The Warrior Returns - Anteros 04 (40 page)

"But even with that spell music she was playin', the story didn't sit well with ordinary folks. Lost their noggins, they did. Started shoutin' stuff. Throwin' stuff. Yer don't insult the Anteros to Orissans, yer know. At least yer didn't then.

"Now this made her madder'n a coin clipper who comes up copper when he thought it was gold. She made her voice loud as thunder. Said Orissa was doomed if we didn't change our ways. And that she, Novari, was gonna turn her back on us and leave us to the mercy of them devil Anteros.

"Then, poof! She disappears. And Kato's in a fit, stalks outter there like a throat slitter just found out his cutter's dim.

"We all laughed, but whilst we was laughin' we weren't gUmmin' to what was goin' on. Like all the rich old knaves that walked out with him. And some generals, too. Couple a Evocators, even. Regular rogues' gallery starin' us in the mush. And all old mates of Cligus. Old mates who got cut off at the knees when Cligus fell.

"But we didn't notice. And shame on us. Next thing we know, Kato's ridin' high again. Havin' all kinds a private meetin's with important types. Blackhearted types. Story made the rounds there was sex magic orgies goin' on. With that Novari woman the center of the orgies. I didn't pay it any mind, to tell the truth. Wished I had, Cap'n. Wished I had."

Pip stared out at the chamber, reflecting. Little mouse nose twitching, twitching.

Then he said, "Sex magic or no, that Novari is a schemer.

She and Kato must a burnt a river of oil stayin' up nights con-spirin'. Must a spent another river of gold passin' out bribes and makin' the stickers soft, if you know what old Pip means.

"One day I wakes up and Kato's been elected Chief Magistrate."

He looked at me. "It was the other Magistrates that went and did it," he said. "It's the Magistrates that vote fer things like that in Orissa. Not the citizens. Guess you Anteros didn't think of that. Here yer went and set folks free. But yer didn't think to give 'em the power to hold it. Trusted in the old families, yer did. Higher princerbles, and such, of the noble class."

I flushed. Pip was right.

He grimaced, sorry he'd had to say it. "Kato invites Palmeras and the top Evocators over to congratulate him. Like the new Chief Magistrate always does. Except, this time there was soldiers waitin'. Soldiers in Kato's pay. Wearin' patches with the Lyre Bird symbol on 'em. That's how ready Kato and Novari was. Same time, other soldiers were marchin' on the Palace of the Evocators.

"Went after Hermias, too. He was livin' at yer brother's villa, and a troop of cavalry was sent to bring him in.

"Whole thing would a ended there, 'cept Hermias got tipped. Rode out with Quatervals to stop Palmeras and got there just in time. Big friggin' fight commenced. But there was too many.

"Hermias and Palmeras just got out with their skins. Along with some of the other Evocators. Still wouldn't a made it, 'cept for the Maranon Guard.

"They got the word about what was happenin' and joined up with Hermias and the others just outside of Orissa. And it was a good thing, too, 'cause the soldiers were on 'em.

"The whole group fought their way to Galana with Novari blastin' away with her sorcery and Kato's troops choppin' at their heels. But they made it, they did. And turned and fought so hard that Kato was thrown back. Heard Novari was hurt by somethin' Palmeras did. But it must a not been that bad, 'cause the bitch got better by and by.

"Lot of the fellers in the army didn't go along with Kato. They snuck off to Galana. For a time things weren't goin' well for Kato, although he was still holdin' the Harlequin. Just bidin' his time, it turned out, until Novari got better.

"We knew she was back when the plagues started hittin'. Lot of people died. Then the insects came. Sky was black with them. Just at harvest time. Lot of people didn't eat.

"Then the talk against the Anteros got really hot. Blamin' 'em for the plagues and insects. Sayin' only Novari could save us. Sayin' all the Anteros had to die. The talk was from ferrety villains workin' for Kato. But after a while it started takin' hold and spreadin'. Then peeries started in. Spyin' on folks and tippin' Kato's rogues when the talk didn't favor them. Things started happenin' to people. Lot of trips to the river haulin' kin out.

"But some folks dug in, 'stead of foldin'. Raggedy armies popped up in the countryside. Under old Otavi, it turns out. Somebody'd told him what was up and tipped where some arms was to be had, and he roused up all the farmers to join with Hermias.

"Fought all the way to the gates of Orissa, they did. The sky was on fire night after night.

"Saw the Lyre Bird herself up there, soarin' across the moon, shootin' down lightnin' and dodgin' bolts thrown back at her.

