When Atreus reached down and grabbed the wedge, the man's smirk vanished. Hec.o.c.ked his arm to throw his sword, and Atreus jerked the wedge free. The caskstumbled loose with a deafening rumble, bouncing down the stairs to bowl the guards over backward. One keg split and spilled oil everywhere, turning the whole stairwellinto a slimy avalanche of somersaulting men and flying casks.

"Well done!" Ris.h.i.+ exclaimed, once again eyeing Atreus's heavy cargo basket. "Very well done. Now escape is a.s.sured."

"I'll believe that," Atreus said, "once we've actually escaped."

Atreus picked up his cargo, and he and Ris.h.i.+ started up the stairs after Yago. Although the basket was ungainly and difficult to carry, he did not even considerabandoning it. The coffer inside held many ten-thousands of gold lions, a full quarterof the fortune bequeathed to him by his unknown mother. This was the amount hehad dedicated to finding Langdarma, and he had no intention of leaving it to QueenRosalind's guards.

They ascended three more flights of stairs, then stepped into a long hallway leadingtoward the rear of the building. Yago stopped and pointed toward a window at the endof the corridor, where a long plank lay on the bottom sill, stretching across a narrowalley to a similar cas.e.m.e.nt in another building.

"Am I supposed to fit through that?" the ogre demanded.

"Most definitely not," Ris.h.i.+ replied. "Your weight would snap the board like straw. Youmust continue up to the roof."*The roof?" asked Atreus. "I have seen how strong the ogre is," said Ris.h.i.+. "I am sure he will not be troubledby such a small leap."

Yago squinted out the distant window. "How far is it?"

"Oh, it cannot be far," said Ris.h.i.+. "The board itself is not five paces long."

"Five paces?" The ogre stretched his arms apart, trying to envision the distance.*That's got to be as long as a*"

"Five of our paces. It is no more than two of yours," Ris.h.i.+ said as he braced hishands on Yago's hips, struggling in vain to shove the ogre into the stairwell. "Now goup on the roof*and hurry! Can you not hear our enemies?"

Atreus c.o.c.ked his head, listening to the sound of the pounding feet below, thennodded to Yago. "Go on. We'll see you on the other side."Yago reluctantly squeezed back through the door and rumbled up the steps, leavingRis.h.i.+ and Atreus to continue down the corridor alone. The Mar stopped at the windowand turned to Atreus. "No indignity is meant, but you are heavy enough with-out your basket, and the board is very old. Perhaps I should go first and drag your cargo along behind me."

Atreus shook his head. "I'd feel terrible if you fell. The basket is too heavy for you."

He eyed the plank. As weathered and gray as the board was, it was also quite thick, with no sign of rotting. "You go ahead. I'll be fine."

Ris.h.i.+ sighed, then leaped onto the board and trotted across as lightly as a cat.Atreus followed more slowly, holding the heavy basket away from his body so he could look down and see his feet. By the time he had taken five steps, he almost wished hehad let Ris.h.i.+ steal the gold. The plank was bowing severely under his weight, andevery step caused it to bounce so harshly he could hardly keep his balance. Forty feetbelow, a constant stream of Mar scurried past, oblivious to the danger that Atreusmight slip and drop the basket on their heads or fall off the board entirely and come cras.h.i.+ng down himself.

Atreus was halfway across, on the bounciest part of the board, when heavy bootsbegan to pound down the corridor behind him. He looked up to find Ris.h.i.+ staringacross the alley, eyes as wide as coins.

"Perhaps the master could come more quickly," said Ris.h.i.+.

"I'm coming as fast as I can!" Atreus's gaze dropped back to the plank, and he began to grow dizzy as he contemplated the distance between his feet and the ground."This isn't as easy as it looks!"

"The master is to be extolled for his remarkable balance," said Ris.h.i.+. "But Her Radiance's men are proving most persistent."Atreus took a deep breath, then rushed ahead three quick steps. The plankjumped like a quarterdeck on a stormy sea, and his fourth step found the boardcoming up when his foot expected it to be going down. He stumbled forward and fellto one knee, slamming the heavy basket down in front of him.

The plank bucked so hard that the end bounced completely off the sill andcame down an inch closer to the edge. Atreus squeezed his eyelids shut and didnot move, afraid of what would happen if he allowed himself to look a; the alley below.

*Come back here, you ugly devil!" growled an angry voice behind him. "The queen's executioner will be wanting a word with you."

