Owyn said, ‘Could someone have put a lookalike on the road to Romney ahead of us?’
James shrugged. ‘Maybe. It’s been done before. I saw a double of the Prince years ago in the sewers of Krondor. If it hadn’t have been for muddy boots, he might have convinced people he was Arutha and played havoc with things for a while.’ He shook his head and said, ‘But I doubt it. From what the old woman said, this fellow Lysle’s been around here a while. It may just be a coincidence. A while back some fellows up in Tannerus kept trying to beat me up for something done by some other fellow until I convinced them I wasn’t that person. Twice, in less than a year, makes me think there’s someone walking around who resembles me, and from what I’ve heard, he’s not doing me any favours with the resemblance.’ He waved the innkeeper over.
‘Have you seen me before?’ asked James.
‘Can’t say as I have,’ said Ivan.
‘But you thought you had, earlier,’ observed James.
‘No, I said I thought you were someone else.’
‘Who?’ asked James.
‘Lysle Riggers,’ said Ivan. ‘Local scoundrel, truth to tell. Has his hands in a lot of … questionable activities. Still, he’s also a good man to know if you need something done, if you know what I mean.’
‘I do,’ said James. ‘Have you known this fellow long?’
‘On and off, off and on, maybe ten years or so,’ said Ivan. ‘He comes and he goes. Sometimes he’s here for a month, then gone a year, other times he’s here a year, then gone a month. Never can say what he’s up to.’ He looked at all three in turn. ‘Can I get you anything else?’
‘No, that will be all,’ said James.
‘What now?’ asked Owyn, yawning from the effects of drinking early in the day.
James said, ‘I’m heading back to chat with my old friend Graves. You might do well with a nap. And tonight we’ll go listen to Duke Guy lecture local youths about the Battle of Armengar.’
Gorath said, ‘I may stay here. I already know about Armengar. I was there.’
James grinned. ‘So was I. But we’ll go. It’s not politic to disappoint a duke, my friend. It can cause troubles if you do.’
Gorath’s answer was an inarticulate snort, but he stood and said, ‘I am going to scout around. From what the old woman said, some of my people may have been nearby. I will look for any signs.’
‘Good,’ said James, standing up. ‘We all have something to do.’
James and Gorath left, and Owyn went to where Ivan stood cleaning glasses behind the bar. ‘Could I rent a room for tonight?’ he asked.
‘Normally I’d be happy to oblige,’ said Ivan. ‘But the King’s men have taken them all.’
Owyn asked, ‘Is there another inn nearby?’
‘There’s one a half day’s ride to the west, though I wouldn’t recommend it. And there’s another a half day’s ride to the east, but I wouldn’t recommend it, either.’
‘Perhaps a spot in your barn?’
‘King’s men won’t allow it, lad. Sorry.’
Owyn turned away and decided to catch up with James. If he couldn’t nap, perhaps he might find something interesting to study at the Ishapian abbey.
Much to James’s surprise, there were a fair number of attendees at Guy’s lecture on the Battle of Armengar. Owyn sat nearby looking sleepy. He had returned to the makeshift abbey and managed to find some books to read. He had become engrossed in one that touched on magic and found several things of interest.
During the talk James had elbowed Owyn twice as the young man was about to drop off to sleep. As the lecture wrapped up, James was forced to admit the old commander of the defences at Armengar had been truly brilliant in his tactics. The mere fact that a fair number of survivors reached Yabon safely while the Teeth of the World had swarmed with goblins and moredhel looking for human refugees had been an accomplishment.
The audience applauded politely when Guy concluded his remarks and several young nobles from the area approached to talk to the Duke. James said, ‘Wait here,’ and went to make his goodbyes to Guy.
When he returned, he said, ‘Let’s go.’
‘Where?’ asked Owyn. ‘There’s nowhere to sleep in town.’
‘We can sleep on the floor at the abbey and get a fresh start in the morning.’
‘Good,’ said Owyn yawning. ‘I’m all in.’
‘You’d better learn to hold your ale, Owyn,’ said Jimmy with a grin.
They moved down the road and James wasn’t surprised to find Gorath suddenly beside them, though Owyn nearly leaped sideways when the dark elf materialized out of the evening gloom.
‘Find anything?’ asked James.
‘Tracks. Moredhel have been through here recently.’
‘What else?’
‘A fair number of people are passing to the north of town, not through it.’
‘We can assume they don’t wish to be seen. Which way were they going, east or west?’
‘Both. A lot of people moving in both directions, but keeping out of sight.’
James shook his head in consternation. ‘Damn, I don’t like any of this.’
They remained silent as they reached the abbey. ‘Well,’ said Graves, as they entered the former common room, ‘how was the lecture?’
‘Could have used a singer,’ said James with a straight face.
‘Duke Armand de Sevigny will be lecturing here next month,’ said Graves, ‘and Baldwin de la Troville the month after.’
James assured him, ‘I’ll try not to miss the lectures. Have you a place we can sleep tonight?’
‘You’re welcome to bed down under the tables here in the commons, Jimmy; but the rooms upstairs are being used by the brothers or for storage.’
‘Under the tables will be fine,’ said Owyn, unrolling his bedding from his travel bundle. Gorath did likewise without comment.
James sat opposite the thief-turned-cleric and, keeping his voice low, said, ‘Why here, Ethan?’
The Abbot shrugged. ‘I don’t know, Jimmy. You know the order wants to be close to Sethanon,’ he said. ‘There’s a rough village forming up a few miles south of the old city but nothing you’d call a proper town. It’s still a decent trading route, though, and some folks seek to profit by caravans and traders passing by. It would be too obvious for us to try to build an abbey there. But here we can be circumspect and still send a brother up there to snoop around from time to time, just to ensure nothing disturbs the status quo.’
‘I noticed the next two lecturers are men Bas-Tyra trusts.’
Graves nodded. ‘There’re too many strange things going on for him to do otherwise. Some of the other nobles …’ he shrugged. ‘They’re not as trustworthy as they could be.’
