“General!” I yelled.
He stopped and turned, looking none too happy to see me. Though in the few days that I had been at the castle, I had never seen Tabor Till look happy about anything.
“King Dexter, I came by and found this...girl, acting suspiciously.”
“She is doing my bidding; but I commend your vigilance. Stay with us while I await the arrival of my royal alchemist. I have discovered something that may give us a clue to the finding the perpetrator behind the murder of my family,” I said, falling into a formal manner of speaking with the General. His stern countenance seemed to demand it.
“Good. While I have you here, highness, I should let you know that my own investigation has begun. Indeed, I have already received intelligence about possibly hostile troop movement along our western border. I feel it may be connected to the attacks.”
“Excellent work, General Till. Let me know if you find out anything else.”
“My sources tell me that the Five Lakes Tribes are massing near the ruins of Hanging Rock Castle. I would like to reinforce the garrison there with troops from Wanescrag to the north,” the general continued.
“Whatever you think is necessary, General. I have every faith in your abilities.”
“Very good, Sire.”
Moments later, Porknoy arrived with Francis, Layred Vu, and another full squad of castle guard.
“Dexter! What happened? We feared the worst. Look at you,” Francis said.
I held up my hand. “Before you chastise me, let’s go inside. Leave the guards, except for Porknoy, outside though,” I said, surprising myself with how easily I had fallen into command.
I went inside of the storeroom, followed by Layred Vu, Francis, Porknoy, Tabor Till, and Brin.
“What is the girl doing?” asked General Till.
“My name is Brin!”
“Brin, perhaps it would be best if you waited outside,” Layred Vu said diplomatically.
“No,” I countermanded. “She should stay. She made this discovery with me and may be able to contribute. Brin and I found some markings on the floor. It looks like a magical symbol of some sort. Someone was in the room when we came in, but we scared them off apparently. I heard them run out before I could see them.”
“There is a good deal of dust on the floor,” Layred Vu observed. “We may be able to see footprints. If it pleases you, King Dexter, I would like to take a look before we go further and trample any sign that might have been left.”
“Wait,” said General Till. “If you go alone, you might hide evidence. We don’t know who was here; it could have been you.”
“Or it could have been you, General,” Layred Vu said with irritation. “Please, Tabor, we have got to stop mistrusting one another.”
“I’ll look with you, sir,” Porknoy offered. “I can read sign as well. I was considered one of the best trackers in Earmund Castle.”
“Thank you, Corporal,” said the castellan. They spread out a little and slowly began to cast about the room. They worked their way behind some shelves, nearer to where the symbol was drawn and were out of sight.
“So Dexter,” Francis said while we were waiting. “I am curious as to how you got in here without seeing the person who was already inside. Wouldn’t he have had to run right past you to get away?”
“Well, Brin and I didn’t exactly...that is...we did not come in through the door; we came in through a hidden passage.”
Francis nodded as if that was no surprise.
“Is that also how you got out of your rooms without the guards seeing you?”
“Yes.”
“It was my fault, sir,” said Brin, being amazingly polite. “I discovered it and talked Dexter into exploring it with me.”
I remembered the library all of a sudden.
“Francis, I know that I upset everyone, but we did make a remarkable find. Not this, even though I think this is important. We found a library that belonged to the Archmage Nightshade. What’s more, the librarian said that she still uses the library from time to time.”
“Librarian?”
“He’s a ghost,” Brin volunteered. “His name is Jonathan.”
“The Archmage’s personal library,” said Francis. “That is indeed a find. When we’re done here, tell me everything you saw.”
“We can show you,” said Brin. “Jonathan was very nice for a ghost. He said that we can come back anytime.”
“One thing at a time,” said Francis.
“Here comes Vu,” Tabor Till said. I had forgotten that he was there, standing behind us listening to our conversation.
Porknoy and Layred Vu came back into sight.
“Come over here. Come around this way,” said the castellan. “The area where the diagram was drawn has been swept clean of all dust, so there are no prints in that area. But here, there is lots of dust. If you look, you can see two sets of smaller prints—King Dexter and Brin. But in a few places you can also see a third set.”
I looked to where he was pointing. The prints were mostly scuffed, but were distinct in a few spots. Wide, but not terribly long, not much longer than my own print.
“Whoever it was left quickly, but wasn’t running,” said Porknoy. “The prints are scuffed like that because he was shuffling his feet, probably carrying something. And he wasn’t wearing boots, those are sandal tracks.”
“Half of the people in the castle wear sandals,” said Francis, “including me. However, I was with the castellan when King Dexter discovered this—in case any of you are inclined to be suspicious of me.” He looked at Tabor Till.
I looked at Tabor Till too. I noticed that he was wearing boots.
“Now let’s have a look at this diagram,” Layred Vu said.
We walked around the shelves to where it was drawn. The floor here had been swept, something I had not noticed before. In fact, there was a straw whisk broom leaning in one corner. I also noticed four, black candles sitting inside of the circle.
“What do you make of it, uncle?” Porknoy asked.