A rasping noise sounded ahead, and Atreus felt the board moving backward. Heopened his eyes again and saw the end of the plank slowly sc.r.a.ping toward theedge of the windowsill.

Ris.h.i.+ thrust out his arms. "Give me the basket!"

"So you can run off with it?"

Atreus crawled forward, pus.h.i.+ng the basket ahead of him. The board jerkedbeneath his knees, and the end slipped to within two fingers of the window's edge."Have I not earned your trust by now?" Ris.h.i.+ continued to reach for the basket."I am only trying to help!"

"If you want to help, grab the board!" Atreus commanded.

"But I am only a Mar," Ris.h.i.+ whined. Despite his objection, lie grabbed the plankwith both hands. "I am no match for the strength of the Ffolk!" The board wobbled sideways, and the guard called, "Last chance! Surrender now,or I'll finish you here."

"And kill those people down there?" Atreus glanced at the alley floor, where asmall crowd had finally gathered to stare up at the strange confrontation abovetheir heads. "I doubt the queen would approve of that."

"They'll get out of the way." The guard gave the plank a mighty tug.Ris.h.i.+ pulled back and kept the end from slipping off the window sill, but Atreus'sknee dropped off the side. The board tipped sideways, nearly flipped, and Atreuscried out in alarm.

Ris.h.i.+ grunted and braced his feet against the wall, leaning back against theguard's strength. The plank began to wobble and shudder. Atreus sat down and straddled the board, and only then did he hazard a glance over his shoulder atthe other end of the plank, two guards stood side-by-side, both holding the boardand straining to pull it out of Ris.h.i.+'s hands. There were more men behind them, but quarters were too cramped for additional hands. Atreus's heart beganto pound. Even if his foes did not realize it yet, they had only to let go to send Ris.h.i.+ tumbling backward and Atreus plunging to his death.

The guards suddenly scowled and glanced up at the ceiling, then Yagoappeared on the tenement roof, standing directly over their heads. When the ogre saw Atreus's predicament, be frowned and kneeled, c.o.c.king his fist to punch through the roof.

"Yago, wait!" Atreus yelled The ogre was already bringing his fist down. A huge hand smashed through ceilingof the tenement and began feeling around. Atreus turned back to Ris.h.i.+ and pushed the basket forward, pulling himself along behind it as fast as he could.

Ris.h.i.+ let out a deep groan and slipped closer to the window. The Mar's knuckles were as pale as ivory. He kept his gaze locked on the treasure basket and did notblink. Atreus scooted another step forward. He was close enough to push thebasket through the window, but Ris.h.i.+ was in the way.

A strangled cry sounded from the other end of the plank as Yago finally caught hold of a guard. Atreus shouted a warning to the people below, then shoved thebasket into Ris.h.i.+'s startled face. The Mar had no choice but to release the board and grab the treasure basket. As itdropped away, Atreus flung himself forward and caught hold of the sill. His bodyswung down and smashed into the wall, leaving him dangling from the window like arag hung out to dry. The plank tumbled into the alley below, demolis.h.i.+ng two pairsof window shutters as it bounced off the tenement walls on the way down.

"Good sir?" Ris.h.i.+'s voice came from the other side of the window. "Are you there?""Of course." Atreus pulled himself up onto the sill. "You'll have to work harder than that if you want my treasure.""How can you say such a thing?" Ris.h.i.+ demanded. He was sitting on the floor with both arms wrapped around the heavy basket. "I am only trying to help.""And you've done so much. Being a hunted killer is bound to be a great help infinding Langdarma."

Atreus swung his feet into the corridor, then looked back to see Yago's hand hanging through a hole in the ceiling. The ogre was smas.h.i.+ng a hapless guardabout the hallway as though the man's body were a war-hammer.

"Yago!" Atreus called. "Come on."

The ogre dropped his victim, then pulled his hand back through the ceiling anddisappeared behind the roof line. An instant later he came hurtling across the alley,flailing his arms and legs as though he were trying to fly. Atreus took an instant tojudge where Yago would land, then grabbed Ris.h.i.+'s ankle and jerked him back toward the window.

"Good sir!" Ris.h.i.+ screeched. "Good sir, I am not some sack of rice to be dragged*"

The ceiling exploded into a spray of splinters and plaster. then Yago crasheddown where Ris.h.i.+ had been sitting a moment before. The floor bucked and shook from the impact of the ogre's ten-foot body, and Ris.h.i.+'s indignation turned to shock.

