James said, ‘I’m certain we’ve stamped out most of them in the area.’
Baron Corvallis was almost beside himself with glee. Then his mood turned darker. ‘Most?’
‘There’s some business I think needs to be finished by Sixthday, then I think you’ll be safe from the Guild of Assassins, m’lord.’
Corvallis said, ‘Owyn, you couldn’t have awakened me for better cause.’ To James he said, ‘I must pen a missive to Arutha, commending you to him for your good works this day.’
‘Thank you, sir,’ said James, ‘but I’ll be sending my own report to the Prince.’
‘No false modesty, my boy.’ He put a fatherly hand on James’s shoulder. ‘You must take praise where it comes. You might not be a squire all your life. Who knows, with a friend in court, and with recommendations such as mine, why some day you might rise to the rank of baronet or even baron!’
James grinned. ‘One never knows.’
‘Well, then,’ said the Baron, turning toward the door. To Peter he said, ‘Provide these gentlemen with whatever they need.’ To Owyn he said, ‘I can’t tell you how pleased I am. I look forward to your company on Sixthday.’
He hurried out, and Owyn asked, ‘What now?’
James looked at the mess and said, ‘I think some sleep is in order.’
He retrieved his sword from where it had landed, cleaned it off on the tunic of the last dead Nighthawk, and as Peter the Grey returned to the commons, said, ‘Master Grey, there’s another dead one up in our room. Please remove it as well.’
‘Oh, my word!’ said the innkeeper.
‘He’s here,’ said Owyn, hurrying into the room. Gorath and James had been resting on their beds, trying to relax after the fury of the night before.
James said, ‘You’re certain it’s him?’
‘Dandy, wearing fine clothing, and Ugyne is riding behind him with her head on his shoulder, just to annoy her father.’
‘That’s our man,’ said James. ‘Let him find us already half drunk.’
They hurried downstairs to an empty commons, and found things ready as James had requested. A chessboard had been set up and James had positioned the men as he wanted. Several empty tankards had been left nearby, and he signalled for Peter to bring over three half-filled.
Owyn sat opposite James and said, ‘I hope you don’t expect me to comment on this game. I have no idea what I’m looking at.’
‘Good,’ said James, ‘because your part is to do nothing but look confused.’
Owyn’s brow furrowed as he said, ‘Well, I can do that with conviction.’
The door opened a short while later and Ugyne came in, almost skipping, leading by the hand a person who could only be Navon du Sandau. He was what James expected: tall, dressed in black with a white scarf around his neck. He wore a neatly trimmed pointed beard, a golden earring with a large diamond, and several golden chains which hung down his chest. He walked easily, with his left hand upon his sword hilt. James noted that while the hilt of the sword was decorative too, it was well worn, and the blade was almost certainly sharp and well-oiled. It was a rapier, and the only other man James knew who preferred the rapier as a weapon of choice was the Prince of Krondor. Light and agile, the rapier was a deadly weapon in the hands of a master, but in the hands of a novice, it was an easy way to get killed.
James had no doubt that Navon was a master. As Ugyne approached she said, ‘Owyn, I have someone I want you to meet.’
Owyn looked up and said, ‘Good. You can save me from humiliation.’
Ugyne introduced Owyn, James and Gorath, and said, ‘This is my friend, Navon du Sandau.’
James nodded, doing his best imitation of a man who had started drinking early. He nodded slightly to Owyn who said, ‘I think I should resign.’
With a smile, du Sandau said, ‘Don’t resign. Your position is difficult, but not hopeless.’
Owyn looked at James who again nodded slightly and Owyn said, ‘Would you care to take over? I’m out of my depth.’
Navon said, ‘If James doesn’t mind?’
James shrugged. ‘By all means. It was simply a friendly game; no stakes.’
Owyn stood up and stepped aside and Navon took his place. He studied the board and said, ‘My move?’
James nodded. ‘It’s black’s move.’
Navon studied the board and moved exactly as James had expected. James knew Navon was almost certainly a far better chess player than he was, but he had positioned the pieces as they had been during a game with the Keshian ambassador, Lord Abdur Rachman Memo Hazara-Khan, only he had been in Navon’s position then. The ambassador had taken great pains to explain James’s mistake to him after the match and the game was etched in James’s memory. Navon had moved exactly as Lord Hazara-Khan had told James he should have moved in that long-ago game.
Ugyne showed Owyn a silver locket with a tiny emerald in it. ‘See what Navon brought me?’
Owyn nodded appreciatively and watched the match. Both men took great pains to consider every option before they moved. After three moves James was convinced that should this game run its course, Navon would eventually win. Only by starting from a position of dominance was he able to appear competent enough to keep Navon’s interest.
Gorath stood up, as if bored, and moved toward the door. ‘I’ll be back shortly,’ he said to no one in particular.
This was Owyn’s cue, and he said, ‘Oh, Ugyne, do you remember that odd book on the family?’
‘Which book?’ asked the girl.
‘The one with all those strange stories in it. You showed it to me when we were little. It was written by some cleric.’
‘Oh!’ she said, her eyes wide. ‘You mean The Abbot’s Journal! Yes, I do. It’s funny, but I lent it to Navon here, a while ago, so he could learn about the family.’
Owyn said, ‘Oh, I was hoping to read something in it I remembered from when I was a boy.’
James studied his opponent. If he was paying attention to the exchange behind him, he was a master of control. Not a twitch or flinch or even the slightest urge to turn and look at Owyn was evident. He was fixed upon the board before him.
Owyn asked, ‘Navon, do you have the book with you?’
‘What?’ he asked, looking over. ‘Book?’
‘The family journal,’ said Ugyne. ‘I lent it to you a month ago.’
‘Oh, that,’ he said offhandedly. ‘I left it at home. I’ll return it next week.’
James nodded slightly, and Owyn returned the nod. He went to his backpack, which was on the floor behind Navon and withdrew the journal from the pack. He put the book upon the table next to the board.
Suddenly Navon rose, overturning the table as he did so, knocking James on his back. He threw an elbow at Owyn’s chin, stunning the young magician.
Ugyne shrieked in alarm, and said, ‘Navon! What is it?’
The man grabbed her by the wrist and turned her arm behind her back. He held her before him as he began backing toward the door. James came to his feet with his sword drawn, and saw Navon retreating. ‘Stand back or I’ll kill her,’ he shouted, drawing his sword.
Ugyne shouted, ‘You bastard!’ and stepped down as hard as she could on his instep. While he hopped backward, she twisted away.
