Secret of the Giants' Staircase (3 page)

The next night, Jesse remained exiled from fishing duties; however, that didn't stop Silas and Parvel from borrowing Jesse's net. They had gone a distance down the river to use it. Silas said it was because the river was too fast where they had made camp. Jesse suspected Silas didn't want him to watch and taunt him if he missed his first few tries.

“He's so used to being perfect at everything he can't stand making a mistake like every other human,” he muttered to himself.

He had to admit, though, that the four of them made a good team.
We might even be the best squad in Youth Guard history,
he thought.
How else could we have stayed alive for so long?

“Come on,” Rae said, jerking him away from his thoughts. “Time to prepare the fire. We want to be ready when Silas and Parvel come back.”

“Even with my net, they might not be able to catch anything,” Jesse said.

“Don't be cocky,” Rae shot back. “You're not the only one who can use that contraption.”

“That's not what I meant,” Jesse said, pointing to the angry storm clouds gathering above them. “Looks like rain. Even if Silas and Parvel come back with fish, we may not be able to make a fire to cook them.”

“I've eaten raw fish before,” Rae said, shrugging. “In training. It can be done.”

Jesse wondered if she was saying that to impress him, or if she really would eat raw fish. Just the thought of it made him sick.

“It's your turn to gather firewood,” Jesse reminded Rae, who had sat down on the grass. She was whittling the bark off a stick with her dagger.

“Here's a deal for you. You get the firewood. I'll patch your boots.”

“Can you do that?” he asked doubtfully.

Her eyes flashed, and the dagger moved even quicker over the wood, slicing longer strips of bark. Jesse was afraid she was going to cut one of her fingers off. “Why? Do you think all I can do is fight?”

Jesse shook his head quickly. “No. It's just that mending things seems so….” He searched for a word that wouldn't make Rae angry and couldn't find one.

“My mother taught me a few things, thank you,” Rae said, rolling her eyes.

Jesse took off his boots and handed them to her without any more comments.

Today, unlike the previous night, it was an easy task for Jesse to find wood. As the day wore on, they had finally left the rugged terrain behind. Now, in place of jagged rock, groves of trees dotted the riverside. Silas had promised them that they would reach the swamp soon.

When Jesse came back with a bundle of wood a quarter of an hour later, Rae already had rags fitted into the hole of one shoe and was cutting cloth to fit the second.

Jesse watched her for a while, then set down the wood and started arranging stones to form a firepit.
Stones are one thing we have plenty of in this district
. “Thank you,” he said to Rae when she handed him the boots.

“My back was sore from gathering firewood every night,” Rae said with a shrug.

Jesse knew that was a lie. Rae never got sore or tired or hurt. At least, that's how it seemed to Jesse. He guessed she just wanted an excuse to help him.

He sat and put the boots on. “There's a thin layer of bark to keep water out,” Rae told him.

“Good idea,” Jesse said.

Rae just shrugged again, but Jesse could tell she was proud of her handiwork.

“Greetings,” a low voice said. Rae gave a short gasp of surprise.

Jesse whirled around. Walking casually out of a grove of trees, was a young man with black hair and tanned skin. He was dressed in a tunic with a strange, circular design dyed in it. Jesse had the feeling he had seen it somewhere before.

“Good day,” Jesse said, forcing himself to sound cheerful.

The stranger looked them over carefully, raising his eyebrows. Jesse didn't like the suspicious cast in his eyes.
He seems…oily, somehow. Yes, that's a good word. Like the grease slicking back his hair
.

“What are you doing alone in these parts, so far away from the main road?”

“My brother and I were fishing,” Rae blurted.

Jesse groaned inside. Rae was not a very good liar. They didn't look like they could be remotely related—Rae with her dark hair and pale skin, and Jesse with brown hair and green eyes.

“You're brother and sister?” the stranger said, arching his eyebrows again.

“Yes,” Rae said firmly.

“She's my half-sister, actually,” Jesse offered lamely.

“And where are you headed?” the stranger asked. “I might be able to give you directions. You seem to have wandered off the main road.”

For a moment, Jesse froze. He didn't know the name of any nearby towns. Then Rae spoke up. “To the swamps,” she said.

