Authors: Tamora Pierce
Bloodhound (44 page)
Okha leaned back in his chair and covered his eyes with his hand. I drank some tea. Finally he stood. "Wait here." He was only gone for a few minutes. He returned with some rolled-up papers. Once I moved the tea things, he flattened the papers on the table. These were not rough-sketched. They were well-done maps of buildings, each room and door labeled very neatly. The top map was titled
Gauntlet Court, Basilisk Alley and Darcy Walk
. Okha pulled half of the map away to show the label for the one below. That was
Riverside Court, Cavall Street and Cecily Way
.
I looked at Okha. "You thought Nestor could use these."
Okha shrugged. "It's even better if you and Goodwin do so, and keep Nestor's name out of it." He pulled that sheet back until I could see the third map was of the Eagle Street court.
I looked greedily at the Gauntlet court map, noting the streets that lay outside each exit. "How did you learn so much without Pearl catching you?" I asked.
"A woman needs the privy, and a private room to collect her thoughts before she can sing," Okha said in the voice he used as Amber Orchid. "She might want a room to meet with a friend, or a room in which to oversee a game of Gambler's Chance. I am considered to be the most expert in the game in the city, apart from Dale himself."
"How can you stand it?" I asked. "How can you bear to explore those places, knowing what happens to folk that Pearl doesn't like?"
Okha looked away from me. "I think of Nestor, and the things that happen to Pearl's enemies." He met my eyes again.
There was an ancient cold in his eyes. I wondered if a god's eyes were like that, miles distant while still being up close. I wondered if Okha's Trickster was in the room with me right now.
I clenched my hand into a fist. I don't want gods mucking about in my life.
Okha carefully folded the maps until they were of a size to fit in my pack. "Make good use of them, Beka. Be sensible."
"That's me," I replied as I tucked the maps away. "Rebakah Sensible Cooper." Thinking of being sensible reminded me of another important errand I had to run today. I asked Okha to recommend the manner of shop I needed, since I thought women's healers might very well be something Okha would know about. I was right. He knew a fine healer with a shop on Tradesmen's Street, not too far out of my way home.
It was nearly four of the clock when Achoo and I left Nestor's. Haden and the Rogue's spy had yet to catch up with me. We hurried to reach the healer's, where I ordered Achoo to sit inside by the door as I looked around. The place was clean and orderly, filled with the smell of drying herbs. The charms were kept pinned to cloth hung on a wall behind the long table where the shopkeeper saw to customers. A curtained door led to other rooms, for patients, I expected.
I found the sort of charms I wanted and looked them over, ignoring the sweat that rolled down my ribs. Aunt Mya had given me my old charm, so I'd never had to shop for one. And mayhap I was thinking too highly of myself, hoping I might have a need for it.
"Exciting night ahead?" the shopkeeper asked me in a voice too loud for my comfort. I believe I shrank a foot in height. "From the look of you, silver or gold is out of the question."
I shook my head and forced myself to lean closer to her. "No good playing with these things," I mumbled. "I'll have true silver, if you please."
The shopkeeper looked at me and smiled. "Fortunate, to be able to afford it, dearie. I just happen to have this for two copper nobles." Her voice was quieter. She lifted a silver wire charm from the cloth and placed it before me. "The closed womb, in the Mother's own silver. No woman's ever had a big belly because a charm of mine failed her."
I fetched out the coins. The money came from my own funds, not my lord Gershom's. I could hardly account to Sergeant Ahuda for a charm to keep me from getting myself a baby! When I gave the money to the shopkeeper, she wrapped the charm in a bit of cloth and gave it to me.
"Put it on a chain or a bit of ribbon and hang it about your neck, or stitch it to something you wear all the time," she told me. "And have fun!"
I smiled and ducked my head. "I hope to! Achoo,
tumit
!"
On the way home I bought cooked chopped beef and a bone for Achoo. She isn't gaining the weight she needs, and I blame our rambles over the city for that. I need to feed her even better. I begged the cook for some goat's milk. It worked for Kora's and Aniki's kittens, so I am in hopes it will fill Achoo out some, too. One of the housemaids found me in the kitchen. She carried a rose and a note from Dale.
