Prin said, “What do we do about this man?”
El added, “You don’t want him running to this mage with his tales. But, I may have a solution. Two of them, in fact.”
Three sets of eyes fixed on the carpenter. Sara said, “You’ve been a good friend. What are you thinking?”
“My cousin owns four merchant ships, all small, but he earns a good living. He takes on men who wish to learn to sail at times. I could speak with him.”
“No,” the watcher said immediately, scuttling away, fear in his eyes.
Sara took him by his shoulder and drew him closer. “Why not? El could have one of his men beat you until you can’t talk, or cut your tongue out. But enough of threats. Think about your life so far, and what it will be like tomorrow and the day after. It’s not a pretty thing.”
El reached out and took him by his greasy hair, turning the man to face him. “She’s right, my friend. You have no job, someone threw away the clothes you wear. Besides, you’re so poor you don’t even eat every day, do you?”
The man shook his head.
El continued, “I’m offering you a chance. A future, and skill to last a lifetime working on my cousin’s ship. You should be on your knees thanking me.”
“What do I have to do?”
El placed an arm around his shoulder and said, “Come with me.” He glanced at Sara, I’ll be back later. Don’t go out for any reason.”
When the lock snapped closed, Sara said, “He’s a good man. We were lucky to find him.”
Prin said, “He could turn us in for a reward from the young mage. I’d worry, but for the way he looks at you when you’re not looking at him.”
Sara giggled, “I’m not blind. Get up to the loft and begin your lessons.”
Prin raced her to the top. She recited the alphabet and the sounds each letter makes, then the combinations of letters like sh, ch, and st, and the sounds each of them makes. Her printing had become so good Sara recognized all the letters. Some needed more practice, but she had progressed to the point of reading familiar words. Sara had made a list three columns long of words she would see in the books repeatedly, mostly three and four letter words.
But Prin was impatient. She wanted to read a book. Sara had taken the first page and rewritten it, splitting the words into syllables she could sound out. While she worked on reading the page, Sara settled where she could keep watch out the window at the street. She probably didn’t think Prin noticed.
Prin asked for help several times but found she could often make out a word by reading the one before and after. Soon, she put Sara’s paper aside and attacked the second page in the book. She made her way slowly down three full lines before asking for help.
“You’ve really got it,” Sara declared with a broad smile that didn’t quite look real. “It will just take more practice.”
“You’re worried. I can tell.”
“Think about how much money that young mage must be spending to research all the young girls who arrived in Indore in the last month, and I’m wondering how many other mages, bounty hunters, and assassins came with the mage.” Sara kept her attention focused on the street.
“What did you expect to see out there?” Prin asked, setting aside her book.
“A few people hunting you in a city much smaller than this would be hard to evade, but here I expected we could hide and all would be well.”
The relationship between them had often been strained, and awkward much of the time, as each adjusted to their roles. Prin had trouble acting the part of the younger sister, but Sara didn’t like taking direction from a girl not much older than a child.
Prin hesitated while thinking. When she spoke, she had again assumed the role of authority again, “I am fifth in line to the throne of Wren, if you also count the King as one of those ahead of me. As I’ve told you, two of those will not accept it because of age, and the king’s son is said to be ill and have no interest in ruling. Killing me almost assures the next person in line the throne. Or the next, with one more murder.”
“Do you want to be the queen?” Sara asked.
“I was a fire starter for most of my life, so my goal was to one day become a cook. Nothing more. The idea of being queen won’t fit into my head.”
“Then, announce you will give the throne up! This can all be over.”
“No, I can’t do that. While I’m not sure if I want it,” she hesitated before completing her thought out loud. “What I do know, is that I won’t be forced off it. Besides, I promised Sir James I wouldn’t give it up. I gave my word.”
Sara said, “Oh, Prin, be sure of what you do. You have to know this is the right thing to do.”
“I am.”
“How can you be so certain?”
“Last night I thought about it and considered giving up the crown and finding a place to live in safety, a hole to crawl into and leave all that behind me, but couldn’t bring myself to do it. After deciding I have no choice because of who I am, I looked at the painting of my mother and father. They were both smiling. They were telling me I was doing the right thing.”
Sara said, “Then that settles it.”
“I might even be a good queen. I’ve lived as a servant. I’ve seen what wretched lives they live. Maybe I can make a difference.”
Prin paced the floor as if she hadn’t heard. She spun on a heel and said, “Know what else? I need to know what is happening at home. I need a few spies to help and feed me information. I need find out who is behind doing this to me and then I’m going to squash them.”
“How are you going to do all that?” Sara asked softly, cowed by the vehemence in Prin’s voice.
“I have gold, probably enough. My father had friends. Sir James had friends. I’m sure they will help. And most of all, I have you.”
Prin put her head down and started sounding out syllables as if she intended to learn all of them by the end of the session. She was still hard at work when a knock sounded. Sara went to answer it and brought El up to the loft.
He perched on the edge of the kitchen table. “I took that guy who was outside spying on you to my cousin, and he is now locked in a closet aboard a ship that sails tonight. Not my cousin’s ship because none of his departs until tomorrow and I wanted that man away from here. My cousin called in a favor.”
“That’s great,” Sara said. “But it also gives that poor man a chance to become a sailor and learn to work while he eats every day. His life will be better.”
“But I have bad news, too. This mage that appeared suddenly in Indore has the entire city talking and hunting for a girl as if he’s possessed. He’s hired more than just the men who are watchers, and has offered fantastic rewards for information--rewards beyond anything we’ve ever seen or heard of. The person who finds the girl will never have to work again.”
Prin felt herself blanch, but Sara continued speaking, “What is so special about her?”
“Nobody knows. But in the bazaar, I found he is not the only one searching or offering rewards. They say a steady stream of bounty hunters and worse have crossed the mountain pass to the west for days and days, all trying to find that one small girl.” His eyes flicked to Prin. “I’m sure this will all end soon, but if that girl is smart, she will leave this city. . . if she is here.”
Sara said, “The roads will be blocked.”
“There are other ways.”
“El, what are you trying to tell us?” Sara demanded.
He winced at the sharpness of her voice but said, “I am making no accusations, I am just a builder who knows nothing. We, the three of us, are simply having a conversation. I cannot tell what I do not know if anyone should ask or torture me, but there are things I do know. Hundreds, maybe thousands of people are searching for a girl that looks very much like Prin, and I wouldn’t want such a mistake to be made. She might be innocently arrested at any time, perhaps this very day, so we’re talking as friends to prevent a terrible error from being made.”