in, the rope taut. They were all heaving now, Raffi’s muscles cracking and aching with the weight.
The river opened huge jaws. Water foamed; there was blood in it. Marco was yelling, and the second bolt thumped into the scaled loops around him with a scream that might have been anyone’s; then in the river’s convulsions he was suddenly crumpled there, on the shingle, gasping, with Solon standing over him.
The Archkeeper kneeled and grabbed Marco’s arm. “Are you alive?”
The bald man managed a nod, and Solon stared up. “Back, creature of evil!” he shouted.
It hung above them, bending over them both like a wave. And then it slithered and streamed back and dissolved; the river gave up one great bubble, and ran smooth.
13
Surveillance reports must be studied.
Information must be collated and acted on. Failure to do so is a punishable offense.
Rule of the Watch
F OR A LONG TIME THEY SAT SILENT under the trees, cold and utterly dispirited. The sun had gone; now twilight gathered, smelling of damp fungi. Marco still shivered, despite his borrowed layers of dry clothes.
They were all thinking the same thing, but it was Carys who said it. “No wonder they didn’t need to guard the crossing.”
“Was that an avanc?” the Sekoi wondered. “Never have I heard of one so far inland.”
“If it was, the spines are new,” Galen growled. He glanced at Marco. “And the stench.”
They could still smell it, a putrid fishy reek that brought clouds of gnats and hungry bloodflies out of the dark undergrowth. Solon slapped one off his face. “This is not a healthy place to mope, my friends.”
Carys sat up. “Quite right. So here’s what we do.”
“If you think,” Marco said savagely, “that I’m going anywhere near—”
“Save your breath. And forget the river. We’re going over the bridge.”
They all stared at her. Then Galen said, “Go on.”
She put her fingers together. “For a start, there’ll be no more than four Watchmen on a crossing this remote. We’ll need to split them up—a diversion. You can do that, Galen. Also, there’ll be dogs . . .”
“We can deal with most dogs,” Galen said briefly.
She nodded. “Right. Say we get them here in the wood. The other two men will stay on the bridge.”
“Which is double-barred,” the Sekoi murmured.
“Which is double-barred. So we get them to open it.”
Solon looked at her as if all this was too fast for him. “How?”
“A traveler wants to cross. Someone on his own. Not a keeper. Not on any wanted list. Someone they don’t know. Unarmed. Harmless.”
There was an uneasy silence.
The Sekoi looked up and saw everyone was looking at it. “Great,” it said acidly. It scratched its tribemark and managed a sour smile. “Kind of you to think of me, Carys.”
“You’ve done worse.”
“Oh? And what do you suggest I say to them when I get through the gate? With a crossbow pointed at each eye?”
Carys smiled sweetly. “I think you should tell them a story.”
THE TWO WATCHMEN STOOD in silence on the bridge.
“Can you still see them?”
“The lanterns. Just there.”
Between the trees small yellow lights flickered.
“What do you think it was?”
The taller man shrugged. “The avanc. You can smell it. It’s had some riverfox or other.”
Far off, the dogs barked. Deep in the woods the lanterns were lost for a moment, and a gray owl hooted. Under the roar of the water the silence was oppressive. Then a whistle blew. Six short blasts; one long.
Both men relaxed. The signal meant: “Investigating further. No danger.”
“Riverfox,” the smaller man said, turning away. “Nothing else screams like that.”
“RIGHT.” CARYS DROPPED THE WHISTLE into her pocket. “Off you go.”
The Sekoi glared at her, then at the two Watchmen crumpled in the shadows, their dogs curled up contentedly beside them. Raffi helped it on with its pack, the creature plucking the straps into place
The river opened huge jaws. Water foamed; there was blood in it. Marco was yelling, and the second bolt thumped into the scaled loops around him with a scream that might have been anyone’s; then in the river’s convulsions he was suddenly crumpled there, on the shingle, gasping, with Solon standing over him.
The Archkeeper kneeled and grabbed Marco’s arm. “Are you alive?”
The bald man managed a nod, and Solon stared up. “Back, creature of evil!” he shouted.
It hung above them, bending over them both like a wave. And then it slithered and streamed back and dissolved; the river gave up one great bubble, and ran smooth.
13
Surveillance reports must be studied.
Information must be collated and acted on. Failure to do so is a punishable offense.
Rule of the Watch
F OR A LONG TIME THEY SAT SILENT under the trees, cold and utterly dispirited. The sun had gone; now twilight gathered, smelling of damp fungi. Marco still shivered, despite his borrowed layers of dry clothes.
They were all thinking the same thing, but it was Carys who said it. “No wonder they didn’t need to guard the crossing.”
“Was that an avanc?” the Sekoi wondered. “Never have I heard of one so far inland.”
“If it was, the spines are new,” Galen growled. He glanced at Marco. “And the stench.”
They could still smell it, a putrid fishy reek that brought clouds of gnats and hungry bloodflies out of the dark undergrowth. Solon slapped one off his face. “This is not a healthy place to mope, my friends.”
Carys sat up. “Quite right. So here’s what we do.”
“If you think,” Marco said savagely, “that I’m going anywhere near—”
“Save your breath. And forget the river. We’re going over the bridge.”
They all stared at her. Then Galen said, “Go on.”
She put her fingers together. “For a start, there’ll be no more than four Watchmen on a crossing this remote. We’ll need to split them up—a diversion. You can do that, Galen. Also, there’ll be dogs . . .”
“We can deal with most dogs,” Galen said briefly.
She nodded. “Right. Say we get them here in the wood. The other two men will stay on the bridge.”
“Which is double-barred,” the Sekoi murmured.
“Which is double-barred. So we get them to open it.”
Solon looked at her as if all this was too fast for him. “How?”
“A traveler wants to cross. Someone on his own. Not a keeper. Not on any wanted list. Someone they don’t know. Unarmed. Harmless.”
There was an uneasy silence.
The Sekoi looked up and saw everyone was looking at it. “Great,” it said acidly. It scratched its tribemark and managed a sour smile. “Kind of you to think of me, Carys.”
“You’ve done worse.”
“Oh? And what do you suggest I say to them when I get through the gate? With a crossbow pointed at each eye?”
Carys smiled sweetly. “I think you should tell them a story.”
THE TWO WATCHMEN STOOD in silence on the bridge.
“Can you still see them?”
“The lanterns. Just there.”
Between the trees small yellow lights flickered.
“What do you think it was?”
The taller man shrugged. “The avanc. You can smell it. It’s had some riverfox or other.”
Far off, the dogs barked. Deep in the woods the lanterns were lost for a moment, and a gray owl hooted. Under the roar of the water the silence was oppressive. Then a whistle blew. Six short blasts; one long.
Both men relaxed. The signal meant: “Investigating further. No danger.”
“Riverfox,” the smaller man said, turning away. “Nothing else screams like that.”
“RIGHT.” CARYS DROPPED THE WHISTLE into her pocket. “Off you go.”
The Sekoi glared at her, then at the two Watchmen crumpled in the shadows, their dogs curled up contentedly beside them. Raffi helped it on with its pack, the creature plucking the straps into place
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