Lander said nothing. Brin raised an eyebrow as if daring him to comment, and after a moment Lander could hold back no more. "Two Red Wizards and a Chessentan mage," he said softly. "The same customers you were going to sell the beljurils to."
"Exactly." Bor came brushing through the curtains and handed Brin a mug of ale that was only slightly smaller than his head. The halfling raised it to Lander. "I'm going to offer them the chance to bid on something even better than beljurils. Something completely unique, very kindly brought west by Kuang Li Chien. An artifact of Shou Lung that contains the power of the sun itself-" Brin gave a calculating grin so cold it made Lander shiver. "-the Yellow Silk of Kuang!"
CHAPTER 9
Something not quite right brought Li's eyes open sharply. White light filtered into the shed through the gap under the roof-the light of early morning reflected off new snow. Around the sound of Tycho's snoring, he could hear the ocean and the wooden creak of boats at their moorings, the sounds of a port coming to life.
He could hear the heavy tramp of feet in new snow, a curse on the ocean weather, the slap of flesh on flesh as someone took a sharp cuffing.
The sounds of men about no good business.
He turned swiftly, reaching out and clamping a hand over Tycho's nose and mouth. The bard's eyes shot open. He sucked air against Li's palm and might have struck out if Li hadn't grabbed his hand.
"What was that? " came a voice from outside.
"Nothing, Bor. Nico just broke wind."
The second voice was Lander's. Tycho froze and his eyes went wide. Li took his hand away. For a moment, they both lay very still, listening.
"Damn snow."
"For the last time, keep your mouth shut. You'll draw the Bitch Queen's ire!"
The sound of another cuffing and a whining grunt of pain. Serg's voice. "Damn sailor superstitions! I'm not cursing the sea. I'm cursing the snow! "
"Sea, sea weather-same thing."
"I'm no sailor!"
"I guess you've got no plans to ever go anywhere on a boat, then, hey?"
The bickering voices drew close to the shed. Underneath them, Li could make out another sound: a kind of wet snuffling accompanied by heavy breathing. Tycho went pale. Li gave the bard a puzzled look. Tycho pushed the end of his nose up and crinkled his face in imitation of a pig.
Of Black Scratch. Lander had the boar with him. In parts of Shou Lung, some types of pigs were used like dogs to sniff out things. Brin must have set Black Scratch to the same task. Li swallowed and silently blessed the snow as enthusiastically as Serg cursed it.
The snuffling sound receded, though the voices were still close. Li rose silently and stepped up to the wall. Raising himself on his toes, he could just peer out through the mesh that covered the air gap under the roof. As he had guessed, a layer of wet new snow covered the ground outside, though the day was warming and it was already showing signs of melting. Lander and his men-Serg still wearing his waitao!-were taking their time sauntering up the street. In spite of the insults they tossed at each other, the five men looked about sharply. Li froze as Lander's gaze swept over the shed, but from his distance and angle, the man must not have been able to see anything through the tight mesh. His gaze moved on.
Black Scratch was across the street, trotting along like a big, ill-tempered dog. His tracks marked a crisscrossing pattern in the snow, though. Only moments ago, the beast had passed within a few yards of their hiding place. Li let out a thin sigh. A narrow escape, he thought.
Tycho nudged him. The bard was standing at his side but even on his toes was too short to see out. He mimed peering outside. Li nodded curtly and gestured in the direction Lander and his men were headed and motioned for Tycho to remain calm. The thugs were moving on. They hadn't been discovered.
Out on the street, Lander stopped abruptly, looking ahead sharply. Li stifled a curse and twisted his head to try and see what he was looking at.
More men were coming along the street. This group, however, wore the uniforms of city guards and they were looking around just as intently as Lander's men were. Li stifled another curse. Walking at their head was Mard Dantakain.
Tycho's face was twisted in frustration but Li waved him down. Outside, Lander and Mard were eyeing each other mistrustfully as the two groups met. Lander spoke first. "Captain Dantakain."
"Lander." The captain glanced distastefully at the men before him and at Black Scratch. "What are you doing out from under your rock so early?"
"Out for a stroll."
Mard didn't seem fooled. Or interested. "So are we."
"Fine day for it."
"I won't keep you standing, then. Olore." He strode forward, forcing Lander to hop out of his way. Lander grunted and snarled at his men-they all moved aside. Thugs and guards separated, each group moving a little faster now, eager to put distance between themselves. Within moments, the street outside the shed was empty.
Li dropped down from his toes and leaned against the shed wall. He glanced atTycho. "You heard?"
The bard's eyes were squeezed shut. "I heard."
"Is the guard looking for us, too?"
Tycho snorted. "Because of what happened at the Ease? I doubt it. The guard doesn't care that much about dockside." He opened his eyes and exhaled. "It's Laera." He looked up at Li. "Mard is looking for Laera. She didn't make it home last night."
"You sent her to a guard station."
"I know."
"Could Brin have her? He had Lander's man hold her hostage last night."
"Maybe, but I don't think he does. If Brin were holding her hostage to use against me, he wouldn't have Lander walking the streets. He'd just put the word out and let me come to him." Tycho clenched his jaw. "Not that it would work." Li looked at him and he scowled. "I got her out of the Ease last night. I sent her on her way. She's a stupid girl and she's on her own. I'm not going to be responsible for her."
"Tycho…"
The bard held his hands over his ears. "No. I'm not going to listen-I'm not going to worry about her. We don't know she's in danger. Her father's the captain of the guard. If he can't find her, there isn't much we could do to help. And we've got serious problems of our own." He lowered his hands. "Brin hasn't given up looking for us.
Or at least for you. What was so special about Yu Mao that Brin would hunt you like this?"
"I don't know," said Li smoothly. "It's something to ask him-once we have the beljurils."
"Be careful, Li," Tycho sighed. "That's starting to sound like a desperate measure. I'm not even sure Brin's going to want to see me when… "/we get the beljurils back."
"We're desperate men, Tycho." Li stood and stretched up to peer out of the air-gap once more. "You said last night you couldn't think of a better plan. Have you thought of one this morning?"
"No."
"So how do we find the Hooded?"
Tycho sighed again. "That's not so simple. Brin is easy to find-unless you're a complete stranger to Span-deliyon, of course. But the Hooded…" He rubbed his eyes. "Nobody goes looking for the Hooded. Usually the Hooded finds you." He leaned back, hands behind his head, and frowned in thought. "Jacerryl Dantakain might know something, though. We know he's done business with the Hooded once or twice. After last night, we're not likely going to be able to talk to him anytime soon, though."
Li's eyes went wide as he watched a tall figure with carefully groomed hair and two very full packs creep out of an alley across the way and turn down the street. "I wouldn't be so sure!" he said sharply, pushing himself away from the wall and leaping for the shed door. He wrenched it open and charged across the street.