'Then somethin' happened. Don't know what. Don't know how. But somebody got close to Hermias. Knifed in the back, it's said. Went after the whole command. Otavi was killed the same way. Went after Palmeras, too. But he got away.

"Whole thing collapsed after that. Quatervals had to retreat. Lost a lot of men and women. But he got 'em all back to Galana.

"Heart went outter everybody. Just got down and slunk like worms. And that's when they started killin' Anteros. It was an awful time. Didn't seem like a day passed without we didn't hear news of some poor Antero bein' murdered in her bed.

"But the Antero Novari seemed to want most was Emilie, yer little niece. And Hermias' darlin' daughter. Scoured the countryside fer her. Burned whole villages tryin' to track her down. Almos' got her more'n once. But ever' time she'd sniff little Emilie out, somethin' would happen to warn us. 'N' we'd get her away to safety.

"It took some doin', but we finally got her to Cap'n Kele— who died gettin' Emilie up the river to Galana. And yer know the rest."

"Actually, I don't," I said. "There's many mysteries to be explained. Such as your part in this, Pip. Who tipped Hermias and the Maranon Guard? Who saved Emilie and got her to Kele?"

Pip actually blushed. He ducked his head and mumbled, "It was me, Cap'n."

"I thought so," I said. "It appears Orissa owes more than it can ever repay to Cheapside and the King of Thieves."

Pip shrugged. "Didn't want the job," he said. "Had 'nough stashed to last me whole life. But it was the only way I could think of fightin' Kato and Novari.

"The rogues think well of old Pip," he said. "Got family ties, too, that made it a natural. It was easy, to tell the truth, Cap'n. I was even a bigger hero in Cheapside than I was in the rest of the city. Bein' a local lad, and all. So I had a whisper here and a whisper there and I twisted some arms and busted some heads and before yer knew it, was runnin' the whole thing."

He chortled. "It didn't hurt," he said, "that there's nothin' a villain hates more than a hard-fisted crew like this. Hurts business for good honest thieves, it does, when you thumps on regular citizens. They holds onto their purses tighter. Don't trust folks like they usta. Serspicious of ever'body."

Then he stopped and pointed at the hourglass. It was a few grains past the mark he'd set.

"Yer'11 soon get a taste of what we been doin' here, Cap'n Antero," he said.

Then from far off I heard a heavy crump. The chamber shuddered around us. Dust showered, then all was still.

Pip grinned evilly. "Me lads just got one of the barracks," he said. "With luck maybe fifty or so of the Lyre Bird soldiers just kissed their arses farewell."

"An explosion?" I marveled. "So large. And without sorcery, it seems. At least I didn't sense any."

"Nothin' sorcerous about it, Cap'n Antero," Pip chortled. "Plain old horseshit and tar oil. Got the idea from Otavi. Bein' a farmer and all, he knowed that sort of thing. Get the horseshit good and dry, he said. Crumbly. Lots of that stuff layin' around the stables of Orissa. Then soak it good with tar oil and pack it real tight in some barrels. More barrels, bigger the hole in the ground."

He scratched his head. "I ferget how many we used this time," he said. "But it oughter make a big enough hole to give 'em pause."

He winked at me. "Only sorry we couldn't get Novari standin' over it when it went off. Send her someplace else to do her goddessin'."

"I saw the statues of her," I said dryly. "When did she become a goddess?"

"They done it right off," Pip said. "Kato got her declared a goddess. Swore in the troops. Sacrificed a herd a cattle and sealed off the other temples, like fer Te-Date and Maranonia and such.

"She's buildin' a new temple fer herself," Pip said. "Just laid the foundation." He stared at me a moment. "She's buildin' it out by yer bruvver's villa. Livin' there, she is. Until the temple's built."

My stomach roiled, thinking of Novari residing in Amalric's home. Strolling in the garden. Doing whatever she liked with my mother's shrine.

Pip patted me. "We'll get her outter there, Cap'n Antero," he soothed. "Now that yer with us, I knows we can do it."

He drew back and sipped his wine. "Anyways, that's the kinder thing us Cheapside villains have been up to. We hit 'em ever' chance we gets.

"Outside a town we got all the country villains with us.

With a lot of honest folk bandin' with them. We used them to shuffle little Emilie about and get her to safety.

"But the biggest help they give us is gettin' weapons and supplies to Galana. We robs barracks and stores here and then smuggle 'em out to the country stiffs. They hide stuff in farm wagons, in their clothes—up their arses, even. And they've dared the Lyre Bird's snoopers and Kato's soldiers ever' hour of ever' day since this whole friggin' thing started."

