A terrified-looking stableboy said, ‘Sir, my master is unwilling to serve your … friend.’ He indicated Gorath.
Muttering, ‘I wouldn’t quite call him a friend,’ James tossed his reins to the boy and marched in the rear door of the inn. Owyn and Gorath hesitated a moment, then followed.
Inside, James saw a large man, advancing in years, but still broad of shoulders with imposing muscle under a broad girth, turn to see who entered from the stable yard. He pointed a beefy finger at Gorath and said, ‘You! I told you I’ll have none of your kind in my inn!’
James hurried to put himself between the innkeeper and Gorath. ‘And just what kind would that be?’ he asked.
The man looked down at James, appraising him and coming to a halt. The young man was quite a bit smaller, but something in his manner made the barman stop. ‘Dark elves! Fifteen years I served on the border, and I’ve killed enough of his kind to know them. They killed enough of my comrades, as well. And who the hell are you to ask?’
James said, ‘I’m Seigneur James, squire to Prince Arutha of Krondor. He’s my companion and we’re on a mission for the Crown.’
‘And I’m the Queen of Banapis,’ said the innkeeper in return.
James grinned as he reached into his tunic and produced his warrants. ‘Well, Majesty of Love and Beauty, read these, or else I’ll have to go fetch Earl Richard to vouch for me, and let’s see how much he likes being dragged over here given the temper of the city right now.’
The old man could read, but slowly, with his lips moving. James didn’t offer to help him out. After a moment, he handed back the documents. ‘Damn, you are some sort of Prince’s officer, aren’t you?’
James shrugged. ‘If I were in the army, I’d be a Knight-Lieutenant, if that makes it easier for an old soldier like you to grasp. Now, I want a room big enough for the three of us, ale, and food.’
The man threw a black look at Gorath and turned his back on James. ‘Come this way … sir.’ He led them to the bar and went behind it. He produced a large iron key and said, ‘Top of the stairs, all the way back on the right.’ James took the key, when a light entered the man’s eyes. ‘Six golden sovereigns a night.’
‘Six!’ said James. ‘You thief!’
‘It’s two per person. Take it or leave it.’
Knowing full well that the fifty lancers would eat up a lot of rooms at local inns, James said, ‘We’ll take it.’
‘In advance.’
James counted out twelve coins and said, ‘Two nights. If we stay longer, we’ll pay the day after tomorrow.’
The man swept up the coins. ‘And that doesn’t include the cost of food or ale,’ he said.
‘I was sure of that,’ said James. To Owyn and Gorath he said, ‘Let’s fetch our kits, then we’ll eat.’
They got their travel bags off their horses, ensured the stableboy knew what he was doing, and went upstairs. As James had expected, it was the least desirable room in the inn, at the back over the stable. He decided not to make an issue of it.
Downstairs they endured slow service, even though there wasn’t much of a crowd. James was deciding at what point he would have to take the old soldier who ran the place down a peg when the food finally arrived. To James’s delight, it was well prepared and of good quality.
As they ate, they discussed the situation. James shared the little information he had with them, and Owyn said, ‘So the Nighthawks are working for the Riverpullers or the Ironmongers?’
‘Neither,’ suggested Gorath. ‘Confusion and discord are Delekhan’s allies here in the Kingdom.’
‘I believe Gorath is correct. I don’t know if the Nighthawks are in league with this Crawler, Delekhan, or both, or if we’ve just wandered into a conflict that has nothing to do with our mission, but either way it’s to Delekhan’s benefit. Which means we must help to end it.’
‘How?’ asked Owyn.
‘Find out how this thing started, and see if we can figure out a way to get the two sides talking to one another. If the Earl can mediate the conflict, perhaps we can return this city to something close to order. Those lancers can only hold down the lid on this simmering pot so long; sooner or later someone’s going to pull a sword or break a head, and a full-scale city riot will be under way.’ He lowered his voice even more. ‘And if most of the city’s constabulary is on one side or the other, even those fifty lancers won’t be able to stop it.’
Owyn nodded. ‘What do you want us to do?’
Pointing to Gorath, he said, ‘First light tomorrow, I’d like you up snooping outside the city. You know what to look for.’ To Owyn he said, ‘Do you know any of the prominent families of Romney?’
‘Not well,’ said Owyn, ‘but as my father’s a baron and I’ve got enough names to drop around, I should be able to get an invitation to tea or supper from someone around here.’
James said, ‘Good. I’ll snoop around.’
‘Where?’ asked Owyn.
James grinned. ‘In parts of the city where wise men fear to go.’
Owyn nodded. ‘What else?’
‘Do you know a Baron Cavell, north of here?’ asked James.
Owyn finished a mouthful of food. ‘Corvallis of Cavell? I should. He’s my uncle. My mother’s uncle, actually, but only a few years older than her. Why?’
‘Richard of Romney says he’s being stalked by the Nighthawks.’
Owyn said, ‘That doesn’t surprise me. Uncle Corvallis always had a hot temper and an unforgiving nature. Made it easy for him to collect enemies. Still, I find it hard to imagine that anyone wants him dead.’
James shrugged. ‘That’s what Earl Richard said the Baron of Cavell claims.’
Gorath said, ‘If they wanted him dead, he’d be dead.’
James said, ‘Well, according to Richard, your uncle Corvallis is hiding out in a room in a house in the middle of Cavell Village, with armed guards in every room.’
Owyn nodded. ‘The old keep was gutted mysteriously in a fire years ago. The family’s been living in the best house in the village since then, and talking about restoring the old keep, but at this point it’s still abandoned.’
James said, ‘Well, we might have to go talk to your uncle if we can’t find the Nighthawks down here.’
Gorath observed, ‘I haven’t noticed much difficulty in finding them.’
James nodded agreement. ‘Too true.’
They finished their meal and turned in for the night.
The shout had barely registered on James the next morning and he was out of bed, grabbing his trousers and boots. Gorath was also awake and reaching for his sword. Owyn stirred on his pallet next to Gorath’s and said, ‘What?’
‘Sounds like a riot is commenced,’ said Gorath.
James listened to the sound and said, ‘No, it’s something else.’
He finished dressing and hurried down the hall to the stairs to the common room. As he approached the front of the building he could hear the voices from out in front. The landlord stood at the door to his inn, listening as people hurried by.
‘What is it?’ demanded James.
With a dark look, the innkeeper said, ‘Murder. The cry is murder has been done in the night.’
