“They use the boats for firewood.”
“Then float on a log. It is too wide for wading. If you can come ashore on the far bank, you will be free.”
She had never thought of escape by water. She did not know how to swim. No one in Krasnegar knew how to swim, but she would not freeze here. Goblins avoided water whenever they could—they would not even cross the causeway at Krasnegar—and they would not think of a prisoner escaping that way. Yes, it might work! Allena could swim and would be even better than a log. How supremely obvious and simple!
“I will be very grateful,” she said, and felt tears prickle in her eyes. Just dust, surely? Dust would not cause the strange lump in her throat, though.
Not looking at her, Blood Beak said, “I shall come and visit you in Krasnegar one day.”
“If you do, I shall make you welcome and send you away rich.”
He did look up then, smiling. “You have taught me to dream impossible dreams, too, Little Princess. That is a bad habit for a goblin! I know really that none of us will return to the taiga, but I should like you to escape and remember me.”
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
“Slow down a bit,” he said. “If we camp near the rear you will have a better chance in the night.”
Kadie eased back her game little pony and began whispering a prayer. She had prayed a lot in the last few months. She prayed especially to the God of Rescues, if there was one.
A wonderful hour of anticipation followed.
It ended in disaster. Perhaps she should have prayed a little harder. Perhaps she had prayed to a nonexistent God and summoned the God of Dashed Hopes instead, if there was one. After so many weeks, it seemed very cruel of the Gods to offer this wonderful chance and then snatch it away so soon.
Suddenly there were goblins standing across her path. She rose in the stirrups to see as far as she could across the plain. The horde had come to a halt. By the time she reined in, there were goblins everywhere, standing around panting, shouting questions to and fro. The sun was a red ball in the smoke, not close enough to setting yet to explain this unexpected stop.
She slid from the saddle and stood on her own weary legs. Blood Beak shot her a warning glance—meaning there were too many ears too close for the two of them to talk. She could guess what he was thinking, though. Her hopes of escape had just disappeared again.
Blood Beak went in search of the chiefs. His bodyguard went with him, and so of course must Kadie. It took him an hour or so even to find the house, and a lot of arguing thereafter, but he eventually bullied his way into the conference. His guards remained behind, at the bottom of the stairs. He grabbed Kadie’s wrist and towed her along as he went running up. That was the first time he had ever touched her. He had a crushing grip.
In the last few months, she had seen many great mansions and even palaces, but almost always they had been already burning, and she had never been allowed to look inside. She had made a very brief trip through Kinvale, but she had been too shocked that day to notice much of it. This house wasn’t as big as Kinvale, just a large country dwelling. It had been very beautiful, but already it stank of goblin and there was mud all over the rich carpets. She caught glimpses of chests left open and drawers tipped out and beds unmade, signs of a panicky departure. In the romances she had read as a child, princesses lived in sumptuous palaces, but she had always imagined something like the castle at Krasnegar, only warmer. This was no palace, and yet it surpassed her wildest fancies. She wanted to stay and admire the furniture and pictures, to touch the draperies, but she was given no chance.
The big upstairs drawing room was full of smelly goblins, naked savages, all standing around arguing at the tops of their voices. Blood Beak, having won entry to the council with lies and threats, had no authority to join in the discussion. He would very likely be thrown out at once if his father saw him. He released Kadie’s wrist and left her standing by the door, while he went squirming off in the direction of the windows, which were the reason the chiefs had come indoors at all.
Kadie had a much better idea. She stepped up on a chair, muddy boots and all. Then she could see over the chiefs, and one glance was enough to show her the extent of their problem.
A tributary joined the river just a league or so ahead. There was a small walled town at the junction. More important, legions stood across the path. They were too far off to make out individual soldiers, but the sun shone on their shields and helmets. A glittering fence stretched from river to river—many, many legions. The Impire had reacted at last.
She stepped down to the floor again to be less conspicuous, and struggled to make sense of the guttural dialect as the chiefs argued. The sun was in the goblins’ eyes, said some. It would set before battle could be joined, said others. Goblins fought better by moonlight than imps did. The men were tired. In the morning the sun would hamper the legions. The imps were trapped in the fork of the river. So were the goblins, because they could not use their greater speed to outflank their opponents . . . Talk flowed to and fro. No one seemed to be pointing out that Death Bird had strayed into a very bad position. He had a hostile army in front, rivers on both flanks, and a wasteland behind.
A loud crash of splintering chair was the signal for silence. “Am deciding!” the king shouted. “Fight at dawn. Kill imps then!”
There was a brief, halfhearted cheer. Chiefs moved rapidly out of the way as their leader headed for the door. He came face to face with Kadie before she had a chance to take cover. His angular eyes widened in shock at the sight of her and his hand flashed to his sword. The room went silent. Apparently he had forgotten about his hostage.
She had not seen him in many weeks. He looked older, and certainly thinner. The barrel chest was streaked with sweat and dust, there were lines in his face and gray in his rope of hair. He was probably doomed now, he and his horde, but he would live on in memory as the worst butcher ever to humiliate the Impire.
“Princess!” He grinned his big teeth at her, looking her over shrewdly. “Are not hot in so many clothes?”
Of course she was hot, because she always wore a coat to hide her sword. He had remembered that, too.
She bowed and tried not to look frightened. “No, Sire.”
“Where son?” Death Bird looked around. Wearing a surly expression, Blood Beak emerged from the onlookers. His father regarded him mockingly. “Are growing! Ready for wedding soon?”
Blood Beak hesitated, glanced at Kadie, and then puffed out his chest—which was quite large enough already. “Soon. Thinks carries baby.”
Kadie felt herself blush scarlet at this outright falsehood. The spectators guffawed, the king pursed his big lips. He did not look very convinced. ”Told you not to lie with her!”
The boy shrugged. “Begged me to. Get no sleep else.” There was more cruel laughter, but Kadie minded less now. She stared at the carpet, knowing that in some strange way Blood Beak was trying to protect her.
Death Bird thumped his son on the shoulder. “Guard woman well tonight. Camp at my fire.” He glanced at Kadie again, eyeing that suspicious coat. ”Don’t get fancy ideas, Princess,” he said in impish. “The legions won’t save you.” He leered disbelievingly. “And look after my grandson.”
Then he strode forward and out the door.
Kadie relaxed with a gasp and a weak shiver. Blood Beak summoned her with a nod, and she followed him as he went after his father, leaving the chiefs to their jabbering talk.
There would be no escape tonight.
2
“This is dull!” Jalon complained. “Dull, dull, dull! You never used to travel like this. Where is the flying spume, the bare poles burning cold fire in the tempest? I want a lee shore, waves higher than the crosstrees, and all hands to the pumps!”
“Take my share, too,” Rap said, easing the wheel around. “Rock this tub and she’d fall apart.” The leaky, bedraggled old coaster had probably not ridden out a storm in fifty years. At the slightest hint of one, she would slip away into safe haven.