Erik said, “He’ll grow up.”
Owen laughed. “Listen to you. You’re the same age!”
Erik shrugged. “I feel older than my years.”
“Well, you are,” said Owen, “and that’s a fact. Now, get out and find those Hadati and ask them if they’re crazy enough to do as you ask. If they say no, I will not be surprised, as they strike me as being a smarter than average bunch.”
Erik rose, saluted casually, and departed. When he was gone, Owen looked at die map and said to die orderly, “Send for Captain Subai, please.”
Jimmy pointed. “Up there.” He had commandeered a horse and sent two men back to Port Vykor, riding double. He had ordered die other ten men to accompany him in his pursuit of Malar, and he knew die spy had only one possible destination.
Jimmy was certain now that Malar Enares was a Keshian spy. A simple thief would have taken Jimmy’s weapons and gold. He only took Jimmy’s horse to have a spare as he fled to Keshian lines. The fact he had first taken the Prince’s orders to Lord Duko was the single most indicting evidence.
Captain Songti and the other men looked uncertain about the young noble’s orders, but they obeyed. As they stopped to rest their horses, Songti said, “Lord James—”
“Jimmy. My grandfather was Lord James.”
“Lord Jimmy,” amended Songti.
“Just Jimmy.”
With a shrug, Songti said, “Jimmy, you move with certain purpose, and don’t seem to be following tracks. Can I assume you know where this fugitive is heading?”
“Yes,” said Jimmy. “There are few places a man can safely travel between Kesh and the Kingdom, and there is only one crossing point near enough where he stands a chance of finding a Keshian patrol before running into ours. It’s up there”—he pointed to a distant range of low mountains—”in the high desert. It’s Dulsur Pass. It’s a very narrow little defile that empties out at the oasis of Okateo. Very popular with smugglers.”
“And spies,” suggested Songti.
“Yes,” said Jimmy.
“If you know of this place, sir, why not keep a garrison there?”
Jimmy shrugged. “Because we find it as useful to keep open as the Keshians do.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever understand this society of yours, sir.”
“Well, when the war is over, you may return to Novindus should you wish.”
Songti said, “I am a soldier and I have served Lord Duko most of my life. I wouldn’t know what to do back in Novindus. None of us would.”
Jimmy motioned it was time to resume riding. “Well, as sure as the sun rises in the east, there are those down in Novindus building their own little empires as much as Fadawah is here.”
“Some of the younger men might wish to return,” said Songti as he remounted. “But most of us who have been with Duko for a while will make lives here, in your Kingdom.”
“Then it’s time for you to begin thinking of it as our Kingdom.”
“So my lord Duko instructs,” admitted Songti as he motioned the patrol forward.
They rode up a dusty trail, into plateau country, long rolling vistas of dust, tough dry plants, and sun-bleached rock. A dry wind struck, and grit collected in a man’s eyes, nose, and threatened to peel skin from bone. Even water tasted gritty when drunk, as the fine, powdery sand got everywhere.
They reached a high plateau and Jimmy pointed upward. “The oasis is at the top of that.” He pointed at another plateau, easily a thousand feet higher than the one upon which they stood. Looking backward, they could see the lowlands leading down to Shandon Bay.
Songti said, “From here on a clear day you can see the bay, I think.”
“More,” said Jimmy. “On a very clear day I have been told you can see the peaks of the Calasitius Mountains to the north.” He urged his horse forward and they continued, moving upward.
Night found them resting in a large pass, sheltered from the wind and sand. They sat on the rocks, their saddles behind them or under their feet. The horses were staked out a short way away. Jimmy ordered a cold camp against the possibilities others were nearby, or that Malar was looking over his shoulder.
Jimmy knew that he stood a fair chance of overtaking the spy if he didn’t know his way through these hills as well as Jimmy. He might have been a boy in far Rillanon, but his grandfather made sure he and his brother knew every weakness along the border with Kesh: smugglers’ coves, trails, goat paths, creeks, and gaps in the mountains. And Lord James’s knowledge had been encyclopedic, Jimmy remembered; he had made sure his grandsons knew of every potential attack corridor into the Kingdom.
Chewing jerked beef, Captain Songti said, “Are you certain we’ll catch this spy?”
“We must. He stole orders to Duko and knows too much about the lack of defenses in Krondor. The orders also detail our plan for dealing with the threat to Land’s End.”