Rise of a Merchant Prince (41 page)

To both men he said, “I have something to do, but I will be in the office at first light. If we haven't found this man by noon tomorrow, we're ruined.”

Duncan sat in the chair Roo had just vacated. “Paint me a picture with words, Rob, and spare no detail. What does Herbert look like?”

“Well, he's a plain-looking fellow, about my height.”

Without waiting for another answer, Roo departed, walking to where he had left his carriage. Once inside, he ordered the driver to take him to the Estherbrook estate.

Calis signaled in the murk, and Erik turned, relaying
the gestures. They were traveling in near blindness, sixty-seven of them spread out in a long line, walking in pairs. Calis led, as he had the ability to see in the dimmest light, while Boldar Blood brought up the rear, claiming to have the power to see in the dark, which seemed highly improbable to Erik, but so far the strange mercenary hadn't made a single misstep. It was some magic property of his helm, Erik judged.

Miranda kept close to Calis's side, since she had the ability to see that came close to Calis's. The rest of the party were forced to move as best they could, using the light of a single torch carried at the center of the column. Erik knew from experience that those closest to the middle of the line were nearly blind when looking away from the torch, while those at either end stood a chance of seeing something beyond the faint fall of illumination.

The signal word was passed that something or someone dangerous was ahead. Each man in line quietly readied his weapons, while Bobby de Loungville came forward from his position half the distance between the torch and Boldar. A step behind him came Praji and Vaja. Erik wished the old mercenaries had not come along, but two old men on horseback alone in the mountains would have stood little chance of getting back to what passed for civilization in this harsh land.

Erik moved forward and felt a slight breeze against his cheek. As he reached the Captain's position, Calis whispered, “Something's moving down there.”

“Down there” was the deep circular well that served as the vertical “highway” from this, the topmost
level, down into the bowels of the mountain. Erik and the survivors of Calis's company had trudged up the spiral ramp that hugged the inside of this vast well over two years before, and now they were getting ready to descend into it. Erik listened, but as was often the case, the Captain's hearing was far more sensitive than Erik's.

Then faintly, a sound.

It resembled nothing so much as a hand brushing stone. A few seconds later, it repeated. Then silence.

They stood motionless for a full five minutes before Calis signaled for the first five men to accompany him. Erik glanced around and selected the four soldiers at the head of the column, and pulled his own sword.

A covered lantern was lit, and the shutters closed so that only a faint single line of light showed, allowing the men to see slightly, while, it was hoped, not being seen in return.

The six moved out and Erik carried the lantern. They moved down the tunnel, which was heading slightly downward, as it had been for miles, and then found themselves stepping into the vast well. As was the case at most tunnel intersections, the lip of the road that spiraled inside the well flared out, providing extra room for those entering and leaving the roadway to negotiate around one another. They paused and listened, and again they heard the faint scraping, coming from below.

They moved slowly down the ramp, pausing at each quarter turn of the road around the well, until they again heard the sound. Finally the sound ceased, and they continued on.

Erik judged that each full revolution around the
well dropped them about twenty feet. They were three full turns around from where they had entered the well when they found the corpse.

Calis signaled to be alert, and the four men accompanying Erik and Calis turned their backs to the light, two facing up-trail and two facing down. By not looking at the light they wouldn't blind themselves to anything approaching out of the darkness.

The figure was covered in a robe, and when Calis pulled back its hood, Erik couldn't help but audibly gasp. It was a Pantathian.

Erik had never been this close to the enemy. He had seen them once from a distance, in these very tunnels, and another time from a ridge at the great rendezvous when one had come by inspecting troops.

“Turn him over,” whispered Calis, and Erik reached down and moved the body so that it was on its back. A great gaping wound had half-eviscerated the creature and a large portion of intestine protruded through its shredded robes.

Calis pointed toward an object in the creature's hands, and said, “Remove that.”

Erik did so and as soon as he touched the object, he wished he hadn't. An odd energy swept up his arms and made his skin crawl. He suddenly wished he could strip off his clothing and scrub himself until his skin bled and his hair fell out.

Calis seemed to react strongly to the object, even though Erik was the one touching it. Erik turned the thing in his hands and realized it was a helm. It was halfway toward his head when Calis said, “Don't.”

Erik stopped, realizing that he had been about to don the helm, and said, “What do I do?”

