Bloodhound (54 page)

"He wasn't," Steen replied. "There was a colemonger a couple year back – Dale reported 'im. So we never brung Dale in on it."

A knot in my chest came undone. My instincts about Dale were right. I didn't relax as I wanted, though. That had to wait. Hanse had yet to answer me. "Hanse, why do it, if you're not a fool?"

Slapper had finally stopped eating. He was preening himself now, stretching out his wings and tail to go over each feather. The silence got so long that I was wondering if Hanse had decided to go to the Peaceful Realms after all. Finally he said, "I gave years to the army. Years to the realm. I've got bones that were never healed by fancy mages. They ache when rain or snow comes on. I'd earned myself a pension and a pouch full of medals. Then I make one mistake, and I'm out on my arse. Tossed aside like so much scummer, when I gave my youth for king and country. I got this scar – right, you can't see it. I got scars from fightin' hillmen, and Bazhir, Scanrans, Gallans, Barzunni, Tyrans, Tusaine regular army. Nasty bastards, them. No thanks to Tortall that I found a way to make a livin'. I always swore I'd have my revenge."

"I never knew this," Steen said.

"I didn't want you to know," Hanse said. "Not you, not Pearl – no one. 'Twas
my
revenge. I knew she was greedy enough to help. How many coves can say they brung a realm crashin' down?"

"By throwin' folk out of work? Beggarin' families afore winter?" Steen asked.

Hanse's voice was cold as he said, "Winter comin' on is a bonus. I never thought t'would all go so fast."

Steen's voice was shaking. "I guess you'll learn if it's true, that the Black God forgives. I can't. My ma, my da, my gran – gods, what if they lose their home now I'm not there to help? Flory's got a daughter. Half of our folk have families. What happens to them, did ye even care?"

"No," Hanse said, his voice quiet.

For a long moment I heard only the trill of pigeons and the cry of seagulls. Then Steen said, "If I'd known, Hanse, I'd've killed you meself. I won't stay to see yer plan for ruin succeed."

The pigeon that had carried Steen to me leaped and flew off.

"Ah, well," Hanse whispered. "He was always the better cove."

"The ruin you hoped for won't happen," I said. "Goodwin's bringing the Lord Provost's folk to break it all up. You can help me to catch Pearl, though."

"That'll have to do," he replied. "Truth to tell, it's not so amusin', destroyin' the realm. Not when you look at it from this side of things."

I heard footsteps inside my room. I stood. "How do I find you?" I asked.

"Old Greedyguts here, the bird,
he
knows where you are all of the time," Hanse said. "Just speak my name and we'll be along." Slapper and the other pigeons took to the air with a rush.

I turned to look at the roof door as Nestor stepped through. "Cooper, put on your uniform and pack up your things," he said, his eyes alight. "The storm is about to break!"

I blinked at him. "What in Mithros's name?"

"Come along, Cooper!" Nestor ordered. "No time to explain – we're needed at Riverside!"

Achoo waited in the secret room for me, tail a-wag.
She
knew there was the smell of a hunt in the air. I changed clothes. Soon I was out the door, wearing my rumpled uniform under my priest's robe. I had my pack slung over my shoulder and the robe. Outside, Nestor unhitched a pair of evil-eyed horses. Both were saddled and ready for some poor Dog to clamber onto their backs.

I froze. "I don't like horses and they don't like me," I told Nestor. "Why can't we walk?"

"Because we're wanted soonest," he said. "Beka, we've no time for you to flap your eyelashes and grope for your handkerchief – "

"I
really
don't like horses," I argued. "I will
run
the distance – "

I am quick enough, if I do say so, but Nestor had me in the saddle and was fitting one of my feet into the stirrup before I knew he had hold of me. Achoo barked, but I could not know if she disapproved of Nestor or laughed at me.

"Nestor!" I yelped.

He calmly mounted his own beast. "Follow close."

I gathered the reins Nestor had twisted around my saddle horn as my horse trotted after Nestor's mount. Achoo ran alongside us, her tail raised in the air.
She
was having fun.

I could not ask Nestor what was going on. There were too many people around us as we rode toward the harbor. I was puzzled. If we were bound for Riverside, shouldn't we go over the ridge? It was only when we crossed the main harborside road and picked up an empty, well-paved track that followed the land's edge that I saw where we were bound. Nestor had taken us to the Couriers' Road. Once we were on it, headed into the trees that covered the grounds around the governor's palace, Nestor looked at me.

