Chapter 27: The Terms of the Deal

Bilblox rose to his feet slowly, struggled to gain his balance, and followed Kiril out of the room – never looking back or stopping to bid Nartam goodbye. He followed Kiril out into the hallway. The hallway was long and narrow, with many doorways, much like the hallway in the hull of a large ship. The wooden walls seemed to creak and the hallway itself seemed to be swaying slightly. Kiril walked at a brisk pace. Bilblox decided not to say anything or to ask questions while they were still within earshot of Nartam. At the end of the hallway, Kiril pushed his way through a doorway and out onto an open-air deck. Bilblox followed. The view was breathtaking. They were on the deck of an old wooden ship that appeared to be suspended in the sky. For the moment, at least, the clouds had cleared and there was a spectacular view. Bilblox could see the icy ground below, the slave barracks, and the Shadow Tree with its wiggling branches; beyond this he could see a landscape covered with millions of trees made entirely of stone and he knew that this must be the legendary Petrified Forest that surrounded Dargora.

Kiril continued walking. There were other ships nearby, just like this one, and they were connected by a series of swinging rope bridges. All of them sat on giant pillars that rose up from the ground below. A stiff wind was blowing. Kiril proceeded across one of these rope bridges, moving quickly, never once glancing downward at the ground below. Bilblox steadied himself and hurried to keep up. They crossed two more bridges until they reached the deck of a small ship.

“Where are ya takin’ me?” asked Bilblox, panting for breath. He felt incredibly weak.

“There is something you need to do for me,” said Kiril, as they continued across the deck of the ship.

“Why should I help you?” said Bilblox, hurrying to stay with him.

“It’s not me you’ll be helping,” said Kiril, “It’s her.” Kiril stopped walking and pointed at a thin girl, with delicate features, dressed in a simple black cloak. Bilblox hadn’t noticed her at first, because she was sitting between two large coils of rope, but now he stared at her unabashedly.

“Resuza?” inquired Bilblox hesitantly.

“No,” said Kiril, “It’s her sister – Naomi.”

“Her sister... you gotta be kiddin’ me,” said Bilblox. “You want me to help her – how?”

“You’re going to save her life,” said Kiril matter-of-factly.

“That’s all?” replied Bilblox. “Anything else while I’m at it?”

“Only you can do it,” said Kiril, his tone conveyed his seriousness.

Bilblox stared at Kiril and then at the girl. She remained silent, but it was apparent that she was quite scared. “And why do you care about this girl so much?”

“I just do,” Kiril replied.

“And that’s why you brought me with you – instead of leaving me to die?” asked Bilblox.

Kiril nodded.

“Does Nartam know about this?” asked Bilblox.

Kiril hesitated, pursed his lips, and said, “No.”

Bilblox whistled, then despite himself, he laughed. It felt good to laugh, for a moment he forgot about his headache. “Kiril old boy, you’re in a jam, ain’t ya?”

Kiril ignored the question. “Will you help me or not?”

“Why should I?”

“Come now,” said Kiril. “We both know why you’ll help her. You will help her because she is an innocent girl and because she is Resuza’s sister.”

“Is that right?” said Bilblox. “And tell me, what’s gonna happen to you when you don’t bring me back to Nartam nice and quick like you promised you would?”

“Let me worry about that,” replied Kiril.

Bilblox looked at Kiril thoughtfully. “There’s something else you ain’t telling me about,” said Bilblox finally. “You’re a good liar, but ya ain’t that good – ya better come clean.”

Kiril nodded and gestured for Bilblox to follow him. “Naomi,” said Kiril, “Stand guard here.”

Naomi nodded.

Kiril searched the deck of the ship carefully, as if studying the planks of wood, and eventually he found a small handle and yanked on it. A trapdoor sprang open, revealing a steep set of stairs. The two men descended the stairs and emerged into a large empty room, perhaps intended for storage, which was dimly lit with a few lanterns. Kiril walked over to the far corner of the room and, with his finger, pointed at a small hole in the wall. It was apparent that he wanted Bilblox to look through the hole and, somewhat reluctantly, Bilblox did so. At first, it was difficult for Bilblox to see anything, but slowly he was able to make out two figures sleeping on the floor. It took him a moment, but then he recognized them – one was Hill and the other was Resuza.

Kiril tapped Bilblox on the shoulder and motioned for him to follow him silently. Kiril led the way back onto the deck above, where Naomi was waiting for them. Kiril walked over to Naomi and nodded.

