Christopher Stasheff - Rogue Wizard 07 by A Wizard;A Warlord

Author:A Wizard;A Warlord
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

On the way out of town the next morning, Gar stiffened and muttered, “Watch that man!”

Alea glanced out of the corner of her eye so she wouldn’t seem to be staring. She saw a man in his doorway bending to pick up a scrap of something white that lay on his threshold. Straightening, he studied the scrap, then tore it up angrily and strode off toward the fields, his face flaming.

“What was that all about?” Alea asked out of the side of her mouth.

“I don’t know,” Gar answered, “but I’d love to find out.” As they passed the cottage, he stooped and scooped up the pieces in a single deft motion. “When we’re out of town,” he muttered, “we’ll see how we do with a jigsaw puzzle.”

A mile past the town’s fields, they stopped, laid out the pieces on a flat rock, and fitted them together.

Alea frowned. “What does it mean?”

“Well, for one thing, our peasant can’t read or write very well.” Gar pointed to the name that had been very crudely drawn. “I saw the man slip this into the postbox on the common yesterday. Somebody seems to have collected it during the night and given him an answer.” He indicated the second set of words, printed much more clearly. They read, “Not a bully. Give one bushel of wheat to the next feast.”

“It’s a fine,” Alea said, frowning, “but for what?”

“False accusation, I’d say.” Gar pursed his lips. “I think our peasant was trying to make trouble for an enemy by accusing him.”

“He could have simply told the other villagers!”

“Yes, but they would have known if he was right or wrong,” Gar said, “and might like the other man well enough to insist on really clear proof. I think our peasant tried to call in people who wouldn’t know the facts and wouldn’t take sides, but they outsmarted him and learned the truth—very quickly, too.”

Alea frowned. “Then who was his judge?”

“The hidden government that I’m sure must be here somewhere!” Gar rose with a tight, intense smile, eyes gleaming. “Perhaps we’ll find it at the next village. Let’s go!”

Exasperated, Alea watched him stride away. Then she shook her head and started after him.

By midafternoon, they had come out of the flatlands into hilly terrain. The road wound between high banks that rose farther into small mountains.

Gar suddenly stiffened. “Patrol coming!”

Alea stopped, gazing off into space and opening her mind, trying to catch the thoughts he was perceiving.

There they were, and how could she have missed them? They were talking and laughing, but their laughter had a cruel undertone, and they were discussing how they would beat the idiot and amuse themselves with his sister.

“You’re getting a reputation,” she told Gar.

“I’ve always wanted to be famous,” he answered, “but not this way. It’s time for the better part of valor.”

“You mean run?” Alea looked about her, baffled. “Where? Those hills will make slow going, and they’ll see us a mile away!”

“There are trees on that hillside.” Gar pointed to the left.

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