Quest (39 page)

When Davred opened his eyes and smiled at Herra, Soo held her breath. 'They're quite safe,' he said. 'And they know that we are too.'

'He's turning into a damned good actor!' Robler observed with heavy sarcasm. 'I never thought I'd see you taken in by such things, Soo Chen.' He turned and left the com-room noisily.

She ignored him and watched for a little longer, but the three people in Ridge House merely went to sleep, so she recorded a few close-ups of the newly-healed scar on Jonner's cheek, and went off duty to share a glass of euphorion with Mak.

#####

Just before dawn Davred jerked awake as a hand covered his mouth. Herra's voice breathed 'Quiet!' in his ear and he relaxed. In the dim light he could see Jonner standing by the third bed, flexing his arms and legs.

'What is it?'

'I don't know. I just feel - unsafe. Don't make any noise, but get up. I think we should leave.'

Davred eased himself off the bed. Herra stiffened suddenly and stood motionless, listening. Davred followed her example, but it took him a moment to make out what the noise was - the faintest whisper of footsteps coming towards them along the corridor. The footsteps stopped outside their room.

Jonner drew out a knife and padded over to stand behind the door.

As the handle began to turn very slowly, Herra and Davred moved apart and stood facing the door.

'Psst!'

Davred relaxed a little. Someone coming to harm them was not going to advertise his presence like that.

QUEST Shannah Jay 143

The intruder pushed the door open. Jonner stayed out of sight behind it, his knife held ready.

No-one moved or spoke, then the intruder said in a sibilant whisper, 'Thank goodness you're awake!'

'Who are you?' asked Herra quietly.

'My name doesn't matter. I come from my master, who is known to you. You helped his daughter recently.'

'Oh?' Herra's voice was cool and non-committal.

'You're to come with me. Your enemies have found out where you are. My master sent me to warn you and lead you to a safe place.'

'I don't like going off with strangers in the middle of the night,' growled Jonner, stepping out from behind the door and closing it. 'I think we should wait until it's light - al of us.'

The man looked nervously behind him, then turned back to plead with Herra. 'It'll be too late by then.'

'Indeed it will,' said Herra very cordially. At the same time she moved forward one pace and snapped her fingers.

The intruder froze where he stood. '
Who is your master
?' she asked.

'I serve in the shrine,' he said woodenly, obeying her command. Only his eyes reflected the panic he was feeling.

Jonner hissed through his teeth, but Herra signalled him to keep quiet. She laid her hand on the man's arm. 'I don't want you to get hurt.' Her voice was soft and soothing. 'Why don't you
wait in the corridor
, my friend?'

Though her tone was quiet, Davred could hear the Compulsion. Would he ever be able to apply it so precisely?

'
Wait for us there – wait till an hour after dawn
–
the door will remain open
–
you will be able to see us all the time
. That's it. Just there.
Stay there!
'

Herra watched as the man moved stiffly to the place she had indicated. He stood unmoving and glassy-eyed, staring at the doorway. She nodded in satisfaction and reached out to close the door. Jonner was startled into exclaiming, 'But you told him . . . '

Herra smiled. 'He wil see the door as open, just as he will see us inside the room. But I prefer to close it. Don't you?'

'I certainly do. Maybe his friends will kill him when they find out he's let us go,' he added hopefully.

'I doubt it. They're used to the sight of someone
stil ed
by now. And why,' she frowned at him, 'would you want him killed for no reason?'

Jonner swallowed the words that leaped into his mouth. What was the use of telling a Sister that the only good enemy was a dead enemy? They were just too soft for their own good, the Sisters.

Herra shut the heavy wooden door in front of the man's staring eyes and gestured towards the window. 'We must leave that way.'

Jonner paused only long enough to jam a chair under the door handle before joining the other two at the window.

'Oh, no!' He gazed down in dismay at an unbroken drop of three storeys. They had thought themselves to be only on the first floor. 'Why didn't I take a good look round last night? This place is built on a bleedin' hillside!' He pounded his fist on the windowsill.

