Shadow Games

Chapter Twenty-four: TAGLIOS: A PRINCELY PRESSURE

That Prahbrindrah Drah might have been one of the good guys but he was as slick as any villian. Two days after our visit I couldn't go out without being hailed Guardian, Protector, and Deliverer. "What the hell is going on?" I asked One-Eye.

"Trying to lock you in." He glared at Frogface. The imp had not been much good since that night. He couldn't get near anybody—except Swan and his buddies, in a dive they owned. And they didn't talk business there. "You sure you want to go to this library?"

"I'm sure." Somehow the Taglians had gotten the idea I was a big healer as well as some kind of messianic general. "What the hell is wrong with them? I can see the Prince trying to sell them the load of sheep shit, but why are they buying it?"

"They want to."

Mothers thrust their babies at me to be touched and blessed. Young men clashed anything metal and roared songs with a martial beat. Maidens threw flowers on my path. And sometimes themselves.

"That's nice, Croaker," One-Eye said, as I disentangled myself from a daydream about sixteen years old. "You don't want her, toss her my way."

"Take it easy. Before you give in to your baser instincts think about what's going on."

He was reserved to an extreme that baffled me. I think he saw it all as illusion. Or at least as a honeytrap. One-Eye is silly but he isn't stupid. Sometimes.

One-Eye chuckled. "Surrender to temptation. Lady can't look over your shoulder all the time."

"I might. I just might. It is my duty not to disappoint these people when they're trying so hard to hustle us. Isn't it?"

"There you go." But he did not sound like he believed himself. He was uncomfortable with his good fortune.

We went into the library. I found nothing. So much nothing I got even more suspicious than I was. Frogface wasn't much use, but he could eavesdrop. The conversations he reported contributed to my concern.

It was a good time for the men. Even the supreme discipline of the Nar was not proof against some temptations. Mogaba did not hold them on too tight a leash. As Goblin howled one morning, "Heaven's on fire, Croaker!"

Always there was this feeling of something happening just out of the comer of my eye.

The geopolitical situation was clear. It was just as Swan had described. Meaning that to reach Khatovar we would have to slice through seven hundred miles of country ruled by the Shadowmasters. If Shadowmasters there were.

I had some slight doubts. Everyone I talked to, through Frogface, believed they existed, but nobody provided any concrete evidence.

"Nobody has ever seen the gods, either," a priest told me. "But we all believe in them, don't we? We see their handiwork... " He realized that I had scowled at his suggestion that everyone believed in gods. His eyes narrowed. He scurried away. For the first time I had found me somebody less than thrilled with my presence in Taglios. I told One-Eye it might be more profitable if we started spying on the High Priests instead of the Prince and Swan, who knew when to keep their mouths shut.

That we were being manipulated into going up against some heavyweight sorcerers did not intimidate me. Much. We had been up against the best for twenty years. What troubled me was my ignorance.

I did not know the language. I did not know the Taglian people. Their history was a mystery and Swan's bunch were no help tossing light into the shadows. And, of course, I knew nothing about the Shadowmasters or the peoples they ruled. Nothing but what I had been told, which could be worse than nothing. Worst of all, I was not acquainted with the ground where any struggle would take place. And I had too little time to learn all the answers.

Sundown of the third day. We moved to quarters farther south in the city, provided by the state. I gathered everyone but the half-dozen men on guard duty. While most of the guys ate supper—cooked and served by people provided by the Prahbrindrah—the folks at my long table got their heads together. The rest had orders to keep the Taglians hopping. I doubted they could understand us, but you don't take chances.

I sat at the head of the table, Lady to my left and Mogaba to my right, he with his two leading men next to him. Goblin and One-Eye were beyond Lady on her side, tonight with Goblin in the seat nearer the head. I had to make them trade off each meal. Beyond them were Murgen and Hagop and Otto, with Murgen at the foot of the table, in his capacity as apprentice Annalist. I made like I was telling a story as we ate. The paterfamilias entertaining his children.

"I'm taking the imperial horses out tonight. Lady, Goblin, Hagop, Otto, you'll come. One of the roi. One of your lieutenants, Mogaba, and one of your men. Men who can ride."