The stranger frowned. “Are you sure that's wise? They call them the Swamps of the Vanished for good reason. Those who go in….” He shrugged, but Jesse knew the end of this sentence.
Never return
.

Just then, Silas and Parvel ran into the clearing. “Rae, we—” Parvel began. He froze when he saw the stranger.

“Are they your brothers too?” the stranger asked. His eyebrows were up permanently now, and something about his bland stare made Jesse squirm uncomfortably.

“It's none of your concern,” Rae said hotly. She moved her hand toward the dagger at her side. Jesse prayed she wouldn't have to use it.

Parvel and Silas were unarmed, their weapons in their packs.
Could I sneak over and grab a sword? Even if I could, would I use it?
The thought of killing a man, even one who seemed to be a threat, made Jesse sick.

The stranger began to pace, smiling to himself. “I know who you are. Four young people, alone in the wilderness. Not wanting to be seen. Lying about your identity.”

With every word he spoke, Jesse's heart beat faster.
What do I do? Should we run? Should we fight?
The man didn't seem to be armed, but Jesse knew from experience there were a hundred ways to conceal a weapon.

“Again, it's none of your concern,” Rae repeated. “Leave us be.”

“None of my concern?” The stranger stopped short and gave Rae a look of mock disapproval. “Why, I'm a citizen of Amarias. Shouldn't I be concerned when I discover four young people who are wanted for treason?”

With a cry, Rae reached for her dagger…but there was nothing there.

The stranger held it out, twirled it in the air and caught it again. “Looking for this?”

“Yes,” Rae said. At the same time, she struck the stranger in the face with her fist and grabbed for the dagger.

“Rae,” Jesse yelled, lunging forward.

But the stranger had already broken her grip and turned the dagger on her instead, holding it against her throat. Parvel and Silas rushed to their weapons, but it was too late.

“Hold!” the stranger called. “Put down your weapons, fools!”

“And what makes us foolish? That we would defend our sister?” Parvel demanded. He and Silas were just paces away from their weapons, but made no move toward them.

“No more lies,” the stranger snapped. “I know who you are. You called the little one Rae. The two of you are Silas and Parvel, and the crippled one is Jesse.”

“How do you know our names?” Jesse asked. Even if the stranger suspected they were Youth Guard, he could not know who they were. And if he were one of the king's men, sent to destroy them, Rae would already be dead.

“Come with me,” the stranger said. “I can do nothing without consulting my father and the Kin.”

“Then you can't order us to follow you, can you?” Jesse pointed out.

“If you come peacefully, I won't harm you,” the stranger continued, ignoring him, “despite the king's promise of reward for your death or capture.”

“Reward?” Jesse asked, curious in spite of himself.

“Yes. A very large sum, in fact. One hundred sceptres…for each of you.” Even Rae gasped at that. The slight movement brought her uncomfortably close to the edge of the dagger.

The stranger gave a slight smile. “Tempting, I know. A man like me could work his entire life and never see that much money. Likely that's what the Patrol captain's companions thought when they told the Kin of you. They said to watch for anyone meeting your description and turn you in.”

A Patrol captain?
Jesse glanced at the others. He knew there were dozens of Patrol captains in Amarias. There was no reason to assume the stranger was speaking of Captain Demetri, who had pursued them since the Abaktan Desert.

No reason except the sick feeling Jesse was getting in his stomach.

The stranger paused and held out his free hand, catching a few raindrops that were starting to fall. “Well, will you do it?” Parvel asked.

“The Kin will decide,” was all the stranger would say.

By now, Jesse had decided the Kin was some kind of group or clan, maybe a local government. He had never heard of such a thing, but he was not from this district. It had not taken many days of travel to realize how different the four districts of Amarias were from each other.

“I thought you should know about the rewards, in case you tried to run or attack me.” The stranger looked evenly at them. “There are others looking for you—others who are far more dangerous and bloodthirsty than I am. And they are willing to pay a very high price to make sure you are dead.”

The stranger put his hand on Rae's shoulder and began to march her forward, toward the east. Then he stopped. “And don't try to take those weapons, or anything else in your packs.”

Jesse decided that didn't include his staff. Somehow, the stranger knew he was crippled before he ever took a step. He would guess Jesse needed the staff to walk.

