“This is a private adventure with the Taken,” Pawn said. "They snuck down here.
Supposed to be somewhere else. Figured it was a chance to get even, I guess, now
we're not on the list of the Lady's favorites."
“She doesn't know they're here?”
“No.”
I chuckled. Despite the gravity of the situation, I could not help that.
“They're in for a surprise, then. The old bitch herself is going to turn up. We
got another black castle growing here.”
Several of them looked at me askance, wondering how I would know what the Lady
was doing. I had not explained my dream to anyone but the Lieutenant. I finished
patching Pawnbroker. “You'll be able to travel, but take it easy. How'd you find
that out?”
“Shaky. We talked some before he tried to kill me.”
“Shaky!” One-Eye snarled. “What the hell?”
“I don't know what the Taken told those guys. But they were cranked up. Wanted
our asses bad. Suckers. Most of them got killed for their trouble.”
“Killed?”
"Prince what's-it got righteous about the Taken walking in like they owned the
place. There was a big fight'with the Limper and our boys. Our guys practically
got wiped out. Maybe they'd have done better if they could've rested first.
"Funny. We talked it over like those men and we had not somehow become mortal
enemies, sympathizing. And, in my case, feeling bitter toward the Taken for
having turned and squandered them.
“Shaky say anything about Juniper?”
"Yeah. They had a real old-fashioned blood bath up there. Not much left of
anything. Counting us, the Company was down six hundred guys when the Lady
finished with the castle. Lot more guys was killed in the riots that came after,
when she cleaned out the Catacombs. The whole damned city went crazy, with that
Hargadon leading the rebellion. Had our guys trapped in Duretile. Then the Lady
lost her temper. She wrecked what was left of the town."
I shook my head. “The Captain guessed right about the Catacombs.”
“Journey took over what was left of the Company,” Goblin said. “They was
supposed to pull out with the plunder as soon as they got it all together. City
is so wrecked there isn't no reason to stay around.”
I looked at Shed. A bleaker face could not be imagined. Pain and questions
twisted inside him. He wanted to know about his people. Did not want to speak
for fear someone would accuse him. “Not your fault, man,” I told him. “The Duke
asked the Lady in before you got involved. It would have happened no matter what
you did.”
“How can people do stuff like that?”
Asa gave him the odd look. “Shed, that's dumb. How could you do all the stuff
you did? Desperate, that's what. Everybody's desperate. They do crazy things.”
One-Eye gave me a how-about-that? look. Even Asa could think sometimes.
“Pawn. Shaky say anything about Elmo?” Elmo remained my main regret.
“No. I didn't ask. We didn't have much time.”
“What's the plan?” Goblin said.
“We'll head south when King and Otto get here with the horses and supplies.” A
sigh. “Going to be hard times. I got maybe two leva. How about you guys?”
We catalogued our resources. I said, “We're in trouble.”
“The Lieutenant sent this.” Goblin deposited a small sack on the table. It
contained fifty silver castle coins from Raven's horde.
“That'll help. Still going to make it on prayer, though.”
“I have some money,” Shed volunteered. “Quite a bit. It's back where I was
staying.”
I eyeballed him. “You don't have to go. You're not part of this.”
“Yes, I am.”
“For as long as I've known you, you've been trying to run away. ...”
“Got something to fight for now, Croaker. What they did to Juniper. I can't let
that go.”
“Me, too,” Asa said. “I still got most of the money Raven gave me after we
raided the Catacombs.”
I polled the others silently. They did not respond. It was up to me. "All right.
Get it. But don't dawdle. I want to pull out as soon as I can."
“I can catch you one the road,” Shed said. “I don't see why Asa can't too.” He
rose. Shyly, he extended a hand. I hesitated only a moment.
“Welcome to the Black Company, Shed.”
Asa did not make the same offer.
“Think they'll come back?” One-Eye asked after they left.
“What do you think?”
“Nope. I hope you know what you're doing, Croaker. They could get the Taken
after us if they get caught.”
“Yeah. They could.” I was counting on it, in fact. A vicious notion had come to
me. “Let's have another round here. Be our last for a long time.”
THE INN: ON THE RUN
Very much to my amazement, Shed overtook us ten miles south of Meadenvil. And he
was not alone.
