Part 8 (1/2)
”I remember,” said Walter. ”Even most of the Mockers don't know how to find it, and since the spot above where the old mill burned down's been paved over with that new road, it's impossible to find from above.”
”Anything in those crates to eat?”
”If there is, it's long since turned,” answered the man named Josh.
'This place hasn't been used since Hull turned Prince's man and started sailing for the Crown.”
James looked around. ”How many others do you think know of this place?”
Walter shrugged. ”Not many. a.s.suming any of them lived after the raid. Hull's men did most of the slippin' in and out, and just a few of us in the bashers.”
”Then let's keep this our little secret.” James stood and his knees wobbled. Putting his hand on the wall, he steadied himself and said, ”What of the clock?”
”An hour after sundown, or thereabouts,” answered Henry.
”d.a.m.n,” said James. ”I have to get back to the palace, and you've put me twice the distance I was when I started.”
”Best get up to the watch station two streets over, and get some guards to go back with you to the palace.”
”That will take too long,” said James. ”Besides, I know a way that will get me within a block of the palace without anyone seeing me.”
Walter smiled, for the first time. ”Well, there was always that about you, wasn't there? You could find ways around no one else could. That's why you were always able to take those extra little jobs without the Nightmaster's writ.”
James returned the smile. ”Me, work without permission from the Nightmaster?” he said with mock gravity. ”What, and risk you and your lads finding me and roughing me up? I would never do that.”
”Well, it's good to see you've kept your humor,” said Henry, as he looked from Josh to Walter. Then he looked at James. ”What are we to do?”
”Stay here. I'll try to be back before the morning with some food and drink for you.”
”Why would you do that?” asked Josh.
”Because you asked,” answered James. ”And, as of now, you're working for me.”
”But our oath to the Mockers-” began Josh.
”-is only valid if there are Mockers,” finished James. He started walking to the wall farthest from the sewer entrance. ”If, by some miracle of fate, the Upright Man returns, you'll not be bound by me. I know what it is to break oath with him. Few survive. But if he doesn't turn up, well, I've got something you can do to earn your keep and stay on the good side of the law.”
”Good side of the law?” asked Josh.
”Fancy that,” remarked Henry.
James pointed his finger at each man in turn. ”You need all the friends you can get, and right now I may be the only one you have.”
Walter nodded once. ”You've got the right of that, Jimmy.”
”It's Squire James, from now on.”
”Yes, squire. I see,” answered Walter.
James felt along the wall until he found what he was looking for. He tripped a latch and a door, fas.h.i.+oned to look like a random cl.u.s.ter of stones in the wall, creaked open.
”I didn't know that was there!” said Walter.
”Few do,” James replied. As he was about to enter, he added, ”Look, if I'm not back in a couple of days, a.s.sume the worst and you're on you own. In that case, I suggest you find the sheriff and tell him what you know. Means is a tough boot, but he's fair.”
”Don't know about the fair part, but I'll grant you tough,” said Walter. ”We'll think about that if we have to.”
James nodded, and went through the door. He pulled it closed behind him and felt along in the utter darkness. He knew it was only one hundred steps up an inclined pa.s.sage to a trap that had been laid into the floor of what had once been a root cellar in the house next to the burned-out mill. Fortunately for James, that part of the house hadn't been paved over, and was s.h.i.+elded from curious eyes by heavy weeds and brush.
Once he was above ground, he moved through the darkness, avoiding the larger thoroughfares as he made his way toward the palace district. He reached the city gate just north of the palace itself, and hurried through, pa.s.sing a surprised-looking guard who recognized him and who appeared about to ask a question, though James didn't linger to hear it.
James reached the small square, which served to separate the palace proper from the city, and hurried toward the gate. The two guardsmen on duty seemed about to order him to halt when they recognized him. One said, ”Squire James? Is there trouble?”
”Always,” answered James, signaling for the gate to be opened. One of the soldiers hurried to accommodate him, and James swept past him without another comment.
James reached the top of the steps to the palace and waved over the first page he spied. ”Carry word to the Prince that I have returned and will join him as soon as I can make myself presentable.”
The page wrinkled his nose at the sewer aroma that trailed James like a palpable miasma, then remembered his court training. ”Squire!” he acknowledged, and hurried off as quickly as he could.
James almost ran to his room, stripping off his clothing. He'd take a complete bath later, but for the time being the best he could manage was a quick wash with a cloth dipped in the water basin.
Ten minutes later, James emerged from his quarters, to find the same page had return from the Prince. ”Squire!” said the young boy. ”His Highness says he will await you in his offices.”
James hurried to Arutha's offices, knocked, and entered when bidden. Inside, James found a very uncomfortable-looking young man in a city constable's uniform standing near the door, while the Prince sat behind his desk.
”This young fellow was looking for you,” said Arutha, indicating the constable with a nod of his head. ”When no one could find you, Gardan sent him to me. The constable said you were due to meet him on some matter the sheriff and you deemed important. He was somewhat distressed you were not where you agreed to be.”
James smiled and said, ”As well he might, for I was being held against my will.”
Arutha's face remained impa.s.sive but there was a slight hint of amus.e.m.e.nt in his voice as he said, ”It appears you saved me the difficulty of ordering out the guard to rescue you.”
”My captors and I came to an agreement.”
Arutha indicated he should sit. Before he did, James looked at the young man and said, ”You're Jonathan Means?”
”Yes, squire,” answered the young constable. He was perhaps the same age as William, yet there was already evident about him a toughness that James knew well from years of dodging city constables. In the presence of the Prince he might appear to be an awkward boy, but in a brawl Jonathan Means could hold his own, James was certain.
Arutha said, ”I'll listen to your tale of escape later. What I need to know is, what is going on in my city?”
James said, ”Nothing good. As Jonathan and the other constables can no doubt testify, there's been a rash of killings lately that appear to make no sense. As you observed, these killings seem random, but I think the pattern is there. We're just not seeing it.”
”You have some sense of things, though, right?” asked Arutha.
James nodded. ”The Crawler. It appears he has made another bid to dislodge the Mockers, and from what I saw and heard, he may have accomplished that goal.”
Arutha mused aloud. ”Does it matter if one band of thugs and pickpockets supplants another? People will still be bullied and robbed.”
”Setting aside my familiarity with the Mockers and friends.h.i.+p for many of them, still, there is a difference. The Mockers are thieves. They come in a variety of forms, from those who will deftly cut your purse from your belt without disturbing your ruminations on which silk scarf to buy in the market, to those who will simply bang you over the head as you stagger home after too much ale. They number beggars, street boys, wh.o.r.es, and those who, like myself once, are adept at entering homes and stealing whatever has value without awakening the occupants. But they're not killers.”
”I've heard otherwise,” said Arutha.