"In the name of the Forgotten Ones!" he gasped, peering over his shoulder.Yago groaned, then rolled onto his back and began to look around the dusty corridor. "Hey," he said, "I made it "

Something struck the tenement wall behind Atreus. He looked back to see aguard standing in the window opposite, accepting a fresh dagger from one of his fellows.

"We're not out of the city yet," Atreus said, grabbing the basket from Ris.h.i.+'s hands and spinning around, holding it up before him. "Yago, will you get going?"

As the ogre rolled to his knees, Ris.h.i.+ slipped past and led the way down the hall.Atreus backed after them, holding the basket up like a s.h.i.+eld. This did not prevent the angry guard from hurling several more daggers through the window. The knives were hardly balanced for throwing, but one managed to lodge itself inthe basket and another tumbled past perilously close to Yago's back.. At last,Ris.h.i.+ turned a corner and ducked down a stairwell, and Atreus finally had time to take note of the foreign sounds and smells of the building. From behind every door came melodic Maran jabber. The upper floors, used primarily for residences, smelled*perhaps even stank*of exotic cooking spices. Every now and then thetrio had to squeeze past a small group of Mar coming up the stairs. The menclapped at Yago and stared at Atreus's face with open hostility. The women retreated to the landing below and let them pa.s.s, blus.h.i.+ng and averting theireyes. The children gasped in open awe of Yago's size, then hissed and clapped their hands to ward off Atreus and his "wickedness." By the time the trio reached theground floor, Atreus felt happy to have grown up among the s.h.i.+eld-breakers. Atleast Yago's sons and nephews had considered his unfortunate looks nothingworse than an excuse to start a good fight.

When they reached the ground floor, Ris.h.i.+ led the way through an open poultrymarket into a narrow lane. Atreus was so turned around that until a pair of Marwandered past carrying a long plank, he did not recognize it as the same alleyover which he had been hanging a few minutes earlier.

"Over here, my banana-loving friend!"

The call came from a short distance down the alley, where a round-faced Marwith a waxed mustache sat in the driver's seat of a large covered wagon. He wasa plump man, about the same size and shape as the shadowy figure who hadthrown the banana into the Howdah. Hitched to the man's wagon were two of the strangest oxen Atreus had ever seen. They had narrow, cow like faces with curved horns as long as a man's arm, and their bodies were hidden head-to-hoof beneath s.h.a.ggy skirts of golden-black hair.

Ris.h.i.+ draped his hand around Atreus's elbow in the overly familiar way of the Mar and led him toward the cart. "Bharat, my good friend! This is the unfortunate gentleman I was telling you about, and this is his large servant." Ris.h.i.+ gestured at Yago. "Is everything ready?"

"Yes, yes, just as you asked. Hide yourselves beneath my carpets, and we areon our way to Langdarma." Bharat smiled too eagerly, displaying teeth as whiteas snow, then nodded to Yago. "I brought my largest wagon, but even so, I fear youwill have to fold your legs."

Ris.h.i.+ started toward the back of the cart, but Atreus made no move to follow.

"We're going to Langdarma in an oxcart?" he asked.Ris.h.i.+ feigned a look of shock. "But of course! Surely, you did not think we could takeyour elephant?"

Chapter 4.

Bharat's carpet wagon had nearly crested the front range of the YehimalMountains when the Queen's Guard finally caught up to it. The riders, mounted ons.h.a.ggy mountain ponies about the size of a good war dog, traveled lightly, withlittle more than sabers, haversacks, and long woolen hauberks that served as both coat and armor. Behind them, three days back and a thousand switchbacksdown the wooded mountainside, lay the misty forests of Edenvale. The capitalitself was still visible, a tiny dun-colored circle on the far horizon.

The guards, all rugged-faced Mar accustomed to the rigors of mountain travel,urged their ponies into a trot, surrounding the wagon on all sides. Bharat feigned surprise and reached for the axe beneath his seat, as though mistaking the ridersfor a company of road bandits.

"We are the Queen's Men, driver," said the leader. He spoke in Thora.s.s toindicate he was on official business. "You have nothing to fear from us, unless you are the one hiding Ysdar's devil and his murderous servants*and if you are, youwill not escape us anyway. Let us have a look in your cart."

Bharat glanced around at the riders, then sighed and reluctantly reined hisstrange oxen*the beasts were called "yaks"*to a halt. "I have no devils with me," he said plainly. "I will show you."

