and then for your reward I will very slowly and very carefully destroy you, atom by atom, for centuries. You will scream like the prisoners in your patchbooks, like Prometheus eaten daily by the eagle, like Loki as poison drips on his face. When I have Escaped and everyone else is dead your struggles will still convulse the Prison.
Rix bowed, white-faced.
John Arlex.
The Warden said drily, ‘What now?’ Bring them all.
Attia moved. With a yell to Keiro she jumped for the shaft, was racing down it. The string swung; she grabbed at it, hauled it up, snatched the dry scaly thing it held, thrust it down her shirt.
Then arms grabbed her; she kicked and bit but the Warden’s men hauled her up and she saw Keiro sprawled and the Warden standing over him, weapon in hand.
Claudia’s father stared at her in mock dismay. ‘Escape, Attia? There is no Escape. For any of us.’ Morose, he met her eyes and his gaze was bleak. Then he stalked away, down the long hail. ‘Bring them.’ Keiro wiped blood from his nose. He gave her one look.
Rix too.
This time she nodded.
Jared turned slowly.
‘My Lord of Steen,’ he said.
Caspar leant against a tree-trunk. He wore a breastplate of such dazzling steel it hurt to look at it, and his breeches and boots were of finest leather.
‘I see my lord is dressed for war,’ Jared murmured.
‘You didn’t used to be so sarcastic, Master.’
‘I’m sorry. I have had a trying time.’ Caspar grinned. ‘My mother will be amazed you survived.
She’s been waiting for a message from the Academy for days, but none has come: He stepped forward. ‘Did you kill him, Master, with some Sapient potion? Or do you have secret fighting skills?’ Jared looked down at his delicate hands. ‘Let’s say I surprised even myself, sire. But is the Queen here?’ Caspar pointed. ‘Oh yes. She wouldn’t miss this for the world.’ A white horse. It was saddled with the finest white leather fittings, and on it Sia rode sidesaddle, in an austere gown of dark grey. She too wore a breastplate, and a hat with a feather, and around her and before her pikemen marched, their weapons slanted in perfect array.
Jared came to stand by the Earl. ‘What’s happening?’
‘It’s a parlay. They’ll talk each other to death. Look, there’s Claudia.’ Jared’s breath tightened as he saw her. She was standing on the gatehouse roof, and Soames and Alys were with her.
‘Where’s Finn?’ He murmured it to himself, but Caspar heard and snorted.
‘Tired out maybe.’ He grinned sidelong at Jared. ‘Ah, Master Sapient, she’s cast both of us off now. I admit I always had something of an eye for Claudia, but marrying her — that was my mother’s plan. She would have turned out far too fierce and bossy, so I don’t care. But it must be hard for you. You and she were always so close. Everyone says so. Until he came along.’ Jared smiled. ‘You have a poisonous tongue, Caspar.’
‘Yes. And it stings you, doesn’t it?’ He turned, with negligent ease. ‘Perhaps we’ll go down and hear what they’re saying. My mother will be rather proud when I drag you through the ranks and throw you down before her.
And I’d love to see Claudia’s face!’ Jared stepped back. ‘You don’t seemed to be armed, my lord.’
‘No. I’m not.’ Caspar smiled, sweetly. ‘But Fax is.’ A rustle. It came from the left, and Jared turned very slowly to face it, knowing his freedom was over.
Sitting on a tree-trunk, an axe slung between his knees, the huge bulk of his body rippling with chainmail, the Prince’s bodyguard nodded, unsmiling.
‘Not until my father returns.’ Claudia’s voice rang out clearly, so that everyone could hear it.
The Queen sighed daintily. She had dismounted and was sitting in a wicker chair before the gatehouse, so close that even a child could have shot her. Claudia had to admire her complete arrogance.
‘And what do you hope to gain, Claudia? I have enough men and arms to batter the Wardenry to pieces. And we both know your father — a man who led a plot to try and kill me — will never return. He is where he belongs — in the Prison.
Now, do be sensible. Hand over the prisoner Finn, and then you and I can talk. Perhaps I was hasty, in my decisions.
