Mark of Heresy by James Wallis

Author:James Wallis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Black Library
Published: 2004-02-03T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

Something Going On

Karl followed the man he knew as Herr Stahl through the twilight streets. Storekeepers were shuttering their shop-fronts, merchants made their way home from the north of the city, socialites left their houses or lodgings to head out to parties, dinners, the city’s social round. Beggars mostly stayed where they were, slumped in doorways and alleys.

They crossed the Reik over the Altbrug. Traffic on the river was light but the water seemed sluggish and heavy, roiling and choking downstream towards the sea, cluttered with silt and flotsam. Karl cast an eye upstream, wondering if he might see the Eider moored somewhere, but it was an idle chance. He had thought about searching the waterfront for the vessel but Altdorf’s docks were simply too large to make the job feasible. Ahead of him, Stahl did not look right or left, but kept on down the wide street, heading towards the north gate. As he walked he pulled a thin cloak from under his robes and unfurled it around his shoulders. The priest of Sigmar disappeared into anonymity, becoming just another figure on the street.

They were headed for the Königplatz, Karl realised. By this time the daily market would be packed up, the barrows and trestles stacked in neat piles and the traders and pedlars long gone, but the square’s other function would still be in full effect: the place where the coach-lines from all over the northern Empire dropped their passengers and picked up new ones. So was Stahl leaving or was someone arriving?

Karl hung back, keeping Stahl in view but not so close that the man would be able to guess he was being followed. He glanced around the street on the offchance that someone else was tailing Stahl, or possibly tailing him, but the evening crowds gave nobody away. He felt reasonably confident.

Stahl entered the square and walked quickly across towards the north side. Karl watched him with a sinking heart as he headed towards the scaffolded front of The Black Goat inn. Twice earlier in the day he had noted men in the white and red colours of his old regiment walk past. If soldiers from the Reikland Pikes were in the city then their officers would be too: officers who would be staying at The Black Goat and who would recognise Karl on sight, disguise or no disguise. He dropped a few more yards further behind his quarry.

Stahl didn’t go into the inn, but walked a few yards beyond it, to where one of the coaches of the Wolf Runner line was parked. It had fresh horses in the traces and looked ready to leave. A crowd of people stood around, carrying luggage and trunks, saying goodbyes, taking their places on board, leaning on the wall, watching. Stahl turned to face the throng and with a slow, deliberate movement raised his right hand to tug on his left ear.

A tall man who Karl had not noticed detached himself from the throng, walking towards Stahl as he ran his left hand backwards through his hair, pulling its dark strands out of shape.

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