Read Online The Wizard's Treasure (The Dragon Nimbus) by Irene Radford - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Irene Radford
Ads: Link
Marcus said. His voice came from a great distance. “This gold will liven up our games of cartes.”
“We haven’t time to daydream about gold and fortunes,” Robb replied as he placed two of the coins upon the ancient’s closed eyes. A third rested in his pocket. Keeping one coin for himself would hurt no one. And it might give him an edge against survival during his long treks around Coronnan. Unlike Marcus, he had no desire to settle in one place for a long, long time.
He bowed his head a moment in silent prayer. “This man is very dead, Marcus. And he said this place is cursed. We have to get out of here. We need a plan.”
“Not until after the storm passes. We can spend the night searching the place for his stash.”
“Marcus,” Robb began testily. “Marcus! you’re fading into the walls. Marcus, don’t you dare leave me and take your good luck with you!”
“Nice doggy,” Jack said quietly. He dared not move.
The beast growled again and showed even more of its teeth. Saliva dripped onto the dock above the boat.
“Nice doggy.”
“She doesn’t like to be called doggy,” a man replied roughly.
“Good mopplewogger,” Jack said, still not moving.
The dog pricked her ears and sat.
“Nice mopplewogger,” Jack coaxed. “Don’t suppose you remember me, doggy?”
The dog rose up on its long legs growling again.
“Different dog. It’s been ten years, wharf rat. You don’t have to steal the boat. I’d loan it if you asked,” the man said with a chuckle.
“Want to call off your mopplewogger, Aquilla?”
“Ten years and you’re still running from bullies. Want to trade that prissy uniform for a real one?”
Jack dared to look away from the dog long enough to take in Aquilla’s Guild of Bay Pilots uniform of maroon and gold. His weather-beaten face crinkled in laughter.
“I’ve made oaths of loyalty elsewhere. Want to call off the mopplewogger?”
“Lilly, come,” Aquilla said. The shorthaired dog growled at Jack one last time before returning to her master’s side. She sat on Aquilla’s foot and leaned her head into him. Absently the pilot scratched her ears.
“So what kind of trouble you running from this time, wharf rat?”
“Witch-sniffers. And I have a name now. Old Baamin decided I wasn’t too stupid to have a name after all. I’m Jack.” Jack scrambled onto the dock. His clothes sagged and dripped. He must indeed look like the wharf rat he had been as a child. Aquilla had rescued him when bullies had stolen his food and beaten him nearly senseless.
“Your loyalty to the University of Magicians was misplaced ten years ago. It still is. You should have come to work for me. Not many men have an affinity for a mopplewogger.”
“I don’t seem to have any kind of bond with this one.” Jack held out his hand for the dog to sniff. She growled again and he jerked his hand away from her all-too-large teeth.
“That’s because she caught you trying to steal my boat. You look like you need a meal and some dry clothes.” Aquilla jerked his head toward the cottage above the dock. “Is that a palace guard’s uniform underneath all that river muck?”
“Yes.” Jack tried to wring some water out of the sodden wool tunic.
“You’ll be better off as a Bay Pilot. Every government recognizes the worth of the Guild. Even the Gnuls. Not so the palace guard. Once the Gnuls depose King Darville, you’ll be out of a job and quite likely become fuel for their next bonfire. But without the Bay Pilots, no one gets through the mudflats to deep water and the trading ships. We’ll always have work.” He negotiated the steep path up to his home. Lilly leaped eagerly ahead of him. Jack followed more slowly. His wet boots slipped on the river clay that packed the path.
“The Gnuls had better not find out about your mopplewogger, then,” Jack added. “One hint of how these dogs smell the differences in water depth and salinity to show you the way through the channels of
“We haven’t time to daydream about gold and fortunes,” Robb replied as he placed two of the coins upon the ancient’s closed eyes. A third rested in his pocket. Keeping one coin for himself would hurt no one. And it might give him an edge against survival during his long treks around Coronnan. Unlike Marcus, he had no desire to settle in one place for a long, long time.
He bowed his head a moment in silent prayer. “This man is very dead, Marcus. And he said this place is cursed. We have to get out of here. We need a plan.”
“Not until after the storm passes. We can spend the night searching the place for his stash.”
“Marcus,” Robb began testily. “Marcus! you’re fading into the walls. Marcus, don’t you dare leave me and take your good luck with you!”
“Nice doggy,” Jack said quietly. He dared not move.
The beast growled again and showed even more of its teeth. Saliva dripped onto the dock above the boat.
“Nice doggy.”
“She doesn’t like to be called doggy,” a man replied roughly.
“Good mopplewogger,” Jack said, still not moving.
The dog pricked her ears and sat.
“Nice mopplewogger,” Jack coaxed. “Don’t suppose you remember me, doggy?”
The dog rose up on its long legs growling again.
“Different dog. It’s been ten years, wharf rat. You don’t have to steal the boat. I’d loan it if you asked,” the man said with a chuckle.
“Want to call off your mopplewogger, Aquilla?”
“Ten years and you’re still running from bullies. Want to trade that prissy uniform for a real one?”
Jack dared to look away from the dog long enough to take in Aquilla’s Guild of Bay Pilots uniform of maroon and gold. His weather-beaten face crinkled in laughter.
“I’ve made oaths of loyalty elsewhere. Want to call off the mopplewogger?”
“Lilly, come,” Aquilla said. The shorthaired dog growled at Jack one last time before returning to her master’s side. She sat on Aquilla’s foot and leaned her head into him. Absently the pilot scratched her ears.
“So what kind of trouble you running from this time, wharf rat?”
“Witch-sniffers. And I have a name now. Old Baamin decided I wasn’t too stupid to have a name after all. I’m Jack.” Jack scrambled onto the dock. His clothes sagged and dripped. He must indeed look like the wharf rat he had been as a child. Aquilla had rescued him when bullies had stolen his food and beaten him nearly senseless.
“Your loyalty to the University of Magicians was misplaced ten years ago. It still is. You should have come to work for me. Not many men have an affinity for a mopplewogger.”
“I don’t seem to have any kind of bond with this one.” Jack held out his hand for the dog to sniff. She growled again and he jerked his hand away from her all-too-large teeth.
“That’s because she caught you trying to steal my boat. You look like you need a meal and some dry clothes.” Aquilla jerked his head toward the cottage above the dock. “Is that a palace guard’s uniform underneath all that river muck?”
“Yes.” Jack tried to wring some water out of the sodden wool tunic.
“You’ll be better off as a Bay Pilot. Every government recognizes the worth of the Guild. Even the Gnuls. Not so the palace guard. Once the Gnuls depose King Darville, you’ll be out of a job and quite likely become fuel for their next bonfire. But without the Bay Pilots, no one gets through the mudflats to deep water and the trading ships. We’ll always have work.” He negotiated the steep path up to his home. Lilly leaped eagerly ahead of him. Jack followed more slowly. His wet boots slipped on the river clay that packed the path.
“The Gnuls had better not find out about your mopplewogger, then,” Jack added. “One hint of how these dogs smell the differences in water depth and salinity to show you the way through the channels of
Similar Books
