Wizard Of Rentoro

Chapter 18

Blade and Serana went to a livery stable at the east end of Kassaro and hired two heudas. They were a strange sight-Blade with his scorched face and bloodstained clothing, Serana with the badly fitting assistant's robe belted on over men's clothing. The stablekeeper looked hard at them, but he looked even harder at the gold coins Blade held out to him. Silently he led them to the stables and gave them what they wanted.

It was a moonless night, black as a coal mine and with a rising wind. Blade and Serana left Kassaro and trotted across the wooden bridge, then spurred their heudas to a gallop.

The darkness not only hid them from prying eyes, it nearly hid the road from them. Fortunately it was straight and paved all the way to Morina. Otherwise they would probably have ridden into one of the streams the road crossed on its way to the city.

They were halfway to Morina when a cold rain began whipping into their faces. The rain grew steadily heavier, until they had to slow to a trot, then to a walk. Serana gave an animal snarl of frustration at the loss of time, but Blade reassured her.

«We've nothing to fear. In this rain we could pass five yards from a thousand Wolves without their seeing us.»

By the time the walls of Morina loomed out of the storm, both Blade and Serana were as wet as if they really had ridden into a stream. Serana rose in her stirrups and hailed the sentries on the gate. She had to shout three times before she could make herself heard over the roar of the wind and the rain.

«Who be, and what business?» at last came down from above.

«Two of Morina, returning on lawful affairs. We are bound for Haymi's Fountain and bear a message from Grasso.»

Morina closed its gates at nightfall and opened them at dawn. During the hours of darkness, people could be admitted only if they gave a specific destination and had someone there prepared to assume responsibility for them. Haymi's Fountain was a well-known tavern and lodging house, one of the meeting places for the Wizard's enemies in Morina. «A message from Grasso» was code, meaning that a person came on business of great importance to the rebels. When that message reached the Fountain, someone there would be willing to assume responsibility for Blade and Serana.

«At least it was the right message, two years ago,» whispered Serana. «They have doubtless changed the code, but we can hope someone will remember the old one. Otherwise we shall not be getting into Morina tonight.»

They waited, sitting on their heudas as the rain poured down. They could not get any colder or wetter, and in the darkness no one was likely to recognize Serana. Blade still would not be at ease until they were safely inside Haymi's Fountain. If the gate guards did make them wait out here all night, they'd have to enter the city in daylight, when the crowd would certainly include some men in the pay of the Wizard.

At last Blade heard the groan and squeal of ponderous hinges moving, and one of the gates swung open. They rode through the gateway into a narrow street, with tall houses crowding close on either side. Three men with swords and bows but no armor came down from the gatehouse. One walked ahead, two behind, and the little party tramped through the rain-soaked streets to Haymi's Fountain.

Serana did not speak until they were safely inside a dank cellar room far below the level of the street. The walls were lined with immense wine barrels, trailing tufts of cobweb. Behind the barrels Blade could hear the scurrying of rats.

At last the shuffle of many feet sounded outside the heavy door. Only one man came in through the doorway, but Blade knew there must be at least half a dozen waiting outside. He and Serana had been trusted this far, because of the «message from Grasso.» They weren't going any farther until they'd explained themselves, and they might not even leave this room alive if they couldn't explain.

Haymi Razence looked as if some of the rats in his cellars were his relatives. He was barely five feet tall with a narrow face that seemed all nose and eyes. Lank black hair, thinning on top, trailed down on either side of his skull. In his belt he wore an unsheathed dagger nearly as long as his arm.

«Grasso has sent you?» Razence said. His voice was surprisingly deep for a man his size.

«Yes,» said Blade, and Serana nodded.

«You know that Grasso has given way in favor of Teodarn?»

«I did not,» said Blade.

«I think you had better tell me why you did not know this,» said Haymi. He backed away until he was just outside Blade's striking range, and his hand fell to his dagger hilt.