'Why didn't any of us check? I, of al people, should have known.' Herra's voice was sharp with annoyance and her eyes glittered like faceted crystal in the moonlight. Then she shrugged. 'Well, we're not yet lost. Waste no time on vain regrets, my friend. I can get you both down safely, if you'l trust yourselves to me.'

'How?' Jonner felt dizzy merely looking at the drop and the hard cobblestones of the alley below. 'I - I'm not much good with heights and climbing.' A sudden babble of voices in the corridor caused him to add, 'But I'm even worse at being killed!' He flung the shutters wide. 'That door won't hold for long. I'd rather break my own neck than fall into their hands. How do we get down, then, lady?'

'Let me go first,' said Herra, 'then I'l soften your fal s.
Trust me!
' The last remark was for Jonner rather than Davred,
QUEST Shannah Jay 144

who would have walked into fire at her command. She jumped lightly on to the windowsill and stepped out into space before Jonner could do more than gurgle in panic. He leaned out of the window in time to see her float gently to the ground. As she looked up and gestured to Davred to join her, Jonner exclaimed, 'May the God look down!' under his breath, and swallowed to moisten a throat dry with panic.

'She has very strong powers, you know,' Davred said gently, 'though few of us are able to extend our control of our own bodies to control of the matter around them as she does.'

'I'd not have believed that, if I hadn't seen it myself!'

Davred smiled. Without hesitation he stepped out from the windowsill. His fall was faster than Herra's, but not fast enough for him to hurt himself.

Jonner gulped and laid shaking hands on the window frame, then hesitated, sweat beading his brow. Even standing on a chair made his stomach churn. Then someone shook the door to the room and a voice cried, 'Open up! In the name of the Serpent, open this door!'

Jonner jumped on the sill, but still couldn’t bring himself to launch forward into space.

'You might as well save us the trouble and open this door! You'l not get away! We've guards all around this building.' Something crashed against the door and splintered one panel.

Eyes tightly closed, Jonner muttered another prayer and stepped out of the window. His arms flailed as the air rushed past his ears, but within a few seconds he’d landed. He immediately fell over backwards. 'Am I down?' he gasped, opening his eyes again. 'Am I still alive?'

'Oh course you are! Why didn't you keep your eyes open? You might have hurt yourself.'

Words failed Jonner, for one of the few times in his life.

From the open window above came the sound of heavy blows and splintering wood.

'Come on!' Davred hauled Jonner to his feet.

'There are guards all round the building. They shouted it through the door,' Jonner gasped, looking along the alley anxiously.

Herra half closed her eyes and tilted her head sideways in a listening position. 'Not many. I can deal with them.'

Jonner stared first at her, then towards the end of the little cul-de-sac, which was hidden behind a corner of the rambling old inn. 'How can you know who's there?' But he was addressing empty air. His two companions had started running away from the building. Muttering another fervent plea to the God to look down and protect them all, he followed suit.

At the end of the alley two of Benner's black-clad guards stood brandishing swords. As they opened their mouths to shout a warning to their companions, Herra
stilled
them, pausing only to check the road ahead.

'Brother of life, I'm glad she's on my side,' muttered Jonner.

'Shhh! Save your breath!' Herra commanded, peering around the corner at the road. It was still barely dawn, too early for there to be people around. Only a night watchman was in sight, drowsing in his little shelter at the gateway to a large domain.

They slowed their pace to a rapid walk. As they drew level with the watchman he spoke rapidly, without changing his position or appearing to wake up. 'Turn left into the next gates.' He made a swift gesture with his hand, forming a circle briefly with his forefinger and thumb.

Herra immediately turned left.

'Hey!' said Jonner. 'Are you mad? How do we know who he is? Where are we going? Stop! It might be another tr - '

'
Quiet!
'

Jonner clutched his throat as his voice cut off in mid-syllable, and slowed down for a minute in panic, but shouts in
QUEST Shannah Jay 145

the distance, heralding fresh pursuit, caused him to increase his pace again. Trying to keep up with Herra was difficult, for she ran with the lithe grace of a young athlete and never missed a step, however rough the terrain. Davred was in better condition than Jonner, but even he was showing the strain as they pounded along the deserted driveway of the house. Jonner, heart thumping and sweat pouring down his face, could only stumble along behind them, gasping for breath and unable to articulate a complaint or plead for Herra to slow down.

