“Luck is when those who are prepared take advantage of the moment,” answered Grindle.
Roo shrugged, trying hard to look modest and failing.
Grindle turned toward the rear of the house and called, “Karli!’’
After a moment the girl appeared. “Yes, Father?”
“Karli, I’ve given young Avery here leave to pay court to you. He will come to escort you out next Sixthday eve.”
Karli looked at her father, then Roo, uncertainty etched on her features. She hesitated, than said, “Yes, Father.”
Looking at Roo, she said, “Sixthday, then, sir.”
Roo sat awkwardly, not knowing what to say. Then he nodded, saying, “After the noon meal.”
The girl fled through the curtains at the rear of the room, and Roo wondered if he should have said something pleasant, such as he looked forward to it, or she looked attractive in her gown. He shook off the irritation that this uncertainty brought, and counseled himself to quiz his cousin Duncan on what to say to the girl, then returned to matters at hand.
Grindle poured them both a stiff drink of sweet wine and said, “Now tell me how you did this, my boy. Every step of the way.”
Roo smiled, basking in the approval written in Grindle’s eyes as he beamed at Roo, occasionally looking down at the necklace.
8
Players
Roo pointed.
“I see Greylock!” he said.
Erik, Jadow, Duke James, Robert de Loungville, and Knight-Marshal William waited upon the royal dock as Trenchard’s Revenge was approaching the waiting party. Anxious eyes scanned the distant ship, looking for those other members of Calis’s company who might have somehow survived the Emerald Queen’s attack on the distant city of Maharta.
“Easy to see that grey streak,” said Roo, shading his eyes against the bright afternoon sun. In the last month, since he had become veritable partners with Helmut Grindle, Roo had been too busy to think overly long on his former companions, but when Erik had sent word that the other ship from Novindus was sighted coming across the harbor’s outer boundary, he left Duncan to oversee the loading of wagons for a short trip up the coast to Sarth, and hurried to see the ship put in. Like Erik, he felt the loss of those other men who had endured the hardship of that long voyage across the sea two years before. Then he saw a familiar figure near Greylock, and he shouted, “Luis! It’s Luis!”
Jadow said, “You’re right, man. It’s that foul-tempered Rodezian mother-lover or I’m a priest of Sung.”
Roo waved and Greylock and Luis waved in return. Then the mood darkened as Roo realized there were no other members of his company on deck. As if sensing his boyhood friend’s thoughts, Erik said, “Maybe some of them are ill belowdecks.”
“Maybe,” agreed Roo, but his tone revealed he had little hope that was true.
Time passed slowly as the ship came closer to the royal docks. Unlike Admiral Nicholas, the captain of the Revenge seemed disinclined to ignore the prerogatives of the Harbormaster and his pilots, so the ship slowed until it was close enough to the docks to be towed by longboat, then hauled into place.
As soon as the gangplank was run out, Greylock and Luis came down. Greylock saluted Duke James and Knight-Marshal William, while Luis, Jadow, Erik, and Roo all slapped each other on the back, weeping unashamedly at the sight of one another.
Then something odd about Luis struck Roo and he said, “Your hand?”
Luis wore a long-sleeved jacket and black gloves. The former Rodezian courtier turned murderer lifted his right sleeve, letting it fall away. His right hand was fixed in a half-claw, the fingers unmoving. A moment of regret shown in his eyes, but all he said was “Buy me a drink and I’ll tell you about it.”
“Done!” said Erik, then turned to de Loungville. “If you don’t need us right now, Sergeant?”
De Loungville nodded. “Don’t get too drunk. I need you and Jadow clearheaded tomorrow. And bring Luis back with you. I’ll have a few questions for him, and there’s the matter of his official pardon.”
“Pardon?” said Luis. “I remember the Captain saying something but doubted he’d get it done.”
“Come along,” said Roo. “We’ll tell you about it and try to keep you from getting hung by the city watch before tomorrow.”
Erik said, “Master Greylock, it’s good to see you.”
“I’ll be around,” answered the former Swordmaster of the Baron of Darkmoor. “We can catch up tomorrow.” A momentary sadness passed over his face. “We have a lot to talk about.”