“What about wings?” Arthur didn’t want to try flying through snow and cloud, but the weather might improve. A good pair of wings might get him quickly up to the Scriptorium. “Have you got any?”
“We have no wings at all,” said Elibazeth firmly.
She got up from behind the desk and walked out. Arthur followed her, his mind still occupied with trying to work out what to do. Since flying was apparently out, the canal seemed the best option for getting higher up the mountain, but he would freeze without better clothes. There was also the likelihood of attack by the Nithlings and other enemies. It would be best to keep moving, to avoid a direct confrontation.
“Hey, Elibazeth!” he called out as they entered the gold-pouring chamber and the noise and heat assailed him once more. “Where can I find some Paper Pushers? And have you got any spare leather aprons?”
Elibazeth turned back with a frown. “The Paper Pushers maintain a wharf a half parsang west of the mill,” she said, pointing in a direction that Arthur quickly revised from what he had been calling south. “Aprons are for approved guild members only-”
“I need two,” interrupted Arthur. He figured he could wear one in front and one behind, kind of like a cloak. The aprons were thick leather-they’d insulate him and keep the snow off. They might provide enough protection to save him from hypothermia without having to resort to the powers of the Key.
“I suppose in your case we must make an exception,” said Elibazeth. She clapped her hands, a surprisingly sharp sound that cut through the bass rumble of the hammers. A Denizen returning from unloading ingots ran over, listened to her instruction, then ran off to fetch several thick leather aprons for Arthur.
“Now, I really must get on,” said Elibazeth. She bowed her head and stalked over to the pool of gold, going far closer to the molten metal than Arthur would be able to without sorcerous protection.
Arthur took his aprons and walked quickly back to the door. He was almost there when it opened and Jugguth rushed in. He saw Arthur, slid to a halt, and saluted.
“They’re coming, sir! From the south!”
“How many? How far away?” Arthur slid the apron over his head and did up the ties, then put the other one on backwards and tied it at the front. Because they were made for Denizens, they came down almost to his ankles-it looked a bit like he was wearing a leather dress, but Arthur didn’t care.
“Three, sir!”
“Three!? Only three Fetchers?”
“No, no, not Fetchers, sir. I don’t know what they are. Two are your size, and one is about twice as big and much wider. They have on uniforms, sir.”
“What color uniforms?” Arthur asked quickly.
“Pale yellow coats, a fair bit of white in the pigment,” said Jugguth. “With big black fuzzy hats. One has a long spear.”
“New Nithling uniforms,” said Arthur. “One of the Piper’s near-Denizens with two Piper’s children ... I wonder ... Anyway, how far away are they?”
“They’ll be outside by now,” said Jugguth. “I watched them for a long time to make sure I knew what I was looking at. You can take a look through the mail slot if you like.”
Arthur sighed.
So much for a quick getaway before any enemies arrive, he thought.
“I’ll take a look,” he said. “You go back up and watch out for anyone else, and this time, come and tell me as soon as you see something.”
“Yes, sir!” shouted Jugguth. He saluted and spun around so fast that he lost his balance and almost cannoned into Arthur, who had to step back. The Denizen spun around twice more before stopping himself and running back through the doorway. Arthur waited for him to go through and shut the door, then moved the handle to gain entry to the portico and went through himself.
Someone was knocking on the outer door. A polite rata-tat-tat, not the smashing blows of a weapon.
“Hello, anyone home?” asked someone outside. The voice echoed through the mail slot.
Arthur frowned and cocked his head to one side. The speaker sounded familiar, though he couldn’t quite place it, with the echo. He walked forward, careful to stay out of line with the mail slot, which he noted was open. He didn’t want to be stuck by a spear through that gap.
But he could be seen, and there was a sharp intake of breath on the other side of the door.
“Arthur?” asked the voice. “Arthur!?”
“Suzy!”
Arthur took a step, ready to open the door, then stopped himself. It sounded like Suzy, but he couldn’t be sure. Even if it was her, she might have been sorcerously forced to obey the Piper and would treat Arthur as an enemy. jugguth had described New Nithling uniforms and one of the three outside must be one of the Piper’s soldiers.
There was a muffled exchange beyond the door, then another voice sounded through the mail slot.
“Ray ... I mean, Arthur ... it’s me, Fred. Can you let us in? It’s freezing out here.”
Fred and Suzy, thought Arthur. With a New Nithling soldier.
“Stand back!” Arthur called out. He waited till he heard footsteps crunching in the snow, then he gingerly crouched down a foot or so away from the mail slot and looked out ... hoping for the best and expecting the worst.
Chapter Eight
It was getting dark outside. The sun-or suns, since there might be more than one high above the clouds-was setting. In the twilight, made still darker by the steady fall of snow, Arthur studied the faces of the two Piper’s children and the male Denizen or New Nithling who stood between them.
The two children certainly looked like Suzy Turquoise Blue and Fred Initial Numbers Gold, but they were in the uniforms of the Piper’s army, and the soldier between them was definitely a New Nithling. He appeared to be a Denizen at first, but Arthur saw that he had seven fingers on each hand and the small dent in the middle of his forehead under the black fur hat was not a bruise but a third eye, a quarter the size of the other two.
Arthur looked out for ten long seconds, blinking his eyes against the cold wind that blew in through the slot. He didn’t know what to do, or think. He badly wanted to let Suzy and Fred in, but he couldn’t help remembering what Dame Primus had said: All the Piper’s children were suspect ... and he was alone.
Finally, he looked away. Staring at the ground, he spoke.
“I don’t think I can let you in. You’re in the Piper’s uniform, so you serve him now.”
“Not on purpose!” called out Suzy. “He made us wear the uniforms, but he never got around to ordering us to do anything else. It’s me, Suzy Turquoise Blue! I never do what I’m told anyway. I’m definitely not going to obey the Piper ... ah ... urg ...”
Arthur looked out again. Suzy was on her knees in the snow, struggling with a rope or something that was around her neck. Arthur couldn’t quite see it, but it was strangling her. Fred was trying to get his fingers under it without success, but the Nithling soldier was paying no attention, instead looking back out across the snowy plain.
“Of course she’ll obey!” shouted Fred. “We both will! We’ll follow orders! Nod your head, Suzy!”
Suzy nodded desperately. Fred let go of the noose or stranglecord, and the girl took a huge intake of breath and then burst into a paroxysm of coughing.
“What was that?” asked Arthur.
Fred pulled his collar down and took a few paces closer to the door. Arthur still couldn’t see clearly, but there was something around Fred’s neck. A thin line of writing-a tattoo perhaps.
“The Piper put a spell on us,” said Fred. “If we disobey a direct order, or talk about disobeying, it chokes us. But we were never ordered to attack you, Arthur, or anything like that. We got away first. Can we come in and get warm and talk?”
Arthur hesitated. He really wanted to have Fred and Suzy as friends again, and talk over everything. But he just couldn’t be sure they could be trusted.