a
coward.”
“There they go. All clear.”
There who go? Were we hanging around soaking because he’d
seen someone? Why didn’t he tell me these things?
He did have better night vision. One of the advantages of his
elvish blood. The disadvantages, of course, started with a
conviction of personal immortality. It isn’t true, what you
hear about elves being immortal. They just think they are. Only an
arrow through the heart will talk them out of the idea.
Morley took off toward the Hamilton place. I followed, watching
everywhere but where I was going. I heard a sound, looked for its
source as I jumped ten feet high, walked right into the Hamilton
wall.
“You must have been some Marine,” Morley grumbled,
and continued muttering about no wonder Karenta couldn’t win
in the Cantard if I represented the kingdom’s best and
brightest.
“Probably a hundred thousand guys down there would be
happy to let you show them how to do it.” Morley wasn’t
a veteran. Breeds don’t have to go. The nonhuman peoples all
have treaties exempting people up to one-eighth blood. The
nonhumans you see in the Cantard are natives or mercenaries, and
usually both. And agents of Glory Mooncalled besides. Except for
the vampires and werewolves and unicorn packs, who are out to get
everybody.
The Cantard is a lot of fun.
Morley squatted, cupped his hands. “I’ll give you a
boost.” The wall was nine feet high.
“You’re lighter.” I could toss him right
over.
“That’s why you go first. I can climb up there
without help.”
A point. Not one that fired me up to go first, but a point. This
business was more in his line than mine. He wouldn’t buy my
plan which was to go pound on the front gate and ask to see the
deadly coach. That was too prosaic for his sense of adventure.
I shrugged, stepped into his cupped hands, heaved my reluctant
bones upward, grabbed the top of the wall in expectation of getting
my fingers ripped to hamburger by broken glass. Broken glass is an
old trick for discouraging uninvited company.
Oh, my. Now I was really disheartened. There was no broken
glass. I pulled my chin up level with the top, peeked. Where was
the trap? They had to have something really special planned if they
didn’t use broken glass.
Morley whacked me on the sole. “Better move your ass,
Garrett. They’re coming back.”
I didn’t know who “they” were but I heard
their footsteps. I took a poll. Opinion was unanimous. I
didn’t want to find out who they were. Up and over I went. I
landed in a small garden, gently, failing even to turn an ankle.
Morley landed beside me. I said, “This’s too
easy.”
“Come on, Garrett. What do you want? You have a closed
house here. Who’s going to guard that?”
“Exactly what I want to know.”
“You ever begin to sound optimistic, I’m going to
flee the country. Come on. Sooner we do it, the sooner you’re
out of here.”
I grunted agreement. “Looks like the coach house
there.” I don’t like sneaking, much. I still thought we
should have tried the front way.
Morley scooted to a door in the side of the coach house. I let
him lead. I noted how carefully he moved, for all he did so
quickly. Whatever he said, he wasn’t taking chances.
In his line you didn’t get old taking anything for
granted. My line either, for that matter.
Neither of us had brought a lantern. You do dumb things when you
rush. Still, there was light enough leaking from nearby homes to
let Morley see a little. He told me, “Somebody was here
before us. They jimmied the lock.” He tried the door. It
opened.
I looked over his shoulder. It was blacker than the inside of a
buzzard’s belly in there, and about as inviting. Something
made noises and shuffled around. Something breathed. Something a
lot bigger than me. Always a courteous kind of guy, I offered,
“After you, sir.”
Morley wasn’t that sure he was immortal. “We need a
light.”
“Now he notices. This the kind of planning you re
coward.”
“There they go. All clear.”
There who go? Were we hanging around soaking because he’d
seen someone? Why didn’t he tell me these things?
He did have better night vision. One of the advantages of his
elvish blood. The disadvantages, of course, started with a
conviction of personal immortality. It isn’t true, what you
hear about elves being immortal. They just think they are. Only an
arrow through the heart will talk them out of the idea.
Morley took off toward the Hamilton place. I followed, watching
everywhere but where I was going. I heard a sound, looked for its
source as I jumped ten feet high, walked right into the Hamilton
wall.
“You must have been some Marine,” Morley grumbled,
and continued muttering about no wonder Karenta couldn’t win
in the Cantard if I represented the kingdom’s best and
brightest.
“Probably a hundred thousand guys down there would be
happy to let you show them how to do it.” Morley wasn’t
a veteran. Breeds don’t have to go. The nonhuman peoples all
have treaties exempting people up to one-eighth blood. The
nonhumans you see in the Cantard are natives or mercenaries, and
usually both. And agents of Glory Mooncalled besides. Except for
the vampires and werewolves and unicorn packs, who are out to get
everybody.
The Cantard is a lot of fun.
Morley squatted, cupped his hands. “I’ll give you a
boost.” The wall was nine feet high.
“You’re lighter.” I could toss him right
over.
“That’s why you go first. I can climb up there
without help.”
A point. Not one that fired me up to go first, but a point. This
business was more in his line than mine. He wouldn’t buy my
plan which was to go pound on the front gate and ask to see the
deadly coach. That was too prosaic for his sense of adventure.
I shrugged, stepped into his cupped hands, heaved my reluctant
bones upward, grabbed the top of the wall in expectation of getting
my fingers ripped to hamburger by broken glass. Broken glass is an
old trick for discouraging uninvited company.
Oh, my. Now I was really disheartened. There was no broken
glass. I pulled my chin up level with the top, peeked. Where was
the trap? They had to have something really special planned if they
didn’t use broken glass.
Morley whacked me on the sole. “Better move your ass,
Garrett. They’re coming back.”
I didn’t know who “they” were but I heard
their footsteps. I took a poll. Opinion was unanimous. I
didn’t want to find out who they were. Up and over I went. I
landed in a small garden, gently, failing even to turn an ankle.
Morley landed beside me. I said, “This’s too
easy.”
“Come on, Garrett. What do you want? You have a closed
house here. Who’s going to guard that?”
“Exactly what I want to know.”
“You ever begin to sound optimistic, I’m going to
flee the country. Come on. Sooner we do it, the sooner you’re
out of here.”
I grunted agreement. “Looks like the coach house
there.” I don’t like sneaking, much. I still thought we
should have tried the front way.
Morley scooted to a door in the side of the coach house. I let
him lead. I noted how carefully he moved, for all he did so
quickly. Whatever he said, he wasn’t taking chances.
In his line you didn’t get old taking anything for
granted. My line either, for that matter.
Neither of us had brought a lantern. You do dumb things when you
rush. Still, there was light enough leaking from nearby homes to
let Morley see a little. He told me, “Somebody was here
before us. They jimmied the lock.” He tried the door. It
opened.
I looked over his shoulder. It was blacker than the inside of a
buzzard’s belly in there, and about as inviting. Something
made noises and shuffled around. Something breathed. Something a
lot bigger than me. Always a courteous kind of guy, I offered,
“After you, sir.”
Morley wasn’t that sure he was immortal. “We need a
light.”
“Now he notices. This the kind of planning you re
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