Roo pointed.
‘I see Greylock!’ he said.
Erik, Jadow, Duke James, Robert de Loungville, and Knight-Marshal William waited upon the royal dock as Trenchard’s Revenge was approaching the waiting party. Anxious eyes scanned the distant ship, looking for those other members of Calis’s company who might have somehow survived the Emerald Queen’s attack on the distant city of Maharta.
‘Easy to see that grey streak,’ said Roo, shading his eyes against the bright afternoon sun. In the last month, since he had become veritable partners with Helmut Grindle, Roo had been too busy to think overly long on his former companions, but when Erik had sent word that the other ship from Novindus was sighted coming across the harbor’s outer boundary, he left Duncan to oversee the loading of wagons for a short trip up the coast to Sarth, and hurried to see the ship put in. Like Erik, he felt the loss of those other men who had endured the hardship of that long voyage across the sea two years before. Then he saw a familiar figure near Greylock, and he shouted, ‘Luis! It’s Luis!’
Jadow said, ‘You’re right, man. It’s that foul-tempered Rodezian mother-lover or I’m a priest of Sung.’
Roo waved and Greylock and Luis waved in return. Then the mood darkened as Roo realized there were no other members of his company on deck. As if sensing his boyhood friend’s thoughts, Erik said, ‘Maybe some of them are ill belowdecks.’
‘Maybe,’ agreed Roo, but his tone revealed he had little hope that was true.
Time passed slowly as the ship came closer to the royal docks. Unlike Admiral Nicholas, the captain of the Revenge seemed disinclined to ignore the prerogatives of the Harbormaster and his pilots, so the ship slowed until it was close enough to the docks to be towed by longboat, then hauled into place.
As soon as the gangplank was run out, Greylock and Luis came down. Greylock saluted Duke James and Knight-Marshal William, while Luis, Jadow, Erik, and Roo all slapped each other on the back, weeping unashamedly at the sight of one another.
Then something odd about Luis struck Roo and he said, ‘Your hand?’
Luis wore a long-sleeved jacket and black gloves. The former Rodezian courtier turned murderer lifted his right sleeve, letting it fall away. His right hand was fixed in a half-claw, the fingers unmoving. A moment of regret showed in his eyes, but all he said was, ‘Buy me a drink and I’ll tell you about it.’
‘Done!’ said Erik, then turned to de Loungville. ‘If you don’t need us right now, Sergeant?’
De Loungville nodded. ‘Don’t get too drunk. I need you and Jadow clearheaded tomorrow. And bring Luis back with you. I’ll have a few questions for him, and there’s the matter of his official pardon.’
‘Pardon?’ said Luis. ‘I remember the Captain saying something but doubted he’d get it done.’
‘Come along,’ said Roo. ‘We’ll tell you about it and try to keep you from getting hung by the City Watch before tomorrow.’
Erik said, ‘Master Greylock, it’s good to see you.’
‘I’ll be around,’ answered the former Swordmaster of the Baron of Darkmoor. ‘We can catch up tomorrow.’ A momentary sadness passed over his face. ‘We have a lot to talk about.’
Erik nodded. Obviously, he had news about those who hadn’t survived the sack of Maharta or the exodus to the City of the Serpent River.
The reunited members of Calis’s company were quickly free of the royal docks, and Erik led them to an inn close by often used by soldiers from the palace. Erik suspected that every employee of the inn was in the Prince’s service; de Loungville had made it clear he preferred his men to frequent the inn of the Broken Shield rather than others farther into the city proper. As the drink was decent for the money, the women were friendly and agreeable, and it was close enough to visit without neglecting his duties at the palace, Erik was satisfied to give the inn his business.
Since it was early in the afternoon, business was light. Erik signaled to the barman for a round of ales, and as they sat, Roo asked, ‘Luis, what happened to you? We thought you were lost crossing the river.’
Calis’s company had been forced to swim across the mouth of the Vedra River to reach the city of Maharta, each man fully armed, and many had not reached the far shore. Luis rubbed his chin with his good hand.
‘I nearly was,’ he said, his Rodezian accent lending an oddly musical quality to his words. ‘Cramped up just a few yards short of that little island you all crawled onto before you continued on, and by the time I got my head back above water, I’d been swept south of it. So I tried to reach the far shore and started cramping again after a while.’
