instant before. The young man rolled on the floor as the bolt splintered the wooden door and James came to his feet with his hands held palm out as he said, ‘‘Easy, Lucas! It’s me!’’
The innkeeper, a former soldier in his youth, was halfway around the kitchen, the crossbow set aside as he was drawing his sword. He had grabbed the crossbow and fired through the door, across the kitchen, upon hearing the scream. He hesitated a moment, then returned his sword to its scabbard as he continued moving toward James.
He circled around a butcher’s block. ‘‘You idiot!’’ he hissed, as if afraid to raise his voice. ‘‘You trying to get yourself killed?’’
‘‘Honestly, no,’’ said James as he stood up.
‘‘Dressed like that, sneaking at my cellar door, how’d I know it was you? You should have sent word you were coming that way, or waited an hour and come in the front door like an honest man.’’
‘‘Well, I am an honest man,’’ said James, moving from the kitchen, past the bar and into the empty common room. He glanced around, then sat down in a chair. ‘‘More or less.’’
Lucas gave him a half-smile. ‘‘More than some. What brings you crawling around like a cat in the gutter?’’
James glanced over at the young girl who had followed him 54
K R O N D O R : T H E A S S A S S I N S
and Lucas into the commons. She had regained her composure as the intruder was revealed to be a friend of the innkeeper.
‘‘Sorry to startle you.’’
She took a breath and said, ‘‘Well, you did a good job of it.’’ She stood upright, and her high color from the fright put her fair complexion in contrast to her dark hair. She appeared to be in her late teens or early twenties.
James asked, ‘‘The new barmaid?’’
‘‘My daughter, Talia.’’
James sat back. ‘‘Lucas, you don’t have a daughter.’’
The proprietor of The Rainbow Parrot sat down opposite James and said, ‘‘Run to the kitchen and see nothing’s burning, Talia.’’
‘‘Yes, father,’’ she said, leaving.
‘‘I have a daughter,’’ Lucas said to James. ‘‘When her mother died I sent her to live with my brother on his farm near Tannerbrook.’’
James smiled. ‘‘Didn’t want her to grow up in this place?’’
Lucas sighed. ‘‘No. It gets rough in here.’’
Feigning innocence, James said, ‘‘Why, Lucas. I never noticed.’’
Pointing an accusatory finger in his direction, Lucas said,
‘‘Far less savory characters than you have graced that chair, Jimmy the Hand.’’
James held up his hands as if surrendering. ‘‘I’ll concede as much.’’ He glanced toward the kitchen door as if somehow seeing through it. ‘‘But she doesn’t sound like any farm girl I’ve heard before, Lucas.’’
Lucas sat back, ran his bony hand through his gray-shot hair. His angular face showed irritation at having to explain.
‘‘She studied with a sisterhood in a nearby abbey for more hours 55
R A Y M O N D E . F E I S T
than she milked cows. She can read, write, and do sums. She’s a smart lass.’’
James nodded in appreciation. ‘‘Laudable. Though I doubt your average customer will appreciate those qualities as much as . . . the more obvious ones.’’
Lucas’s expression darkened. ‘‘She’s a good girl, James. She’s going to marry a proper man, not some scruffy . . . well, you know the type. I’ll have a dowry set by and . . .’’ He dropped his voice so as not to be heard in the kitchen. ‘‘James, you’re the only one I know who knows some proper lads, being in the palace and all. At least since Laurie ran off and got himself named duke in Salador. Can you arrange for my girl to meet the right kind of boy? She’s been back in the city only a few days and already I feel as green as a raw recruit on his first day of training. With her brothers dead in the war, she’s all I’ve got.’’ He glanced around the well-tended but rough common room and
The innkeeper, a former soldier in his youth, was halfway around the kitchen, the crossbow set aside as he was drawing his sword. He had grabbed the crossbow and fired through the door, across the kitchen, upon hearing the scream. He hesitated a moment, then returned his sword to its scabbard as he continued moving toward James.
He circled around a butcher’s block. ‘‘You idiot!’’ he hissed, as if afraid to raise his voice. ‘‘You trying to get yourself killed?’’
‘‘Honestly, no,’’ said James as he stood up.
‘‘Dressed like that, sneaking at my cellar door, how’d I know it was you? You should have sent word you were coming that way, or waited an hour and come in the front door like an honest man.’’
‘‘Well, I am an honest man,’’ said James, moving from the kitchen, past the bar and into the empty common room. He glanced around, then sat down in a chair. ‘‘More or less.’’
Lucas gave him a half-smile. ‘‘More than some. What brings you crawling around like a cat in the gutter?’’
James glanced over at the young girl who had followed him 54
K R O N D O R : T H E A S S A S S I N S
and Lucas into the commons. She had regained her composure as the intruder was revealed to be a friend of the innkeeper.
‘‘Sorry to startle you.’’
She took a breath and said, ‘‘Well, you did a good job of it.’’ She stood upright, and her high color from the fright put her fair complexion in contrast to her dark hair. She appeared to be in her late teens or early twenties.
James asked, ‘‘The new barmaid?’’
‘‘My daughter, Talia.’’
James sat back. ‘‘Lucas, you don’t have a daughter.’’
The proprietor of The Rainbow Parrot sat down opposite James and said, ‘‘Run to the kitchen and see nothing’s burning, Talia.’’
‘‘Yes, father,’’ she said, leaving.
‘‘I have a daughter,’’ Lucas said to James. ‘‘When her mother died I sent her to live with my brother on his farm near Tannerbrook.’’
James smiled. ‘‘Didn’t want her to grow up in this place?’’
Lucas sighed. ‘‘No. It gets rough in here.’’
Feigning innocence, James said, ‘‘Why, Lucas. I never noticed.’’
Pointing an accusatory finger in his direction, Lucas said,
‘‘Far less savory characters than you have graced that chair, Jimmy the Hand.’’
James held up his hands as if surrendering. ‘‘I’ll concede as much.’’ He glanced toward the kitchen door as if somehow seeing through it. ‘‘But she doesn’t sound like any farm girl I’ve heard before, Lucas.’’
Lucas sat back, ran his bony hand through his gray-shot hair. His angular face showed irritation at having to explain.
‘‘She studied with a sisterhood in a nearby abbey for more hours 55
R A Y M O N D E . F E I S T
than she milked cows. She can read, write, and do sums. She’s a smart lass.’’
James nodded in appreciation. ‘‘Laudable. Though I doubt your average customer will appreciate those qualities as much as . . . the more obvious ones.’’
Lucas’s expression darkened. ‘‘She’s a good girl, James. She’s going to marry a proper man, not some scruffy . . . well, you know the type. I’ll have a dowry set by and . . .’’ He dropped his voice so as not to be heard in the kitchen. ‘‘James, you’re the only one I know who knows some proper lads, being in the palace and all. At least since Laurie ran off and got himself named duke in Salador. Can you arrange for my girl to meet the right kind of boy? She’s been back in the city only a few days and already I feel as green as a raw recruit on his first day of training. With her brothers dead in the war, she’s all I’ve got.’’ He glanced around the well-tended but rough common room and
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