Raven slammed through the door of the Lily. Shed looked up,
startled. Raven leaned against the door frame, panting. He looked
like he’d just stared his death in the face. Shed put his rag
aside and hurried over, a stoneware bottle in hand.
“What happened?”
Raven stared over his shoulder, at Darling, who was waiting on
Shed’s lone paying customer. He shook his head, took several
deep breaths, shuddered.
He was scared! By all that was holy, the man was terrified! Shed
was aghast. What could have gotten him into this state? Even the
black castle did not shake him.
“Raven. Come over here and sit.” He took
Raven’s arm. The man followed docilely. Shed caught
Darling’s eye, signed for two mugs and another stoneware
bottle.
Darling took one look at Raven and forgot her customer. She was
there with mugs and bottle in seconds, her fingers flashing at
Raven.
Raven did not see.
“Raven!” Shed said in a sharp whisper. “Snap
out of it, man! What the hell happened?”
Raven’s eyes focused. He looked at Shed, at Darling, at
the wine. He tossed off a mug in one gulp, slapped it down. Darling
poured again.
Her customer protested at being abandoned.
“Get it yourself,” Shed told him.
The man became abusive.
“Go to hell, then,” Shed said. “Raven, talk.
Are we in trouble?”
“Uh . . . No. Not we, Shed. Me.”
He shuddered like a dog coming out of water, faced Darling. His
fingers started talking.
Shed caught most of it.
Raven told her to pack. They had to run again.
Darling wanted to know why.
Because they’ve found us, Raven told her.
Who? Darling asked.
The Company. They’re here. In Juniper.
Darling did not seem distressed. She denied the possibility.
The Company? Shed thought. What the hell was this?
They are here, Raven insisted. I went to the meeting. I was
late. Lucky. I got there after it started. The Duke’s men.
The Custodians. And the Company. I saw Croaker and Elmo and Goblin.
I heard them call each other by name. I heard them mention Whisper
and Feather. The Company is in Juniper, and the Taken are with
them. We have to go.
Shed had no idea what in hell this was about. Who were these
people? Why was Raven scared? “How you going to run anywhere,
Raven? You can’t get out of town. The harbor’s still
frozen.”
Raven looked at him as if he were a heretic.
“Settle down, Raven. Use your head. I don’t know
what the hell is going on, but I can tell you this. Right now
you’re acting more like Marron Shed than like Raven. Old Shed
is the guy who panics. Remember?”
Raven managed a feeble grin. “You’re right. Yeah.
Raven uses his brain.” He snickered sourly. “Thanks,
Shed.”
“What happened?”
“Let’s just say the past came back. A past I
didn’t expect to see again. Tell me about this sidekick you
said Bullock’s been pulling around lately. Word I’ve
heard, Bullock is a loner.”
Shed described the man, though he could not recall him well. His
attention had been on Bullock. Darling positioned herself so she
could read his lips. She formed a word with hers.
Raven nodded. “Croaker.”
Shed shivered. The name sounded sinister when Raven translated
it. “He some kind of hired killer?”
Raven laughed softly. “No. Actually, he’s a
physician. Halfway competent, too. But he has other talents. Like
being crafty enough to come around looking for me in
Bullock’s shadow. Who would pay attention to him?
They’d be too worried about the damned Inquisitor.”
Darling flashed signs. She went too fast for Shed, but he
thought she was admonishing Raven, telling him Croaker was his
friend and would not be hunting him. It was coincidence that their
paths had crossed.
“Not coincidence at all,” Raven countered, both
aloud and by sign. “If they aren’t hunting me, why are
they in Juniper? Why are two of the Taken here?”
Again Darling responded too fast for Shed to catch everything.
She seemed to be arguing that if someone called the Lady had gotten
to this Croaker or another someone called Silent, Croaker would not
be here.
Raven stared at her a good fifteen seconds, still as stone. He
downed another mug of wine. Then he said, “You’re
right. Absolutely right. If they were looking for me, they would
have had me. And you. The Taken themselves would have been all over
us. So. Coincidence, after all. But coincidence or not, the
Lady’s top thugs are in Juniper. And they’re looking
for something. What? Why?”
This was the old Raven. Cool and hard and thinking.
Darling flashed, Black castle.
