Part 25 (1/2)

”What kind of a lunatic challenges Fir-Noy armsmen?” asked the Bailiff.

Zu Hogan put his hands on his hips. ”The same kind that challenges Bone-faced rot.” Something was wrong with Zu Hogan's voice. It was as raspy as sand.

”That's all good and fine,” said the Bailiff. ”But you've put me in a position. The Fir-Noy want your head.”

”We have far greater things than Fir-Noy honor to worry about,” said Zu Hogan. ”The woman held in Whitecliff, she's gone.”

”Gone?”

”Stolen out of the tower by a creature that tore Droz and his whole guard apart like they were puppets.”

The Bailiff stood stunned. ”Goh,” he finally said. ”Her creation, then, come to free her. Was it sent by her hatchlings?”

”This isn't the creation of babes,” Hogan said. ”We don't know where it came from or whence it bore her. The dogs can't track it.”

Sugar slumped. There was no doubt about Mother now. She wondered what kind of creature it was that had rescued her, but she couldn't imagine it. She couldn't picture her mother as sleth any more than she could picture her as a fish.

She looked up at the Bailiff and Zu Hogan standing at the top of the stairs, wondering if Zu Hogan was now going to turn her in.

The Bailiff cursed. ”That woman is probably all safely tucked away now in some wicked bolt hole.” He shook his head then looked at Hogan. ”This does not bode well for your people.”

”It does not bode well for any of us,” Zu Hogan said. ”Because when you do find them, even if you take one hundred men, it won't be enough. The creature was shot through with arrows and stabbed with spears. Captain Argoth delivered a blow that would have beheaded a horse, which did nothing to it. Then the ballista men shot a dart and smote the beast squarely in the chest, but it still somehow managed to vanish. It cannot be harmed by normal means.”

The Bailiff looked down at Sugar, scanned the cellar.

”What's more,” said Hogan. ”If it's taken her, then I suspect it has also found the two hatchlings that escaped.”

The Bailiff nodded. ”We're done here.” Then he walked back to the front of the house, called his men off, and walked outside.

A wave of relief washed over Sugar.

A few moments later the Bailiff and his men were walking out of the yard.

Sugar's heart soared. Zu Hogan had lied for her and Legs! And in the same breath a.s.sumed a monstrous risk, may the Six bless him!

Sugar whispered to Legs to stay put then she walked back up the stairs. Hogan, Talen, and Nettle stood out in the yard. She exited the house and joined them to watch the Bailiff and his men walk back to the woods where they'd tied their horses.

”Do you think he suspects?” asked Nettle.

”No,” said Zu Hogan. ”Although I do wonder how he missed marking Sugar.”

”We created a ruse,” said Talen.

”Oh?”

”We were . . .”

”Yes?”

”Sporting,” finished Sugar.

Nettle raised an eyebrow, but Zu Hogan looked down at her with a sad smile. His face was bruised. He'd clearly been in a fight. ”Purity's daughter indeed,” he rasped.

What that meant, she could not tell. But she could guess what he was thinking. Her mother was a monster. Right now he had to be wondering how much the mother taught the daughter. But why would he protect the child of a monster?

Because Mother wasn't a monster. There had to be an explanation if she could talk to her.

About a quarter mile down the road from Hogan's place the Bailiff halted the men. Prunes reined in his horse with the rest of them.

”I've been commanded to post a watch on Hogan,” said the Bailiff. ”So two of you are going to stay behind. Prunes, you and Gid will have the first day. I'll send someone to relieve you in the morning.”

That was just Prunes' luck. He gets an opportunity to sleep, but he has to do it with that garlic-eater at his side. Still, some rest was better than none at all. Prunes simply nodded then peeled his horse from the column, Gid following behind.

They hobbled their horses in a small glen on the far side of the hill and began hiking to find the right position to watch the Koramite.

A few steps up the slope and Gid began to sing under his breath. ”A lady green with lips so wide, I could not help but kiss her. But when I'd had my fill of tongue, I put her in the roaster.”

”Will you shut up,” said Prunes.

”They're not going to hear us.”

”I don't care if they do hear us. It's your singing I don't want to hear.”

”I think that Hogan knows something,” Gid said.

”Idiot, we're not going to find anything here.”

”How do you mean?”

”This is Captain Argoth's brother-in-law. We're not going to find anything here but some rest. And that's what I intend to take. And that is also why you're going to keep those lips shut.”

”You don't know what loyalties flow in that Koramite's veins,” said Gid. ”In fact, for a Koramite on the run, this might be the very best place to hide.”

”See,” said Prunes, ”that's what comes of eating too much garlic. Your brain gets the vapors.”

”It's got nothing to do with what I eat.”

”Stinking vapors of the mind,” said Prunes.

Gid made a rude gesture, but Prunes ignored it.

Soon they found an outcropping of rock that gave clear view of the farm, then positioned themselves just behind the brush line.

As soon as they sat down, Gid took out a whetstone and began sharpening his knife.