In many ways, he was Altapasaeda's version of Castilio Mounteban. Both had been notorious criminals supposedly cowed into retirement by law and order. From what I'd heard of Lupa, though, he was in many ways worse, with no time for refinements like diplomacy or restraint. He was also famously stupid, with none of Mounteban's guile.
However limited his gifts of character might be, though, Lupa was keeping his patience well in the face of Alvantes's radiating contempt. "Please, Guard-Captain. While we're certainly glad of your visit, I ask that you mind your tone. Not for my benefit of course, but for that of my men. They can be sometimes overenthusiastic in their desire to serve me."
"Lunto," said Estrada, her voice taut, "I'm not some horse, to be led out by the nose. Please calm down."
Alvantes looked wounded. "What is this?"
"As he's tried to explain, Guiso has been… assisting… with the reconstruction of Muena Palaiya." Estrada's voice was a numbed monotone, as convincing as a bored huckster's. "He kindly offered the service of his employees to fill the diminished ranks of our guardsmen."
Translation: Guiso Lupa had seen an opportunity and exploited it, just as Mounteban had. It was no coincidence. An image flashed through my mind; Mounteban as a bulbous spider spinning his web through every crack and corner of the Castoval.
"So you see," inserted Lupa, "we're all friends here. And as it so happens, your arrival is fortuitous. Since I left Altapasaeda to offer my assistance here, I've received instruction from Governor Mounteban."
"
Governor?
" Alvantes fairly spat the word.
"Indeed. Amongst other matters, he asked that I convey his greetings should we ever meet, and that I pass on how interested he'd be in speaking with you."
"And what does
Governor
Mounteban imagine we have to talk about?"
Lupa gave a gelatinous cough. "He believes your presence would be a – shall we say, calming influence in the current affairs of Altapasaeda. Further, he feels the city would benefit if you were to resume your vacant position. Perhaps not in quite so unrestricted a fashion, but otherwise much as you're accustomed to." Lupa turned hooded eyes in my direction. "In return, he would guarantee that neither you nor your… associates… should fall afoul of any unfortunate misunderstandings that might arise from recent events."
Alvantes's face left no doubt of what his reply was about to be. If I could see it, the dangerous men lurking in the shadows, fingers already resting on blade hilts, could too. I caught his arm once again, dug my fingers deep, and did my best to hang on under the look of fury he turned on me.
"Alvantes has endured a lot of late," I said, "and is more than usually quick-tempered. Lest he should answer rashly, perhaps we could take a little time to confer?"
"Absolutely," agreed Lupa, sounding more relieved than anything. "Take as long as you need."
"Also, we left some friends waiting outside town. We should let them know we're safe and that all's well."
"Friends?" It was startling how suddenly Lupa's solicitousness turned to open suspicion.
"Peasants we met on the road," I said quickly. "You know how it is."
"I can't say I do."
"If we're going to deal," inserted Alvantes with unexpected calm, "you'd do better not to doubt our word."
"Not yours," replied Lupa, his pinprick eyes darting between us. "No, not yours, Guard-Captain. Of course… who am I to keep you from these peasant acquaintances of yours? And in return, I'm sure you wouldn't mind one of my men accompanying you?"
"Not so long as he doesn't mind having his throat cut."
For a moment, Lupa looked as though Alvantes had spat in his face. He recovered quickly. "No, no. Quite right. You should go. Talk with these new friends about what we've discussed." Something dangerous rose in the morass of Lupa's voice then, like a snake darting through swamp water. "In the meantime… we'll be sure to take good care of Mayor Estrada."
Alvantes and I were out of Muena Palaiya, with our escorts left behind closed gates, before either of us opened our mouths again. Even then, it was only for Alvantes to make a long low sound of pure anger, an incoherent growl that made me wonder if I hadn't been safer with Lupa.
"We'll help her," I said.
"Shut up. Damn you, shut up, Damasco."
I shut up.
"We left her there alone."
