"How soon?"
"I've lost them already."
"Signal from Su-Cha," Chaz said. "He has them."
Rider peered out the window. Far away, a mirror flashed.
"Keeping their heading," Chaz read.
"Tell him not to get too close," Rider replied. "What do you know about the HurmIslands, Greystone?"
"Not much to know. Uninhabited and considered uninhabitable. Except for the biggest, RadhornIsland, they're little more than marshy places off the mouth of the ClaytyneRiver." The Claytyne emptied into the Bridge of the World from its southern, Saverne side. "Long ago, before the seas were ours alone, there were naval fortifications on Radhorn. Earlier still, pirates nested there, lying in wait for ships headed west."
Rider nodded. "And these days it's suspected of being a hideout for smugglers. The ruins of the fortifications would provide a good hiding place for a pirate airship."
"But Odehnal said Polybos House," Preacher protested.
"Let's forget that for the moment. Chaz. Can you make out Su-Cha?"
"Only when he flashes an all right."
"Maybe we ought to call for an all-out raid," Preacher said. "Half a dozen airships and a company of air marines. Could be anything waiting out there."
"If it becomes necessary." Rider spoke to the propulsive demon. The ship surged forward. "Chaz. We're going down channel and crossing over. Tell Su-Cha." He began shedding altitude.
The airship crossed the Bridge of the World just yards above the waves. It was seen by several merchantmen and fishing vessels, but Su-Cha reported none steering near the HurmIslands. Rider took the airship up into the southern hills, finally grounded in a side canyon leading down to the ClaytyneRiver.
"Now what?" Chaz asked. He was working his sword with a whetstone.
"We wait for darkness. And for Su-Cha."
Su-Cha arrived first, but not by much. "They stuck Soup and Spud in a basement under the old ruins, then headed back for the north shore."
"They just dumped them?" Chaz asked. "Didn't leave any guards or anything?"
"Oh, there's guards. Fifteen or twenty smugglers and runaway slaves and such, that they paid to watch them."
Chaz said, "Something's wrong here, Rider. Either it's a trap or we've been snookered into leaving town."
"No trap," Su-Cha said. "I looked the place over good."
"Perhaps Shai Khe has fallen victim to his own arrogance."
"Well, at least we could have followed the fishing boat if the runt hadn't ... "
Su-Cha was grinning his biggest grin.
"What instructions were the smugglers given as to the care of our friends?" Rider asked.
"They're to treat them well. Till they hear otherwise. The men from the boat—they were all Orientals—paid the smugglers for two weeks."
"And did you do what I suspect you did with your flares?"
"Yep." Su-Cha grinned again.
"And your mirrors?"
"Right up on the masthead. Nobody pays attention to a bird."
"Or a birdbrain," Chaz mumbled.
Rider said, "Let's get flying, then. Soup and Spud are safe for the moment."
"You just going to leave them there?" Chaz asked.
"If we don't mess with them, Shai Khe will think we're off the trail," Su-Cha said.
Rider took the airship back along the reverse of his approach route, but midway across the Bridge of the World he lifted into the normal air lane from Kaizherion. "Take over, Chaz."
He busied himself in the rear of the cabin for several minutes. In time he brought forward a plate of frosted violet glass. He handed this to Su-Cha. The imp held it at eye level, extended, in both hands. "Ready when you are."
Rider spoke one Word of Command. Su-Cha turned rapidly, staring through the glass. "There!"
Rider marked the direction. "Charts, Greystone. Not the direction I expected."
"Thought they would head for the city?" Su-Cha asked.
"Yes."
The boat was bound westward.
Rider examined the chart. "They're hugging the coast. Trying to slip past the patrol in the Narrows. Go down, Chaz. Let's see if we can't raise the guardship."
Finding the Narrows sentinel was simple. The trireme was showing her lights. There were no challengers on Shasesserre's seas.
Rider went down the rope ladder, spoke with the vessel's commander. When he returned, he said, "All set."
