Читать книгу Krondor: Tear of the Gods - Raymond E. Feist - Страница 10

THE WATCHMAN SALUTED.

James returned the acknowledgement, while Jazhara took in the sights of Krondor. She was wearing her travel garb once more. She carried her iron-shod staff, and her hair was tied back. She looked … businesslike. James found it interesting to contrast how she looked now, and how she had appeared at court earlier that morning. Two very different women …

They had begun early in the day, visiting the shops and markets of what people commonly referred to as the ‘Rich Quarter’ of the city, a place in which shops displayed items of great beauty and price to buyers of means. Jazhara had lingered at several shops, much to James’s chagrin, for he had never enjoyed the pastime of looking at goods he had no interest in buying. He had several times been assigned to the Princess’s shopping expeditions, mostly to keep Elena out from under her mother’s feet as much as to guard Arutha’s wife. It was perhaps the only time in his life when he hadn’t particularly enjoyed the Princess’s company.

James had then taken Jazhara through the so-called ‘Merchants’ Quarter,’ where the traders and captains of commerce had their places of business. The centre of this district was dominated by a coffeehouse. They had paused to enjoy a cup of the Keshian brew, which Jazhara pronounced as fine as any she had tasted at home. This had brought a smile from their server, a young man named Timothy Barret, the youngest son of the owner. Businessmen flocked to Barret’s to conduct business, mainly the underwriting of cargo ships and caravans.

After leaving the Merchants’ Quarter, they had visited one working-class district after another. It was now past sundown and the evening watch was making its rounds. ‘Perhaps we should return to the palace?’ James suggested.

‘There’s still a great deal of the city to be seen, yes?’

James nodded. ‘But I’m not certain you’d care to spend time there after dark.’

‘The Poor Quarter?’

‘Yes, and the docks and Fishtown. They can be pretty rough even during the day.’

‘I think I have shown I am capable of taking care of myself, James.’

‘Agreed, but I find it best to keep the opportunity for trouble to a minimum; it has a habit of finding me anyway.’

She laughed. ‘Perhaps more tomorrow, then. But what about William? You said he would likely be off-duty this evening.’

James pointed to a side street. ‘Let’s cut down there. William is almost certainly at the Rainbow Parrot.’

‘A soldiers’ tavern?’

James shrugged. ‘Not particularly, though many of Lucas’s patrons are old friends who served with him in the Riftwar. No, it’s just the place William prefers to frequent.’

Jazhara glanced sidelong at James. ‘A girl?’

James felt himself flush and decided a simple, direct answer was appropriate. ‘Yes. William has been seeing Talia, Lucas’s daughter, for several weeks now.’

‘Good,’ said Jazhara. ‘I feared he was still …’

As she paused, James supplied, ‘In love with you?’

Without looking at James she said, ‘Infatuated, I think, is a better word. I made a mistake and …’

‘Look, it’s none of my business,’ James said. ‘So if you don’t want to talk about it, fine.’

‘No, I want you to know something.’ She stopped and he turned to look at her. ‘Because you’re his friend, I think.’

‘I am,’ said James. James had been something of a mentor to William since he had arrived at Krondor.

‘And I would like for us to be friends, as well.’

James nodded. ‘I would like that too.’

‘So, you know, then, that William was a boy who followed me around for years once he was old enough to become interested in women. I was a few years older and to me he seemed an eager puppy, nothing more.’ She paused and stared down at the street, as if recalling something difficult to recount. James, too, stood still. ‘I became involved with an older man, one of my teachers. It was not a wise thing to do. He was Keshian, as I was, and he shared many of the beliefs I do on magic and its uses. We drifted into a relationship without too much effort.

‘Our affair became … awkward, for my family would not have approved of any such liaison, and rather than dictate to me, my great-uncle got word to my lover that he was to cease his involvement with me.’ She began to walk slowly again, as if it helped her form her thoughts. James accompanied her. ‘He rejected me, and left Stardock, returning to the Empire.’

‘And to a small reward, I’m sure.’

‘At the least. Perhaps it was nothing more than wanting to spare me a confrontation with my own father or perhaps he was afraid – my great-uncle’s reach can be very long, even into a place such as Stardock.’

‘And?’ James prompted.

