then he went to search out Edmin.

He'd checked the three bedchambers nearest his before he began to wonder what he was doing. He was High Lord Embisson Ruhl, wasn't he? Since when did a High Lord have to run from
anything
? He could stay right where he was and do anything he pleased, and no one would be able to say a word or do a thing about it.

"And what I please right now is to have breakfast," Embisson decided aloud, annoyed with himself for having doubted his power even for a moment. "Once I've eaten I'll begin making my plans, and in two or three days things will be right back to where they were before this idiocy began."

Pleased with his decision, Embisson went to ring for a servant. He pulled the bell cord more than once, but long minutes passed and there was nothing of a response. Annoyed beyond bearing, Embisson took a lamp and started toward the servants' area, fully intending to give those lazy fools an earful. He might even dismiss some of them, which would certainly cause the others to work harder to keep their own positions. Just the way things were supposed to be…

Embisson hadn't gone far before he heard the sound of movement coming from the front of the house, and his mood immediately lightened. So his servants weren't lying slug-a-bed after all, but had risen early to get the house in shape for him. They hadn't expected
him
to be awake so early, and so hadn't left anyone to listen for a ring.

An expansive feeling replaced his anger, letting Embisson head for the front of the house wearing a smile of approval. That was the key to training servants, he knew, being firm when they needed firmness and giving them approval when they behaved properly. This was definitely a time for approval, and he would -