Bharat wrapped the reins around a seat brace and turned to crawl into the cargoarea, but the leader swung his lance down to block the way.

"We will look ourselves. This devil is very clever and dangerous. Perhaps he and hisservants slipped into your cart when you were not looking. I would not want youinjured."

Bharat turned his palms to the sky, shrugging, and sat back down. A dozen riders dismounted, pa.s.sing their lances and reins to their fellows, then stepped tothe rear of the wagon. Half of them drew their sabers and stood ready to attack. Theothers began to drag Bharat's carpets out of the cargo bed, unrolling each one andtossing it into the middle of the muddy road.

"What are you doing?" Bharat exclaimed. "That is my whole fortune!"

"A little dirt will do no harm to a good carpet," the leader replied.

"But why is it necessary to unroll them all?" Bharat demanded, growing genuinelyangry. "If your devil and his servants had rolled themselves up inside my carpets,surely men as astute as yours would notice the bulges!"

"This is a very clever devil. We do not know what he can do," the leader said, andgave Bharat a c.o.c.keyed sneer, showing a single gold tooth. "Perhaps you are eventhis devil in disguise."

The implication was clear enough. Too much protesting could be taken the wrongway. Bharat watched in silence as the searchers spread his carpets across theroad, then started on his provisions and personal belongings. They looked insideeverything, even water-skins, and felt inside the pockets of his extra clothes. They opened his food bags and ran their filthy hands through his rice and barley, and theydrained his oil jar into a cooking pot.

Bharat could only shake his head. *This devil's magic must be very powerful," hesaid, "if you think he can breathe cooking oil."

"Very powerful indeed," the leader a.s.sured him. "He can fight four men at once andcommand ogres to do his will, and several Ffolk have seen him walk on air. QueenRosalind herself told me he knows things no man should know."

Truly?" Bharat asked.The leader nodded, and the corners of his mouth turned down in a self-impressedscowl. "She said we must catch him, or there will be Ysdar to pay."

When the searchers had finally emptied the wagon, they began to crawl around thecargo bed on their hands and knees, rapping the floor and walls with the hilts of their daggers. Bharat watched nervously.

"Are you not satisfied yet?" he demanded. "You have delayed me too long already,and I am expected in Borobodur."The leader only grinned and waited, and it did not take long before one of thesearchers located the hollow sound of the wagon's secret compartment.

The leader grinned. "A smuggler's hole?"

"A merchant's friend," Bharat countered. "Used only to protect honest profits fromroad thieves and not for any other purpose.""Then, as you are only now on your way to market, I expect it would be empty.""Not exactly.""I see." The leader looked to the men at the back of the wagon. "Perhaps we should open it."

Three more guards clambered into the crowded wagon, their swords at the ready.When they could not figure out how to open the compartment, another soldierstepped around to retrieve the axe from under Bharat's seat.

Bharat placed a restraining hand on the fellow's arm. "Wait," he said. "I will open it for you." The leader nodded his permission. Bharat slipped a hand behind the seat and tripped a hidden lever, then reached back and motioned the guards to pry up the center of the floor. Underneath lay a foot-deep compartment just large enough to hold a man. At the moment, the s.p.a.ce contained nothing but a leather rucksack, so new that its beeswax waterproofing was still s.h.i.+ny and slick. The searchers opened the top and turned it upside down, but nothing fell out.

"That is all?" the leader demanded. "Why would a carpet seller be hiding a newrucksack?" Bharat shrugged. "It seemed a good place to store it." The leadernarrowed his eyes suspiciously, then rode around to the back of the wagon andpeered inside. When it grew obvious that the cart held no more secrets, he shookhis head in puzzlement. He motioned his men to their ponies and looked backto Bharat.

"Apologies for troubling an honest merchant such as yourself," the leadersaid, speaking from the back of the wagon. "We have not found this devil yet, but he is here in the mountains. If you happen across him, you must run theother way and report it to the first Queen's Man you see. He is a very wickeddevil who will not hesitate to kill you in a horrible manner and eat your body."Bharat's mouth fell as though frightened. *Truly?" "Yes." The leader noddedofficiously, then rode to the front of the wagon and spoke in a confidentialvoice. "I should not tell you this, but we have troubled you greatly, and you will have need of the knowledge." "What you tell me, I will never repeat to a livingsoul." "Good. Then I can be terribly candid with you." The leader leaned inclose and said, "This is a very particular devil who delights in stealing thefirstborn child. We have only been chasing him for three days, and already wehave spoken to nine fathers who have lost their eldest in this manner.