Su-Cha squealed maliciously, then spoke the Word of Command that ignited the flares aboard the fishing boat.
The trireme was headed north already, cadence drum pounding. "They'll make it look like a rescue," Rider said. "But then they'll stay on station till they're relieved. Shai Khe will have to do without those men for a while."
"We could use a few for a truth-drawing." Chaz opined.
"The captain will turn them in as suspected smugglers. They'll be available."
"There she goes!" Su-Cha crowed.
A growing fire illuminated the strait.
"Pity we couldn't follow them," Chaz said.
Rider mused, "I don't think they would have led us anywhere. I suspect their function was to draw us away." He shrugged. "We'll see. Meantime, Shai Khe is short even more of his resources. Those can't be infinite."
XVI
Rider used the ladder to deposit Chaz and Su-Cha atop the Citadel, then returned the airship to its cradle. It was near dawn when he reached his laboratory. Chaz opened the door grinning.
"Good news?"
"Good and bad," Chaz said. "The good is we had visitors. They're still here."
"The woman?"
"How did you know?"
"It seemed reasonable. She saw a ring used to open the door. I assume that is how she got inside?"
Chaz nodded. "She used Soup's. The guy used Spud's."
"Guy?"
"Look him over. He wants to play hard boy. Wouldn't talk to us."
"All right. What's the bad news?"
"Two kinds of it. Somebody let out the prisoners you took this afternoon. People are claiming it was all a mix-up and misunderstanding, but a couple City Guards got themselves killed. And KentanRubios is dead. The King wants to see you about that."
"He was murdered?"
"Belledon thinks he was. I already talked to the physician. Says he didn't find anything suspicious."
Rider checked to see if there had been disturbances in the web while he was out of touch. None were evident. Shai Khe was playing a careful game where the web was concerned. Perhaps he had come in contact with it before and been burned by Jehrke.
The library contained two outsiders, each still as a statue. Caracene was one. Her eyes gleamed fear. The other was a well-dressed man, though his clothing was a little flashy. He seemed more resigned than frightened.
"Searched him?" Rider asked.
"Yep. Down to his socks." Chaz indicated ten pounds of razor-sharp cutlery upon the library table. "Regular walking arsenal, this guy."
"I'll release him from the field," Rider said. He ignored Caracene.
Chaz drew his sword.
Rider negated the static spell which held the captives. Caracene staggered. Greystone and Preacher caught her, placed her firmly into a chair. Rider offered a second chair to the other captive. The man seated himself with dignity. He kept his hands carefully in sight.
"A professional," Chaz said.
Rider nodded. Of the man, he asked, "Do I need to indulge in a truth-drawing?"
"You'd be wasting your time. I don't know anything." "Perhaps. Who gave you the ring you used to gain entry?"
"Sanjek Polybos House."
Rider concealed his astonishment. The others were less successful. The prisoner seemed not to notice. "Your assignment?" Rider asked. "Pick up anything he might find interesting." "That's pretty general. Wasn't he more specific?" The captive thought a moment. He eyed Greystone, who was setting up for a truth-drawing, just in case. "He did mention a key to a Treasury lock box. Nothing else specific. I got
the impression papers and documents would be of considerable interest." "Your name?"
The man smiled. "Zantos? Yes. ZantosLeaela." Rider nodded. In a Saverne side country dialect the name meant approximately Stranger Dark As Night. More colloquially, Shadowman. In a way, what Rider had expected from his first glimpse of the man. "Put him in the lumber room."
"You made sense out of that?" Chaz asked, once the prisoner was out of the way. "Yes. He's one of the King's Shadows." "The secret agents who watch for sedition? But ... " "Sanjek Polybos House," Rider said. "We have been mistaken again. We were looking for a place, a building, when we should have been looking for a person." He took Vlazos' key from his pocket. "A person very high up, who is part of the conspiracy." Sanjek, as a title, ranked with legate, legionary commander, or general. Rumor said five men of Sanjek rank controlled the King's Shadows.
