Vasarius said, “I have heard enough. I will return to my cabin.”
“Think on this, then, my lord,” said Roo as the Quegan walked away. “There will be a great many men needing transport across the sea to Novindus, and there are few ships able to carry them. The fees for such transport will not be trivial.”
Vasarius paused the briefest instant, then continued walking, until he disappeared down the ladder to the main deck and the cabins below.
Roo turned and looked out at the star-filled night, watching the whitecaps on the water. “I’ve got him!” he whispered to himself.
Jimmy felt as if someone had kicked in his ribs. It hurt to breathe and someone was tugging at his collar. A distant voice said, “Drink this.”
Something wet touched his lips and he felt cool water fill his mouth and he drank reflexively. Suddenly his stomach knotted and he spewed forth the water, convulsing as strong hands held him.
His eyes were stuck shut. His head rang and his back felt as if his spine had been hammered by a mace; his trousers were fouled with his own excrement. Again water was forced between his lips and a voice in his ear said, “Sip slowly.”
Jimmy let the water trickle slowly down his throat, a few drops at a time, and this time his stomach accepted the bounty. Other hands picked him up and moved him.
He passed out.
Sometime later, he woke up again, and found that a half-dozen armed men had set up a camp. One sat near by and said, “Do you feel up to drinking some more water?”
Jimmy nodded and the man brought him a cup of water. Jimmy drank and suddenly was terribly thirsty. He drank more, and after the third cup, the man took away the waterskin, saying, “No more. For a while at least.”
Jimmy said, “Who are you?” His voice sounded dry and distant, as if it was being used by a stranger.
“My name is Captain Songti. I recognize you. You’re the one called Baron James.”
Jimmy sat up and said, “It’s Earl James now. I got a new office.” He glanced around and saw the sun was rising in the east. “How long?”
“We found you an hour after sunset. We had been preparing to make camp a short distance from here, and as is my practice, I had a rider sweep the perimeter. He saw your campfire. When we rode over to investigate, we found you lying there. There was no blood, so we thought you might have sickened on food.”
“I was poisoned,” said Jimmy. “In wine. I drank little.”
The Captain, a round-faced man with a short beard, said, “A fine palate. It saved your life.”
“Malar wasn’t trying very hard to kill me. He could have cut my throat easily enough.”
“Perhaps,” said the Captain. “Or he could have fled against our arrival. He may have been gone only minutes before we arrived. He could have heard us before we saw him. I don’t know.”
James nodded, then wished he hadn’t. His head swam. “My horse?”
“There are no horses here. You, your bedroll, a low burning fire, and that empty cup you held, that was all that was here.”
Jimmy held out his hand. “Get me to my feet.”
“You should rest.”
“Captain,” Jimmy ordered. “Help me stand.”
The Captain did as he was bid, and when Jimmy stood, he asked, “Have you some extra clothing you can spare?”
“Alas, no,” said the Captain. “We are but three days from Port Vykor and ready to return.”
“Three days . . .” Jimmy said. He said nothing a moment, then said, “Help me walk to the creek.”
“May I enquire why?” asked the Captain.
“Because I need to bathe. And wash my clothing.”
The Captain said, “I understand, but we would do well to return to Port Vykor as quickly as possible, so you may recover in comfort.”
“No, because after I bathe I have other business.”
“Sir?”
“I need to find someone,” said Jimmy as he looked down the southeastern road, “and then I need to kill him.”
Sixteen - Deception
Erik frowned.
Owen swore. “We were taken like bumpkins at the fair.”
Subai, still covered with road dirt and exhausted from days of nonstop riding, said, “Patrick was correct. They let us have Sarth, and while they were taking LaMut, they built that.”