Arutha paced. Around his council table sat Laurie, Brucal, Vandros, and Kasumi. Arutha had finished his recounting of the assault upon the Nighthawks. He held out a message. “This is from Baron Highcastle, in response to my query. He says there is some unusual movement northward in his area.” Arutha put down the paper. “He goes on to give numbers of sightings, where, and the rest.”
“Highness,” said Vandros, “we had some movement in our region, but nothing of great note. In Yabon clever Dark Brothers and goblins can avoid the garrisons by turning westward once they’re past the northern limits of the elven forests. By skirting to the west of the Lake of the Sky they avoid our patrols. We send few companies into that sector. The elves and the dwarves at Stone Mountain keep that area quiet.”
“Or so we like to think,” snorted Brucal. The old former Duke of Yabon had resigned his office in favor of Vandros when the latter had married Brucal’s daughter. But he was still a fine military mind and had been battling the moredhel all his life. “No, if they move in small bands, the Brotherhood can come and go almost at will through the smaller passes. We’ve few enough men to keep the trading routes clear and a hell of a lot more ground to cover than that. All they must do is move at night and stay clear of the Hadati clan villages and the major roads. Let’s not delude ourselves by thinking otherwise.”
Arutha smiled. “That’s why I wanted you here.”
Kasumi said, “Highness, perhaps it is as Lord Brucal states. We’ve had little contact with them in recent times. They may have tired of our steel and now move in small, stealthy bands.”
Laurie shrugged. Yabon-born and -raised, the singer from Tyr-Sog knew as much about the moredhel as any in the room. “It is something to consider, that we have all these strange reports of goings on to the north at a time when moredhel hands can be seen involved with the attempts to kill Arutha.”
“I would be less troubled,” said Arutha, “if I knew that crushing them in Krondor would prove sufficient. Until we’ve uncovered the mystery of who is behind all this, I think we are not through with the Nighthawks. They may take months to re-form and be a menace, but I think they’ll return. And as I sit here, I am certain there’s some connection between the Nighthawks and what is occurring in the north.”
A knock at the door preceded Gardan’s entrance. “I have searched everywhere, Highness, and can find no sign of Squire James.”
Laurie said, ““Last I saw him, he was standing upon the steps next to Swordmaster Fannon while the Tsurani were making their entrance.”
Gardan said, “He was sitting on the steps after I dismissed the troops.”
From a high window a voice said, “He’s now sitting above you.”
All eyes turned to see the boy sitting in a high-arched window overlooking Arutha’s chamber. Before anyone could speak, he nimbly leaped down.
Arutha’s expression showed mixed disbelief and amusement. “When you asked to explore the roofs, I thought you would be needing ladders and . . . help . . .”
Jimmy’s manner was serious. “I saw little sense in waiting, Highness, and besides, what sort of thief needs ladders or help to climb walls?” He came up to Arutha. “This place is a warren of nooks and niches a man could secrete himself in.”
“But first he must get onto the grounds,” said Gardan. Jimmy gave the captain a look indicating that that feat presented no difficulty. Gardan lapsed into silence - Laurie picked up the dropped thread of conversation. “Well, while we don’t know what’s behind the Nighthawks, at least they’ve been destroyed here in Krondor.”
“So I thought myself,” said Jimmy, looking about the room. “But this afternoon, as the crowd began to break up, I saw an old friend in the square. Laughing Jack.”
Arutha looked hard at Jimmy. “It was my understanding you left that traitor to the Mockers dead.”
“As dead as any man with a six-inch hole in his chest from a steel bolt is likely to be. It’s difficult getting out and about with half your lungs missing, but after what we saw at the whorehouse, if my own dear dead mum came to tuck me in bed tonight I wouldn’t be surprised.” Jimmy spoke in a distracted fashion as he prowled around the room. With a slightly theatrical show he said, “Aha!” and pressed down on something behind a decorative shield on the wall. With a groan a section of wall, two feet wide and three high, swung open. Arutha went over to the opening and peered in.
“What is this?” he asked Jimmy.
“One of many secret passages throughout the palace. Back when we were hiding out together, Highness, I remember the Princess Anita talking of how she fled the palace with the aid of a serving girl. She once mentioned taking a passage,” and I’d thought nothing of it until today.”
Brutal looked about the room. “This may have been part of the original keep, or one of the first additions. Back home we had a bolt-hole out of the keep to the woods. I don’t know of a keep that doesn’t.” He looked thoughtful. “There may be more such passages.”