The Ancient Ones (The Legacy Trilogy Book 3) (22 page)

‘They will all come. The old fool, the simple-minded boy and Jessicah—they will accompany us. I pray that the old man finds his senses on the way.’

‘We will need substantial provisions,’ Riggadardian noted, ‘and the Farstride needs to be checked over and prepared for such a substantial journey. She has done well thus far, yet she is not ready for such a journey. Lady Wind, we will need your valuable aid once again.’

‘Of course, my husband,’ the Koian woman said humbly.

‘And Emperor Leopold. We will outfit a proper cabin for you, suitable for such a living treasure of your status. We will summon carpenters at once and convert the entire upper deck—’

‘No, Commander,’ Lord Samuel told him resolutely. ‘Make no changes. There is no time. The Emperor is happy where he is.’

‘But—but, that room was not intended for him. It was only for the trip to Cintar. We put him there at your instruction. It is not fitting for an emperor.’

‘It is fitting, Commander.’ The finality in the magician’s words made the matter clear.

‘Oh ... very well, Lord Samuel. You know best.’ Disappointment pervaded the aging commander’s words.

‘Then I suggest you tend to the preparations,’ said Samuel leaving. ‘Hasten.’

‘One thing, Samuel,’ Orrell asked and the magician stopped and waited mid-stride, aimed away from those that conversed with him. ‘How did your cousin become a captive of the witch? How did she survive when everyone else went mad?’

The others in the group stood quietly, expectant of the answer.

Samuel slowly turned to reply, facing them without emotion. ‘Jessicah has many redeeming qualities, Captain,’ he said. ‘I can only guess why the witch kept her captive for so long. Perhaps for some reason I cannot fathom she could not kill her. Perhaps as a hostage to lure me in? Whatever the reason, she is free now. I hope you do not object to her presence. I would keep her near to me, dear to me as she is.’ He then swivelled his head to glare at Riggadardian. ‘I trust you can find her suitable quarters, Commander.’

‘Oh, of course,’ the man responded quickly, struggling to think where she could possibly be housed.

‘She can have my cabin,’ Captain Merryweather offered. ‘I will move my things in with Lieutenant Fillius. That way she will be next door to you, Lord Samuel. I hope that is sufficient.’

Samuel assented. ‘Where is she now?’ he asked, having seen no sign of his cousin on the deck.

‘Resting in my cabin,’ Lady Wind called down. ‘She is tired from her ordeal and slept long through the night. If she is to come with us I will arrange some suitable clothes. She has what she was wearing, and I cannot say it was adequate.’

‘I will leave the details to you.’ With that, the magician continued on his way, climbing past Lady Wind and entering the huge mass of the aftcastle.

Leopold noticed how everyone waited, watching the magician’s black cloth vanish from view before speaking; a menacing feeling departed with him.

‘Leopold.’ Captain Orrell was the first to break that silence. ‘What happened last night? Where did the magician take you?’

‘Back to Seakeep. They were under attack.’

‘Seakeep?’ Riggadardian noted with alarm.

‘Attacked?’ Orrell asked. ‘What were the casualties?’

‘The casualties were high, Captain, but most of the women and children survived.’

‘This is worrying,’ Riggadardian said. ‘Why did the blasted magician not tell us this at once? We should send ships back immediately.’

‘That is a good idea,’ Leopold said. ‘Samuel drove off the attackers, but it’s feasible they could return. Mostly, they need help with their wounded.’

‘Then we must send our fastest ships at once,’ Riggadardian said with urgency. He then stepped aside, giving the orders to Captain Merryweather.

Only Captain Orrell and Daneel were left with Leopold, and the captain led them along the main deck, away from the entranceways to the aftcastle. He eyed the way leading to Samuel’s quarters to be sure the man was not lingering there. The three stood by the railing of the ship, great lengths of coarse rope rising up from beside them to steady the nearest mast.

‘Tell me, Leopold,’ Orrell said. ‘What really happened yesterday? Samuel has left something unsaid as always—I can feel it. He will never tell us, and I warrant you are not stubborn as he—and thank goodness for it.’

Leopold gulped and also glanced over his shoulder to be sure Samuel had not returned. ‘It is as he said, Captain. Rei had captured Samuel’s cousin for some point of revenge that I do not understand. I have the feeling the witch had a score to settle with him, but in the end Samuel was the victor. He left nothing out.’

