Dragons and Destiny (37 page)

By the time
Robain and Tala arrived at the Guildhouse the next day Danal and
Annert were already fathoms deep in the leather volumes.

“Each one
covers about fifteen to twenty years or so,” said Annert, looking
up and gesturing towards the shelves and pointing to two stools.
“We’ve already done the first three.”

“Guildhouse
mentioned at all?”

“Only that it
exists, nothing about where it was built. Course, everyone knew
where it was.”

Danal lifted a
bored face to Robain, “mostly it is lists and lists of apprentices,
journeymen and masters, when they joined, were promoted, when they
signed their articles and so on. We’re hoping for better things
with the next volume, oh and there’s a bit about repairs to the
roof of the house in AL43 but nothing about where the building
was.”

Tala and Robain
collected a volume each, sat down and began to read. No one spoke,
the only noise was the occasional clearing of a throat, a cough and
the rustle of pages being turned.

“Here’s a
mention of a new floor being laid in the hall,” explained an
excited Danal.

“When?”
demanded Tala.

“AL118,” he
answered in triumph, “hold on, no, it doesn’t say where.”

“Does it
describe the new floor by any chance?” asked Tala.

“Just that it
is tiled.”

The four kept
going.

Miggi brought
in lunch which they ate, hardly noticing what it was so engrossed
were they in their task.

It was as Tala
finished her current volume that she had a sudden idea.

“Perhaps we
should be looking at the one that covers the period when this
Guildhouse was built,” she suggested to Robain. “Let’s take a quick
look.”

“Method not
madness is the way to success,” he chided, shaking his finger at
her in mock admonition.

“Just a quick
peep. You never know.”

She reached
over and perused the spines of the volumes on the shelf.

“It’s this
one,” she announced and pulled it down. She began turning the
pages. “If I can just find the date. Yes, here it is. Look, Lokrhed
Thirteen, AL187. Will I read it out?”

She didn’t wait
for Robain’s answer.

“‘
Today our
new Guildhouse was opened by Denise Knott, last living descendant
of our first Guildmaster’
, that’s nice isn’t it to get her to
open it?
‘The apprentices pushed the trolley on which the
remnants of our oldest artefact sits, the contrap’
, wonder what
that was?
‘with right goodwill from our old House in Holland
Street to here’
. Look Robain, Holland Street. How strange that
it was in the same road as where Matt and Zala’s house is now.”

“We’ve found
it,” she cried out. “We need a map. Master Annert, do you have a
map?”

“It’s an old
one,” he warned, going towards a cabinet where sundry papers were
kept and peering inside a dusty drawer. “Don’t know how much use it
will be.”

“The older the
better,” Tala cried, leaping over to help.

“Here it is,”
Annert said at last, placing the map-roll in her eager hands.

“Wonder when it
dates from,” she said as she unfurled it on the table, pulling
record volumes over to hold the corners down. Robain, Danal and
Annert crowded round.

“There’s a date
at the top,” Danal pointed. “Look, AL234, less than fifty years
after this place was built, how miraculous.”

“It’s more
miraculous than we deserve,” said Robain with a grin of triumph.
“There’s Holland Street, next to France Street, strange names they
gave them these days. Anyway, Holland Street, looks the same as it
is today, it’s not long, only six buildings.”

“Are they
marked?” asked Tala who had been pushed aside by Robain in his
eagerness and was trying and failing to see over the heads of the
three men.

“Yes. Yes. It’s
the second house, the writing’s very faint but I’m almost sure it
says, wait, Old Tech House, the one beside it Waiver House.”

“Weaver it
would be not Waiver,” said Annert. “The weavers would need mill
wheels to turn their looms, we used water power too in the old
days. Is there a river marked?”

“No,” said
Danal, running his finger up the map, “but the dam is there. We
know the dam was built around AL200 to cater for the increasing
population. With the workshops moved to this area there would be no
need for the stream and its mill wheels.”

Tala squeezed
herself in then and gazed at the map as if she couldn’t quite
believe what her eyes were telling her.

She looked up
at Robain.

