A Scoundrel's Song

33

It was Pelenia! Down in the street, avoiding the falling pieces of the shambolic crane that had, somehow, managed to affect his and Herit's escape. And, alongside her, stood, Akafa, Antioni and the Driadin, Hranukyun, still completely covered in the hooded cape, dragging it along the ground behind him. Niico called down and Pel raised her eyes to him, a look of confusion crossing her features.

"What are you doing there?" The shout rang down toward the ground as he leaned over, searching for the wagon. "What went wrong? And where's my wagon and horses?"

"Stables. Nothing went wrong. The Sisters found us and then just stopped, leaving us alone." She cupped both hands to her mouth, but it didn't make her any louder. "We heard some idiot caused a riot, so, obviously, I thought of you."

"It was a clever ruse." He glanced across the gap to where several Sisters were gauging the gap, glaring at him. "It didn't work. Anyway, I'll meet you at that place where we did the thing. Got to dash."

"Wait!" Now her confusion magnified. "What place? What thing?"

Niico had no more time as the Sisters of the Lady of Bearing looked about ready to create a rudimentary bridge using several pieces of timber, lengths of rope and one of their stoutest, angriest looking sistren. Instead of saying anything else, he performed a particularly clever and expressive mime of someone getting beaten by a leg of lamb. That should make everything clear and he gave Pel a determined salute.

Beside him, Herit leaned out so far he feared she may tumble to the street as she made enthusiastic waves to everyone below. Only Hranukyun replied with a wave of his own. Grabbing Herit by her collar, Niico dragged her away from the edge and assessed his surroundings. When he saw no good options, he lowered his expectations and looked for the bad ones as the sound of a plank dropping onto this roof came to his ears.

Taking a moment to push the plank back from the edge, he tugged Herit along as he spied a small opportunity for escape. Everything looked different from up here. He had spent enough time in Baccirese, in the past, to find his way anywhere, with a memory so precise and detailed, he could draw a map with his eyes closed. Up here, with all the added buildings and new construction work, he found it far less easy to navigate.

There was, however, one way and, if he remembered correctly from a particular night of discovery and ill-timed debauchery, he could use the step-like structures heading closer to the town centre to his advantage. He only had to pass through a den of thieves and murderers that, he felt certain, still had orders to find and kill him. That was from another time and another thing and it reminded him why he had chosen Casoria instead of Baccirese to live in for a while.

Pushing the plank from the roof had only given them a little time. Racing across this roof, running around the smoke stacks and various lost and forgotten detritus, Niico led Herit toward the one place he really didn't want to go. The Baccirese townhouse of the family Engallini. It appeared that Vienshin Kha had taken to playing with his destiny.

Only two buildings away, but it may as well have been a mile. He soon heard the stomping of booted feet behind them and what bothered him the most, the most disturbing thing, was that the Sisters never said a word as they chased him and the child. Not a single word. Not a grunt, not a growl, not even the sound of heavy breathing. At the very least, if Herit did join the Sisters, they would make her fit. Not that she wasn't filled with energy already.

The gaps were easier to jump, but no less dangerous. Herit made the leaps with ease, Niico not so much, stumbling and tripping each time he landed and the Sisters had no such problems. Up ahead, he saw a window into the townhouse of the family Engallini and began to push himself even harder, the spear pumping beside his leg as he ran ever faster and, at the last moment, he dived through the open window, rolling to a stop, the spear still, miraculously in his hand and not piercing his body.