He shook his head, and suddenly Roo realized how much older he looked. A man of not yet middle years, he now had noticeable grey in his hair and mustache. He let out a long sigh as the barman set pewter jacks of ale before them. He drank deeply and continued. ‘I didn’t wait when the second cramp hit. I dropped my shield and sword, pulled my belt knife, and started cutting off armor. When I could get above water again, I was half-drowned, and I didn’t know where I was.
‘The sky was dark and all I knew was I didn’t have much left. I saw a boat and swam for it.’ He held up his ruined right hand. ‘That’s how I got this. I reached out for the gunwale and got a hold of it, when a fisherman smashed it with an oar.’
Erik visibly winced and Roo said, ‘Gods!’
‘I must have shouted,’ said Luis. ‘I blacked out and should have drowned, but someone hauled me in, as I came to on a boat full of refugees, sailing out into the open sea.’
‘How did you get to the City of the Serpent River?’ asked Roo.
Luis told his story, about the desperate fishing folk who sailed past the warships heading after those fleeing the harbor proper, ignoring the little boats that were fleeing the estuary near the city. ‘We started taking on water,’ he said, looking off into space as he remembered. ‘We landed a day northeast of the city, and those of us not inclined to trust their future to the sea went ashore. They repaired the boat, I suppose, or they were taken captive by the invaders. I didn’t stay around long enough to find out.’
He sighed. ‘I owed someone there my life and never did find out who it was who pulled me out and why. We were all brothers and sisters in misery.’ He held out his hand. ‘Besides, this was starting to throb and puff up, black and angry.’
‘How did you fix it?’
‘I didn’t. I considered cutting it off, truth to tell, it hurt so much by the third day, and I was sweating from the fever. I tried the reiki Nakor taught us, and it helped the pain, but it didn’t keep me from burning up. But the next day I found this camp with a priest of some order I’ve never heard of. He couldn’t magic it, but he did bathe it, then wrapped it in a poultice of leaves and herbs. Gave me something to drink that broke the fever.’ He was silent a moment, then said, ‘He told me it would take some powerful healing magic to restore my hand, the kind the temples charge a lifetime’s gold to undertake, and he also said it would be a chance thing; it might not take.’ Luis shrugged. ‘As I am unlikely ever to have the wealth needed, I will never know.’
He pushed his now empty ale jack away and said, ‘So now I am here, and as I understand it, a soon to be pardoned and freed man, and I must consider my future.’
Erik signaled for another round of ale. ‘We all faced that.’
‘If you don’t have any plans,’ Roo said, ‘I could use a man with a good head and some familiarity in dealing with people of importance.’
Luis said, ‘Really?’
Erik laughed. ‘Our friend has realized his ambition and is currently working hard at marrying the ugly daughter of the rich merchant.’
Jadow fixed Roo with a narrow gaze. ‘You’re not taking liberties with that tender child, are you?’
Roo held up his hands in mock defense. ‘Never.’ He shook his head. ‘Fact is, she appeals to me little more than you do, Jadow. She’s a nice enough girl. Very quiet. Not as ugly as I imagined, really, and there’s a hint of something when she manages a smile, but right now I’m fighting a two-front battle.’
‘Oh, this sounds desperate,’ offered Erik.
‘Well, I’m trying to be as capable as I can, to impress her father, but the girl knows I’m about to be hand-picked to marry her, and I don’t think she’s happy about it.’
‘Make her happy,’ offered Luis.
‘How?’
‘Court her as much as you’re obviously courting her father,’ said the Rodezian. ‘Bring her small gifts and talk to her of something besides business.’
Roo blinked, and it was obvious to those at the table that this thought had never occurred to him. ‘Really?’
The other three men laughed and after they were finished, Luis said, ‘Who else made it?’
Erik lost his smile, and Jadow’s grin faded to a scowl.
‘Not many,’ said Roo.
Erik said, ‘The Captain and the sergeant. Nakor and Sho Pi. Those of us here, and a few others from some of the other squads, but of our original six, only we three.’ He indicated Roo, Luis, and himself.
Jadow said, ‘That’s better than the rest of us.’ They all nodded. Jadow’s original company had perished in a holding action with the Saaur while he carried word to the Captain, and he lost his other companions during the final battle at Maharta.
‘Tell him about Biggo,’ suggested Roo, and Erik told Luis about the last of their squad to die. By the time he finished, they were smiling again.
‘I swear he looked surprised. After all that talk about the Goddess of Death and how pious he was,’ Erik said, ‘and this and that, he looked as if …’
‘What?’ asked Roo, who hadn’t been there but had heard the story before.
