Mikal heard the other occupant of theroom trying to use a striker and said, “I need to keep my nightvision. The alleys of Melbin are full of rats tonight.”
“Very well,” the mysteriousvoice answered. “Father’s illness was just part of the Contest. Ihave no knowledge of the gambler who threw the dice. No one knowsthe whereabouts of Mother. Some are planning to ask King Alfred toprovide a home for her if she can be located.”
“I would think that there aresafer places for her to visit,” Mikal said gruffly. “Still, someonemust look after her.”
“There is some degree ofbitterness in that statement,” chuckled the voice. “The invitationwill be offered. She may choose to accept or decline.”
“What else have you heard?”Mikal questioned.
“There is no longer a safetynet at home,” came the answer. “The dungeon is filling up and thereis the threat of emptying it in a harsh way. Your Cousin is one ofthem. That is all I have for you, I’m afraid. Don’t stay away solong next time.”
Mikal quietly offered thanks and afarewell as he slid out the door into the dark corridor. Crackingthe door to the alley, Mikal peered out looking for any passersby.Seeing none he stepped out into the alley and made his way towardsthe busy, wide street. The alley was dotted with small, blackalcoves and Mikal was halfway to the street when he heard a scrapeon the ground from one he had just passed.
Mikal immediately stooped as he spunaround to face his attacker. The knife just barely passed over hishead and Mikal threw a forceful punch up between the attackerslegs. A whoosh of breath smelling of cheap ale was expelled fromthe attacker and Mikal grabbed the man’s legs and straightened hisown, tossing the large attacker over his shoulder. Mikal spunaround and knelt on the man’s neck as he grabbed both of the man’swrists with his large callused hands. Smashing the man’s handsagainst the ground, Mikal was rewarded by the sound of the knifefalling to the ground.
The man tried to struggle beneath himand each time, Mikal put pressure on the man’s neck with his knee.Eventually, the man stopped struggling and Mikal said only one wordsoftly, “Name?”
When the man didn’t answer, Mikalincreased the pressure of his knee and asked the question again.Finally, the man answered, “Hanjel.”
“I should have known it wouldbe you,” Mikal said grimly. “First, you had no pride in yourposition. Now, you have too much pride, or is it hatred? This willmake the second time that I have spared your life, Hanjel. Therewill not be a third. Make no mistake about it. Even if you stand inthe presence of King Alfred, if I see you again, I will killyou.”
Mikal quickly snatched the fallenknife, rose and walked out of the alley to continue with hiscontacts, without looking back.
* * * *
Fredrik returned to the Fluttering Jiband walked up to his room. The other three Rangers were waitinganxiously. The disappointed looks on their faces were obvious whenFredrik entered the room alone.
“Wouldn’t the King see you?”asked Tanya.
Fredrik slumped down on his bed andshook his head. “The King saw me,” he answered. “I thought I hadhim ready to release Niki to me, but all he offered was her bodyafter she is executed. The woman whom Niki attacked is the Lady ofCaldar and she demanded her execution. The King has agreed toplease her.”
The room went suddenly quiet and Arikstarted pacing the floor. After the continuous sound of Arik’spacing drove everyone to irritability, the others made him sitdown.
“There is no option left butto break her out,” Tanya concluded. “If only we could figure outwhere they are holding her.”
Fredrik perked up at his chance tooffer something useful. “I know where she is,” he chirped. “I sawher, but she was sleeping. There are cells dug into the ground onthe Palace estate. They have a moat around a large area with cellsand a mechanical device that extends a narrow bridge over it. Theytook me to verify that Niki was the woman whom I wasafter.”
“Where about on the estate isthis island?” Arik demanded.
“It is as far from the Palaceas you can get and still be on the estate,” Fredrik explained.“There is a large wall around the entire estate, but I did not seeany guard towers. I did pass two roving patrols while they had meout, but I didn’t see anyone stationary at that end of theestate.”
“Great,” exclaimed Arik. “Wecan scale the wall and get her out.”
“Why would they leaveprisoners so exposed?” queried Tedi. “They must put some value onkeeping their prisoners locked up. There is something missinghere.”
“There is quite a bit missingif you will let me finish,” scolded Fredrik. “The bridge mechanismis locked with a key the guard carries. It also makes a tremendousnoise when it is operated and if we try to use it, we will bekilled or captured.”
“Can’t we just swim across themoat?” asked Tanya.
Fredrik shook his head tossing his darkbrown hair over one eye. “I wouldn’t advise that,” he sighed. “Themoat is filled with hungry reptiles. Some of them were twenty feetlong. I heard the guards laughing about feeding time, which, Igather, is seldom, but their gnashing teeth could easily tear yourlegs off. Also, the cell, itself, is locked and the pit is too deepfor her to climb out of. Even if it wasn’t that deep, you wouldhave to wake her up without her screaming her head off.”
“Why hasn’t Niki used hermagic to get out of the cell?” quizzed Arik. “Does she know anyspells that would help her escape? I mean, why is she just sleepingwhen she should be raging to get out?”
“A good question,” added Tedi.“Are you sure she was alive, Fredrik?”
“I thought she was justsleeping,” Fredrik replied thoughtfully, “but you are right. Thatis not like Niki at all. She would be screaming and cursing andthrowing any spell she could conjure.”
“The King would not hold apublic execution with a dead prisoner,” Tanya postulated. “Theymust have drugged her or knocked her out. They were probably afraidof her magic powers. Now we have to add to the list our need tocarry her once we open the cell.”
“Whatever we do will have tobe done later tonight,” declared Arik. “Let’s split into two teams.One team will eat now while the other tries to get a look at thisisland from the outside. When they return, we will switch. When thesecond team comes back we will meet here and discuss ideas forgetting her out.”
“Tedi and I will eat first,”declared Tanya. “You two go and get a look. Fredrik can show youwhere it is and you can draw us a map when you return,” she said toArik.
They all agreed and Fredrik led Arik tothe spot where he thought the island might be. The wall was a goodtwenty feet high and the boys could not see over it. The trees inthe area were not tall enough to get a good look over the wall andthere were too many people in the area to start climbing the walleven if they could.
Fredrik looked around the area and hiseyes stopped on a three-story house across the street. Fredriktapped Arik on the sleeve and marched across the street and knockedon the door. At first he thought no one would answer, but when hewas about to open the door and go in, a middle-aged woman openedthe door.
“What is it?” she demanded.“If it’s something you’re selling, be off with you.”
“Madam,” Fredrik puffed up,“do I look like a lowly merchant? My agent sent me by to examinethe house.”
The woman gave Fredrik a looking overand eyed appraisingly at his red velvet suit. “Agent? What agent?Whatever are you talking about?”
“The property agent, ofcourse,” snapped Fredrik. “Look, I am offering an outrageouslylarge sum of money for this house and I don’t appreciate my timebeing wasted with foolish games. Are you going to let us in orshould I buy your neighbor’s house?”
“I don’t know nothing about .. .” faltered the woman. Her eyes sparkled as she changed her tune.“I mean to say that your agent was not gracious enough to inform methat you would be coming this evening. Come in, please.”