“The constellations
are completely out of whack now. Much more and I’ll start feeling like I’m in
the wrong world.”
She made a snorting sound.
“More than I do already. Hell. I’d better rummage the Annals to see what they
say about Gea-Xle. I don’t know why, but the place bothers me.” Which was true,
though I’d only just realized it. That was unusual. People intimidate me, not
places.
“Why don’t you do that?” I could almost hear her thinking, Go hide in your books
and your yesterdays. I’ll sit here staring today and tomorrow in the eye.
It was one of those times when no matter what you say, it will be the wrong
thing. So I did the second worst thing and went away without saying anything at
all.
I almost tripped over Goblin going back to camp. Though I was making a racket
stumbling through the dark, he was so intent he did not hear me.
He was peeping over a rock, eyeballing the slump of One-Eye’s back. He was so
obviously up to no good I could not resist. I bent and whispered, “Boo!”
He let put a squawk and jumped about ten feet, stood there giving me the evil
eye.
I tramped on into camp and started digging for the book I wanted to read.
“Why don’t you mind your own business, Croaker?” One-Eye demanded.
“What?”
“Mind your own business. I was laying for the little toad. If you hadn’t stuck
your nose in, I’d have had him strung up like an antelope ready for gutting.” A
rope slithered out of the darkness and curled up in his lap.
“I won’t let it happen again.”
The Annals did nothing to relieve my apprehension. I got really paranoid,
getting that nervous itch between the shoulder blades. I began studying the
darkness, trying to see who was watching.
Both Goblin and One-Eye had a big sullen on. I asked, “Can you guys come up for
a little serious business?”
Well, yes, they could, but they could not admit that their pouting was not of
earthshaking significance, so they just stared at me and waited for me to get on
with it. “I’ve got a bad feeling. Not exactly a premonition, but the same
family, and it keeps getting worse.”
They stared, stone-faced, refusing comment.
But Murgen volunteered, “I know what you mean, Croaker. I’ve had the
heebie-jeebies since we got here.”
I gave the rest a scan. They stopped yakking. The Tonk games came to a halt.
Otto and Hagop had small nods to admit that they felt unsettled, too. The rest
were too macho to admit anything.
So. Maybe my collywobbles were not imaginary.
“I get a feeling going down there could become a watershed of Company history.
Can one of you geniuses tell me why?”
Goblin and One-Eye looked at each other. Neither spoke.
“The only thing the Annals say that’s weird is that Gea-Xle was one of those
rare places the Company walked away from.”
“What does that mean?” That Murgen was a natural shill.
“It means our forebrethren didn’t have to fight their way out. They could have
renewed their commission. But the Captain heard about a treasure mountain up
north where the silver nuggets were supposed to weigh a pound.”
There was more to the tale but they did not want to hear it. We were not really
the Black Company anymore, just rootless men from nowhere headed the same
direction. How much was that my fault? How much the fault of bitter
circumstance?
“No comment?” They both looked thoughtful, though. “So. Murgen. Break out the
real colors tomorrow. With all the honors.”
That jacked up some eyebrows.
“Finish the tea, guys. And tell your bellies to get ready for some real brew.
They make the genuine elixir down there.”
That sparked some interest.
“You see? The Annals are good for something after all.”
I set about doing some writing in the latest of my own volumes, occasionally
peeking at one or another of the wizards. They had forgotten their feud, were
using their heads for something more than the
are completely out of whack now. Much more and I’ll start feeling like I’m in
the wrong world.”
She made a snorting sound.
“More than I do already. Hell. I’d better rummage the Annals to see what they
say about Gea-Xle. I don’t know why, but the place bothers me.” Which was true,
though I’d only just realized it. That was unusual. People intimidate me, not
places.
“Why don’t you do that?” I could almost hear her thinking, Go hide in your books
and your yesterdays. I’ll sit here staring today and tomorrow in the eye.
It was one of those times when no matter what you say, it will be the wrong
thing. So I did the second worst thing and went away without saying anything at
all.
I almost tripped over Goblin going back to camp. Though I was making a racket
stumbling through the dark, he was so intent he did not hear me.
He was peeping over a rock, eyeballing the slump of One-Eye’s back. He was so
obviously up to no good I could not resist. I bent and whispered, “Boo!”
He let put a squawk and jumped about ten feet, stood there giving me the evil
eye.
I tramped on into camp and started digging for the book I wanted to read.
“Why don’t you mind your own business, Croaker?” One-Eye demanded.
“What?”
“Mind your own business. I was laying for the little toad. If you hadn’t stuck
your nose in, I’d have had him strung up like an antelope ready for gutting.” A
rope slithered out of the darkness and curled up in his lap.
“I won’t let it happen again.”
The Annals did nothing to relieve my apprehension. I got really paranoid,
getting that nervous itch between the shoulder blades. I began studying the
darkness, trying to see who was watching.
Both Goblin and One-Eye had a big sullen on. I asked, “Can you guys come up for
a little serious business?”
Well, yes, they could, but they could not admit that their pouting was not of
earthshaking significance, so they just stared at me and waited for me to get on
with it. “I’ve got a bad feeling. Not exactly a premonition, but the same
family, and it keeps getting worse.”
They stared, stone-faced, refusing comment.
But Murgen volunteered, “I know what you mean, Croaker. I’ve had the
heebie-jeebies since we got here.”
I gave the rest a scan. They stopped yakking. The Tonk games came to a halt.
Otto and Hagop had small nods to admit that they felt unsettled, too. The rest
were too macho to admit anything.
So. Maybe my collywobbles were not imaginary.
“I get a feeling going down there could become a watershed of Company history.
Can one of you geniuses tell me why?”
Goblin and One-Eye looked at each other. Neither spoke.
“The only thing the Annals say that’s weird is that Gea-Xle was one of those
rare places the Company walked away from.”
“What does that mean?” That Murgen was a natural shill.
“It means our forebrethren didn’t have to fight their way out. They could have
renewed their commission. But the Captain heard about a treasure mountain up
north where the silver nuggets were supposed to weigh a pound.”
There was more to the tale but they did not want to hear it. We were not really
the Black Company anymore, just rootless men from nowhere headed the same
direction. How much was that my fault? How much the fault of bitter
circumstance?
“No comment?” They both looked thoughtful, though. “So. Murgen. Break out the
real colors tomorrow. With all the honors.”
That jacked up some eyebrows.
“Finish the tea, guys. And tell your bellies to get ready for some real brew.
They make the genuine elixir down there.”
That sparked some interest.
“You see? The Annals are good for something after all.”
I set about doing some writing in the latest of my own volumes, occasionally
peeking at one or another of the wizards. They had forgotten their feud, were
using their heads for something more than the
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