Bilblox stared at Naomi closely. She clearly was taking instructions from Kiril.

“Hill and Resuza are perfectly fine,” explained Kiril. “I even left some food for them. They’re just sleeping now.”

“What do you want from me?” asked Bilblox. The longshoreman was stony-faced; it would have been impossible for anyone to discern what he was thinking.

“Hill and Resuza have something that I need – a Pen,” said Kiril finally.

“So why don’t you just take it from them?” asked Bilblox.

“Because they don’t have the Pen with them,” said Kiril.

“How do you know?

“The food I left put them to sleep – and I searched them,” explained Kiril. “There is no Pen, which doesn’t entirely surprise me. Hill isn’t a fool. He must have hidden it.”

“And you want me to help you get that Pen?” asked Bilblox.

Kiril nodded.

“You want me to betray them,” said Bilblox angrily.

“Come on,” said Kiril. “Look at yourself. You’ve taken the ash again, you followed me willingly all the way back to Dargora, and you’ve been staying with Nartam in his quarters. It’s a little late to be worrying about betrayal now, isn’t it?”

Bilblox ignored this. “What’s so important about this Pen anyway?” asked Bilblox.

Kiril made no immediate reply. He stood motionless, as if lost in thought, as if debating how much he ought to say. For a very brief moment, Kiril flicked his eyes off into the distance. Bilblox followed Kiril’s gaze and saw that was looking at – the Shadow Tree.

“The Pen can cut down the tree – can’t it?” asked Bilblox.

Kiril said nothing.

Bilblox’s eyes widened suddenly as if he just realized something startling. “No don’t tell me,” said Bilblox. “You would actually...”

“No,” said Kiril. “Not really – not right now at least. But there may come a time...”

“But why?” demanded Bilblox. “After everything that you did to grow it?”

“Because,” said Kiril. “We’ve gotten what we wanted. We already have enough ash to last us a century. And I suspect that once the Shadow Tree has been destroyed, the ash will be safe to take, but until then...

“Come on – you’re telling me you’d really do it?” asked Bilblox. “I don’t believe it.”

“I’m the only one who could,” said Kiril coolly. “Think about it – I’m the only one who could get close enough to do the job.”

“You don’t have the guts,” said Bilblox. “Besides, what about Nartam? You’ve turned on him now? Is that what you’re tellin’ me? I ain’t fallin for that. I’ve heard you mutter his name – Daros – father.”

“NO,” Kiril urgently replied. “Not at all. Believe it or not, I’m doing precisely what he told me to do.”

“Which is what exactly?”

“Be the one man who always sees everything clearly,” said Kiril in a whisper, almost to himself.

“So tell me,” said Bilblox. “What are ya gonna do for me, if I get it for you?”

Kiril nodded his head, approvingly, as if he hoped Bilblox would ask – after all, the mere asking of such a question suggested that Bilblox was at least considering the deal.

“If you get me the Pen,” said Kiril, “I’ll get you out of Dargora – along with Hill and Resuza.”

Bilblox said nothing.

“And,” said Kiril, “I’ll cure you – I’ll give you an herb potion I’ve used in the past to cure the withdrawal. Your headaches will disappear. You’ll even be able to see a little.”

“One more thing,” said Kiril, “If you’re thinking about escaping on your own with the Pen, and double-crossing me, then forget it,” said Kiril, “I plan to have you followed and watched at every step of the way. I’ll have Konrad out there with some six hundred men. And don’t forget where you are – in the middle of nowhere. The only way out of here is with my help. Better men than you have tried to escape, and all have died in the wilderness. No one escapes here. Just remember that.”

“What about Naomi?” asked Bilblox. “What happens to her?”

“She goes with you,” replied Kiril. “She will be well protected.”

Bilblox looked at Kiril and then at Naomi. She didn’t seem to need protection. More likely she was Kiril’s eyes and ears. Still, it was difficult to think of another way out. After a pause of several seconds, Bilblox looked again at Kiril and nodded. “I’m a fool to take your deal,” said Bilblox, “but I’ll do it. But look at me now. I’m weak and barely able to stand up. You need to give me that potion, so I can think clearly.”

“I suspected as much,” replied Kiril. He handed a small vial from inside his jacket to Bilblox.

“Drink it in one gulp. You’ll be fine for a while. And when our deal is complete, you’ll get as much as you want, as well as the instructions to make it on your own.”

Bilblox nodded and took the vial. He had no doubt that he was following Kiril’s plans to the letter.