“Holy shit!” I heard One-Eye yell from the rear, and: “Croaker, come and look at
this.”
I turned back. And there was Shed. With a bedraggled Bullock. Shed said, “I
promised to get him out if I could. Had to bribe some people, but it wasn't that
hard. It's every man for himself up there right now.”
I looked at Bullock. He looked at me. “Well?” I said.
“Shed gave me the word, Croaker. I guess I'm in with you guys. If you'll take
me. I don't have anywhere else to go.”
“Damn. Asa shows up, I'll lose my faith in human nature. Also blow an idea I
have. Okay, Bullock. What the hell. Just remember we're not in Juniper. None of
us. We're on the run from the Taken. And we don't have time to fuss over who did
what to whom. You want a fight, save it for them.”
“You're the boss. Just give me a shot at evening things up.” He followed me back
to the head of the column. “Not much difference between your Lady and somebody
like Krage, is there?”
“Matter of proportion,” I said. “Maybe you'll get your shot sooner than you
think.”
Silent and Otto came trotting out of the darkness. “You did good,” I said. “Dogs
never barked.” I had sent Silent because he handled animals well.
“They're all back out of the woods and tucked in their beds,” Otto reported.
"Good. Let's move in. Quietly. And I don't want anybody hurt. Understand?
One-Eye?"
“I hear you.”
“Goblin. Pawnbroker. Shed. You watch the horses. I'll signal with a lantern.”
Occupying the inn was easier than planning it. We caught everyone asleep because
Silent had fuddled their dogs. The innkeeper wakened puffing and blowing and
terrified. I took him downstairs while One-Eye watched everybody else, including
some northbound travelers who represented a complication, but who caused no
trouble.
“Sit,” I told the fat man. “You have tea or beer in the morning?”
“Tea,” he croaked.
“It's making. So. We're back. We didn't expect to be, but circumstances dictated
an overland trip. I want to use your place a couple days. You and me need to
make an accommodation.”
Hagop brought out tea so strong it reeked. The fat man drained a mug the size of
that from which he drank his beer.
“I don't want to hurt anybody,” I continued, after taking a sip myself. “And
I'll pay my way. But if you want it that way, you'll have to cooperate.”
He grunted.
“I don't want anybody to know we're here. That means no customers leave. People
who come through have to see things looking normal. You get my drift?”
He was smarter than he looked. “You're waiting for somebody.” None of the men
had figured that out, I don't think.
"Yes. Somebody who will do unto you as you expect me to, just for being here.
Unless my ambush works." I had a crazy idea. It would die if Asa turned up.
I think he believed me when I claimed no wicked plans for his family. Now. He
asked, “That the same somebody who kicked up the ruckus in the city yesterday?”
“News travels fast.” “Bad news does.”
“Yes. The same somebody. They killed about twenty of my people. Busted the city
up pretty good, too.”
"I heard. Like I said, bad news travels fast. My brother was one of the people
they killed. He was in the Prince's guard. A sergeant. Only one of us ever
amounted to anything. He was killed by something that ate him, I beared.
Sorcerer sicced it on him."
“Yeah. He's a bad one. Nastier than my friend who can't talk.” I did not know
who would come after us. I was counting on someone doing so, with Asa to point
the way. I also figured the pursuit would develop quickly. Asa would tell them
the Lady was on her way to Meadenvil.
The fat man eyed me cautiously. Hatred smouldered behind his eyes. I tried to
direct it. “I'm going to kill him.”
“All right. Slow? Like my brother?” “I don't think so. If it isn't fast and
sneaky, he wins. Or she. There's two of them, actually. I don't know which one
will come.” I figured we could buy a lot of time if we could take out one of the
Taken. The Lady would be damned busy with black castles for a while with only
two pairs of hands to help her. Also, I had an emotional debt to pay, and a
message to make clear.
“Let me send the wife and kids away,” he said. “I'll stand in with you.”
