Actually, both Walrus and Warwolf – along with everyone else in every dungeon in Selzirk – had been released and pardoned as part of the victory celebrations which followed the liberation of Androlmarphos. But, honour being what it is, they would never confess to such charitable treatment.
'Now let's hear you talk,' said the Walrus. 'And let's talk frank, as we couldn't talk in Selzirk.'
'What's there to be frank about?' said Drake. 'But for your bad breath, your rotten teeth and the boil in the middle of your forehead.'
The Walrus, still weak from the terrors of imprisonment, took this hard. But he could not show how Drake's rough words hurt him – for he knew a pirate was not supposed to be so sensitive. Still, while he could not complain directly, there was another way in which he could strike back.'Let's talk of Penvash, to start with,' said Mulps.
He would punish Drake a bit. Make him sweat over the matter of a stolen tinder box.
'Penvash?' said Drake. 'What about it? We killed some green-eyed dogs up there, aye. Is that what you're on about? I suppose they were your relations and all!'
Slagger Mulps, who had endured many a joke about his green eyes in years gone by, took this one hard.
'You ran off,' said Mulps, a touch of open anger in his voice. 'Ran, aye. Left us in hardship for days.'
'Hardship?' said Drake. 'I thought you green-haired animals were bred for the cold.'
'Aagh!' said the Walrus. He spat, discreetly, into a bloodstained handkerchief. Then said: 'So where did you bugger off to after you stole our tinder box?'
'Man, I did no stealing,' said Drake. T was hot after
Yot with the others when there was a bear or something, I don't know. A monster, maybe.''What kind of monster?' said Jon Arabin.
'Man, I know not,' said Drake, 'but I woke a long way later leagues and leagues from anywhere with a bloody head and bruises from gills to arsehole.''From mating with this bear, perhaps,' said Mulps.
'Gah!' said Drake, 'you'd be expert on buggering bears and such!'
He spoke freely, to show his friendship. For friends slanged off at each other with no holds barred – that was part and parcel of friendship. Thus Drake, who these days thought better of the Walrus than he had once, spoke to him as freely as he used to speak with Pigot Quebec and other criminal friends in Selzirk of the thousand sewers.
This last sally of Drake's brought Mulps close to tears – but again the Walrus concealed his hurt, and, after coughing a little more tubercular blood into a handkerchief, demanded:'And the girl?'
'Girl?' said Drake, looking round the groggery. 'There's one in the corner there, she's got but one ear yet the rest looks staunch enough. Would she be any good to you?'
'Don't play the fool with me, or I'll nubble you,' said Mulps, though he was so weakened by prison that he was scarce fit to fight a mouse.'Nubble away then!' said Drake, boldly.
He thought the Walrus spoke his anger by way of a joke. And, in any case – an angry Walrus without Ish Ulpin and others to back him up was no danger at all to Drake Douay if it came to a matter of swords.
'I'd rather kill beer than a comrade,' said Jon Arabin, mildly.
Drake, seeing both Walrus and Warwolf had finished their ales, summoned up more from the bar. For a while, all ate and drank in silence. Then Mulps spoke again:
'So what did happen to the Ebrell bitch? It's the one in
Penvash I'm talking of. What came of her?'
'Why, as I say, I don't know,' said Drake, 'for a monster attacked me. Likely the monster or whatever it was got eating her. She died somehow, anyway.'
'Then why,' said the Walrus, 'why does rumour say you came to Runcorn with her? With her and a fortune in jasp and jade, which let you buy up half the city before you were finished?'
'Man,' said Drake, spreading his hands, 'what I own is these hands. That's honest.'
'But you had wealth once,' persisted the Walrus. 'It didn't just vanish, did it?'
T were never rich,' said Drake. 'As for buried treasure or such, if that's what you're looking for – you'll get none from me. Would I mix with the scum in a dive like this if I had the wealth to live better?'
'Aye, you would,' said Mulps, 'for it's your style, and you know no better. But I-'
'Leave it, man,' said Jon Arabin. 'He's telling the truth. He has no treasure.'
