The Riftwar Legacy: The Complete 4-Book Collection. Raymond E. Feist

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СКАЧАТЬ He regarded the three riders before him. ‘What may I do for you?’

      ‘We are in the market for some information.’

      Abuk said, ‘Information is often my most profitable commodity.’

      James walked his horse close enough to the buckboard of the waggon to hand over the silver spider. ‘Can you tell me to whom you sold this?’

      ‘Yes,’ said Abuk. ‘For the sum of a hundred golden sovereigns, I can.’

      James grinned, and there was nothing but menace in his smile. ‘Or we could arrange for you to have a discussion with the Royal Interrogator regarding your part in the death of fifty of the King’s Own Royal Lancers.’

      ‘What?’ demanded the startled Abuk. ‘Fifty Royal Lancers were murdered?’

      ‘In Romney,’ supplied Owyn.

      The trader was silent for a moment, calculating his chances of survival against his potential for profit, if James was any sort of judge of men. Finally he said, ‘I take no responsibility for that act; I merely sell goods which are not banned by law.’ He handed the spider back to James. ‘This is one of two I sold in the north. A poor imitation was sold to a man named Michael Waylander in the village of Sloop. He is a prominent member of the Glaziers’ Guild in the City of Romney. The other was sold to a man whose name I do not know, but I know he is from the north.’

      James showed Abuk the spyglass. ‘What of this?’

      ‘You have proven the man you seek is the one I described, for he also purchased this glass. I sold both items to him at the Queen’s Row Tavern in Malac’s Cross, and you might inquire there of the innkeeper, who seemed to know this man. He was an exceptional chess player, by what I overheard.’

      ‘If you met him in Malac’s Cross, why then did you say he was from the north?’

      ‘Because I overheard the innkeeper ask him if he was returning to the north, and the man said he was indeed heading home.’

      James did not look pleased. ‘We must then return to Malac’s Cross.’

      Abuk said, ‘I might be able to save you a journey, for a small fee.’

      James asked, ‘How small?’

      ‘A dozen golden sovereigns, I think.’

      ‘Five, I think, and I forget your name when I speak to the King’s Inquisitor.’

      ‘Done,’ said Abuk.

      James gave him the money and the man said, ‘Now that I recall, he did mention the town of Kenting Rush.’

      James looked at Owyn, who nodded. ‘I know it. It’s north of my Uncle Corvallis’s home in Cavell Village.’

      Abuk looked at Owyn. ‘Your uncle is the Baron Corvallis?’

      Owyn said, ‘Yes, he is.’

      ‘I know him,’ said Abuk. ‘He’s a man of ill humour, if you don’t mind me saying so.’

      Owyn grinned. ‘No one who knows him will argue that.’

      ‘If we are done?’ asked Abuk to James. James indicated they were, and the vivid green waggon started forward again.

      After Abuk was safely away, James turned to Owyn. ‘What do you think? Malac’s Cross or north to Kenting Rush?’

      Owyn said, ‘Kenting Rush is a small town, barely more than a dozen shops and inns. Mostly farmers and small estates in the area. There can’t be too many men matching the description of the man we seek in residence there.’

      Gorath said, ‘Good, because time is growing short. It’s been more than a month since I left my homeland and Delekhan’s power grows while we seek out information. It would do us no good to discover his plans by witnessing them executed.’

      ‘A good point,’ said James, turning his horse around. ‘Let us head north.’ He urged his mount forward and set off at a brisk trot. A few minutes later they overtook and passed Abuk, and with a wave of farewell, continued down the road.

      

      The passage between their encounter with Abuk and the turn-off to the City of Romney went without a hitch. They paused in Romney to change horses and see if things were calming down there.

      Michael Waylander, Damon Reeves and Arle Steelsoul had heeded the Earl’s warning and appeared within days of the message being delivered. They were now locked in earnest negotiations with the other guild leaders to end the struggle between the rival guilds in the city and order was slowly returning to Romney.

      The next morning, James, Gorath and Owyn departed on fresh horses, and hurried north through the rolling farmland that bordered the River Rom. The towns and villages along the river were undistinguished, much like the village of Sloop, bearing names like Greenland, Hobbs, Tuckney, Prank’s Stone and Farview. For days they rode, always alert, and by keeping a steady pace, they reached the area south of Cavell Village. Several times they had passed bands of armed men, but none had offered them challenge, and they arrived without incident.

      Rounding a bend in the road, they crossed a small bridge that took them over a swift-running stream. James looked down and observed, ‘This is deep.’

      Owyn said, ‘Deeper than it looks. More than one idiot’s been drowned trying to swim across. It’s a feeder to the River Rom, coming down from the mountains over there.’ He pointed to the west, where bluffs rose. ‘Let me show you something,’ he added as he turned his horse off the road.

      They followed an old dirt roadway, grown over by grass in several places, obviously unused for a long time. Gorath said, ‘I see fresh tracks. Someone has ridden here lately.’

      Owyn said, ‘Undoubtedly. I’ll show you why when we round this bend.’

      They rode around a sharp turn, where a bluff rose up to a cliff-top overhead, and halted. Before them an impressive-looking waterfall thundered down from the cliffs above, exactly three hundred feet above. On both sides the gorge rose steeply, and was covered with thick forests.

      ‘Cavell Run,’ said Owyn.

      ‘What’s that?’ asked James.

      ‘It’s the name of the stream. It’s also what we call the tunnels under the old keep.’ He pointed to the top of the cliffs and by squinting James could make out the grey edifice that rested atop the cliffs.

      ‘How did you know about this?’

      Owyn turned his horse back and said, ‘When I was a boy, we came here several times. I used to play with my cousin Ugyne in the run. They’re a huge set of tunnels and caves under the keep. Used for storage in ancient times, but mostly abandoned now.’ He pointed backwards as they left sight of the waterfall. ‘There’s even a bolt-hole behind the waterfall if you know where to look. Ugyne and I found it from the inside of the run when I was nine and she was eight. We stripped off and went swimming. We almost froze to death; the water is all snowmelt running down the ridges from the mountains above. Ugyne got a pretty heavy whipping from her father, too. My uncle has never curbed his temper as long СКАЧАТЬ