The Bird of the River (33 page)

When she lowered her gaze, she saw Shellback making his way up the nearest street, walking flat-footed to accommodate the steep incline. Krelan had halted at the corner and was peering up after him. Eliss caught up with Krelan at last. He turned and started when he saw her. "I
said
go back to the
Bird !"

"No! That's a murderer! He wouldn't think twice about killing you," said Eliss, but Krelan had already turned his attention on Shellback again, watching as the thief climbed steadily. Krelan's face was pale and set, unsmiling.

"All right," he said in a neutral voice. "But you're not going to like me much after today. Assuming we both survive."

He grabbed a paling out of a garden fence and crouched over it, as though he were an old man leaning on a walking stick. "Take my arm and lead me up there," he ordered. "Pretend I'm your aged father or something. And don't take your eyes off him."

Eliss obeyed, clutching Krelan's arm. They crept up the street. Shellback was high above them now, climbing steadily, never looking back.
He isn't wary in the least,
thought Eliss,
he doesn't think anyone would follow him here. But what's the box for?

They had risen into an area of fine houses, with palanquins set under open stalls in each garden.
Of course they don't walk here, they're too rich. They have servants carry them up and down these hills... . What's the box for?

Eliss worried at the question, perhaps to keep her mounting terror at bay. A loose end, Shellback's little ironbound box. Like the bank box was a loose end. Lord Encilian's baby gold in there, all his personal jewelry. Except for his serpent armlet. Because the serpent armlet would not fit. So he was still wearing it when Waxcast had cut off his head and thrown his body in the river.

Why didn't he cut off the arm too and take the armlet?
But he hadn't. There hadn't been a mark on the body other than the nibbling of crabs. No dagger wounds.

How do you get someone to kneel down and have their head cut off? Maybe by a ruse?
What's that down in the water? Look, my lord, can you see it? Perhaps you had better bend down to look.
Or maybe Waxcast had drugged his lordship? That would be easy.
A cup of wine, my lord? Is my lord drowsy with the heat? Will my lord lie down?

But the armlet was heavy gold, costly.
Why not remove it, before Encilian's body was rolled into the water?

How high they had climbed. The noise of the lakeside market had been left behind. Up here it was deathly quiet, with only the sighing of the wind bringing the mist across the housetops. Wealthy places were always so quiet. Eliss nearly glanced over her shoulder to see how high they had climbed, but resisted the urge. Shellback must be going to stop soon. The grand houses were fewer up here, the gardens green and dripping with mist. It was almost like a Yendri place. She wondered where Alder was right now. If something bad were to happen, would he ever hear about it?

Nothing bad will happen,
she told herself.
We'll see where Shellback goes and then we'll go back to the
Bird.
Or I'll go back, and let Krelan do whatever he's going to do. And pray to the holy gods he survives. That's all I can do, really, isn't it? I spent my whole childhood afraid of Mount Flame bullies and the things they do. How stupid would I be, to get mixed up in their business again? And Mama would always wipe her eyes and tell me I didn't understand.

I won't make her mistakes. I won't he stupid. I'll leave Krelan here and go right back down this hill.

Shellback turned in off the street, where steps led up a terrace to the very last and highest house, a modest mansion built of white limestone blocks. Black and green moss furred the walls on its north face, hid the red roof-tiles under a splotched pattern of green. He climbed the steps past the namepost. It was a new post, carved with the name WHITEGOLD.

"There it is," Eliss murmured. Krelan raised his head and peered from under the brim of his hat.

"
Whitegold?
Not Waxcast?"

"No," said Eliss, feeling sick with relief. "Somebody else. Look, let's go back down and find the city guard. We can tell them Shellback's here. Maybe there'll even be a reward." She turned and looked down at last. There was the wide expanse of the lake, with its clear center and the floating shrine almost too tiny to make out. And there, right over there, she spotted the
Bird of the River
at its dock. It looked small as a scrap of plank, too far below to make out anyone on its deck. But Mr. and Mrs. Riveter were down there, and Wolkin and Tulu, and Pentra, and tonight there would be a fish dinner and Mr. Turnbolt would light the deck lamps and everything would be safe and normal.

