The girl said nothing but rose and took his hand and led him upstairs. In his drunken state he didnt remember hearing Duncan and Jean entering the room with them, but soon he was lost in the feel, smell, taste, and heat of being with a woman.
He was vaguely aware of Duncan and Jean on the pallet next to the one he shared with Betsy, but he ignored them. He had been with whores in camp less than a hands breadth from other soldiers, so he thought nothing of it.
He got out of his clothing and got Betsy out of hers in quick order, and was lost in passion when a shout came from outside followed by the sound of cracking wood. He almost didnt notice it at first, but another crack followed, and suddenly, before thought was his, he was on his feet, pulling his sword from the scabbard, yelling, Duncan!
Naked, Roo raced down the stairs and into the common room. Deserted and dark, the room was an obstacle course as Roo tried to get to the inns courtyard door without laming himself on a chair or table. Duncans oaths from behind told Roo he wasnt alone in his drunken difficulties.
Roo found the door, pulled it open, and hurried toward the stable where his horses were being cared for and his wagons were housed. His feet encountered wetness as his nose greeted him with a familiar aroma: wine.
He entered the dark barn cautiously, his intoxication gone with the rush of battle readiness. Duncan overtook him and Roo gripped his cousin by the arm, signaling in the dark to move to the side of the barn aisle. Something was wrong and Roo couldnt put his finger on what that was until he saw the first horse. The animal lay on the ground, blood pooling from its neck. Quickly he took an inventory and found all four of his horses had been killed, their necks cut in exactly the right place to bleed them as fast as possible.
Oh, damn! said Duncan, and Roo hurried to find the stableboy lying in his own blood.
They dashed to the wagons and found that every barrel had been stove in or had the bung pulled, so that wine flooded the courtyard. The cracking of wood that Roo had heard had been someone using a large hammer on the spokes of the wheels, so that the wagons were now useless without expensive repair.
The innkeeper came hurrying across the courtyard when he saw the two naked men holding their swords.
Whats afoot? he asked, halting, as if afraid to approach these two strange apparitions any more closely. From his nightshirt it was clear he had turned in.
Someones killed your stableboy and my horses, and ruined my wagons and cargo, said Roo.
Abruptly a scream cut the night and Roo was running past the innkeeper before Duncan could react. Roo almost flew through the door to the inn, banging against a table, and took the stairs two at a time. He reached the room he and Duncan shared and took a half-step in, his sword leveled.
He faltered as Duncan came running up the stairs. Duncan looked over the shoulder of his shorter cousin and again he said, Damn.
Jean and Betsy lay upon the two pallets, their vacant gaze telling both men they were dead before the men could see the dark spreading stains flowing from where their throats had been cut. Whoever had come through the window had taken the two women from behind, killing them quickly and pulling them back on the mats. Roo was suddenly aware he was standing in something sticky and warm and realized the women had probably come to the door after the men had raced out, only to die before they realized someone had entered the room from the window.
Then Roo realized his clothing was strewn around the room. He quickly searched, and as the innkeeper arrived, Roo looked at Duncan and said, They took the gold.
Duncan seemed almost to go limp as he leaned against the doorjamb. Damn, he said for a third time.
The constable of the City Watch was obviously anxious to be done with his investigation. He looked at the dead horses and the dead stableboy, and went into the inn to inspect the dead barmaids, and then asked Roo and Duncan a few questions. It was also obvious that he knew the Mockers were involved and this would be reported in as an unsolved crime. Unless someone was caught in the act, finding criminals and proving guilt was a rare event in a city the size of the capital of the Western Realm. As the constable left he instructed them to report anything they discovered that might help solve the crime to the office of the City Watch, at the palace.
The innkeeper was devastated by the death of his three employees and voiced his fear that he was somehow slated to join them. He ordered Roo and Duncan out of his inn at first light and then barricaded himself in his room.
As the dawn came, Roo and Duncan walked out of the courtyard of the Inn of the Seven Flowers. The early morning press of business hadnt begun, but already workers were moving toward their places of employment. As they entered the street, Duncan asked, What now?
