Monstrous Races (13 page)

'I'm not,' she said firmly but quietly. 'I won't be hiding in here waiting for them to
come and find me. I've got a job and I'm good at it, I'm going back.' She sat at the table, a small, determined figure and Rufus' shoulders visibly sagged.

'We only got the job because Dad had already had a word with Billy. He didn't tell me, did he? I sat through Elvis the Hairy Pelvis for no good reason. He didn't bother to mention that we were working alongside two of the best personal-guards in the business, now retired. Well you can take it up with Max if you feel that strongly, but we need to start being a lot more careful. They know who you are, what you've got and how to get to you.'

'Is there any point in running away, out of Brayston?' she asked, moving crumbs around her plate and reaching for the water jug.

'Not really, considering they not only know who to look for but also have a handy beacon that alerts them to your movements. At least here we've got protection and can sort of blend in. Plus Lord Lansdown is gathering quite a reputation I hear, using that power like a playground bully. Word travels fast, especially amongst blemmyaes. They won't let him through the gates.'

They heard voices at the front door and Elli instinctively sat upright in her chair as Alpha Sawyre and Max came into the room together, both grinning widely at the sight of Elli.

'Well you're a sight for sore eyes,' said Alpha Sawyre, kissing her gently on the cheek.

'How are you feeling?' asked Max. 'The Doctor said you'd wake up soon. How many Rufus' can you see?' He knelt down and looked into her eyes.

'Just the one, and that's more than enough,' she answered, aware that the bump on her head was throbbing slightly now. 'Any news about those men who attacked us?'

'Yes, some,' replied Max, rubbing his muzzle thoughtfully. 'We need to find the two that escaped, I'll see to that.'

Alpha Sawyre knelt down and took Elli's hands in hers. 'They were all human this time, but we have to be aware that anybody could know abou
t your stone now. Are you still
sure that you don't want to give it to me? I want it as far away from you as possible at this time, but it's not my decision to make,' she said, a note of pleading creeping into her soft voice. Elli sighed, tired now.

'I am sure,' she replied, looking up at Alpha Sawyre. 'It was left to me, and I really don't want them getting it. People who want power that much are the last people who should have it.' She sighed, looking at them each in turn. 'Besides, I think I've got a connection with it now, I can't really explain it. To be parted from it feels unbearable.'

Rufus brought his sandwich over to the table and began eating as Max looked on, his eyebrows raised.

'Does nothing stop you from thinking of your stomach
,
boy?' he asked, watching as Rufus ate half a stacked sandwich in one very full mouthful. Rufus shook his head, chewing thoughtfully and gesturing towards his mouth as he was temporarily unable to speak. Finally, after much noising chewing and lots of water to wash it down he cleared his throat and looked across at Max.

'Firstly, eating helps me to think. Secondly, how safe are we? How did those men know where to look in the first place? Is there anything else you haven't mentioned, like the two personal-guards we have assigned to us? And we need a plan.'

Max stood up to his full height and wiped some invisible dust from his lapel. 'Their strategy is to take the stone by whatever means necessary, regardless of whose neck the stone is attached to. And I'm also worried about what he would do with it should he ever manage to take it.
’

‘Elli,' he said turning to her. 'A
s you are no doubt aware you could run but then the problem continues, namely that he will chase after you until he has the stone. I've a contact in the Brayston Library and Hall of Records who says that there's only one reference to throwing the stone into a mass of water like the sea. It simply says
don't.
Again, all she could find were vague references to bringing two of these stones together and giving 'great power' to the wearer. So it would seem that we need to separate these stones, or else make sure that you are the one who brings them together.'

'But I don't want power,' she said shaking her head, 'and I
don’t
think the stone does either. I don't want anybody to be afraid of me.'

'And that's exactly why you would be the better person to have it,' said Alpha Sawyre simply. 'Now then Rufus, those sandwiches smell very tempting. I think both Max and I could do with one, if you don't mind.' Rufus looked dejectedly from one to the other and then skulked back over to the pan.

