Deadly Games

Prettyimpressive considering this is your first time doing it. Of course,I would have beaten you, but I was a touch weary from my earliervigorous exertions.”

Basilard was about to sit up when a darkfigure loomed over him. Sicarius.

The flickering illumination from a lanternhanging on the obstacle course frame cast his face half in shadow,half in light, enhancing his hard, angular features. When he stareddown, Basilard struggled not to cringe or show any nervousreaction. Sicarius could not know what he and Akstyr had beendiscussing earlier. He had just arrived.

“What’s going on, gentlemen?” Amaranthe’svoice came from a few paces away. “Finding anythinginteresting?”

Basilard jumped to his feet and faced her,glad for the excuse to turn his shoulder toward Sicarius. He hadsensed Sicarius’s suspicions toward him since the incident in theshaman’s hideout, and now he knew why. He must suspect Basilardwould one day find out about his crimes in Mangdoria. That warinesswould make it all the more difficult to surprise him.

“We found out Basilard can run the Clank Raceas fast as some of these pampered athletes,” Maldynado said.

“Oh?” Amaranthe regarded him with moreinterest than Basilard thought the statement warranted. “That mightbe perfect,” she said, talking more to herself than him.

What? Basilard signed.

“It seems the winners of each event get tohave dinner with the emperor. That’ll be…thirty-six people, butmost of those youngsters won’t have anything to talk about.”

Maldynado smirked. “I like how you talk aboutyoungsters as if your twenty-six years make you venerable and wise,boss.”

Basilard smirked, remembering her memorablebirthday party at the Pirates’ Plunder.

Amaranthe, eyes bright, continued her visionwithout acknowledging Maldynado. “Those young athletes will likelybe cowed by Sespian’s royal presence. If you won, you could angleyour way in there and talk with him about your people, about theunderground slavery that still exists in the city.”

Basilard almost sank back down to the earth.Was that possible? For him to win an interview with the emperor? Inone night, could he truly bring awareness of the slave problem toSespian? Basilard glanced at Sicarius, abruptly regretting his vowto kill the man. That was a task he was not sure he could carry outwithout being killed himself. Maybe it could wait until after theImperial Games? But perhaps his mind was spinning too quickly. Whatwere the odds of him actually winning an event? Against agile youngathletes half his age?

“You could take Books to translate for you,”Amaranthe said.

“Most men would prefer to take a woman on adinner date with the emperor,” Maldynado said.

“Well, if Basilard could find one that couldtranslate for him, I suppose. I’m too notorious to show up at sucha venue these days. But anyway, Basilard are you interested inentering? Sicarius can help you train.”

I can train on my own, Basilard signedswiftly.

Amaranthe gave Sicarius a bemused smile. “Iguess nobody else appreciates your stair-climbing sessions the wayI do.”

Sicarius did not respond. Theirrelationship-if they could be said to have one-baffled Basilard.She treated him like a friend and confidant, and half the time hedid not even respond when she spoke to him.

“Where are Books and Akstyr?” Amarantheasked.

“They went back to the hideout,” Maldynadosaid. “Akstyr found…I don’t know. Bas, did we decide it was acork?”

Magic, Basilard signed.

“Oh?” Amaranthe asked. “Related to thekidnappings?”

“I’m not sure precisely,” Maldynado said. “Iwas looking for my pants at the time.”

Amaranthe opened her mouth, then shut it,probably deciding she was better off not knowing. “Have there beenany more kidnappings?” she asked. “Are the people who disappearedlast night still gone?”

Three total, Basilard signed. Twoforeigners and one Turgonian man from a different…place.Though he had added a lot of signs, giving his language versatilityamongst the group, saying “The Chevrok Satrapy” was beyond him fornow, but Amaranthe nodded understanding, and he went on, Theenforcers I overheard are starting to accept that something strangeis going on. They’re blaming Sicarius since he was sighted thismorning.

“Supposedly sighted,” Amaranth said.“I wonder if we can find out who sent that fellow and what hewanted to accomplish. Basilard, I apologize, but my reason forwanting someone from our team in the Imperial Games isn’t entirelyselfless. I’m hoping an insider might be more likely to hear aboutwhat’s going on. Maybe they’ll even target you for one of thekidnappings.” She bounced on her toes, then caught herself. “Sorry,that should probably not excite me.”

I’ll take solace knowing you’d be just ashappy if you could pose as an athlete and get kidnapped.

Maldynado snorted. “That’d make her evenhappier.”

“Basilard, you’ll need someone to play therole of trainer and translator,” Amaranthe said. “Akstyr and Booksmay be busy, so…”

Maldynado slung an arm over Basilard’sshoulder. “I’m always happy to spend time at the stadium and watchall the fine…events.”

Just keep your pants on, Basilardsigned.

Amaranthe opened her mouth again, shut itagain, and shook her head.

“No promises.” Maldynado winked.

CHAPTER 5

An ice wagon trundled across the grounds,selling blocks to vendors who turned them into chilled tea andstrawberry juice. Amaranthe thought about buying a glass of thelatter, but the midday sun left few shadows for wanted women tohide in. Clad in white athlete togs again, she was sitting on abench on the edge of the grounds with a wide-brimmed sun hat pulledlow over her eyes while she waited for Fasha to meet her. Sicariushad pointed out that night meetings would be safer, but Amaranthewanted to listen in on the local gossip. The trail leading from thestadium to the baths and barracks wound past her perch, and she hadalready overheard quite a bit.

“…need more guards,” a woman withsweat-dampened bangs told her comrade as they strolled past.

“The enforcers aren’t admitting to anything,”the other woman answered. “They’re saying nothing’s going on, thatthe missing athletes probably went home.”

“Oh, sure, they trained all year, and thenjust went home before the competition even…”

The women walked out of hearing range.Amaranthe bent her head to study the short list of names on anotepad in her lap. Five athletes were missing now: two foreigners,including Fasha’s sister; and three Turgonians, one a local, andtwo from other satrapies. She recognized the local man, awarrior-caste wrestler, because they were the same age and hadcompeted in the junior events at the same time. What eluded her wasthe common theme. All of the missing people had disappeared in themiddle of the night from their barracks or, in the wrestler’s case,a private room in the lodge.

“You should pay attention to yoursurroundings when you’re in a public area,” Sicarius said from theshrubs a couple of feet behind the bench.

Amaranthe stifled her usual twitch ofsurprise and did not lift her head, wondering if she could wheedleher way out of a lecture. “I knew you were on the grounds.”

A long moment passed before he answered. “Youare assuming that you’re safe, simply because I’m in the area?”

“You know I’m not at my most attentive whenI’m plotting and mulling. I’ve come to trust you’ll keep an eye onme.”

“That’s reckless,” Sicarius said. “I’m yourcolleague, not your bodyguard, nor can I guarantee your safetysince I cannot walk about freely here. If you must study papers ina public area, you should scan your surroundings every