Читать книгу Among Wolves - Nancy Wallace K. - Страница 8

The first mate tapped his shoulder.

“Move to the forecastle if you want to watch, monsieur. When we hoist the sails, these booms will start to swing. You could be knocked overboard before anyone has a chance to warn you.”

Devin nodded, embarrassed that he hadn’t known better. He’d had no experience with ships and he had sought out the first deck available. He found steps to another level, and stationed himself out of harm’s way on the upper deck with a good view of their course.

Devin had the forecastle to himself. The Marie Lisette only carried seven travelers besides himself, Marcus, and Gaspard. The others must have boarded last night, he thought, and were still lingering below deck, sleeping through their departure. Devin enjoyed the solitude, watching as the huge ship made its way out of the harbor. They might have been on the eastern coast of the empire. The Dantzig’s waters stretched beyond the horizon in three directions, dividing Llisé nearly in half. Six provinces bordered the eastern side of the Dantzig, separating them from its culture and learning as effectively as an ocean. The Rhine provided almost as great a barrier for the eight provinces to the west. Only Arcadia connected by land to Viénne, the capital province, but the mountain ranges between proved a formidable impediment even in the summer months.

To the south, a scattering of ships negotiated the Dantzig’s channels, their sails billowing in the strong east wind. To the north, the river lay cold and deserted. The Marie Lisette’s course into the channel carefully avoided ominous white water, where rock and debris threatened to snag ships unfamiliar with the river’s shallows.

The wind went right through Devin’s jacket, chilling him to the bone, and yet he wouldn’t have moved for the world. His father’s position had kept them close to Coreé in the past. There had been no seaside holidays for the Chancellor’s family even though summers in the capital were uncomfortably steamy and hot. Devin’s mother had felt her place lay at her husband’s side and she never allowed herself the luxury of a summer cottage on the coast of Tirolien or Cretois. Ironically, Devin had been named for just such a seaside resort where his parents had spent a month celebrating his father’s rise to power. Devin had been born nine months later; the sixth and final son of the new Chancellor Elite of Llisé.

Travel, a pleasure denied to Devin in the past, had today become a reality and he was relishing every minute of it. The smell of the harbor, hanging like a stinking cloud over the docks behind them, dissipated as they moved farther from the shore, giving way to the clean scent of wind over open water. Coreé faded to a distant smudge on the horizon once the sails unfurled. The ship leaped forward like a stallion, hurtling through the waves. The stinging force of the wind brought tears to Devin’s eyes and he turned his back to wipe them, startled to find someone standing behind him.

A tall middle-aged man held out his hand. “I’m Henri LeBeau, Department of Sciences. I work with your brother.”

Devin nodded. The man looked familiar. Perhaps, he’d seen him at the Académie. Although, much to Andre’s disappointment, he had no classes in that department.

“Of course,” he said, extending his own hand. “I’m sure André has mentioned your name.”

“How long have you been out here?” Henri asked, covering Devin’s hand with both of his. “You’re freezing.”

It was an overly familiar gesture and Devin extricated his hand, shoving it into the warmth of his pocket instead. “It’s the wind,” he murmured, turning back to the view ahead. “But I can’t tear myself away long enough to go down to my cabin.”

“I understand the fascination,” Henri replied. “Unfortunately, I’m too late to see the sun rise over the water.”

Devin resisted the urge to point out the sun had risen hours ago. To his right, he saw Marcus lounging casually against the rail. He wondered when he’d come up on deck.

“I’m traveling for a few months,” Henri continued. “I have a small summer home in Arcadia but I plan to stay a month in Ombria and another in Tirolien on the way.”

That was odd. Devin’s plans took him along the same route.

“And where are you headed?” Henri asked.

Devin shrugged, affecting a nonchalance he didn’t feel. “Well, after all, this is my Third Year. My friends and I plan to tour all fifteen provinces and still make it back before classes begin next September.”

Henri laughed. “An ambitious undertaking! So, you’re not alone?”

“No,” Devin replied, cocking his head at Marcus. “There are three of us.”

Henri’s eyes met Marcus’s and then slid off. “I see. Well, I’m sure you’ll have a good time. Do you plan to stop in Treves?”

Arcadia’s Master Bard lived in Treves. Of course, they’d stop there but Devin didn’t like where this questioning seemed to be headed. He shook his head. “I haven’t thought that far ahead.”

“I could show you the sights. The healing springs are world famous.”

“I haven’t any complaints,” Devin murmured. “Perhaps, when I’m your age, I’ll pay them a visit.” The remark was rude and pointed but his companion refused to be offended.

“The east side of the city is a warren of caves and hot springs. Most are still in their natural state, dripping with ferns and cascading waterfalls. It’s worth seeing. Why don’t we set a date?”

Devin gave an exaggerated shiver. “You know, I think I will go below decks. I’m really chilled. It’s nice to have met you.”

But their parting wasn’t so easily accomplished. “I’ll come with you,” Henri offered, tagging along as though they were the best of friends. “Would you like to stop in the galley for coffee or chocolate? Something hot would warm you.”

“Not right now,” Devin replied, glad to see Marcus following them closely down the steps. “I didn’t sleep at all last night. Perhaps I’ll nap awhile and go back up on deck later.”

