Chapter 5
That afternoon a. drum message came in from the north, Piemur was in the main room diligently copying drum measures that Dirzan had set him to learn by evening, although he already knew them off rhythm perfect. He translated the message as it throbbed in.
“Urgent. Reply required please. Nabol.” To himself Pie-mur smiled as the rest of the message pounded on, because he had the sudden suspicion that the Nabol drummer had begun with those measures to soften the arrogance of the main message. “Lord Meron of Nabol demands the immediate appearance of Master Oldive. Reply Instantly.” Had the drummer added “grave illness,” the signal “urgent” would have been appropriate.
Piemur continued his copying smoothly, aware of the eyes of the other apprentices on him. Let them think that he understood little beyond the Erst three measures, which was about all they’d know.
Rokayas, the journeyman on duty, came into the room a moment later.
“Who’s running messages today?” he asked, the thin, folded sheaf of the transcribed message in his hand.
The others all pointed to Piemur, who immediately put his pen down and rose to his feet. The journeyman frowned.
“You were on yesterday.”
“I’m on today again, Rokayas,” said Piemur cheerfully and reached for the sheaf.
“Seems to me you’re always on,” Rokayas said, holding the message away from Piemur as he glared suspiciously at the others.
“Dirzan said I was messenger until he said otherwise,” said Piemur, shrugging as if it were a matter of indifference to him.
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“All right, then,” and the journeyman surrendered the message, still eyeing the other four boys, “but it seems queer to me you’re always running!”
“I’m newest,” said Piemur and left the room. He was rather pleased that Rokayas had noticed. Actually he didn’t mind because he got a brief respite from the sour presence of the other apprentices.
He dashed down the three flights of steps in his usual fashion, one hand lightly on the stone rail, plummeting down as fast as he could go. He burst out into the courtyard, automatically glancing about. The raking team was at work. He waved cheerfully to the section leader and then took the main steps to the Hall three at a time. His legs must be getting longer, he thought, or he was improving his stride because he used to be able to leap only two.
Slightly puffed, he tapped politely at Master Oldive’s door and handed over the message, wheeling instantly so that no one could say he’d seen the message.
“Hold a moment, young Piemur,” said Master Oldive, unfolding the sheaf and frowning as he read its contents. “Urgent, is it? Well, it could be, at that. Though why they wouldn’t in courtesy send their watch dragon… . Ah well. Nabol hasn’t one, has it? Reply that I’ll come, and please ask Master Olodkey to pass the word to T’ledon that I must prevail on his good nature for passage to Nabol! I shall go straight to the meadow to wait for him.”
Piemur repeated the message, using Master Oldive’s ex-act phrasing and intonation. Released by the healer, he sped back across the court with another wave to the section leader. He was halfway up the second flight when he felt his right foot slide on the stone. He tried to catch himself, but his forward motion and the stretch of his legs were such that he hadn’t a hope of saving himself from a fall. He tried to grab the stone railing with his right hand but it, too, was slick. He was thrown hard against the stone risers, wrenching thighs and hips, cracking his ribs painfully as he slid. He could have sworn that he heard a muffled laugh. His last conscious thought as his chin hit the stone and he bit his tongue hard was that someone had greased the rail and steps.
His shoulder was roughly shaken, and he heard Dirzan’s irritated command to wake-up.
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“What are you doing here? Why didn’t you return Immediately with Master Oldive’s request? He’s been waiting in the meadow. You can’t even be trusted to run messages!”
Piemur tried to form an excuse, but only a groan issued from his Ups as he groggily tried to right himself. He was dimly conscious of aches and pains all over his left side and sore stiffness across his cheek and under his skin.