“If he turns northward at sundown in three days, he’ll be here by dawn of the fourth.”
“Three more days in that shed?”
“We’ve slept in worse,” said Erik.
Roo nodded. “Don’t remind me.” He sighed. “Four days from now, just before dawn, I’ll row out and take that ship.”
Erik said, “Good. Now, John, you’ve got to memorize this map, because you’re coming with me.”
“Me?” said Vinci.
Erik smiled, and it was a smile filled with menace. “Your choice: come with me, or take the ship.”
Vinci swallowed hard. “I’ll visit Krondor.”
“Wise choice,” said Erik.
Roo said to John, “I need at least a dozen reliable men, twenty would be better.”
John shrugged. “I can get a dozen. Twenty? I’ll see.”
“I’ll need two large skiffs hidden nearby until it’s time to leave.”
“I have a warehouse near there. I’ll have the boats taken there tonight.”
Roo said, “Well, then, I guess it’s decided. At least it will be over in five more days.”
“With luck,” said Erik.
His finger stabbed at the road leading from the town to the abbey. “If Arutha and his company can neutralize Nordan’s forces up there. From the lack of troops down here I must assume he’s got at least three or four hundred soldiers up there. If they come down that road and hit Owen from behind as he’s trying to get into the city, they could throw us back south of the gap, and that would cost us dearly.”
Roo sighed. “We can only hope. That’s all we ever could do, even when we were running for our lives across Novindus: do our best and hope.”
Erik was forced to agree. “A prayer might be in order, too.”
Arutha listened at the door. On the other side he heard voices. For the last day they had scouted out the lower basements of the abandoned library at Sarth. Dominic had estimated that as many as a thousand men could be housed at the abbey if they filled every empty chamber, even though the dormitory in the abbey itself was built for only forty monks.
They had calculated that stabling of horses dictated that the majority of soldiers in the abbey be foot soldiers, as no more than forty or fifty horses could be crowded into the courtyard of the abbey. The problem of providing fodder for the horses, and wagons full of hay or grain every week, probably kept the number down to a couple of dozen animals.
They had reached the second level of halls below the abbey proper before encountering any soldiers. Through the door at which Arutha listened they heard voices in casual conversation. Arutha moved back to where Dominic waited, and whispered, “Is there any way around this room?”
Dominic shook his head and quietly replied, “If we go back down two levels and return up the other side, we’ll still come into that room, but through a different door. There are three doors, the third being to a stairway to the level above.”
Arutha nodded. He had memorized the drawing Dominic had made. “We’ll wait here, then storm the room when it’s time to take the abbey.”
He glanced at one of Subai’s soldiers, who carried a timing glass, filled with sand. At sundown the day before, he had turned it, starting the time-keeping. Within the dark confines of the basement under the abbey, there was no natural way to mark the passing of time. And timing was critical.
“I wish I could get a look and see how many soldiers were there.”
Dominic said, “We could chance one late at night, when they’re all asleep.”
Arutha turned to a soldier and said, “Tell Captain Subai I want him to send half the men back down two levels, and up the other side, to the second door into this chamber ahead.” The soldier saluted and hurried off to carry out his orders. To Dominic, Arutha said, “It occurs to me we’ve encountered no barriers to the lower chambers, but this door or the other may be blocked. I’d not want this raid to fail because someone moved a bunk in front of this door. Whoever gets in first can insure the other door is quickly opened.”
Dominic nodded. He glanced over at the soldier holding the sand clock. “Another day and a half.”
Roo waited impatiently. The last two days had dragged, moment by moment, second by second, until he thought he would lose his mind. Then suddenly it was time to leave.