Part 16 (2/2)
James nodded, a.s.suming that was related to what Walter Blont had told him about the battle between his group and the Crawler's men.
”Well then, when the Crawler's men hit Mother's we all scattered. I'd been fetchin' for Kat and Graves while they was hiding out, getting ready to go to Kesh, and then the Nightmaster is killed. They find him floatin' in the bay. The Daymaster got together with Mick Giffen, Reg deVrise, and Phil the Fingers and they went somewhere, come back saying the Upright Man is dead, and next thing you know a war's on in the sewer. Most of the boys are dead and all the bashers are too.” Limm paused to catch his breath, then carried on. ”Graves and Kat and me were heading out to Kesh, playing the part of a proper family, when we got caught up in a riot at the docks. You know the rest.”
James said, ”There's just been a little too much killing around here for my taste of late.” He filled them in on as much as he felt like sharing, leaving out those details of recent events that he felt might compromise Kingdom security.
When James finished, Graves said, ”Those Izmali a.s.sa.s.sins don't surprise me. I spied a couple of rough-looking Kes.h.i.+ans down in the sewers, while we were trying for the docks, before we came up and got ourselves tossed into jail. Needless to say, I didn't confront them to find out what they were doing there.”
Limm chimed in, ”And some of those who were killing the street boys were Kes.h.i.+ans.”
James silently weighed up how much he was comfortable sharing with his former compatriots. Finally he asked, ”Why would they be killing magicians?”
Graves stopped chewing for a moment. Eyes wide, he swallowed, and said, ”The only reason I can think of has something to do with the Temple of Ishap. I may be a renegade of that order, but there are secrets I will not reveal. This has nothing to do with my duty to the temple, but it does with my duty to the G.o.ds.”
James said, ”Would it have anything to do with the occupation of a house across from the western gate of the palace?”
Graves said nothing, but there was a slight flicker in his eyes.
”Never mind,” said James. ”Despite my years, I've seen enough of priests and oaths to last several lifetimes. I won't press. But any insight you can provide about this murdering of magicians would be deeply appreciated.”
”By you?”
James grinned. ”By the Crown.”
”Enough to get us out of that cell and on our way to Great Kesh?”
”This very night if the Prince likes what he hears.”
”Then take me to the Prince,” said Graves.
James nodded. To Kat and Limm he said, ”Wait here.” Then he opened the door and told the soldier outside to continue standing guard. He led Graves back to where Arutha and William were inspecting the four slain men, presented Graves and finished by saying, ”He may have some pieces of this puzzle.”
Arutha said, ”And they would be?”
”Safe pa.s.sage?” asked Graves of James.
”Safe pa.s.sage?” Arutha raised an eyebrow.
James said, ”A minor matter of civil disorder which was scheduled to be resolved tomorrow morning.”
”This morning, you mean,” said Arutha. ”The sun is but three hours away.” To Graves, Arutha said, ”If you provide intelligence of suitable worth, I think we can overlook the matter of a minor brawl.”
James said, ”More like a small riot, but that's neither here nor there.”
Graves said, ”Then know you, Highness, that I was the man once named Abbot of the Temple of Ishap at Make's Cross. I betrayed my oaths and I betrayed my brothers and now I am consigned to the punishment of the G.o.ds.”
Arutha said, ”The required value of your information just went up a great deal, Abbot Graves. I know that name, and by rights I should bind you over to the temple for its justice.”
Graves said, ”Here is what I may say: there are forces about the land, dark agencies which mean you harm in ways you cannot fathom, Highness. They move in shadows and employ those who may not even realize they are in the service of these powers.
”A matter of great import will occur soon. I think you know what it is and why I may not speak more of it.”
The Prince nodded. ”Go on.”
”There are those who would benefit if things went awry with that matter. It is not important to those dark agencies that they succeed, only that the temples fail.”
”Are you asking me to warn the temples?” asked Arutha.
Graves smiled. ”Highness, nothing I have said to you is unknown to anyone of rank in the Temple of Ishap, or among the prelates of the other orders. I'm trying to ill.u.s.trate a point: your enemies may appear to be acting in a random, even chaotic fas.h.i.+on, because they have no goal, other than to create difficulties for you.”
Arutha said, ”So far I've heard nothing new.”
”Then this is the part you don't know. There is an organization overseen by a man you know as the Crawler. He is attempting to displace the Mockers in Krondor, as well as take over criminal activities in other cities. His goals seem simple: wealth and power. But to achieve these ends, he has allied himself with others: the Nighthawks.” Graves paused to gauge the Prince's reaction.
”Continue,” said Arutha.
”It's an uneasy alliance, for the Nighthawks appear to have their own agendas, including working for those dark agencies I spoke of before. The Crawler's men were those driving the Mockers out of the city. The Nighthawks have been killing magicians.”
”Do you know anything of the a.s.sault upon the Duke of Olasko?”
”One hears rumors, even in your dungeon. It is the result of a plot by one or the other, the Crawler or the Nighthawks. If it's the Crawler, it is because the duke is seen as an impediment to his plans. If it is the Nighthawks, it is because the duke's death serves those dark forces I speak of.”
”Do magicians work for the Nighthawks?” asked James.
”Not that I've heard of, but then they do not work for the Crawler, either. Thieves have little trust of those who practice magic arts, as you know well, Jimmy the Hand,” answered Graves.
Arutha smiled at the mention of that name. ”James also knows how to ask questions to ferret out the truth.
”So if we were to tell you that those who attempted to take the duke's life were magicians, and their target wasn't truly the duke, but the Crown Prince, what say you then?”
Graves said, 'Then a third agency must be involved. Perhaps those dark forces are sending additional agents to insure their ends, regardless of what the Nighthawks and the Crawler achieve.”
Arutha sighed in frustration. ”d.a.m.n me, but at times like these I wish for an enemy in plain sight.”
”Highness,” said Graves, ”I think I can give you at least one.”
”What?” asked Arutha.
Graves walked over to the nearest corpse. ”A man in death doesn't always resemble the man he was in life, but I know this one. His name, or at least how I knew him, was Jendi. He was a raider from the Jal-Pur, and a man with whom the Upright Man has done business in the past. He is a murderer, a slaver, and a robber.” He looked at the Prince. ”How did he come here?”
James answered. ”He was trying to arrange a conversation with me, against my wishes.”
Graves smiled. ”Any chat he had in mind was you telling him everything you have ever known and him listening until he decided to kill you.”
Arutha said, ”So you know this man. Whom do you think he was working for?”
”It is rumored that while Jendi was a common thug, he worked from time to time with more dangerous people: like the Nighthawks.”
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