The Pilgrims

42

Eric and Case went to the top of the winding steps, where Eric quickly told Case about the scales and visions. Kiown stayed put, hands linked around his knees, head slumped like he was defeated and lonely. Despite what he knew, a touch of pity stirred in Eric, to see that lively figure brought low like this. ‘What do you think?’ he asked Case.

‘I won’t lie to you, I never liked the sonofabitch. In that little talk he was being sometimes honest, sometimes not, but there’s no knowing what part’s not true. He’s not telling us all we’d want to know, that’s for damn sure. As for being treated like princes in that city, I doubt it. If I was in his shoes, I’d say that kind of thing. We can risk our lives to find out, if we want. I’ll leave this one to you.’

Eric gazed at where the road wound past ahead, dividing just at the edge of sight, one part curling to the right, around the base of hillsides and towards Hane. He still saw streaks of colour glimmering on the wind, streaks of magic, and they kept distracting his thoughts. ‘Can we trust the road if we’re on our own, is the question.’

‘We can try. Better than going to bed with a known snake,’ said Case. ‘With the charm and the gun, one of us is invisible, the other dangerous. Could be worse.’

‘So. Here’s the fun part, I guess. What do we do with him?’

Case chuckled grimly. ‘When you tell me what you saw, he’s led five people to their deaths. Five who made the mistake of trusting him, like we’re talking about doing. If he gets one-fifth done to him of what he done to others, he’s getting off lightly.’ Case sighed. ‘I’m willing to fire the shot. You decide if I should: you got more at stake here than me, more years of life to lose if we fuck up.’

Eric looked back at Kiown, who’d turned his head their way. Again he remembered what he’d seen in the vision, made himself see the betrayed, surprised look in the half-giant’s eyes as he was killed. Hard to kill quickly, half-giants, and so much pain to go through before they finally died. Siel’s accusing words came back to him, and in fact had never left him: What do we have that they don’t? What weapon, what tool to use, what thing to fall back on, what map to guide them are they missing?

Survival — was that not a principle too? Justice … would killing him not be just? And yet … ‘No. We won’t do it. For your sake and mine, more than his. He’s not worth carrying that burden for.’

‘A shot to his foot, maybe. That way if he wants to follow us, it’ll be hard work.’

‘What about that rope tying up the grass bundles?’

‘Better yet. Not a bad idea to save a bullet. Mind you, he says he’s some crack trooper. Few knots won’t stop him for long.’

Case’s invisible hands expertly tying the knots was an eerie thing to watch, especially as little sections of rope vanished when grabbed and brought into the charm’s spell. Kiown was cooperative enough, sensing that being bound meant he wasn’t going to be slain. It seemed Case was right — the ropes wouldn’t hold him long, for he didn’t seem concerned about starving up here. ‘Look after that sword,’ he told Eric. ‘Take the scabbard off me and keep it in there, out of the weather. And be warned — when I see you again, I will take it back, maybe with a finger or two.’

‘You seem pretty sure you’ll see us again,’ said Eric, already doubting the wisdom of letting him live. He took the sheath from Kiown’s belt and fixed it to his own.

‘I was joking about the fingers, but not the sword. A very good smith made it and he’s no longer alive. An Engineer, actually, though the sword’s not magical. Look. I’ll be honest with you. I will come and find you. But not for revenge. I have a mission, that hasn’t changed. I must bring you safely back to Anfen. They — my bosses — don’t like Hunters who fail.’

Case said, ‘You can start by telling us which way the road forks ahead, down there.’

‘Middle road goes to Elvury. That’s where the Council of Free Cities meets. That’s where you’ll find Anfen, if you hurry. And if he makes it there. I am telling you, there are so many patrols right now you probably won’t make it far without me. War mages, magpies, Lesser Spirits …’ he sighed. ‘As you like. I hope your luck holds. Stick to the main path but stay off road until you’re out of Aligned country. The road’s right fork goes to Hane. Stay away from there. The whole city is a prison and there’s no food. Ah yes, you’ve seen woods full of nice meat running about, waiting for Siel to stick arrows in its butt, haven’t you? No good if you’re not allowed out to hunt it. If you’re not with me you won’t last long at all. Listen, the pouch on my belt. There’s a green and a blue scale there. Worth more than the ones you have left, the green especially. My share from the dirt cart. Take them, they’ll help you along. Take the coins too.’

Eric did so, knowing full well Kiown had expected them to rob him anyway. ‘Very generous of you.’

‘Isn’t it? You can do something for me now, Eric. Please. Something happened between this morning and last night. What was it? No one came up here and spoke to you. Or did they? It can’t have been a scale vision Loup took you on, or you’d have been wary of me back at the inn. Did you have a vivid dream last night? Something else? Some device from Otherworld? Can you tell me how you knew?’

‘Goodbye, Kiown. I’ll look after the sword. Good to know there’s something you care about. I won’t even stain it with my companions’ blood.’

‘Was it Nightmare?’ Kiown struggled in his bonds. ‘OK, maybe I believe what you said, he reached down. He blessed you? Or did he just tell you what had happened? Come, you can tell me that much. I helped you get past the devils, remember? I helped you get here from the inn. That sword, those scales I gave you. Tell me!’

Eric and Case began their way down the steps, Kiown’s voice eventually fading from earshot. They both held their palms to the tower’s cool flank and tried not to look down, and the view gradually got less dizzying. On the road below, no soldiers passed, just a few travellers eager to keep their eyes low. Eric tried to see in these people any sense of the glory Kiown had expressed, any pride to lay just ‘one brick’ in the grand project. There was only weariness and fear.