‘William was there. I was hurt and frightened and alone and William was there.’ She looked at James. ‘He’s a lovely young man, honourable and kind, strong and passionate, and I felt abandoned. He helped me.’ Her voice trailed off.

James shrugged. ‘But what?’

‘But after a while I realized it was as wrong for me to be his lover as it had been for my teacher to be mine. William was the son of the duke, and had another destiny before him and I was … using him.’

James suppressed the quip that almost sprang to his lips about it not being a bad way to be used, and said instead, ‘Well, he wanted … I mean …’

‘Yes, but I was older and should have seen the problems to come. So I broke off our affair. I fear I may have tipped the balance in his decision to leave Stardock and come to Krondor.’

They turned into a street and headed towards an inn displaying a large parrot with rainbow-coloured feathers on a sign over the door. ‘Well, I’ve known Will for a bit now, and I think you can put aside that concern,’ James said at last. ‘He was set on becoming a soldier, one way or another, all his life, from what he’s told me.’

Jazhara was about to reply, but before she knew it, James was drawing his sword and saying, ‘Guard yourself!’

She brought her staff to the ready and hurried after him. She saw that the door to the inn was partially open and that there was a dead soldier lying before it; and now she could hear the sound of fighting coming from within.

James kicked the door wide and leapt through, Jazhara behind him, staff at the ready. A scene of carnage greeted them. Two armed men lay dead on the ground, mercenaries judging by their dress. Several bar patrons also lay dead amidst the broken furniture. A young woman lay near the fireplace, blood pooling about her head.

In the corner William conDoin, cousin by adoption to the Royal House of Krondor and Lieutenant in the Prince’s Household Guard, stood ready with his large sword held two-handed before him. Three men advanced on him.

William, seeing the newcomers, ‘James! Jazhara! Help me! Talia’s been hurt!’

One of the men turned to engage the squire. The other two attacked William, who barely had room to deflect both strikes with his larger sword. A devastating weapon in the field, the hand-and-a-half or ‘bastard’ sword was a liability at close quarters.

Jazhara lifted her hand and a nimbus of crimson light erupted around it. She cast it at the closest of William’s opponents and watched as the light harmlessly struck the ground near his feet. ‘Damn,’ she muttered. She hefted her staff and stepped forward, levelling a jab with the iron base at the side of the man’s head.

The intruder sensed or saw with his peripheral vision the attack and ducked aside. Whirling to face his new foe, he made a wicked slashing attack at Jazhara, causing her to fall back.

But she had freed William to concentrate on one foe only, and he quickly killed his man. James also dispatched his opponent, then used his sword hilt to strike Jazhara’s attacker at the base of the skull. Rather than stun the man, it served only to distract him, and he turned as Jazhara lashed out again with her staff. The sound of breaking bones was unmistakable as the iron heel of the staff crushed the back of the man’s head.

James looked around the room and said, ‘What black murder is this?’

William had thrown down his sword and was kneeling beside Talia, cradling her head in his lap. The girl’s face was pale and her life flowed out by the second. ‘Oh, William …’ she whispered, ‘Help me.’

William looked down despairingly. He glanced at James, who shook his head slightly, regret clearly showing in his expression. William then looked at Jazhara and entreated, ‘You were one of my father’s finest students. Can you perform a healing?’

Jazhara knelt beside the young soldier and whispered, ‘I’m sorry, William. Her wounds are too severe. Even if we were to send for a priest … it would be too late.’

James knelt on the other side of the girl. ‘Talia, who did this?’

Talia looked up at James. ‘They were after Father. I don’t know who they were. The leader was a huge bear of a man.’ She coughed and blood trickled from her mouth, staining her lips. ‘He hurt me, William. He really hurt me.’

Tears streamed down William’s cheeks. ‘Oh, Talia, I’m sorry …’

Suddenly the girl’s distress seemed to ease. James had seen this before in those on the verge of death. For a moment their eyes brightened, as if the pain had vanished, as if the dying stood upon the threshold of entering Lims-Kragma’s Hall. At this moment, they saw clearly in both worlds. Talia whispered, ‘Don’t worry, William. I swear by Kahooli, I will have my vengeance!’

Then her head lolled to one side.

‘No … Talia!’ William sobbed. For a moment he held her, and then slowly he placed her on the floor, and gently closed her eyes. At last, he rose and declared, ‘They must pay for this, James. I’m going after them.’

