A long time had passed and nothing had happened. The Taken were
not pleased. Neither was Elmo. He dragged me into his quarters.
“Were the hell did Raven go, Croaker?”
“I don’t know,” I told him. As if he were the
only one disturbed. I was scared and getting more so by the day.
“I want to know. Soon.”
“Look, man. Goblin’s done everything but torture
people trying to pick up his trail. He flat vanished. He got wind
of us somehow.”
“How? Will you tell me how? We’ve been here half our
lives, it seems like. And nobody else down there has noticed. Why
should Raven be any different?”
“Because we were around looking for him. He must have
spotted one of us.”
“If he did, I want to know that. You hike on down there
and light a fire under Goblin’s ass. Hear?”
“Right. Whatever you say, boss.” Though he commanded
the advance party, technically I outranked Elmo. But I was not
about to press for prerogatives at the moment. There was too much
tension in the air.
There was stress throughout Duretile, and I did not understand
most of it. I remained on the periphery of the Taken’s study
of the black castle. Just another messenger boy, a foot-slogger
bringing in data from the city. I hadn’t the slightest notion
what they had discovered by direct examination. Or even if they
were studying the castle directly. They could be lying back, afraid
they would alert the Dominator to their presence.
One of the men located me in Elmo’s quarters.
“Whisper wants you, Croaker.”
I jumped a foot. Guilty conscience. “What for?” I
had not seen her for weeks.
“You’ll have to go see. She didn’t say.”
He sneered, hoping he would see an officer in the soup. He figured
I was in trouble.
He figured that; so did I. I dawdled as much as I dared, but
eventually had to present myself. Whisper glared at me as I
entered. “You people haven’t found a damned thing down
there. What are you doing? Dogging it? Taking a vacation? Well, say
something.”
“I . . . ”
“Do you know the black castle stopped growing after our
raid on the Crater group? No? Why not? You’re supposed to be
finding out these things.”
“None of the prisoners accounted for
the . . . ”
“I know that. I know none of them knew who the main body
supplier was. But that supplier must have known them. He packed up.
There have been just two bodies delivered since. The latest just
last night. Why didn’t you know that? Why have you got people
in the Buskin? They seem incapable of learning anything.”
Oh, she was in a mood. I said, “Is the deadline close or
something? The way I understood it, we wouldn’t be in trouble
if only a few bodies were delivered.”
“True. As far as it goes. But we’ve reached a point
where a handful might make all the difference.”
I bit my lower lip, tried to look properly chastised, and
waited.
She told me: “The Lady is pressing. She’s very
nervous. She wants something to happen up here.”
So. As always, the shit rolls downhill. The normal course would
be for me to go out and tromp on somebody below me.
“Half the problem is, we don’t know what’s
going on. If you claim you know what the castle is, how it’s growing
and so forth, how come you don’t go over and kick it down? Or
turn it into grape preserves or something?”
“It’s not that simple.”
It never is. I tend to overlook political ramifications. I am
not politically minded.
“Maybe once the rest of your company gets here. The city
will have to be controlled. The Duke and his incompetents
couldn’t manage that.”
I stood there looking expectant. Sometimes that will con people
into telling you more than they plan.
“The city will go up in flames if it’s not buttoned
up tight when the truth comes out. Why do you think the Custodians
are so determined to keep the Catacombs thing hushed? Several
thousand citizens have relatives who went into that monstrosity.
That’s a lot of people who’ll get very irate about the
souls of loved ones being lost.”
“I see.” I did a little. It took a certain willing
suspension of reason, though.
“We’re going at this from a different angle,”
she told me. “I’m taking charge of your investigations.
Report to me daily. I’ll decide what you’re going to
do, and how. Understand?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Only too well. It was going to
get that much more difficult to keep her and Raven apart.
“The first thing you’ll do is set a watch on the
castle. And if that doesn’t shake something loose, I’ll
send Feather down there. Understand?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Again, only too well.
I wondered if Whisper suspected we were working at
cross-purposes.
“You can leave. I’ll expect you back tomorrow. With
something to report.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I went straight back to Elmo, fuming. He should have faced her,
not me. Just because I’d sort of taken over.
