‘He’s entirely capable of throwing a few people away just for the chance to hunt us down. I’d rather not wake up in the middle of the night to find Lycien’s house surrounded by mercenaries.’
‘You’ve got a point there, I suppose.’
They slipped out through the west gate of Madel as the light faded even more. ‘In here,’ Sparhawk said as they passed a thicket some distance up the road. ‘Let’s wait for a while and make sure that no one’s trying to follow us.’
They crouched down among the rustling saplings and peered back along the road leading down to the city. A sleepy bird somewhere in the thicket muttered complainingly, and then an ox cart with creaking wheels passed, rumbling slowly down the road towards Madel.
‘It’s not too likely that anybody’s going to leave town this close to nightfall, is it?’ Kalten asked quietly.
‘That’s what I’m counting on,’ Sparhawk told him. ‘Anybody who comes out now probably has serious business.’
‘And the business could be us, right?’
‘It’s altogether possible.’
A creaking sound came from the city, followed by a dull boom and the rattling of a heavy chain.
‘They’ve just closed the gate,’ Talen whispered.
‘That was what I was waiting for,’ Sparhawk said, rising to his feet. ‘Let’s go.’
They emerged from the thicket and continued on along the road. Stands of trees loomed up out of the darkness on either side, and clumps of shadowy bushes lined the edges of the fields stretching off into the night. Talen nervously stayed close to the two knights, his eyes darting this way and that.
‘What’s the matter, boy?’ Kalten asked him.
‘I’ve never been out in the countryside after dark before,’ Talen explained. ‘Is it always this black?’
The blond man shrugged. ‘That’s why they call it night.’
‘Why doesn’t somebody put up some torches?’ Talen complained.
‘What for? So the rabbits can see where they’re going?’
Lycien’s house stood in the deep shadows of the surrounding evergreens with only a single torch at the gate. Talen was visibly relieved when they walked into the gravelled yard in front of the entrance.
‘Any luck?’ Tynian asked, emerging from the main entrance.
‘We ran into some trouble,’ Sparhawk replied. ‘Let’s go inside.’
‘I told you that you should have let the rest of us come along,’ the bulky-shouldered Alcione said accusingly as they entered the building.
‘It wasn’t that much trouble,’ Kalten assured him.
The others were waiting in the large room to which Lycien had first led them. Sephrenia rose to her feet, looking closely at the blood spatters on the two Pandions’ cloaks. ‘Are you all right?’ she asked, her voice mirroring her concern.
‘We ran into a group of sportive fellows,’ Kalten replied lightly. He looked down at his cloak. ‘The blood is all theirs.’
‘What happened?’ she asked Sparhawk.
‘Adus tried to ambush us when we got to the inn,’ he told her. ‘He had a group of waterfront toughs with him.’ He paused reflectively. ‘You know, we’ve been running across Krager just about every time we turn around. Once – or even twice – might have been sheer coincidence, but it’s starting to happen just a little too frequently, and every time we try to follow him, there’s some kind of ambush.’
‘You think it’s deliberate?’ Tynian asked.
‘It’s beginning to look that way, isn’t it?’
‘Would this Martel put a friend in such danger?’ Bevier sounded surprised.
‘Martel doesn’t have any friends,’ Sparhawk told him. ‘Adus and Krager are hirelings, nothing more. They’re useful, but he feels no particular attachment for them. I don’t think he’d shed many tears if something happened to Krager.’ He began to pace up and down, staring thoughtfully at the floor. ‘Maybe we can turn the tables on him.’ He looked at Kalten. ‘Why don’t you let yourself be seen in the streets of Madel?’ he suggested. ‘Don’t take too many chances, but let people know you’re in town.’
‘Why not?’ Kalten shrugged.
Tynian grinned. ‘Martel and his hirelings don’t know the rest of us, so we can sort of loiter along behind Kalten without attracting attention. Is that the idea?’
Sparhawk nodded. ‘If they think Kalten’s alone, it might bring them out into the open. I’m getting a little tired of Martel’s game, so maybe it’s time for us to play a few of our own.’ He looked at Bevier’s cousin. ‘How excited do the local authorities get about street brawls, my Lord?’ he asked.
Lycien laughed. ‘Madel is a seaport, Sir Sparhawk. Brawling is second nature to sailors. The authorities don’t pay much attention to their little scuffles – except to remove the bodies, of course. Public sanitation, you understand.’
‘Good.’ Sparhawk looked at his friends. ‘You may not get a chance at Krager or Adus, but you might be able to divide Martel’s attention. That could be what it takes to get Kurik and Sephrenia and me aboard a ship unnoticed. I’d rather not have to keep looking over my shoulder when we get to Cippria.’
‘About the only tricky part is going to be getting you to the harbour without being seen,’ Kalten said.
‘It won’t be necessary to go to the harbour,’ Lycien said. ‘I have some warehouses on the river about five miles from here. A fair number of independent sea captains deliver cargoes to me there, and I’m sure arrangements for your passage can be made without any need for going into the city.’
‘Thank you, my Lord,’ Sparhawk said. ‘That solves a problem.’
‘When do you plan to leave?’ Tynian asked.
‘I don’t see much point in delaying.’
‘Tomorrow, then?’
Sparhawk nodded.
‘I need to talk with you, Sparhawk,’ Sephrenia said. ‘Would you mind coming to my room?’
He followed her out of the door, slightly puzzled. ‘Is it something we can’t discuss in front of the others?’ he asked her.
‘It might be better if they don’t hear us arguing.’
‘Are we going to argue?’
‘Probably.’ She opened the door to her room and led him inside. Flute sat cross-legged on the bed, her dark eyebrows knit in concentration as she wove the intricate mesh of a cat’s cradle out of a strand of wool yarn. It was far more complex than the one Talen had made when he had demonstrated it