James looked towards the doorway of the inn. If the intruders had been seeking Talia’s father Lucas, that was the way the old man would have bolted. He said, ‘Wait, William. The Prince will have my head if I let you go off alone. You’ll have your revenge and we’ll be there beside you. Now, tell us what happened.’

William hesitated a moment then said, ‘Right. Martin and I had just ended our shift. We headed over here for a drink, just like always, and that’s when we saw them run out of the building. Half a dozen of them, with that big bastard leading them. Martin tried to halt them, and they attacked us without so much as a word. If you hadn’t come along, I’d no doubt be lying alongside Martin.’ He gestured towards the dead soldier.

James inspected the carnage. In addition to Talia, they had slaughtered everyone else in the inn. The other barmaid, Susan de Bennet, lay sprawled on the floor in the corner, her head severed completely from her body with what looked to have been a single blow. Her red tresses fanned out around her head, which lay a foot away from her body, her blue eyes still wide in shocked amazement. The other patrons were likewise hacked to pieces.

‘Why?’ asked James. ‘Why charge in and kill everyone in sight?’ He looked at William. ‘Did the big man go after Lucas?’

‘No. Some other men went out through the back. Once those five murderers backed me inside the inn, the big bastard and some others fled down the street.’

‘Do you have any idea where they were heading?’ asked James.

Before William could answer, the building seemed to rock as the night was torn by the sound of a thunderous explosion. James was first out the door, with William and Jazhara close behind him. To the west, a fountain of green flames rose into the night as rocks shot up into the air. As the sound of the explosion diminished, the rocks began to rain down. James and his companions ducked beneath the overhanging roof eaves, and waited.

When it was clear that the last of the rocks had fallen, William said, ‘Listen!’

In the distance they could hear the clash of arms and the shouts of men. They hurried towards the noise, and turned the corner that led to the city jail. As they ran towards the jail, another explosion ripped through the night and they were thrown to the ground. A tower of green fire again reached into the darkness, and James shouted, ‘Get under cover!’

Again they hugged the walls of a building as more stones rained down upon them. William shouted, ‘What is that? Quegan Fire?’

James shook his head, ‘No Quegan Fire I’ve ever seen was green.’

Jazhara said, ‘I think I know what it was.’

‘Care to share that intelligence with us?’ asked James.

‘No,’ she answered. ‘Not yet.’

As the clatter of falling stones quieted, James leapt up and they continued running towards the jail. They reached a junction with two other streets, and sprinted left. A short distance further on they came to another intersection, and it was there they saw what was left of the jail. A gaping hole in the wall stood where the wooden door had once been, a few flames could be seen inside, and smoke rose from the maw. Nearby, an overturned wagon served as cover for two guardsmen and Captain Garruth, commander of the city watch. James, William, and Jazhara approached the wagon in a running crouch, keeping the wagon between them and the opening, for crossbow bolts and arrows were flying from the hole at those behind the wagon.

Glancing back, Captain Garruth motioned for them to stay low. When James came alongside, the captain said, ‘Astalon rot their black hearts.’ He nodded to the two young men he knew and said, ‘William. Squire James.’ Without waiting for an introduction to Jazhara, the guard captain continued. ‘As you can see, we’ve a bit of a problem.’

‘What happened?’ asked James.

‘Bloody brigands! They’ve blown out the back of the jail, and cut down half my squad.’

‘Who are they?’ asked William.

‘Your guess is as good as mine, lad. The leader’s a giant of a man, bald, with a thick beard. He was wearing some sort of bone amulet, and he swung a mean sword.’

William said, ‘That’s the one, James.’

‘Which one, boy?’ asked the captain as another arrow slammed into the underside of the wagon.

James glanced at William. ‘The one that killed Talia, the barmaid at the Rainbow Parrot.’

Garruth let out a slow breath then said heavily, ‘Lucas’s girl. She is … was … such a sweet thing.’ He glanced at William. ‘My sympathies, Will.’

With cold anger, William replied, ‘I’ll have his heart, Captain. I swear I will.’

Garruth said, ‘Well, now’s your chance, lad. They’ve got us pinned down, but maybe the two of you can creep back down the way you came and circle behind the jail.’

‘Where’s the sheriff?’ asked James.