Francis grimaced and walked around the circle. He pulled out a piece of blank parchment from one of his many pockets. From a different pocket he produced a quill and a small, jar of ink. He started taking notes. He did this for several minutes before finally commenting.
“I don’t think that it’s a protection circle. It’s much more intricate than that. The center is a pentacle, which is used for many different types of rites. It isn’t complete though, the final stroke to complete the star is missing. I don’t know if that is by design or because whoever created this was interrupted. The interesting part is the outer circle. Look at the symbols. This one is the same symbol that was engraved inside of the masks of the Blackthorn Huntsmen. Also note that there are thirteen outer symbols, but this one at the base of the pentacle is twice the size of the others. The symbol is very familiar...but I can’t place it right now. I’ve recorded them all here; I’ll have to do some research.”
“What about the candles?” I asked.
“I can take them back to my tower and do some tests to determine if there is anything unusual about them.”
“Is there any reason to leave it here?” asked Layred Vu. “Do you think it might be dangerous?”
Francis stroked his beard. “I would be hesitant to leave it. I made a copy for study, so I think we can safely destroy it. I have just the thing here.”
The alchemist went searching through his pockets until he found a slender, blue bottle. He opened it and carefully poured the contents, which looked like liquid, diamond-dust, onto the lines of the diagram. The silvery liquid quickly traced the lines and erased them as if they had never been there. A moment later, the glittering liquid evaporated as well.
“That’s taken care of,” Layred Vu said. “Now Francis, here is one last interesting item. If you’ll follow me to the back of the room, you will see that King Dexter and Brin can apparentl
y walk through walls.”
“Yes,” Francis said. “Dexter has already admitted to rooting around where he has no business. Unwise, though in this case it proved to be useful. Castellan, there is one other thing we should discuss, if you would be so kind to come back to the king’s suite with us. Brin, I think you should come too.”
“If it important, I should be included as well,” said Till.
“General, it is a castle matter, not a military one, and hardly important,” Francis told him.
“Still...”
“No General, your presence is not required.”
Tabor Till’s eyes narrowed and, I believe, one of them seemed twitch slightly. But he said nothing. He just gave the slightest of stiff nods and then he turned and stalked off.
****
Ten minutes later, Brin and I were being lectured by the combined voices of Francis, Layred Vu, and Tayu, who had been waiting at the suite when she heard that I had been found solely so she could yell at me.
“I’ve always known that the castle had secret passages,” said Layred Vu to Francis. “Some we use, like the one that you came in by on your first day. Others, we seal as we find them.”
“Well, these will have to be sealed!” said Tayu. “Everyone was worried to death. You’re the king; you can’t simply wander off to go exploring dangerous places on your own. And Brin, you should know better than to talk him into it.”
“She didn’t talk me into it,” I said defensively. “I wanted to go. I wanted to see what was in my castle.”
“Be that as it may,” Francis said. “Tayu is right; the exits into your room will have to be sealed. Think. If you can get out by them, what is to stop someone from coming in?”
I had no argument for that. Brin had come in unexpectedly several times. There was no guarantee that others did not know about the passages, or might discover them. Still, I hated to give them up. I didn’t feel so trapped knowing they were there.
“You’ll have to show us this passage,” Layred Vu insisted.
“Okay,” I said, defeated.
I showed them the passage behind the couch.
“Is that it? Are there any more?” Francis wanted to know.
“No,” said Brin.
“Dexter?” said Francis.
“Oh alright!” I said. “There is another one by the fireplace, and in the bathroom near the towel rack. That is all that I know about.”
“Brin? Are there any more?” asked Layred Vu.
“No! Honest,” she said, her big eyes wide and innocent.
I felt rather like a child caught doing something bad, but then I remembered that I was the king and how people had responded earlier when I had acted like it. Not that I thought issuing royal commands to these three would have helped just then. But maybe logic would prevail.
“I agree that there is a danger in leaving the entrances as they are, but it makes little sense to permanently seal them,” I began. “For one thing, we will want to get back to the library that Brin and I discovered. Until, we find another route we will need to have access here. Secondly, there may come a time when I am in danger and will need to have some means of escaping my suite. Therefore, I want a means devised to lock the passage entrances from this side, so threats can be kept out, but I can still use them as needed.”
The three adults stared at me, apparently considering what I had said. Francis nodded.
“It makes a certain amount of sense,” he said. “But you will have to promise me that you will not go exploring the closed sections of the castle unaccompanied anymore. And Brin does not count as accompaniment. It is too dangerous.”
“Francis, I give you my word as your friend. But I do plan on having some of the sealed portions of the castle re-opened. A lot has been ignored for too long. I think that there is a great deal waiting to be rediscovered.”
“I’ll have the locksmiths here within the hour,” Layred Vu said.
Everyone left. Tayu insisted on having a bath prepared for me and arranged for dinner to be brought to me. That was fine. After the events of the day, I was tired and wanted nothing more than to be clean and eat something.
I went into my bedroom and started to undress. I got down to my underclothes when I heard a latch open behind me. I spun and saw the door to my wardrobe open. I was ready to bolt for the guards, until I saw Brin’s head pop out.