'And even if I did,' said Drake, 'I'd want human beings to share it with – not a gangling thing with grass on its chin and thumbs built double on its fists.'Mulps rose to his feet in anger.
'Down, man!' said Arabin. 'Are we not friends together?'
'We are,' said the Walrus, looking hard at Drake, and wishing he had the strength to tear the snake-tongued fellow apart. 'We're friends, aye, I'll not forget it, or the gift of ale and kale either.'
Then Mulps sat, and gave every appearance of peace as talk turned to other subjects. But the insults rankled. That night, when Mulps slept, he had nightmares about his childhood, when he had been teased, bullied and rejected because he was so tall and thin, his nose so sharp, his thumbs double and his hair green.
Mulps woke writhing and sweating. Drake! Drake Douay! He was responsible for this!'A curse,' muttered Mulps. 'He cursed me. Aye.''What?' said his whore.'Nothing,' said Mulps. 'Go back to sleep.'
Mulps slept but the whore didn't, and when Mulps woke in the morning she was gone – with the last of his money with her. He blamed Drake for that, too. And, later in the day, sought out Elkor Alish, and bore false witness against Drake. Warrants were sworn out on the spot, and guards sent to arrest Drake.
Who was hauled into the presence of Elkor Alish that afternoon, vigorously threatening his guards with dragon-magic, demonic possession and a wide range of curses. All of which, of course, confirmed Mulps's belief that Drake had somehow put a curse upon him.
'So, here you are,' said Elkor Alish, sighting Drake. 'Just the man I need.'
'For what?' said Drake. 'What am I charged with? Show me a bill of particulars.'
'No need for that,' said Alish. 'All charges are dismissed. I've got serious work for you to do.''Aye. Work to get me killed, no doubt.''It may well,' said Alish.'Then I'll have no part in it,' said Drake.
'Oh, I'll make it worth your while. There's wealth and women as the pay for prompt performance.'
'I've got a woman already. I fought shipboard for the favour of Ju-jai. Once at the Teeth I'll claim her. A famous pretty whore, they say, with hair as red as my last.'
'Part of your pay,' said Alish, smoothly, 'will be the right to return to the Greater Teeth.''Like that, is it?' said Drake.
'Indeed like that. Be strong. All I want you to do is carry two letters. One is to Morgan Hearst. The other is to Watashi.'' Carry letters? Why me? Why not send an ambassador?'
'You will be precisely that. An ambassador. Remember when I visited you when you were in preventive detention in 'Marphos?''Aye,' said Drake, cautiously.
'You boasted large at the time,' said Alish. 'You said you'd been ambassador for King Tor on five different occasions.'
'Yes, but,' said Drake, 'I've enemies in Stokos. Gouda Muck, for one. I can't be your ambassador if I'm caught up in feuds with enemies, can I?'
'You'll deal in no feuds,' said Alish, 'for you'll visit the city in secret. That's why I must send you.''Me!'
'Right,' said Alish. 'You know the city. Better still, Watashi knows you. Who else have I got who's been face to face with Farfalla's son?''But-'
'You'll find a way to him,' said Alish. 'In secret. To guarantee your success . . . I'm holding your Walrus and Warwolf hostage against your safe return with proofs of performance.'Drake groaned.
The Walrus, weakened by a fever which had been gaining a hold on his carcass since midnight, fainted.
That night, Drake dreamed of dragons, torturers and Plovey of the Regency. Yet, the very next day, he began to make preparations for setting out for Selzirk – for he had no choice in the matter.
Elkor Alish said he would choose companions for Drake, but gave him permission to look for additional companions for the venture. Drake looked, but found nobody suitable.
There was just one person Drake seriously considered taking, and that was Forester, who lacked verve, courage, style and nous. Drake judged Forester to be a regular sucker-fool, who could be conned into doing the really dangerous work, such as making the approach to Watashi. However, despite the encouraging lies Drake told, Forester refused to join the adventure.
'Ambassadors don't come so short in the tooth,' said Forester to Drake.
Upon which Drake, offended, abandoned his efforts to recruit the man. He would rely on the companions