“I’ll save a chair for you at dinner, then,” Henri offered, giving Devin’s shoulder a proprietary pat. “Enjoy your rest.”

Devin ducked inside his cabin, fuming as he saw Henri jotting the cabin number down on a piece of paper from his pocket. The man was almost enough to make him change his itinerary. A moment later, Marcus knocked and Devin let him in, half expecting to see Henri lurking behind him but the passageway was blessedly empty.

Marcus closed the door and leaned against it.

“Henri LeBeau,” he said. “Councilman, Alexander LeBeau’s oldest son. His father is a constant thorn in your father’s side, and he is also one of the Council members who threatened to file a complaint about your trip.”

“Shit,” Devin muttered.

“And then some,” Marcus agreed.

Devin sat down on his bunk. “He wants to be my best friend, apparently.”

“I would discourage that.”

“I tried! The man wouldn’t leave me alone. I was blatantly rude and he just smiled.”

Marcus snorted. “Perhaps, I will be rude myself. I’ve had more practice at it than you have.”

Devin laughed, releasing the tension that had threatened to spoil the morning. “Perhaps you could just push him overboard.”

Marcus’s face was impassive. “I will consider it.”

“I was only kidding,” Devin said, rummaging through his knapsack.

“I was not,” Marcus replied.

Devin turned his bag over and dumped the contents on his bunk, carefully separating his belongings.

“What’s the matter?” Marcus asked.

“My itinerary is missing.”

“Perhaps you misplaced it,” Marcus suggested.

“I haven’t taken anything out of my knapsack until now.”

Marcus bent over the bunk to help him look. “Are you certain you packed it? You left the dormitory in a hurry.”

“It was the first thing I put in my knapsack!” Devin protested.

He’d spent months preparing that itinerary, estimating travel time and allowing for bad weather, always trying to set aside the maximum number of days to memorize each province’s Chronicles. He was attempting something that apprentice bards took years to accomplish. There wasn’t a spare moment built into that schedule once they set foot in Ombria. The only other copy was in Coreé, on his father’s desk. Suddenly, the whole project seemed hopelessly doomed.

Marcus turned to look at the door. “Did you lock your cabin when you went up on deck?”

“Of course,” Devin snapped, and then wondered if he had actually locked the door. The Captain had given him a key but he couldn’t remember having used it. His hand fumbled in his pocket. With a sinking feeling he pulled out the brass key with the numbered fob. “Maybe not,” he amended dully.

Marcus sighed. “I don’t suppose you have a second copy?”

Devin shook his head.

“You can ask your father to send you one. Until it comes, can you recreate your plan for the first two provinces?”

Devin laughed. This whole scheme rested on his ability to memorize a great deal of information. If he couldn’t even remember the itinerary, they might as well turn around now and save everyone a lot of aggravation.

“Yes, I’m sure I can,” he answered. “I’ll work on it after dinner. It just makes me angry that someone stole it out of my cabin!”

“The fact that it’s the only thing that’s missing worries me more,” Marcus said. “Why is it important that someone knows exactly where you’re going? Do you think Henri LeBeau…?”

“LeBeau said he was spending a month in Ombria and Tirolien before going to Arcadia. That’s my plan, too. He could have stolen the itinerary before he talked to me on deck. But if he did, why did he write down my cabin number just now?”

“To divert suspicion?” Marcus suggested.

“Perhaps,” Devin answered, refolding his clothing and laying it on the bunk. “But, it seems a funny way of doing it. Who else is on board?”

“I already asked the Captain.” Marcus raised his hand and counted off on his fingers. “A merchant and his daughter from Tirolien, a young man who plans to spend his summer in Cretois with his aunt and uncle, another merchant from Coreé who is going to buy Arcadian lace for his shop, a physician returning to Treves with his daughter, and a soldier on a three month leave.”

“Counting LeBeau, that’s eight people,” Devin pointed out. “I thought there were only seven, in addition to us.”

Marcus raised his eyebrows. “You’re right. That’s what I was told. Perhaps LeBeau is the latecomer. I’ll go and find out.” He turned, with his hand on the door. “And Devin, if you actually plan to sleep, bolt this door when I leave and don’t open it for anyone but Gaspard or me.”

Devin stood up. “I should go and check on Gaspard.”

“I have already done that several times. I was planning to stop again on my way to see the Captain.” Marcus gestured at the mess on the bed. “Maybe you should go through your belongings one more time to make sure nothing else is missing. And, lock the door as soon as I leave.”

Devin threw the bolt after Marcus went out into the passageway. He found the whole concept of locks distasteful. He’d never lived where he’d had to worry about stealing. Dormitory rooms were never locked. The thought that scholars would steal from each other negated the entire idea of academic freedom and intellectual collaboration.

He spread out his things on the bunk again but nothing else seemed to be missing. It made the theft seem more sinister and pointed. There would be no reason to steal such a thing unless someone intended to follow him. He repacked the knapsack and stowed it underneath the narrow bunk before lying down. The problem of the missing itinerary lingered to worry him only a few minutes. The gentle roll of the ship was hypnotic and before he knew it, he fell asleep.