Read Online A Fortune for Kregen by Alan Burt Akers - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Alan Burt Akers
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matting the fine brown hairs.
“Hai, Beaky!” greeted Pompino, jovially.
“May your whiskers shrivel, you—” Onron threw the reins over the freymul’s head and stood to face us.
“My lady demands your presence — at once. The word she used was Bratch.”
“Why should we jump for her any more?”
The Kildoi, Drogo, had disappeared into the shadows. Onron scratched his beak. He was not used to this kind of address respecting his lady.
“You had better go at once,” he warned.
Pompino glanced at me, and his bright eye told me that the Star Lords had relieved him of a burden. The case appeared to me, suddenly, and I confess somewhat startlingly, as being different. A tug at his sleeve pulled him a little apart.
“The Everoinye have discharged you of the obligation to Yasuri, Pompino. The Gdoinye spoke to you.
But not to me...”
His foxy face took on a shrewd, calculating expression, and yet, I was grateful to see, a sympathetic look also.
“You could be right. The Gdoinye did not speak to you.”
“Hurry, you famblys!” called Onron.
“Yet, the voller—”
“Drogo will turn up when Onron is gone. I shall go to the lady Yasuri and see what she requires. If you and Drogo can manage the flier, you will command the air. You can pick me up later at the inn.”
“Yes.” He stroked his whiskers. “Yes, Jak. You have my word as a kregoinye. I will return for you.”
“Good — then we must both hurry.”
He turned away at once and started off along the colonnade, his lithe form flickering in light and shade past the columns. He heard Onron’s indignant yells right enough; he just ignored them. I turned to the Rapa.
“I will come, Onron — so stop your caterwauling.”
He stuck his beak into the air, offended, and climbed back on the freymul. There was no question of my riding, so, perforce, I walked smartly off for the Star of Laybrites.
The thought crossed my mind that more stikitches, assassins, had come in with the caravan that had brought Drogo, and Yasuri’s life was again in peril. But that did not make sense. For one thing, this King Ortyg would not know his men had failed. And, for another, had there been assassins there would have been no time for Yasuri to dispatch Onron in this fashion.
One objection to the first point could be that the new King Ortyg of Yasuri’s country employed a Wizard of Loh to go into lupu and spy out for him what was happening here. That was possible. I quickened my steps, although recognizing the validity of the second point.
The Rapa coachman took off on the freymul, yelling back that he would tell the lady that I was obeying her and convey to her the news of Pompino’s ingratitude and treachery. Onron shot off along the avenue among the crowds, and I took a shortcut.
There are shortcuts in life and there are shortcuts. This one took me through a poor quarter where they spent their time in tiny workshops making tawdry souvenirs of Jikaida for the visitors to pay through the nose for in the souks. And, this shortcut was a shortcut to disaster. The Watch was out, backed up by soldiers in their armor and hard black and white checkered cloaks, helmets shining.
A yelling mob rushed through the narrow alleyway, sweeping away stalls and awnings in their panic. I could see the soldiers riding them down, laying about them with the flats of their swords. Two men almost knocked me flying. I ducked into a doorway with the stink of days-old vegetables wafting out. The rout rushed past. Then — well, I suppose I should not have done what I did — but, being me, I did.
A woman carrying a baby fell onto the slimy cobbles.
The pursuing totrixes hammered their six hooves into the ground, prancing on, and the woman would be run down.
Darting out, with only the most cursory of looks, I scooped her up, baby and all, and started back for my doorway.
A totrix, rearing up, shouldered me away. I spun about, staggering, clutching the woman. A Watchman hit me over
“Hai, Beaky!” greeted Pompino, jovially.
“May your whiskers shrivel, you—” Onron threw the reins over the freymul’s head and stood to face us.
“My lady demands your presence — at once. The word she used was Bratch.”
“Why should we jump for her any more?”
The Kildoi, Drogo, had disappeared into the shadows. Onron scratched his beak. He was not used to this kind of address respecting his lady.
“You had better go at once,” he warned.
Pompino glanced at me, and his bright eye told me that the Star Lords had relieved him of a burden. The case appeared to me, suddenly, and I confess somewhat startlingly, as being different. A tug at his sleeve pulled him a little apart.
“The Everoinye have discharged you of the obligation to Yasuri, Pompino. The Gdoinye spoke to you.
But not to me...”
His foxy face took on a shrewd, calculating expression, and yet, I was grateful to see, a sympathetic look also.
“You could be right. The Gdoinye did not speak to you.”
“Hurry, you famblys!” called Onron.
“Yet, the voller—”
“Drogo will turn up when Onron is gone. I shall go to the lady Yasuri and see what she requires. If you and Drogo can manage the flier, you will command the air. You can pick me up later at the inn.”
“Yes.” He stroked his whiskers. “Yes, Jak. You have my word as a kregoinye. I will return for you.”
“Good — then we must both hurry.”
He turned away at once and started off along the colonnade, his lithe form flickering in light and shade past the columns. He heard Onron’s indignant yells right enough; he just ignored them. I turned to the Rapa.
“I will come, Onron — so stop your caterwauling.”
He stuck his beak into the air, offended, and climbed back on the freymul. There was no question of my riding, so, perforce, I walked smartly off for the Star of Laybrites.
The thought crossed my mind that more stikitches, assassins, had come in with the caravan that had brought Drogo, and Yasuri’s life was again in peril. But that did not make sense. For one thing, this King Ortyg would not know his men had failed. And, for another, had there been assassins there would have been no time for Yasuri to dispatch Onron in this fashion.
One objection to the first point could be that the new King Ortyg of Yasuri’s country employed a Wizard of Loh to go into lupu and spy out for him what was happening here. That was possible. I quickened my steps, although recognizing the validity of the second point.
The Rapa coachman took off on the freymul, yelling back that he would tell the lady that I was obeying her and convey to her the news of Pompino’s ingratitude and treachery. Onron shot off along the avenue among the crowds, and I took a shortcut.
There are shortcuts in life and there are shortcuts. This one took me through a poor quarter where they spent their time in tiny workshops making tawdry souvenirs of Jikaida for the visitors to pay through the nose for in the souks. And, this shortcut was a shortcut to disaster. The Watch was out, backed up by soldiers in their armor and hard black and white checkered cloaks, helmets shining.
A yelling mob rushed through the narrow alleyway, sweeping away stalls and awnings in their panic. I could see the soldiers riding them down, laying about them with the flats of their swords. Two men almost knocked me flying. I ducked into a doorway with the stink of days-old vegetables wafting out. The rout rushed past. Then — well, I suppose I should not have done what I did — but, being me, I did.
A woman carrying a baby fell onto the slimy cobbles.
The pursuing totrixes hammered their six hooves into the ground, prancing on, and the woman would be run down.
Darting out, with only the most cursory of looks, I scooped her up, baby and all, and started back for my doorway.
A totrix, rearing up, shouldered me away. I spun about, staggering, clutching the woman. A Watchman hit me over
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