Garruth inclined his head towards the jail. ‘In there, I expect. I was due to meet with him when everything went to hell.’

James shook his head. He had little affection for Sheriff Wilfred Means, but he was a good and loyal servant of the Prince and his son Jonathan was one of James’s agents. He would discover if the younger Means was still alive later, he supposed.

‘If the sheriff and his men were inside when the bastards blew up the jail, we won’t see help here from the palace for another ten or fifteen minutes,’ said James.

Garruth said, ‘Aye, and that gives them time for whatever bloody work they’ve got in mind. Never seen anyone try to break into a jail before, so there must be something in there they want.’

James said, ‘No, there’s someone they want.’

William said, ‘You think Lucas went to the jail?’

‘Maybe,’ said James. ‘But we won’t know until we get inside.’

Garruth said, ‘You’d best leave the woman here until the palace guards arrive.’

Jazhara said, in a dry tone, ‘I appreciate your concern, but I can handle myself.’

The captain shrugged. ‘As you will.’

They crouched low and returned the way they had come, until they reached the big intersection, safely out of firing range of the jail. All three stood and began to run.

They quickly reached the rear wall of the jail, in which another gaping hole could be seen. ‘The second explosion?’ asked William.

‘The first,’ said Jazhara. ‘They blew this one out to catch men eating and sleeping there’ – she pointed through the hole to a table and overturned bunks – ‘then when those in the front of the jail ran back to aid their comrades, they set off the explosion on the other side, through which they almost certainly attacked, catching whoever was inside from the rear.’

James said, ‘We’ll not find the answer out here.’

He ducked low and ran towards the hole leading into the guardroom, expecting a volley of arrows at any moment. Instead he found only two men looting the corpses on the ground. One died before he could draw his sword and the other turned on James, only to be struck from behind by William. James held up his hand for silence.

From the entrance come the sound of arrows and quarrels being fired, but all was still in the guardroom. James motioned for William to take the left side of the door into the front room, and for Jazhara to stand a few feet behind James. Then he moved to the partially opened door. He glanced through. A half-dozen men, four with bows and two with crossbows, were spread in flank formation, patiently shooting at anything that moved outside the hole in the wall. It was clear they were merely holding Garruth and his men at bay so someone inside could accomplish his mission.

James glanced at William and Jazhara, and then towards an opening in the floor with stone stairs leading down to the underground cells. He knew there was a staircase in the front room leading to offices and the sheriff’s apartment above. Which way had the big man gone? Up or down? James decided that either way they’d need Garruth and his half-dozen guardsmen to deal with the big man and his crew. So the six bowmen ahead must first be neutralized.

James held up three fingers, and Jazhara shook her head emphatically. She tapped her chest, indicating that she wished to make the first move. James glanced at William, who shrugged, so he looked back at Jazhara and nodded.

She stepped forward, raising her right hand high above her head, while grasping her staff in the left. Again the hair on James’s arms stood on end as magic was gathered. A golden light enveloped the woman, accompanied by a faint sizzling sound, then the light coalesced into a sphere in the palm of her hand. She threw it as if it was a large ball and it arced into the room, landing between the centre pair of bowmen. Instantly they dropped their weapons and twitched in wild spasms. The two next to them on either side were also afflicted, but held on to their weapons and managed to regain control of their movements almost immediately. The two crossbowmen – one of either side of the flank – were unaffected. Fortunately for William, the man he charged had just fired a bolt and was moving to reload his weapon.

The other man turned and fired wildly, the bolt striking the wall high above James’s head. Suddenly the balance shifted. The archers dropped their bows and drew daggers, for the projectile weapons were useless at close range. James had one man wounded and down before his neighbour had freed his dagger from his belt. William’s large sword was menacing enough that one of the mercenaries threw down his crossbow and attempted to leap over the desk and dash through the gaping hole in the wall.

Seeing the man attempting to flee from within, Captain Garruth and his men sprang forward and the man was down in moments. Inside, the others threw up their hands and knelt, the mercenary’s universal sign of surrender.

Garruth indicated that two of his six men were to guard the prisoners. To James he said, ‘There are more of them than these six. I’ll take my men to the basement, if you three will check upstairs.’

James nodded. ‘Who’s supposed to be up there?’