‘As if he was saying’ – Erik lowered his voice to sound like Biggo’s – ‘“Oh, this is what it’s like!”’ He widened his eyes in mock astonishment.
The others chuckled. After the next round was served, Luis picked up his jack of ale and said, ‘To absent companions.’
They drank and for a moment were silent.
‘What are you two doing?’ asked Luis.
‘We’re helping the Captain build his army,’ said Jadow. ‘Erik and me are corporals.’
Erik removed a small book from within his tunic. ‘Though they have us doing some odd things.’
Luis picked up the book and looked at the spine. ‘Keshian?’ he asked.
Erik nodded. ‘Not that hard to learn to read after you learn to speak it. But it’s slow going. I never was the reader Roo was when we were boys.’
‘What is it?’ asked Roo.
‘An ancient book on warfare, from the Lord William’s library,’ Jadow said. ‘I read it last week. This week he’s got me reading something called The Development of Effective Lines of Supply in Hostile Territory by some Quegan lord or another.’
Luis seemed impressed. ‘Sounds like they’re making a couple of generals out of you.’
‘I don’t know about that, but it matches what Natombi told us when we were on the march in Novindus,’ said Erik.
Luis nodded. Natombi had been another of their company, but he had come from the heart of Kesh and had served with the Inner Legion, the most effective army in the history of Great Kesh, one that had conquered more than two thirds of the continent of Triagia. He had spent many hours talking to Erik about the manner in which the ancient legions deployed their forces and fought their many campaigns. Given the close quarters of their tiny six-man tent, Luis and Roo had heard every one of those conversations, save when they were serving guard duty.
Jadow said, ‘We’re building an army like none seen before.’ He lowered his voice. ‘And you know why?’
Luis half laughed and shook his head. ‘Better than you do, I think.’ He glanced from face to face. ‘I only got away from their advanced units by minutes a half-dozen times. And I watched as they butchered those trying to get away.’ He closed his eyes a second. ‘I’m a hard man, or so I thought, but I saw things down there I couldn’t imagine. I’ve heard sounds I can’t get out of my ears, and I’ve smelled odors that linger in the nose no matter how much spice you burn or wine you drink.’
The mood was now somber, and after a quiet minute, Roo said, ‘Well, yes, we know what’s going on. Still, we have to get on with our lives. Do you want to work with me?’
Luis shrugged. ‘Doing what?’
‘I need someone with court manners who can present certain goods to men and ladies of breeding, nobility even. And who can negotiate prices.’
Luis shrugged. ‘I’ve never been much of one to haggle, but if you show me what you want, I think I can do this.’
Conversation ceased as the front door opened and Robert de Loungville entered, a slender girl at his side. The four men at the table regarded the unlikely pair: the short, stocky, and pugnacious sergeant, and the almost frail but attractive young woman. She wore common clothing, a homespun dress and simple shoes. Other than unusually short hair, her appearance was unremarkable.
But Erik’s face showed he recognized her. ‘Kitty?’ he said.
De Loungville held up his hand. ‘This is my fiancée Katherine, and if any of you murdering scum so much as look at her in a way to cause her to blush, I’ll have your liver on a stick.’
He said this with a casual tone, but his eyes clearly instructed the men: there is something going on you do not need to know anything about; and wise men heeded even the vaguest warnings. The girl looked irritated at being referred to as de Loungville’s fiancée but said nothing.
He took the girl to the barman and spoke to him. He nodded and directed the girl toward the kitchen. She threw one last black look at de Loungville, then went into the kitchen.
De Loungville returned to the table and pulled up a chair. ‘She’s going to work here. So if one of you lot causes her any trouble …’ He let the threat go unfinished.
Roo shrugged. ‘Not me. I have a fiancée of my own.’
‘Oh, is that a fact,’ said de Loungville, evil delight showing in his eyes. ‘And does she know her intended is a former gallows rat?’
Roo had the good manners to blush. ‘I haven’t told her everything.’
‘And he hasn’t proposed,’ said Erik. ‘He’s assuming a bit here.’
‘Well, that’s our Rupert,’ said de Loungville, signaling for an ale.
Luis said, ‘They were telling me that not many of our friends came back.’
De Loungville nodded. ‘Not many. But we’ve gone through this before.’ His features darkened as the barman placed an ale before him. ‘I’ve been down under to that bloody continent twice now, and I’ve left nearly two thousand dead men behind, and I’m sick of it.’