Unsure if this was an invitation to stop shutting up, I decided not to risk it.
"Damn it all," Alvantes snarled – and there ended our brief, one-sided conversation.
Minutes later, we passed the outcrop shielding the northern cliff road from Muena Palaiya. The giants waited in columns to either side of the highway, like sentinel statues guarding the way. It was clear now why the road had been so quiet; who would want to go near Muena Palaiya with Lupa and his thugs in control? In that one small way, his presence had done us a favour, for many a traveller would have died of alarm to see this monstrous assembly lurking in the gloom.
Huero's cart was pulled up to the verge, while Dura and the children distributed food. Saltlick and Huero were waiting at the head of the column, obviously anticipating our return. They looked anxious when they saw us, no doubt reading the tone of our experience in Muena Palaiya from our expressions.
While Alvantes stood nearby on the edge of the roadside decline, glaring down into the valley below, I briefly explained the situation. It was dismaying to see the strain and worry, so recently removed, flood back into Saltlick's eyes. "Help Marina."
"We will," I said. "I don't know how, but we will."
"You won't." Alvantes turned abruptly. "You can't."
"You don't know that."
"Of course I do! I'll go back. I'll do what he asks, make whatever deal Mounteban wants. There's no other way."
"That's it? Just forget about saving Altapasaeda? Do you really think that's what she'd want?"
A dozen rapid steps carried Alvantes to a point where his face was hardly a finger's length from mine. "I don't
care
what she wants. I care about what keeps her safe." He spun to round on Saltlick, who actually cowered back. "Lupa will have scouts out by now, looking to see who these supposed friends of ours are. If he sees a crowd of giants camped on his doorstep he'll panic. If he panics, he might harm her. Get them out of here."
"Wait," I said. "Just wait."
"Back down the road. Go now."
There was a buzzing building in my head, a fragile note just beneath hearing. I couldn't put it into words or even thoughts, but it was there. Looking at the hulking figures crowded along the roadside, I said, "They're giants, damn it."
"Exactly. Difficult to hide. We need to move quickly."
"No, I mean… they're giants. We have
giants
on our side."
"Be quiet, Damasco."
"Just like Moaradrid did. Only, all Moaradrid wanted was big, dumb soldiers that didn't answer back. He never understood what he had. An army of giants."
"No fight," put in Saltlick plaintively. I hadn't even realised he was following the conversation.
"I know that," I said. "But what if there was no need to fight?"
"Damasco, whatever you're thinking, let it go. They're not an army. They're half starved, exhausted and…"
"Lupa doesn't know that."
"What?"
"Look at them, Alvantes. Look at them! They're terrifying. You and I know they won't squash us like insects just because they feel like it, but Lupa? They're giants, they're on our side, and you want to hide them? You know you can't trust Lupa and Mounteban. You know handing yourself over won't solve anything. We have one chance to fix this and it has to be now."
Alvantes ground the heel of his one hand against his temple, as though trying to bring his thoughts under control by sheer pressure. "I will not let you place Marina's life in danger."
"She's
already
in danger," I said. "Now that Mounteban has her safe and under control, do you think he'll just let her go? The woman he's obsessed with, who just happens to make a useful hostage to keep you and anyone like you from meddling in his business? We have to stop him. And that means stopping Lupa – now, while he's off his guard. But you can't do it alone, Alvantes. You can't talk her out of there. You can't even fight her out."
Alvantes kept the hand in place, gripping his forehead as if it might fly into pieces. "Hells! Damasco…"
"You know I'm right."
He clutched his brow one last time, and the hand dropped to his side. "Yes," he said.
"What?" I really thought I must have misheard.
"This time. You're right. But if you get her hurt…"
"I know, I know. You'll kill me. I'd expect nothing less. But if this has a chance, I'm going to need your help. So you'll have to kill yourself straight afterwards."
"Believe me," Alvantes said, "if our actions bring harm to that woman, my life will last exactly as long as it takes me to rid this world of Lupa and every last one of his vermin."
