Part 27 (2/2)

He stopped, unable to continue. Hawklan caught his gaze and held it. 'Lord Eldric. I've told you the truth. I've little comfort for you if that Jaldaric was indeed your son. When I saw him last he was captive but alive, and the man Aelang seemed anxious that he remained so.' He looked round at the other Lords and the Goraidin, their questions restrained only by Eldric's will. Hreldar alone seemed unmoved. 'You have only my word for this, and that of Isloman. But we saw what we saw, and we're here because of it.

Of your own kind only Fel-Astian and Idrace survived and they left us to return here. I don't know where they are now.'

Under his gaze, the anger and disbelief in the watchers began slowly to fade. The enormity of his tale seemed to sound like a deep underscoring note that transformed the chaos of recent events into an even more sinister discord. In its wake came only uncertainty and bewilderment, hanging stagnant in the air.

Eldric's voice cut through the eerie silence. 'We're a logical people, Hawklan, but over the past months we've had to come to terms with many happenings apparently beyond logic. When we spoke together earlier I said I'd judge you by your deeds, and that judgement tells me you're our friend and ally. My heart tells me that also. Lords? Gentlemen?' He looked enquiringly around the room.

There was no dissent.

He continued. 'But, Hawklan, you tell us an appalling tale. We must decide . . .'

'Hush.' The sound came from one of the Goraidin standing by the window. Carefully he eased back the edge of the curtain and peered out. Then equally carefully he replaced it. The others noted the signs.

Sudden movements attract attention. They fell silent. Those who were seated, stood up quietly and reflexively checked their weapons.

'Mathidrin,' the man whispered. 'Probably a couple of hundred. It looks as if they've closed the street and are searching each house in turn.'

Chapter 38.

Hreldar and Darek were correct in their a.s.sessment of the reason why such horror had arisen so apparently spontaneously from the tight-knit diversionary tactics devised by the Goraidin. The Mathidrin did indeed have orders to aggravate any large-scale disorders in the City. Dan-Tor adjusted the details as the day developed, but the overall plan was one of many he had prepared against different contingencies.

Now the men gathered in the upstairs room overlooking a Vakloss street saw another plan being implemented: the systematic and thorough searching of all parts of the City. It was a ma.s.sive operation, and Mathidrin had been brought in from many of the nearby towns and villages to implement it. Yatsu looked at the speaker. 'Archers or hors.e.m.e.n?' he asked. The man shook his head. 'I didn't see any bows. And only one or two officers are on horseback,' he said.

'Two hundred?' continued Yatsu.

'Thereabouts,' came the confirmation. 'Commander,' said Eldric to Yatsu. 'Do you have any plan for an escape from this house?' Yatsu shook his head. 'Not under these circ.u.mstances,' he said. 'We should have been away from the City early last night, but it wasn't possible.' Eldric nodded. 'You have groups waiting outside the City?' he asked.

'Yes,' replied Yatsu. 'And more friends inside the City. But that's all they'll be doing waiting. They've no way of knowing where we are or how they can help us.'

Yatsu signalled one of his men to check the back of the house. Within seconds he returned saying this was guarded also. 'As far as I can see. The alley's narrow. It's hard to get a clear view.'

There was an intake of breath from the man by the window.

'They've found the horses,' he hissed. 'They'll be on us in minutes.'

An anxious scurrying in the doorway announced the woman of the house. She was flushed and agitated.

Yatsu raised his hand before she spoke. 'Yes, we know,' he said, walking over to her and laying a hand rea.s.suringly on her shoulder. 'Is there any way we can get into the houses on either side?'

The woman fluttered her hands helplessly.

'Yatsu,' said one of the men. 'These houses are old. They might have common roof s.p.a.ces.'

The woman nodded her head. 'Yes, they have, and there's a trapdoor . . .' She stepped backwards out of the room and pointed to a panel in the carved ceiling.

Unbidden, one of the Goraidin clambered on to the shoulders of a companion and pushed back the carved trapdoor. Small flurries of dust floated unhurriedly down on to the heads of the watchers below.

'Yatsu,' said Hawklan, 'Dacu and Lord Arinndier can't go scrabbling through that.'

Yatsu ignored him. 'Gag the wounded,' he said to one of his men.

Hawklan's eyes opened in horror, and his fist tightened. Isloman laid a hand on him. 'Eldric's accepted him as Commander,' he said. 'If you don't trust his judgement, trust mine. I know Yatsu, and I know these people. Do as he says without question. If anyone can get us out of here, he can.'

