be losing its popular appeal. Inger, at least, was doing something.
“They wil send a delegation.”
“Of course. You guaranteed universal safe conduct. We’l see a lot of old friends who abandoned us earlier this year: Sir Arnhelm, Sir Rengild, Quirre of Bolt, lots of others.
They’l drool and fawn and spin tale tales about how they had no recourse.”
“You give them too much credit. They won’t care what we think. They’l be safe.”
“Yes. I’m surprised so many took you at your word.” She was, after al , a Greyfel s.
It irked Inger that even Josiah could not get past his expectations.
Fulk vigorously proclaimed something in toddler. She did not understand. Josiah hoisted the boy onto his hip, wincing. “That better, Short Stuff?”
Fulk burbled happily. He leaned against Gales’s shoulder, shut his eyes. He was ready to nap. Gales said, “He needs to get out more. He tires too easily. He needs exercise and exposure to people, too.”
Inger stepped into the box whence she would deliver a brief speech declaring the Thingmeet convened. “We should al be doing lots of things. But I’ve pretty much lost the drive.”
“And here comes Nathan looking determined to lead us deeper into the slough of despond.”
Not quite true. Wolf announced, “We’ve found a transfer gate. Babeltausque says he can clear the booby traps in time.”
Inger asked Josiah, “That’s good news, isn’t it? So why so glum? You too, Nathan.”
Wolf said, “The sorcerer never gave up hope of finding that missing treasury money, Majesty. He real y wanted to please you. He kept digging—when he wasn’t playing with his girl toy or looking for a replacement who isn’t as overdeveloped.”
“That was unkind, Nathan.”
“Apologies, Majesty. It was, though probably not untrue.” Gales observed, “We might al be less uncomfortable if we spent less time judging Babeltausque.”
Wolf nodded. “Of course. We do have to work with him.
And we can’t fault his work. Or his effort. But, stil , what I wanted to say is, Babeltausque says he found the exact place where Mundwil er and Prataxis hid the stuff that night.”
Inger felt hope explode—and then fade. Nathan would hardly be so dour if the news was positive. “And?”
“And we got the best part already. They unloaded it into the creek twenty yards upstream from that farm pond.
Babeltausque found just about as much more as two old men could have carried. The Crown Jewels were there.
They were al crappy reproductions that melted. I’d bet that Mundwil er and Prataxis didn’t know. They wouldn’t have gone to al the trouble if they had. Maybe nobody knew.
Maybe some crook swapped everything out ages ago.” Inger sighed, already resigned. Dredging the pond had left her without hope. Stil , she did slump some. “There went a rare good day. So what’s the deal? Was there any money at al ?”
“It was under the mud in the creek feeding the pond.
Babeltausque says the mud probably built up after the stuff was dumped. The boxes we found in the pond probably got washed down during a storm. After we cleaned the pond that mud had somewhere to go again…”
“Money, Nathan?”
“Copper and bronze. Less than twenty pounds by weight, al corroded. The jewelry boxes might be worth more if we get them restored. They’re antiques.”
Inger borrowed some lower class invective and explored it creatively. Then she beckoned a soldier. “Hassel, take Fulk before the Colonel col apses.”
“Yes, Majesty.”
“Nathan, tel Babeltausque I appreciate his efforts, and yours, too. I need you both here, now, though. We need to set this up.”
...
The commission from Sedlmayr formed an entire caravan. Ozora Mundwil er was in charge and was less discomfited by the rigors of the road than sons and grandsons half or even a quarter her age. She proudly said it herself: she was one tough old buzzard.
If she could do something, youngsters ought to be able to fol ow suit while hopping on one foot and playing the panpipes.
Kristen, Dahl, and young Bragi were there, tempting fate.
Haas remained steadfastly opposed to Kristen taking the risk. He was sure Inger would not refuse such a fine chance to respond ignominiously, safe-conduct be damned.
She was a Greyfel s and there were ample precedents.
Dahl did, however, understand that trying to change Kristen’s mind was a waste of air.
He and she settled down to a cold lunch, beside the road, with Bragi napping and most of the caravan bustling around taking the animals to water, preparing food, doing al the things that had to be done during a rest stop.
Kristen mentioned the heavy traffic, moving both directions on the road. Lone drummers, tinkers, and caravans great and smal , kept the air laden with dust.
Haas grunted. He had little to say. He was hanging in there, sul enly awaiting his chance to declare, “I told you so!” Or so Kristen teased.
Bight Mundwil er and the Blodgett girl settled close enough to be overheard. Bight carped, “I just don’t get what her problem is.”
“She doesn’t like me anymore.”
“Wel , duh! But I don’t get why. She thought you were great before.”
“It’s because of who I was staying with. Something happened between her and some enThal when she was our age.”
“That’s stupid.”
“Sure it is. But old people just hold grudges.”
“She doesn’t know you.”
“Hey, neither do you. Not real y. I could be some kind of monster. Right? But it doesn’t matter. She don’t want me getting my paws on the Mundwil er fortune. She can’t believe that I’m not interested. She thinks she sees Ozora in Haida. Be patient, Bight. It’l al work out. Think about Vorgreberg. We’re almost there. Aren’t you excited?”
“Some. But mostly because you are. I’ve been there. It isn’t any big deal. Sedlmayr is nicer.”
“Cleaner and friendlier, anyway.”
“What?”
“That’s what you al keep tel ing me, anyway. So it must be true. Right? Or wil we find out something different when we see the real thing? Only…”
“Only what?”
“Only, it is the capital! Right? Come on, Bight!” She scooted closer, leaned against young Mundwil er lightly.
“Come on! You know…”
Ozora Mundwil er shouted for Bight.
Kristen whispered, “That old raven does have it in for the girl now. What changed? What did she mean, Ozora sees a lot of herself…?”
“Ozora wormed her way into the clan by seducing Aram Mundwil er when he was younger than Bight is now. Then along came Cham. They couldn’t run her off, then.”
“It worked out good for the tribe. In the long run.”
“You know Ozora can’t think that way.” Then Dahl shrugged.
He did not much care. He watched a caravan trudge past, westbound. It included a dozen camels, which excited the Blodgett girl tremendously. She ran off to pester the drovers. Haas grumbled, “Girl, don’t give those men the wrong idea. I’m feeling too lazy to rescue you.” Then he grunted and hastily turned his back on the road.
