Toll the Hounds

‘Are why we charge as much as we do. Now, no more about that, and don’t even think of just cancelling the contract-we’d take that as a grievous insult, a slur on our good name. We’ll get you there, Trell, even if it’s on one wheel behind a three-legged horse.’



Cartographer tottered back to them. ‘If it pleases,’ he said, attempting a smile that Precious decided was too ghoulish to describe without descending into insanity, ‘I have outlined a solution.’



‘Sorry I missed it,’ said Quell.



‘He meant that literally,’ said Precious, pointing up the road.



Quell in the lead, they walked up to observe the faint scouring on the pale dust of the track.



‘What in Hood’s name is that?’



‘A map, of course.’,



‘ What kind of map?’



‘Our journey to come.’



Reccanto Ilk squatted to study the effort, and then shook his head. ‘I can’t even make out the island we’re on. This is a stupid map, Cartogoplier.’ He straightened and nodded to the others. ‘That’s what you get tryin’ to work with a dead man. I swear, common sense is the first to go when you turn into the walking dead-why is that?’



The Bole brothers looked thoughtful, as if working on possible answers. Then, noticing each other’s frown, both broke into smiles. Amby snorted then had to wipe goo from his upper lip with the back of one hand.



‘I must be mad,’ Precious whispered.



Quell asked, ‘This is some kind of gate you’ve drawn here, Cartographer?’



‘Absent of investiture, but yes. I have no power to give it. But then, you do.’



‘Maybe,’ Quell mused, ‘but I don’t recognize anything you’ve drawn, and that makes me nervous.’



Cartographer walked along one side and pointed a withered finger down at the far end of the map. ‘Do you see this straight, wide groove? All the rest funnels into this path, the path we need to take. The best maps show you the right direction. The best maps are the ones that lead you to a specific destination.’



Reccanto Ilk scratched at his head, looking bewildered. ‘But that’s what maps are for-what’s he glommering on about?’



‘Not all maps,’ corrected Cartographer, with a shake of his head-and nothing, Precious concluded, could ever be as solemn as a dead man’s shake of the head. ‘Objective rendition is but one form in the art of cartography, and not even the most useful one.’



‘If you say so,’ said Master Quell. ‘I’m still uneasy.’



‘You have few other options, Wizard. The carriage is damaged. The marital ar-gument is even now extending beyond the town’s limits and will soon engulf this entire island in a conflagration of disputing versions of who-said-what.’



‘He’s smarter than he was before,’ observed Faint.



‘That’s true,’ said Reccanto.



‘I gather more of myself, yes,’ said Cartographer, giving them all another ghastly smile.



Flinches all around.



‘1 low come,’ asked Quell, ‘you never showed this talent before?’



The corpse straightened. ‘I have displayed numerous talents on this journey, each one appropriate to the situation at the time. Have you forgotten the coconuts?’



Faint rolled her eyes and said, ‘How could we forget the coconuts?’



‘Besides,’ resumed Cartographer, ’as an uninvited guest, I feel a pressing need to contribute to the enterprise.’ One ragged hand gestured at the scribbles on the track. ‘Invest power into this, Master Quell, and we can be on our way.’



‘To somewhere we can stop for a time?’



Cartographer shrugged. ‘I am not able to predict the situations awaiting us, only that in general they are not particularly threatening.’



Quell looked as if he needed to piss again. Instead, he turned back to the car-riage. ‘Everyone on board. Precious, you’re with me again. Same for you, Mappo.’ He paused. ‘The rest of you, get ready.’



‘For what?’ Gruntle asked.



‘For anything, of course.’



Reccanto, still strutting after his extraordinary on-the-knees skewering lunge, slapped one hand on the huge warrior’s back. ‘Don’t fret, friend, you’ll get used to all this eventually. Unless,’ he added, ’it kills you first.’



Cartographer held up some ropes. ‘Who will kindly tie me to a wheel?’



Night sweeps across the Dwelling Plain. Along the vast vault of the sky the stars are faint, smudged, as if reluctant to sharpen to knife points amidst the strangely heavy darkness. The coyotes mute their cries for this night. Wolves flee half blind in formless terror, and some will run until their hearts burst.