‘Just the lads sleeping until their mid-watch shift, and a scribe named Dennison. The sheriff and his men sleep up there.’ Glancing at the hacked bodies, he said, ‘I doubt any of them are alive.’ He scratched his beard. ‘It was a perfect raid. They knew exactly when to hit. The company was at its lowest complement and least able to defend itself, and reinforcements were unlikely to get here quickly.’ He started towards the stairs leading down to the cells, and two of his men followed cautiously.

James motioned to William and Jazhara to accompany him and they made their way to the stairs leading to the upper floor of the jail. As they reached the steps, they ducked reflexively as another explosion came from above.

While smoke and stone dust poured down the steps, Captain Garruth shouted, ‘He’s heading for the North Gate!’

James didn’t hesitate. ‘Come on!’ he bellowed, and ran through the gaping hole just a few feet away.

Looking down the crowded street leading to the North Gate, James could see the head and shoulders of a large man towering above the throng, shoving his way through the curious onlookers who had gathered to see what the commotion at the jail was. James, William, and Jazhara raced after him.

As they neared the crowd, James glanced back and saw that Garruth’s men were engaged in a struggle with about a half-dozen mercenaries. To William and Jazhara, he shouted, ‘We’re on our own!’

People who had been shoved aside by the big man found themselves being pushed aside once more, this time by James and his companions. ‘Out of the way! Prince’s business!’ he shouted.

In the din of voices he could barely be heard and finally James let William, who was stockier and stronger than James, take the lead. People jumped aside as they recognized the garb of the prince’s personal household guards, when he bellowed, ‘Stand aside in the name of the Prince!’

Still, precious moments had been lost, and the big man was out of sight. As they neared the intersection with the road that emptied out through the North Gate, another mighty explosion could be heard, followed instantly by screams and shouts.

They reached the corner and saw a large, two-storey building in flames. Smoke billowed from the lower windows as flames climbed the outside wall.

‘Gods,’ said James. ‘He’s fired the orphanage.’

From the main door four women and a man were ushering out children, many of whom looked stunned and disoriented, coughing from the heavy smoke. James ran to the door.

The man turned, saw William’s garb and shouted, ‘Someone’s burned the orphanage! They threw a bomb through that window.’ He pointed with a shaking finger. ‘Flames erupted and we barely got out alive.’

Jazhara said, ‘Are all the children out?’

A scream from upstairs answered her.

The man coughed and said, ‘I tried to go upstairs, but the fire near the stairs is too intense.’

‘How many are up there?’ asked William.

‘Three,’ said one of the women, who was crying. ‘I called the children for supper, but they were taking their time coming down …’

‘I may be able to help,’ said Jazhara.

‘How?’ asked James.

‘I have a spell which will protect you from the heat unless you touch the flame itself. But it lasts only a short time.’

The man said, ‘Then weave it quickly, woman. Their lives are at stake.’

William started to strip off his armour, but James said, ‘No, I’m faster than you.’ He also had no armour to doff. He handed his sword to William and said, ‘Ready.’

Jazhara said, ‘The spell will protect you from the heat, but you must be careful not to breathe the smoke too deeply as it will kill as fast as a flame.’ She pulled a handkerchief from the hands of one of the nearby women and handed it to James. ‘Hold this over your mouth and nose.’

She closed her eyes, putting her right hand on James’s arm and the back of her left hand to her forehead. She made a short incantation and finally said, ‘There. It is done. Now hurry, for it will last but a short time’

James said, ‘I didn’t feel anything.’

‘It’s done,’ she repeated.

‘I usually feel magic when it’s—’

‘Go!’ she said, pushing him towards the door. ‘Time is short!’

‘But—’

‘Go!’ she repeated with a strong push.

James tumbled head-first through the door, and ducked at the sight of flames licking the ceiling above. To his surprise, he felt no heat.

The smoke, however, caused his eyes to water and he blinked furiously to clear them. He wished he had thought to wet the cloth he held over his nose and mouth. He made for a stairway, following a serpentine route around flaming tables and burning tapestries.

He quickly reached the top of the stairs and did not have to ask if the children were still alive. Three tiny voices split the air with their screams and coughs. James shouted, ‘Stay where you are, children! I’m coming to get you!’

He hurried towards the shouts at the other end of the room, a barracks of sorts where the children obviously slept. Bedding was smouldering and flames climbed the walls, but he found a straight path to the children.