Serana slammed both hands down on the table, startling Razence into drawing his dagger. He was opening his mouth to call in the men outside when Serana stood up, stepped out from behind the table, and pulled the hood of her robe back from her face. Her hair had grown several inches since Blade began visiting her. Now she pulled it back, took a ribbon from her pouch, and tied her hair in a ragged pile on top of her head.

Razence's mouth opened wider and wider, but no sound came out. His fingers went limp and the dagger clattered to the floor.

Blade was tempted to pick it up, but instead said quietly, «Yes. It is the Lady Serana Zotair, back from the castle of the Wizard. She is not a ghost, and neither am I. Together we have escaped from the castle, and we bear with us all the Wizard's secrets.»

«You are-«Razence finally got his mouth closed long enough to get out a couple of words.

«I am Richard Blade, a traveler, warrior, and learned man. I am also an enemy of the Wizard, and wish to see Rentoro free of his power. I believe this can be done.»

Razence was now looking from Blade to Serana to the door and back to Blade. He was obviously wondering who in this room was mad-the man, the woman, himself, or all of them? Then Serana laughed.

«Haymi Razence, you doubt that I am Serana? Do not doubt it. I am the same Serana who helped your brother Murga bury the hunting dog Silver, just east of the three willows at the north bend of the River Oti, opposite the manor of Lord Figua.»

At this point Haymi Razence gave a remarkably good imitation of a man about to fall down in a fit. Blade started forward to help him, then stopped as Serana burst out laughing.

«Poor Haymi,» she said, when she caught her breath. «He will get over his shock soon enough. What I told him proves that I am indeed Serana. Murga Razence was one of my few playmates when I was a girl. Once we took out a hunting dog of my father's without his permission, and the poor beast was bitten by a snake. So we buried him secretly and said he ran off. Haymi is the only one we told the truth. No one could know exactly where we buried Silver except Murga and I, and Murga is dead.» The laughter died out of her face and voice. «He was poisoned by the Wizard's spies.» Then she sat down again, waiting with a queen's dignity for Haymi to get his voice back and put his thoughts in order. Her impatience showed in a foot that tapped steadily and a hand that clenched and unclenched itself.

She seemed very much in command and that was her right. This was her city, these were her people, and the dream of being free of the Wizard really belonged to the Rentorans. Blade had given them the key to victory, but from now on the fight was bound to be mostly in their hands.

Eventually Razence regained both his wits and his voice, sent his guards away, and drew up a chair. «Now, my lady, and Lord Blade-what secrets of the Wizard's magic do you bring from his castle?»

«All of them,» said Blade simply, and Serana nodded.

«If we act swiftly on what Blade has learned,» she said, «Morina can be free of the Wizard's power within weeks. All of Rentoro can be free before the snow falls. The Wizard may survive for a time, shut up in his castle. But it will have become his prison, not the seat of his power.»

«The Lady Serana speaks the truth,» said Blade. He fixed the innkeeper with a level stare. «She has also spoken to me of how some of those who hate the Wizard are slow to act. Or at least they were two years ago, when she was taken to the Wizard's castle. What will the Wizard's enemies in Morina be ready to do now?»

Razence took a deep breath. «If you can tell us how to break the power of the Wizard's magic, we will listen. We will do more than listen-we will strike. As long as we have some hope of victory, you may command us and we will obey.»

«It will still be dangerous,» said Serana quietly.

Razence's thin shoulders straightened. «That is doubtless true. But we are prepared to die under the swords of the Wolves, as long as we know that our children will not.» He turned to Blade. «Do not think that the men of Morina have ever been cowards, Lord Blade. It is easy enough to be brave when you risk no life but your own. It is less easy, when you know that you will see your father gelded, your wife ravished, your children flung from walls or spitted on swords, and then be burned yourself by slow fire.»

«I understand,» said Blade. «But that is at an end. First of all, the Wizard is not truly a magician. All his knowledge and arts are of this world, although many are not within the grasp of ordinary men. He is a very wise man, who has turned all his wisdom to evil.»