His eyes suddenly shot up to the hourglass again. "What's this?" he said. "There was supposed to be another one go off right after the first.

"Somethin' must a gone wrong. Two barracks was supposed to be hit tonight."

Pip cursed and smacked his palm with a fist "Must a been the horseshit," he growled. "I was serspicious of its quality, Cap'n. Not crumbly enough, I told the lads."

He sighed. "It's the details that getcha in this job, Cap'n. If yer don't take care of the horseshit, it won't take care of yer."

He said it so eamestl
y that I had to bury a burst of laughter, covering with a loud clearing of my throat and saying my father'd said similar things about merchanting, although without the barnyard reference.

Then I said, "Pip, I don't think we have much time. The Goddess Maranonia gave me until the first snowfall. I remember her words like it was yesterday, instead of nearly a year ago. 'When next the snow falls in Orissa,' she said, 'the child Emilie will reach the first level of her powers.' And she said Novari was determined to prevent this."

Pip's eyes narrowed. "First snow can't be more'n a month off," he said.

"It could be even sooner," I pointed out, "if winter comes early this year. Regardless, considering what we're up against, we've almost no time. I feared it was impossible when I set out for Orissa hundreds of days and thousands of leagues ago. I'm pointing my doubts out to you so you'll completely understand our situation. Our chances are poor, to say the least.

"When I fought the Lyre Bird before, I was confronting a primitive force with little knowledge and only the raw power of her hatred to drive her. Now she has the knowledge of the Evocators' workshops at her command.

"The only reason she hasn't succeeded so far is that Palmeras and the few Evocators who escaped with him also have that knowledge. They are using it to block her. But how much longer can they hold out?"

"If yer don't mind me sayin' so, Cap'n," Pip broke in, "yer on'y lookin' at this from one side. If we're runnin' outta time, so's Novari. Like yer said, first snowfall ain't far off. That means Novari's got as little time to bust the siege as we got to stop her."

I clapped him on the shoulder. "I can see why your knavish friends made you king, Pip," I said. "That's exactly right. And it cheered me just to hear you say it."

Pip brushed aside the praise. "Novari's gotter know the same things we know," he said. "And if old Pip was in her skin, I'd be makin' a big push soon. I'd be throwin' ever'thing I had into that seige at Galana."

"She's probably already started," I said. "I've sniffed around, and Novari's attention definitely seems elsewhere. There's all kinds of spells and magical traps set all over Orissa and the countryside on the way up here from the Delta. Not only was I able to avoid them easily, but I had the feeling that if I slipped a little, made a mistake, it might go unnoticed for a time."

"Which means she's concertratin' on Galana," Pip said. "Exactly."

"What do we do then?" he asked.

"What does any self-respecting thief do," I asked, "when he sees a rich man's house left unguarded?"

"Why, he gets up to all the knavery he can, Cap'n," Pip said.

"That's what I had in mind, Pip," I said. Pip laughed. "Yer couldn't a found a better villain fer the job, Cap'n Antero," he said.

"I didn't know that when I set out to find you, Pip."

I looked around the chamber at the dazzling treasures he'd stuffed it with to make it seem like a pirate's den. And I said, "But I do now."

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

The
Warriors
of
Cheapside

the day after
our meeting, Pip gathered his top lieutenants together to launch the first part of our campaign against Novari and Director Kato.

"Afore old Pip starts yammerin'," he began, "I wanna know if any of yer squints think Cap'n Antero here ain't what I says she is. Which is
Rali
Antero come back from the dead to stick the Lyre Bird's gizzard." He glared around at the assembled group.

It was a bizarre gathering. There was Queenie, head of the Thugs' Guild, a big muscular tub of a woman dressed in rich furs and sporting a gem-encrusted tiara. And Garla, the tall, handsome chief of the Beggars' Guild. Pearl, the tawny seductress who headed the Harlots' Guild. Palmer and Lammer, the baroness and baron of the Pickpockets. And Tink, ratboy leader, smaller even than Pip but powerful in presence—since he'd doused himself with perfumes and oils to hide the scent of his specialty, which clung to him no matter how often he bathed. There were others, just as colorful, but those are the ones I remember the most. Probably because they were the ones Pip first pointed out as they assembled and their names stuck more firmly in my mind.

It was a gathering of Cheapside's most dangerous men and women, but as deadly as this group appeared, they all turned