Suddenly the stranger whirled around. “I said, take nothing from the packs!”

Silas was kneeling on the ground. He was clutching the Forbidden Book.

“It's a religious text,” Silas said calmly, wrapping it in his cloak to protect it from the rain. “A book of prayer.”

Jesse almost laughed.
As if Silas of all people would carry a book of prayer
.

The answer seemed to satisfy the stranger, although he waited for Silas to walk ahead of them. “Keep the book close,” he said, prodding them forward. “When you go before the Kin, you'll need all the prayer you can get.”

Even with the darkness of the storm, the wagons of the Kin were the most colorful Jesse had ever seen: huge wooden boxes on wheels painted with swirls of color.

That's when Jesse realized where he had seen the stranger's style of clothes before. They were the same as the costumes of a troupe of traveling performers that had once passed through Mir.

“Don't try to shout for help,” the stranger warned them as they approached the wagons. He was still in the lead, holding Rae captive. “Believe me, if the others know you're here, it'll only be worse for you.” With a reward of four hundred sceptres for them, Jesse was sure he was right.

They wove through the maze of colorful wagons, until the stranger stopped at a yellow one with red trim. Jesse realized he hadn't seen any tents or houses in the clearing.
These people must live in the wagons
, he realized.
No wonder the wagons are so large
.

They climbed the three steps that led to the wagon, and the stranger pounded on the door with his free hand.

“Is that you, Tomas?” a voice rumbled from behind the door. “You're back early.”

The door opened, and a boy no higher than Jesse's waist stood there. Not, Jesse guessed, the one who owned the rumbling voice they had heard. His eyes went wide. “Who are these people?”

“Just let me past,” Tomas said, pushing by him. “And the rest of you come in too. No sudden moves.”

“They're not gonna fit,” the boy warned him.

He was almost right. They all fit, but barely. Silas had to stoop slightly, so he wouldn't graze the ceiling.

Inside the wagon, the furnishings were sparse—just a few blanket rolls and a small table with two thick candles. A large dark-haired man was sitting on a bench that looked like it would crack under his weight.

When he saw his guests, a flicker of surprise registered on his face, but it was gone in the next second. “Now, son, you know that stealing brides is something the Kin gave up many generations ago,” the man said. His voice was stern, but there was a warm twinkle in his eyes.

Jesse had to laugh at the horrified look on Rae's face. “I am
not
—” she began.

“Don't worry. He knows,” Tomas said. He didn't look amused at his father's joke either. He released Rae and pressed himself against the door—to block any escape, Jesse assumed.

“Which one gave you that?” the boy said, pointing to Tomas' black eye.

“Nothing you need to know,” Tomas snapped.

“I did,” Rae said, squaring her shoulders proudly, “and there will be more coming unless you release us!”

“What's all the noise about?” A woman's voice came from beyond a curtain that separated the wagon into two rooms. “Did one of you bring in another snake?”

“Yes,” Tomas said, glancing at Rae. She sniffed haughtily at him.

There were footsteps as the mother of the house ducked through the curtain. “Zacchai, I believe we already discussed—” She stopped short when she saw the Youth Guard members. “Oh my.”

Jesse could tell that Tomas had gotten his looks from her. Instead of looking greasy, though, her hair was a mass of sleek, loose waves, falling most of the way down her back. She held a baby against her hip, who took one look at all the people and started to cry.

“Shh,” the woman said, cradling the baby while giving the visitors a quick glance. She turned to her husband, alarm in her eyes. “It's them, isn't it?”

“Margo, I don't know what you're talking about,” the husband said, yawning loudly.

“Of course not, Ravvi,” Margo said, shaking her head. “You didn't join the Kin assembly yesterday when the messengers from the king came. And when I tried to tell you—”

“There was wood to split!” he protested. “Besides, I care as much for the king's men as I do for the manure heap.” He spit on the floorboards to prove his point.

The baby was still crying. Rae looked about ready to jump forward and strangle it.

Margo looked straight at her son, pleadingly. “Why did you bring them here, Tomas? Why couldn't you have left them alone?”

“I did what I thought was best,” Tomas said, folding his arms over his chest. “We can bring them to the meeting of the elders tonight.”