Blade went on from there, explaining everything he could about the Wizard without mentioning the man's origins. He didn't need to. The strategy they'd be using against the Wizard would be the same whether he'd come from Renaissance Italy or fallen from the sky as the legends said.

Razence managed to keep up with Blade's explanations, although he was obviously having to make an enormous mental effort to do so. Several times he asked Blade to repeat something and twice he asked Blade to stop entirely. Finally he rose, shaking his head like a man waking from a particularly vivid dream.

«I cannot decide on this matter by myself. Our people now have seven leaders, and I am only one of them.»

«Seven?» Serana frowned. «Isn't that letting too many know too much?»

Razence shrugged. «It might be, except that we cannot keep that much secret for long, no matter how hard we try. So we contrive as best we can. Even the Wizard's magic-«

«The Wizard's mental powers, Haymi,» said Serana gently.

«The Wizard's powers, then,» said the little man. «Even they cannot watch seven men all at once. Nor can his assassins slay seven men in a single night.»

«I understand,» said Blade. «Very well. Have the other six come here tomorrow, and I will tell them what I've told you. Then we can-«

«But the danger!» exploded Razence. «The Wizard's magic eye can fall on us, and he will then know-!»

Blade and Serana broke into roars of laughter. After a moment Razence blushed and sheepishly joined the laughter. Finally he shook his head. «I am sorry, my lady, my lord. My wits have never been the fastest in Morina, and what you have told me has not made them any faster. I forgot that the Wizard can no longer see anything in Morina, except through the eyes of his hired dogs.» His face became a grim mask that made Blade very glad he was not one of the Wizard's spies. «But how shall I protect them when they come?»

«The same way you were going to protect yourself against us,» said Blade. «Call your guards and post them at the doors to the Fountain. Let no one in or out until the men have gone.»

«Yes, yes, I can do that,» said Razence. He seemed to be eager to show that he understood Blade, whether he really did or not.

«Also do not send anyone out to kill the Wizard's spies until you can kill them all at once,» said Blade gently. «Otherwise some will get away.»

«Yes, yes, that also is true,» said Razence. With a visible effort he straightened up. «Now, is there-?»

«Yes,» said Serana. «You can give us one of your private rooms.»

«One room?»

«Yes.»

«Together?»

«Yes.» Serana's voice now had a bite to it. «Haymi, you ask too many questions. Go have the room prepared, and also a hot bath and as much food as you can find. We've come a long way, we're soaked to the skin, and we're hungry enough to roast you in your own hearth if we don't get fed and quickly!»

«Certainly, my lady. It shall all be done. At once.» Haymi backed away, nearly tripped over his own heels, and vanished out the door.

Blade shook his head. It looked as if he might have to go on giving orders in Morina after all. At least he'd have to until the people here realized what was happening and started thinking for themselves. He hoped the other six leaders of the rebels wouldn't be thrown into such confusion, but he wasn't going to hope for too much. He pulled up a chair beside Serana and sat with his arm around her until a boy came down to tell them their baths were ready.

Bathed and with a meal of beef, bread, and wine inside him, Blade began to feel more like a human being. He sat on the great chest at the foot of the bed in their room and raised his cup.

«To a free Rentoro.»

Serana smiled and reached over to clink her cup against his then drank. «Now, Blade,» she said, «you are coming to bed.» It was a command, not a question or even a polite request.

Blade stood up. «I thought you'd be fit for nothing but sleep, after this night.»

«Perhaps I once thought so too, but now I find that I don't. Blade, do you remember how much we hoped to some day share a bed without having to deceive the Wizard? Do you think I didn't hope for that as much as you?» She slid off the bed and came toward him, unknotting the sash of her chamber robe as she came. The golden flowered silk slipped to the floor and she reached him wearing nothing but perfume and her golden hair.

Then her perfumed beauty was pressing against Blade, and her lips were on his as if they wanted to suck out his life. He could feel her trembling with desire, feel his own desire rising to match hers, as she led him toward the bed.