‘Is that why you and the Knight-Marshal have us reading these?’ asked Jadow, indicating the books he and Erik held.
De Loungville’s manner changed and he grinned as he reached out and pinched Jadow’s cheek. ‘No, ducky, it’s so I can watch your lips move. It amuses me.’
Erik laughed. ‘Well, whatever the reason, there’s a lot of interesting things in these books. I’m not sure I understand it all.’
‘Then talk to the Knight-Marshal,’ said de Loungville. ‘I’ve orders that if any of the corporals need to discuss what they’ve read, they’re to go to Lord William’s office.’ De Loungville took a long drink and smacked his lips with exaggerated satisfaction.
‘The Knight-Marshal?’ asked Erik. He was the most important military leader in the West after the Prince of Krondor. One of the two of them carried the title Marshal of the Armies of the West in time of war, and historically it was the Knight-Marshal as often as it was the Prince. For any soldier he was something of a figure of awe. Despite having spoken to the man a half-dozen times, Erik had never spoken with him in private or for longer than a few minutes. The prospect of trying to hold a conversation about something he didn’t understand obviously caused Erik some distress.
‘Don’t worry,’ said de Loungville. ‘He understands how stone-headed you lot are and he won’t use any big words.’
Roo and Luis laughed, while Erik said nothing. ‘Just seems strange that you and the Captain think we need to learn this, Sergeant,’ said Jadow.
De Loungville glanced around the room. ‘If you haven’t puzzled it out yet, this inn is owned by the Duke. Every man and woman working here is one of James’s agents.’ He hiked his thumb toward the bar. ‘Katherine is here to alert us to any Mockers who might come snooping around. After our set-to with them last month, we need to make sure they don’t cause us more problems.
‘What I’m trying to say is this is the safest place outside the palace to talk about what we all know from our last voyage’ – his voice lowered – ‘but there’s nowhere that’s safe in all ways.’ He paused. ‘You need to learn as much as you can, because we’re building an army like no other in history. You need to be able to take command of as many men as are there, and if that means that everyone in the chain of command above you is dead, you’re going to be a general. So if you find yourself in command of the Armies of the West, and the fate of the Kingdom, and the entire world for that matter, is suddenly in your hands, you’ll not muck things up too badly.’
Erik and Jadow exchanged glances but said nothing.
Roo pushed back from the table. ‘Makes me glad I chose a life of commerce,’ he said. ‘Well, it’s been wonderful, but I have wagons to see to.’ He asked de Loungville, ‘Can I take Luis with me now?’
De Loungville nodded. ‘Come by in the morning and we’ll have your pardon signed,’ he said to Luis.
He motioned for Luis to accompany him. He bade the others good-bye and left the inn.
As they walked, Luis said, ‘Wagons?’
‘I’m a trader now, Luis, and I deal in items of value. I need someone to teach me to talk to the nobility as well as act as my agent.’
Luis shrugged. He held up his right hand. ‘I guess I don’t need this to talk.’
‘How bad is it?’ asked Roo as they maneuvered through the busy street.
‘I can still feel things, but it feels like I’m wearing heavy gloves. I can’t move any finger much.’
With a sudden movement, he had a dagger in his left hand. ‘This one still works, however.’
Roo smiled. He knew Luis to be the best man with a short blade he had ever seen and realized that while Luis could not soldier as he used to, he was far from helpless.
As they headed toward Helmut Grindle’s establishment, Luis asked, ‘Where are Sho Pi and Nakor?’
‘With the Captain.’
‘And where is the Captain?’
Roo shrugged. ‘Off on some errand for the King. I hear he headed down towards Kesh. Stardock maybe.’
They continued on.
‘You can’t go in there,’ said the student.
Calis pushed past the door guard, Nakor and Sho Pi following after, and kicked open the large door to the inner chamber of the Council of Magicians, the ruling body of the Academy of Magicians at Stardock.
Five magicians looked up and one half rose. ‘What is this?’ he said.
‘Kalied,’ said Calis in a cold, even tone of voice, ‘I have been patient. I have been waiting for weeks for some indication from this body that it understands the problems confronting us and is willing to aid us.’
Another magician, an older man with nearly white beard and hair, spoke. ‘Lord Calis –’
‘Captain,’ corrected the half-elf.
