Whispering Nickel Idols

60

A tall, thin old man with wild white hair and exaggerated facial features rushed into the camp. He moved fast for his age but had a major stiffness in his hips. He walked goofy. I couldn’t hear what he said, but it had to be about ratman raiders. Everybody but Temisk and his buddy moved out fast, armed.

“Showtime,” I whispered. Morley nodded.

I didn’t sneak now. I went to a ladder and climbed down. Those two weren’t going to run.

As I descended I noted a coach hidden in a shadowy corner. No doubt the vehicle used to spirit Chodo away from Whitefield Hall. There was no sign of a team.

My advent startled Temisk. He pulled himself together quickly, though. “How did you find us?”

“That’s what I do.” Chodo, I noted, seemed fully alert.

“The trouble outside is a diversion?”

“No. But I’m taking advantage.”

“So you found us. Now what?”

“Now you tell me what’s going on.”

He thought about that. Then he leaned aside and stared, eyes widening in fright.

I’d been joined by several hefty rats. They perched on their haunches like squirrels, studying Temisk.

Temisk gaped. More rats arrived. He gasped, “You… you have the power to control rats?”

“We have a working arrangement.”

Temisk shuddered. Squeaking, he took a swipe at a big bull clambering into Chodo’s lap.

“Don’t do that.” How did John Stretch know Temisk had a problem with rodents? “There’re more of them than there are of you.”

“There were rats in the kitchen at Whitefield Hall. The rats told you how to find us.”

“Rats go everywhere. They see everything. They hear everything.”

Temisk had the full-blown heebie-jeebies now, but his brain hadn’t shut down. “You got this connection because of the ratgirl, eh?”

“Talk about what you’ve up to, solicitor. Not about rats. I know all I need to know about rats.” No horses for the coach. I wouldn’t get Chodo and Temisk out the easy way. “I’m not happy with you.”

“I just wanted to get Chodo away from those people. All right?”

“You tried to kill people. A lot of them. Deliberately. Including me. With fire. But none of us died.”

He put on a show of confusion.

“You tried to set me up, Temisk. But it fell apart. Before it came together. Same for your friends from Ymber.”

I kept an eye on Chodo. He was intensely interested.

I waved at the air. Morley and Saucerhead materialized. Singe took longer. She climbs ladders faster than she comes down them.

John Stretch remained unseen.

I said, “We need to move these two out before those thugs come back. Singe. You recall that evil stone?”

“Yes.”

“Sniff around. See if you can find another one. Or anything else interesting. Morley. Peek out that street door. Check for witnesses.”

“You aren’t thinking about just rolling them out of here, are you?”

I had been. But I saw the problem before he pointed it out.

“You really think you can wheel Chodo around in public and no one will notice?”

“Let me think about that.”

Morley reported, “We don’t want to leave this way. There’s a mob out there grabbing stuff the ratpeople didn’t get before they took off.”

“We’ll go back the way we came. Me and Saucerhead will take turns lugging Chodo.” Tharpe put on an expression of pained disbelief. “You and Temisk handle the chair. Singe. You find anything?”

“I just started. You should stop talking and start doing.”

Temisk was terrified now. He had a notion what the future held. He didn’t want to go there. Chodo wasn’t thrilled, either.

Saucerhead hoisted Chodo as though he were weightless. And there wouldn’t be as much of him as once there had been. I told Temisk, “Grab that chair and start climbing, solicitor.” I heard voices approaching. “Singe, hurry up.”

She beat me into the loft. “I will lead the way.” There was no sign of John Stretch.

He would be watching, though.