“Put it down,” said Calis. Turning to another soldier, he ordered, “Bring the others here.”

The soldier took the lamp and vanished, leaving Erik to endure a very strange few moments in the darkness. While he stood there, strange images came to him of dark men in alien armor, women of incredible beauty, but none were human. He shook his head, and by the time he'd rid himself of these images, the column arrived.

Miranda came and said, “What is it?”

Calis pointed. Miranda knelt and examined both the corpse and the helm. She picked it up, and if she was affected by it, she gave no outward sign. Finally she said, “I need a bag.”

One of the soldiers nearby produced a cloth bag and she put the helm inside. To Boldar she said, “You carry this. Of everyone here, this should give you the least amount of discomfort.”

The odd mercenary shrugged, took the bag, and stuck it inside a large rucksack he carried on his hip.

Miranda looked at the corpse and after a moment said, “There seems to be an unexpected turn of events here.”

Calis said, “This one looked to be fleeing, to be protecting this artifact.”

Miranda said, “Or he was stealing it.” She shook her head in frustration. “Speculation gets us nowhere. Let's continue.”

Calis nodded and signaled, ordering the column downward.

They moved through gallery and plateau, around and around as they descended into the heart of the well. At an otherwise nondescript tunnel, Calis signaled them to turn.

The column entered the tunnel, which led downward .at a steep angle. As they moved deeper into the tunnel, the temperature quickly rose. It had been getting bitter at night in the mountains, and the tunnels had been just as cold, but as they moved downward, each step seemed to take them toward heat. And as it grew hotter, an odor also grew. It stank of sulfur, and the sweet sick smell of rotten meat.

They entered a broadening tunnel, and Calis signaled; every man drew his weapon. They had discussed this part of the mission until each member of the company could repeat orders in his sleep.

This was the first of the Pantathian galleries, and inside they would find serpent priests, and breeding females. Eggs and young would be housed in some sort of crèche, and the orders were simple: enter and kill every living thing.

Calis signaled and the charge began.

It ended almost as quickly as it began.

The stench in the gallery was far more oppressive than it had been in the tunnels. The overwhelming odor caused more than one man to double over and retch. Everywhere they looked, bodies lay scattered. Most were Pantathians, some infants of that race, while others were alien, the Saaur. But not one was intact. The lone Pantathian they had encountered in the tunnel was almost undamaged compared to those within this hall. The body parts had been strewn around the hall and everywhere the rot of death filled the air with an almost unbearable stink.

Calis pointed to a throne. A figure lay at the foot
that had once sat upon it. It was a Pantathian corpse, and it was mummified, and it lay in pieces.

“There,” Calis choked, trying to keep his composure while lesser men retched and vomited.

Miranda and Boldar both seemed immune to the smell, and they moved to the corpse. Miranda waved her hands and spent a full minute inspecting the mummy, then turned and said, “Artifacts?”

“Armor, sword, shield, all of what you'd expect,” answered Calis.

“Well,” said Miranda, “someone got to those items before we did.” She looked around the cavern, inspecting the carnage as one of the soldiers lit a lantern, illuminating the large hall. “Those died defending and paid a price. The one we found must have been days in dying.”

Erik took two men and looked around in neighboring galleries. In one large pool of hot water a half-dozen smashed eggs lay, some with half-formed Pantathians floating in scummy pools. In another gallery they found a dozen tiny figures, babies from their size, and among them lay the bones of many creatures, some of them human.

After they inspected the entire area, Erik reported back. “Captain, it's the same as here.” He lowered his voice and said, “I don't see a single wound that looks like it was made by a weapon.” He pointed to a dead Saaur warrior's upper torso. “He wasn't cut in two, Captain. He looks like something tore him in half.”

Boldar Blood said, “I've seen a few creatures that could do that.” He glanced at Erik and Calis, his face masked by the alien helmet he wore, his eyes not visible
in the black eye slits. “But very few, and not on this world.”

Calis and Miranda looked around and Calis said, “Something came through here like a fire through summer grass and killed everyone.”

De Loungville said, “Well, someone saved us some butchery.”

Calis looked disturbed for the first time since Erik had met him. He said, “Bobby, someone has walked off with items of power unlike any seen on this world since my father donned the white-and-gold armor.”

De Loungville said, “There's a third player, then?”

