Jalia At Bay (Book 4) (26 page)

Gally finished wiping her dress and surveyed the results of her efforts. The dress was going to be stained forever, whatever she did. She accepted the loss and put it behind her. Gally had more important things to worry about than a dress, however expensive it might be. She smiled at her uncle and resumed the pose of a woman high in society, a role she had played all her life.

“Thank you kindly, Uncle dearest. Your new law has at least forestalled a total disaster. Our family motto is ‘Never trust to a single plan’ and never has following it been so rewarding.”

“This was not what you intended then, being merely a fallback position?”

Gally uttered a depreciating laugh. “You see right through me again. I am so pleased I was named after a man who appreciates cunning and yet sees through it.”

Gal walked to his niece and placed his hand upon hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I had thought it fortuitous when you mentioned that Mallow and his partners were forced to carry a part of your cargo overland.”

“It cost me a small fortune to bribe the master of the Swallow to ensure that particular piece of ‘luck’ happened,” Gally admitted with a forlorn smile. “He loaded extra ballast to make it impossible for the Swallow to carry all of Hadon’s cargo.”

“You have told me that the final price for the swords is based on whether he meets the full order, so nothing has been lost,” Gal pointed out.

Gally leaned forward and kissed her uncle on the mouth. Their tongues touched delicately as both savored the moment of intimacy.

“I had to pay a quarter of the price upfront to Hadon Mallow and his cronies. With a half more to pay if they fail to deliver one less than the three thousand six hundred blades they promised me. However, I hoped to do much better than merely paying three quarters of their value.”

Gally faced her uncle. “Do you remember how I rode from here six months ago?”

“You took four of my best men with you and I was jealous. How could I forget?” Gal raised her hand to his lips and kissed each of her fingers. Gally giggled and pulled her hand away.

“I rode to a village called Priven. My informants suggested that a man called Gef was robbing traders from Telmar. I found this ruffian and I cut a deal with him. He is a small time thief and never normally attacks large groups of traders. I told him that he would attack one for me when I called upon him to do so. I paid him a third of the money he would get when he finished the job and told him to recruit more men.”

“You arranged an ambush.” Gal exclaimed with something akin to joy, “How delightfully wicked of you.”

“More than that, my dear Uncle,” Gally continued. She placed a hand upon his tunic and let it drift slowly down his chest, her fingers spiraling across his clothes as they traveled downwards. “I bribed a donkey trader in Telmar to supply too few donkeys for the journey. I worked hard to make sure his journey failed.”

“I am not sure I see where this is heading, as your plan has succeeded,” Gal pointed out. It was hard keeping his voice steady as Gally hand drifted below his belt, her fingers spiraling as they descended.

“I traveled with them, as you know. In a place called Sweetwater, they were able to buy more donkeys. I should have found a way to stop them, but I was preoccupied with buying a ring.” Gally held up her left hand and showed her uncle the etched silver band on her finger. “I am sure it is from the old times and will have it properly valued when I get back to Slarn.”

Gal took her proffered hand and kissed the fingers on it, as he had done with the right. The squeeze Gally gave him with her other hand made him tremble. His niece was well versed in ways to please a man.

“When we left Sweetwater, I rode ahead and met up with Gef. He had failed to recruit the men I had told him to. However, he had recruited one extra and I felt that four should be enough. I ordered him to attack Mallow and his partners as they crossed a dangerous ford. They would only have to kill a couple of donkeys to ensure that the order could not be met, but I planned that they should kill all the traders there.”

Gal smiled as the full intricacy of his niece’s plan was revealed. “With all the traders dead, you would have to pay nothing more for the swords. I understand now. It must be so galling for you that they have arrived in Boathaven in one piece.”

“You always were an understanding uncle.” Gally smiled. “You saw at once what I needed when I crept into your bed on my fifteenth birthday. I have always favored the mature man.”

“We have time for one last tryst, before you board the Steam Dragon,” her uncle reminded her.

“I have not forgotten,” Gally replied. Both her hands were now on her uncle’s chest and she had started to unbutton his starched white shirt.

There was a discrete cough and they turned to see Keni Rann, officer of the watch, standing at the door looking embarrassed.

“What is it Rann? I left orders I was not to be disturbed.”

“Begging your pardon, sir…, and my lady. We have two people at the gate who wish to see the Lady Sorn.”

“So what?” Gal snarled in annoyance. “Tell them to go away at once. Lady Sorn is far too busy to be bothered with peasants.”

“The people gave their names as Daniel al’Degar and Jalia al’Dare and they fit the descriptions.”

Gally took her hands off her uncle, who straightened up. She looked at Keni in astonishment.

“Heroes from legend have come to see me?” she asked, putting her hand onto her heart. “I didn’t believe they existed.”

Gal Sorn finished buttoning his shirt and turned to Keni in a businesslike manner.

“Bring them here, but make sure you also bring a couple of guards with weapons drawn behind them.” Keni didn’t immediately respond and Gal snapped at him. “Get on with it man, we don’t have all day.”

“Surely they are imposters,” Gally said, picking up her wine glass and taking a long sip.

“When a politician hears of bloody revolutions in other cities, he would be stupid not to investigate,” Gal responded. “The Miners Association pushed the people too hard and paid the price for it. It would have happened sooner or later. However, these adventurers appear to have been the catalysts. No doubt, the tales you have heard are exaggerations. However, a wise leader keeps his ears to the ground and is formal and polite to such people if they visit his town, provided they do not threaten him, of course. Do you have any idea why they would want to see you?”