I was with Elmo barely long enough to tell him what had happened
when a messenger came from Bullock. He wanted to see me right
away.
Bullock was another problem. I’d become convinced he was
smarter than he put on, and was almost as sure that he suspected we
were up to more than we admitted.
I eased into his cubicle in the secret police headquarters.
“What’s up?”
“I’ve made a little headway on the Catacombs raid.
Result of pure stubborn footwork.”
“Well?” I felt pretty curt about then, and he raised
an eyebrow. “Just had a face-to-face with my boss,” I
told him, which was as near an apology as I cared to come.
“What have you got?”
“A name.”
I waited. Like Elmo, Bullock liked to be coaxed. I was in no
mood to play that game.
“I followed up your notion about rented wagons. Turned up
the name Asa. A wood-gatherer named Asa was, probably, working
through the hole I showed you. A man named Asa spent a number of
old coins, but before the raid on the Catacombs. A man named Asa
worked for Krage before he and his men disappeared. Everywhere I
go, it’s Asa-this or Asa-that.”
“Anything to connect him with the black castle?”
“No. I don’t think he’s a principal in
anything. But he must know something.”
I thought back. Bullock had mentioned this name once before,
referring to a man who hung around the same place as Raven. Maybe
there was a connection. Maybe I ought to find this Asa before
anybody else did.
“I’m headed down to the Buskin,” I said.
“Direct orders from her holiness. I’ll have Goblin
round the guy up.”
Bullock scowled. There had been some ill will when he found out
that we had put men into the Buskin without consulting him.
“All right. But don’t play any more fast shuffle with
me, eh? Your people and mine aren’t after the same things,
but that’s no reason to undermine each other, eh?”
“You’re right. We’re just used to doing things
different. I’ll see you when I get back.”
“I’d appreciate that.” He eyed me in a way that
said he did not trust me anymore. If ever he had. I left thinking
the Company and I were into it deep. Trouble on every hand.
Juggling with too many balls in the air. Only we were juggling
knives with poisoned edges.
I hustled on down and looked up Goblin, told him about our
escalating troubles. He was no happier than Elmo or I.
A long time had passed and nothing had happened. The Taken were
not pleased. Neither was Elmo. He dragged me into his quarters.
“Were the hell did Raven go, Croaker?”
“I don’t know,” I told him. As if he were the
only one disturbed. I was scared and getting more so by the day.
“I want to know. Soon.”
“Look, man. Goblin’s done everything but torture
people trying to pick up his trail. He flat vanished. He got wind
of us somehow.”
“How? Will you tell me how? We’ve been here half our
lives, it seems like. And nobody else down there has noticed. Why
should Raven be any different?”
“Because we were around looking for him. He must have
spotted one of us.”
“If he did, I want to know that. You hike on down there
and light a fire under Goblin’s ass. Hear?”
“Right. Whatever you say, boss.” Though he commanded
the advance party, technically I outranked Elmo. But I was not
about to press for prerogatives at the moment. There was too much
tension in the air.
There was stress throughout Duretile, and I did not understand
most of it. I remained on the periphery of the Taken’s study
of the black castle. Just another messenger boy, a foot-slogger
bringing in data from the city. I hadn’t the slightest notion
what they had discovered by direct examination. Or even if they
were studying the castle directly. They could be lying back, afraid
they would alert the Dominator to their presence.
One of the men located me in Elmo’s quarters.
“Whisper wants you, Croaker.”
I jumped a foot. Guilty conscience. “What for?” I
had not seen her for weeks.
“You’ll have to go see. She didn’t say.”
He sneered, hoping he would see an officer in the soup. He figured
I was in trouble.
He figured that; so did I. I dawdled as much as I dared, but
eventually had to present myself. Whisper glared at me as I
entered. “You people haven’t found a damned thing down
there. What are you doing? Dogging it? Taking a vacation? Well, say
something.”
“I . . . ”
“Do you know the black castle stopped growing after our
raid on the Crater group? No? Why not? You’re supposed to be
finding out these things.”
“None of the prisoners accounted for
the . . . ”
“I know that. I know none of them knew who the main body
supplier was. But that supplier must have known them. He packed up.