Shed’s humor vanished. Raven looked at the girl for
several seconds, glanced in the general direction of the black
castle. Then he looked at Darling again. “Why?”
Darling shrugged. She flashed, There is nothing else about
Juniper that would bring Her here.
Raven thought a few minutes more. Then he turned to Shed.
“Shed, have I made you rich? Have I gotten your ass far
enough out of trouble?”
“Sure, Raven.”
“Your turn to give me a hand, then. Some very powerful
enemies of mine are in Juniper. They’re working with the
Custodians and the Duke, and are probably here because of the black
castle. If they spot me, I’m in trouble.”
Marron Shed had a full belly. He had a warm place to sleep. His
mother was safe. He had no debts and no immediate threats hanging
over his head. The man opposite him was responsible. Also
responsible for saddling him with an agonized conscience, but that
he could forgive. “Ask. I’ll do what I can.”
“You’ll be helping yourself, too, if they’re
looking into the castle. You, me, and Asa. We made a mistake,
raiding the Catacombs. Never mind. I want you to find out whatever
you can about what’s going on in Duretile. If you need bribe
money, tell me. I’ll cover it.”
Puzzled, Shed said, “Sure. Can’t you tell me a
little more?”
“Not till I know a little more. Darling, get your stuff
together. We have to disappear.”
For the first time, Shed protested. “Hey! What’re
you doing? How am I supposed to run this place without
her?”
“Get that girl Lisa in here. Get your cousin. I
don’t care. We have to disappear.”
Shed frowned.
Raven said, “They want her more than they want
me.”
“She’s just a kid.”
“Shed.”
“Yes, sir. How do I get in touch, sir?”
“You don’t. I’ll get in touch with you.
Darling, go. Those are Taken up there.”
“What’re Taken?” Shed asked.
“If you have gods, Shed, pray that you never find out.
Pray hard.” And, when Darling returned with her meager
belongings, Raven said, “I think you ought to reconsider
leaving Juniper with me. Things are going to start happening around
here, and you won’t like them.”
“I have to take care of my mother.”
“Think about it anyway, Shed. I know what I’m
talking about. I used to work for those people.”
Raven slammed through the door of the Lily. Shed looked up,
startled. Raven leaned against the door frame, panting. He looked
like he’d just stared his death in the face. Shed put his rag
aside and hurried over, a stoneware bottle in hand.
“What happened?”
Raven stared over his shoulder, at Darling, who was waiting on
Shed’s lone paying customer. He shook his head, took several
deep breaths, shuddered.
He was scared! By all that was holy, the man was terrified! Shed
was aghast. What could have gotten him into this state? Even the
black castle did not shake him.
“Raven. Come over here and sit.” He took
Raven’s arm. The man followed docilely. Shed caught
Darling’s eye, signed for two mugs and another stoneware
bottle.
Darling took one look at Raven and forgot her customer. She was
there with mugs and bottle in seconds, her fingers flashing at
Raven.
Raven did not see.
“Raven!” Shed said in a sharp whisper. “Snap
out of it, man! What the hell happened?”
Raven’s eyes focused. He looked at Shed, at Darling, at
the wine. He tossed off a mug in one gulp, slapped it down. Darling
poured again.
Her customer protested at being abandoned.
“Get it yourself,” Shed told him.
The man became abusive.
“Go to hell, then,” Shed said. “Raven, talk.
Are we in trouble?”
“Uh . . . No. Not we, Shed. Me.”
He shuddered like a dog coming out of water, faced Darling. His
fingers started talking.
Shed caught most of it.
Raven told her to pack. They had to run again.
Darling wanted to know why.
Because they’ve found us, Raven told her.
Who? Darling asked.
The Company. They’re here. In Juniper.
Darling did not seem distressed. She denied the possibility.
The Company? Shed thought. What the hell was this?
They are here, Raven insisted. I went to the meeting. I was
late. Lucky. I got there after it started. The Duke’s men.
The Custodians. And the Company. I saw Croaker and Elmo and Goblin.
I heard them call each other by name. I heard them mention Whisper
and Feather. The Company is in Juniper, and the Taken are with
them. We have to go.
Shed had no idea what in hell this was about. Who were these
people? Why was Raven scared? “How you going to run anywhere,
Raven? You can’t get out of town. The harbor’s still
frozen.”