That's a brand-new namepost," said Krelan slowly. "In front of an old house."

"What if it is?"

"Wouldn't you think Waxcast would take a new name?" said Krelan. "An alias? After all he'd done and gotten away with? I certainly would, were I Mr. Waxcast."

"You think that's his house?" Eliss found herself whispering, though Shellback had already knocked on the door and been admitted.

"He'd have the money to buy himself a mansion, wouldn't he? After robbing my lord. A mansion in an out-of-the-way place where he'd have a good view of anyone approaching him," said Krelan harshly, but she knew the tone in his voice was not for her.

"But what can we do?"

"I'm going to do my duty," said Krelan, watching the house. "You're going to go back down the hill to the
Bird.
That's all. If you don't see me by tomorrow morning, I'm not coming back. Eliss, you're beautiful and smart and you're the sort of girl I could never get, a little shrimp like me. But I loved you. Just know that. I really did love you."

He strode away from her, heading for the house. Eliss stood there with her mouth open, watching him go.
Time to walk away. Time to walk away, even if be loved me.

"Are you insane?" she hissed, running after him. Krelan made no reply, but waved behind himself with one arm, making impatient shooing gestures. He did not climb the steps of the house but kept on walking past it, continuing up the hill to where the street crested at the top.

There was a high green hedge there at street level, masking the view into a terrace garden behind the house. The street continued around past it and down in a service alley on the other side. Beyond the top of the hill was nothing but blowing mist and a sheer plunge into a forested valley below.

Eliss assumed Krelan was making for the service alley, perhaps to find a rear entry to the house. She hurried to catch up with him. As they passed the hedge, however, they heard a door opening and a deferential voice say, "The person to see you, master."

"Thank you," said another voice from the terrace garden. Krelan halted abruptly.

"Hello there," said a voice Eliss recognized as Shellback's.

"Good to see you again! Paver, you may go."

"At once, master."

Krelan sank to his knees beside the hedge. With infinite care, in perfect silence, he began bending the twigs to one side and another, clearing a tiny space through which to peer at what was going on in the garden on the other side. Eliss sat down beside him, trying to catch his eye, but all Krelan's attention was fixed on what he could see beyond the hedge.

They heard the servant depart and what sounded like a set of terrace doors closing. Krelan leaned forward. His face became rigid, like a mask, his eyes staring.

"I'd been hoping you'd call on me soon," said the voice that wasn't Shellback's. "Is that my gold?"

"That's right," said Shellback, in the same amiable voice in which he'd thanked the dead bank officer. "Here you go. Open it and have a look."

They heard the scrape of the ironbound box being--slid across a table? Eliss saw Krelan start forward so violently she thought he'd fall through the hedge. She put out a hand to grab his shoulder.

"What in seven hells is this?"

"That's the gold I
haven't
got." All the smiles had gone out of Shellback's voice. "I lost four good men in Krolerett, and I got nothing out of the job but one gold chain, and you know why? Because you sold me useless intelligence. You said the place had no militia. Well, surprise! They had. So I'll thank you to fill that box with my refund. You can start with those rings you're wearing. I'll walk around behind you now, slow and easy. You call your man. Have him bring your cash box here. Fuck with me and I'll drive this into the back of your neck."

"Look, Tinplate--"

"Call me Shellback!"

"
Shellback.
Am I to understand you didn't get my deposit box?"

"Hell no. The guard chased after us and found where we'd dumped the loot. They got everything back. If you want your fucking deposit box you can go get it yourself, now. After you've paid me. And you
will
pay me. Call your man."

"Shellback, friend, you need to consider whether this is altogether wise. Haven't I made you a lot of money this summer? Are you really going to end a profitable relationship over one bungled job?"

"Money doesn't matter a damn once it's spent. Anyway I've paid through the nose for every one of your little files. And
anyway,
you've outlived your value."

"Gods below, why would you say that? I've only just started my career."

"Ha! Krolerett's on their guard now, -- we'll never get back in there. Silver Trout's building a wall around itself. Nobody's going to take Synpelene again for another generation. The good loot's all gone. You've run out of files."