Orrell let his gaze linger on Leopold. ‘Well,’ he finally said, ‘at least she is safe. Well done, Leopold. You have been with us a short time and already are a veteran of a battle that will make its mark in history. Now, I have much to prepare.’ He gave Leopold a feisty slap on the back and strode away to begin his work.

Daneel remained, smiling smugly at the youthful Emperor. He scratched at the side of his eye patch, threatening to dig his finger inside. Thankfully, he did not. ‘I’m glad I’m not you,’ he mentioned with mirth.

‘Why is that?’ Leopold responded, suspicious of the one-eyed man’s tone.

Daneel gave a chuckle. ‘Well ... you are between a stone and a hard place. On one side you have Samuel—all powerful, all knowing, infuriating—and on the other side you have the Turians and the trappings of their Empire. You might as well jump overboard now.’

Leopold had guessed the man was not a Turian, judging from his unusual clothes, casual manner and rolling accent. ‘What should I do?’ Leopold asked.

‘How should I know? Let’s see how you fare after a few months of it. Then again, with your blood, you may be up for it. Your father never fled from a fight, or so I heard. But I wouldn’t trade places with you for all the gold in the world.’

‘So why are you here then?’ Leopold asked, annoyed at the man’s remarks.

‘I have a job to do. I owe Samuel my life several times over; I’m repaying the debt.’

‘I notice you did not go ashore with the rest when there was fighting to be done. You carry a sword, but seem hesitant to use it. What is it you do here precisely?’

‘I have many trusted uses,’ the man replied, not fazed by Leopold’s insinuations. ‘Currently I am the ship’s chief pest catcher.’

‘Oh?’ Leopold said with interest.

‘Indeed. I catch all the rats and vermin that may be attracted here. Terrible things they are! They creep around in the dark and poke their whiskers where they shouldn’t be.’

‘So ... why are you always up here on deck and not below in the hold?’

‘Because the rats I catch don’t go down there. They’re attracted to the bigger cheeses up here.’

‘Oh. You mean us,’ Leopold stated.

‘That’s right. And the tastiest cheese of all is Emperor Cheese. Emperor Cheese appeals to the biggest rats.’

‘Emperor Cheese?’ Leopold repeated sourly.

Daneel chuckled. ‘I beg your pardon, My Gracious Lord.’ Again, he made his customary flourishing bow and used one hand to shake his cape for effect. ‘I shouldn’t talk in such riddles, but in truth it amuses me. Of course, you are the cheese, and I’ve already noticed a vermin or two sniffing around at your door.’

‘Who do you speak of?’ Leopold asked with worry, wondering what he was suggesting.

‘Don’t worry. Between me and Samuel, you’re as safe as can be. As long as you don’t go getting yourself into any mischief, that is ... as long as you use your best judgement when determining the company you keep.’

‘Of course,’ Leopold assured him, wondering if Daneel knew more than he was telling. ‘Then I assume you will be accompanying us on our voyage, to continue this work?’

‘I wouldn’t have it any other way,’ Daneel replied happily. ‘I do enjoy the sea air. It stirs my blood in uncanny ways.’ Leopold felt the man was not being entirely sincere and Daneel laughed in response to his troubled face. ‘One more matter, my fine lad,’ Daneel told him. ‘Captain Orrell is a kind-hearted man, who’s not to be taken for a fool. You will have to lie much better if you intend to deceive him. A good emperor requires a gilded tongue. Come see me if you need advice. I’m something of an expert.’ With that, he also departed, laughing to himself; but not before giving Leopold another sturdy slap on the back, poor Leopold grunting with the blow.

****

A month passed preparing for departure. Supplies were difficult to accrue and the ship needed to be filled to capacity to survive such an extended ocean crossing. Besides food they needed cloth, coal, soap, salt, string, rope, vinegar, tar and untold sundries. Boxes and barrels of all shapes and sizes were sought to store them. Materials of every kind and many of inconceivable purpose were required, and Lady Wind paid fastidious attention to detail, allowing nothing to chance.

She was put in charge of their logistics, overseeing every aspect of their supplies. More than that, she was involved in everything that happened on the ship, from the wax that was applied to the hull, to the number of chickens that would be caged in the hutches below deck. The crew were more afraid of her than any Turian commander, and when she lost her temper they fled from her path, avoiding her demonic remonstrations. Anyone in her field of view received Koian fury. If she did not get her way, she had a word in Mister Chapman’s ear, who then dispensed his own flavour of wrath upon the crew.