'So what have the
gendarme
and blemmyaes said about it all? I presume they'll want to speak with me,' said Elli, her voice trailing off as she noticed a look pass between Alpha Sawyre and Max. He stood up slowly, pulling up a chair so that he was facing her.

'That's a very good question, one I'd expect from you. We haven't strictly told them Elli, and we don't intend to while we've got any choice in it.' She looked back at Alpha Sawyre who shrugged and smiled gently.

'Max has explained his reasons to me Elli, and I believe them to be sound. None of the men have been harmed, we've just been to check on them. And you must consider that they would have been very happy to harm you,' she added, a glint of steel creeping into her soft voice.

'We thought involving the
gendarme
and Blemmyae Council may...compromise your position, even put you at greater risk. They could decide to protect you, or to put you outside the city walls. They might even see the fyrestones as a weapon for Brayston, who knows? If we don't give them those options we can protect you ourselves. We know
he's on his way here, we need to draw him into Brayston and into our territory, which we know and he doesn't.' Elli nodded silently and saw Rufus throw some cake into the air and gulp it down greedily behind Max.

'Rufus!' called out Max, his eyes still on Elli. 'Stop eating and get cooking. You can walk into town after you've finished and burn off some calories, I need you to call into Dion and Jones and collect something. You can go too Elli if you feel up to it. And you might want to take some trousers with you son,' he added, glancing at Rufus behind him. 'Some of them are looking a little...snug, might be an idea to cut back and stay fit. If you are in a fight it would be better that your trousers didn't split at the crucial moment.' Elli sniggered and Rufus shot her a warning look.

'I think I'll be alright to go,' said Elli, stretching out her arms. 'Fresh air will probably do me good.'

'It would, but this air isn't fresh by any stretch of the imagination,' replied Rufus, cutting more bread. 'It's a long walk as well. I take it we'll have protection? Thought I'd better mention it as you neglected to before.'

'You'll be watched and followed, don't worry about that. You won't even see them most of the time, I'm hoping to draw a few more out and take them by surprise. And you'll keep working at Goat Cuisine, I've spoken to Billy and he's all for it. The closer you are to Gwen and Leo the better. Billy was thrilled when I said you'd be back when you were well enough Elli.'

'Does that mean I don't need to go back?' asked Rufus, his voice hopeful.

'Of course you do son,' answered Max. 'Billy just wasn't quite so thrilled about it.'

Alpha Sawyre looked across at Rufus and began pouring out steaming tea. 'It's more important than ever that you're close to Elli at all times now.' Rufus nodded slowly and sighed. 'This way you can carry on paying tax to the Blemmyae Council and you won't draw any additional attention to yourselves. It's my understanding that a representative visits you at work to check that you are still there and paying the correct amount. There was a letter this morning,' she said, addressing Elli.

'From Norman,' Rufus announced, handing around sandwiches and settling into the large comfy chair. 'You remember, the misunderstood blemmyae. He enclosed this.' He lazily passed her a flyer with a large circular tea-stain on it. 'Elvis and the Bushbabies, and who do you think their support act are, which is a phrase I never thought I'd be saying.
Captain McSniff
, headed by our very own sensitive employment clerk. Who'd have thought it?' She looked at the flyer which featured a side profile of Elvis but was poorly printed so that he came out as a vague smudge with eyes. 'They've even enclosed a one word review, look, it says 'rocking' by the Brayston Beagle. Must be a misprint of
shocking
.'

'That may be,' said Alpha Sawyre, handing around bowls of tea. 'But this event takes place the night before Norman is due to visit you at Goat Cuisine and report back. It wouldn't hurt to attend and give him your warmest congratulations the next day
,
now would it? And Billy would be delighted to see you both supporting his son. Really, how bad can it be?' Rufus shook his head sadly.