"I get it.
That woman
happens to be my friend, you know."
I turned to Saltlick. However many times I saw him, there was always a part of my brain that was staggered by just how big he was. Nothing could quite prepare you for seeing the giants together. Even days spent in their company didn't quite remove the instinct to fear them.
For that reason if no other, this might work.
My mind was already speculating on how I could persuade him. But as I gazed up at Saltlick's face, I realised there was no need. I was astonished to find that for once, I could read his expression perfectly – and even more astonished by what that expression was.
It was trust. Trust in me.
"All right," I said. "Here's what we're going to do…"
We gave it an hour.
Alvantes and I stationed ourselves near the bend that closed off the cliff road, and Huero insisted on joining us. "You told Lupa you were going to talk with peasants, didn't you?" he said. "Well, I'm a peasant. Always better not to be caught in a lie."
Meanwhile, Saltlick had taken his people further back towards the Hunch-proper, where they'd be well out of sight. If Lupa had spies out, as no one doubted he would, there would be no way for them to see the giants without passing us. I could only hope they'd give up when they saw us leave, not thinking to wait in case anyone should follow. The possibility that they would was the first great risk in a plan that seemed to consist of little else
but
risks.
Everything rested on the element of surprise. Without it, we were all dead.
The hour passed, Alvantes and I set out by starlight for the town gates, while Huero headed in the other direction, a final corroboration of our story for anyone who might be watching. At the entrance to town, the two thugs who'd escorted us were waiting, slouched against the arch of the already open portal. They didn't acknowledge our return, except to draw the gates shut after we'd ridden past. Then they led us once again up Dancer's Way, back towards Lupa's gaudy mayoral mansion.
Alvantes and I rode as slowly as we dared. In the unlit streets, it wasn't difficult to encourage a leisurely pace. Almost as much as surprise, we needed time on our side. Every moment of delay was a moment in our favour.
Still, our arrival at the mansion-barn seemed to come all too quickly. This time, there were nearly a dozen of Lupa's fake guards waiting outside. Security had obviously risen in Lupa's priorities since our last visit.
We dismounted, let ourselves be led inside.
Everything was practically as we'd left it. Lupa and Estrada still sat in their respective places on the platform. Here as outside, the only difference was in the increased number of armed men spaced around the walls. Whether or not Lupa was really expecting some move on Alvantes's part, he certainly wasn't worried about giving the impression of distrust.
Yet his tone was hearty as he called, "Guard-Captain, good to have you back. You've had ample time to consider, I trust?"
"I have," replied Alvantes.
"And you've concluded, no doubt, that what is right for Mayor Estrada here, what's right for Mounteban and the people of Altapasaeda, is right for you too. You can return to your post – and so long as you keep yourself within the bounds of the new regime, your life can more or less return to what it was before all this…
unpleasantness
."
Alvantes's face gave nothing away. "Yes. A nice idea – in theory. What I'd like to know is what I can expect in practise. Do you have leave to talk terms on Mounteban's behalf?"
Lupa looked uncomfortable. "Terms? Well… to a degree, of course."
"
A degree?
Lupa, can you negotiate or not?"
"Certainly, if a little negotiation is called for, then…"
"If it's
called for?
If you're offering me a job, surely I've a right to discuss details?"
Despite my fears, despite all my doubts, it was hard not to enjoy the show Alvantes was putting on. Even he seemed to be warming to his part. I'd told him to keep the conversation going for as long as possible, but I was beginning to suspect he had far more in mind than that.
Lupa flicked sweat from his brow with a rubbery palm. "Guard-Captain. The situation is one where compromise on your part is both expected and required. You must see that…"
"
You
must see that this arrangement of Mounteban's is one possibility amongst many. I have other options, Lupa."
"But would those options be so beneficial to all involved?" Lupa made no effort to hide the sudden edge of danger in his voice. "To the good folk of Altapasaeda, say, or to my lovely co-mayor?"