The Emperor's Edge 3: Deadly Games

The Emperor's Edge 3: Chapter 9 Part 1

Amaranthe examined the map under the soft light of one of the gas lamps lining the city block around Pyramid Park. She had a lantern along as well, since the boneyard was black at night, but this provided better illumination.

Books leaned over her shoulder, also studying the map, while Akstyr humored Maldynado in a game with the catchy title of “You Pick a Letter and I’ll Say a Woman I’ve Slept with Whose Name Begins with That Letter.”

“Z?” Maldynado asked. “That’s easy. Zevinika and Zela.”

“This isn’t any fun. You could be making these people up,” Akstyr said.

“Well, traditionally two people alternate names of women they’ve slept with, and the name one person says has to start with the last letter of the name the other person said.”

“How is that more fun?”

“It’d be more fun for you because you could reminisce on past loves as well,” Maldynado said, “but since I know you’ve a dearth of experience in that area, I chose to modify the game so you could play.”

“Real thoughtful of you.”

“I know. You’re welcome.”

Attempting to block out their chatter, Amaranthe pointed at the seven fountains circled on the map. “These are the closest to the miner’s flat,” she told Books. “Since they said they were meeting at the fountain instead of the Fourth and Loom Street Fountain or some such, that seems to imply it was a nearby location they were all familiar with. What do you think?”

“I think we may want to focus on the rail tracks instead.” He tapped the hatched line on the map. “That locomotive headed into town, but, given its clandestine purpose, I doubt it ever made it to the station where its arrival would have been logged. There are a limited number of stubs it could have turned up before then. A hideout might be located along one of those routes, as kidnappers wouldn’t want to carry famous athletes through the open city for far.”

“True, but they could have transferred their cargo to a steam carriage.”

“If they did, they might have left evidence behind, or someone might have seen them,” Books said. “There are only six possible stubs before the station and only two near the fountains you circled.”

Amaranthe would not get her hopes up, but she said, “It’s worth checking out.”

“Since these are residential neighborhoods, there are limited places where one could store a number of kidnapped athletes,” Books went on. “I doubt anyone would choose a flat surrounded by nosy residents, so we can narrow our search to abandoned buildings or perhaps those with large basements with exterior entrances. If we split our team up, we could check the buildings along both of these stubs tonight.”

“Agreed,” Amaranthe said, “though I hate the idea of splitting up when we’re already missing two people. I don’t want to lose anyone else.”

“I’m surprised nobody’s tried to kidnap me,” Maldynado said. “I’m at least as good of a find as Basilard and Sicarius. It’s obvious these kidnappers aren’t basing their choices on looks.”

“We believe they’re basing their acquisitions on athletic prowess,” Books said.

“I have that, too. I should have entered an event, so I could get noticed.”

“Are you actually jealous that you weren’t kidnapped?” Amaranthe asked.

“Not jealous. I just think they’re shortsighted if they didn’t consider me.”