The Covenant Rising

23

Anybody noticing them would assume they were siblings running an errand.

A little girl, nine or ten years old, wearing a flowered apron and buckled black shoes, her blonde hair in pigtails. She walked with a gangling, older boy, nearly a young man, clutching his hand. In the way of growing lads, this was naturally very embarrassing for him.

‘What about that one?’ the little girl exclaimed loudly, pointing across the road to a man loitering outside a tavern.

‘Please, Master,’ Kutch appealed in an undertone, ‘I do wish you wouldn’t draw quite so much attention to us.’

‘Nonsense!’ Phoenix snorted. ‘People can mind their own business. Now do as you’re told. The man over there. Yes or no?’

Kutch studied the target and made his decision. ‘Yes.’

‘Good!’ Phoenix snapped his fingers in a dismissive gesture.

Opposite, the glamour posing as a man vanished. It left a cascade of expiring sparks. A pedestrian walked through them, absently waving a hand to clear the fug.

‘Stay alert, boy, stay alert!’ Phoenix barked.

A passing stranger gave them an odd look, and slowed down to rubberneck.

The bogus child glared back at him. ‘Move along there! There’s nothing to see!’

Head down, the man hurried off. Kutch went scarlet.

They walked on, scanning everybody and everything on the streets. At last Kutch said, ‘That one.’

‘No! Only those with my signature. Not the cheap, counterfeit stuff. Just the ones I’ve conjured.’

‘That one isn’t real. On the bench.’

‘Even I can see that,’ Phoenix came back testily. ‘Remember what I told you. What are the two cardinal rules of spotting?’

‘Look and Don’t Believe.’

‘Precisely. Carry on.’

The streets were as crowded as Kutch had ever seen them. And now Phoenix was

skipping

along beside him, tiny feet pattering, ponytail swinging. The boy’s discomfort returned.

Phoenix caught the look. ‘Well, you wanted me to act more naturally, didn’t you? Keep watching. Do your job.’

Kutch sighed.

A moment later his eye alighted on something. He dismissed it, looked again and muttered, ‘Oh, clever.’ Indicating it, he said, ‘That.’

‘Well done.’ The sorcerer made a swift, complex hand gesture.

A citizen’s transport wagon drew level with them. Four horses pulled it, and it was full of passengers. The wagon, drays and passengers, the driver and his mate, all turned transparent for an instant. There was a glimpse of the skeletal structure of the horses and the people, attesting to the thorough job Phoenix had done on the casting. Then everything turned into smouldering motes and drifted away. A small inrush of air could be felt, as was common when large glamours expired. It caused some small inconvenience to the other road users, but nothing they weren’t used to.

‘You saw, didn’t you?’ Phoenix said. ‘Not only that the wagon was a glamour but also the signature I’d woven into the spell.’

‘Yes, Master. It was a bit like… I don’t know… a watermark on a piece of parchment.’

Phoenix nodded and allowed himself a small smile, crinkling his freckles. ‘You’re making a little progress, my boy.’ Then sharper: ‘Come on, come on! I’ve conjured plenty more.’

‘We’re supposed to be at the meeting.’

‘We’ll be there in time if you don’t dawdle. I’ve planted more likenesses along the route, so look about you, lad, and doubt. Look and Doubt.’

Carrying on at a faster pace, Kutch pointed things out and Phoenix either nodded or berated. To onlookers they were merely a brother and sister, bickering on their way home. With an unusually large number of glamours expiring in their wake.

They approached Karr’s hideout more soberly. Slipping in one at a time, they ran the gamut of precautions that established they were who they appeared to be.

In a corridor somewhere between the front door and the cellar, they paused so Phoenix could resume his normal form.

When they got to the subterranean conference room they found Caldason, Serrah, Karr and Quinn Disgleirio waiting for them.

‘Good, now we can start,’ Karr said. ‘Please.’ He invited them to sit with a sweep of his arm, and everyone gathered at the largest table. ‘I take it we’re cloaked against eavesdropping?’

‘I did it myself,’ Phoenix assured him.

‘Reeth’s band did well yesterday,’ Karr began, ‘and made a valuable contribution to our coffers. It’s to be regretted that this was achieved with the loss of three band-members, and the wounding of five others.’

‘I take full responsibility for that,’ Caldason volunteered.

‘I’m not criticising you, Reeth,’ the patrician replied evenly. ‘I’m merely reporting, and commemorating the fallen by mentioning them here. The losses are unhappy, but we judge the mission a success.’

Caldason seemed to accept that. Serrah shot him a sideways glance. As usual, his expression was unfathomable.

‘The coin you liberated yesterday,’ Karr went on, ‘after we return some to the people, won’t all go into Resistance war chests. In fact, most of it won’t. You’re here today to be told what the money bought. But first…’ He gestured towards the open door.

