Roo said, “Because that’s both smart and risky. If you knew these boys were going to get out of the city and not talk, it would be the smart thing to do. But if you thought they might be caught and forced to talk, well, eventually this trail will lead back to whoever is the brains behind this fraud, and at that point”—he snapped his fingers—“we come with every sword we can hire, and it’s a free-for-all.” He sighed. “But if the gold is safely gone, on its way to some port or in a wagon heading over the mountains . . .” He shrugged.
“Whoever planned this certainly timed things correctly,” said Luis.
Roo said, “That’s what has me worried. Not only did those bastards at the countinghouse have to be in on this, they had to know something more about the Bitter Sea Company and its finances than they could from people like McCraken and Briggs.” He held up one finger. “They had to know that Jason or someone else would be close to discovering the fraud. It’s just been going on too long.” He held up a second finger. “And they had to know that we’re a few weeks from being able to cover such a loss.” He shook his head in frustration. “We’ve got caravans coming in from the East, and a grain shipment putting into Ylith today. Our Far Coast fleet should be at Carse or putting out for the return leg home. Any of those will be bringing enough gold to cover that shortfall”—he struck his fist into his hand—“but not today!”
“A spy?”
“An agent of some sort,” said Roo. He moved toward the door. “Besides Duncan, you are the only person I fully trust, Luis. You were with me in the death cell and you swam the Vedra River with me. We’ve looked death in the face together, and except for Jadow and Greylock, there’s not a man left in Krondor I’d want at my back besides you.”
Luis’s expression was one of mild amusement. “Even with one hand?”
Roo opened the door. “You’re better with a knife in one hand than most men are with a sword and two hands. Come along, let’s start combing the docks.”
Luis slapped his employer on the back as he followed him through the door and shut it behind him. The shed was one of many the Bitter Sea Company owned in the Merchants’ Quarter, and from there the pair moved quickly toward the docks.
After they had left, a figure rose from the roof of the shed. Lightly jumping to the cobbles, the shadowy observer watched Luis and Roo as they vanished into the darkness, then turned and whistled lightly, pointing after them. Two more figures emerged from a block farther down the street and rapidly approached the first. The three figures conferred for a moment, then one of the two returned the way he had come. The others followed Roo and Luis toward the dock.
“Ambush!” shouted Renaldo.
“Wedge!” shouted Calis and instantly every man was deploying. The column was in a large gallery, easily two hundred feet across, with six entrances. As they had trained, forty of the men formed a shield-to-shield wedge, with their swords poised to strike down any attacker. The other twenty men unshouldered shortbows and calmly set arrows to bowstrings as an inhuman snarling and shrieking filled the gallery.
From three tunnels ahead streams of Pantathians rushed forward to attack Calis’s Crimson Eagles. Erik attempted a rough estimation of the opposing forces, but quickly stopped trying to count as the first wave of attackers began to fall to the bowmen. Then they struck the shield wall.
Erik laid about him with powerful strokes of his blade. Twice he heard steel break under his strikes as Pantathian soldiers tried to block with their swords. He discovered little skill in their opponents. Without waiting for instructions from Calis, he shouted, “Second rank! Swords, and follow me!”
The twenty bowmen dropped their bows and drew swords. Erik circled around the right end of his line and hit the Pantathians in the flank. As he had suspected, they quickly collapsed in confusion.
But rather than flee, they simply hurled themselves at the Kingdom soldiers, until suddenly the last two went down before Calis’s men and the gallery fell silent. Boldar Blood said, “Like hacking firewood.”
Erik glanced at the strange mercenary and noticed that the blood that was splattered on his armor was running off, as if unable to cling to the strange white surface. Catching his breath, Erik said, “They were brave, but these weren’t warriors.” He signaled two men toward each tunnel mouth, to stand alert in case other Pantathians might be heading this way.
“Not brave,” said Boldar. “Fanatics.”
Calis looked to Miranda, who said, “We’ve never heard of anyone fighting them hand to hand. They prefer to use stealth and cunning to make war.”
Erik used the toe of his boot to turn one over and said, “It’s small.”
“They are all small,” said Calis. “Smaller than the one we found yesterday.”
Erik glanced at de Loungville. “Are they sending youngsters against us?”
“Maybe,” said the Sergeant Major. “If they’re as beat up in other parts of this warren as that crèche we found yesterday was, they may be desperate to keep what’s left intact.”
Erik quickly inspected his own men, while Calis and Miranda inspected the Pantathian dead. No man of Calis’s command had suffered a significant injury. “Only cuts and bruises,” Erik reported.
“A few minutes’ rest, then we move on,” said de Loungville.
Erik nodded. “Which tunnel?”