'What is it you say?'
I told her-in detail-and watched all color drain from her face.
The sweet, exciting stink of her fear now filled the cramped vardo. To hear a living heart, to scent the fear driving it, was more than enough to rouse my hunger and tempt me to forget the promise I had made to Madam Eva so very long ago. I struggled to hold myself in check.
Ilka muttered something in her own language and made a warding gesture which seemed to have no effect against me. I plucked out the phrase 'protect us' from her soft flow of words. 'Such dark creatures are not meant for this world,' she said aloud after some moments. 'He must be destroyed.'
'Indeed, but not until the time is right.'
'Is the Lord Strahd afraid of him?'
'Afraid?' I arched on eyebrow. Under different circumstances I might have been angered at her presumption, but considering the subject of our discussion, I let it pass. 'I fear no one in my land. But I am wise enough to discern the necessity of caution. One misstep could prove fatal. I certainly intend to kill him, but only in my own time.'
She cocked her head to one side. 'You have a use for him then?'
'I could desire things to be otherwise, but yes, I do. It is necessary for him to continue with the work we're doing; once it is successfully completed I shall take steps against him. Until then I have need of the Vistani as well.'
'We are already your eyes and ears throughout the land.'
'In general. What I need are watchers to specifically spy on him. He is in his own house now, miles from the castle. I cannot keep vigil over him as before, especially during the day.'
'We dare not come too close to him. He might hear our thoughts and kill us.'
'I don't require your people to move into his house, only to watch outside its gates and grounds and tell me of anything unusual that happens. I particularly want news of any who visit him, be they peasant or noble. He may try to make allies; if that happens I need to know of it.'
'Better to kill him,' she grumbled.
'I am open to suggestion as to how one might be able to kill the dead,' I returned dryly. 'Perhaps your dreams may reveal his true name to you that I might use it against him. If so, then I should be glad to know the magic as well.'
'Alas, Vistani dreams are not like any others, nor our magic.'
Which was probably just as well. 'You will tell your people what I require of them. Accept only the best and wisest. Those who have gifts for seeing the truth past an illusion must be among them, for this necromancer can conceal much when the need suits him.'
'There are few like that in our tribe.'
'Find and gather them. They will be rewarded well for this service; you have my word on it.' From my waistcoat pocket I drew out a silk bag, loosened the cord, and let the coins within tumble out over the table.
A glint came to her eyes as they all but fed upon the treasure. The Vistani were as fond of the brightness of gold as any magpie.
'Sort it out amongst yourselves how to manage this watch, and see to it that those chosen for duty are subtle about it so that they are not caught. There are fates far worse than merely dying, and the necromancer is familiar with many of them.'
'My people may not agree to stand watch.'
My sudden rage filled the vardo like a blood-red cloud. She flinched as I fought to hold it in check. When it was under control, I continued, my voice a stinging whisper. 'In this they have no choice. Your people may risk death in my service or have it as an utter certainty in his. Are you willing to be the one to break the agreement Madam Eva and I made?'
She licked her lips, and her hand covered the tarokka deck. Muttering again she turned the top card over. It was The Horseman. She stared at it a long moment with a stricken face. The Horseman was feared by all for its portent of calamity and destruction, and usually meant death. Ilka gave a short hopeless laugh, then pushed the cards toward me, her fingers trembling.
I cut the deck and chose. It was easy enough to deduce her questions: What will befall the Vistani if we do nothing? And: What awaits us to follow Lord Strahd?
To answer the last question I placed the card face up between us on the table and waited for her reaction. This time it was The Mist. Not always a good card for its uncertainties, but better than the previous draw.
She made no move, looking at it as though she hadn't seen it before, though the custom was for each Vistana seer to make her own deck.
'Well?' I said, growing impatient.
She briefly bowed her head. 'All will be as you command, Lord Strahd. The Vistani will be your faithful servants in this war.'
And not beforetime. I touched the amulet on my breast. 'Do you know what this is?'
She peered closely at it, then held her hand up, palm out, fingers spread. I felt something lightly touch it. Something that was there and yet not quite real. 'It is a charm against prying magic that no one may find you,' she pronounced.
'Correct. I have prepared many of these for just this time.' From another pocket I drew forth a small leather bag. 'Each person who takes up the watch against the Necromancer must wear one of these. They will be hidden from his magical Sight, but they must take care he does not see them in the normal way or it will do them no good.'
'We shall be like ghosts,' she promised.
'I hope not, for ghosts are the dead and this lich knows their ways.'
Again the warding gesture.
'Is all this clear to you? Must I remain to make the rest understand the importance of the task?' I put an ominous tone to this, making it seem like the threat it was.
She caught the hint. 'No, Lord Strahd need not trouble himself. I will see to all. But…'
'What?'
'The others will want to know-how long must we keep the watch?'
'A day or a century.' I let my fingers brush against the two cards, one the unknown, the other certain disaster.
'For as long as it takes?'
'For as long as it takes.'
547 Barovian Calendar, Barovia
'The wench will still be there a few days from now. Your presence is required to carry out these duties before I can move on to the next phase of work.'
Even after five years Azalin had not tired of testing me, baiting me. I finished settling my cloak into place, not bothering to spare him a look as I secured the fastening at the base of my throat.
'Unless your head is turned enough by mere rumor to risk all chance of escape,' he continued.
I had long grown used to his imperious manner and knew when to ignore it. This was one such time.
'What you want done is not beyond your scope; you can accomplish it easily enough.'
'My efforts are better concentrated in the preparation for larger things,' he said loftily.
'What would that be, running errands best left to your servitors?'
He'd made the trip from his manor house to Castle Ravenloft himself to present another order for new laboratory equipment and supplies. I didn't care much for him coming here, but I was willing to put up with it if it expedited his project.
'I want no more mistakes; that's why I must see to this personally. The previous lot of goods you sent was wholly unsuitable for use.'
'Not my fault. The craft guilds constructed things exactly as you ordered.'
'They failed,' he stated flatly. 'If you would let me deal with them directly there would be no more errors.'
