She Is The Darkness

58

"That's the second time," the Old Man growled. "I thought I got through to you after the adventure in Kiaulune." He was pissed off because I had gone inside Overlook. "You take Smoke down there and find out what the Shadowmaster and Howler are doing."

When Thai Dei and I had gotten back we had found Croaker already barking and snarling at a gang of couriers. Obviously he thought Lady had started something the rest of us were going to regret.

I got the feeling Soulcatcher clued in late and was about as thrilled as the Captain. Crows appeared everywhere. They were unpleasant, even for Catcher's agents. They swooped around shooting crow shit everywhere.

"When you're done checking on Longshadow and Howler I want you to start identifying the whereabouts of every man of ours."

"Ours?"

"The Company. Old Crew. Nar. I want to get everybody together. Real soon now."

"You got it."

"Of course. But add in a dab of common sense, Murgen. To get to Khatovar the Company needs a standardbearer. Probably more than it'll ever need a Captain or Lieutenant."

"I've said it before and I'll say it again. If anybody had a clue what you were up to it's just possible they could do the things you want done when you want them done." I walked away before we squabbled in front of the troops.

Longshadow was taking it out on Howler. And Howler was getting him even more pissed off by not paying a lot of attention. He was witching up some colorful little construct out of thin air. I had to study it a while before I recognized it as a representation of the areas of Overlook that were in our side's hands. It was a complicated little cyan and magenta mess with a tail that dipped through the foundations of the wall to Lady's positions outside.

He did nothing to restrain his screams. Several came in quick succession, howls that seemed to have a little extra emotion behind them.

The third howl triggered something inside Longshadow's head. He shut up. He adjusted his mask, leaned forward to stare at Howler's construct. He reached out with fingers as skinny as spider legs despite being inside a glove, poked at the tail leading to the outside. "How did she manage that? That should not have been possible." His lunacy, his rant, vanished like mist in the morning sun. It was almost as if his reason had cleared. "The stone cannot be worked."

"That's Senjak out there, if you'll recall. She'll work the stone the same way you did."

Longshadow made a noise like a cat's growl. I thought his moment of lucidity had passed. I thought he was about to have an all-time fit. He fooled me. "Find the Deceiver and his brat. They need to be here, inside this tower, before midnight. If they want to survive."

Howler replied with an interrogative grunt.

"I have no use for them anymore. I owe them nothing. They have done nothing for me. But I will give them this opportunity to survive."

I did not wait around to learn what happened next.

"What're you doing back already?" Croaker demanded when I sat up. "You haven't been out long enough—"

"Excuse me, boss. I've already got a mother-in-law. Yes, I was out there long enough to hear Longshadow say he's going to turn the shadows loose tonight."

Croaker shut his mouth. I hurried through the information. He said, "You're right. He didn't say shadows in that many words but it can't be anything else. Get back to it. I'll round up One-Eye and get the word out."

"How long do we have?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure what time it is now. Just get going."

"I'll need water and food brought in. The water should be sweet."

"Go." I went.