One ranked the other four and reported directly to King Belledon. Of the others, one was responsible for the City, another for the HomeTerritories. The other two oversaw the eastern and western provinces of the empire.
"Obviously, Shai Khe has found ways around Vlazos' death."
Rider faced Caracene. "And what was your mission?"
"I was not sent. I came to warn Chaz ... "
"Been singing us the same song," Su-Cha said. "As if anybody is fool enough to believe that even the big thug's own mother would give him warning ... "
The barbarian snagged Su-Cha from behind. His meaty hands surrounded the imp's neck. He wore several silver rings. Su-Cha could not escape. Chaz lifted him chest high. "Should we stew him or fry him?"
"Warn Chaz about what?" Rider asked.
Caracene would say no more.
"Chaz?"
"The way I get it, KentanRubios expected an attempt on his life." He beamed at Caracene. Su-Cha kicked and squeaked, to no avail. "He talked about asking us to help. One of the conspirators heard. When Shai Khe found out, he sent men to intercept any messengers coming from Rubios."
"Did a message come?"
"No."
"Interesting. But you didn't explain why Caracene is here."
"Rubioswas supposed to be killed. She was afraid I might try to stop it and get myself hurt."
Su-Cha unleashed a wild, braying, peacock peal of derisive laughter. Chaz cut it off by squeezing his throat.
"So. Independent confirmation of Belledon's suspicions."
"You going to see him?"
"Soon. Yes. He may know more than 1 thought. And I should let him know what we've found out."
"What about our spy?"
"We'll keep him till we track down Polybos House. But we'll let him go eventually. He hasn't done any evil." Rider fingered the Vlazos key. That bore immediate investigation if someone wanted it recovered. "I'd best get to it."
At the door, Chaz whispered, "What about the woman?" He now carried Su-Cha in one hand, toes dragging, like a child dragging a doll.
"Hold on to her. If she's told the truth, she's put herself in danger."
XVII
"Well," Soup said as Spud sat up, clutching his head. "We're alive. For now."
"Where are we?" Spud asked. And, "What did they give us? I've never had a hangover like this."
"I don't know. To both. With me it's my stomach."
"They dragged us onto a ship. I remember that."
"This is no ship." Darkness surrounded them. So did the odors of damp earth and rot. "You tied up?"
"Yeah. Are you?"
"Yes. But I think I can get loose."
A bright square of light materialized overhead, nearly blinding them. Vague dark shapes looked down. "You guys awake?"
Spud saw no need to pretend otherwise. "Yeah."
"Good. Ready to eat?"
"How the hell are we going to eat tied up like this?"
"I don't know. That's your problem. We just get paid to watch and feed you."
"Where are we?"
"In a hole in the ground." Both men above laughed. One lowered a basket by rope.
"Hurry it up," one jailor said. "I ain't going to sit here all day."
"Hell, let the rope go," the other said.
The line snaked down. The square of light vanished. Soup asked Spud, "What do you make of our new quarters?"
"Only what we know already. It's an old cellar of some kind."
"Those weren't the guys who caught us."
"Hired thugs."
"How do we get out?"
"First let's get untied. Step at a time."
"I'm almost loose ... There. Be done in a minute."
It took longer. Soup's fingers were numb. But in ten minutes both men were free. Soup said, "Shall we sample our host's hospitality?"
"Your stomach better? My head is still pounding."
"A little. I'm starved. We must have been out a long time."
They emptied the basket.
They used the rope to measure their prison. It was twenty-one paces by twelve, and in terrible repair. One end wall was partly collapsed. But that was no help.
Spud found human bones. Neither he nor Soup cared to speculate on their significance.
Soup said, "Looks like the only way out is the way we came in."
"Yeah. How high you figure that was?"
"Twelve feet."
"We could reach it if I stood on your shoulders."
"Maybe. If we could find it. If it isn't locked or something. And if there isn't a guard outside. If I was guarding I'd sit on the lid."
"Best time would be at night, wouldn't it? Real early in the morning night."
Soup asked, "How are you going to know?"