Before Hawklan could answer, Isloman received a nodded command from the Commander. 'You next,'

said the Carver with a grin and, enfolding Hawklan in his powerful embrace, he lifted him effortlessly up towards the trapdoor, where four hands seized him and dragged him into the dark warmth of the roof s.p.a.ce. Amid the buffeting he heard a hammering from down below.

He had scarcely recovered his balance before the rest of the group appeared, including the gagged figures of Dacu and Arinndier. He took charge of them immediately and led them after the others who were disappearing into the dust-laden gloom ahead.

A figure came alongside him and thrust a small torch into his hand. It had a comfortable, solid feel to it, and gave a good steady light. Ahead he could see other torches bobbing in and out between the moving shapes of the running men, and the motionless shapes of the intricate tracery of rafters and spars that supported the complicated roof. As they moved, black bands of shadow swept swiftly and silently about the roof s.p.a.ce, adding ghostly lines to those already etched out by the roof timbers. The air was full of whispered scufflings. Occasionally the floor swelled up in front of them, marking some elaborate ceiling below, and in places the roof dipped low so that they had to crouch almost on all fours as they moved forward. Hawklan watched Arinndier and Dacu closely. They were moving well but both were obviously weak and in pain.

He felt a momentary anger at Yatsu but Isloman's words reminded him of the stern reality of their position. At the same time it occurred to him that both Arinndier and Dacu would probably tolerate almost any pain rather than hamper the group. At least their pain will pa.s.s, he thought. My role here is to follow, help and learn.

Abruptly the light in the roof s.p.a.ce dimmed a little as the trapdoor was dropped back into place. Yatsu caught up with him. 'We haven't too long,' he said. 'The door's barricaded and they'll have to find the man and the woman before they can find out where we've gone.'

In a flash of self-reproach, Hawklan suddenly realized he did not even know their names or how they came to be involved in such danger. 'What will happen to them?' he asked.

Yatsu shrugged fretfully. 'We bound and gagged them. Apart from saying that we forced our way in, they'll tell the truth about us. That's their best protection. But, I don't know . . .'

Hawklan looked at him sideways without altering his forward pace. Yatsu's face was strained. Yes, thought Hawklan, asking others to face danger on your behalf isn't easy, is it? He could sense the man's mind moving back to the sound of screams and cries echoing through streets choked with fumes and ravening crowds. Not your fault, he thought, though you'll never really accept it. Just another scar to bear. More despair. Yatsu was an old soldier. All he could offer the maimed innocents was vengeance but,as an old soldier, he knew it wasn't enough.

Suddenly the group stopped. The way ahead was blocked by a stone wall.

'Is it the end of the row?' Hawklan asked.

Several of the men shook their heads irritably. 'No,' said one, 'there should be as far again if my pacing's right.'

Hawklan decided to stay silent.

Yatsu had not allowed himself the luxury of a single oath at the sight of the obstruction, but his face was as blank and hard as the wall itself.

Hawklan heard no order, but three of the men ran back the way they had come, and as their torches suddenly blinked out, he knew that the first Mathidrin to enter the roof s.p.a.ce would die before they even realized they were under attack. Turning back to the others he saw knives scratching at the wide joints in the wall. The mortar was soft, but the wall looked very solid and the task seemed impossible. It was hard to imagine even these resourceful men overcoming this obstacle.

He turned to his charges. Gently he made Arinndier and Dacu lie down and, with a soft murmur and an almost imperceptible pressure of his hand, he sent both of them to sleep. Yatsu's eyes widened in a mixture of concern and anger. Hawklan gestured him to the wall. 'I'll keep them on their feet,' he said.

'Sleeping like that will husband energies they'd otherwise squander in waiting and fretting.' Yatsu looked at him and then nodded.

'Give me light.' Isloman was standing in comparative darkness a little way from the others. Yatsudirected his torch towards him. There was an exclamation of satisfaction.

'Here we are,' Isloman said. 'I thought I saw it.' He ran his finger along a dog-legged crack running through the stonework. Without a pause he drew his knife and, using his clenched fist like a hammer, quickly and expertly removed much of the mortar surrounding one stone. Hawklan had often seen Isloman work like this when carving fine details, and gave it no thought, but in the circling torchlight, the Goraidin and the Lords formed a necklace of amazed faces about the spectacle.

'Poor workmans.h.i.+p this,' Isloman muttered, sheathing his knife. Then closing his eyes he thrust his fingers into the open joint and even Hawklan was amazed as he saw the power of the Master Rock Worker surge down into his hands and slowly ease the damaged block from the wall. Several willing hands took it from him and he thrust his arm into the gap he had made. He looked pleased.

<script>