Part 2 (1/2)
When Atreus reached down and grabbed the wedge, the man's smirk vanished. Hec.o.c.ked his arm to throw his sword, and Atreus jerked the wedge free. The caskstumbled loose with a deafening rumble, bouncing down the stairs to bowl the guards over backward. One keg split and spilled oil everywhere, turning the whole stairwellinto a slimy avalanche of somersaulting men and flying casks.
”Well done!” Ris.h.i.+ exclaimed, once again eyeing Atreus's heavy cargo basket. ”Very well done. Now escape is a.s.sured.”
”I'll believe that,” Atreus said, ”once we've actually escaped.”
Atreus picked up his cargo, and he and Ris.h.i.+ started up the stairs after Yago. Although the basket was ungainly and difficult to carry, he did not even considerabandoning it. The coffer inside held many ten-thousands of gold lions, a full quarterof the fortune bequeathed to him by his unknown mother. This was the amount hehad dedicated to finding Langdarma, and he had no intention of leaving it to QueenRosalind's guards.
They ascended three more flights of stairs, then stepped into a long hallway leadingtoward the rear of the building. Yago stopped and pointed toward a window at the endof the corridor, where a long plank lay on the bottom sill, stretching across a narrowalley to a similar cas.e.m.e.nt in another building.
”Am I supposed to fit through that?” the ogre demanded.
”Most definitely not,” Ris.h.i.+ replied. ”Your weight would snap the board like straw. Youmust continue up to the roof.”*The roof?” asked Atreus. ”I have seen how strong the ogre is,” said Ris.h.i.+. ”I am sure he will not be troubledby such a small leap.”
Yago squinted out the distant window. ”How far is it?”
”Oh, it cannot be far,” said Ris.h.i.+. ”The board itself is not five paces long.”
”Five paces?” The ogre stretched his arms apart, trying to envision the distance.*That's got to be as long as a*”
”Five of our paces. It is no more than two of yours,” Ris.h.i.+ said as he braced hishands on Yago's hips, struggling in vain to shove the ogre into the stairwell. ”Now goup on the roof*and hurry! Can you not hear our enemies?”
Atreus c.o.c.ked his head, listening to the sound of the pounding feet below, thennodded to Yago. ”Go on. We'll see you on the other side.”Yago reluctantly squeezed back through the door and rumbled up the steps, leavingRis.h.i.+ and Atreus to continue down the corridor alone. The Mar stopped at the windowand turned to Atreus. ”No indignity is meant, but you are heavy enough with-out your basket, and the board is very old. Perhaps I should go first and drag your cargo along behind me.”
Atreus shook his head. ”I'd feel terrible if you fell. The basket is too heavy for you.”
He eyed the plank. As weathered and gray as the board was, it was also quite thick, with no sign of rotting. ”You go ahead. I'll be fine.”
Ris.h.i.+ sighed, then leaped onto the board and trotted across as lightly as a cat.Atreus followed more slowly, holding the heavy basket away from his body so he could look down and see his feet. By the time he had taken five steps, he almost wished hehad let Ris.h.i.+ steal the gold. The plank was bowing severely under his weight, andevery step caused it to bounce so harshly he could hardly keep his balance. Forty feetbelow, a constant stream of Mar scurried past, oblivious to the danger that Atreusmight slip and drop the basket on their heads or fall off the board entirely and come cras.h.i.+ng down himself.
Atreus was halfway across, on the bounciest part of the board, when heavy bootsbegan to pound down the corridor behind him. He looked up to find Ris.h.i.+ staringacross the alley, eyes as wide as coins.
”Perhaps the master could come more quickly,” said Ris.h.i.+.
”I'm coming as fast as I can!” Atreus's gaze dropped back to the plank, and he began to grow dizzy as he contemplated the distance between his feet and the ground.”This isn't as easy as it looks!”
”The master is to be extolled for his remarkable balance,” said Ris.h.i.+. ”But Her Radiance's men are proving most persistent.”Atreus took a deep breath, then rushed ahead three quick steps. The plankjumped like a quarterdeck on a stormy sea, and his fourth step found the boardcoming up when his foot expected it to be going down. He stumbled forward and fellto one knee, slamming the heavy basket down in front of him.
The plank bucked so hard that the end bounced completely off the sill andcame down an inch closer to the edge. Atreus squeezed his eyelids shut and didnot move, afraid of what would happen if he allowed himself to look a; the alley below.
*Come back here, you ugly devil!” growled an angry voice behind him. ”The queen's executioner will be wanting a word with you.”
A rasping noise sounded ahead, and Atreus felt the board moving backward. Heopened his eyes again and saw the end of the plank slowly sc.r.a.ping toward theedge of the windowsill.
Ris.h.i.+ thrust out his arms. ”Give me the basket!”
”So you can run off with it?”
Atreus crawled forward, pus.h.i.+ng the basket ahead of him. The board jerkedbeneath his knees, and the end slipped to within two fingers of the window's edge.”Have I not earned your trust by now?” Ris.h.i.+ continued to reach for the basket.”I am only trying to help!”
”If you want to help, grab the board!” Atreus commanded.
”But I am only a Mar,” Ris.h.i.+ whined. Despite his objection, lie grabbed the plankwith both hands. ”I am no match for the strength of the Ffolk!” The board wobbled sideways, and the guard called, ”Last chance! Surrender now,or I'll finish you here.”
”And kill those people down there?” Atreus glanced at the alley floor, where asmall crowd had finally gathered to stare up at the strange confrontation abovetheir heads. ”I doubt the queen would approve of that.”
”They'll get out of the way.” The guard gave the plank a mighty tug.Ris.h.i.+ pulled back and kept the end from slipping off the window sill, but Atreus'sknee dropped off the side. The board tipped sideways, nearly flipped, and Atreuscried out in alarm.