“None at all,” Gally answered truthfully. “It’s a complete mystery.”

Jalia and Daniel spent a pleasant half hour walking up to the Palace. It was difficult to miss such an imposing structure among the other buildings, so they didn’t have to ask for directions. It meant crossing another bridge. They chose the nearest, which was packed with people.

The gates of the Palace had a portcullis, a thing Daniel had heard about, but never seen. The wrought iron gate was down, but they could get close enough to the guard on the other side to ask to see the Lady Sorn.

The guard was a man called Dure and it was a name which suited him down to the ground. If anybody had ever seen him smile, they could not remember it. He was always forecasting disaster of one kind or another and today was no exception. He had seen three ravens flying together, a sure sign that somebody was going to die.

In general, being a palace guard in Boathaven was an easy job. The people were happy with their lot and the Lord Protector let them get on with their lives without hindrance, so they had few complaints. Days could go by with the only people coming to the gate being the food and drink merchants. Dure considered it his personal misfortune to be on duty when two well-armed young people strode to the gate.

“Go away, we’re closed,” he informed them in a surly manner.

“We wish to see the Lady Sorn,” Jalia said sweetly. Dure looked into her eyes and saw iced steel. He stepped back from the portcullis to a range beyond the reach of her sword.

“The Lady Sorn doesn’t see people like you. She’s leaving on the Steam Dragon tonight, so if you go down to the docks, you can watch her go onboard.”

Jalia pursed her lips and put her hands on her hips. That put her hand dangerously near to her throwing knife. Daniel stepped forward, speaking quickly and quietly to Dure.

“There isn’t a place far enough away in Jalon to protect you once Jalia gets angry. Please go and tell someone in authority that Daniel al’Degar and Jalia al’Dare seek an audience with the Lady Sorn. If someone else says no, she won’t be angry at you.”

That sounded eminently sensible to Dure. The names he had just been given sounded familiar to him. He couldn’t remember why, but he felt it was important enough to tell Captain Rann. Rann was officer of the watch.

“I’ll just go and have a word.”

Captain Keni Rann recognized the names immediately and after a quick glance to see what they looked like he went in search of the Lord Protector. He knew the Lord Protector had left orders that he didn’t want to be disturbed, but Keni knew this was important.

While Daniel and Jalia waited for the guard to return to the gate, Daniel spoke urgently.

“We need to use our trading skills with this Sorn woman. I have reason to believe she will not be easy to deal with and will become suspicious as soon as we ask for the ring and dagger, unless you wish us to fight our way out of the palace?”

Jalia put on the particularly feral grin she reserved for such occasions. It had been known to make strong men shiver with fear.

“Which of us is the better trader?” she asked Daniel innocently.

“You are.”

“Which of us grew up among the sons and daughters of kings and the children of the powerful?” she continued remorselessly.

“You did,” Daniel said through gritted teeth. He had a feeling about what this was leading up to and he wasn’t happy about it.

“Exactly. Therefore, I shall take charge of the negotiations. If they are very lucky, I shall let them keep the palace.”

“I’ll prepare for battle to break out at any instant then.”

“Pffft. You have so little confidence in me.”

At that moment, Dure returned with Captain Rann. Daniel noted the three other guards waiting in the shadows behind Dure. Unlike Dure, these looked like sharp soldiers who had just been shouted at. They had their sword drawn and were holding them in front of their faces as if on parade. Daniel wasn’t fooled for a second; these men were there for him and Jalia. The only question was, would they attack without warning, or were they there to protect Gally Sorn.

“I have been asked to convey the warm greetings of our Lord Protector and Lady Sorn,” Keni Rann said as if addressing royalty. “The Lord Protector and the Lady Sorn, will see you in the state room presently. If you will stand back, I will get my men to raise the portcullis.”

Daniel and Jalia stood back as the massive wrought iron gate was inched upwards by a creaking windlass hidden high in the walls above them. When it was above their heads, Jalia and Daniel stepped briskly over the threshold. Both had considered the possibility that someone might try and drop it on them as they stepped beneath it.

Keni took the lead. The three honor guards dropped their swords from the vertical position in front of their noses, but Daniel noted that none of them put their swords away. Again, Daniel and Jalia had the same thought and they moved level with Keni, so as to cause the men behind them a problem if they decided to attack.

“Well, put the stupid thing back down again,” Dure shouted up to the guards above the gate. He peered up at the portcullis as he shouted. The speed at which it crashed into the ground, dropping inches from Dure’s feet suggested that they might have taken a little umbrage.

The captain kept up a brisk pace, forcing Jalia into something close to a run to keep up. Jalia and Daniel saw little of the palace as a result of his haste. Its magnificent opulence reduced to little more than an impression as they hurried along.

They were taken up two flights of a wide marble staircase and then along a corridor draped with tapestries to reach the State Room. The doors were closed and the captain knocked twice politely, before sliding the doors open and stepping into the room.

“The Lady Jalia al’Dare and her companion Daniel al’Degar to see you Lord Protector,” he intoned solemnly. The guards behind Jalia and Daniel followed them in, shuffling against the wall in a vain attempt to appear unobtrusive.

Daniel took in the panoramic window behind the Lord Protector and Lady Sorn and tried not to gape like a country yokel. Even after seeing Ranwin with its massive glass spires there was something spectacular about a window that looked like a missing wall. If Jalia had noticed the window, she gave no sign of it.