Jeff Salyards - Veil of the Deserters

After Hewspear cast a quick glance behind to be sure we weren’t being followed, he added, “They have the right of it, Captain. We are in this together, to the last.”

Vendurro said, “Aye, Cap. And sure as spit, where we go, the men go. Every last one of us. To the last. Ain’t that right, Arki?”

I thought about what Skeelana had told me. Even if I hadn’t thrown my lot in with the captain whole and full, there was no room for reservation or regret now. “I can only vouch for myself, and I am a poor shot, and no Syldoon, but yes, I am Captain Killcoin’s man.”

Braylar nodded twice, then asked, “What would you have me do, Commander?”

The Commander didn’t answer right away, and we walked in silence down the Avenue of Towers. I wondered at all the heated conversations that must have been occurring in each massive Tower we passed as news of the Emperor’s bloodless coup had spread to every corner of Sunwrack by now. It wouldn’t be long before every Thurvacian and Syldoon knew something absolutely unprecedented had happened.

As we passed a large wagon pulled by oxen, Darzaak said, “That whoreson Cynead outfoxed us, for certain. Nothing to be done for that now. But he knows a lot more than I’m comfortable with. Only a matter of time before he uses one of our Memoridons-his Memoridons now, that plaguing cock-against us, roots out our alliance with Thumaar. And when that happens…”

Braylar finished, “The Fifth Man might have been the most generous threat we are likely to get.”

“True enough. We’ve got less time than we thought, too. Would have been bad enough, him stealing all our Memoridons, but learning we were scuttling around in the shadows plotting the same thing ourselves? No, time is not our friend. We’ll convene the captains. Immediately. I’d like to get word to Thumaar. Could be we don’t even have time for that, especially with Whoreson Cynead keeping eyes on us.”

A few steps later, Mulldoos said, “Going to sound bereft of sense, I know-”

“First admission of that sort you’ve ever made,” Hewpsear said.

“Plaguing goatcock. But you’re right, Commander. Cynead will figure out what we been up to. By torturing Cap here, most like, but could be he just has a memory witch snatch up me or Hew or some other poor bastard, plumb what we know, hang us all for traitors. No time and less. So maybe it’s time we pull stakes and break camp. Move to the hills with Thumaar.”

Hewspear asked, keeping his voice low, “Are you suggesting seceding? Moving the entirety of Jackal Tower out of Sunwrack?”

“I am, you wrinkled bastard, and you know it.”

“You are right,” Hewspear said. “That does sound bereft of sense. Entirely. The Emperor is suspicious and no fool. He will have eyes on us, and within us once the Captain’s sister and her sisters are back in the fold, reporting every move to Cynead. We could not possibly move our troops without him detecting it and utterly destroying us before we even had half of them to the gates. And even if we somehow managed to get thousands of troops out of Sunwrack, we would be branded deserters, traitors, and enemies of the Empire.”

Before Mulldoos could offer a surly rebuttal, Braylar said, “It is a mad plan. But there is one reason it could work. Emperor Cynead is exceedingly clever, but he is also exceptionally arrogant. He has just pulled off the greatest seizure of power in Syldoon history, and is basking in his triumph. While he was suspicious of us before due to our known allegiance to Thumaar, and is doubly, so now having learned of our own efforts to seize the Memoridons ourselves, he also is entirely too confident in his position.”

“Meaning?” Commander Darzaak asked brusquely.

“Meaning, my lord, he could not truly conceive of anyone moving against him just now, not after he publicly stripped the Towers of what was inalienably ours for centuries. We might have an opportunity.”

Hewspear nodded slowly, but said, “That is so, Captain. But it would be fraught with risk. We have thousands of troops in the middle of the most fortified city in the world, and our sovereign now has weapons on his side on a scale never before seen. If we failed to make it out, we would be obliterated.”

Mulldoos replied, “Aye. And if we hold here, we’re back to what the Commander said-time ain’t doing us any favors just now. We stay, it’s not a question of if Horsecunt Cynead figures us out, just when. Better to make a break before he’s got the witches stuck in like leeches, reporting our every move. Too late then.”

Hewspear started to respond when the Commander held up a hand. “Enough. We’ll convene tonight, once we have some walls around us. And I’ll hear you all out in full before settling on a course. But make no mistake-every path is slick with a precipice on either side. Only question is which is the widest.”

We reached the Jackal Tower. The guards saluted their Commander as we started up the stairs on the outside, spiraling up, and they didn’t give any obvious sign that they’d heard anything usual, so maybe the other captains had held their tongues.

But time was assuredly not any ally of ours.

As we ascended, Vendurro broke off first, followed by Hewspear and Mulldoos, and Commander Darzaak bid us farewell as he continued up to his solar.

Braylar closed the door to his room behind us. I avoided his gaze, still feeling guilty over allowing myself to confide in Skeelana, much less kiss her. But also strangely hurt and acutely disappointed.

The captain said, “The Commander will send for me soon. I will be gone some time. Possibly hours. Continue translating. Throughout the night if need be. I want to know if there is anything else in those texts beyond what you already discovered or Henlester confirmed, yes? Particulars about what Cynead has achieved, or even hints. Any reference to how it could be undone. Weapons like Bloodsounder. Any of it.”

I sat down at the table. “Of course.”

“Very good.” He started toward his chamber but I called out, “Captain?”

I expected irritation, but instead he simply turned around and gave me a level look. “Archivist?”

“I… we are in some trouble here, aren’t we?” I tried to keep any fear out of my voice. “What I mean is, everything that happened today, it-”

“Does not bode well for us, no. But we have a diminished but still formidable ally in the deposed Emperor, and confederates in some of the other Towers who questioned Cynead and his agenda. And that was before today. While the Emperor has appropriated something exceptional today, he did so at great cost-even staunch supporters are likely to chafe at having their own potency abruptly amputated.” He gave what was likely intended to be a reassuring smile, though it was far too twitchy to accomplish that. “Do not despair, Arki. We are not lost. Yet.” Then he winked and walked into his chamber, calling out over his shoulder. “Rouse me when it is time.”

As ever, I was amazed and envious of his ability to rest when things were at their most turbulent. I had no interest in looking through those dusty tomes just then, but it was an order, not a request, and I hoped it would prove a distraction from thinking on precipices, betrayals, and vengeful mighty monarchs.

So I opened my writing case, unlocked the chest, and continued where I’d left off, doing my best to focus.

When the slave boy summoned Braylar an hour later, I hadn’t made much progress, and certainly hadn’t uncovered anything new. But after he left, it wasn’t long before I encountered more absorbing information. And as the hours wore on and the tallow candle burned low, and my food came and grew cold, mostly untouched as I was so excited, I uncovered still more.