"Gallop!" he ordered.

I didn't wish to, but I wasn't given a choice. My horse was so much in tune with his that the moment Nestor began to gallop, so did I. All I could do was hang on and pray that Achoo could keep up.

I need not have worried. Scent hounds can run for long stretches, and only the ones that last are kept for the work. From the way Achoo behaved as we raced over the height behind the palace and down toward Riverside, this was a treat we had arranged just for her. On we rode, until we had reached the waterfront that served the river traffic. Nestor slowed. Cursing, I pulled the reins and finally got my horse to do the same. At last we walked. We passed through traffic again, dodging other horses, carts, cranes, and the usual hordes of people.

Goose bumps rippled down my skin when I saw armed guards around the piles of grain sacks.
That
was new and unpleasant. Just as unpleasant were small groups of idlers in the warehouse shadows. Some were Rats, but many were ragged, ordinary folk. Their eyes were fixed on the grain, and the guards.

Near the wharf where Goodwin and I had entered the city, Nestor took a turn and rode inland for three blocks. He came to a halt at a countinghouse. A lad who seemed to doze in the doorway came forward to take the reins of our horses.

"Watchers?" I heard Nestor ask him.

"Nary a one," the lad replied.

Nestor beckoned to me and I dismounted with care. I handed the reins to the boy with thanks. I do not wish to see that hard-charging bag of bones again, unless it is in my soup.

"Nestor, I need water for Achoo," I said, looking at her. She was still cheerful, but she was panting hard from her run. "It's bad to keep her so dry."

Nestor sighed with impatience, but he said, "I have a flask, but nothing for her to drink out of."

"My hands will be good enough," I told him, kneeling in front of Achoo. He poured three handfuls for us as the lad watched Achoo slurp them down. When I stood, wiping my hands on the insides of my habit's sleeves, I said, "Thank you, Sergeant Haryse."

He grinned and patted my shoulder. "She's a good hound, and you're a good handler. I think I'm going to owe you more than a little water when all of this is done."

Then we followed Nestor into the countinghouse. The room inside was filled with Dogs in uniform. They lounged on the counters, talked in small groups, compared weapons. I blinked, not at all certain of what was going on. Then I recognized some of them: Ersken and his partner, Birch. Nyler Jewel and his partner, Yoav Three other pairs from Corus Lower City Evening Watch, four pairs from Night Watch, and nearabout forty more Dogs I had seen throughout Corus in the last three years, all hard Dogs. Three had scent hounds on the leash. Apart from Nestor, I knew only Sergeant Axman of the Port Caynn Dogs by name. I did recognize the team of Dogs who'd helped Nestor to take Goodwin and me from the Eagle Street court on our first meeting with Pearl. A few of the others also looked familiar. Axman gave a nod to Nestor and winked at me. Of the Port Caynn Dogs, their numbers were equal to the Corus Dogs. Everyone was dressed and armed for a fight.

Then I understood. This was the beginning of a major raid.

Goddess be thanked, Goodwin had returned. She stood at the rear of the room near a door, together with five Crown mages who worked with Dogs at Lord Gershom's bidding. Seeing us, she began to make her way through the crowd, using her elbows at need.

"Why do you look like cheese, Beka?" Nestor asked me quietly. "We've got help."

I was too flummoxed to tell him I hadn't expected help to come so fast. Miracles aren't for the likes of me, didn't Nestor know that? Only the nobility gets them. I was dreaming the sight of all these Dogs and mages, not to mention my partner, that I didn't look to see for a week.

I sat on the step from the entry to the countinghouse floor. Goodwin slapped Nestor on the shoulder, then hunkered down before me. Before she could say anything, my hound went half mad, wagging her tail and licking Goodwin's face and hands. Since Goodwin was tricked out in fighting gear, Achoo also washed plenty of metal studs and stiffened leather.

"Our early reports put my lord Gershom on alert," Goodwin explained when Achoo finally calmed down. "He sent a ship of Dogs to wait off Lurker's Point, out of sight from the river bridges, just in case. When I got to Corus and told him what we had, he didn't want to delay anymore. We rode to meet the ship once we collected Sir Tullus, the Flash District magistrates, the knights, and the mages."

I gaped at her like a country-bred looby.
"Sir Tullus
is here?" I looked around the room, trying to see him. I had spent plenty of Court Days stammering before Sir Tullus.