‘Captain Calis, then,’ said the elderly magician, named Chalmes, ‘we appreciate the gravity of your warning and have considered your King’s request –’
‘My King?’ said Calis in a tone of astonishment. ‘He’s your King as well, need I remind you?’
Kalied held up his hand. ‘The Academy has long considered our relationship with the Kingdom to have terminated with Pug’s departure –’
‘No one bothered to inform the Kingdom,’ observed Nakor.
The five at the table looked at him with a mixture of irritation and discomfort. Nakor had once sat at that same table, when most of those now in control of the Academy had been either students or teachers. Of the five now ruling Stardock, only Chalmes had been a contemporary of Nakor’s.
Calis held up his hand to silence further comment. ‘More to the point, no one bothered to inform His Majesty.’ He glanced from face to face. The council chamber was a high-ceilinged circular room, and the deep-ensconced torches cast flickering light across the room. Only the presence of a circular overhead wooden candle holder provided enough light to see clearly each man’s features.
But Calis’s eyes were more than human and he could see the telltale flicker around the eyes, the quick sidelong glance. Kalied might be the one to speak first, but Chalmes was the leader of this committee. Nakor had filled him in on each of these men, over the weeks they had been waiting for some declaration that the Academy at Stardock understood the gravity of the warning carried there by Calis and his companions. Chalmes had been a student of Korsh, one of the two Keshian magicians who along with Nakor had ruled the island community for five years after Pug’s departure. His first acolyte, Chalmes, had risen to the council upon Korsh’s death, and had showed every sign he was just as conservative and intractable as his predecessor had been. The others Nakor had known as students while he had taught at the Academy, before finally leaving in disgust at the insular tendencies of the administration.
Calis said, ‘Let me make this simple, so there can be no misunderstanding. You may not sever your ties with the Kingdom. Despite your having come from many nations, this island’ – he pointed downward for emphasis – ‘belongs to the Kingdom. It is a Royal Duchy, and while Pug lives, it will remain so. Despite his absence, he is still a Royal Prince of the Kingdom by adoption and a Duke of the Royal Court. And if Pug dies, it will pass on to his son, the King-Marshal of Krondor, or whoever else the King deems fit to assume the title.’
He leaned forward, knuckles upon the table, and said, ‘You’ve been granted free rein to conduct your affairs as you like, but by no means does this allow you unilaterally to declare yourself free of Kingdom rule.
‘Is this clear, or do I have to send to Shamata for a garrison of soldiers to occupy this island while the King decides which of you traitors to hang first?’
Naglek, the youngest and most quick-tempered of the magicians, sprang out of his chair. ‘You can’t be serious! You come into our council chamber and threaten us?’
Nakor grinned. ‘He’s telling you how things are,’ he said. He waved Naglek back into his chair. ‘And don’t bother to bluster about your magic powers. There are other magicians who would happily support the Kingdom’s efforts to regain control of this island.’
He circled around the table and stood next to Naglek. ‘You were one of my better students. You were even leader of the Blue Riders for a while. What happened to you?’
The man blushed, his fair skin coloring up to his reddish brown eyebrows. ‘Things change. I’m older now, Nakor. The Blue Riders have been –’
‘Their activities have been curtailed,’ said Chalmes. ‘Your more … unconventional views caused friction among the students.’
Nakor made a waving motion with his hand and Naglek stepped away. Nakor sat down and motioned for Sho Pi to come stand next to him. ‘Now, what are we going to do about this?’ he asked.
Chalmes said, ‘Captain Calis, we are certainly alarmed at some of the things you’ve reported regarding your voyages across the ocean. We agree that should this Emerald Queen you spoke of attempt to cross the seas and invade the Kingdom, the situation would become most difficult. I think that should these events come to pass, you can tell His Majesty we will give the most serious consideration to his requests.’
Calis was silent a minute. Then he looked at Nakor.
‘I told you this would happen,’ Nakor said.
Calis nodded. ‘I thought we should give them the benefit of the doubt.’
Nakor shrugged. ‘We’ve wasted nearly a month here.’
Calis nodded. ‘You’re right.’ To the other magicians in the room he said, ‘I am leaving Nakor here as the Crown’s duly appointed representative. He will act as a ducal regent in my absence.’
‘You can’t be serious,’ said Kalied.
‘Most serious,’ said Nakor.
‘You don’t have such authority,’ said a magician named Salind.
Nakor grinned. ‘He’s the Eagle of Krondor. He’s the King’s personal agent. He holds the rank of Duke of the King’s Court in addition to being a Knight-Captain in the Armies of the West. He can have you all hung for treason.’