“You
know
what they would do to them,” Margo said, jostling the baby, who cried louder. Rae growled under her breath.

Jesse stepped over Zacchai, the boy sitting on the floor, and reached for the baby. “May I?” he asked. He was an only child, but the children in the village always seemed drawn to him.

Margo gave him a hard, searching look.
A mother's look
, Jesse thought. Then something in her face softened, and she passed the baby to him.

“The elders will turn them in to the Patrol captain,” Margo finished, turning back to Tomas. “They'll put the money in the Kin treasury.”

“Where it will do much good,” Tomas countered.

“Not blood money,” Margo said. “Blood money never brings good. Only evil.”

Jesse knew “blood money” was the term used to describe money gotten from betrayal, but the phrase still sounded eerie. He remembered another story about blood money—where Judas, a follower of Jesus, turned Him over to the men who killed Him.

But they won't do that to us…will they?

Jesse rocked the baby back and forth. She—Jesse guessed the baby was a she because of the wooden flower on a bracelet around her wrist—seemed confused at first by the new face looking down at her. But she stopped crying at least.

“It's a large amount of money, Mama,” Tomas said. “More than we could dream of, no matter how many performances we give. We could have the life we've always wanted.”

“Then I do not want that life anymore,” Margo said firmly. “Not at that cost.”

“If I may—” Parvel began.

“No, you may not,” Tomas said.

“Son,” Ravvi said in a warning tone. “No need to be rude.”

“He's threatening to sell them to their death, and you're concerned about his tone of voice?” Margo scoffed at her husband.

Jesse made a face at the baby. She giggled. “Shh,” Jesse whispered. “This isn't funny.” He couldn't help but smile, though.

“This is none of our concern,” Ravvi said. “What the outsiders do, the laws they have or break…none of that has any place here. We of the Kin should only concern ourselves with Kin matters.”

“That doesn't seem to be an option,” Parvel said. “We are in your world now. You have to concern yourselves with us.”

He said it like a challenge, and Jesse realized he was right. Any chance they had of survival was with this family.

“There's no going back now,” Tomas said. “So, Papa, Mama, what do we do with them?”

No answer. Parvel seemed to be staring Ravvi down, but Ravvi wouldn't look at him.

“What's her name?” Jesse asked in the pause.

Jesse saw Rae roll her eyes.

“Sofia,” Margo said.

“Right.” Jesse turned back to little Sofia. “Your life is a lot easier than ours, isn't it?” he whispered as the argument went on. She gurgled and spit up on him. “I'll consider that a yes.”

“And I agree with Tomas,” Ravvi said. “This is not something we can decide alone. We must consult the rest of the Kin.”

“Isn't there another way?” Margo asked. “Can't we just let them go? Pretend they were never here?”

Tomas sighed. “Mama, just because Sofia likes one of them….” He shook his head. Sofia giggled, recognizing her name.

“They're clearly criminals,” Tomas continued.

“No, we're not,” Rae blurted. She shot Parvel a quick glance, then continued. “We're Youth Guard members.”

If they had been surrounded by the king's men, that would have been a death sentence. As it was, everyone in the room seemed to freeze, except Zacchai and Sofia. Suddenly, Tomas looked even angrier, Ravvi looked hard and distant, and Margo looked about to burst into tears.

Jesse wondered what it was about the Youth Guard that produced such a strong reaction.

“See?” Rae said, pulling up her sleeve to reveal the symbol of Amarias tattooed into her skin, the mark of the Youth Guard. “As protectors of this kingdom, we ask for your help.”

“We don't owe them anything,” Tomas said, still speaking to his mother. “We should turn them in as soon as possible.”

“No,” Margo said, and when she straightened her shoulders and stood upright, Jesse was sure she would break through the roof of the wagon. “We will do nothing of the kind.” She took a deep breath. “I, too, have a son.”

“Yes, we know,” Rae said dryly. “He's very charming, especially holding a dagger.”

“I do not speak of Tomas, or Zacchai, though they are both dear to me.” Margo's face became strong again. “I am speaking of Barnaby.”

Barnaby.
Jesse knew that name. He was one of the four Youth Guard members they were searching for in the squad assigned to the swamps.