" Nine?" Bharat gasped. "The gluttonous beast!"The leader sat up straight in his saddle, then added, "Nine that we know of." "Then I will seek out a Queen's Man the instant I see him," Bharat replied. "But if this devil can trick even you, how will I recognize him?""Oh, you will know him. He is an ugly monster, as terrible to look upon as Ysdarhimself. He will be served by a sly bahrana and a western ogre whose skin hasturned orange from bathing in blood." The leader glanced back and, seeing that hismen were ready to ride, waved them forward. "Are you able to re-pack your goods without our help? We must be off.""Yes, yes, I am grateful for your warning." Bharat shooed the man up the road."After the devil!"

His consent was hardly necessary. The leader was already guiding his ponyinto line with the rest of the company. Bharat wearily climbed down, then selected two large stones from the side of the road and blocked the front wheels so hisyaks could rest. He went to the rear of the wagon and carefully poured his cookingoil back into its jar, then wiped the pot clean with the sleeve of his tunic. Finally,when the last of the Queen's Men had disappeared around the switchback and hewas sure they weren't coming back, Bharat walked a short distance down the road and looked up the steep mountainside. He could see nothing but the ma.s.sive tree trunks and impenetrable rhododendron undergrowth of a lush firforest.

"Perhaps my friends would care to come out now?" he asked. "We must hurryand re-pack, if we are to find a safe campsite before the evening rains start."Atreus and his two companions sat up, plucking rhododendron branches out of their sleeves, collars, and pant legs.

"There is no need to camp," said Ris.h.i.+, casting a sly grin in Atreus's direction. wewill just ask Ysdar's devil to shrink us, then we will spend a dry and cozy night in an empty jar... or perhaps in a yak's ear. I am sure it is warm in there."

"A most excellent idea," agreed Bharat, "but I will be too afraid to sleep. Yago has not had his bath today!"

The ogre scowled. "I was born orange," he said, pulling the treasure basket from its hiding place. "And I don't take that many baths."

"Indeed," commented Bharat. "And yet you smell as sweet as a lily."

"You Mar," Atreus snapped, in no mood for joking. "Is there not one of you who isn't a born liar?"

Ris.h.i.+ and Bharat fell silent and sullen. Atreus did not care. He was accustomed to being thought slovenly, wicked, and even stupid because of how he looked, but this was the first time anyone had accused him of being a cannibal and a kidnapper. By the time they reached the Sisters of Serenity, that rumor mongering patrol leader would have every traveler in the Yehimals ready to behead Atreus in his sleep.

Motioning Yago to follow, Atreus scrambled down to the road and returned tothe wagon. When Bharat and Ris.h.i.+ came up behind him conversing softly inMaran, he whirled on them.

"You will do me the kindness of speaking in Realmspeak or not at all. I've enough to worry about without wondering what you two are plotting," Atreus said sternly, then s.n.a.t.c.hed the rucksack off the road and turned to Bharat."What is this for?"

"You will n-need it," the Mar explained. "You cannot reach the Sisters of Serenity in a carpet wagon. You will have to walk many days."

Atreus frowned. "Then why is there only one rucksack?" Bharat's face paled

from its normal golden bronze to saffron. He looked to Ris.h.i.+ for help.

"Good sir, there is no reason for being angry," said Ris.h.i.+. "it is only that there are no rucksacks large enough for Yago, and Bharat did not know how strong you are for one of the Ffolk. He a.s.sumed most naturally that I would be carrying your load."

"Yes, yes*very good! That is just so," said Bharat. "In the Utter East, wealthyFfolk hire porters to carry their things."

He flashed his too-bright smile and waited for his employer to accept theexplanation. Atreus simply climbed into the wagon and returned the rucksack toits cubbyhole, then pushed the floor back into place. The porter's explanation made senseas far as it went, but he still did not understand why the carpet seller had hiddenthe sack in the first place. Certainly, the Queen's Men had not seemed terriblyupset at finding it, and that left only him and Yago that Bharat could have beenconcealing it from. The two Mar would bear even more watching than he originally thought.

Atreus settled onto his haunches. "Why don't you pa.s.s the baggage in? I'll pack." He reached out to accept the first load. "And I'm sorry for that remark aboutborn liars. If anyone should know better than to say such things, it's me. That patrol leader's lies made me angry."