Walter closed his eyes in resignation. “I probably shouldn’t ask, but is there any way to remove the necklace without triggering this explosion?”
I smiled, “Yes, actually there are two methods that I know. The best is for me to remove it without disturbing the enchantment. The other is for someone to sever your head at the neck, allowing the necklace to fall free without being damaged.”
He brought his hand up to grasp the silver chain. “You should have killed me,” he said solemnly. There was a look of ineffable sadness in his eyes. “I’m half tempted to finish myself now.”
I had to work hard to keep my face smooth. “That’s your choice,” I said, concealing my worry. “Until you decide to do that… who paid you to kidnap my wife and mother?”
“No one,” he replied. “I wasn’t paid. It was by order of King Edward… or so his agents told me.”
I had expected as much, though I had thought it would take longer to get the answer. “Even the King pays his servants. Surely you didn’t spend weeks skulking about my castle watching me and preparing for nothing but the glory of serving your monarch,” there was a bitter tone to my words.
“He has my wife and children.”
I went still and our eyes locked for a long moment. I had sensed no deception in his reply, but his answer made me suspicious nonetheless. The only explanation he could give that might deflect some of the blame was that he was acting under duress, and I couldn’t be certain he didn’t know some method for hiding his falsehoods. He had already shown that he knew certain types of magic I was otherwise ignorant of. Finally I spoke, “That’s an easy answer for you to make.”
He didn’t waver, “I have no other.”
I decided to leave that issue aside for later. “How long were you observing us here?”
“Almost two months,” he answered promptly.
“What were your orders, in specific?” I asked.
Walter hesitated, “If the King discovers I’ve been taken prisoner, and talked to you… he’ll kill one of my children, or something worse.”
I leaned in to stare into his eyes, “My wife and unborn child have joined the ranks of the living dead thanks to your efforts. Eventually I’ll have to find her and render her corpse to ash to give her peace. I’m having some difficulty feeling much sympathy for you.”
His eyes widened, “The shiggreth?”
It hadn’t occurred to me that he wouldn’t have known what happened to his party after he was captured. “They were ambushed by them in the forest, just a few miles from Lancaster. None of them escaped alive.”
Walter’s face registered genuine shock, “I had no idea.”
For some reason his chagrin reminded me of the night that I had slain the night watchman guarding the royal warehouses. Of course I hadn’t been kidnapping anyone, but a number of people had died that night, starting with Jonathan Tucker and eventually culminating with my father. “That’s what happens when you roll the dice and take risks with other people’s lives Walter, some of them get hurt,” I said bitterly.
“You didn’t mention your mother,” he said suddenly. “What happened to Miriam?”
Hearing a complete stranger use her name like that was a bit of a surprise, until I remembered that he had been observing us closely for two months. Ask him who healed Miriam; his answer should help you understand, Penny’s words ran through my head. “You healed her didn’t you?”
He looked down for a moment, “Yes I did. Ruth… that’s the mercenary who was in charge of our group, Ruth stabbed her.”
“Why did you bother?”
“I never wanted to do any of this. Miriam was a gentle soul, I didn’t want to see her hurt, or anyone else in your family for that matter,” he said softly.
That was when I felt my first pang of empathy for the man. “What are your children’s names?” I asked on a sudden whim.
“Elaine, my daughter, is the oldest. She will be sixteen this year. My boy, George, just turned eleven last month.”
The name George rang a bell in my mind and I remembered my father’s letters. “George… is he named after your father?”
Walter looked up, “No, George was my older brother.”
That surprised me; I had assumed that the George Prathion my father had known was this man’s father. I made a mental note of the fact before continuing, “How long has it been since you saw your children Walter?”
“Four years.”
I stood up. “I still don’t know if I believe you Walter. But if you’re telling the truth I’ll do my damnedest to make sure they’re safe again.”
The older wizard’s eyes stared at me intently, and I could see both hope and fear written on his face. I turned away and opened the door. “I’ll check on you again in a few days. Rest up and heal, we can talk more then. If you try to escape, or if you aren’t here when I return… I’ll assume you were lying and kill you.” I snapped my fingers to illustrate my point. I could feel his eyes still watching me as I shut the door.
Chapter 30
I stepped away from the teleportation circle and looked around, within seconds my senses told me the house was empty, both Rose and Marc had gone elsewhere. That’s rather inconvenient, I thought to myself. I had hoped to find both of them at the house. That would have simplified my task. They needed to know what had happened to Dorian and Penny. Deep down I was slightly relieved though, I was dreading the conversation. Still, they had to be told and I couldn’t leave the task to someone else.
A piece of paper caught my eye; it had been tacked to the doorframe leading into the hallway. It was ideally positioned so that I wouldn’t fail to notice it after arriving. I took it down and recognized Rose’s elegant handwriting immediately.
Dear Mordecai,
I’m sorry there’s no one here to meet you, but I decided to return to my own home. I have been away from it for quite a while now and there were a number of matters that needed my attention. If you need to see me quickly please seek me there. My house is located at 17 Hightower Street, not far from the traditional Hightower residence. I’m sure you remember it, since you broke in there once.
Marc hasn’t been back in several days either and he may not return for a week or more. He has contrived a plan to gain access to certain religious archives. I won’t say more regarding it here, but I will be glad to give you more information when I see you next. Assuming he hasn’t already returned by then. I’m rather worried for his sake, as usual his idea is bold and daring, not to mention risky.
I found a suitable blacksmith for you. His name is Gavin Traylor and he’s a rather accomplished journeyman. He trained under Brian Turbrook, the chief weaponsmith and armorer for King Edward himself. His skills are excellent and he should probably have been promoted to master already in his own right, which I believe is the reason he seeks to leave the capital. My guess is that his teacher has kept him back for fear of creating undue competition for himself.
In any case, his difficult circumstances have created a wonderful opportunity for you. He readily agreed to your terms and should be arriving in Washbrook within a week or two. He said he would make the trip as soon as he had finished arranging his affairs and packing his own tools and such.
If that were not good news enough, I have another surprise for you as well. Peter and Lily Tucker showed up on your doorstep just a few days after you left. They seem to have had a change of heart and were interested in seeking employment in your Excellency’s service. I wasn’t sure what you would have wanted but I felt fairly safe in offering them terms on your behalf. Even now they are making the journey to Washbrook. I told Peter that you had need of another messenger and I told Lily that you needed more help among the castle staff.
As for their motivations… you can be sure there is more to that story than I know.
Last, and certainly not least, you should be aware that I spoke with my father, regarding a certain friend of yours. He responded very positively and hopefully you can arrange for Dorian to make a trip to the capital soon. Given your talents I don’t think it would be too much of a hardship. When you see Penny be sure to tell her. I think she will be almost as excited as I am. She and I have much to plan for. Say nothing to Dorian however… I don’t want you to spoil my news.