A small boy, no more than six years old, came dashing forward to throw his arms around the creature’s neck. He looked up at Jimmy with serious dark eyes and said, ‘He won’t hurt you, sir.’
Jimmy suddenly felt awkward holding his dagger and quickly put it away. The creature was obviously a pet, albeit an unusual sort. ‘What did you call it …?’
‘Him? Fantus. He’s my friend and he’s very smart. He knows lots of things.’
‘I guess he does,’ agreed Jimmy, still uncomfortable under the creature’s gaze. ‘What is he?’
The boy looked at Jimmy as if he were the living incarnation of ignorance, but said, ‘A firedrake. We just got here, and he followed from home. He can fly, you know.’ Jimmy only nodded. ‘We have to get back. Momma will be angry if we’re not in our room.’ Pulling the creature around, the boy led him away without another word.
Jimmy didn’t move for a full minute, then looked around as if seeking someone to validate the vision he had witnessed. Shrugging off his astonishment, the boy thief continued walking along. After a little while he could hear the sound of lute strings being plucked.
Jimmy left the hallway and entered a large garden, where Laurie was tuning his lute. The boy sat upon the edge of a planter, crossing his feet under him, and said, ‘For a minstrel, you’re a sorry sight.’
‘I’m a sorry sort of minstrel.’ Laurie did look less than his usual spirited self. He fiddled with his lute strings and began a solemn tune.
After a few minutes Jimmy said, ‘Enough of this dirge, singer. This is supposed to be a time of cheer. What’s made you so long in the face?’
Laurie sighed, his head cocked to one side. ‘You’re a bit young to understand –’
‘Ha! Try me,’ interrupted Jimmy.
Laurie put up his lute, it’s the Princess Carline.’
‘Still wants to marry you, huh?’
Laurie’s jaw dropped. ‘How …?’
Jimmy laughed. ‘You’ve been around nobles too long, singer. I’m new to all this. I still know how to talk to servants. More important, I know how to listen. Those maids from Rillanon were fit to bust to tell the maids here all about you and Princess Carline. You’re quite an item.’
Laurie seemed unamused by Jimmy’s mirth. ‘I suppose you’ve heard the whole tale?’
Jimmy took on an indifferent manner. ‘The Princess is a prize, but I grew up in a whorehouse, so my views on women are less … idealized.’ As he thought of Anita, his voice dropped a little. ‘Still, I must admit princesses seem different from the rest.’
‘Nice that you noticed,’ Laurie commented dryly.
‘Well, I’ll say this: your Princess is the finest-looking woman I’ve seen and I’ve seen a lot of them, including your better-paid courtesans, and some of them are pretty special. Most men I know would sell their darling mothers to get her attention. So then, what’s your problem?’
Laurie looked at the boy for a minute. ‘My problem is this business of being a noble.’
Jimmy laughed, a genuine sound of amusement. ‘What problem? You just get to order people around and blame mistakes on someone else.’
Laurie laughed. ‘I doubt Arutha and Lyam would agree.’
‘Well, kings and princes are a different sort, but most of the nobles around here show me nothing. Old Volney has some wits, but he’s not too anxious to be here anyway. The rest just want to be important. Hell, musician, you should marry her. You might improve the breed.’
Laurie swung playfully at Jimmy, laughing as the brash youngster easily ducked away, also laughing. A third laugh caused Laurie to turn.
A short, slender, dark-haired man in fine clothing of simple cut stood observing the proceedings. ‘Pug!’ Laurie exclaimed, jumping up to embrace the man. ‘When did you arrive?’
‘About two hours ago. I’ve had a brief meeting with Arutha and the King. They’re off with Earl Volney now, discussing preparations for tonight’s welcoming banquet. But Arutha hinted there was something strange going on and suggested I look for you.’
Laurie indicated Pug should take a seat, and he sat beside Jimmy. Laurie made the introduction, then said, ‘I’ve much to tell, but first: how are Katala and the boy?’
‘Fine. She’s in our suite now, gossiping with Carline.’ Laurie again looked depressed at mention of the Princess. ‘William ran off somewhere after Fantus.’
‘That thing is yours?’ exclaimed Jimmy.
