Read Online The Banshee's Walk by Frank Tuttle - Free Book Online Page A

subject. I hoped Scatter and Lank had better sense than to take Gefner’s words at truth, though I doubted it.
    Aside from Marlo’s dire warnings of supernatural ne’r-do-wells in the woods and Gertriss beginning to dab at my wounds with one of my own clean white socks, the ride grew uneventful. An hour passed and I finally settled into a rhythm, swaying and bobbing with the wagon, watching the shadows, seeing them once again begin to tumble and dart and wave.
    Gertriss pinched me hard on the side of my leg. Her eyes were wide as saucers.
    “What the Hell?” I batted her hand away.
    Her eyes weren’t looking at me but out into the leafy murk.
    “Mister Markhat,” she whispered. “I saw a woman, up in that tree.”
    Marlo heard, turned, his eyes bright and sharp.
    “Hush,” he barked. “Missy, you hush, and you hush now, you hear me, or so help me Angels you’ll be a walkin’ all the way to the House.”
    “The lady won’t be walking anywhere,” I said. I meant it. “What did you see?”
    Gertriss swallowed, stared. “It’s gone.” She swallowed. “I reckon my eyes were playin’ tricks on me.”
    Marlo grumbled something. And behind us, the dogs began to bark and snarl, and I heard Scatter, Lank and Gefner break into a sudden determined run.
    I whirled, but all I saw were three chagrined looking men being easily outpaced by the dogs, who overtook them and then overtook the wagon and ran quickly out of sight, tails tucked, fur on end, paws flying.
    “Anything back there?” I yelled.
    “Thought we heard a boar,” said Scatter. His long greasy hair hung down over his face.
    “Boar my ass,” began Lank, who caught a boot to his shin by Gefner for his troubles.
    “Boar,” said Gefner. “Reckon we’ll stick a might closer.”
    Scatter cussed and muttered something uncomplimentary, but didn’t expand on his thoughts at that moment.
    And Lady Werewilk would never hear a word of any of this, at least not from her staff. I wondered how many other things she’d not been told. I suspected there were more than a few.
    I tried, but couldn’t pry anything else out of them. Gertriss all but moved into my lap. The shadows tumbled and capered, and until I slid my hand in my rucksack and found Toadsticker’s smooth hilt I heard the whispers begin anew.
    “I know you think I’m crazy, Mr. Markhat, but I swear that’s what I saw.”
    Gertriss spoke in a whisper, but Marlo heard anyway. He might have had something to say in rebuttal, but I decided Toadsticker’s blade needed a bit of polishing and he swallowed his words with a grunt.
    “I don’t think you’re crazy.” Toadsticker gleamed in the shadows. “During the War, six of us were camped out on the bank of some lake. Never did find out if it had a name. But all six of us were awake and sober as stones, and we saw every damned fish in that lake just come jumping out of the water, right onto the bank. Flopping around by the thousands. Big and small and long and short. All flopping in the moonlight, all at once.”
    Gertriss raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
    “Really. We hauled ass out of there. Caught up with our company the next day. Nobody ever believed us. But I saw it.”
    Marlo spat, and there may have been an earthy word mixed in with the expulsion. I grinned.
    “So when I’m told there might be women in the trees, I say that’s a possibility. Especially since it doesn’t appear you’re the first to see this arboreal female—isn’t that right, Marlo?”
    That shut Marlo up for the rest of the ride. I could tell, though, we were nearly to the House when the ponies picked up the pace and the old road showed signs of frequent use and the odor of wood smoke began to waft through the walls of forest. We rounded a wide bend, and dogs started barking. I heard a snatch of far-off laughter.
    Marlo dropped his reins. The ponies didn’t need to be told or led or cajoled any longer, as they knew water, oats and rest were close.
    Leaving the woods