in Fayt, she and Joseph had hidden out in one of Jeb’s warehouses, and the stench of the bile wasn’t something she could forget in a hurry.
‘I’m looking for a bile trader. A goblin called Jeb the Snitch. Do you know where I could find him?’
The man’s eyes narrowed, and in that moment Tabitha knew that he did. Her heart quickened. ‘Maybe,’ said the man. ‘If I tell you, what will you give me in return?’
‘Tabs!’ yelled Frank.
Tabitha whirled round.
Hal was on his knees, spluttering, held tightly in the grip of a tall, thin figure. A slender rapier was drawn, the edge pressed in close against his neck.
‘Uh-oh,’ said Ty.
The trolls had edged away, and a space was forming, as people saw the figure with the drawn blade and hustled to get away from him. He was dressed in black, and his face was pale.
The face Tabitha had seen earlier, watching them.
Except now, up close, she knew at once who it was.
Chapter Seven
‘Colonel Cyrus Derringer,’ said Paddy. ‘What a delightful surprise.’
Tabitha went for a throwing knife, but the elf saw and pushed the edge of his blade closer into Hal’s neck. ‘Touch that, and your friend dies.’
Reluctantly Tabitha slid the knife back in its sheath, weighing up her options. Derringer didn’t look much like the elf that she remembered. Back in Port Fayt where he commanded the Dockside Militia, he was fresh-faced and clean shaven, dressed in a uniform so smart he looked like a child’s tin soldier. Today he was wild-eyed and scowling, his ears hidden underneath an oversized, wide-brimmed hat. Therewas something on his face too – some kind of make-up that made his skin look darker than normal. More human, in fact.
Disguise , she realized. He’s in disguise, just like us. As a human.
It would have been laughable, except that Tabitha didn’t really feel like laughing, considering that Hal was about to get his throat cut.
‘Help,’ gurgled the magician.
‘I spotted you on the docks,’ sneered Derringer. ‘You think those disguises fool anyone?’
‘Look who’s talking,’ muttered Frank. ‘Anyhow, aren’t you supposed to be back in Port Fayt with the militia? What are you doing here?’
‘We’ll discuss that after you’ve dropped your weapons, nice and slow.’
‘I don’t think so,’ scoffed Tabitha.
‘Do it, Tabs,’ said Paddy, reaching to unbuckle his cutlass belt.
‘But—’
‘Look around.’ Paddy indicated behind her. A circle of citizens had formed around them, and it was getting bigger by the second. They just want to see some bloodshed . For a moment Tabitha hated them even more than Cyrus.
‘We’d best get this over with,’ said Frank. ‘Won’tbe long before the whitecoats show up, and then we’ll all be in serious trouble.’
Reluctantly, Tabitha reached for the buckle of her knife belt.
‘You too,’ Derringer snapped at the man in the turban. ‘Hands in the air.’
‘Kill him, I don’t care,’ said Nell’s owner. ‘I want nothing to do with—’
It happened so fast Tabitha barely registered it. Frank lunged into the crowd, snatched something and hurled it at Cyrus. The elf lashed out instinctively, fending off the missile. At the same instant Paddy dived forward and tugged Hal from Derringer’s grasp.
It was only when Hal was stumbling free, and the trolls were drawing their cutlasses, that Tabitha saw the weapon lying on the ground and realized what it was.
A wet, gleaming halibut.
Derringer took less than a second to recover himself. ‘Very funny,’ he snarled. ‘But I suspect you won’t be laughing with a sword in your guts.’ His blade cut the air in a complex pattern that gave Tabitha a sick feeling. She’d almost forgotten – this elf was the best swordsman in Port Fayt.
Derringer swung at Paddy first, driving the trollbackwards. Paddy was strong, and his cutlass was bigger, but he was no match for the elf’s speed. Derringer danced around him, blade flashing, toying with his
‘I’m looking for a bile trader. A goblin called Jeb the Snitch. Do you know where I could find him?’
The man’s eyes narrowed, and in that moment Tabitha knew that he did. Her heart quickened. ‘Maybe,’ said the man. ‘If I tell you, what will you give me in return?’
‘Tabs!’ yelled Frank.
Tabitha whirled round.
Hal was on his knees, spluttering, held tightly in the grip of a tall, thin figure. A slender rapier was drawn, the edge pressed in close against his neck.
‘Uh-oh,’ said Ty.
The trolls had edged away, and a space was forming, as people saw the figure with the drawn blade and hustled to get away from him. He was dressed in black, and his face was pale.
The face Tabitha had seen earlier, watching them.
Except now, up close, she knew at once who it was.
Chapter Seven
‘Colonel Cyrus Derringer,’ said Paddy. ‘What a delightful surprise.’
Tabitha went for a throwing knife, but the elf saw and pushed the edge of his blade closer into Hal’s neck. ‘Touch that, and your friend dies.’
Reluctantly Tabitha slid the knife back in its sheath, weighing up her options. Derringer didn’t look much like the elf that she remembered. Back in Port Fayt where he commanded the Dockside Militia, he was fresh-faced and clean shaven, dressed in a uniform so smart he looked like a child’s tin soldier. Today he was wild-eyed and scowling, his ears hidden underneath an oversized, wide-brimmed hat. Therewas something on his face too – some kind of make-up that made his skin look darker than normal. More human, in fact.
Disguise , she realized. He’s in disguise, just like us. As a human.
It would have been laughable, except that Tabitha didn’t really feel like laughing, considering that Hal was about to get his throat cut.
‘Help,’ gurgled the magician.
‘I spotted you on the docks,’ sneered Derringer. ‘You think those disguises fool anyone?’
‘Look who’s talking,’ muttered Frank. ‘Anyhow, aren’t you supposed to be back in Port Fayt with the militia? What are you doing here?’
‘We’ll discuss that after you’ve dropped your weapons, nice and slow.’
‘I don’t think so,’ scoffed Tabitha.
‘Do it, Tabs,’ said Paddy, reaching to unbuckle his cutlass belt.
‘But—’
‘Look around.’ Paddy indicated behind her. A circle of citizens had formed around them, and it was getting bigger by the second. They just want to see some bloodshed . For a moment Tabitha hated them even more than Cyrus.
‘We’d best get this over with,’ said Frank. ‘Won’tbe long before the whitecoats show up, and then we’ll all be in serious trouble.’
Reluctantly, Tabitha reached for the buckle of her knife belt.
‘You too,’ Derringer snapped at the man in the turban. ‘Hands in the air.’
‘Kill him, I don’t care,’ said Nell’s owner. ‘I want nothing to do with—’
It happened so fast Tabitha barely registered it. Frank lunged into the crowd, snatched something and hurled it at Cyrus. The elf lashed out instinctively, fending off the missile. At the same instant Paddy dived forward and tugged Hal from Derringer’s grasp.
It was only when Hal was stumbling free, and the trolls were drawing their cutlasses, that Tabitha saw the weapon lying on the ground and realized what it was.
A wet, gleaming halibut.
Derringer took less than a second to recover himself. ‘Very funny,’ he snarled. ‘But I suspect you won’t be laughing with a sword in your guts.’ His blade cut the air in a complex pattern that gave Tabitha a sick feeling. She’d almost forgotten – this elf was the best swordsman in Port Fayt.
Derringer swung at Paddy first, driving the trollbackwards. Paddy was strong, and his cutlass was bigger, but he was no match for the elf’s speed. Derringer danced around him, blade flashing, toying with his
Similar Books