He invites me to supper at eight of the clock. Unless he hears from me differently, he will call for me here.
I took a nap and washed my face, then tried the lip and eyelash paint. I have written up this day's findings and put Okha's maps in the same hidden pocket where I keep this journal. I have asked Serenity if I may leave my poor Achoo in the yard with her food, bone, and water once more. The cook has also said, with a
very
broad wink, that she will give Achoo a fine breakfast if I am not home by dawn.
Now I must get ready. I tremble everywhere. I never felt such a wanting even over Rosto, but mayhap that is because I never let myself imagine that I might lay down with him. I am free to do as I wish with Dale, and that freedom makes me giddy. I tell myself I can search his rooms for evidence that he is connected to the colemongering, but knowing him better, I doubt that he is. Dale is clever. He has a gentleman's delicacy of touch. The colemongers have the grace and light touch of pigs rooting in garbage. If Dale were in a scheme, we'd never see the signs of it. It is plain enough that he is good friends with Hanse and Steen, and plainer still that
they
are in this to their eyebrows.
Also, Dale likes money. He likes
good
money, to buy fine meals, jewelry, clothing. I will keep an open mind, but why would such a man work to ruin the value of the money he prizes? A few coles, when no one was looking for them, he might use, but he would never shower them all over the city like this. Such behavior might be the work of someone both greedy and stupid.
I will search Dale's rooms, as I should. That is how I shall think of tonight.
And if I were to say that to Goodwin, she would laugh until she popped something.
Ladyshearth Lodgings
Noon.
Last night was the finest I have had in my life. Dale took me to a good supper, then a puppet show, and a walk along the breakwater to see the sea lions in torchlight. After that, we returned to his room.
Not that I will be writing the details of
that
. I've heard tell of folk who write little books that are nothing but what happens when folk canoodle. How can anyone bear to write such things where other folk might read them? What he did to me and I to him, things I have never taken part in afore, they were too good to set on paper in my clumsy words. It would take the magic right out of them.
I know now why Aniki and Kora are forever saying to me I'd never lain with anyone as knew,
really
knew, what they were about. I wish I were in that good cozy bed still. He made me
laugh
, during. I didn't even think you were supposed to laugh then.
I want us to be together as much as we can, as long as we can. Never mind what happens when the hunt is done. "Have it all now," Rosto is forever telling me, "in case you don't wake up tomorrow." He is right and I want that, but not with him.
We breakfasted late. Dale went out and came back with the food, and fed me just as he had at the Merman's Cave. Master Sure-of-Himself had even told the bank that he had family business to see to and would not be available for work today! At last I remembered that I was supposed to be doing
sommat
to earn my fine lodging and all the coin Goodwin and I have been spending, so I bid Dale a rather long farewell. We promised to meet again tonight.
It was drawing on noon as I walked to Serenity's in a light rain. I stopped but once, at a pasty seller's cart. I bought six, and left four on stone benches near the places where I glimpsed Haden and the Rogue's watcher. It seemed to me I should make amends for losing them yesterday.
Before I entered my lodgings, I went around back for Achoo. I had tied her next to an open shed in case of rain, and now she huddled inside. Her water and food dishes were full yet. When she saw me, she leaped forward, barking with joy and trying to climb up the front of my gown.
I caught her paws. "What's this?" I asked her. "Why didn't you eat your breakfast?" She tried to lick my face as I held her off. "Achoo, easy!"
Nothing would calm Achoo until I allowed her to sniff me all over and lick my face and hands. She trembled as she did so, whimpering piteously. I began to feel like the biggest Rat in all the realm. The biggest wet Rat as the rain fell harder.
"Very well," I told Achoo, hauling her into the house before she got as soaked as I was. "All
right
, Achoo! I won't leave you overnight again, I promise! I promise!" I knelt and cuddled the poor creature's head. Who knew hounds are so much different from cats?
She shoved her wet nose in my eye.
