Read Online The Barrow by Mark Smylie - Free Book Online Page B

down through High Quarter to the foot of the High King’s Hall. The other great avenue that bisected the city, the Grand Promenade, stretched from the South Gate of the city to the lower plaza of the Foreign Quarter in the outer city, through the Gate of Erginus, split around both sides of the Forum, and then went all the way to the Plaza of Ergist abutting the High Quarter to meet the High Promenade where it descended in front of the High King’s Hall, and then angled around the Hall to the East Gate. The two broad avenues cut across the entire city, largely paralleling each other and the shore of the bay until the High Promenade curved down to meet the Grand Promenade.
    Despite the early hour, with the sun barely up, the street was already bustling as merchants and shopkeepers began to unlock their doors and windows, and the market plaza’s stands and kiosks were being occupied and opened. The quarter’s Market Court was already open, the hall’s great double doors already filled with merchants and sellers lining up their carts and wagons to have their goods weighed and measured for sale in the plaza or at auction. The trio paused by the side of the Promenade, the traffic flowing around them.
    Erim noticed that Harvald had his hood pulled over his head, shielding his face. “Think you can escape notice?” she asked.
    â€œOne can only try,” he said with a smile, but his eyes were nervous again, scanning the street traffic.
    â€œThere’s no way to enter this city without being seen,” Stjepan said quietly. “One of the guardsmen in Owen’s command is in the pay of the Painted Prince, Owen knows that for certain. And another reports to Lord Rohan, which Owen may not know at all.” He met Erim’s gaze, and raised an eyebrow with a half-smile.
    Ah, our little game , she thought. Spot the thief, spot the spy . They both turned and started looking discreetly about. “There’s one of the Gilded Lady’s rats,” Erim said casually after a moment, nodding at a young street urchin begging at the nearest corner of the market plaza. “And that lot over there is with Jon Dhee’s crew, and they’ll be looking to cut a purse or two,” she said, indicating another group of urchins scampering about at the entrance to an alleyway.
    â€œMm, there’s a couple of others that report to Dhee here, this is his corner of the city. He’ll sell what they see to the Guild Princes, and to Liam White-Eye, and to Petterwin Grim,” Stjepan said. “And then Liam and Petterwin will sell to the Squire of Mud Street, Mardin Green down by the docks, Mina the Dagger, and Mother Silva. Though Petterwin Grim and the Fat Prince will have their own lookouts here somewhere.” He squinted down the street. “And I’m going to guess the drunks in front of the Spiked Maul are Lord Hugh’s men,” he said. “They’re a little too polished for this hour of the morning; the Inquisition never gets that right.”
    â€œAh, the old broad over there,” said Erim, indicating with her chin a muttering old woman in drabs pushing a cart into the market plaza. “That’s the Fat Prince’s chief lookout near this gate. There’s another lot of urchins that she uses as runners. They’ll be nearby somewhere.”
    â€œAnd the bravos up on that balcony over there, with a perfect view of the gatehouse; I’ve used that balcony myself,” Stjepan said, indicating three slim, rough-looking men in tight black leathers with head scarves tied over their long blond hair and short swords and daggers on their sword belts, casually eating from a bread basket as they observed the passing traffic. “From the Bastards of Baker Street, but I’d lay odds they’re on hire to another crew to be in this part of the city, and looking for someone in particular. Hopefully it’s not us.” One of the men caught that