"I beg to differ. Wouldn't you like a way into Prayna-of-the-Agatines?"

They heard Shellback catching his breath. "You said you wouldn't sell Prayna."

"That was then. I've cut my ties. It's yours to sack, if you can pay the price. And I'm expanding my influence! There are easier ways to get rich than plundering dirty little towns, Shellback. Think of all the mansions on these hills. What if you knew exactly where the doors and windows were on each one, how many servants were in the house, where the household treasure's kept, when the master comes and goes?

"All my neighbors got stinking rich on emeralds. I've invested in a few mines and expect to get stinking rich myself, soon. I'll be moving in their society. Invited to their dinner parties. Gathering all those little details you'd need. Hell of a lot easier to take a house than a city, Shellback, especially when it's one of
these
houses. And why stop with loot? I can tell you where their nurseries are. There's money to be made in taking kiddies for ransom, you know. And why stop with Karkateen? What's to keep you out of Mount Flame, or Salesh?"

There was a silence, and then a soft whistle of awe from Shellback. "I always thought the rich hung together. You don't give a damn about your own, do you?"

"What kind of businessman would I be if I did?"

"Fair enough. I've still got a problem, Encilian."

The last loose end knotted itself, with a yank that shook Eliss.
Of course.
The point of leaving the serpent armlet on the body had been so people would identify the dead man as Encilian Diamondcut.
Of course.
The point of cutting off the head had been so people wouldn't realize the dead man was really Stryon Waxcast, a poor servant who looked enough like Encilian to be taken for his brother... . She cast a cautious glance at Krelan, but his face was hidden by leaves at his improvised peephole.

"Not Encilian! Mr. Whitegold, if you please."

"Heh. All right,
Mr. Whitegold.
This impresses me, but my men will want something more. What about a cash payment? Just the refund for the Krolerett file. That's what any good businessman would do."

"You're right. It is. Well, let me see ... cash is in short supply just now. I think I mentioned I've been investing, didn't I? But I'll tell you what I can do for you. I've got a few buckets of raw emeralds in my study. Samples from my mines. Lot of big lovely green stuff, probably worth twice what you paid for Krolerett if you get the best stones cut. What do you say I fill this box with emeralds?"

"I'd call that fair dealing." Shellback sounded enthusiastic.

"Why don't you just step to one side here, then--"

There was a muffled crash. "You
fucker
--"

Krelan was gone suddenly, diving through the hedge. Eliss scrambled to the place opened by his passage. There stood Encilian Diamondcut, gripping the wrists of Shellback. They had been struggling together, but not now, -- Encilian was grinning as he held Shellback up for Krelan, who had knifed Shellback several times and sprung away, watching cold-faced as Shellback died. Shellback groaned and sagged. Encilian opened his hands and let him fall. Shellback toppled to the garden flagstones and lay there with his eyes rolled back in his head.

Wheezing, Encilian pulled up a wrought-iron chair and sat down. He spat on Shellback's body. He was fatter, sleeker than he had been when his portrait was painted. Krelan remained perfectly still.

"Must find myself a better class of client," said Encilian. He looked up. "Gods below, it's little Krelan. I like the hat! Suits you. You
are
a survivor. I always suspected your brother was wrong about you. How did you manage to get past his hirelings?"

"
You
knew about them?" Krelan blurted.

Encilian, having caught his breath at last, smiled. '"You knew about them,
my lord?'
I'll grant you the one slip, after your usefulness just now, but don't push it. Yes, I know all your brother's plans. Just as he knows all mine. He devoutly hoped you'd get yourself killed on the river. Certainly never dreamed you'd get as far as you have. And neither of us imagined you'd actually find me! You're not only lucky, you're smart. I like that."

"My lord is too kind," said Krelan stiffly.

"That's better. I'm a bit relieved, to be honest. Having you killed seemed such a waste. Your brother's a little too preoccupied with his own business to be a really effective shadow. Or all that loyal a retainer ..." Encilian rubbed his index finger across his chin. "To hell with him. I'll send word to your brother you died. You're my man, Krelan. You'll work for me here. I need someone I can trust to run Enterprise Encilian."