Roo said, I dont know He inhaled as he spied a familiar figure across the street. Lounging against the wall of the building opposite them was the thin man from the day before. Roo crossed the street, almost knocking down a hurrying workman, and as he reached the man, he heard him say, Quietly now, stranger, else my friends will have to shoot you.
Duncan overtook Roo in time to hear the remark and spun around, looking for the bowman. On the rooftop above, a bowman had an arrow drawn hard against his cheek, aimed in their direction. The thin man said, I expect you now understand just the sort of troubles we can protect you from, dont you?
If I thought I stood a chance of not getting my cousin shot in the bargain, said Roo, his anger barely held in check, Id cut your liver out right now.
Like to see you try, said the thin man. You caught me by surprise yesterday, but it would never happen again. He then smiled, and there was nothing friendly in the expression. Besides, theres nothing personal in this, lad. Its only business. Next time you seek to do business in Krondor, let those who can help you help you.
Why did you kill the boy and the girls? asked Roo.
Kill? Me? I dont know what youre talking about, said the man. Ask anyone and theyll tell you that Sam Tannerson was playing pokiir at Mama Jamilas in the Poor Quarter all night long. Did someone go and get themselves killed? He made a signal and moved away, saying, When youre ready to try doing business again, ask around. Sam Tannerson isnt hard to find. And hes always willing to help. He quickly moved off into the press of traffic and vanished from sight.
After a moment Roo asked again, Why did they kill the girls and the stableboy?
Duncan said, My guess is that if youre too stubborn to pay them, theyre making sure everyone else knows the price of doing business with you.
Roo said, Ive only felt more helpless once in my life, and that was when they were about to hang me.
Duncan had heard the story of how Roo and his friend Erik had been reprieved from the gallows after a mock hanging. Well, you may not be dead, as they say, but what will we do?
Roo said, Start over. What else is there to do? Then he added, But first we head for the palace, and the office of the City Watch.
What for?
To tell them we know the name of the man who was behind this, Sam Tannerson.
Do you think thats his real name?
Probably not, said Roo as he turned in the direction of the palace. But its the one he uses, and it will do.
Duncan shrugged. I dont know what good itll do, but as I have no better idea, why not? He fell in beside his cousin and they began walking toward the Prince of Krondors palace.
Erik looked out over the yard where the levies hurried through their drills. He remembered with some guilty pleasure the near fit Alfred, the corporal from Darkmoor, had thrown when informed he was now reduced to the rank of private in the Princes new army. The third time Erik had deposited him on his ear on the parade ground had convinced him to shut up and do as he was told. Erik suspected he would turn out to be a better than average soldier if he could learn to control his temper.
What do you think? asked Robert de Loungville from behind.
Without turning to look, Erik said, Id know better what to think if I knew what exactly you, the Duke, the Prince, and everyone else you meet with every night have in mind.
Youve been down there. You know whats coming, said de Loungville without emotion.
I think weve got a few men here who might do well enough, answered Erik. These are all seasoned soldiers, but some of them are worthless.
Why? asked Robert.
Erik turned and looked at the man to whom he reported. Some of them are barracks rats, fit for nothing much more than light garrison duty and three meals a day. I guess their lords decided it was cheaper to let us feed them. Others are too He struggled for a concept. I dont know, its like a horse thats been trained to do one thing, then you want to train him to do another. Youve first got to break him of the old habits.
Robert nodded. Go on.
Some of these men just cant think on their feet. If youre in a battle and giving orders, theyre going to be fine, but if theyre on their own Erik shrugged.
Robert said, Muster all the castle rats and those too set in their ways to think for themselves after the midday meal. Were going to send them back to their lords and masters. I want the ones who can think on their feet assembled an hour after the first bunch leaves the castle. I need to get this first bunch trained before we do some serious recruiting.
Serious recruiting?
Never mind. Ill tell you about it when the times right.
Erik saluted and was about to leave when a guardsman hurried out of the castle, saluted, and said, Sergeant, the Knight-Marshal wants you and the corporal down at the City Watch office at once.