Two boys and a girl huddled in the corner, terrified to the point of immobility. James quickly decided that trying to guide them through the flames was pointless. The older of the two boys appeared to be about seven or eight years of age. The other boy and girl he guessed as being closer to four.

He knelt and said, ‘Come here.’

The children stood up and he gathered the two smaller children up, one under each arm, then said to the older boy, ‘Climb on my back!’

The boy did, clamping his arm over James’s throat. James put down the other two children, almost gagging. ‘Not so hard!’ he said, prying the boy’s arm from across his windpipe. ‘Here,’ he said, placing the boy’s arms across his chest. ‘Like this!’

Then he scooped up the other children and hurried back to the stairs. He moved quickly down the steps and saw the flames had closed around the landing. ‘Damn!’ he muttered.

There was nothing for it but to run. He leapt as far as he could through the flames and instantly understood Jazhara’s warning. The heat itself hadn’t been noticeable, but the second the flames touched him he could certainly feel it. ‘Oooh!’ he shouted, as he landed in a relatively clear patch of wooden floor, while the planks on all sides smouldered and burned.

The roof above was making alarming sounds, creaks and groans, that told James the support timbers were weakening. Soon the upper floor would collapse on him and the children if he didn’t move. The smoke was making the children cough and James’s eyes were tearing to the point of being unable to see through the smoke. Taking in a lungful that caused him to cough, he shouted, ‘Jazhara! William!’

William’s booming voice answered from slightly to his left. ‘This way!’

James didn’t hesitate. He leapt forward, trying as well as he could to avoid the flames, but by the time he came spilling out the door with a child under each arm and one across his back, he was burned on both legs and arms. The children were crying from their burns, but they were alive. He collapsed onto the cobblestones, coughing.

Two women took charge of the burned and frightened children, while Jazhara knelt and examined James’s burns. ‘Not serious,’ she judged.

James looked at her through watering eyes and said, ‘Easy for you to say. They hurt like the blazes!’

Jazhara took a small jar out of her belt pouch and said, ‘This will make them stop hurting until we can get you to a healer or priest.’

She applied a salve gently to the burns and, true to her words, the pain vanished. James said, ‘What is that?’

‘It is made from a desert plant found in the Jal-Pur. My people use this salve on burns and cuts. It will keep wounds from festering for a while, enabling them to heal.’

James stood up and looked towards the gate. ‘He’s got away?’

William said, ‘I expect so. Look.’ He pointed to the other side of the street where members of the city watch were moving citizens back from the fire so that a chain of men with buckets could start wetting down the nearby buildings. It was clear that the orphanage was doomed, but the rest of the quarter might be saved. William sounded defeated. ‘Those men are from the gate watch, so I suspect the murderer got out of the city just by walking through.’

Jazhara said, ‘What sort of monster would set fire to an orphanage to create a diversion?’

James said, ‘The same sort who would break into a jail at sunset.’ He coughed one more time, then said, ‘Let’s go back and see if we can find out who he was after.’ He started walking back towards the jail.

Soldiers from the palace had arrived to augment the surviving city guards at the jail. James had just learned that Sheriff Wilfred Means and all but six of his men had been killed. The sheriff’s son, Jonathan, stood in the main room surveying the damage. James had recently recruited the young man to work secretly for him in the Prince’s burgeoning intelligence network. The squire put his hand on Jonathan’s shoulder and said, ‘I’m sorry for your loss. Your father and I were never what could be called friends, but I respected him as an honest man who was unstinting in his loyalty and duty.’

Jonathan looked pale and could only nod. Finally he controlled his emotions and said, ‘Thank you.’

James nodded. ‘For the time being, you and the other deputies report to Captain Garruth. Arutha will need time to name a new sheriff and you’ll be undermanned for a while.’

Jonathan said, ‘I need to go home if that’s all right. I must tell my mother.’

James said, ‘Yes, of course. Go to your mother,’ and sent the young man on his way. Jonathan was an able man, despite his youth, but he doubted Arutha would willingly elevate him to his father’s office. Besides, having Jonathan tied to a desk wouldn’t help James’s plans. He put aside those thoughts and went looking for Garruth.

The captain was directing workers and soldiers as they started making repairs on the jail. ‘Didn’t catch him?’ he said when he saw James and the others.