Part 15 (2/2)

'Same way as anybody else,' said Neeps.

'That's enough out of you, Undrabust!' Fiffengurt snapped. Then he dropped back into the chair with a moan.

'Sounds like you're the one who should abandon s.h.i.+p,' said Thasha.

'Can't swim half that far,' said Fiffengurt, with a glance towards Simja. 'They'd find me washed up on the jetty. No, there's only one thing to do - and I'm going to do it, by d.a.m.n, I've made up my mind.'

Looking rather proud of himself, Fiffengurt took out another letter, fresh and unwrinkled, and waved it significantly.

'I'm telling her to marry my brother, Gellin. He's a bachelor and plannin' to stay that way - never could settle on just one girl, he said. But he wors.h.i.+ps the ground I walk on, and he has a snug little watch-mending business. And here's the best part.'

He leaned closer, eyes twinkling again. 'My first name's Graff. And we both sign our names G. Fiffengurt G. Fiffengurt, see?'

Pazel glanced at the others. 'Uh - not quite, sir.'

'Well now, the neighbours don't much know what those G G 's stand for. And you can be sure the monk who marries 'em won't. So Gellin will just sign my name to the marriage deed, in place of his! On the sly! When I get back I'll be Anni's husband already, and that babe's legal father !' 's stand for. And you can be sure the monk who marries 'em won't. So Gellin will just sign my name to the marriage deed, in place of his! On the sly! When I get back I'll be Anni's husband already, and that babe's legal father !'

He could scarcely contain himself. 'Gellin won't refuse, I know it! He loves Anni, calls her sister already! Hey now, what's the matter?'

All of them, even Felthrup, were looking at him with pity. But no one met his eye.

'They won't let you send the letter,' said Pazel at last.

The quartermaster's face froze. He had been so obsessed with matters in Etherhorde that he had completely forgotten his inability to affect them. Now the plain truth crashed down all at once. His chest heaved, the muscles in his throat constricted. Suddenly he leaped up again and tore the letter once, twice, thrice before their eyes. Then he ran for the stateroom door.

'Wait, wait!' they cried, as Thasha dashed for cover.

But it was too late. Fiffengurt threw the door wide. And there at the cross-pa.s.sage, some twenty feet away, stood Dr Chadfallow.

The surgeon's jaw dropped. Realizing what he had done, Fiffengurt slammed the door anew. Then he beat his head against it until it shook.

'Fool, fool, fool!'

'Stop that!' hissed Thasha. 'Pazel, Chadfallow knows - he looked me right in the face. Go after him! Hurry!'

'I don't trust him,' said Pazel bitterly.

Thasha dragged him to the door. 'We have to tell him something something - he's supposed to be embalming me! Oh, catch him, Pazel, quickly, before he talks! And get back in here as fast as you can.' - he's supposed to be embalming me! Oh, catch him, Pazel, quickly, before he talks! And get back in here as fast as you can.'

She opened the door just wide enough to shove him out. Chadfallow had not moved from his spot at the intersection of the pa.s.sages. His face was bewildered, and he seemed unable to catch his breath.

'What have you been doing, boy? ' he stammered. ' he stammered.

'It was the only way to save her,' Pazel said. 'We had to make Arunis believe she was dead.'

'You fooled someone far more difficult than that sorcerer. You fooled me. How did you do it?'

Pazel shook his head. They had made a promise to Diadrelu: no other humans would learn that ixchel were aboard without permission from the clan.

Chadfallow stared at him fixedly. 'What would Ramachni make of this showing off?' he demanded.

'Showing off?' said Pazel. 'Ignus, what are you talking about? Anyway, Ramachni's gone.'

The doctor looked as though he'd been struck in the face. 'Gone, now? He leaves us now now?'

'He had to,' said Pazel. 'He was so worn out he could barely walk. Look, if you won't come in--'

'I am no mage,' Chadfallow interrupted, 'but I know more about these arts than you ever shall, boy. I know their dangers, their limits. Above all I know what they do to those who dabble in them untrained.'

'So naturally,' snapped Pazel before he could stop himself, 'you helped Mother experiment on me and Neda.'

Chadfallow was furious. 'Helped? You wretch, I opposed it with all my heart!' You wretch, I opposed it with all my heart!'

'After providing everything she needed,' said Pazel. 'The books, the strange little jars and potions - the custard apples.'

Chadfallow appeared to bite back a retort, and Pazel nodded, satisfied. It had been a guess, but a safe one. The night before his mother tried her hand at spellcraft, the doctor had come to their house in Ormael with a bundle wrapped in heavy cloth. Long after the children were in bed he had argued bitterly with Pazel's mother, and finally left in a rage. The next morning she had greeted Pazel and Neda with frothing mugs of custard-apple juice.

'I had no idea what use she had in mind for those apples,' said Chadfallow. 'I was thrown out that night, if you care to know. Such apparently is the fate of those who would befriend your family - to stand like fools on the threshold.'

He reached into his vest and withdrew a pale white cylinder. It was a parchment case, made of some fine wood. 'Is Ramachni truly gone?' he asked.

Pazel nodded again. 'I haven't been lying,' he said pointedly. haven't been lying,' he said pointedly.

It was the last straw for Chadfallow. Grimacing, he tore open the case and pulled out a sheet of parchment. He held it up to Pazel, displaying an elegant, formal script. Then (much in the same manner as Fiffengurt) he tore the sheet to pieces, flinging the bits in the air as he did so. When the deed was done he turned on his heel and left.

All this Pazel watched with folded arms. He barely noticed when the door behind him opened and Neeps stepped close.

'I guess he didn't care to come in, eh mate?'

'I guess not.'

Neeps went forward and picked up a few bits of parchment. He turned them this way and that, fitting them together. Then he grew still.

'Pazel,' he said. 'Come here.'

Pazel didn't much care what the parchment said. Anything from Chadfallow's hand was a lie. But there was something odd in Neeps' voice. He moved behind Neeps and read over his shoulder.

- ay, 26 Halar 941 - der the auspices of His Royal Highness King Os.h.i.+ram of Simja: Negotiant: Dr Espl. Ignus CHADFALLOW Envoy Extraordinaire to His Supremacy Magad V, Emperor of Arqual and The Honourable Acheleg EHRAL Vocal, Court of His Celestial Highness King Somolar of the Holy Mzithrin LET THESE BE THE NAMES PUT FORWARD BY ARQUAL: LORD FALSTAM II OF ETHERHORDE, COMMODORE GILES JASBREA OF ETHERHORDE [HIS LIVING PERSON OR UNDESECRATED REMAINS], TARTISHEN OF OPALT [SON OF LADY TARTISHEN], SUTHINIA PATHKENDLE OF ORMAEL (NON-NEGOT.), NEDA PATHKENDLE OF ORMAEL (NON-NEGOT.), AREN MORDALE OF SORHN--.

Pazel s.n.a.t.c.hed at the bits of parchment. Suddenly nothing else mattered. 'This was written in Halar - last spring.' Pazel's mind was racing. 'That was two months before we sailed. He's been carrying this blary thing all along!' He's been carrying this blary thing all along!'

Neeps picked up the last of the pieces. 'There's another list here,' he said, 'with Mzithrini names, or I'm a dog! Pazel, do you realise what this is?'

Pazel looked at him blankly. Then all at once he went sprinting after Chadfallow.

'Ignus! Ignus!'

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