Ravvi stood from his bench. “He left us of his own accord, Margo, against our specific orders.”

“Yes, and it was wrong of him,” Margo said, “but he's just a boy still.”

“Stop making excuses for him, Mama,” Tomas snapped.

“I am not making excuses,” Margo replied hotly. Jesse was glad he was the one holding Sofia, because her mother was gesturing wildly with every word she spoke. “Right or wrong, he is our son, and I will not give up on him.”

“He gave up on us,” Tomas shouted back. “Did you ever think about that, Mama? Maybe he
did
know exactly what would happen when he left. Maybe he wanted to be cut off from the Kin—from us.”

The wounded expression on Margo's face made Jesse uncomfortable. He felt like they had stumbled into a family conflict and that they should excuse themselves and leave them in privacy. But Tomas still blocked the door, and Jesse was fairly sure he wouldn't be moving.

“He's probably dead anyway,” Tomas said. His facial expression told Jesse the second, unspoken half of his statement:
It's no more than he deserves.

“No,” Margo said quietly, but with force. “I will not believe that. As we of the Kin say, ‘Not all that is missing is gone.' Barnaby may yet come back from his foolish mission.”

“Your son is in the Youth Guard?” Jesse asked, shifting Sofia in his arms.

Margo nodded. “He's been gone for more than four months.”

Jesse knew that this included the three months of training in the capital city. He glanced at Parvel for guidance. “Should we tell them?”

“I don't think we have a choice now that you've spoken,” Silas said dryly.

He was right. Everyone in the wagon was staring at him. “Well,” Jesse asked, “where should I start?”

“At the beginning,” Zacchai suggested. He looked excited, clearly sensing a story coming.

So Jesse began, “One month ago, I was cleaning tables in Mir….”

“No—” Tomas interrupted, “not at the beginning Something…sooner. And quicker.”

Jesse shrugged. “Fine.” One of the first rules of storytelling was always keep the audience happy.
Especially when one audience member is holding a dagger
. “We are in the Youth Guard as you know. What you may not know is that, instead of helping us accomplish our mission, the king and his men tried to kill us.”

Jesse waited for a response of surprise and alarm, the same response he had when he heard the news. Nothing happened.

“They don't care, Jesse,” Rae said. “It's none of their concern, remember?”

“Oh,” Jesse said. Then he remembered why he had told the story in the first place. “But it isn't just us the king is trying to kill. He's trying to wipe out every single Youth Guard member…including Barnaby.”

Now Margo gasped. Even Ravvi looked alarmed.

“Mama,” Zacchai whimpered, and Jesse felt a twinge of guilt about being so blunt in front of the boy. “Is Barnaby going to die?”

“Not if we can help it,” Parvel said. “We have his squad's last known location. That's why we're here, and why the Patrol captain was so desperate to get rid of us. He knows we could save others.”

“Why?” Tomas challenged. “If you could save yourselves and run, why find the others?”

Jesse thought for a second. “Because the Youth Guard members, all of them, are part of our Kin,” he finally said.

That, he could tell, connected with them, but Tomas still stood in the doorway, arms crossed. “What if they're lying?” he asked.

Silas took out the Forbidden Book. Carefully, he paged through it until he found what he was looking for. He held up the book.

It was a sketch of Barnaby. Jesse could tell that immediately. He looked like a small version of Ravvi, a mischievous grin lighting up his face. Two feathers stuck out from behind his ear.

Margo gave a slight moan, and Jesse was afraid she was going to cry. He was never sure what to do when females cried, unless they were Sofia's age. She was currently chewing on a tassel attached to her blanket, unaware of the conflict around her.

“You must let us go,” Parvel said. “We cannot promise that we will find your son, but we will die trying, if need be.” Jesse knew that he meant every word.

“
We
should be going to find Barnaby,” Ravvi muttered, clenching his fists at his side. “I should go.”

“You know you can't, Papa,” Tomas said. “The Kin could disown you too. If you leave, you leave Mama, Zacchai, Sofia and me.”

“You?” Ravvi demanded, his voice rising. “You would not come with your father to save your own brother?”

Tomas didn't answer.

“We must decide,” Margo said, “quickly, before the Kin meeting is called and the elders gather.”