Surrender to the Will of the Night - By Glen Cook Page 0,194

under her left arm. The baby nursed at her right breast.

The old man left the fire, rolled himself into his blanket. He was well and truly lost. He was further from Perfection than most raw students. They were blessed with an eagerness to learn, to achieve salvation. Too much exposure to life had made him over into a cynical old man. He would have to go round the Wheel of Life several times to get back to where he had been, arriving at St. Jeules for the synod of the Perfects, not that long ago.

Come morning Brother Candle rose determined to go on alone. He had obligations to Queen Isabeth and Count Raymone. He was slow to get started, though. He dithered round the communal fire, snuggled Kedle’s baby and played with the toddler, found an excuse to exchange words with everyone before he finally hoisted his pack. By then it was nearly noon and it looked like he would spend his afternoon walking in the rain.

As he stepped off the east end of the Laur Bridge he spotted another familiar face. Or faces. The bandit Gaitor and his brothers, Gartner and Geis. Who were not thrilled to be recognized. They tried to slink away, hoping he would not follow. The Perfect shouted, “I’ll yell out everything.”

“Clever, that, Master.”

“What?” Heart hammering, he turned. Kedle was there with her donkey cart, children aboard. She had a spear in hand. “What are you doing?”

“Going with you. Stop arguing. Your friends are about to ditch you.”

“They aren’t friends. They’re men like the ones outside Homodel.”

“Then you’ll definitely need me to watch your back.” She yanked her donkey’s lead.

Brother Candle sighed. He would deal with this after talking to the bandit boys. “All right.”

He met Gaitor and his brothers on the riverbank thirty yards down from the remains of the tower that had protected the eastern approach to the bridge. They stared at Kedle. Her presence disinclined them to be rude or crude. Geis asked, “Who’s your friend?”

“Alazais Record. You don’t want to make her unhappy.”

“What do you want, Master?” Gaitor asked. Of the three he most obviously did not want to be seen talking with a Maysalean.

“I just wondered how you were doing. I wondered if you followed my advice and took your case to Count Raymone. You do look more prosperous these days.” He told Kedle, “Alazais, these people helped me during my last journey to Antieux.”

“They look like bandits.”

That struck a nerve with Gartner. “Not no more! We work for Count Raymone, finding real bandits and spies. And Society creeps.”

Gaitor and Geis gaped. Gartner seldom talked. Gaitor exploded, “Gart, what the hell is wrong with you?”

“I don’t want him thinking we’re the kind of guys we used to be before we run into him, that’s all.”

Kedle’s infant began to fuss. A hunger fuss, Brother Candle realized. That baby was the unfussiest he had ever seen. Nor was Raulet ever inclined to be trouble. He was standing up now, looking over the side of the cart, taking everything in. It was easy to forget that Raulet was there.

Four men stood in numb silence while Kedle gave the baby the breast. With a spear still ready in her right hand.

Gaitor muttered, “You must be right, Master. Some kind of shield maiden. But not so maiden anymore.”

“You’ve gone honest, then.”

“Ninety percent. Definitely not doing anything to make the Count or his woman angry.”

Brother Candle said, “I need to get to Antieux. I have messages for the Count. I was traveling with a group of refugees from Khaurene. They’ve decided to stay here.”

“Her, too?”

Kedle had leaned her spear against her cart in order to deal with dirty nappies. The reformed bandits were no less intimidated.

“She says she’s coming. I hope she changes her mind.”

Meantime, Gartner took a couple careful steps toward Kedle. “You need some help with them bitties, missus?”

Startled, Kedle looked to Brother Candle for his opinion. He shrugged. “Up to you. He was good with his own children.”

“Miss them, too,” Gartner said, taking a couple more steps, careful not to alarm Kedle.

“He does,” Gaitor said. “We didn’t think we’d be out here so long.”

“You managed to settle your families?” Such as that desperate mob had been.

“There’s room for them as accepts the Count. That’s another thing we do. Spread rumors that Count Raymone will take on anybody that’s willing to give him as much loyalty as he gives. Lookit there.”

Gartner had taken a leather bucket from Kedle’s cart. He headed down the muddy