Part 8 (2/2)
Wikit-Aa tossed salka down his throat with practiced ease. ”It will be touch and go for the Lady and her party, even with your redoubtable a.s.sistance, Cousin. Would it not be wiser to continue downriver to Mutavari, and there embark with the young Prince on a s.h.i.+p sailing around the Peninsula to Labornok?”
”The sea voyage would take even longer than going up the river,” Lummomu said, ”because of the greater distance and the adverse winds at this time of year.”
”And we would then have to travel overland from Derorguila to Ruwenda in order to reach the viaduct,” Kadiya said, ”crossing the Vispir Pa.s.s. With the yearly monsoons, we could find the pa.s.s snowed in by the time we arrived. No... I am determined to return up the Mutar.”
The sagging door of the lodge creaked open, and there stood the beaming factor with a tray, on which stood a steaming crock, a stack of chipped bowls, and a collection of wooden spoons. ”n.o.ble guests! This humble one begs you to partake of a nice fresh karuwok stew. Although the utensils are lowly, you will find the dish both bellywarming and delicious on this dreary day.”
Kadiya frowned. ”That is most civil of you, Factor Turmalai, but we did not order food.”
The bearded man chortled and began setting out the bowls. He nodded at a pair of tall shabby youths who had emerged from some rear door and were carrying a covered cauldron and a big wicker-covered salka jug down the muddy path to the river. ”I have taken the liberty of sending my sons with refreshments for your companions on the boat. The cost will be modest, I a.s.sure you. While you eat, my a.s.sociates are looking into your request for small boats with paddlers.”
”The stuff smells edible,” Lord Zondain conceded, sniffing the portion of stew that had been ladled into his bowl, ”and I for one am famished.”
”Splendid!” The factor rubbed his hands and grinned. ”I'll fetch more salka.” He hurried off into the lodge.
Kadiya stared at her dish without enthusiasm, but Zondain was already eating heartily. ”Dig in!” the Companion urged. ”It's actually quite tasty.”
Jagun lifted his spoon and touched his long tongue to the contents. His yellow eyes popped out on their stalks and he spat, leaping to his feet and knocking over the table so that bowls and salka cups and the stew crock scattered onto the rotting planks of the porch. ”Sacred Flower-it's laced with yistok root! Don't eat it!”
Kadiya, Lummomu-Ko, and Wikit-Aa flung away their spoons and started up, reaching for their weapons. But Lord Zondain still sat on his stool, head lolling forward on his breast.
”Poisoned!” cried the Lady of the Eyes. ”Oh, the treacherous worram-scat! Lummomu, do what you can for poor Zondain, then go deal with Turmalai. You others-with me to the boat!”
She went flying down the path, her great steel sword s.h.i.+ning in the rain, with the Wyvilo skipper and Jagun following. The dock area was an untidy collection of rickety sheds, baled furs and hides, carelessly stacked lengths of timber, and beached water-craft. The factor's sons were evidently aboard Wikit's flatboat. Three other tatterdemalion Varonians guarded the gangplank, one waving a rusty saber and the other two holding long knives.
Kadiya screamed to those aboard, ”Poison! Poison! Don't eat the food!” At the same time she swung her blade at the saber-bearer. He parried her blow clumsily, then rushed at her in an attempt to push her from the dock into the fastflowing river. She sidestepped and thrust forth her booted foot. As the Varonian howled and lost his balance she clubbed him at the base of the neck with her heavy sword hilt. He hit the brown water with a loud splash and was swept away.
Wikit-Aa had already disposed of his human foe, running him through with a fine blade of Zinoran steel. His muzzle opened in a hideous grin of triumph. ”I'll see what's happening aboard!” he shouted, and leapt aboard the boat and ran to the afterdeck-house, from which came sounds of fighting.
Kadiya whirled around to help Jagun. He had sliced his attacker's left leg, drawing blood, but the ruffian had backed the diminutive Nyssomu into a cul-desac formed by two big bales of tarenial hides. Giggling in antic.i.p.ation, the human was drawing back his arm to fling his knife into Jagun's throat when Kadiya hacked off the limb below the elbow. The Varonian fell screaming in a welter of blood.
At that moment a human form crashed out through the starboard deckhouse window. It was one of the treacherous factor's sons, who hit the boat's rail, clung to it precariously for a moment, then slid screeching into the river as a knight leaned through the windowframe and swiped at him with a b.l.o.o.d.y sword. There were cheers from inside.
Another Oathed Companion, Sir Bafrik, came to the deckhouse door and yelled, ”We've done for the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds, Princess! How fare you?”
”Go up to the lodge, some of you! See if Lummomu needs a.s.sistance.” As several knights dashed away she turned back to the injured Varonian, who sat clutching his severed arm with an ashen face. ”Will you die, fellow, or shall I tend to your wound?”
”If-if you please, gracious Lady,” he moaned.