“So, what are you doing now?” she asked.
Chapter Five
The Unified War pitted Lorsan, Amber, and the little known island nation of Gosk, today’s Isle of Unity, against armies from twenty-five of the approximately forty remaining nations on the Western Continent. Firmly in command of the Lorsanian-Gosk-Amberi efforts was the powerful god, called Garegon by his followers. He was finally banished from this world by the combined efforts of a dozen heroes.
Excerpted from J. R. Grimble’s Pozzelby: A History
Layred Vu felt that I should get some exposure to my kingly duties, so I held court the next morning.
“We won’t be granting general audiences just yet,” Layred Vu said. “This is just some of your castle residents with business that could use your attention.”
“Sounds easy enough.”
I had said those words five hours ago and was beginning to believe that in doing so, I had jinxed myself. There seemed to be no end to the things that required my attention. I had set a date for my reception, (four months away) and discussed with the royal event planner (I had no idea that there was such a person), a funny fellow named Winnie Connmyr, whom from among the nobles should be included (everyone, I figured) and how they should be sat (I didn’t care). Then, I met with Chancellor Cheraw who had a large stack of receipts and invoices for me to review and sign. Gradic Kern wanted to discuss the trading climate with Borea. Captain Dankirk of the Royal Navy reported that incidents of piracy had been up in the last six months. I met with my agricultural advisor, the mayor of Dunlevy, and my advisor on Dwarvish affairs.
It was past one when I called for a break.
“That is enough for today,” I told Layred Vu. “I have something to do with Francis this afternoon and I’m already late.”
“No problem, Sire. I’ll have the others leave their requests or reports in writing. There are some things though that I would like to discuss with you.”
“Can they wait until after dinner?”
“Certainly.”
“Great. See you then,” I said, already halfway out the door.
Porknoy stopped me just as I left the audience room.
“King Dexter, we should practice swordsmanship this afternoon.”
“No time this afternoon, Corporal. But come along; Francis, Brin, and I are going into the closed section of the castle. It would be a good idea to have someone along who can swing a sword.”
The four of us ate together in my suite and then we entered the passage behind the sofa. The locksmith had done a good job. One could only gain entry from the passage side by getting through various locks, while I could get through from my side quickly if needed. The precautions were timely.
“Stop,” Porknoy said. We did. “No one move.”
The corporal carefully came up to the front of the line and studied the ground ahead for several minutes.
“Look here,” he said, pointing. “Here are two sets of prints going out and two coming back. They’re Dexter’s and Brin’s; I recognize them from seeing them in the storeroom. But here is a third set. I recognize these too. They are the same dimensions and shoe type as the drawer of that diagram. There are two sets of the prints, going toward Dexter’s suite and coming back. I can’t tell if they go all the way to the exit though; the locksmith’s prints are all over by the exit.”
“So whoever drew the diagram found his way into this passage somehow and likely tried to get into Dexter’s chambers,” Francis said.
The thought chilled me. I remembered the wardrobe passage. Neit
her Brin nor I had told anyone about it. I enjoyed having a secret, but now I wasn’t so sure that it was worth it. Still, I stayed silent.
We kept going with Brin leading with her light and Porknoy close behind. The set of sandal tracks matched our own. The mystery person seemed to have followed our prints, trying to discover what we had found. Did they know about the library, I wondered. If so, how? Only a few people knew about it—the four of us, Tayu, Layred Vu, and General Till. No, I told myself, it was possible that one of the many guards that had been present in the storeroom had heard me tell Francis about the library.
I was relieved when we got into the outer room—the study. The footprints were all over the room. The person had studied the mirror a great deal, but did not appear to go beyond that to where the library was located. It seemed that he or she had been unable to figure out the key to opening it.
“Happy returns,” I said, causing the mirror to swing wide and reveal the stairs beyond. It’s up here, come on.”
“Just a moment,” said Francis. He was standing near the wine rack, removing the intact bottles and examining them. “Earmund T.S.B. 4002. Albemarle 3998. This third bottle’s label is in Elvish. This looks to be a bottle of King Theof’s own vintage. By now it is likely that the wines have turned to vinegar, but conditions down here are perfect for storage so one never knows. I think I’ll fetch these on the way back.”
“I didn’t know you fancied wine,” I said.
“As an alchemist, I have a professional interest in viticulture.”
We ascended the narrow stairs. In the library, I saw Jonathan sitting with his back to us reading. On second glance, he did not seem to be sitting as such; he was actually hovering about six inches above the seat. Apparently ghosts did not need light to read by for he had none lit. That might explain, I thought, why, even as a specter, he wore spectacles. He turned as we came up.
“Jonathan, how are you?”
“Excellent, King Dexter, good to see you again, Mistress Brin as well. And these are your friends I assume?”
“Yes, this is Francis. He’s an alchemist. And this is his nephew Porknoy. He’s a corporal in the castle guard.
“Has Lady Nightshade been in?” I asked hopefully.
“No. I am afraid not.”