Miranda said, “By all appearances, there is a third player.”

“What now?” asked de Loungville.

“We move downward,” said Calis without hesitation. “We must find who it was that raided this warren and if other warrens have also been destroyed.” To the assembled company he said, “The orders are changed.” Instantly every man there gave full attention to Calis. “We have another mystery. We will continue to move into the mountains, and if we find living Panthathians, we slay them, to the last living being.” He paused. “But if we find who also is killing them, that enemy of our enemy may be no friend of ours; we need to find out who this other foe is.” He lowered his voice. “They are powerful and now possess some of the most powerful artifacts of the Valheru—the Dragon Lords. They should be feared.”

He turned and signaled and the party moved back up the tunnel, returning to the well. When they
reached it, Calis called a halt to the march, letting the men rest and eat. When at last it was time, he signaled, re-formed the column, and ordered them downward, deeper into the well.

Roo nodded.

Duncan drew back his fist and struck the man in the chair. The man's head snapped back and blood began running down his nose. “Wrong answer,” said Duncan.

Herbert McCraken said, “I don't know.”

Duncan hit him again.

Roo said, “It's very simple, McCraken. You tell me who arranged for you to embezzle my gold and who has it, and we'll let you go.”

“They'll kill me if I do,” he answered.

“We'll kill you if you don't,” said Roo. McCraken said, “If I tell you, I've got no bargaining power. What's to keep you from cutting my throat once I talk?”

“No profit in it,” said Roo. “The gold is mine; it's not as if we're trying to break the King's law in getting it back. If I take you to the City Watch office and file charges with the Duke's constable, once we get a magistrate who can understand that puzzle of accounts you created, you'll be working on the harbor
gang for the next fifteen years.”

“If I tell you?”

“We'll let you leave the city . . . alive.”

He thought a minute, then said, “Newton Briggs is the man's name. He arranged for the transfer of funds.”

Roo glanced at Jason, who stood in the shadows behind McCraken, where he couldn't see him. Softly Jason said, “He was a partner in the countinghouse before we bought it.”

McCraken said, “He wasn't happy to lose control. I think someone paid him to steal from you. All I know is he promised me enough gold to buy a Quegan title, and a villa, and set up my own business.”

“Why Quegan?” asked Duncan.

Luis, who stood behind the man, keeping him in the chair, said, “Many in the Kingdom dream of being a rich Quegan noble, living in a villa with a dozen young slave girls”—then he shrugged—“or boys.”

Roo laughed. “You're an idiot. You were played for a fool. You set foot on the docks of the city of Queg and within minutes you'd be on your way to the galleys. Whatever gold you had would be forfeit to the state. Unless you have powerful allies there, noncitizens of Queg have no rights.”

McCraken blinked. “But I was promised. . . .”

Roo said, “Let him loose.”

“Just let him go?” asked Duncan.

“Where's he going?”

Luis had found McCraken waiting at a warehouse for a rendezvous with someone—now they knew it to be Briggs—less than four hours earlier. Duncan
had already sent a rider to bring back those men heading for Sarth; if all went according to plan, they should be back at Roo's headquarters within the hour.

The man stood up and said, “What am I to do now?”

“Go to Queg and try to buy a patent of nobility,” said Roo. “But use someone else's money. If you're in the city by sundown tomorrow, it won't be just your confederates who will be trying to kill you.”

The man wiped his bloody lip with the back of his hand and stumbled out the door. Roo said, “Wait a minute, Duncan, then follow him. He's too scared to try to get away on his own. If there's another player in this, he may lead us to him. And don't let him really get away; we may need him to give testimony to the Royal Courts. He may be the only thing that stands between us and a charge of robbery.”

Duncan nodded. “Where will you be?”

“At the docks,” said Roo. “Just against the possibility there is a ship that might be Queg-bound on the morning tide. Send for us there.”

Duncan nodded and left.

Roo said, “Jason, return to the office and wait there. Luis and I will send word if we need you somewhere else.”

Jason departed. Luis said, “We have a ship ready to sail as soon as you give word.”

“Good,” said Roo. “If we find our gold thief is making a break from the city, I want to catch him out beyond the breakwater. By the time any royal warship comes to investigate, I want the matter settled. I want the gold in our possession should some revenue cutter board us. It will be much easier to explain
then.”

