Emily Rodda - Sister Of The South

Jasmine made a small, choked sound. She fell to her knees and touched the bird’s head.

‘There, Blackwing,’ she crooned. ‘There …’

Quietly Lief moved on to the next fluttering body. Briefly he remembered Paff, then pushed the thought from his mind. Paff was recovering without his aid. If she had anything to tell, it would have to wait.

Half an hour later, the sun shone down on twelve occupied perches in the bird room. The dozen birds Lief had saved were ruffled and quiet, very aware of the empty spaces all around them.

‘Not one of them is strong enough to fly to Dread Mountain,’ Jasmine said in a low voice, as she and Lief stood watching the survivors.

Kree squawked and flapped his wings.

‘No, Kree!’ she exclaimed. ‘You have just flown from Tora. You must—’

Kree screeched, and snapped his beak. Clearly he was determined to go to Dread Mountain, whether Jasmine approved or not.

Lief held out the folded paper. Kree plucked it neatly from his hand and held it fast.

‘Go and bid him farewell, Jasmine,’ Lief said gently. ‘I will not leave the birds until you return.’

Jasmine took a deep breath, then nodded and left the room with Kree riding serenely on her arm.

Lief pushed his hands deep into his pockets and began slowly pacing the room, kicking at the straw with the toes of his boots. Around him, the recovering birds crooned and clucked.

He jumped violently as there was a noise behind him. He swung around, reaching for his sword, as the door of the room opened.

Barda walked in, grim-faced. Close behind him was a stocky guard with a balding head and an anxious expression that sat oddly on his red, good-natured face. Lief recognised him as Dunn, Barda’s new deputy. A red mask hung around Dunn’s neck, as though he had only recently pulled it down.

‘Manus told us what had happened,’ Barda said grimly. ‘We have discovered Jarvis, the keeper of the birds, dead in his bed. The bird room guards have been found further down the hallway here. They have not a mark on them, but they, too, are dead.’

‘Zon and Delta crawled away seeking help, no doubt, sir, and died where they fell,’ Dunn mumbled.

Barda’s lips tightened. ‘No doubt,’ he said curtly. ‘But that must have been well before dawn, for their bodies are already cold and stiffening. Why did you not discover before this that the bird room was unguarded?’

Dunn’s red face deepened to dull scarlet. ‘I have been forced to abandon inspections in this area, sir,’ he said. ‘We are short-handed, sir, because of the Toran Plague. And the bird room is very out of the way.’

‘That,’ said Barda through gritted teeth, ‘is exactly why inspections are needed here, Dunn. And how many times do I have to tell you? There is no plague! Stop using the cursed word!’

Dunn wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. ‘Indeed, you said there was no plague, only poison, sir,’ he muttered. ‘The guards on the city gates have been told, as you ordered, and all of us have removed our masks.’

Unhappily he fingered the red cloth around his neck. ‘But Zon and Delta are dead, sir, just like Airlie and Wax, the men who were at the entrance door last night. And none of them were poisoned, I will take my oath on it.’

He met Barda’s furious eyes, and glanced away quickly.

‘You left the strictest orders, sir, that no guard was to accept food or drink while on duty, for in the past guards have been given sleeping potions by enemies,’ he mumbled. ‘Zon and Delta were not the sort to disobey, and neither were Airlie and Wax. ‘

‘Nevertheless, somehow they all took poison,’ Barda said firmly. ‘Get that into your head, and make certain that the other men do the same.’

Dunn’s ears were very red. Plainly he thought Barda was wrong. He blinked rapidly, but said nothing.

Barda hesitated, then turned to Lief. ‘It is true, however,’ he said, looking directly into Lief’s eyes, ‘that those men were good soldiers. They would not have disobeyed my instruction unless … they had very good reason.’

Lief understood what Barda was telling him. He understood only too well. But the thought was hateful to him. His mind did not want to accept it.

Dunn was shifting from foot to foot.

‘Can I go now, sir?’ he asked nervously. ‘The men watching over Zon and Delta will be growing impatient, waiting for me.’

‘Be off, then,’ Barda sighed. ‘But Dunn, try to remember that you are my deputy now. Be considerate by all means, but do not fear the men’s displeasure or they will not respect you.’

Dunn ducked his head and hurried towards the door, pulling out a large white handkerchief to mop his brow.

‘He will have to be replaced,’ Barda muttered under his breath. ‘He is far too anxious to be liked to make a good leader of the guards.’

But Lief was not listening. He had darted forward and picked up something that had fallen from Dunn’s pocket when the man pulled out his handkerchief.

It was a folded yellow paper. Lief unfolded it and his stomach turned over.

‘Dunn!’ he shouted. ‘Where did you get this?’

9 - The Yellow Notice

Dunn stiffened and turned reluctantly. When he saw the yellow paper in Lief’s hand, his own hand flew guiltily to his pocket and his blue eyes widened.

‘Th—There was a whole pile of them on the table in our eating quarters this morning,’ he stammered. ‘I did not think there was any harm in taking one.’

‘There was no harm in taking one,’ Lief said, making a tremendous effort to keep his voice level. ‘No harm in reading it, either. There would only be harm in believing what it says. It is all lies, Dunn.’

‘If you say so, your majesty,’ said Dunn. But he did not meet Lief’s eyes.

‘Is that the Toran Plague rubbish we saw pinned all about the city when we arrived?’ Barda exclaimed, glaring at Dunn.

‘No, this is something new,’ Lief said. ‘Very well, Dunn. You may go.’

Gratefully, Dunn escaped from the room, and they heard him almost running down the hallway.

Lief held the yellow paper out to Barda. ‘You had better read this,’ he said grimly.

Barda whistled. ‘This is indeed something new,’ he muttered. ‘It does not just encourage hatred of Tora. It …’

‘It threatens Deltora’s safety,’ Lief finished for him. ‘If Marilen does not have the trust of the people, the Belt cannot be strong. Cracks will open in the armour that protects us from invasion by the Enemy. Everything we have worked for will be in danger.’

‘Only if you die, Lief,’ Barda said bluntly.

Lief nodded. The bright room seemed to have darkened.

Indeed, he thought. And if I face the Sister of the South, I will die. This feeling of foreboding cannot mean anything else.

For a moment he stood motionless, his head bowed. He heard Jasmine come back into the room, and the rustle of paper as Barda passed her the yellow notice, but he did not move or speak.

Concentrate on the matter at hand for now, he was telling himself. There is still time to decide whether to face the Sister or not. When you know where it is. When …

‘These notices are not being written by a citizen of Del,’ he said in a low voice. ‘They are the work of the guardian of the south.’

He looked up. Jasmine had lifted her eyes from the notice and was staring at him in amazement. Barda, however, was slowly nodding.

‘Do you not see, Jasmine?’ Lief went on. ‘Raising hatred of my heir is the perfect way to make me fear risking my life by attacking the Sister of the South. The guardian is a dangerous enemy—subtle, quick-thinking, and very clever.’