Several helpers brought in trays of drinks and sweetmeats. Setting them down on side tables, they hurried out. The door was secured.

Karr raised a cup and eyed the company. ‘Your good health.’

‘And confusion to our enemies,’ Phoenix added.

Caldason took a desultory sip of his drink. Serrah faked conviviality. Kutch wished he had less water in his wine.

Putting down his cup, Karr continued, ‘You know, it’s funny, but one of the most important things about the empires is an aspect we tend not to notice.’ He had their attention. ‘What we forget about Gath Tampoor, about both empires, is that for all their military might and economic muscle, at base they’re bureaucracies. They have to be, there’s so much to administer.’

‘I can confirm that from my encounters with the clerks in Merakasa,’ Serrah offered.

‘All existing states are built on mountains of paper,’ Karr stated.

‘What’s this got to do with us?’ Caldason asked.

‘Plenty. It provides a weak link in their chain of occupation, and in striking at it we can do ourselves some good.’

‘How does targeting paper-shufflers help us?’

‘It depends on what they’re shuffling,’ Disgleirio told him.

‘That’s exactly the point,’ Karr agreed. ‘Gath Tampoor’s Bhealfan minions generate vast amounts of information daily. Most of it’s administrative stuff of little interest to us. But some of it’s vitally important to them and us. I’m talking about the records they hold on individuals and groups they regard as enemies of the state. I think you can verify that too, Serrah.’

‘Yes. The CIS holds many files on criminals and political activists. My unit relied on them when we were planning operations.’

‘It’s the same here in Bhealfa. There are whole armies of information gatherers compiling files on dissidents. Almost certainly they have files for everybody in this room. With the possible exception of young Kutch here. Sorry to disappoint you, lad.’ There was a little laughter at that, mostly from Disgleirio. ‘But if we could get to those records -’

‘You’re obviously saying you’ve found a way,’ Caldason reckoned.

‘I think we have. The bulk of the money you and your band seized yesterday was used as a bribe. I’m about to show you what for.’ He nodded to Phoenix.

The sorcerer produced a small cube and rapped it against the table. A glamour materialised, covering almost the entire table top. It was a meticulously detailed scale model of a section of a city. Even the houses in a dilapidated state were portrayed as such. There were minute cracks in the paving stones and the towers had flags.

‘You might recognise this as part of central Valdarr,’ Karr explained. ‘It contains a perfect example of how the orderly minds of our rulers work in our favour. They have all the records that interest us in one location. Here.’ He pointed at a building.

It was an ornate structure, boasting several spires.

Kutch said, ‘That’s a temple, isn’t it?’

‘Apparently. Actually, it’s heavily glamoured to look that way. Its real appearance is somewhat different. If you’d be so kind, Phoenix.’

The sorcerer lightly smacked the cube. What had been a temple melted into a much plainer, more functional looking building. Even on this scale it was possible to see that its doors were hearty and its windows barred.

‘What about worshippers?’ Kutch asked. ‘Don’t they get suspicious?’

‘It poses as a private place of worship, only for the influential. Ordinary people aren’t encouraged to go there.’

‘How are

we

supposed to get in?’ Serrah wanted to know.

‘This way.’ He signalled Phoenix again, who manipulated the cube once more.

The building expanded to the size of a rich child’s doll’s house, filling the table. All the other buildings and streets were pushed away, and vanished.

Then the building disappeared too, leaving a three-dimensional representation of its foundations. It was riddled with tunnels.

‘What you’re seeing is the sewage system, and the channels that bring in fresh water from artesian wells, here and here. All the modern conveniences.’

‘It’s a maze down there,’ Serrah said. There was a hint of disquiet in her voice.

‘Yes, but we’ve plotted a course through. That was Quinn’s responsibility, so I’ll let him explain.’

Disgleirio took over, using a dagger to point things out. ‘This large channel here is the key. As you can see, a lot of lesser conduits branch out from it. The trick is to find the one that feeds directly into the building. That’s here.’ He jabbed the blade at an underground junction.

‘How big are these tunnels?’ Serrah asked.

‘They vary. Some are surprisingly large, others tight. All of them seem to be of a size that people can move through, though it’d be a bit of a squeeze in some.’

‘We’d be using what?’ Caldason said. ‘Water or sewage tunnels?’

‘Sewage.’

‘Sounds pleasant,’ Serrah mumbled.

‘Fortunately they tend to be the larger tunnels,’ Disgleirio explained, ‘and most have narrow walkways along their edges. See?’ He pointed to one.

Caldason studied the model. ‘How do we get into the system in the first place?’

‘This big outlet tunnel passes underneath several adjoining buildings. One of them happens to be a place we have access to. The outlet runs directly under its cellar. That’s been verified; we’ve already broken through to the tunnel.’

