30
The Prisoner
Those next few minutes nearly drove me insane. Every sound I heard – every drop of rain dripping onto the floor through the leaky roof, the steps outside of Sha’Tep returning to their homes after their day’s labours, running, stumbling to get out of the wet – I jumped at all of them. I kept wondering when the next noise would be Tennat and his brothers shouting for me, or Nephenia screaming.
‘You know,’ Reichis said, ‘I kind of like that human. Maybe I’ll let her keep both eyes.’
‘That’s decent of you.’
‘I’m still going to eat one of her ears.’
After another minute, he went to the door and sniffed the air outside. I couldn’t help but wonder, given how arrogant the little bastard was, whether his sense of smell could really be as good as he claimed it. ‘They’re gone,’ he said, then added, ‘Guess this is where we part ways.’ He started out the door.
‘Wait! Stop!’
The squirrel cat peeked a head back in. ‘What?’
‘I thought you were going to help me!’ I replied, immediately wishing the words hadn’t come out sounding so desperate.
Reichis gave a passable imitation of a shrug. ‘I did help you. I freed you from your parents before they finished … whatever it was they were doing to you. I gave you lightning weed and got you out of the house, and now you’re here, in this lovely hideout where you can lay low for a while.’
‘My sister’s in danger! So is Ferius. I need you to help me—’
‘You need?’ the squirrel cat repeated. ‘You need a lot of things, kid. What’s in it for me?’ He shuffled over and started pawing at the pockets of my trousers. ‘Don’t suppose you’ve got anything to trade?’
‘Stop that,’ I said, pushing him away. If I’d been smarter I would have brought something from my father’s study to bargain with. In my defence, I’d never had to put the lives of people I cared about in the hands of overgrown avaricious part-feline rodents before. ‘You said … You said there was a tradition between your people and the Mahdek. You said sometimes you worked together.’
‘So?’
‘So, be my business partner.’
The other squirrel cat chittered.
Reichis gave what sounded like a loud, stuttering cough. It took me a moment to realise he was laughing. ‘Him? What’s he got to offer?’ He started walking around me like a merchant inspecting defective wares. ‘He doesn’t own anything, he can’t fight worth a damn and from what I’ve seen so far, he doesn’t have any magic. Why in the world would I—’
The other animal was on him again. This time Reichis resisted, but within seconds she landed him flat on his back with her teeth around his neck, shaking him. ‘Fine!’ he growled. ‘Gods damn it. I’ll do it.’
The female gave one more shake and then let him go. With as much dignity as anyone could muster in the situation, Reichis righted himself and snarled at her. ‘You’re a terrible mother, you know that?’
‘That’s your mother?’
He looked up. ‘Of course she’s my mother. Can’t you see the resemblance?’ Without waiting for a reply he ambled back to me. ‘All right. We’ll try this thing. One time. I’ll help you find your sister and the Argosi and in return you help get me something I want. But I’m not your familiar, understand? I’m not your pet and I’m not your friend. If you can’t hold up your end of the bargain, I’m gone. Got it?’
‘I guess that’s fair,’ I replied, my eyes still on the other squirrel cat, who now looked as placid as still water.
‘Hold out your hand,’ Reichis said.
Great. He’s going to bite me again. I figured this must be part of the ritual and, not being in a position to refuse, I did as he asked. Sure enough, he sunk his teeth into my palm. It hurt worse than the other two times. ‘Do your people have any traditions that don’t involve biting?’ I asked.
Reichis started for the door. ‘That wasn’t for any tradition. You just piss me off.’
With the effects of the lightning weed having worn off, it was even harder for me to keep up with Reichis and his mother. The pair of them led me down the pre-dawn streets and alleys on such a winding path that I soon lost my bearings entirely. It wasn’t until we stopped in front of a long, vine-covered wall over ten feet high that I realised where we were. ‘What are we doing behind the palace?’
‘Climbing,’ Reichis replied, leaping up to swiftly ascend all the way to the top of the wall. He turned and looked back down at me. ‘Quietly, if you can manage it.’
It took me forever to make the climb. It didn’t help having Reichis sniggering at me all the while. By the time I got to the top I could barely get in enough breath to speak. ‘I don’t understand. Is my sister here?’
I heard a soft rustle as Reichis’s mother climbed up effortlessly behind me. She chittered something I couldn’t understand. ‘We don’t know where your sister is, kid,’ Reichis replied. ‘That’s why we’re here. We need to talk to the prisoner.’
I looked out over the endless gardens within the walls, my eyes settling on the dark shape of its lone cottage. I felt ill. I’d thought the dowager magus had been trying to help me, or at least wasn’t part of whatever conspiracy was trying to tear down the clan. ‘Who is Mer’esan keeping prisoner?’
Reichis looked up and tilted his head. ‘You really don’t know anything, do you? The old lady isn’t keeping anyone prisoner. She’s the prisoner.’