'Still don't want to be a corpse, rich one or not,' Kam said, Boren nodding sternly alongside him.
'I understand that,' the lady said, 'and yet I expect many, if not all of you, to die before the job is over.'
'What sort of offer is that?' spluttered Boren, looking about to rise and walk out until Kam eased his bristle-haired friend back onto his box.
'I think I understand,' Kam said slowly, 'but how can we trust you in this? There's no reason for you to let any of us live, or for you to contact our villages ever again once we're dead. If your friend delivers the money there's a trail back to you, and that's something you can't afford.'
'How can you trust me? You can't, I suppose, but I think you know how you can believe I'll keep to my word on this.' She sighed. 'You've guessed who I am, and that trail you spoke of hardly matters now.'
Ignoring Boren's puzzled expression, Kam thought for a while, trying to piece everything together in his mind. He controlled the sudden surge of revulsion he felt in his heart.
'With due apologies, folk aren't saying good things about you;' he pointed out. 'Your word might yet be worth nothing.'
Not saying good things? the voice of his younger self screamed in his mind, you fucking bitch-whore traitor, you want to drag me down with you, have my name cursed alongside yours, maybe even send me to the Dark Place to see what welcome awaits you?
He said nothing more, but both his fists were clenched tight, as though desperately fighting the urge to pull his knife.
Poor 1 might be, traitor I'm damn well not… And yet…
And yet I've got a family and barely enough to feed them through the winter, and there are rumours of more Elven attacks when the summer comes. We barely survived last time; those army outriders almost caught us last winter. If it hadn't been for Boren's boy chasing after that fool dog we'd not have had any warning-
'Well, I don't know who you are,' Boren said, breaking into Kam's bitter memories of the previous winter. 'How about you let me know so I can be in on this deal too?'
She raised her chin and said, 'I am the Dowager Duchess of Lomin.'
Boren managed to cut off his hiss of surprise. Now he had to shut up. He and Kam had been friends their whole lives and Boren knew that he could trust Kam's sense better than his own temper. He folded his arms over his chest and lowered his head, a sign Kam knew well meant Boren was aware he'd regret the next words that came out his mouth.
'I'm guessing there's only one thing that you'd want from us, but I don't see how we'd break your son out of prison. There's twenty of us, and I doubt the Lord Isak is giving your son many noble privileges. If he's in the city gaol, there's more than three times our number of regular guards, and if he's in the palace cells then there's an entire legion of Ghosts in the way.' Kam leaned forward, his box creaking. 'I'm sorry, my Lady, but I don't see what you're expecting of us.'
'You are correct that my son is being kept in squalor at the palace,' she said, 'but his trial will either be a civil affair, in which case it will take place at the Temple of Law on Irienn Square, or if the Synod's efforts to take over the trial prove successful, in a place yet to be designated – however, I do not believe that will happen. The man I will send to you tomorrow will bring the architectural plans for the Temple of Law, which is where I am sure my son will be transferred for the trial.'
'So Duke Certinse is out the palace, but that doesn't help us. You could send us a full company of hurscals and we'd still be outnumbered by the Ghosts guarding him. So I ask again: what is it you want?'
Kam saw her lip waver briefly, and she fought to compose herself.
He's her only child, and that's the reason her promise means a damn; whatever they say about her can still be true; it doesn't change the fact that she loves her only son more'n anything else in the Land.
'What I want from you,' she said in a carefully measured tone, 'is whatever you can do to help. If there is a chance to break my son out, I will have men with horses waiting, and I will devote the remains of my fortune to helping you and your families. Whatever the outcome, my associate here will not be involved; he will return to Siul, where he will organise the troops to protect your villages. He will also pass on the promised payment.'
'You can't really believe there's much chance of breaking your son out?' Kam asked, and immediately regretted his words as the long-threatened tears finally spilled from the duchess's eyes.
'You have no need to remind me of that,' she said after a moment, regaining her composure. 'But you will permit me to hope against hope? It is all I have left now.' She straightened up, but made no attempt to wipe the tears from her face. 'There is another service you can do him, though.'
'There is? ' Kam looked blank, until he remembered the only public execution he'd ever seen. 'Oh, yes, I see what you mean.'
'It is what I want,' the duchess said in a stiff voice. 'That white-eye filth intends to execute my son as a traitor. The trial will be a sham, for the conclusion is already set. I do not know what manner of execution Lord Isak intends, but I am certain there is no depravity beneath him. To speak plainly, as you desire, I say this: I will do what I can for your families, if you will do the same for mine. If all I can give to my son is his dignity in death, then I would be glad to deny Lord Isak this final cruelty after the sacking of our home, the destruction of our family name and the death of my brother, among many other crimes.
'I chose you precisely because you are not mercenaries or assassins. I do not expect anyone to get out of there alive, and that will be their mistake: they will not be expecting anyone to act without care of the consequences. I know you have no wish to die; I believe you to be good men, honourable men. And for the sake of your families I believe you will take this terrible risk and I say to you now, if you die failing, it will not affect the payment…' Her voice tailed off.
Kam found himself holding his breath until she spoke again, this time with a resonance that struck at his heart.
'You are the sort of men who will risk all for your families, and in this I do not believe we are so different. I will do whatever I can to provide a diversion. And if by my own death I can offer one of you the chance to survive to see their children again, I will willingly do so.'
'They say you're a mage, that you've made pacts with daemons,' Boren whispered, causing Kam to jump at the sound.
The duchess shook her head, sadness in her face rather than the anger Kam would have expected. 'I have no such power, and those mages in our service are now dead. I do have something that may provide the necessary distraction, but I cannot be certain how well it will work, so it may be that revealing my identity is all that I can offer. Do not trust that it will do any more than turn heads for a moment.'
Kam looked at Boren, whose anger had clearly faded to nothing now, and stood.
'I'll have to discuss this with the others. When your man finds us tomorrow, you will have vour answer.'
'Thank you,' she said, her voice sounding hollow. 'Once I would have said you will be in my prayers forever, but I have none of those left. You are my final prayer – I cannot stomach any more begging of Gods who have obviously never cared for me – but perhaps the Lady will look kindly upon you and grant you luck, for one day at least.'
CHAPTER 6
Ashin Doranei thought hard about turning round in his seat and glaring at whoever was smoking that heavily spiced tobacco; it had been tickling the back of his throat for an hour or more and it was really starting to annoy him. After a few moments' thought he decided against it – chances were he'd just fall off his stool if he tried anything so acrobatic.