Lee sat in the common room of the Golden Gyrfalcon. It was crowded now to bursting with Geffen’s toughs, plus a score of new hires, and she felt distinctly uncomfortable. Geffen had talked through his plan with her, of course, but she still couldn’t shake her dismay at the outlay of such a massive hiring; every out of work would-be street-thug and worthless dock-front layabout on the island must be crammed into the common room.
She wondered on the scale of the riot should it come out that they didn’t have the coin to pay half those present.
Geffen himself paced before the broad cobblestone fireplace, eyeing his gathered force, impatient.
‘Everyone here?’ he demanded.
She scanned the crowd. ‘Near enough. I called for everyone.’
He gave a curt nod. ‘Good.’
She couldn’t help it. Her gaze drifted to the slim dark figure sitting alone despite the crowd, leaning back, arms crossed and hands tucked up beneath his armpits, that mordant smile on his lips as if he knew what was going to happen – and that it would all end in disaster. She yanked her gaze away.
Geffen raised his arms for silence. ‘Okay! Everyone! You all know the fleet left this morning. Mock and most of his captains are gone – including most of the damned Napans.’
‘Going to finally burn that bar down, Gef?’ someone called from the crowd.
‘Mock doesn’t want property damage,’ Lee snapped. ‘Bad for business.’
Geffen gestured for silence. ‘That bitch has earned it right enough. But that’s just for openers.’ He raised an arm, pointing towards the ceiling. ‘Why mess around with the small timers when the Hold is empty?’
Though he’d let her in on the scale of his plan, Lee couldn’t help letting out an awed breath.
‘Why should the captains listen to you?’ someone called out, breaking the long silence.
Geffen nodded, acknowledging the concern, then opened his arms wide. ‘Because we’re inside and they’re out! Possession is nine-tenths of the law, my friend.’
‘And the Napans?’ someone else asked.
‘We’ll settle that score tonight. Then the Hold.’
Lee frowned, thinking. Why bother with the Napans at all? But then, if they couldn’t handle even
He nodded back, winking, and threw his arms wide. ‘Tonight.’ He gestured to her. ‘Lee, take whoever you need.’
The crowd broke up, everyone preparing for the coming assault. The doors were barred and guarded against any word’s getting out and the cellar store room doors were thrown open – the doors to the armoury hidden below. Geffen crossed the room, the savage narrow slit of his mouth set. Some hireswords stopped him to swear their loyalty; he acknowledged them, then pushed onward. Lee saw where he was headed and joined him.
The two stood staring down at the foreign knifer, Cowl, alone at his table. The young man was mutely clapping, offering his ironic applause. ‘All hail the possible new ruler of Malaz,’ he said. ‘But I think you’re forgetting one thing – what about his pet mage?’
Geffen lifted his bony narrow shoulders, unconcerned. ‘I think she might like to know what lover boy’s been up to all these years.’ Then he waved the subject aside, scowling with undisguised distaste. ‘Things have changed. I no longer require your services – wretched as they have proved to be. Our contract is void.’
The lad pressed his hands flat against the tabletop, dropped his sardonic smile. ‘That would be ill advised. Drag me here only to dismiss me?’ He shook his head at the magnitude of the mistake.
Lee was feeling the confidence of the company of some fifty toughs and hireswords; she leaned over the table and jerked a thumb to the door. ‘Pack your stupid little bag and get your useless arse out of here.’
She did not know what to expect, but it wasn’t the sudden laugh and the hands thrown up in mock surrender. ‘Fine,’ he said, ‘I should be mad but I’m not. Because I’m grateful to you. If you hadn’t brought me here then I wouldn’t have found the real potential hidden on this wretched island. Power just waiting for someone daring enough and strong enough to take it.’
Geffen waved him down, as if he wasn’t worth his time. ‘
Cowl watched him go, murmuring, ‘I’m not talking about the Hold, fool.’
Lee hesitated. ‘The house, you mean … you gonna try to enter it?’
The mage’s gaze remained aside, following Geffen. ‘Someone will, and soon. It’s in the air. It’s why powers are gathering here. It’s like a lodestone.’
‘What do you mean … powers?’
The young mage made shooing gestures with his hands. ‘Go away, little bird. This does not concern you. But, by way of advice, I suggest you keep your head down.’