One-Eye drew a breath to complain. So did Murgen. But Mogaba slid in ahead of both. "A sneak?"

"I want to scout to the south. These people could be selling us a pig in a poke."

I didn't think they were, but why take a man's word when you can see for yourself? Especially when he's trying to use you?

"One-Eye, you stay here because I want you working your pet. Day and night. Murgen, write down whatever he tells you. Mogaba, cover for us. If they've been telling it straight we won't be gone long."

"You told the Prahbrindrah you'd give him an answer in a week. You have four days left."

"We'll be back in time. We'll go after next watch change, after Goblin and One-Eye knock out anybody who might see us."

Mogaba nodded. I glanced at Lady. She didn't contribute much anymore. If I wanted to be the boss, I was going to be the boss and she would keep her opinion to herself.

Mogaba said, "Several of my men have approached me on a matter of some delicacy. I think we need a policy."

This was something unexpected. "A policy? About what?"

"To what extent the men can use violence to defend themselves. Several have been attacked. They want to know how much restraint they have to show, for political reasons. Or if they have permission to make examples."

"Gah! When did this start?"

"I received the first report this afternoon."

"All today, then?"

"Yes sir."

"Let's see the men involved."

He brought them to the table. They were Nar. There were five of them. It did not seem likely that such things would happen to the Nar alone. I sent Murgen around. He returned. "Three incidents. They took care of it themselves. Said they didn't figure it was something worth reporting."

Discipline. Something to be said for it.

It took half a minute to decide the attackers were not, apparently, Taglians. "Wrinkly little brown guys? We saw those on the river. I asked Swan. He said he didn't know where they came from. But they gave him the collywobbles. If they're not Taglians, don't take no shit. Ace them unless you can take a couple prisoners. One-Eye. If you could snag a couple and give them the works... "

We did all this amidst the comings and goings of our Taglian servitors. At that point several came to collect empty plates, forestalling One-Eye from poormouthing about how he was so grossly overworked. He did not squawk fast enough when they cleared away, either.

Murgen got the first word in. "I got a problem, Croaker." Mogaba winced. Flexible man, Mogaba, but he could not get used to me letting anybody call me anything but Captain.

"What's that?"

"Bats."

Goblin snickered.

"Can it, runt. Bats? What about bats?"

"Guys keep finding dead bats around."

I noted, from the corner of my eye, that Lady had grown more attentive. "I don't follow you."

"The men have been finding dead bats every morning since we got here. Bats all torn up, not just dropped over dead. And they're only around where we are. Not all over town."

I looked at One-Eye. He looked at me. He said, "I know. I know. One more job for good old One-Eye. How's this outfit ever going to get along without me when I go?"

I don't know if the others bought it or not.

There were things One-Eye and I hadn't shared with everyone.

"Any other problems?"

Nobody had a problem, but Murgen had a question. "All right if we work on Swan a little? I checked out that place he owns. It's the kind of place some of our guys would hang out. We might find out something interesting there."

"At least you'd keep him nervous. Good idea. Have some of the Nar hang out there, too. To work on that Blade character."

"He's a spooky one," Otto said.

"The most dangerous too, I'd bet. One of those guys like Raven. Kill you without batting an eye and not even remember it five minutes later."

Mogaba said, "You must tell me more of this Raven. Each time I hear of him he sounds more intriguing."

Lady paused with fork half lifted to mouth. "It's all in the Annals, Lieutenant." The gentlest of admonitions. For all his devotion to things Company, Mogaba had yet to make a serious attempt to explore those Annals set down after the Company had departed Gea-Xle.

"Of course," he replied, voice perfectly even, but eyes hard as steel. There was a distinct coolness between them. I had sensed it before, mildly. Negative chemistry. Neither had any reason to dislike the other. Or maybe they did. I spent more time with Mogaba these days than I did with Lady.

"That's that, then," I said. "Out of here after the next watch change. Be ready."

Mostly nods as they pushed back from the table, but Goblin stayed put, scowling, for several seconds before he rose.

He suspected that he was being drafted mainly to keep him out of mischief while I was gone.

He was sixty percent right.