Jeff Salyards - Veil of the Deserters

Eyes still on the captain, Mulldoos asked me, “How long was he out like this? In the grass? Before Lloi finally showed her sorry ass and muddled through helping him?”

It seemed a bad time to state the obvious-that her muddling was the only thing that kept him upright and stopped the troops from questioning his status the last few years. “Not long. A few days? He started showing signs of the sickness earlier though.”

Mulldoos looked at Hewspear. “We got no time, and less. Only reason I found the little hellcat was keeping my ears open in every tavern in Alespell. And turned out she still couldn’t do shit. Out here…” He shook his head. “Grim odds of finding another one out in the wild. Mighty grim.”

Hewspear leaned against a faded panel on the wall, the paint chipped and flaking off. He peeled off a strip with long, dark fingers, thinking, and let it fall spiraling to the dusty floor.

Vendurro didn’t appear to have any idea how to behave. He stared at the lantern, as if trying to find the answer in its dim honey light.

Already on the wrong side of Mulldoos (was there a right side?), I was reluctant to speak up again, but with no one else shouting out ideas, I felt I had to try. I cleared my throat. No one looked, so I just spoke. “We could tell Soffjian.” I thought about what she told me in the wagon. “Or better yet, Skeelana. They might be able to help.”

Hewspear seemed to consider it, but then shook his head. “The captain forbade it. Expressly. We’ll just have to send men to outlying villages.”

Vendurro’s shoulders fell a notch. “This is the outlying village. No big settlements out this way. A few other small villages here and there, but the chances of wandering into one just before a hedge witch gets hung? Mulldoos called it-grim and grimmer going.”

Mulldoos gave me a long look, his blue eyes too pale to be flinty, but no less hard or unfriendly. The next words out of his mouth shocked me. “Never thought there’d be worse than admitting Hewspear might have the right of something, but this tops it. Scribbler’s got the right of it. I told Cap he should’ve done this back in Alespell. And you did, too, you wrinkled goatcock. Only thing that makes any kind of sense. Especially now that we got no options left.”

Hewspear pulled another long strip of paint off the wall and looked at it, balanced on his fingertips. “You know their history. And even discounting that, there are a number of reasons the captain wants to keep the Memoridon beyond arm’s length. If we reveal his condition, we risk revealing more. And that we cannot do. Not yet.”

I said, “She already suspects he is hiding something.”

Hewspear blew the long strip off his hand. “Oh?”

Mulldoos turned on the stool, wincing as pain must have shot up his injured leg. “You talking to Soffjian, you skinny shit? That’s ripe, it is. Real plaguing ripe.” His hand fell to the falchion on his hip. He looked ready to rise and use it just then. “You trying to work your way up that witch’s skirts?”

I shook my head quickly. “No! She doesn’t even wear skirts! But no!”

“Real bad idea, trading information to try to bed that witch.” Mull-doos drummed his fingers on the hilt. “Like to be a messy end for you, either way.”

I forced myself not to take a step back, despite every instinct screaming that was the best idea. “No, it wasn’t like that.”

“No? The not giving up vital information, or the not trying to wet your dick in the driest hole on earth?”

“What? Neither. I wasn’t doing either one.” I quickly added, “She cornered me in the barn a little while ago, started asking me questions, about the girl, and Bloodsounder, and-”

Mulldoos rose. “And what’d you tell her, scribbler?” I imagined several other people looked into those same cold eyes just before being sliced open.

“Nothing! I dodged every question and delayed.” I looked at Vendurro, “Luckily he came out, and she left before she could get very far. But she already suspects. That’s the point I’m getting at.”

Mulldoos looked at Vendurro. “That right?”

Vendurro nodded, looking very serious. “Yup. Came in there, just like he said, caught him with his pants down.”

I shouted, “What? That isn’t true!” I tried to keep the keening edge from my voice as I turned back to Mulldoos. “That isn’t true!”

Vendurro laughed. “Nahhh, I’m just pissing on you, Arki. It’s true, Lieutenant. Didn’t even see her in there. Must have taken off when I come near. Soffjian scares the hardness out of him. Same as me, when it comes down to it. Any sane man. No way was he seeking her out, and he wouldn’t have the guts to even think of bedding her, even if she weren’t Cap’s sister. Which of course she is. Just saying.”

Not the most complimentary defense, but I tried to look grateful that he took my side as he went on. “He’s telling it straight-went out to fetch that case of his, and got stuck in the wagon with her. Nothing more.”

Mulldoos took a step toward me and I realized I was clutching my case tight to my chest. I tried to relax my arms, in case I needed to throw it at him and try to run. For all the good that would do. “So, not trying to get your gems rubbed, but still doling out information. Not sure, but that might be worse.”

“I told you, I didn’t volunteer anything. She caught me unexpectedly, and I tried to get out of there without looking like I was hiding something.”

Mulldoos didn’t advance closer, but his hand didn’t drop away from his weapon either. “Course you are. Even though we ain’t told you much at all, that’s ten times more than we want that cold bitch to know. Shouldn’t have told her a thing, you skinny prick.”

I knew if he attacked I’d likely be dead before I hit the floor, but I was tired of being bullied and humiliated. “I didn’t. She doesn’t know anything. I said suspects . And just a second ago, you were saying we should approach her! Now you’re saying we shouldn’t trust her?”

“That was before I knew you were meeting in the dark with her.”

Vendurro said, “She sought him out, Mulldoos. Not the other way round. And to hear him tell it, he didn’t tell her nothing she didn’t already know or think she knew.”

Mulldoos didn’t look especially mollified as he turned on the sergeant. “He been in the company a couple of tendays and you fall in love, Ven? Thought we taught you better than that. Only ones you can trust are your brothers. The rest of the world? Marks, victims, or enemies. Sometimes tools. Which one you think he is?” He jerked a thick thumb in my direction.

Hewspear clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth. “Arki didn’t need to mention meeting Soffjian at all. But he did. And his suggestion, much as I mislike going counter to the captain’s orders, is the only one that stands a chance of success. As you yourself proposed before blustering about.” He pushed off the wall slowly, nearly peeling himself. “Are we agreed on this then? We invite the Memoridons in, tell them all they need to know, and ask them to help the captain?”

Mulldoos nodded once, fast, grudgingly, still looking as if he’d prefer to cut someone open. Hewspear looked Vendurro’s way, and the younger man swallowed hard. “Can’t see no other choice. No good one, leastwise. If you’re asking me, I say let’s do it.”

Hewspear nodded. “Very well. Vendurro-find Soffjian or Skeelana.” He stared at the prone captain. “And quickly, lad. Quickly.”

Vendurro looked as if he’d been asked to stick his hand into a viper’s hole and wiggle his fingers, but he gave a quick nod and hurried from the room.

Mulldoos returned to his stool and kept vigil. For all the good it did.