Raven looked at him as if he were a heretic.
“Settle down, Raven. Use your head. I don’t know
what the hell is going on, but I can tell you this. Right now
you’re acting more like Marron Shed than like Raven. Old Shed
is the guy who panics. Remember?”
Raven managed a feeble grin. “You’re right. Yeah.
Raven uses his brain.” He snickered sourly. “Thanks,
Shed.”
“What happened?”
“Let’s just say the past came back. A past I
didn’t expect to see again. Tell me about this sidekick you
said Bullock’s been pulling around lately. Word I’ve
heard, Bullock is a loner.”
Shed described the man, though he could not recall him well. His
attention had been on Bullock. Darling positioned herself so she
could read his lips. She formed a word with hers.
Raven nodded. “Croaker.”
Shed shivered. The name sounded sinister when Raven translated
it. “He some kind of hired killer?”
Raven laughed softly. “No. Actually, he’s a
physician. Halfway competent, too. But he has other talents. Like
being crafty enough to come around looking for me in
Bullock’s shadow. Who would pay attention to him?
They’d be too worried about the damned Inquisitor.”
Darling flashed signs. She went too fast for Shed, but he
thought she was admonishing Raven, telling him Croaker was his
friend and would not be hunting him. It was coincidence that their
paths had crossed.
“Not coincidence at all,” Raven countered, both
aloud and by sign. “If they aren’t hunting me, why are
they in Juniper? Why are two of the Taken here?”
Again Darling responded too fast for Shed to catch everything.
She seemed to be arguing that if someone called the Lady had gotten
to this Croaker or another someone called Silent, Croaker would not
be here.
Raven stared at her a good fifteen seconds, still as stone. He
downed another mug of wine. Then he said, “You’re
right. Absolutely right. If they were looking for me, they would
have had me. And you. The Taken themselves would have been all over
us. So. Coincidence, after all. But coincidence or not, the
Lady’s top thugs are in Juniper. And they’re looking
for something. What? Why?”
This was the old Raven. Cool and hard and thinking.
Darling flashed, Black castle.
Shed’s humor vanished. Raven looked at the girl for
several seconds, glanced in the general direction of the black
castle. Then he looked at Darling again. “Why?”
Darling shrugged. She flashed, There is nothing else about
Juniper that would bring Her here.
Raven thought a few minutes more. Then he turned to Shed.
“Shed, have I made you rich? Have I gotten your ass far
enough out of trouble?”
“Sure, Raven.”
“Your turn to give me a hand, then. Some very powerful
enemies of mine are in Juniper. They’re working with the
Custodians and the Duke, and are probably here because of the black
castle. If they spot me, I’m in trouble.”
Marron Shed had a full belly. He had a warm place to sleep. His
mother was safe. He had no debts and no immediate threats hanging
over his head. The man opposite him was responsible. Also
responsible for saddling him with an agonized conscience, but that
he could forgive. “Ask. I’ll do what I can.”
“You’ll be helping yourself, too, if they’re
looking into the castle. You, me, and Asa. We made a mistake,
raiding the Catacombs. Never mind. I want you to find out whatever
you can about what’s going on in Duretile. If you need bribe
money, tell me. I’ll cover it.”
Puzzled, Shed said, “Sure. Can’t you tell me a
little more?”
“Not till I know a little more. Darling, get your stuff
together. We have to disappear.”
For the first time, Shed protested. “Hey! What’re
you doing? How am I supposed to run this place without
her?”
“Get that girl Lisa in here. Get your cousin. I
don’t care. We have to disappear.”
Shed frowned.
Raven said, “They want her more than they want
me.”
“She’s just a kid.”
“Shed.”
“Yes, sir. How do I get in touch, sir?”
“You don’t. I’ll get in touch with you.
Darling, go. Those are Taken up there.”
“What’re Taken?” Shed asked.
“If you have gods, Shed, pray that you never find out.
Pray hard.” And, when Darling returned with her meager
belongings, Raven said, “I think you ought to reconsider
leaving Juniper with me. Things are going to start happening around
here, and you won’t like them.”
“I have to take care of my mother.”
“Think about it anyway, Shed. I know what I’m
talking about. I used to work for those people.”