‘He’s the one who’s just showed up in the doorway behind you… come to deliver more bones.’ He raised his voice. ‘No need to hesitate, Truth. In fact, this pretty woman here has some questions for you.’
Another one with the strange skin . She studied the tall, gangly youth who cautiously approached, carrying another bulging burlap sack from which sand drifted down in a dusty cloud. Hood take me, a comely lad… though that air of vulnerability would get on my nerves eventually . She straightened. ‘I would know of Felisin,’ she said, slipping some iron into her tone.
Sufficient to catch Pella’s notice, and he threw her a sharp look.
Both dogs had awakened at Truth’s arrival, but neither rose from where they lay-they simply fixed eyes on the lad.
Truth set down the bag and snapped to sudden attentiveness. Colour rose in his face.
My charms. It’s not Pella who’ll remember this day. Not Pella who’ll find someone to worship . ‘Tell me about what happened on the western shore of Otataral Island. Did the rendezvous occur as planned?’
‘I believe so,’ Truth replied after a moment. ‘But we weren’t part of that plan-we just happened to find ourselves in the same boat with Kulp, and it was Kulp who was looking to collect them.’
‘Kulp? The cadre mage from the Seventh?’
‘Aye, him. He’d been sent by Duiker-’
‘The imperial historian?’ Gods, what twisted trail is this ? ‘And why would he have any interest in saving Felisin?’
‘Kulp said it was the injustice,’ Truth answered. ‘But you got it wrong-it wasn’t Felisin that Duiker wanted to help. It was Heboric.’
Pella spoke in a low voice quite unlike what she had heard from him moments earlier. ‘If Duiker is going to be made out as some kind of traitor… well, lass, better think twice. This is Aren, after all. The city that watched. That saw Duiker delivering the refugees to safety. He was the last one through the gate, they say.’ The emotion riding his words was now raw. ‘And Pormqual had him arrested !’
A chill rippled through Lostara. ‘I know,’ she said. ‘Blistig loosed us Red Blades from the gaols. We were on the wall by the time Pormqual had his army out there on the plain. If Duiker was seeking to free Heboric, a fellow scholar, well, I have no complaint with that. The trail we are on is Felisin’s.’
Truth nodded at that. ‘Tavore has sent you, hasn’t she? You and that Claw inside, listening to Gesler and Stormy.’
Lostara briefly closed her eyes. ‘I am afraid I lack Pearl’s subtlety. This mission was meant to be… secret.’
‘Fine with me,’ Pella said. ‘And you, Truth?’
The tall lad nodded. ‘It doesn’t really matter anyway. Felisin is dead. They all are. Heboric. Kulp. They all died. Gesler was just telling that part.’
‘I see. None the less, please say nothing to anyone else. We will be pursuing our task, if only to gather her bones. Their bones, that is.’
‘That would be a good thing,’ Truth said with a sigh.
Lostara made to leave but Pella gestured to catch her attention. ‘Here.’ He held out to her the finger bone he had been drilling a hole through. ‘Take this for yourself. Wear it in plain sight.’
‘Why?’
Pella scowled. ‘You’ve just asked a favour of us…’
‘Very well.’ She accepted the grisly object.
Pearl appeared in the doorway. ‘Lostara,’ he called. ‘Are you done here?’
‘I am.’
‘Time to leave, then.’ She could see by his expression that he too had been told of Felisin’s death. Though probably in greater detail than the little that Truth had said.
In silence, they retraced their route through the stables, out into the compound, then across to the gate. The door swung open as they arrived and the soldier named Maybe waved them out. Lostara’s attention was drawn to the bale of straw, which seemed to be wavering, strangely melting where it squatted, but Pearl simply waved her on.
As they drew some distance from the estate, the Claw voiced a soft curse, then said, ‘I need a healer.’
‘Your limp is barely noticeable,’ Lostara observed.
‘Years of discipline, my dear. I’d much rather be screaming. The last time I suffered such strength used against me was with that Semk demon, that godling. The three of them-Gesler, Stormy and Truth-there’s more that’s strange about them than just their skin.’
‘Any theories?’