‘Fantus?’ Pug laughed. ‘You’ve seen him, then. No, Fantus belongs to no one. He comes and goes as he pleases, which is why he’s here without anyone’s leave.’
Laurie said, ‘I doubt he’s on deLacy’s guest list. Look, I’d best catch you up on matters of importance.’ Pug glanced at Jimmy, and Laurie said, ‘This fount of trouble here has been at the centre of things since the first. He’ll hear nothing he doesn’t already know.’
Laurie told of what happened, with Jimmy adding a few bits of information the singer missed. When they were done, Pug said, ‘This business of necromancy is an evil thing. If nothing else you said speaks of dark powers at work, that does. This is more the province of priests than magicians, but Kulgan and I will aid in whatever way we can.’
‘Then Kulgan came from Stardock as well?’
‘There would have been no stopping him. Arutha was his student, remember? Besides, though he’d never admit to it, I think he misses his arguments with Father Tully. And there was no doubt Tully would officiate at Arutha’s wedding. I think that’s where Kulgan is now, arguing with Tully.’
Laurie said, ‘I’ve not seen Tully, but he was due to arrive this morning with those from Rillanon travelling at a more sedate pace than the King’s party. At his age he tends to prefer things quiet.’
‘He must be past eighty now.’
‘Closer to ninety, but he hasn’t lost a step. You should hear him around the palace in Rillanon. Let a squire or page fail at his lessons and he’ll talk blisters on the boy’s back.’
Pug laughed. Then as an afterthought, he said, ‘Laurie, how fare things with you and Carline?’
Laurie groaned and Jimmy hid a chuckle. ‘That is what we were speaking of when you appeared. Good, bad, I don’t know.’
Sympathy showed in Pug’s dark eyes. ‘I know the feeling, friend. When we were children, back at Crydee … Just remember, you were the one who held me to my promise to introduce you if we ever returned to Midkemia from Kelewan.’ He shook his head and with a laugh added, it’s good to know some things never change.’
Jimmy leapt off the bench. ‘Well, I must be off. Pleased to make your acquaintance, magician. Cheer up, singer. You’ll either marry the Princess or you won’t.’ He dashed off, leaving Laurie struggling with the logic of that statement while Pug laughed aloud.
• Chapter Seven •
Wedding
Jimmy prowled the great hall.
The Prince’s throne room was being readied, and the other squires were supervising the activities of the pages and porters as all the last-minute touches were being applied. Everyone had their minds upon the ceremony, due to get under way in less than an hour’s time. Jimmy found that the price of his being excused duty was having nothing to do at the last, and as Arutha certainly didn’t want him underfoot right now, he was left to find his own distraction.
Jimmy couldn’t shake the feeling that in the rush of excitement few were mindful of the past dangers to the Prince. The horrors found at the House of Willows had been hidden behind masses of bridal flowers and festive bunting.
Jimmy noticed a black, sidelong glance from Squire Jerome and, irritated, took a menacing step in the older boy’s direction. Jerome immediately had a need to be somewhere else and hurried off.
A laugh sounded from behind. Jimmy saw a grinning Squire Locklear carrying a huge bridal wreath past a Tsurani guard, who carefully checked it. Of all the other squires, only Locky showed Jimmy the slightest hint of friendship. The others were either indifferent or outright hostile. Jimmy liked the yo
unger boy, though he tended to prattle on about the most insignificant things. He’s the youngest child, thought Jimmy, his mother’s darling. He’d last a fast five minutes on the streets. Still, he was a cut above the rest, whom Jimmy judged a boring lot. The only amusement Jimmy gained from them was their woeful imitations of worldly knowledge. No, Arutha and his friends were far more interesting folk than the squires with their lewd jokes and salacious speculations about this serving girl or that, and their little games of intrigue. Jimmy threw Locky a wave and headed towards another door.
Jimmy waited to pass through the door as one of the porters came through. A small bunch of flowers fell from the man’s load. Jimmy bent to pick it up. As he handed it to the porter, Jimmy was struck by a sudden realization. The blooms, white chrysanthemums, shone with a faint amber tint.