Ris.h.i.+ grunted and braced his feet against the wall, leaning back against theguard's strength. The plank began to wobble and shudder. Atreus sat down and straddled the board, and only then did he hazard a glance over his shoulder atthe other end of the plank, two guards stood side-by-side, both holding the boardand straining to pull it out of Ris.h.i.+'s hands. There were more men behind them, but quarters were too cramped for additional hands. Atreus's heart beganto pound. Even if his foes did not realize it yet, they had only to let go to send Ris.h.i.+ tumbling backward and Atreus plunging to his death.
The guards suddenly scowled and glanced up at the ceiling, then Yagoappeared on the tenement roof, standing directly over their heads. When the ogre saw Atreus's predicament, be frowned and kneeled, c.o.c.king his fist to punch through the roof.
”Yago, wait!” Atreus yelled The ogre was already bringing his fist down. A huge hand smashed through ceilingof the tenement and began feeling around. Atreus turned back to Ris.h.i.+ and pushed the basket forward, pulling himself along behind it as fast as he could.
Ris.h.i.+ let out a deep groan and slipped closer to the window. The Mar's knuckles were as pale as ivory. He kept his gaze locked on the treasure basket and did notblink. Atreus scooted another step forward. He was close enough to push thebasket through the window, but Ris.h.i.+ was in the way.
A strangled cry sounded from the other end of the plank as Yago finally caught hold of a guard. Atreus shouted a warning to the people below, then shoved thebasket into Ris.h.i.+'s startled face. The Mar had no choice but to release the board and grab the treasure basket. As itdropped away, Atreus flung himself forward and caught hold of the sill. His bodyswung down and smashed into the wall, leaving him dangling from the window like arag hung out to dry. The plank tumbled into the alley below, demolis.h.i.+ng two pairsof window shutters as it bounced off the tenement walls on the way down.
”Good sir?” Ris.h.i.+'s voice came from the other side of the window. ”Are you there?””Of course.” Atreus pulled himself up onto the sill. ”You'll have to work harder than that if you want my treasure.””How can you say such a thing?” Ris.h.i.+ demanded. He was sitting on the floor with both arms wrapped around the heavy basket. ”I am only trying to help.””And you've done so much. Being a hunted killer is bound to be a great help infinding Langdarma.”
Atreus swung his feet into the corridor, then looked back to see Yago's hand hanging through a hole in the ceiling. The ogre was smas.h.i.+ng a hapless guardabout the hallway as though the man's body were a war-hammer.
”Yago!” Atreus called. ”Come on.”
The ogre dropped his victim, then pulled his hand back through the ceiling anddisappeared behind the roof line. An instant later he came hurtling across the alley,flailing his arms and legs as though he were trying to fly. Atreus took an instant tojudge where Yago would land, then grabbed Ris.h.i.+'s ankle and jerked him back toward the window.
”Good sir!” Ris.h.i.+ screeched. ”Good sir, I am not some sack of rice to be dragged*”
The ceiling exploded into a spray of splinters and plaster. then Yago crasheddown where Ris.h.i.+ had been sitting a moment before. The floor bucked and shook from the impact of the ogre's ten-foot body, and Ris.h.i.+'s indignation turned to shock.
”In the name of the Forgotten Ones!” he gasped, peering over his shoulder.Yago groaned, then rolled onto his back and began to look around the dusty corridor. ”Hey,” he said, ”I made it ”
Something struck the tenement wall behind Atreus. He looked back to see aguard standing in the window opposite, accepting a fresh dagger from one of his fellows.
”We're not out of the city yet,” Atreus said, grabbing the basket from Ris.h.i.+'s hands and spinning around, holding it up before him. ”Yago, will you get going?”
As the ogre rolled to his knees, Ris.h.i.+ slipped past and led the way down the hall.Atreus backed after them, holding the basket up like a s.h.i.+eld. This did not prevent the angry guard from hurling several more daggers through the window. The knives were hardly balanced for throwing, but one managed to lodge itself inthe basket and another tumbled past perilously close to Yago's back.. At last,Ris.h.i.+ turned a corner and ducked down a stairwell, and Atreus finally had time to take note of the foreign sounds and smells of the building. From behind every door came melodic Maran jabber. The upper floors, used primarily for residences, smelled*perhaps even stank*of exotic cooking spices. Every now and then thetrio had to squeeze past a small group of Mar coming up the stairs. The menclapped at Yago and stared at Atreus's face with open hostility. The women retreated to the landing below and let them pa.s.s, blus.h.i.+ng and averting theireyes. The children gasped in open awe of Yago's size, then hissed and clapped their hands to ward off Atreus and his ”wickedness.” By the time the trio reached theground floor, Atreus felt happy to have grown up among the s.h.i.+eld-breakers. Atleast Yago's sons and nephews had considered his unfortunate looks nothingworse than an excuse to start a good fight.
When they reached the ground floor, Ris.h.i.+ led the way through an open poultrymarket into a narrow lane. Atreus was so turned around that until a pair of Marwandered past carrying a long plank, he did not recognize it as the same alleyover which he had been hanging a few minutes earlier.
”Over here, my banana-loving friend!”
The call came from a short distance down the alley, where a round-faced Marwith a waxed mustache sat in the driver's seat of a large covered wagon. He wasa plump man, about the same size and shape as the shadowy figure who hadthrown the banana into the Howdah. Hitched to the man's wagon were two of the strangest oxen Atreus had ever seen. They had narrow, cow like faces with curved horns as long as a man's arm, and their bodies were hidden head-to-hoof beneath s.h.a.ggy skirts of golden-black hair.