LITMIR.BIZ

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who’s loyal being in love with your wife is one thing, but your wife being in love with your brother …’

      Just as Hal was about to reply, his eyes widened.

      Ty glanced over his shoulder to see two men entering the tavern. One was a red-bearded fellow in a grey jacket with a sailor’s cutlass at his side, and the other was black-haired with a dark green waistcoat and two long dirks in his belt. They were not the same men who had been watching them, but Hal noticed they took a good look around the room, their gaze lingering for just the briefest moment on Hal and Ty before they moved toward the bar.

      Looking down at his porter, Ty asked, ‘Did you—?’

      ‘I saw,’ answered Hal. ‘They recognized us.’

      ‘Follow me.’

      Ty moved with purpose but not with haste toward the bar and through a door to the right. ‘They’ll think we’re going to the jakes to relieve ourselves, but that will be good for less than five minutes.’

      From the smell of sour beer and human waste emanating from the corridor, Hal had no doubt they were approaching the jakes, but at the end of the hall there were two doors, and Ty pushed open the rear door, then pulled Hal into the one on the side. It was a large closet containing a bucket, dirty mop, two straw brooms, and barely enough additional room to accommodate both of them.

      ‘Be silent,’ whispered Ty. He kept his hand on the latch and peered through a tiny crack between the door and the jamb.

      Five or so minutes passed, then Hal heard the sound of men passing, then running out of the back door. Ty waited for a moment, then said, ‘Half the wall next to the jakes is down, so it’s no task to jump over the stonework and get out into the alley. They are no doubt running around back there looking for us, so we shall go out the front.’

      They hurried out of the hall, through the main room, and left without anyone taking notice. Outside, they turned back towards the River House and Ty said, ‘I think that was enough adventure for the day.’

      Hal was about to reply when the first two men they had seen watching them stepped out of a nearby doorway, weapons drawn.

      ‘Or then again, perhaps not,’ said Ty drawing his own sword.

      Hall drew his weapon and stepped to the right, giving himself a little room next to his companion. The street had solid shop fronts on one side, and the river on the other, so the two men would be forced to come straight at them. Both young swordsmen relaxed and stood ready. Softly Ty said, ‘You think these two didn’t hear about the Masters’ Court?’

      As the two men suddenly charged, Hal answered, ‘I don’t think they care.’ He knew from experience there was a profound difference between formal duelling and combat.

      Ty discovered that in the first instant, when he attempted to beat aside his opponent’s blade and discovered it was a feint not to gain blade position but so that he could bring up a short knife in his left hand and drive it into Ty’s stomach. But Ty was fast enough to recognize the threat. Turning slightly, he let the man go by. ‘So, that’s how it’s going to be?’ He kicked out and left the man sprawling.

      Hal knew he faced a brawler from the way the man made one lunge, then retreated into a crouch. Suddenly he realized something. The other two men would be back. ‘We’d best kill them swiftly and be on our way.’

      ‘I know,’ said Ty. He watched as his man made the fatal mistake of trying to turn while still on the ground and as he stood up he impaled himself on the tip of Ty’s sword.

      Ty turned to see Hal’s opponent backing away. His eyes widened, and Ty turned around and saw the two men who had run out of the tavern appear, coming from the other direction at a run. Ty crouched as the two men came close.

      But rather than attack, the two men slowed and approached with their palms upraised. ‘Wait!’ shouted one, the red-bearded man.

      ‘Why?’ demanded Ty, standing over the body of the man he had just killed.

      ‘That,’ said the second man, pointing behind Ty.

      ‘Hal, what does he mean by “that”?’ asked Ty, not taking his eyes off the two men from the tavern.

      ‘Look,’ said Hal. From the other end of the street a half dozen men were coming at a run.

      ‘Come with us,’ said the red-bearded man.

      ‘How do we know we can trust you?’ asked Ty.

      ‘You think you can trust that lot?’ replied the man, pointing again.

      Ty looked once more and saw the men who were approaching had their weapons drawn.

      ‘Fair enough!’ shouted Hal, lashing out with a sudden move that took his close opponent across the ribs. It was not a killing blow but would slow the man down enough to stop him joining in the hunt.

      They took off on a mad dash and the red-bearded man motioned for them to turn a corner and race towards the harbour. Hal glanced over his shoulder and saw the men behind them now numbered a full dozen, all looking ready for blood.

      Normally the crowded streets of Roldem’s river and harbour district would have been a hindrance, but because business had fallen off, the docks were as empty as if it had been a temple holy day. They charged through one big square, down another street and came to the docks. The red-bearded man turned right and the other three followed. At the end of the docks a ship was tied up and before the gangplank stood a dozen armed men.

      Ty began to slow, but the dark-haired man shouted, ‘It’s all right. Come on!’

      The men in front of the gangway parted and the four of them ran up to the deck of the ship. They looked back just in time to see the dozen men run up to the men gathered before the ship. They slowed just out of reach and hesitated.

      Ty said, ‘If they attack do we go back down?’

      ‘They won’t attack,’ said the red-bearded man.

      ‘Why?’ asked Hal.

      ‘That’s why,’ said his companion, pointing to the far end of the dock.

      Where the dozen pursuers had turned, there now came a squad of men in the uniform of the Roldem city guard. Steel helmets gleamed in the day’s sun and half of them carried pikes.

      The leader of the pursuers saw them coming, shouted an order and they broke into a run and dashed down an alley, away from the docks.

      The leader of the watch came to stand before the dock workers and demanded, ‘What’s all this, then? Got a dead man back around the corner and saw a bunch of men dashing this way.’

      One of the dock men said, ‘Jumped one of our lads in the alley and a fight broke out. We came and got them then they got their friends, then they came here, and tried to fetch our lads.’

      The watch leader looked dubious then he glanced over and saw which ship he was standing by. ‘Oh, this is …?’

      ‘Yes,’ said the dock man. ‘I think it was a ruse to get aboard.’

      ‘Well, we can’t have that,’ the watch commander said. ‘They’re long gone, no doubt, but we’ll have a look after them and see if we can find anything.’ His attitude suggested he wouldn’t look very hard and expected to find nothing. With a wave he gestured for his company to follow and he set off along the alley down which the other gang had fled.

      ‘Well, that’s done,’ said the red-bearded man. He turned to Ty and Hal. ‘Follow me, please.’

      Seeing no alternative, they did and he led them through a door to a cabin at the rear of the ship.

      In the room they found two people waiting, a young man in naval uniform and a beautiful young woman. She smiled and said, ‘There you are.’

      ‘Ma’am,’ said Hal, and Ty touched his forelock in salute.

      She

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