The Ranger of Marzanna (The Goddess War #1) - Jon Skovron Page 0,126

cold too bad.”

“Thanks, Mr. Zworykin. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Guido watched the peasant hurry away, no doubt thinking he’d made it through the interview without arousing suspicion. That was good. If this Mathilde from Gogoleth was here on behalf of some rebellious sect intending to recruit the local idiots, she would no doubt bolt at the first sign of trouble. She probably wasn’t of much value herself, but she might be able to give him a lead on someone higher up in the organization.

Assuming there was an organization. It could simply be boredom taking its toll on Guido and he was reading too much into things. But even if an investigation led to nothing, at least it was something to do. First he would ask around about this Mathilde. See if he could turn anything up that might lend even a little credence to his gut instincts.

“Fontana, I’m heading out for a bit.”

“Yes, sir,” said the soldier stationed by the door. “Would you like an escort?”

It might be too intimidating if he started questioning people with an armed grunt looming over his shoulder. “No. But I want everyone assembled and ready to deploy at a moment’s notice.”

“Sir?” Fontana looked surprised.

“Just a hunch. Don’t get your hopes up.”

“Yes, sir.”

“But be ready, just in case.”

“I’ll notify the men right away, sir.”

Guido nodded and stepped out into the brutal Izmorozian winter. The truth was, he wished he could wear some of Gennady’s furs. Even his heavier wool uniform wasn’t sufficient to keep out the cold. But furs were against regulation, and he wasn’t about to jeopardize his career just for a little extra warmth. His men were fairly loyal, but when it came time for a promotion review, if Commander Vittorio pressed them—and he was known for pressing—they would probably relay even minor infractions. Vittorio had that kind of effect on people.

Guido walked briskly to stave off the cold as he wove between the dreary hovels that composed Zapad until he reached the rock pit where the children typically played. He knew from experience that children were generally an excellent source of information. They overheard a great deal but didn’t yet have the guile to effectively deceive someone.

The children were playing some sort of game that involved taking turns throwing one stone on a pile of other stones. Guido was not surprised that he couldn’t discern any rhyme or reason to their actions. There probably weren’t any.

“Who’s winning?” he asked cheerfully.

They all looked up at him, their eyes wary. “I am, sir,” said one boy reluctantly.

“Excellent. What’s your name, boy?”

“Boris, sir.”

“Well, Boris, I’m glad you’re keeping yourself amused. I’m really bored. See, my job is to keep this village safe, and talk to any new people who come here to make sure they understand the rules. But since nobody new ever comes here, I have nothing to do.”

“But somebody came yesterday,” piped up a girl.

The boy turned and glared at her. Clearly he had at least some idea what discretion was. Fortunately, the girl did not.

“Really?” He acted surprised. Then he put on a worried look. “Oh dear. If I don’t talk to that person, I won’t be doing my job and I’ll get in trouble. Do you know who it is?”

“We don’t know her,” the boy said quickly.

“So it’s a woman, then?” asked Guido.

The boy winced, realizing he’d just accidentally given away information.

“Anything else you can tell me about her?”

He kept his mouth shut this time. He was a surprisingly smart little inbred hick. But that could be useful as well.

“If you don’t know, I suppose I’ll have to question your mother.” He didn’t know who the boy’s mother was, but that hardly mattered. Judging by the nervous look on the boy’s face, he was as protective of his mother as most boys. And since he was smart, even an implied threat should be sufficient. “She’s quite sweet, your mother. I do hope I don’t have to be too firm with her.”

“You don’t need to ask my mom,” he said quickly. “I know where you can find the woman.”

Guido smiled. “Wonderful.”

“She’ll be down by the tannery right now.”

Guido sighed. Of course, it made sense, what with her cousin being a fur trader. But the tannery was possibly the most awful smelling place he’d ever been forced to go near.

“You’ve both been most helpful,” he told the children. They did not look pleased by that. Perhaps he would reward them later with candy or some other trivial item so they wouldn’t be reluctant