“You see it
don’t you? Second house on the right. It’s the same house too, it
must be. There, the main bit and the two wings and that outhouse
that’s been converted into the stables. I’ve always thought it an
odd shape, now I know why, it’s because it was once the
wheelhouse.”

Comprehension
was dawning on Danal though Annert still looked utterly
mystified.

“You
know
the house?” he asked in amazement.

“I live there,”
Tala grinned. “I actually
live
there. My bedroom is in the
left wing. See? The shape on this map is exactly the shape of my
sister’s house. Even the wee pokey-out bit on the map is there,
it’s the laundry room and the house is old, Matt doesn’t know how
old, he’s always complaining about having to replace bits like the
roof timbers. There’s an old window in one of the attics too, it
has glass in it that isn’t glass, it’s some see-through substance
which lets in light and can’t be broken.”

“There’s some
like that in Settlement,” said Robain.

“I must see
that,” said Master Annert, “what it is made of?” and Danel threw a
sharp glance his way. They had leave to find the print-outs but the
other standing orders to the Avuzdel still stood, the inventive
curiousness of mankind must be steered only towards unwarlike
pursuits.

: Leave it
be :
telepathed Asya who, although at the Supply Station at the
other end of the town knew exactly what was going on
: I will
report it but I think not that glass that is not glass is a danger
to us :

: In itself
:
warned Danal.
: It’s where it might lead that is the
problem :

Tala was
talking again. “But I don’t know where the hall is. There aren’t
any halls in Zara’s house, only rooms.”

“If the Old
Guildhouse became an ordinary house,” suggested Danal, “there would
be no need for a large hall. It’ll have been split into smaller
rooms.”

“But which one
do we look in?”

“Find the
fireplace, find the spot,” grinned Robain, “and I think I know
which room too. The library.”

He turned to
Danal. “We were actually standing on the spot when you told me
about all this. How’s that for coincidence?”

“Uncanny. You
sure about this Robain?”

“Library
fireplace is a completely different style to the ones in the other
rooms.”

“I agree,”
interrupted Tala, “it’s smaller, not so decorative.”

“These were
simpler times,” offered Annert.

“Not simpler,
simply different,” said Danal, “so what now?”

Robain pointed
outside. “It’s getting dark again. I think we should tidy up in
here so that Master Annert’s apprentices don’t get suspicious when
they turn up for work tomorrow. The Hall?”

“Already taken
care of,” answered Annert. “I had help.”

“Yes,” beamed
Danal, “we ‘persuaded’ the ceiling to fall in above where we were
working, no one will guess it’s so covered in plaster.”

“How much of
the ceiling?” asked an intrigued Robain.

“A corner and a
bit.”

“It’s a wonder
you didn’t bring down the whole of that side of the building.”

“I’m a
technician,” Annert said with dignity. “Grant me credit at least to
be able to bring down a corner of my own hall in safety.”

“We must go
home,” said Tala, “and dig up the floor in Matt’s library. The box
will be there, I know it.”

“Feminine
intuition?” teased Danal.

Tala gave him a
withering look.

“Logic dear
man, pure logic,” she answered with a return twinkle and then a
wink.

Danal felt his
heart give a lurch. He suppressed the feeling. Now was not the time
for romance.

“When are
Niaill and Taraya due to get here?” asked Robain of Danal.

“Evening
tomorrow perhaps but more likely the next,” Danal answered, “he’s
bringing with him Tara and Kolyei’s writings and also the journal.
He says there might be something in them he has missed. He knows
what we’ve been doing and thinks we are correct in our
assumptions.”

“We’ll find it
tomorrow,” said Tala with confidence.

“There is the
little problem of the other people in the house,” warned
Robain.

Annert shook
his head.

“Tomorrow is
Election Day,” he reminded them, “schools are on holiday, most
servants get at least an extra half day holiday.”

“Perfect
diversion,” noted Robain. “I know Philip is intending to take the
three lads into the town tomorrow so they can see what an election
day is like. There’s nothing like it where they come from. In the
evening they’ve all got an invite to a soiree at their ambassador’s
mansion.”