"That's it, girl. I'll work sommat out with Dale, but I'll not leave you alone so long again. Easy, easy." She calmed down at last, to sag against my side, panting.
Dale will understand. Achoo loves and trusts me, gods know why. I won't betray her trust like those other bad handlers of hers. And I think I know Dale well enough that I can say he will welcome my silly hound. He has too warm a heart to turn her away.
We walked into the front of the house. Serenity was at the dining table, working on her accounts, as I came in. "Someone looks like the cat who spilled the cream," she announced with a raised eyebrow.
I frowned at her, or I tried to. "I've noticed that people who give first prayers to the Goddess are uncommon interested in personal things," I said.
Serenity looked at her accounts with a smile. "So, did you have fun?"
Blushing, I ran up to my room to dry off and change into my uniform. I needed to write down the things I learned at Dale's. He told me that he and Hanse met in the army, when Dale was a paymaster's clerk. He'd been there when Hanse was dismissed. Seemingly everyone hated the officer Hanse had struck. That was why Hanse got a light sentence and discharge, rather than branding and time in the quarries. It was also why nearly twenty soldiers left when he did, including Dale. They felt the officer should never have been allowed to whip and bully his men to the point where one man would end his career to give a little of it back.
I found no signs of colemongering in Dale's rooms – I searched them as he went for breakfast. The silver coins in his hidden money box were all cut to prove they were true silver.
I'd drifted off, thinking of other things I had learned in Dale's rooms, when I heard loud voices downstairs.
I must go.
Okha's dressing room, Waterlily gambling house
One hour past midnight.
I've had days that drank donkey drippings before, but yesterday beat them all, Black God strike me if it don't. And it started so fine, too, as fine as a day could start, with me and Dale all warm and rosy in his bed.
It started when Serenity interrupted my daydreaming yesterday. "Cooper, you'd best come quick," she called through my door. "There's a girl here from Isanz Finer's house. She's nigh hysterical."
I opened my door and ran downstairs after Serenity, Achoo following. The gixie who stood in the hall was fourteen or so, dressed in a fine but rain-sodden tunic. Her braided hair was unveiled and mussed. Mud was splashed all over her slippers and hem. Her eyes and nose were red with weeping.
"Cooper?
You're
Cooper?" she asked, staring at me. "How can
you
help?"
"Why don't you tell me the problem?" I asked, steering her into the dining room. "I can't say how I must help until I know what the trouble is." Serenity had vanished into the house.
The gixie wouldn't sit when I pulled a chair out for her. "But you're barely more than a girl! The way Grandfather talked – I thought you'd be a
real
Dog!"
I held her shoulders and made her sit. "I am a real Dog. A junior one, but real nonetheless. And if you want a Dog, why aren't you at your own kennel?"
"Because they're the ones who took him, you ass!" she cried. She shook all over. "Grandfather, my uncles, my
aunts – all
of them! They're charged with colemongering!" She began to cry. Achoo looked at me with reproach. Seemingly she did not care for my rough treatment of my visitor. Whining her sympathy, Achoo began to lick the gixie's hand.
Serenity came with a cup. "Drink this," she said. "It will calm you. You need to be calm if you're to help your people." She put the cup to the gixie's lips and held it steady for her. I took my fire opal from my pocket and turned it over in my hand to keep myself steady. Finer's arrest was very, very bad news.
"You're certain they said colemongering?" I asked when the gixie had quieted.
"The legal charge is nailed to the door of every house and shop we own. They even cried it from the corners of our street!" Though she was steadier, the tears still rolled down the gixie's cheeks. "And they found coles when they searched our house. Of course they did! Grandfather ordered us to put any we came across in the money box in his study, for when the guild chose to
do
something about it. But the guards found the box and said it was proof!"
"What about the guild?" I asked her. "He reported the coles to them. He said other silversmiths talked to the guild when he did. Did Master Finer tell the Dogs the guild knows about the coles? The guild will say he didn't make them."
"Of course he told the Dogs! One great brute hit him and blacked his eye. He said no talking from prisoners!" The gixie blew her nose.