The darkness was dense in that pit. It was a darkness so dense it set the eye to seeing imaginary spooks. But it was not a darkness reserved to them alone. Whenever they were silent for a time, small things rustled. Sometimes it seemed the things were not so small.
"There," Spud said.
"What?"
"Made a lariat out of the rope."
"What good is that?"
"I don't know. Yet. It's a tool. The only one we have. Maybe I could rope the guy and pull him in."
Soup did not think much of that. "Maybe we ought to sit tight."
"You think Rider knows where we are?"
"There's a good chance."
They sat tight a few hours because they had no choice.
Next time a meal came through the hatchway the light was weaker outside. Spud complained, "How about you guys untie us? There's rats down here."
Only one man had come. He laughed. "You don't eat for a few days, those ropes will loosen up." He lowered another basket.
"Keep him talking," Soup whispered.
Spud did his best. Soup examined their prison.
It had been used as a garbage pit. And dump for bodies. He saw fragments of several skeletons. But nothing useful as a tool or weapon.
"Quit your whining," the man above said. "You're alive." And, "I heard you guys was tough. Guess maybe you're not so much after all." He laughed as Spud spat something back.
The easterner demolished the man's claim to a family history.
The light went out.
"I think you made him mad, Spud."
Spud chuckled. "That was the idea. Look up there."
Soup saw a hairline crack of light.
They argued about who would climb onto whose shoulders. The fading of the light caused Soup to give in.
Spud fell off his first two tries. Third time around he caught hold and kept his balance. Soup huffed and muttered. Spud strained and stretched, forced the tips of his fingers through the crack. He ground his teeth, expecting a heel to smash them.
Nothing happened.
He pulled himself up, pushed the cover with his head. "Heavy!" he gasped.
"Hurry!" Soup growled. "You're ruining my shoulders."
Spud heaved again. A corner of the lid rose. Then the whole thing slid aside. He threw an arm over the edge of the hole, anchored himself, looked around. "Nobody up here." A moment la
ter he was out. "The rope!" he said.
It came up. He hoisted Soup. They swung the lid into place.
"Where are we?" Soup asked.
"Someplace near the Bridge. Tell that by the smell."
"Yeah. Looks marshy down there ... What's that?"
A whiny, muted, metallic sound came from the north. "Music," Soup said.
"If you say so." Spud coiled his lariat. "Let's take a look."
In a moment they crouched behind a fallen wall, looked at a shabby building which leaked light and sound. A door opened on the far side. Enough light escaped to betray a small ship drawn up on a narrow beach.
"Smugglers," Soup said. "They hired smugglers to watch us."
"What now?"
"Put some distance between us and them. Hole up till dawn. Then head along the coast till we come to a village."
Spud snorted. "We'll see."
"We won't see much for long if we don't start stepping."
The sun had not been up an hour before they knew the awful truth. "An island!" Soup snarled. "We're on an island."
"One of the HurmIslands, to be exact," Spud said. "Nowhere else fits."
"So we're trapped anyway."
"We'll steal a boat. We're not that far from the Saverne side."
Soup demanded, "How do you expect to do that? It won't be long before they know we're gone and start hunting. We can't grab one of their boats in broad day-light."
"We won't. I'll lower you back down so you can grouch and complain when they come to feed us. I'll pull you out again after dark. Then we'll grab a boat. And have twelve hours' head start."
"Why don't you go down in the hole?"
"It's my plan."
Bickering, they headed for their former prison.
XVIII
Rider was thoughtful as he descended to the Treasury chambers.
"Why so quiet?" Su-Cha asked. In the shadows the imp was almost invisible. He gave Rider a start.
"I'd better pay more attention," Rider said. "You could have been one of Shai Khe's gang."
"Right. I could. So what did Belledon say?"
"That KentanRubios was the chief of the King's Shadows."
"Aha."
"Aha indeed. Polybos House—a pseudonym, of course—is the only other Sanjek in the City."
"Aha again. Where are you headed?"