I let my gaze flick to Silent. He nodded slightly. “All right. What about your
guests?“ ”I know them. They'll sit tight.“ ”Good. Go take care of your part.” He
left. Then I had it out with Silent and the others. I had not been elected to
command. I was running on momentum as senior officer present. It got angry for a
while. But I won my point. Fear is a wonderful motivator. It moved Goblin and
One-Eye like nothing I've ever seen. Moved the men, too. They set up every
gimmick they could imagine. Booby traps. Hiding places prepared from which an
attack could be carried out, each glossed with a concealing spell. Weapons
prepared with fanatical attention.
The Taken are not invulnerable. They're just hard to reach, and more so when
they're ready for trouble. Whoever came would be.
Silent went into the woods with the fat man's family. He returned with a hawk
that he tamed in record time, and cast it aloft to patrol the road between
Meadenvil and the inn. We would be forewarned.
The landlord prepared dishes tainted with poison, though I advised him that the
Taken seldom eat. He petitioned Silent for advice concerning his dogs. He had a
whole pack of savage mastiffs and wanted them in on the action. Silent found
them a spot in the plan. We did everything we could, and then settled in to
wait. When my shift came, I took my turn getting some rest.
She came. Almost the moment my eyes closed, it seemed. I was in a panic for a
moment, trying to banish my location and plan from my mind. But what was the
point? She had found me already. The thing to conceal was the ambush.
“Have you reconsidered?” she asked. "You cannot outrun me. I want you,
physician."
“That why you sent Whisper and the Limper? To return us to the fold? They killed
half our men, lost most of theirs, wrecked the city, and didn't make a single
friend. Is that how you win us back?”
She had not been party to that, of course. Pawnbroker had said the Taken were
acting on their own. I wanted her angry and distracted. I wanted to know her
reaction.
She said, “They're supposed to be headed back to the Barrowland.”
“Sure they are. They just go off on their own any time they feel like it, to
settle grudges ten years old.”
“Do they know where you are?”
“Not yet.” I now had the feeling she could not locate me precisely. “I'm outside
the city, lying low.”
“Where?”
I let an image seep through. “Near the place where the new castle is growing. It
was the nearest place we could put up.” I figured a strong thread of truth was
in order. Anyway, I wanted her to find the gift I meant to leave.
“Stay where you are. Do not attract attention. I will be there soon.” “Thought
so.”
"Do not test my patience, physician. You amuse me, but you are not invulnerable.
I am short of temper these days. Whisper and Limper have pressed their luck one
time too many."
The door of the room opened. One-Eye said, “Who you talking to, Croaker?”
I shuddered. He stood on the far side of the glow without seeing it. I was
awake. I replied, “My girlfriend,” and giggled.
An instant later I endured a moment of intense vertigo. Something parted from
me, leaving a flavor both of amusement and irritation. I recovered, found
One-Eye kneeling, frowning. “What's the matter?” he demanded.
I shook my head. “Head feels like it's on backwards. Shouldn't have had that
beer. What's up?”
He scowled suspiciously. “Silent's hawk came in. They're coming. Come on
downstairs. We need to redo the plan.“ ”They?”
“The Limper and nine men. That's what I mean, we need to redo. Right now the
odds look too good for the other side.”
“Yeah.” Those would be Company men. The inn wouldn't fool them. Inns are the
axes of life in the hinterlands. The Captain used them frequently to draw the
Rebel.
Silent did not have much to add, except that we had only as long as it would
take our pursuers to cover six miles.
“Hey!” The old comes-the-dawn. Suddenly I knew why the Taken had come to
Meadenvil. “You got a wagon and team?” I asked the innkeeper. I still did not
know his name.
“Yeah. Use it to haul supplies down from Meadenvil, from the miller's, from the
brewer's. Why?”
“Because the Taken are looking for those papers I've been on about.” I had to
reveal their provenance.
“The same ones we dug up in the Forest of Cloud?” One-Eye asked.
“Yes. Look. Soulcatcher told me they have the Limper's true name in them. They
also include the wizard Bomanz's secret papers, where the Lady's true name is
supposedly encoded.”
“Wow!” Goblin said.
“Right.”
One-Eye demanded, “What's that got to do with us?”
“The Limper wants his name back. Suppose he sees a bunch of guys and a wagon
light out of here? What's he going to figure? Asa gave him bum dope about them
being with Raven. Asa doesn't know everything we've been up to.”