As they drew near a huddle of outbuildings, a door opened and Herra turned into it. Davred vanished after her into the darkness and Jonner, with a last despairing glance over his shoulder, followed them. The door was instantly closed behind him and as he flattened himself against the nearest wall to protect his back, he heard a bolt sliding into place.

It was a moment before Jonner's eyes adjusted to the darkness of the shed. By then, Herra was exchanging quiet words with the woman who’d opened the door. She was a cook, by the look of her, with grease-spotted clothes and a big stained apron around her ample middle. With a curt, 'Fol ow closely!' she led Herra through another doorway.

They might at least have explained what was happening, thought Jonner aggrieved. He looked at Davred, but the younger man seemed happy to follow unquestioningly wherever Herra led, so Jonner had no option but to move off after them. 'I don't like this . . . ' he began, then stopped, realising that he’d got his voice back again.

'Keep quiet!' snapped Davred. 'Must you always make so much noise?'

Jonner, who had complete faith in no one but himself, and who liked to know exactly what he was getting into, glowered and loosened his dagger in its sheath, as wel as checking that one or two other smal stilettos which he carried concealed in sundry parts of his clothing were ready for use. He'd save the sharpest one for himself, he vowed, rather than fall into Benner's hands in company with a Sister. But he'd not die without taking an attacker or two with him. He let his hand rest loosely on the haft of his dagger and kept a suspicious eye on their rear, peering into all the doorways they passed.

After a few twists and turns the woman led them down a flight of chill stone steps and through a series of cellars.

The two men had to follow the shielded lantern she carried as best they could, and several times Jonner tripped over things, which made him curse fluently under his breath. At last they came to a wine cel ar and the woman bade them stand stil for a moment. With her back to them, she fiddled with the tap of a huge wine tun. The whole front of the tun swung outwards with a dull click and Jonner, stil keeping a suspicious eye on their rear, saw their guide start back the way they had come without another word.

Before Jonner had time to protest at possible treachery, Herra had stepped into the empty interior of the wine cask.

He hesitated, but Davred pushed him in behind her, and as soon as they’d crossed the threshold, the door swung shut behind them.

Ahead of them another door swung open, and as someone turned up a lamp, Jonner blinked in the brighter light and moved forward after the others. They seemed to be in a hidden cel ar and a cool draught suggested that somewhere there was another exit into the open air.

A tall man with dark skin and grey-black hair smoothed straight back from his brow, moved forward to greet them.

He bowed deeply to Herra. 'Welcome, Elder Sister. I'm honoured to give you shelter.'

Jonner's eyes nearly started out of his head. Elder Sister!
Elder Sister!
He goggled at Herra as if she had suddenly sprouted wings.

'I thank you, Aharri Bel-Ashkaron.' Herra held out her hands to the man and he took them reverently in his.

'Have you seen my Merryan?' he asked at once. 'My people have searched everywhere she might have taken refuge, but they could find no trace of her.'

Davred twitched Jonner's sleeve and nodded towards the farthest of the benches. Reluctantly, Jonner followed.

They sat down, trying to look as if they weren’t listening.

Herra laid her hand on the man's arm. 'She's dead, my dear friend. I buried her myself yesterday.'

Jonner expected an angry outburst or a display of grief, but the tall man received the news almost impassively. He bent his head for a while and when he raised it again, only a suspicious glitter of moisture beneath his eyes betrayed his
QUEST Shannah Jay 146

emotions.

'I had suspected it, but hoped I was wrong. I couldn't sense her, you see.' A few deep breaths, a minor Discipline of self-control, recognised as such by all but Jonner, and Aharri was able to continue. 'And Carryn?'

'But - ' Herra broke off, then continued grimly. 'Carryn should have reached you by now, Aharri. We left her in the care of a man cal ed Harrol. He said he’d send her straight to you and let you know we wanted to see you at the same time.'

'She hasn't reached me. And I've had no message of any sort from Harrol. I heard about you from another source.