‘I’m returning to Krondor,’ said Calis, ‘to report to the Prince and to get further instructions as to what we are to do with you until such time as Pug returns.’
‘Returns?’ said Chalmes. ‘It’s been nearly twenty years since we last saw Pug. What makes you think he will return?’
Nakor shook his head. ‘Because he will need to. Are you still so narrow of vision –’ He stopped himself. ‘Stupid question. Pug will be back. Until then, I think I shall have to see what needs to be changed around here.’
Nakor had been snooping, as was his habit, since the day they arrived, so everyone in the room knew instantly he already had a long list of things he would change. The magicians glanced at one another; then Chalmes and the others rose. ‘Very well,’ said Chalmes to Calis. ‘If you expect such behavior will bring the results you wish, you are wrong, I fear, but we shall not actively oppose you. But if you’re leaving this … gambler in charge, then let him be in charge.’ With that, he led the other four magicians from the chamber.
Calis watched them depart, then turned to Nakor and Sho Pi. ‘Will you two be all right?’
‘I will protect my master,’ said Sho Pi.
Nakor made a dismissive gesture. ‘Bah. I need no protecting from that group of old ladies.’ He stood up. ‘When do you leave?’ he asked Calis.
‘As soon as I can get my horse saddled in town and get started back to Shamata. There’s still a half day ahead.’
Nakor said, ‘I knew I was hungry. Let’s get something to eat.’
The three of them walked down a long hall, past the now totally confused door guard, and at the end of the hallway they stopped. Calis would head outside to gather the soldiers he had brought with him to the island and take the ferry to town. Nakor and Sho Pi would head in the other direction, toward the common kitchen.
‘You take care,’ said Calis. ‘They gave up too easily.’
Nakor smiled. ‘Oh, they’re all up in Chalmes’s room this moment, plotting away, no doubt.’ He shrugged. ‘I’ve lived far longer than any of them and not because I was careless. I’ll keep an eye out for surprises.’ Then his mood turned serious. ‘I’ve had enough time to look around to know this much: tell the Prince that there are only a few here who have the talent and the temperament to be of any help to us. The rest might be useful in some minor ways, moving messages and the like, but there are only a few real talents here.’ He sighed. ‘I thought after twenty years they might have developed dozens of students around here, but I suspect those with genuine ability leave as soon as they can.’
‘Well, we need someone.’
‘We need Pug,’ said Nakor.
‘Can we find him?’ asked Calis.
‘He’ll find us.’ He glanced up and down the hall. ‘And he’ll find us here, I think.’
‘How will he know we need his help?’ said Calis. ‘The Prince tried using the charm Pug gave Nicholas, and Pug didn’t answer.’
‘Pug will know,’ said Nakor. Glancing around again, he added, ‘He may already know.’
Calis stood silent a moment, nodded, turned, and without another word walked down the hallway.
Nakor took Sho Pi’s arm in his hand. ‘Let’s get something to eat.’
‘Yes, Master.’
‘And don’t call me master,’ insisted Nakor.
‘As you wish, Master.’
Nakor sighed, and they walked down the hallway.
‘What do you see?’ asked Miranda.
Pug laughed. ‘Nakor’s up to his old tricks. I can’t hear what they’re saying, but I saw Chalmes and the rest of them stalk out of the council chamber. I suspect Calis left Nakor in charge.’
Miranda shook her head and a rain of droplets fell around Pug’s head and shoulders, striking the calm pool of water he had used for his scrying. The fain image of the distant chamber room vanished in the ripples.
‘Hey!’ Pug feigned irritation.
Miranda laughed and shook her head harder, making more water fly. She had just emerged from swimming in the warm ocean and had found Pug spying on the doings at Stardock in a still pool.
Pug turned and grabbed for her, but she danced quickly backwards, avoiding him. Pug’s laughter joined hers as she turned and started running down the beach, back toward the waves.
Pug felt his breath tighten for an instant at sight of her slim but muscular body, glistening with water, as she raced ahead of him. Almost a year of living on this island had browned both of them deeply.
She was a far better swimmer than Pug, but he was faster of foot. He tackled her just as she reached the water’s edge and they both went down in a heap. Her shrieks of mock outrage joined with his laughter. ‘You monster!’ she shouted as he rolled her over and playfully bit her on the neck near her shoulder.
‘You’re the one who started it,’ he pointed out.