‘Serrah’s right about it being a labyrinth. It’d be easy getting lost down there.’

‘You’ll have a map. And of course there’s no light so you’ll need glamour illumination.’

‘What part of the building do we come up in?’

Disgleirio nodded to Phoenix. The building reappeared, transparent this time. Disgleirio indicated an area on the ground floor, near the back wall. ‘Just about here. We reckon that should be the easiest place to get through the flooring.’

‘Why is so much of the inside of the building blank?’ Serrah said. ‘What’s on the rest of the ground floor, and the upper floors?’

‘We don’t have a plan for any more than you’re seeing now,’ Karr answered. ‘Our informant couldn’t supply that, no matter how greedy he might be. What we’re told is that the ground floor doesn’t contain much of interest except a guard room. The upper storeys are where the records are kept.’

‘You can’t be entirely sure?’ Caldason prompted.

‘Not completely, no. But you can be certain there are glamour alarums and traps in there. Quite apart from any human opposition you might meet.’

Serrah exclaimed, ‘

Might?

The place is going to be crawling with people, isn’t it?’

‘Normally it would be. But remember what’s coming up in a couple of days.’

Disgleirio supplied the answer. ‘So-called Freedom Day.’

‘Precisely. The day when demonstrating our loyalty and great love for the occupiers is compulsory. None of the clerks are going to be working in this repository, and there’ll only be a skeleton crew of guards, if that. Not to mention that the streets will be full of the usual dragooned parades and marches. That should provide a nice diversion and tie up most of the security forces.’

‘You’re sure about all this?’ Serrah queried.

‘Our intelligence unit’s been working on it for nearly two years. It’ll be a heavy blow to the authorities if we can pull it off, so naturally we’ve tried to plan for every eventuality. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t very hazardous. That’s why we’re asking you to go, not telling you. Everybody has to be a volunteer.’

‘There’s the question of getting your band back up to strength,’ Disgleirio added. ‘We can do that with Righteous Blade members. It means you’ll be going in with new men you haven’t had time to gel with. There’s no way round that. All we can do is give you our best.’

‘Before you make up your minds,’ Karr returned, ‘there’s another consideration. I said this place is going to be well protected magically. That means you need to have a sorcerer with the band, and for preference a spotter. They’re in short supply, as you know. So what I’m proposing is that Kutch fills that role. Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t ask this. But these aren’t common times.’

Kutch looked thunderstruck.

‘Wait a minute, Karr,’ Caldason rumbled. ‘He’s just a boy, and this is a dangerous situation we’d be getting into. His inexperience could put all of us at risk.’ He turned to Kutch. ‘Sorry, but that’s how I see it.’

‘I think Kutch should make the decision himself, don’t you? Go ahead, Kutch. What do you think?’

The boy had coloured from being the centre of attention, and at first stumbled over his words. ‘I want to do whatever I can to help. I know I haven’t got much experience, but I learn fast. Don’t worry about me, Reeth, I wouldn’t let you down.’

Caldason asked Phoenix, ‘Is he fully trained as a spotter yet?’

‘Nowhere near.’ The magician held up a hand to still the protest. ‘But he’s made good progress and he can do the job. Besides, as the patrician said, we’ve little option. Spotting is incredibly rare, and having a spotter with you could make the difference between success or failure for this mission.’

Reeth pondered that. ‘Are you sure, Kutch? Do you know what you’d be getting yourself into?’

‘I have a much better idea of what violence is all about since knowing you, Reeth.’

‘Er, I’ll take that as a compliment. All right. Kutch is included only on condition that once he’s done his job he’s out of there. I don’t want him exposed to any more danger than necessary.’

‘Work it out in whatever way you think appropriate,’ Karr told him.

‘What about you, Serrah? Are you in for this one?’

‘I’m in.’

Caldason sighed. ‘Assuming the rest of the band volunteer too, which I’m sure they will, that seems to settle it.’

‘Excellent, Reeth.’ Karr beamed benevolently.

Kutch wore an expression of cheerful self-importance. Caldason seemed less happy.

‘So, what’s the plan once we’re inside?’ Serrah said.

‘Arson,’ Karr replied. ‘Phoenix’s people have developed some concentrated flammables. Light enough to carry but strong enough to do the job.’

‘I bet it’d be interesting to see what those files say,’ Kutch speculated.

‘We’d all be intrigued to find out, I’m sure,’ Karr smiled. ‘But that’s a pleasure we’ll have to forgo, I’m afraid; removing even a percentage of them would be impossible. No, we have to destroy them, and get our satisfaction from knowing we’ve struck a heavy blow against the oppressors.’

‘Does this mission get me any nearer to my goal?’ Caldason wanted to know.

‘It does. Trust me.’

‘Then we’d better start preparing ourselves, hadn’t we?’