‘Sagio?’ put in Zani.
‘My under gardener. Good lad. He quit too – afterwards! Anyways, he said that the master wouldn’t come out of the house. Claimed someone had put a death spell on him. He spent days and days in his library poring over scrolls and the like. And always the dogs were padding around the house. Then, last week, the dogs attacked him. Went mad by all accounts. He managed to lock
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himself in the library. When he came out the dogs had torn each other to pieces. Blood everywhere. I had to clear it up. Well, me and Sagio had to clear it up. Still, horrible it was. But then if you’re going to keep wild dogs you’ve got to expect trouble, haven’t you. I reckon it was the cold got to ’em. Marble houses, pah! Can’t keep them warm, can you? Room they were in was freezing.’
‘And he left the city?’
‘The same day. You should have seen him.’ Chiric chuckled. ‘He was covered in charms and talismans. And he was chanting all the way to the coach and four. You could still hear him as it drove through the gates.’
Dagorian thanked the man and walked back to his horse. Zani came alongside. ‘What now, Drenai?’
‘We break in,’ said Dagorian, moving to one of the shutters on the ground floor and drawing his sword.
‘Hey, what are you doing?’ shouted the old man.
‘We are officers of the king,’ Zani told him. ‘You are welcome to observe our investigation. But if you seek to hinder us I will keep my promise about that dungeon.’
‘It was only a question,’ grumbled Chiric, grasping the handles of his wheelbarrow. Clearing his throat the old man spat on the path, then trundled the wheelbarrow off towards the woods.
Dagorian slid his sabre between the shutters and lifted the bar beyond. It fell clear with a hollow thud. Opening the shutters Dagorian sheathed his blade and climbed inside. The interior was gloomy and he opened two other windows. Zani clambered into the building. ‘What are we looking for?’ he asked. Dagorian spread his hands.
‘I have no idea.’ They were standing now in a beautifully decorated sitting-room, with seven sofas and a
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splendid mosaic floor and painted walls. Passing through it they entered a hall, and searched the rooms beyond. The furniture throughout was expensive. The library was shelved from floor to ceiling, the shelves bent under the weight of books, scrolls and parchments. The north wall was still blood-stained, as was the pale green carpet.
‘I hope Chiric is a better gardener than a cleaner,’ said Zani.
A door at the back of the library led to a study. This too had shelves on all four walls, most of them bearing glass jars, filled with viscous liquids. In one floated a human hand, in another a small, deformed foetus. Others contained organs. There was a large cupboard set into the western wall. Dagorian opened it. More jars were stored here, this time filled with herbs. The Drenai officer scanned them, finally selecting one and carrying it to a narrow desk, upon which was a human skull, re-sculpted into a container for two ink wells. Dagorian placed the jar on the desk and broke the wax seal around the lid.
‘What is it?’ asked Zani.
‘Lorassium leaves. They have great healing powers, but lorassium is essentially a heavy narcotic used by mystics to aid their visions.’
‘I have heard of it. It is very expensive.’
The young Drenai officer sat down, dipped his hand into the jar, pulling two leaves from it. They were a dark, lustrous green, and a heady scent filled the air. ‘What are you doing?’ asked Zani.
For a moment Dagorian said nothing, then he looked up at the Ventrian. ‘There is a force working here that is outside the realm of normal human senses. We could stumble around the city for days and never find the
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answer. Perhaps it is time to use the eyes of the spirit.’
‘Are you versed in these things?’
‘Not entirely. But I know the procedure.’
Zani shook his head. ‘I know nothing of sorcery – nor do I wish to. But there have been a lot of deaths, Drenai. I think the risk is too great for one who only – as you openly admit – knows the procedure. I think it might be wiser to take the problem to the Lord Kalizkan. There is no greater wizard than he.’