Lying back as the soft waves came in to cover both of them, Miranda studied Pug’s features. In the year they had been together they had become lovers and confidants, but there were still secrets between them. Pug knew almost nothing of her past, for she was adept at avoiding direct answers to many of the questions he had asked. When it had become clear she didn’t wish to speak of her life before meeting him, he ceased asking. Pug held part of himself back as well, so the relationship was equitable.
‘What is it?’ he asked. ‘You’ve got that look.’
‘What look?’
‘The trying-to-read-my-thoughts look.’
‘Never learned that trick,’ she said.
‘Few do,’ said Pug. ‘Though Gamina always could.’
‘Read minds?’
‘Mine, anyway,’ he said, turning so he could lie back on his elbows next to her. ‘It was something of a problem when she turned … thirteen or so, and didn’t go away until she was nearly twenty.’ He shook his head as he remembered his adopted daughter’s childhood. ‘She’s a grandmother now,’ he said softly. ‘I’ve got a grandson, Arutha, and great-grandsons, James and Dashel.’ He fell into a reflective silence. The sun beat down on their bodies while the waves rose higher with each turn of the tide, and they were content to be silent for a few moments. When the rising tide threatened finally to wash over them, Pug stood and Miranda followed.
They strolled down the beach in silence for a while. Finally Miranda said, ‘You’ve been peeking in at Stardock more often lately.’
Pug let out a slow breath. ‘Things are starting to … get more serious.’
Miranda slipped her arm into his, and as he felt her skin touch his, Pug’s chest tightened again. He had loved his wife as he had thought he could love no other, but this woman, despite her mysterious past, reached parts of him he had not thought anyone could reach. After a year together she still excited and confused him as if he were a boy, not a man in his eighties.
‘Where did we leave our clothing?’ she asked.
Pug stood up and glanced around. ‘Over there, I think.’
They had occupied the island, in a rude hut Pug had fashioned out of palms and bamboo, and had traveled at will between it and his home at Sorcerer’s Isle to restock their supplies of food. Most of their time together had been given over to play, lovemaking, and talking of many things. But Pug had always known that this was only a respite, a time to let troubles be forgotten, while they rested and prepared to face dark horrors once more.
Pug followed Miranda to where their clothing lay in a heap, and watched with a moment of regret as she slipped her dress over her head. He donned his black robe and said, ‘You’re thinking.’
‘Always,’ she said with a wry smile.
‘No, I mean something specific. And your expression is one I’ve not seen before. I don’t know if I like it.’
Worry lines marred her usually smooth forehead. She came to him and put her arms around him. ‘I’m leaving for a time.’
‘Where are you going?’
‘I think I must go find Calis. It’s been too long since I have seen him. I must see what more needs to be done with him.’
At the mention of the son of Pug’s boyhood friend Tomas, the magician said, ‘You say this with more than one meaning.’
Miranda’s green eyes locked with Pug’s dark brown ones, and after a moment she nodded, once, quickly. ‘Yes.’ She said nothing more.
‘When will I see you again?’ asked Pug.
She kissed his cheek. ‘Not as soon as either of us would like, I fear. But I will be back.’
Pug sighed. ‘Well, it was bound to come to an end.’
She hugged him. ‘Not ended, just interrupted. Where will you go?’
‘My island, first, to confer with Gathis; then I will return to Stardock for a while. After that I must begin my quest.’
Miranda knew he meant to search for Macros the Black. ‘Do you think you can find the sorcerer? It’s been, what? Nearly fifty years?’
Pug nodded. ‘Since the end of the Great Uprising.’ Glancing toward the blue sky, he said, ‘But he’s out there somewhere. There are a few places I have yet to search, and there’s always the Hall.’
At mention of the Hall, Miranda started to laugh. ‘What is it?’ asked Pug.
‘Boldar Blood. I left the mercenary at Trabert’s in Yabon. I told him to wait there until I sent for him.’
‘For a year?’
‘You’re very distracting,’ she purred, nipping at his earlobe.
‘Stop that, unless you want to postpone your departure.’
She said, ‘Well, an hour or two won’t make much difference.’
As their garments fell to the sand again, Pug said, ‘How are you going to pay Boldar? Hall mercenaries don’t come cheaply.’
Grinning at Pug, she said, ‘I have a lover who’s a duke.’
Pug smiled ruefully and said, ‘I’ll see what I can do,’ as he gathered her into his arms.