Jimmy looked back over his shoulder and upwards. A full four storeys above, the high vaulted ceiling of the chamber was punctuated by large stained-glass windows, the colours barely noticeable unless the sun was directly behind the panes. Jimmy studied the windows, as his ‘something is not as it should be’ bump was itching. Then he understood. Each window was recessed into a cupola, no less than five or six feet deep, plenty of room to hide a quiet assassin. But how would someone get up there? The design of the hall was such that scaffolding would be needed to clean the windows, and the room had been almost constantly occupied for the last few days.
Jimmy quickly left the hail, walked down a connecting corridor, and went through into a terraced garden that ran the length of the Prince’s great hall.
A pair of guards approached, walking post between the distant wall and the main palace complex, and Jimmy halted them. ‘Pass the word. I’m going to snoop about a bit on top of the great hall.’
They exchanged glances, but Captain Gardan had ordered that the strange squire wasn’t to be detained should he be seen scampering about the rooftops. One saluted. ‘Right you are, Squire. We’ll pass the word so the archers on the walls don’t use you for target practice.’
Jimmy paced off alongside the wall of the great hall. The garden was off to the left of the hall as you entered the main doors, assuming you could see through the walls, Jimmy thought to himself. Now, if I were an assassin, where would I want to climb? Jimmy cast about quickly and spotted a trellis that ran up the connecting hall’s outer wall. From there to the roof of the connecting hall would be no difficulty, then …
Jimmy left off thinking and acted. He studied the configuration of the walls as he kicked off his hated dress boots. He scampered up the trellis and ran along the roof of the connecting hall. From there he leapt nimbly up to a low cornice that ran the length of the great hall. Moving with astonishing agility, he crawled along, his face pressed to the stones, towards the far end of the great hall. When he reached halfway to the corner, he looked up. One storey above awaited the bottoms of the windows, tantalizingly close. But Jimmy knew he needed a better climbing position and continued on until he reached the last third of the hall. Here, outside the portion of the hall given over to the Prince’s dais, the building flared, giving Jimmy an extra two feet of wall at a right angle to the wall he hugged. Levering up in the angle was now possible. Jimmy felt about until his fingers discovered a crack between stones. He used his experience to good advantage, shifting his weight as his toes began searching for another hold. Slowly he inched upwards, seeming to climb in the angle of the two walls in defiance of gravity. It was a demanding task, requiring total concentration, but after what seemed an eternity he reached up and his fingers touched the ledge below the windows. Only a foot wide, the ledge was still a potentially fatal barrier, for any slip could send Jimmy falling to his death four storeys below. Jimmy reached up, took a firm grip on the ledge, and let go with his other hand. For an instant he dangled by one hand, then he reached upwards with the other and with a single smooth pull had a leg over the ledge.
Standing upon the narrow ledge, Jimmy turned the corner above the rear of the dais, faced the window, and peered through. He wiped away some dust and was momentarily blinded by the sun, seen through the window and another on the wall he had just left. He waited for his eyes to adjust again to the interior darkness as he shaded his eyes from the sun. This would prove difficult, he thought, until the angle of the sun changed. Then Jimmy felt the glass move beneath his fingers, and suddenly powerful hands clamped around his mouth and throat.
Shocked by the sudden attack, Jimmy froze a moment and was too tightly held when he began to struggle. A heavy blow to the side of the head stunned him and the world seemed to spin.
When his vision finally cleared, Jimmy could see the snarling face of Laughing Jack before him. The false Mocker was not only alive, but in the palace and, from his expression and the crossbow nearby, ready and willing to kill. ‘So, you little bastard,’ he whispered as he adjusted a gag in Jimmy’s mouth, ‘you’ve turned up where you didn’t belong one time too many. I’d gut you here, right now, but I can’t risk anyone’s noticing blood dripping below.” He moved around in the scant area between glass and the open space above the hall that the cupola provided. ‘But once the deed is done, over you go, boy.’ He pointed to the hall floor. He tightened some cords around Jimmy’s hands and ankles, pulling them painfully tight. Jimmy tried to make a sound, but it was lost in the buzz of conversation among the guests below. Jack gave Jimmy another blow to the head, which sent the boy’s senses reeling again. Jimmy saw Jack turn to survey the hall below just before darkness overcame him.
Jimmy lay stunned for some unknown time, for when he recovered his wits, he could hear the chanting of the priests entering the hall. He knew the King and Arutha and the other members of the court would be entering immediately once Father Tully and the other priests were in position.
