Part 27 (1/2)
One stalwart Lancer, nearly relieved of an arm by the cats, found the desperate strength to aim and fire his pistol into the face of one of the reanimated fiends. His dying vision was of that shattered, swarthy face repairing itself by some fiendish magic as the arrogant would-be victim stood over him with hands on hips.
The temple cats swiftly herded the maddened horses into the gullys cul-de-sac. Balaerik caught up a lance and, drawing near to a bucking steed, sliced open its throat. As it lay kicking in its death throes, he captured its flickering life in his necromantic sphere. It gave no resistance, for animals were even easier to command than twisted souls.
”So be it,” he whispered. ”The end of useless lives-and a new dark beginning.” He stole the horses dying breaths, each in turn, aided by the Dark Company, to whom he spoke.
”Do you cherish this life?”
Affirmations hissed in a half dozen languages from throats still learning again the power of speech.
”Would you remain alive for all time-immortal?”
An eager response ensued, fraught with the terror of those who had learned what the grave held for them.
”I shall be leaving you now, with this hope: Complete the task I set, and live forever. There can be no failure for you, you know that. You know your quarry, and this time there is no restraint on you. Last time I instructed you to torment him at long distance, to make him know the pain of loneliness and loss, to force him to reunite with that other being that troubles us. Now he has done so. Now you may hurt them both any way you wish before destroying them. That is my command. Destroy the samurai, and the man who imprisons the Beast, and you shall live forever.”
A soft sibilant hiss of wonder as the undead killers entertained the tantalizing possibility.
”Death be undone.”
A black gelding thrust upward onto its feet, unsteady at first to be so rudely recalled to life. Then, eyes and nostrils flaring, it walked up to Balaerik and bowed to him reverently.
PART THREE.
Orphans of Arcadia.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE.
The escapees and renegades fleeing with Gonji from Toledo set their barges and boats adrift when they had disembarked near Aranjuez. There they linked up with a wagon caravan bearing textiles purchased by Jacob Neriah.
The crafty old merchant had set them up well: Plenty of wagon s.p.a.ce had been provided for noncombatants, supplies for their mad rush to the sea were trundled out of concealment by Salgueros new command of adventurers, and horses were brought from the stables of three villages for the militant members of the motley entourage.
”Just like Vedun again,” Neriah had jested nostalgically, though Gonji had failed to share his enthusiasm.
The samurai spent the beginning of the journey riding with the wagons, resting his ravaged body until the plan called for separation into smaller caravans and he felt sufficiently trailworthy to take up the reins of a black mare.
He found himself reunited with several old battle-mates, including the surly Corsini, and it was gratifying to know that he still commanded enough respect that old debtors sought him out to repay favors.
But the more Gonji saw of the Inquisition refugees, the less he liked it. There were many families along, young folk and aged. It seemed they believed themselves on some sort of holy pilgrimage to the Wunderknechten sanctuary in Austria, and the samurai was uneasy about his selection as spiritual and military leader of this dangerous retreat.
And though he said little of it, he knew he would pursue a different course from theirs once they reached the sea.
They fled eastward for a few days, gradually angling southeast as they made for Valencia. Neriahs money had found the right hands, and the caravan was alerted in advance to the action the Spanish army planned against them. Messengers had been sent ahead to order blockades by the military outposts along the Mediterranean, and Gonji sensed doom hovering over their trail.
Added to that grim intuition was another concern: In the two days since the escape from Toledo, Simon Sardonis, the dour lycanthrope, had not rejoined the ever-growing party.
Bueys small band of rebels linked up with the main body of the caravan late the second night. Gonji was seated beside the wounded Sergeant Orozco when they rode in. The sergeant had been burning with fever since the ball had been removed from his leg. A Gypsy woman, golden earrings tinkling and glittering in the firelight, attended Orozco, laving his wound with an evil-smelling potion. The fever seemed to be breaking.
The Ox called out a greeting, then dragged a bound-and-gagged, hooded figure down from a horse and pushed the prisoner toward Gonji. The hood was raked off: It was Pablo Cardenas, the solicitor from Barbaso.
”Oriental devil!” Cardenas shouted when the gag had been removed. ”Youre responsible for my familys peril! But you havent escaped them yet. The army will fill you with holes, and then theyll stake you-”
”Wait a moment, wait a moment, Cardenas,” Gonji bl.u.s.tered. ”I dont know what youre holding against me, but Ill tell you, Ive had enough of Spanish accusation. Cut him loose.”
A soldier complied, and the two stood eyeing each other with hostility.
”He blames this on you,” Buey said, extracting and tossing to Gonji...the duplicate of the lost wygyll emblem.
”Cholera,” the samurai swore, catching it and holding it close. ”Not the same, but very much like it. Where did you get this?”
Before Cardenas could answer, Orozco pushed up on an elbow, grunting. ”You mean he had that thing all the time? I knew you only wanted to get me killed so you wouldnt have to pay me back the silver you owe me.”
Cardenas looked from Orozcos sweaty grin to Gonjis curious facial set. ”I-it was found in my childrens bedchamber. You claim you had nothing to do with it?”
”How do you suppose it got there, Kyoos.h.i.+?” Captain Salguero inquired, setting a foot on a stool and leaning forward.
”The witch, probably,” Gonji said softly.
”Domingo Negro?” Cardenas asked, wide-eyed.
The samurai nodded pensively. ”She brought the one I carried to the dungeons. It was lost when Valentinas cell was burned out. She seemed to invest it with a great deal of import. Perhaps thats why she sent us two of them.”
”But why me? Why my children?” the solicitor demanded. ”Why involve us in this lunacy? I have no desire to follow you to your deaths. As soon as you see fit to release me, Im going to rejoin my family. Do you know that we had to run from the colonels troops ourselves because of this? d.a.m.n that witch to the deepest pit of h.e.l.l!”
”Or,” Gonji continued bemusedly, ”perhaps it was to force you to join us that she sent this emblem with you. There may be some reason youre to go along with me.”
”To Austria?” Cardenas shouted. ”You must be mad. Im not going anywhere with you!”
Gonji looked askance at him but didnt reply.
”Is your family safe, then?” Salguero asked the man.
”Si, I think so.”
”Where did you hide them?” Buey pressed.
Cardenas started to answer but held himself. ”Lets just say were heading in the same direction for now.”
”So sorry, senor,” Gonji said gently, ”but I think it will be necessary for us to keep you along until we reach the sea. For our own security.”
”You cant keep me here. Im not your prisoner!”
”We trust you,” Captain Salguero cut in. ”Its just that we cant be certain who you might encounter on the road. Were responsible for many lives here. There are a lot of families who might be imperiled by our pursuers.”