De Loungville grinned. What do you think? Want to bet its one of our own?
Erik shrugged. No bet.
Erik followed him through the maze of corridors in the Princes palace. The original keep, built centuries before to protect the harbor below from Quegan raiders and pirates, had been added to over the years until a large sprawling series of interconnecting buildings with outer walls rested hard against the harbor side and covered the entire hill upon which the old keep was the summit.
Erik was starting to find his way around and feeling a little more comfortable, but there were still things he didnt understand about what was taking place here in Krondor. He had barely seen Bobby since returning to the city. He and Jadow had been given better than a hundred men each to oversee, with Bobbys orders simply being Put them through their paces and keep an eye on them. Erik wasnt exactly sure what that meant, but he and the other corporal had contrived some vigorous training exercises based on the ones they themselves had endured when first coming into de Loungvilles service. After a week of this, Erik now had a pretty good idea who would fit in with the sort of army Calis was fashioning, and who wouldnt.
Calis hadnt been seen since Erik returned, and when he had asked about their Captains whereabouts, de Loungville shrugged and said he was off on some errand or another. That made Erik uneasy, as did the fact that Eriks place in the scheme of things was unclear to him. The regular guard in the palace either avoided him or treated him with unusual deference for a corporal. He had guard servants address him as sir, and yet when he asked questions, he got brusque, even rude answers. It was clear there was some resentment on the part of the existing garrison over the creation of this new army of Caliss.
As they reached the office of the Watch Commander, Erik found his hand reaching for his sword without thought at the sight of Roo backing out of the Watch Commanders office with his own sword drawn.
A shout from within could be heard: Hell not harm you! Put that sword away! He recognized the voice as belonging to William, Knight-Marshal of Krondor.
Roos appearance was one of a man totally unconvinced, yet Erik couldnt see what was causing his friend such alarm. He almost fell, he was so startled by what he saw next. Coming out of the Watch Commanders office was a green-scaled serpent with large red eyes in an alligatorlike head on a long sinuous neck. Then Erik saw the things body and saw it had wings. It was a small dragon!
Before Erik could do anything, Robert said, Relax. He stepped forward and said, Fantus! You old thief! He knelt next to the creature and put his arm around its neck, giving it a hug as if it were a favorite hound. Bobby told Erik and Roo, This thing is a sort of pet to our Lord William, so dont be upsetting the Kings cousin by trying to kill it, will you?
Suddenly, from inside the office, Erik heard Williams laugh and then his voice: He said hed like to see them try.
Bobby playfully rubbed behind the creatures eye ridges and said, Still a tough old boot, arent you?
Erik took Robert at his word that this was a pet, albeit the most fantastic pet anyone had ever imagined. The creature looked him up and down and suddenly Erik was convinced there was intelligence behind those eyes.
Erik stepped around to where Roo remained hard against the wall and looked past the creature into the office. Inside, the Watch Commander stood, while Knight-Marshal William remained to one side of the desk. Lord William was a short man, barely as tall as Bobby, but he looked fit for his age, somewhere in his fifties. He was reputed to be among the shrewdest military minds in the Kingdom. It was said that in the last years of Prince Aruthas tenure he spent nearly every day talking with the old Prince, learning everything he could. Aruthas deeds had been part history, part legend, but he was accounted one of the finest generals in the annals of the Kingdom.
William said to Robert, Lord James will be along in a minute, and added to Roo and Erik, Would one of you please fetch some water. Your friend has fainted.
Erik looked down, saw Duncans feet sticking through the doorway, and realized he must have been the first to step through the office and encounter the small dragon.
Erik said, Ill go, and was off. To himself he said, Just when I was thinking things couldnt get much stranger.
Chapter Five Newcomer
Roo yawned.
The discussion had been under way for hours. His mind wandered, so that when he was asked a question, he had to say, Excuse me, my lord? Im sorry, I didnt hear what you said.
Lord James, Duke of Krondor, said, Robert, I think our young friend here is in need of refreshment. Take him and his cousin down to the mess while William and I confer.