But Erik’s face showed he recognized her. “Kitty?” he said.
De Loungville held up his hand. “This is my fiancée Katherine, and if any of you murdering scum so much as look at her in a way to cause her to blush, I’ll have your liver on a stick.”
He said this with a casual tone, but his eyes clearly instructed the men: there is something going on you do not need to know anything about; and wise men heeded even the vaguest warnings. The girl looked irritated at being referred to as de Loungville’s fiancée but said nothing.
He took the girl to the barman and spoke to him. He nodded and directed the girl toward the kitchen. She threw one last black look at de Loungville, then went into the kitchen.
De Loungville returned to the table and pulled up a chair. “She’s going to work here. So if one of you lot causes her any trouble . . .” He let the threat go unfinished.
Roo shrugged. “Not me. I have a fiancée of my own.”
“Oh, is that a fact,” said de Loungville, evil delight showing in his eyes. “And does she know her intended is a former gallows rat? “
Roo had the good manners to blush. “I haven’t told her everything.”
“And he hasn’t proposed,” said Erik. “He’s assuming a bit here.”
“Well, that’s our Rupert,” said de Loungville, signaling for an ale. Luis said, “They were telling me that not many of our friends came back.”
De Loungville nodded. “Not many. But we’ve gone through this before.” His features darkened as the barman placed an ale before him. “I’ve been down under to that bloody continent twice now, and I’ve left nearly two thousand dead men behind, and I’m sick of it”
“Is that why you and the Knight-Marshal have us reading these?” asked Jadow, indicating the books he and Erik held.
De Loungville’s manner changed and he grinned as he reached out and pinched Jadow’s cheek. “No, ducky, it’s so I can watch your lips move. It amuses me.”
Erik laughed. “Well, whatever the reason, there’s a lot of interesting things in these books. I’m not sure I understand it all.”
“Then talk to the Knight-Marshal,” said de Loungville. “I’ve orders that if any of the corporals need to discuss what they’ve read, they’re to go to Lord William’s office.” De Loungville took a long drink and smacked his lips with exaggerated satisfaction.
“The Knight-Marshal?” asked Erik. He was the most important military leader in the West after the Prince of Krondor. One of the two of them carried the title Marshal of the Armies of the West in time of war, and historically it was the Knight-Marshal as often as it was the Prince. For any soldier he was something of a figure of awe. Despite having spoken to the man a half-dozen times, Erik had never spoken with him in private or for longer than a few minutes. The prospect of trying to hold a conversation about something he didn’t understand obviously caused Erik some distress.
“Don’t worry,” said De Loungville. “He understands how stone-headed you lot are and he won’t use any big words.”
Roo and Luis laughed, while Erik said nothing. “Just seems strange that you and the Captain think we need to learn this, Sergeant,” said Jadow.
De Loungville glanced around the room. “If you haven’t puzzled it out yet, this inn is owned by the Duke. Every man and woman working here is one of James’s agents.” He hiked his thumb toward the bar. “Katherine is here to alert us to any Mockers who might come snooping around. After our set-to with them last month, we need to make sure they don’t cause us more problems.
“What I’m trying to say is this is the safest place outside the palace to talk about what we all know from our last voyage”—his voice lowered—“but there’s nowhere that’s safe in all ways.” He paused. “You need to learn as much as you can, because we’re building an army like no other in history. You need to be able to take command of as many men as are there, and if that means that everyone in the chain of command above you is dead, you’re going to be a general. So if you find yourself in command of the Armies of the West, and the fate of the Kingdom, and the entire world for that matter, is suddenly in your hands, you’ll not muck things up too badly.”
Erik and Jadow exchanged glances but said nothing.
Roo pushed back from the table. “Makes me glad I chose a life of commerce,” he said. “Well, it’s been wonderful, but I have wagons to see to.” He asked de Loungville, “Can I take Luis with me now?”
De Loungville nodded. “Come by in the morning and we’ll have your pardon signed,” he said to Luis.
He motioned for Luis to accompany him. He bade the others good-bye and left the inn.
As they walked, Luis said, “Wagons?”
“I’m a trader now, Luis, and I deal in items of value. I need someone to teach me to talk to the nobility as well as act as my agent.”