The rain had stopped and it was nearly dark. Sir Bafrik and Sir Sainlat brought out a gore-smeared youth and flung him unceremoniously onto the dock next to the dead man, where he lay half-conscious. Young Prince Tolivar crept from the deckhouse with the Nyssomu Ralabun, both of them seeming to be dazed with terror, and surveyed the scene. Wikit-Aa gave his crewmen a few orders, then came and stood impa.s.sively with Jagun, watching Kadiya minister to the wounded man.
She used his belt to make a tourniquet, which stanched the deadly spurting of blood. Her nearly clean kerchief served to bind the stump. ”Do you have halaka resin among your stores?” she asked the patient when she had finished. ”It is the only thing that will do for treating this kind of injury.”
”I-I know not,” he whispered. ”Factor Turmalai keeps all such medicaments under lock and key.”
”If there is none I shall have to sear the stump with fire,” Kadiya warned, ”or you will die of the putrid rot. On your feet, then. The skipper and I will help you up to the lodge.”
With Jagun following, she and Wikit supported the one-armed Varonian, who was on the verge of collapse, and dragged him to the factor's dilapidated hovel. Turmalai, alternately bellowing curses and sobbing, had been lashed to a stout wooden chair and was guarded by Lummomu and Sir Edinar. Kadiya directed the two Wyvilo to put the injured man in another room and care for him as best they could. Then she noticed for the first time that Sir Melpotis and Sir Kalepo knelt beside an improvised pallet in a corner. Lord Zondain rested there, unmoving and with features pale as wax.
”How fares he?” Kadiya asked.
Young Melpotis shook his head. His cheeks were wet with tears.
Kalepo said, ”Lady, our n.o.ble brother Zondain has pa.s.sed safely beyond, borne into glory by the Lords of the Air.”
”May the Triune G.o.d grant him mercy,” Kadiya whispered. For a minute she gazed down at the dead Companion. Then her blazing brown eyes lifted slowly and regarded the captive factor, who had not ceased his noisy lamentation.
”Maggot-ridden offal,” she said, striding to confront him. ”Is it your usual mode of hospitality to poison your guests?”
Turmalai Yonz made no reply, but only continued to keen and sob wildly over his lost sons. He had seen the fight on the dock before being captured and tied up by Lummomu.
”Tchaa!” Wikit-Aa exclaimed in contempt. ”The one murderous stripling was only knocked senseless after receiving small wounds, while the other who went overboard was seen to reach sh.o.r.e some fifty ells downstream.”
”My precious boys are alive?” the factor cried. ”Praise be to Tesdor the Compa.s.sionate, the Life-Giving!”
Kadiya seized a handful of the factor's dirty hair and hauled his head erect. Her other hand held a poniard. ”You are indeed blessed, you sack of woth-vomit,” she remarked conversationally. ”Your misbegotten whelps have escaped death they justly deserved.” Her blade's point p.r.i.c.ked Turmalai's throat. ”But you will face the judgment of your G.o.d not two minutes from now unless you give me true answers to my questions.”
The factor squirmed and gave a gargling cry.
”Why did you poison our food?” Kadiya demanded. ”Was it only for merry mischief's sake, in order to rob us... or did you have another reason?”
Turmalai's eyes rolled desperately. The sharp steel at his throat drew a threadlike trickle of blood.
”There was... an offer,” he croaked. ”To all of us who dwell along the river. If we were able to capture you, dead or alive, and bring you to a certain spot before the next fullness of the Moons, there would be a reward of a thousand platinum crowns.”
”Zoto's Holy Heel-Spurs!” exclaimed Sir Kalepo, for the amount was literally a king's ransom. He and his brother Melpotis left off their vigil beside their dead brother and stood with the Lady of the Eyes.
”Who promised this extravagant largesse?” Kadiya let loose of the factor with a grimace and sheathed her dagger.
”There was no name given,” Turmalai Yonz said sullenly. ”Only the place where you were to be taken, beside the Double Cascade that lies up the River Oda, which has its confluence with the Mutar some twenty leagues downstream from here. I could not believe my good fortune when you came ash.o.r.e.”
Kadiya reached beneath her cloak and drew forth a folded piece of cloth, which she opened. ”Can you read a map, qubar-dropping?”
”Yes, Lady.”
She indicated a river on the inscribed napkin. ”Here is the Oda. Is this red dot the location where the reward was to be paid for us?”
He squinted at the cloth thrust beneath his nose. ”Y-yes. The very place. You were to be brought there at dawn on any day during this present moon, and those putting up the reward would be waiting.”
”Dawn...” Kadiya gave a curt nod, then put away the chart of viaduct sites and turned to the knights. ”Companions, bring Lord Zondain's body down to the dock. We will build his funeral pyre with the trade goods of this pitiful a.s.sa.s.sin.”
”No!” Turmalai Yonz cried. ”I'll be ruined!”
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