Matt, Zala and
the children?” queried Tala. “The servants?”

“We’ll have to
tell Matt,” decided Robain. “It’s his house. Only he can give the
servants the day off and make up a reason to get Zala and the
children out of the house. I can speak to Philip; get him to
arrange to get their change of clothes for the evening sent on to
their ambassador’s place. With no servants at home; including the
coachman it makes sense.”

“Good,” said
Danal. “So we go now, get some rest and meet at the Old Guildhouse
in the morning. When?”

“Midday Bell,”
said Tala.

“What about
me?” asked Annert.

“You stay here
and rest,” said Tala. “Wait for Niaill and Taraya in case they
arrive early.”

“Asya can
bespeak Taraya and get them to come here direct,” offered Danal.
Annert was looking disappointed; Robain suspected that he wanted a
look at the strange glass in the garret window, “to be perfectly
honest Master Annert, you’ll be of more use here. Once we have the
print-outs your real work will begin. Asya can be here to keep you
company and if Niall arrives she can let me know.”

“If you think
that’s best,” a glum visage Annert said. He looked
disappointed.

“You are the
Guildmaster, if anyone is going to understand what the print-outs
mean it will be you. Get some rest Annert; tonight might be the
last you’ll see of your bed for many a long night.”

* * * * *

Matt listened
to what Robain had to tell him in silence, his nostrils flaring
with each deep breath he took as each unpalatable piece of
information hit.

When Robain’s
tale drew to a close he sat back in his armchair and closed his
eyes.

Tala cast an
anxious look in Robain’s direction.

“It’s not that
I don’t want to believe you both,” said Matt at last, eyes still
closed, “it’s just that the whole thing is so unbelievable that
it’s unbelievable.”

“I felt rather
that way myself,” admitted Robain.

“There is no
doubt that these Dglai creatures are coming?”

“Very little.
The Nahoko are here. Fact. The Lind of the Avuzdel are guarding
those that have been located. The Lai tell us that they wouldn’t be
here unless the Dglai were not at least heading in this direction.
We will know more when the, gods, I can’t remember the word Niaill
used, the scout space-ship arrives to strip the Nahoko of the
information gathered.”

“The Dglai may
still pass us by.”

“Do you want to
take the chance?”

“No I don’t,”
admitted Matt. “You’ll be wanting to dig up the floor under my feet
to find this box then?”

“Covertly,”
said Tala, “as Robain says, we want to keep this under wraps for as
long as we can.”

“Servants
talk,” agreed Matt, “so we must get them away. Luckily it’s
election time and they were getting a half day anyway. I don’t
suppose they’ll mind if I extend it. How long do you need?”

“Perhaps three
to four bells,” answered Robain.

Matt thought
for a bit, “it’ll take time to get them all out of the house. Zala
and the children can go to my cousin’s place in the country. My
cousin is overdue a visit and Zala has been pressing about it. Our
coachman will take them in the morning. Philip will take the three
boys out, he was planning to anyway and if I tell him that there
will be nobody here, including the coachman who won’t be back from
the country until later, he’ll understand if I offer to send their
evening garments over to the ambassador’s mansion by carrier. They
can easily go direct to there from their observance of the
elections.”

“Seems a
workable plan.”

“Thanks. When
the coachman returns he’ll not come into the house. He’ll just
settle the horses and get away. I’ll make sure he knows what bell
he is to pick Philip and the others up. Some of the servants will
be back by then but we’ll be finished the excavations. I’ll just
lock the library; it won’t be the first time. I often keep private
papers in there that I’m working on. They’ll not ask any
questions.”

“You said
we?”

“I’m staying to
help,” Matt replied.

At noon the
following day the house was empty except for Matt himself, Robain,
Tala and Danal.

The four went
into the library and removed the carpet, rolling it up and placing
it in a corner.

They began to
dig. There were two layers of tiles, the ones underneath were
cracked and brittle, evidence that they were very old.

They found the
box in the third hole. Danal’s shovel hit it with a clang of metal
against metal.