Luis shook his head. “Why move the gold? Why not just stick it somewhere in a back room and wait for the Bitter Sea Company to fold?”

Roo said, “Because that's both smart and risky. If you knew these boys were going to get out of the city and not talk, it would be the smart thing to do. But if you thought they might be caught and forced to talk, well, eventually this trail will lead back to whoever is the brains behind this fraud, and at that point”—he snapped his fingers—“we come with every sword we can hire, and it's a free-for-all.” He sighed. “But if the gold is safely gone, on its way to some port or in a wagon heading over the mountains . . .” He shrugged.

“Whoever planned this certainly timed things correctly,” said Luis.

Roo said, “That's what has me worried. Not only did those bastards at the countinghouse have to be in on this, they had to know something more about the Bitter Sea Company and its finances than they could from people like McCraken and Briggs.” He held up one finger. “They had to know that Jason or someone else would be close to discovering the fraud. It's just been going on too long.” He held up a second finger. “And they had to know that we're a few weeks from being able to cover such a loss.” He shook his head in frustration. “We've got caravans coming in from the East, and a grain shipment putting into Ylith today. Our Far Coast fleet should be at Carse or putting out for the return leg home. Any of those will be bringing enough gold to cover that shortfall”—he struck his fist into his hand—“but not today!”

“A spy?”

“An agent of some sort,” said Roo. He moved toward the door. “Besides Duncan, you are the only person I fully trust, Luis. You were with me in the death cell and you swam the Vedra River with me. We've looked death in the face together, and except for Jadow and Greylock, there's not a man left in Krondor I'd want at my back besides you.”

Luis's expression was one of mild amusement. “Even with one hand?”

Roo opened the door. “You're better with a knife in one hand than most men are with a sword and two hands. Come along, let's start combing the docks.”

Luis slapped his employer on the back as he followed him through the door and shut it behind him. The shed was one of many the Bitter Sea Company owned in the Merchants' Quarter, and from there the pair moved quickly toward the docks.

After they had left, a figure rose from the roof of the shed. Lightly jumping to the cobbles, the shadowy observer watched Luis and Roo as they vanished into the darkness, then turned and whistled lightly, pointing after them. Two more figures emerged from a block farther down the street and rapidly approached the first. The three figures conferred for a moment, then one of the two returned the way he had come. The others followed Roo and Luis toward the dock.

“Ambush!” shouted Renaldo.

“Wedge!” shouted Calis and instantly every man was deploying. The column was in a large gallery, easily two hundred feet across, with six entrances. As they had trained, forty of the men formed a shield-to-shield wedge, with their swords poised to strike
down any attacker. The other twenty men unshouldered shortbows and calmly set arrows to bowstrings as an inhuman snarling and shrieking filled the gallery.

From three tunnels ahead streams of Pantathians rushed forward to attack Calis's Crimson Eagles. Erik attempted a rough estimation of the opposing forces, but quickly stopped trying to count as the first wave of attackers began to fall to the bowmen. Then they struck the shield wall.

Erik laid about him with powerful strokes of his blade. Twice he heard steel break under his strikes as Pantathian soldiers tried to block with their swords. He discovered little skill in their opponents. Without waiting for instructions from Calis, he shouted, “Second rank! Swords, and follow me!”

The twenty bowmen dropped their bows and drew swords. Erik circled around the right end of his line and hit the Pantathians in the flank. As he had suspected, they quickly collapsed in confusion.

But rather than flee, they simply hurled themselves at the Kingdom soldiers, until suddenly the last two went down before Calis's men and the gallery fell silent. Boldar Blood said, “Like hacking firewood.”

Erik glanced at the strange mercenary and noticed that the blood that was splattered on his armor was running off, as if unable to cling to the strange white surface. Catching his breath, Erik said, “They were brave, but these weren't warriors.” He signaled two men toward each tunnel mouth, to stand alert in case other Pantathians might be heading this way.

“Not brave,” said Boldar. “Fanatics.”

Calis looked to Miranda, who said, “We've never heard of anyone fighting them hand to hand. They prefer to use stealth and cunning to make war.”

Erik used the toe of his boot to turn one over and said, “It's small.”

“They are all small,” said Calis. “Smaller than the one we found yesterday.”

Erik glanced at de Loungville. “Are they sending youngsters against us?”