She grinned. "Yes. Think, Cooper – we'll need magistrates to issue writs, just like we need mages and knights. But first we have to know all that's gone on since I left. What's this Nestor and the sergeant have been telling us, that you're on Sir Lionel's 'wanted' list?"

"I was a fool," I whispered, looking down. "Tradesmen's kennel arrested Master Finer and his whole family. I told Sir Lionel they'd made a mistake and you'd vouch for them if he'd intercede. But Sir Lionel wasn't listening. I lost my temper and spoke as I shouldn't have done. He put a magic on me, Goodwin! After that he wanted his errand boys to toss me into a Rattery Coffin, only Sergeant Axman and his friends saved me. He wouldn't do anything for the Finers. And now... Goodwin, I'm sorry. Master Finer didn't live. His heart..."

Goodwin took hold of my knee and looked down. Her free hand was clenched in a fist. I held still, waiting for her to say something, to tell me she never should have left me here, where her friends might look to me for help.

Finally she looked at me. Her eyes were hard, but she'd let no tears fall. "This is where we blame those who are responsible, Cooper," she told me, her voice very soft. "The colemongers, and the bought Dogs at Tradesmen's kennel. We'll leave an offering for him with the Black God when all this is done, and we'll occupy ourselves with tearing these colemongers apart, all right? We put grief aside for now." She straightened and looked from Nestor to me. I'd forgotten Nestor was yet right beside me. "How did Cooper enter the Black God's priesthood, may I ask?"

"Oh, my disguise," I mumbled.

I tugged it off, over my head and shoulders, as Nestor said, "She's been running from the Rogue
and
Sir Lionel. Pearl's set a price of five gold nobles for Cooper and Achoo, alive and unharmed. She needed a disguise. But Cooper's running has been to some purpose."

"It had better be to some purpose," Goodwin said. She looked at me. "Why
are
you running from the Rogue?"

I grimaced. "Sir Lionel's chief assistant Ives went to Pearl as soon as he escaped Sergeant Axman. I think Ives told her what I'd said to Sir Lionel. It's the only thing that explains the way she bounced when he was done."

Goodwin gently took hold of my ear. I flinched. Sometimes, when I am very stupid, she likes to twist it well. "Cooper?" she asked softly. "What,
exactly
, did you say to set both the Deputy Provost and the Rogue of this city against you?"

I tried to look at the floor, but her grip on my ear kept my head up. "I said he curst well knew who the colemonger was, and he'd let her run beyond all control. And I told him there was yet time, which is when he put the magic on me. He's out of his nob worried that I'll spread wild talk and the Rogue will hold him to blame. I didn't let on anyone but me thought so. I made him think I was trying to get all the glory and keeping good information from you, Goodwin. I –
owwwww!"

I'd wondered when she would twist. Seemingly I had shocked her so much with my tale that she had forgot she meant to do it, until I mentioned her name.
Then
she recalled that she still clutched my poor ear.

"Of all the crackbrained dozy Pups it's ever been my curse to serve with!" she cried. "You just
had
to go and pluck the biggest Rat in all the Eastern Lands, didn't you? You couldn't have held your poxy tongue?"

"I thought she held her tongue well for a first-year Dog," Nestor said kindly.

"It's when she uses it that you have to watch her!" Goodwin snapped. "She'll say any curst thing when she's got the bit between her teeth, and never mind the consequences! I'm surprised she's lived to tell this tale!" She glared at Nestor. "And
you
tell me she's done well, these days I've been away?"

Nestor pulled my ear from Goodwin's hand. "You'll want to hug her, she's done so well. But I fancy she'll only want to give the tale once, because it's a long one. Let's get my lord Gershom and the others to hear it, too."

Nestor tugged me through the crowd of Dogs to the door where the mages waited. Goodwin and Achoo followed. I could hear Goodwin as she muttered, "I thought it was only the hill barbarian I couldn't trust on his own. I thought, Cooper's got a good head on her shoulders. She'll stay out of trouble. I'm getting too old for this."

Nestor opened the door and ushered me into the room beyond. It was a meeting hall, with tables set in rows, and chairs in lines on one side of each table. Lord Gershom sat at the first table, along with Sir Tullus and two other magistrates I'd seen at Provost's House. Three mages had also chosen a table. They were several cuts above what I was used to, which is street mages, hedgewitches, and the sort of folk who worked for the guilds. The very air around these mages hummed.