'Oh, bad Alpha Sawyre, very very bad. If you'd had to sit through a song called
I'm a Love
Monkey
whilst he jumped around beating his chest and poking his rear at the audience then you'd understand. And his voice? Like a squeaky foghorn in a wind tunnel. I don't know if I can take it again,' he announced, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes.

'Dishes,' muttered Max. Rufus opened one eye and looked at him, then groaned loudly and got to his feet. 'You should enjoy it Rufus,' Max went on as he sidled into the empty chair. 'You've a lot in common with surly teenagers. Apart from the fact you're no longer a teenager.'

'It sounds like a very enjoyable evening to me,' said Alpha Sawyre. 'It's always important to support budding new talent. Sadly I can't make it, but I'm sure Elli will take care of you, if you're well enough of course.'

'Me? Again? Elli looked up at Alpha Sawyre with wide eyes. 'Well alright, but I'll need to fashion some sort of earplug out of candle wax.'

'Me too,' said Rufus wearily as he collected the plates. 'How about you Max, fancy hob-nobbing with some budding young talent? Or failing that coming to this musical extravaganza?'

'I'm afraid my tastes are a little more refined, as well you know,' he replied. 'Besides I'm also busy that evening. I'm sure you'll enjoy it when you get there.' He grinned, his white teeth glinting in the light.

'Want to bet?' asked Rufus sourly.

'My dear, will you please stop crying. It's been days since he ran away, you're just going to have to find somebody else to do it.' Lord Lansdown stared across at his wife, her grey eyes swollen with tears and her hair now greying at the temples.

'But you don't understand,' she cried, rubbing at her eyes with her hands. 'I'm all alone here. I had such hopes for him, I don't understand why he'd leave. Are you sure you didn't upset him?' Lord Lansdown turned his head away so she wouldn't see him smirking.

'I really don't know why you're so upset. There are plenty more men out there you know. I think that perhaps we're better off without a servant anyway,' he added, as his wife began a fresh bout of crying.

'Where's George?' she asked, her voice muffled with sobs. 'He may have been an idiot but at least he did things properly.'

'Yes, he did,' said Lord Lansdown, stroking the point on his beard that he'd cut himself and was rather proud of. 'He's proving a most valuable asset. He's really rather clever you know, under all that apparent stupidity.'

'Clever or not, I want him back,' she said petulantly. 'In the meantime you're going to have to do it, there's nobody else I can trust.'

'Me?' he asked incredulous.

'Yes, you.
You're the one who brought me miles away from everybody and you've been using that stone to get what you want. Well here's what I want. My red locks to be painted back on so that I look like the Queen I'm going to be.'
Her voice is shrill
, he thought calmly.
I've never noticed it before.

'My dear, that's really rather impossible. I'm not a servant, I'm a King, or I will be soon. Can you imagine what the men will think if they see my hands stained orange? I'll be a laughing stock,' he said, cleaning his fingernails carefully with a small, sharp knife. The leather gloves were thrown with some force, and hit him in the shoulder. 'I see,' he said quietly. He calmly dropped the gloves to the floor and walked out of the large white tent to survey his troops.

They were spread all around the area, camping in open ground now. They'd had some conflicting reports and Lord Lansdown had calmly and precisely gone through
them all, offering riches to whoever could bring the girl to him; he'd been very careful to avoid mentioning the stone she was wearing in recent weeks, that was information on a need to know basis and they certainly didn't need to know.

He'd been clumsy these last few days, using his power more and more carelessly; like an intoxicant it had gone to his head, and he's seen the men looking on in awe as he'd extended his hand and fired out the sparks of light at whoever dared to stand up to him. They all now looked deep in some task or another, sharpening blades or bringing
in animals they'd hunted to the
large open fire. The cook was impaling a small boar on a sharp spit, and he saw Captain Briggs looking at a map and barking out more orders.
He's really rather good
,
but he'll need paying soon
. A crimson flush crept up his neck from under his tightly-buttoned tunic.
They'll all need paying soon
.