Jimmy felt panic building inside. Since he’d been dismissed from duty, his absence would be overlooked in the excitement of the moment. Jimmy struggled, but Jack, being a Mocker, knew how to make it difficult to slip those bonds. Given time and a willingness to lose some skin and blood, Jimmy would eventually rid himself of the ropes, but time was a precious commodity at present. With his struggling, he only managed to change his position so he was able to see the window. He noticed it had been tampered with to cause a single large panel of glass to swing aside. Someone had prepared this window days before.
A change in the song below told Jimmy that Arutha and the others were in place and Anita was beginning her long walk down the aisle. The boy looked about frantically for a way either to break his bonds or to make enough noise to alert those below. The singing filled the hall with a chorus loud enough to cover a brawl, so Jimmy knew anything as feeble as kicking at the glass would only bring a blow to the head from Jack. Jimmy could hear movement close by, during a lull in the singing, and knew Jack was placing a bolt in the crossbow.
The singing stopped, and Jimmy heard Tully’s voice begin the instructions to the bride and groom. He saw Jack taking aim upon the dais. Jimmy was half folded in the narrow window space, forced back against the glass by the kneeling Jack. Jack threw the boy a quick glance as he began to squirm. Jimmy was unable even to kick out at Jack, who paused for a moment, evidently undecided whether to fire at his target or silence Jimmy first. For all the pomp, the ceremony itself was brief, so Jack seemed willing to chance he would be untroubled by the boy a few moments longer.
Jimmy was young, in fit condition, and an expert acrobat from his years of scampering about the roofs of Krondor. He acted without thought and simply flexed his entire body so it bowed upwards, head and feet against the sides of the cupola. He half rolled, half flipped himself, and suddenly he sat with his back to the window. Jack spun to look again at the boy and swore silently. He could not afford to lose this single shot. A quick glance downwards reassured him the boy had not alerted anyone. Jack raised his crossbow again and took aim.
Jimmy’s vision seemed to contract, as if all he could see was Jack’s finger on the trigger of the crossbow. He saw the finger
begin to close and kicked out wildly. His bare feet glanced off the assassin and the crossbow fired. Jack turned in shock and Jimmy kicked out again with both feet. For a moment Jack looked to be calmly sitting at the edge of the window cupola. Then he began to fall outwards, his hands grasping wildly for the sill.
Jack’s hands pressed out against the sides of the cupola and halted his fall. He hung in midair, not moving for an instant, then his palms began to slip on the stone. Jimmy recognized something else was strange, then realized the singing, almost constant in counterpoint to the ceremony, had stopped. As Jack began his backward slide into space, Jimmy heard shouts and screams from below.
Then Jimmy felt a shock and his head struck stone. His legs felt as if they were being torn from his hips, and the boy knew Jack had grabbed the only thing he could reach, Jimmy’s ankles. Jimmy was dragged outwards as Jack’s weight moved them both towards death. Jimmy struggled, pressing backwards with all his might, bowing his body to slow his slide, but he might as well have had iron heaped upon his feet for the good it did him. Bones and muscles protested, but he could not move an inch to rid himself of Jack. He was dragged outwards slowly, his legs, hips, and back scraping on the stone, the cloth of his trousers and tunic keeping skin intact. Then he was suddenly upright, as Jack’s weight tipped his balance for an instant, teetering upon the lip of the cupola.
Then they fell. Jack released his hold upon the boy, but Jimmy didn’t notice. The stones rushed up to meet them, to crush them in a hard embrace. Jimmy thought his mind must be going at the last, for the stones seemed to slow in their approach, as if some agency had ordered the boy’s last seconds of life to be prolonged. Then Jimmy realized some force had control of him and was slowing his descent. With a less than gentle bump he was upon the floor of the great hall, stunned slightly, but decidedly alive. Guards and priests surrounded him and hands quickly lifted him as he wondered at this miracle. He saw the magician Pug moving his hands in incantation, and felt the strange slowness vanish. Guards cut his bonds, and Jimmy doubled in pain as the returning blood flow burned like hot irons in his feet and hands. He nearly fainted. Two soldiers seized his arms and kept him from falling. As his senses cleared, he saw a half-dozen or more holding Jack down, while others searched for the black poison ring or other means of suicide.