While many were busy on the Farstride, others picked over every inch of the city, in every attic and cellar and room that remained to find what they needed. Most of the remaining fleet was sent to scour the outlying islands and towns to the north and south for supplies, to gather the ingredients for black powder from distant mines.

They brought back any who wished to take refuge in the city, and they came in their multitudes, straining the ability to feed them. Luckily, the Turians had anticipated that and supplies began arriving within days. Thankfully, no one starved in those first weeks, although many went hungry throughout the rationing.

Several hundred of Rei’s Order returned to sanity after her demise—men and women both, including youngsters who must have been children when she rose to power. Mercifully, they had no memories of their time under her reign. They only wondered why they had aged so much in a single night. Most of her forces had remained demented and were slain by the Turian soldiers on that first eve, or had fled to the hills.

Those who had escaped the attack at Seakeep were brought to live in the palace, for the island keep was rendered uninhabitable, abandoned in favour of repairing Cintar.

Samuel was unseen, remaining in his cabin on the ship—they assumed—only emerging on occasion to foster his incomprehensibility. He stalked about, raging that they were delayed for too long and demanding they hasten the departure. Captain Orrell was inevitably called to calmly explain the importance of their preparation and the strains that were already upon his men, and then the magician would return brooding to his cabin.

The third day after the city had been liberated, work commenced on the palace. Samuel appeared beside the labouring men, and with little warning he shattered the Mage Tower, bringing it down in a tumbling mess of stone and timberwork, sending the men fleeing in a panic; scattering bugs from beneath a lifted stone. When he was finished, he left without explanation. When Captain Orrell heard of it he could only shake his head in disbelief.

The floodwaters around Cintar had evaporated quickly; however, it did not bring relief, exposing more rotting bodies that needed to be dealt with; gathered and burnt before they could fester. The large number of corpses ensured a difficult task.

The air was choked by smoke all that week; a fleshy smell that permeated cloth and skin. The carcasses of the beasts were worse. Some had not vanished as expected. They shivered and popped when they burned, foul smelling liquid boiling out of their wounds. Air gushed from their throats, causing them to wail even when dead. Others curled like charred leaves, or shook violently as if preparing to spring back to life—thankfully none did. The men and women who saw to the task said their prayers and did not look once the fire was lit.

Leopold and Jessicah assisted for many days—Jessicah because she wanted to help however she could, Leopold because the magician had commanded it. They covered their noses and mouths with tight bandages, as did everyone, and helped drag the bodies into mounds to be burnt.

After the first few days of gathering corpses Leopold felt a changed man. There were so many maimed and bloated bodies he gradually saw them as logs or bundles of rubbish—certainly not the remains of human beings. It helped to convince himself of such, for many of the dead were merely youths, younger than he, and many were women.

‘Jessicah,’ Leopold said after they had dragged another cadaver into place. He untied the cloth around his face, shooed away flies, and looked at her, exhausted. ‘You can’t take much more of this, and I feel the same. We’ve been going all day.’

Jessicah stepped away from the row of bodies; they stood in the ruined field beneath the shadow of the city wall. She was wet with perspiration and she wiped sweat from her brow as she spoke through the cloth of her mask. ‘I’m tired,’ she said, ‘and there is too much to do. It will take many days—weeks—to see to them all.’

Leopold shook his head. ‘We have done enough. We could gather corpses forever. I know they need all the help they can get, but I think we could better apply our time. Let the soldiers and those who are familiar with death continue the work. We should return to the city and find another way to be useful, one not so heart rending.’

‘It is no easier for them, Leopold,’ she spoke, trudging back to her work.

‘No, you go,’ called a voice. Captain Orrell had heard them, helping one of his men lay yet another corpse into place from the back of their hand cart. He coughed, looking at them over his face mask. ‘Go on. I’ll catch up,’ he said briefly to the men with him, before approaching Leopold and Jessicah. ‘You have both seen and done enough here.’ He, too, had weary, reddened eyes from the dust and smoke. ‘I know Samuel wanted you out here, to see the results of war first hand, but this is enough. Neither of you need to see any more. There is much to be done in the palace, as well as here, as you say. This is no job for a lady and the Emperor should be in his city, not fossicking in the graves.’