“Maybe,” said the Sergeant Major. “If they're as beat up in other parts of this warren as that crèche we found yesterday was, they may be desperate to keep what's left intact.”

Erik quickly inspected his own men, while Calis and Miranda inspected the Pantathian dead. No man of Calis's command had suffered a significant injury. “Only cuts and bruises,” Erik reported.

“A few minutes' rest, then we move on,” said de Loungville.

Erik nodded. “Which tunnel?”

De Loungville repeated the question to Calis.

“The center, I think. If we need to, we can double back,” said the Captain.

Erik hoped that was so, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

Roo crouched behind a bale as a strong contingency of armed men moved warily through the darkness. Fog had rolled in, and in the early morning gloom a man could barely see his hand at arm's length from his face.

Roo and Luis had scouted the docks when one of Roo's men reported a large company of guards and a wagon heading for the docks. Roo had followed
while sending Luis to fetch more men.

Suddenly Roo spun. reacting to the soft sound of movement behind him. As Roo had his sword ready, Duncan held up his hand and whispered, “It's me!” Roo dropped the point of his sword and turned to look at the wagon as he came up the quay. Duncan knelt next to his cousin. “McCraken's headed here. I lost him for a moment in the fog, saw someone—you—duck down that alley”—he pointed behind Roo—“and followed. I expect we'll see Herbert show any moment.”

Roo nodded. “It's our gold in that wagon, no doubt.”

“Are we going to hit them on the docks?”

Roo counted. “Not unless Luis gets back with our men before they get that boat launched,” he whispered. “All our men are either on the
Bitter Sea Queen
or at the warehouse, waiting for orders.”

The wagon came to a halt and a voice cut through the darkness. “Down to that longboat.” A single shuttered lantern was uncovered and the wagon and the men around it were now clearly seen, as silhouettes outlined by the faint light.

Men unlatched the tailgate and began unloading several small chests. Suddenly another figure stumbled out of the dark into the small pool of lantern light around the wagon. Swords were drawn, as an alarmed voice said, “It's me! McCraken!”

A man jumped off the wagon seat and grabbed the lantern as two guards gripped Herbert's arms. The man with the lantern held it up and stepped foward.

Roo sucked breath hard. It was Tim Jacoby. Then at his shoulder he could see Tim's brother, Randolph.
Tim said, “What are you doing here?”

“Briggs never showed,” said McCraken.

“Fool,” said Tim Jacoby. “You were told to wait until he showed up, no matter how long it took. He's probably at the warehouse looking for you right now.”

Randolph said, “What happened to your face?”

Herbert raised his hand to his face, then said, “I fell in the dark and hit my lip on a crate.”

“Looks like someone hit you,” said Tim Jacoby.

“No one hit me,” said McCraken, too loud for Tim Jacoby's liking. “I swear it!”

“Keep your voice down,” Tim ordered. “Did anyone follow you?”

“In this fog?” said McCraken. He took a breath. “You've got to take me with you. Briggs was supposed to show up at sundown with my gold. I waited and he never got there. I was promised fifty thousand gold for my part in this. You've got to make good on this.”

“Or what?” asked Tim.

Suddenly McCraken was afraid. “I . . .”

Roo noticed that none of the men around the wagon had moved since McCraken's arrival. The longboat at the bottom of the quay's steps rocked gently against the stones. “Keep talking,” urged Roo silently, knowing that each passing minute brought Luis and his own men that much closer. Taking them here would be so much easier than a sea battle. He had only until sundown to pay the note, and if he couldn't take Jacoby's men on the docks, he would be forced to try a sea chase and taking Tim's ship before noon.

Whispering to Duncan, he said, “If I need to, I
plan to keep them here until Luis comes. Can you circle around behind them?”

“What?” whispered Duncan. “You want just the two of us to try to stop them?”

“Slow them down, that's all. Get behind them and follow my play.”

Duncan rolled his eyes and whispered, “I hope to the gods you're not going to get us killed, cousin.” Then he turned and disappeared into the fog.

McCraken said, “If you don't make good on this, I'll testify before the Duke's constable. I'll claim you and Briggs forced me to falsify the accounts.”

Tim shook his head. “You're a very stupid man, McCraken. We were supposed to have no contact. That was Briggs's job.”

“Briggs never showed!” said McCraken, his voice nearly hysterical.