Perhaps the Wardenry can remain in your possession.
Perhaps.’ Claudia folded her arms. ‘I’ll have to think about it
‘We could have been such friends, Claudia.’ Sia waved a bee away. ‘When I told you once we were alike I meant it.
You would have been the next Queen. Perhaps you still could be.’ Claudia drew herself up. ‘I will be the next Queen. Because Finn is the rightful Prince, the real Giles. Not that liar beside you.’ The Pretender smiled, took off his hat and bowed. His right arm was strapped into a black sling, and he wore a pistol in his sash, but otherwise he seemed as poised and pleasantly arrogant as ever. He called out, ‘You don’t believe that, Claudia. Not really.’
‘You think so?’
‘I know you won’t put your servants’ lives at risk on the word of some jailbird. I know you, Claudia. Now come out and let’s talk. We can sort this out.’ Claudia stared at him. She shivered in the cool wind. A few drops of rain struck her face. She said, ‘He spared your life.’
‘Because he knows I’m his Prince. So do you.’ For a desperate moment she had no idea what to say. And with her instinct for weakness, Sia said, ’I do hope you aren’t waiting for Master Jared, Claudia.’ Claudia’s head shot up. ‘Why? Where is he?’ Sia rose and shrugged her small shoulders. ‘At the Academy, I believe. But I have heard rumours that he is in poor health.’ She smiled icily. ‘Very poor.’ Claudia came forward till she was gripping the cold stones of the battlement. ‘If anything happens to Jared she hissed, ‘if you touch a hair of his head I swear I’ll kill you myself before the Steel Wolves even get close A commotion behind her. Soames was pulling her back.
Finn was at the top of the stair, pale but alert, Ralph puffing behind him.
‘If I needed more proof of your treachery those words would be enough.’ The Queen signalled hastily for her horse, as if the mention of the Steel Wolves had alarmed her. ‘You would be wise to remember that Jared’s life is at stake, as well as that of every other person in that house. And if I have to burn it to the ground to end this matter I will.’ Stepping on to the bent back of a soldier she swung daintily into the saddle. ‘You have until exactly seven o’clock tomorrow morning to hand over the Escaped prisoner. If he is not in my hands by then, the bombardment begins’ Claudia watched her go.
The Pretender glared up scornfully at Finn. ‘If you’re really not Prison Scum you’d come out,’ he said. ‘And not hide behind a girl.’ Jared said quietly, ‘It seems a shame to have escaped one assassin to be faced with another.’ Caspar nodded. ‘I know. But that’s war.’ Fax lumbered to his feet. ‘Boss?’
‘I think we’ll tie him up: Caspar said, ‘and then I can lead him down. In fact, Fax, once we get to the camp you can keep out of the way: He smiled at Jared. ‘My mother adores me but she’s never had much confidence in me. This will be a chance to show her what I can do. Hold out your hands.’ Jared sighed. He lifted his hands and then a paleness came over him; he staggered, almost fell.
‘I’m sorry,’ he whispered.
Caspar grinned at Fax. ‘Nice try, Master...’
‘No. Really. My medication. It’s just in my saddlebag. . He crumpled and sat in the leaves, shakily.
Caspar pulled a face, then waved impatiently and Fax turned to the horse. As soon as the man moved Jared leapt up and ran, haring between the trees, jumping the sprawling roots, but even as his breath grew to an ache he heard the footfalls behind him, heavy and close, and then the growling laugh as he tripped and rolled and slammed up against a tree-trunk.
He scrambled round. Fax stood over him, swinging the axe.
Behind, Caspar grinned with triumph. ‘Oh go on, then, Fax.
One good blow’ The giant raised the blade.
Jared gripped the tree; he felt its smooth trunk under his hands.
Fax moved. He jerked, and his smile became glassy, a fixed rictus that seemed to go through his body, and his arm, and the axe, so that it fell, thudding blade down in the soft earth.
After a frozen pause, eyes wide, he crashed after it.
Jared breathed out, astonished.
