Part 10 (1/2)
Tobin sensed a trap in the question, but he was too tired to cope with it. ”His real name's Fidelity, but he doesn't always keep his mind on business. A good-looking clump of gra.s.s, a b.u.t.terfly, anything can distract him, so . . . Fiddle.”
He thought her lips twitched, but the motion was too slight for him to be sure.
”I see. We'll be moving out soon, so you'd better rest.”
She turned away, and Tobin let his eyes fall shut. But before he fell asleep, he made certain the Otherworld stone was still in his pocket.
CHAPTER 11.
The Hedgewitch MAKENNA PAUSED OUTSIDE THE door of the earth hut where the knight was imprisoned. ”You've got everything?” she asked Cogswhallop.
”All but the bell, and the pen pusher'll be along with that soon enough. Stalling, gen'ral?”
”Don't be silly,” she snapped. But she had to admit it was truea”trust Cogswhallop to see it. She opened the door and strode in.
There were several windows, but the little sod room, its ceiling barely high enough for her to stand upright, felt cramped and gloomy. He was sleeping on a pallet by the far wall, free except for the copper chain that dangled from the roof beam to his ankle. Made by goblin smiths, it wasn't as strong as iron, but plenty strong enough to hold a man who had no iron or steel tools. It wasn't a trap, she told herself fiercely. And even if he was trapped, her strange compulsion to set things free didn't extend to humans.
As soon as Cogswhallop stepped inside, she slammed the door and he sat up, blinking sleepily. The bewilderment on his face changed in seconds to mulish stubbornness. Good thing she could work the lying spell, or they'd get nothing out of this one.
Without a word (let him sweat), she gestured to Cogswhallop, who handed her the small bag of silver chains. She laid the first circle on the floor at the north side of the room, opened one of her mother's battered books, and began to trace the elaborate runes around it. Working magic from these books still brought her mother's memory back, but now it carried love as well as sorrow.
The knight watched in silence as she completed the same process at the south and west points, but when she drew near him to lay the east circle he spoke up, apprehension clear in his voice, despite his effort to sound casual. ”What are you doing?”
”Setting a spell.”
”I can see that! I meana”” He broke off, frustrated.
That's right, lordling. I don't have to tell you anything.
The chain rattled as he leaned back against the wall, trying to look composed and in control.
”It's a spell that'll tell me if you lie,” Makenna admitted. She didn't want him too nervous, or he'd refuse to open his mouth. ”A bell will ring.”
”What bell?”
”Erebus is bringing it.”
He looked more suspicious than ever. ”If that's all it is, why don't you just put a truth spell on me?”
”Can't.”
”What do you mean you can't? Why not?”
She snorted. ”I don't have half the power to cast that. This one is complicated enough. Do you mind letting me work?”
”But priests cast truth spells all the time.”
”I'm not a priest.”
A polite tap on the door proceeded Erebus' bustling entrance. ”I've got it, mistress,” he announced. ”Bocami didn't have one, so I started asking all the likely folk and found one at Wintle's house. She was using it to store dried nettles in, which silver's good for, but she says gla.s.s will do as well, if you want to trade for it.” He beamed at all of them, including the knight. Cogswhallop scowled.
”Aye, give her this when you get the chance.” Makenna pa.s.sed him two b.u.t.tons. ”The second's for your trouble.”
With both goblins' help, she rigged a stand and hung the bell in the center of the room. Cogswhallop glanced skeptically at the complex runes. ”Are you sure this'll work, gen'ral?”
”Of course I'm surea””
Ping. The silvery note echoed in the cramped room. Makenna felt her face turn scarlet.
”Well, we know it works,” said Erebus cheerfully.
The knight began to laugh. Makenna glared at him and he sobered, but she wasn't displeased. It'd be easier to catch him off guard if he was relaxed. Would she have the courage to laugh like that, if she was a prisoner? She doubted it.
”What's your name, knight?”
”What makes you think I'm a knight?” he asked pleasantly.
”Your horse's name. What's yours?”
The lingering laughter fled from his eyes as he realized that he'd given himself away. ”Where's Fiddle now?”
”Safe and cared for. Safer than you'll be, if you don't answer my questions.”
Ping.
He managed not to laugh, but it looked like a hard fight.
”Dung,” Makenna muttered. The knight's expression changed to startled disapproval. A prig, was he? Maybe she could use that.
”I said you should let me handle this,” Cogswhallop told her. ”I'd have meant it.”
”His name is Tobin,” said Erebus. ”At least, that's what he told me.”
They stared at the knight, who nodded reluctantly. ”It is. Will you tell me your name, ah, in trade?”
Why not? He wasn't going to take his knowledge to the fair. ”Makenna, Ardis' daughter.” She saw his shock at the implication of b.a.s.t.a.r.dy and smiled. Priggish lordling.
”And will you tell me of your family, Sir Tobin?” He winced at the t.i.tle, and she wondered why, but he said nothing. ”In a way,” she continued, ”it doesn't matter. Your silence tells me there's something to conceal, and my goblins are everywhere. With your name and rank, I can get your life's history in a few weeks.”
”Then why bother with this?” He gestured at the runes and the bell.
”To be sure I have the right name,” she answered promptly. ”I don't want my spies chasing a trail of rotten fish.”
”But why all the trappings? A sorceress of your power should be able to cast this with a wave of her hand!”
This time she laughed. ”And what makes you think I'm a sorceress?”