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neither of my witnesses.
"How long has he been this way?" One-Eye asked Case. The soldier's eyes were
wide. He knew who we were now. Maybe my ego did not need deflating after all.
"Months."
"There was a letter," I said. "There were papers. What became of them?"
"The Colonel."
"And what did the Colonel do? Did he inform the Taken? Did he contact the
Lady?"
The trooper was about to get stubborn. "You're in trouble here, kid. We don't
want to hurt you. You did right by our friend. Speak up."
"He didn't. That I know of. He couldn't read any of that stuff. He was waiting
for Corbie to wake up."
"He would have waited a long time," One-Eye said.
"Give us some room, Croaker. First order of business is going to be finding
Raven."
"There anyone else in this building this time of night?" I asked Case.
"Not unless the bakers come in for flour. But it's stored in the cellars down
to the other end. They wouldn't come around here."
"Right." I wondered how much his information could be trusted. "Tracker. You
and Toadkiller Dog go stand lookout."
"One problem," One-Eye said. "Before we do anything, we need Bomanz's map."
"Oh, boy." I slipped into the hallway, to the exit, peeped out. The
headquarters building was afire, sputtering halfheartedly in the rain. Most of
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the Guard were fighting the fire. I shuddered. Our documents were in there. If
the Lady's luck held, they would burn. I returned to the room. "One-Eye, you
have a more immediate problem. My documents. You better get after them. I'll
try for the chart.
"Tracker, you watch the door here. Keep the kid in and everybody else out. All
right?" He nodded. He needed no special coaching while Toadkiller Dog was
around.
I slipped out, into the confusion. No one paid me any heed. I wondered if this
was not the time to take Raven out. I exited the compound unchallenged, dashed
through the drizzle to Blue Willy. The proprietor seemed astounded to see me.
I did not pause to tell him what I thought of his hospitality, just went
upstairs, groped around inside the concealment spell till I found the spear
with the hollow shaft. Back down. One vituperous look for the landlord, then
into the rain again.
By the time I returned, the fire was under control. Soldiers had begun to pull
the rubble apart. Still no one challenged me. I slipped into the building
where Raven lay, handed One-Eye the spear. "You do anything about those
papers?"
"Not yet."
"Damn it...."
"They're in a box in the Colonel's office, Croaker. What the hell do you
want?"
"Ah. Tracker. Take the kid into the hallway. You guys. I want a spell where he
has to do what he's told whether he wants to or not."
"What?" One-Eye asked.
"I want to send him after those papers. Can you fix it so he's got to do it
and come back?"
Case was in the doorway, listening bleakly.
"Sure. No problem."
"Do it. Son, you understand? One-Eye will put a spell on you. You go help
clean up that mess till you can get the box. Bring it back and we'll take the
spell off."
He looked like getting stubborn again.
"You have a choice, of course. You can die an unpleasant death instead."
"I don't think he believes you, Croaker. I'd better give him a taste."
Case's expression told me he did believe. The more he thought about who we
were, the more terrified he became.
How had we developed such a fierce reputation? I guess stories grow in the
retelling. "I think he'll cooperate. Right, son?"
He nodded, stubbornness dead.
He looked like a good kid. Too bad he had given his loyalty to the other side.
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"Do it, One-Eye. Let's get on with this."
While One-Eye worked, Goblin asked, "What do we do after we finish here,
Croaker?"
"Hell, I don't know. Play it by ear. Right now don't worry about the mules,
just load the wagon. Step at a time.. Step at a time."
"Ready," One-Eye said.
I beckoned the youth, opened the outside door. "Get out there and do it, kid."
I patted his behind. He went, but with a look that could have curdled milk.
"He's not happy with you. Croaker."
"Screw it. Get in there with Raven. Do what you have to do. Time is wasting.
Come daylight this place will see some life."
I watched Case. Tracker guarded the door to the room. No one interrupted us.
Case eventually found what I wanted, slipped away from the work detail. "Good
job, son," I told him, taking the box. "In the room with your friend."
We entered moments before One-Eye came out of a trance. "Well?" I asked.
He took a moment to orient himself. "Going to be harder than I thought. But I
think we can bring him out." He indicated the chart Goblin had spread atop
Raven's stomach. "He's about here, caught, just inside the inner circle." He
shook his head. "You ever hear him tell about having any background in the
trade?"
"No. But there were times I wondered. Like in Roses, when he tracked Raker
through a snowstorm."
"He learned something somewhere. Weren't no parlor trick, what he did. But it
was too big for his skills." For a moment he was thoughtful. "It's weird in
there. Croaker. Really weird. He isn't alone by a long shot. Won't be able to
give you any details till we go in ourselves but..."
"What? Wait. Go in yourselves? What're you talking about?"
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