There have been just two bodies delivered since. The latest just
last night. Why didn’t you know that? Why have you got people
in the Buskin? They seem incapable of learning anything.”
Oh, she was in a mood. I said, “Is the deadline close or
something? The way I understood it, we wouldn’t be in trouble
if only a few bodies were delivered.”
“True. As far as it goes. But we’ve reached a point
where a handful might make all the difference.”
I bit my lower lip, tried to look properly chastised, and
waited.
She told me: “The Lady is pressing. She’s very
nervous. She wants something to happen up here.”
So. As always, the shit rolls downhill. The normal course would
be for me to go out and tromp on somebody below me.
“Half the problem is, we don’t know what’s
going on. If you claim you know what the castle is, how it’s growing
and so forth, how come you don’t go over and kick it down? Or
turn it into grape preserves or something?”
“It’s not that simple.”
It never is. I tend to overlook political ramifications. I am
not politically minded.
“Maybe once the rest of your company gets here. The city
will have to be controlled. The Duke and his incompetents
couldn’t manage that.”
I stood there looking expectant. Sometimes that will con people
into telling you more than they plan.
“The city will go up in flames if it’s not buttoned
up tight when the truth comes out. Why do you think the Custodians
are so determined to keep the Catacombs thing hushed? Several
thousand citizens have relatives who went into that monstrosity.
That’s a lot of people who’ll get very irate about the
souls of loved ones being lost.”
“I see.” I did a little. It took a certain willing
suspension of reason, though.
“We’re going at this from a different angle,”
she told me. “I’m taking charge of your investigations.
Report to me daily. I’ll decide what you’re going to
do, and how. Understand?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Only too well. It was going to
get that much more difficult to keep her and Raven apart.
“The first thing you’ll do is set a watch on the
castle. And if that doesn’t shake something loose, I’ll
send Feather down there. Understand?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Again, only too well.
I wondered if Whisper suspected we were working at
cross-purposes.
“You can leave. I’ll expect you back tomorrow. With
something to report.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I went straight back to Elmo, fuming. He should have faced her,
not me. Just because I’d sort of taken over.
I was with Elmo barely long enough to tell him what had happened
when a messenger came from Bullock. He wanted to see me right
away.
Bullock was another problem. I’d become convinced he was
smarter than he put on, and was almost as sure that he suspected we
were up to more than we admitted.
I eased into his cubicle in the secret police headquarters.
“What’s up?”
“I’ve made a little headway on the Catacombs raid.
Result of pure stubborn footwork.”
“Well?” I felt pretty curt about then, and he raised
an eyebrow. “Just had a face-to-face with my boss,” I
told him, which was as near an apology as I cared to come.
“What have you got?”
“A name.”
I waited. Like Elmo, Bullock liked to be coaxed. I was in no
mood to play that game.
“I followed up your notion about rented wagons. Turned up
the name Asa. A wood-gatherer named Asa was, probably, working
through the hole I showed you. A man named Asa spent a number of
old coins, but before the raid on the Catacombs. A man named Asa
worked for Krage before he and his men disappeared. Everywhere I
go, it’s Asa-this or Asa-that.”
“Anything to connect him with the black castle?”
“No. I don’t think he’s a principal in
anything. But he must know something.”
I thought back. Bullock had mentioned this name once before,
referring to a man who hung around the same place as Raven. Maybe
there was a connection. Maybe I ought to find this Asa before
anybody else did.
“I’m headed down to the Buskin,” I said.
“Direct orders from her holiness. I’ll have Goblin
round the guy up.”
Bullock scowled. There had been some ill will when he found out
that we had put men into the Buskin without consulting him.
“All right. But don’t play any more fast shuffle with
me, eh? Your people and mine aren’t after the same things,
but that’s no reason to undermine each other, eh?”
“You’re right. We’re just used to doing things
different. I’ll see you when I get back.”
“I’d appreciate that.” He eyed me in a way that
said he did not trust me anymore. If ever he had. I left thinking
the Company and I were into it deep. Trouble on every hand.
Juggling with too many balls in the air. Only we were juggling
knives with poisoned edges.
I hustled on down and looked up Goblin, told him about our
escalating troubles. He was no happier than Elmo or I.