Steven Brust - Orca

“Rocza says he’s coming, boss.”

“The right way, or the wrong way?”

“The right way. From the east.”

“Can’t ask for better than that.”

I let a dagger fall into my hand. It was one of the new ones. I wiped the hilt on my cloak, as much for luck as for any other reason, then took my position.

Domm walked right past me. There was a rolled-up piece of paper in his hand, no doubt the seizure card, naming some nameless person who happened to be me as a witness wanted for questioning in an Imperial investigation.

Pretty serious stuff.

I fell into step behind him, and I left nothing to chance, nor did I speak. Afterward, I continued past, walking easily, as if nothing had happened. I turned a corner, and then another, and Rocza informed Loiosh, who informed me, that no one was following me. Interlude

“Did it seem to bother him?”

“Killing Domm? I don’t think so. Should it have?”

“I’m not sure. I suppose I would have been happier if it had, but—”

“You’ve changed, Cawti.”

“So has he.”

“Not as much as you have.”

“From what you’ve told me, I’m not sure that’s true.”

“Come to think of it, neither am I. But ...”

“Yes?”

“There’s so much you’re leaving out. I can see the gaps in your story.”

“I told you—”

“I know, I know.”

“In any case, that was about it.”

“And there’s another gap.”

“Cawti—”

“Sorry. You mean, you just left after that?”

“Pretty much, yes. There was a bit of excitement that proved to be nothing, and we got some reassurances, and then Vlad took Savn and went away for parts unknown, and I came back home where I found your letter waiting for me.”

“Tell me about the excitement that proved to be nothing, and about the reassurances.”

“All right. What is it?”

“I don’t know, Kiera. It’s good to hear this, but it just makes me want to find out more.”

“Are you going to try to?”

“Not if you don’t want me to.”

“I don’t want you to.”

“All right.”

“Should we have more tea?”

“I think something stronger.”

“Good idea.”

“And then some food. I’ll buy.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s the least I can do.”

“Is there a hint of irony there, Cawti?”

“No, actually, I don’t think there is.”

“And then I came back here,” he concluded.

“What next?”

“As I said, we arranged that I’d meet her tomorrow evening at that same place, and she’ll give me the deed to this chunk of land. And that is the story of my latest triumph.”

“Triumph,” I repeated. “Will it still be a triumph tomorrow, when you walk into that public house to find yourself arrested, if you’re lucky, or surrounded by Jhereg if you’re not?”

“She promised,” said Vlad smugly.

“And what,” I said, “makes you think you can trust her?”

“Instinct,” he said.

I bit back a nasty reply. As much as we’d both bungled these last few days, I still trusted my own instincts, so I could hardly blame him for trusting his. The thing is, I didn’t trust his.

He said, “Okay, maybe that was one more screwup. But, Kiera, it felt right. Loftis was her friend, and her superior officer, and an associate. I don’t know, maybe she hated his guts. But—”

I shook my head. “No, you’re probably right, only—” I stopped.

“What is it?” he said.

“I don’t know. A spell of some kind, centered around here.”

“Aw nuts,” said Vlad.

“Perhaps,” I said slowly, “we had best gather up Savn and Hwdf rjaanci and head into the woods while we can.”

“I don’t believe it,” he said.

“I think,” I said carefully, “that it was a location spell.”

He gave me an odd look and said, “The Jhereg?”

“Maybe.”

“Where can we go?”

I cursed softly and didn’t answer.

He said, “You take the old woman and the boy and make tracks. It’s only me they want.”

“Wrong answer, Vlad.”

“Heh.”

He walked into the house, emerging a minute later with his sword belt. He wore no cloak at all and had several knives strapped to his body. He said, “Go, Kiera.”

“Not a chance.”

He indicated the house. “What about them? Can’t you stash them someplace and then retrieve them later, if there is a later?”

Well, in point of fact, I could. Then something else happened. “Someone has just teleported into the area,” I said. “About a quarter of a mile away.”

“How many?”

“One.”

“One?”

“That’s right.”

He shook his head. “If it’s Mario, there’s no point in trying to run, and if it isn’t, well, there isn’t any other one person I’m particularly afraid of.”

I nodded. I felt the same way, except that I didn’t have his superstitious dread of Mario.

He drew his blade and waited. “May I borrow a knife?” I said.

“You don’t want to use your own?”

“I’m not armed,” I told him.

“Oh, yes. I forgot.” He handed me a weapon. I tested the feel, the balance, and the edge, and then we stood back-to-back and waited. Loiosh and Rocza sat on Vlad’s shoulders. Buddy came out of the house, sniffed curiously, then sat down next to us; it was somehow comforting that he was there, though I didn’t know if he’d be useful.

Vlad saw her first. He said, “There she is.”

I turned. She was walking through the woods toward us, a sword at her side, but her hands were empty. Buddy stood up and started growling, and a glance told me that his teeth were bared. Well, well.

The woman ignored Buddy, and ignored the fact that Vlad and I were holding weapons, but nodded hello to each of us as she stopped about five feet away and looked at the cottage.

“It a blue,” she said.

“You thought I lied?” said Vlad.

She shrugged. “It was a possibility. But you told the truth about everything else, so—”

“How did you find me?”

“In the public house,” she said. “With the help of your uh, familiar, is that the right word?”

Vlad used a word he wouldn’t have wanted Hwdf rjaanci to hear. “A bit of Loiosh’s skin on the handkerchief,” he said. “And then you went to a sorcerer with it, and located him, because you knew you couldn’t locate me.”

She nodded. “Shall we go inside?”

“Let’s settle it out here,” said Vlad.

“Settle what?” said Timmer.

“Aren’t you here to arrest me?”

“No.”

“But—”

“I wanted to meet the rest of this little troupe that’s caused so much trouble, and I thought you’d want to hear how everything came out.”

For a moment no one spoke. Then Vlad said, “Oh.”

He put his sword away, then the knife I handed him. Then he petted Buddy, who took that as a clue that everything was all right, and introduced himself to Timmer. The old woman came out as this was going on.

“Who are you?” she snapped. “And what are you doing here?”

“Ensign Timmer,” said Vlad, “this is the woman we call Mother, because her name sounds rather like a sneeze and no one but Kiera here can say it. Oh, and this is Kiera—I don’t think you two have been introduced yet. And this is Buddy, who I think is, really, the intelligent one of the bunch—at least, he’s the one who hasn’t made any mistakes yet.”

Rocza hissed. Vlad laughed and said, “One of the two, then.”

“A pleasure, my lady,” said Timmer. “I have something for you.” I heard a quick intake of breath from Vlad.

“You got it?” he said.