If only they would be quiet outside there and let her sleep! There were so many victims tonight that the torments might go on till dawn.
“Kadie?”
Perhaps she had floated off into a half sleep. It was not a scream that wakened her, it was a whisper. She sat up with a stifled cry that was half a groan. Her hand fumbled for her sword. “Who’s there?”
“It’s me.”
“Go away!” And yet she was relieved that it was Blood Beak. She could see him now. The barn was not completely dark.
“I need to talk with you.”
“We talked all day. You can talk all tomorrow. Go away. I’m sleeping.”
“You were weeping. I heard you.” He came closer. “Why were you weeping?” He spoke impish very well now, when no one else was listening.
“I wasn’t. Why shouldn’t I weep? What does it matter to you? Go away!”
She had her sword ready, although her palm was so slippery wet and shaking that she doubted she could use it. Her heart was pounding madly. She had driven Quiet Stalker to his death and she would kill Blood Beak if he tried to touch her. Yes, she would! He did not come close enough. He knelt down by her wall of straw, just out of reach.
“Don’t want you to weep.”
She couldn’t think of an answer. The more she thought about it, the more that remark seemed totally wrong. “Kadie, I’m worried.”
And that one, too. “What’s the matter?” She saw a gleam of firelight on his face and chest, and dark stains. “You’re hurt!”
“No.”
“That’s blood!”
“Yes. I cut an artery by mistake.”
Her insides lurched. She never let him talk about what he did in the evenings. She tried to pretend to herself that he didn’t join in, but she knew he did.
“You killed him?”
He made a noise that sounded perilously like a sniff. “I made a fool of myself, Kadie! They give me first scream, and I was so excited my hand slipped . . .” He banged his fist on the ground. “What an idiot trick! He was the best we had, too! Would have lasted for . . . you really want to hear?”
“No.” She could sense his hurt and pain, though. The other goblins would have jeered at him. He must feel like a failure, like Brak must have felt at losing a fight to skinny Gath, or an imp getting cheated. Probably the guards would be a lot less inclined to do what he said now.
“I’m glad the man died easily,” she said. “I’m sorry you’re upset. Now please go away.”
He didn’t answer, just wiped moodily at the drying blood that had sprayed all over him.
“What’s wrong?” she whispered.
“Father’s gone mad.” He spoke so softly she barely heard.
Death Bird had always been mad, but she mustn’t say that. “Why? What’s he doing?”
“Nothing. That’s the trouble. It’s not just me! Other men are saying it, too. He won’t turn back. We keep going south. You know those mountains we saw?”
“They were clouds.”
“The sort of clouds you get above mountains. They’re the mountains on the other side of the Impire! The Mosweeps, they’re called. He’s brought us all the way across the Impire!”
“I know. You knew. We talked about it.”
“But . . . But the legions are behind us! We should be going back, and he won’t.”
“He’ll have to when he gets to the sea.” She wished she’d paid more attention to geography lessons.
“I suppose. Then we’ll have legions on one side and the sea on the other.”
She had never heard a hint of this from Blood Beak before.
“You think I can change his mind?” she said disbelievingly.
“You? Gods, no! I think he’s forgotten all about you. He hardly even sends for me anymore.” Blood Beak’s voice trailed off uncertainly.
A sudden powerful shriek outside told her that the goblins had started on a fresh victim. She ignored it, waiting. “Kadie . . . No one’s come to rescue you yet.”
“They will!” She wished she still believed that.
“Kadie . . . If I could help you escape . . . Would you like that, Kadie?”
She began to shake all over. “How?”
“I don’t know!” he said miserably. “I don’t think I can. But I would if I could! If I see a chance . . .”
She couldn’t think of any way he could help her escape, either, but her heart seemed to explode with excitement. She thought of herself marching up to one of those great houses she had seen, a mansion like Kinvale, except it wouldn’t be burning and there would still be people living in it, rich people, imps. They would be clean and well dressed. I am so sorry to drop in unexpectedly like this, but I am Princess Kadolan of Krasnegar, and I have just escaped from the goblins . . .
“But why?”
He was quiet so long that she thought he was not going to answer at all. Then he said, “Because we’re all going to die!”
“You’ve beaten the legions before.”
“Only two at a time.” His voice went shrill. “They must be after us by now! We’ve outrun them, that’s all. But when we turn back, we’ll bang into dozens of legions. Hundreds of legions!”
It must be true, of course. And not a goblin would be allowed to escape. Not one would straggle back to Pondague across the whole width of the Impire. Especially not the king’s son.
“I expect your father’s thought of this, you know. He must have some sort of plan that he hasn’t told anyone.”
“I hope so! That’s what everyone’s hoping.”
“But—If I could escape, yes, I’d like that very much, Blood Beak. I’d be very grateful. I’d tell everyone how you helped me, and ask for you to be pardoned.”
“I don’t want that!” he said angrily. “You think I’m a coward?” His voice rose in outrage. “You think I’m trying to save myself!”
“No, of course not! I know you’re brave. I think it’s wonderful and romantic that you’re offering to help me.” But she had upset him, had said the wrong thing.
“Just like one of your stories!” His voice wavered. “Trying to make me into an impish prince, aren’t you? Well, I’m not an impish prince. Maybe I’m clumsy with a knife, but I’m going off to the women now, and I take a lot of satisfying! No one laughs at me there! So just don’t you forget who I am!” He jumped up.
“Blood Beak!”
“What?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to upset you. You had bad luck tonight, but I’m sure you can make up for it with the women. I’ll let you tell me all about it tomorrow if you want. And I would be very, very grateful if you could help me escape.”
He grunted. “If you see a way, then let me know and I’ll think about it.”
He stalked out.
Kadie lay down again and stared wide-eyed at the dark. Did he mean it? Could he help her? Now she had a whole new terror to deal with. Despair was much easier to bear than hope.
Rain was falling in the Mosweeps, of course, but it was a warm, soothing rain, and the night was pleasant in spite of it. Rap sat by himself on a rock at the front door of Shaggi’s castle, alongside the waterfall. He was brooding about his family and worrying about the future. His grand design was starting to fall apart already.
Today had been a holiday. For the first time in half a year, he had sat around and relaxed and not gone anywhere. One of the youthful trolls had been sent off downstream to fetch Tik Tok’s anthropophagous band; two more troll sorcerers had wandered in and been released from their servitude. A wild party had hatched and was rapidly growing to a full-fledged riot. The noise inside the castle was incredible.
Nevertheless, there was a war on, and riotous parties were vulnerable to surprise attacks. Rap himself had insisted on posting guards, taking one of the first watches himself. All he need do was keep a vigilant eye on the ambience, and it was remaining silent. Growling and crunching noises in some bushes at the far side of the pool told him where the two mundanes, Urg and Shaggi, were consoling each other in traditional fashion. Thrugg would not mind, so Rap should not; although he was reminded that he had enjoyed no time alone with Inos since the great storm washed out the causeway.
He recalled himself to duty, taking a glance at the ambience. He detected nothing within a hundred leagues. He went back to meditating on what happened next.
Obviously there was little point now in visiting the Nogid Archipelago, for Zinixo and Tik Tok between them had emptied the closet. The Covin was thought to have captured forty or so recruits, which meant that the bad guys’ power was still growing faster than the good guys’.