The Riftwar Legacy: The Complete 4-Book Collection. Raymond E. Feist

      Gorath said, ‘Agreed,’ and turned to find his horse.

      James went to the house that was the obvious target of the raid and dismounted. He pounded on the door. ‘Open in the King’s name!’ he shouted.

      Through a viewing slit a pair of eyes, wide with fear, regarded him. The door opened and Michael Waylander said, ‘Squire. What was all that noise about?’

      James said, ‘It looks like someone is taking the game to a higher stake. We just chased off a band of Nighthawks coming to see you.’

      Waylander turned pale. ‘Nighthawks?’ His knees went weak and he gripped the doorjamb to stay on his feet. ‘What have I got myself into?’

      James said, ‘That’s what we’ve come to talk about.’

      Gorath and Owyn tied their horses next to James’s and came to the door as Waylander stepped aside to admit them. It was a modest house, but James noticed at once it was well kept. There was enough wealth evident in the furnishings and appointments that it was clear Michael Waylander was very well situated for a common worker in a small village. The house, while not large, had three rooms, a bedroom visible through a door, and James saw the bed was a well-carved four-poster with a mesh netting and canopy. Through the other door James could see a kitchen. Waylander sat heavily on a chair, and James sat in the other one next to a table.

      ‘Someone wants you dead, Michael,’ said James. ‘Who could that be?’

      Waylander sat back, a look of defeat on his face. ‘I’m a dead man.’

      ‘Maybe not,’ said James. ‘I represent Prince Arutha and while you’ve obviously irritated some powerful people, the Prince of Krondor is still the most powerful man in this nation after the King. If you co-operate, I may be able to get you under his protection.’

      Waylander stared off into space a moment, as if thinking. ‘I’m in over my head. I’ll do whatever I must to get out of this.’

      James leaned forward and suggested, ‘Why don’t you start with what “this” is.’

      ‘About a year ago, some men came to me from Silden. They had an idea, and I took that idea to Arle Steelsoul.’

      ‘What was the idea?’

      ‘The idea was to take control of all the business along the river, from Silden to the small villages in the mountains.’

      ‘How were they to accomplish this?’ asked James.

      ‘They said they had connections in the Riverpullers, who had told them the Guild was going to raise prices for hauling cargo up the river.’

      ‘So the Guild wanted to raise their rates?’

      ‘Yes,’ said Waylander. ‘They’re usually cautious about that, because if the rates go too high, merchants start using waggons to send goods north along the King’s Highway.’

      ‘But if there was a lot of trouble on the Highway, merchants would be forced to use the barges and the Riverpullers,’ finished James.

      ‘Yes.’ Waylander nodded agreement. ‘These men said that they could ensure the Riverpullers would have no competition. Then we, Arle Steelsoul and I, would organize the other guilds in Romney and the surrounding villages to stand against the Riverpullers. When things got bad enough, the King would declare martial law, and the Riverpullers would be put out of business.’

      ‘And what does it matter if some heads get broken along the way?’ asked Owyn dryly.

      ‘Waylander,’ asked James, ‘what made you think the Riverpullers would be out of business if the King declared martial law?’

      ‘We planned on having Damon Reeves, head of the Riverpullers’ Guild, murdered.’ He hung his head as if ashamed at this admission. ‘I didn’t want that, but by the time they told me of the plan, I was in too deep. They said they’d make it look like Nighthawks did it, so that no blame would fall to us. In fact, they said they’d make it look like someone within the Guild did it, to get Reeves out of the way, and the Guild would fall apart from dissension within. I’ve known Damon for years; he’s an old friend, but there was nothing I could do.’

      James glanced at Gorath and Owyn. ‘Whose idea was it to cast blame on the Nighthawks?’

      ‘The men from Silden,’ said Waylander. ‘Why?’

      ‘Just that the notion is familiar to us.’

      Owyn realized James was talking about the false Nighthawks in the sewers of Krondor and nodded in understanding.

      ‘What should I do?’ asked Waylander.

      ‘Get Steelsoul, get to Romney, and sit down with the Riverpullers and make peace. If you don’t, the Earl will hang you two and Reeves, and start over with whoever replaces you.’

      ‘The Earl’s never resorted to threats before. Why is he suddenly threatening us now?’ asked Waylander.

      ‘Because someone just murdered fifty Royal Lancers in his city,’ answered James.

      Waylander’s eyes widened and his face turned ashen. ‘Fifty! Gods of mercy!’ He gripped the table and said, ‘Who could do such a thing?’

      ‘Chance has you crossing paths with the Nighthawks, it seems,’ suggested James. ‘And by all appearances they don’t seem all that pleased by these attempts at implicating them in deeds for which they are not responsible. No matter how clever you gentlemen thought you were being, you were being played for fools by agents of a man who is called “the Crawler”. He’s attempting to dislodge the Mockers in Krondor and seems to want to control the docks in the eastern cities as well. They were not helping you; you were being set up to create a situation where they would emerge in control after you, Reeves, Steelsoul, and anyone else inconvenient to their goals were out of the way. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Crawler’s agents hadn’t leaked the information to the Nighthawks about your attempting to hang the blame for Reeves’ murder on them.’

      ‘As if another charge of murder is going to make them any more hunted,’ Gorath observed.

      ‘True,’ said James, ‘but it’s been my experience that criminals take a certain pride in their own crime, but want nothing to do with blame for crimes for which they are not responsible. It’s odd, I know, but that’s the way it is.’

      ‘You talk as if you’ve known a lot of criminals,’ said Waylander.

      ‘Yes, I do, don’t I?’ James’s smile lacked even a suggestion of warmth.

      ‘What do I do after I see the Earl?’

      ‘I suggest you beg for leniency,’ said Owyn.

      James nodded. ‘People have died as a result of your choices, and you and Steelsoul have much to answer for. But if you help the Earl restore order and help us uncover those behind this plot, we’ll do what we can to keep you off the gibbet.’

      ‘Maybe I should just run,’ said Waylander.

      ‘You won’t reach Silden,’ said James. ‘They would be on you like hounds on a hare, and where would you go, anyway?’

      ‘I have connections in Kesh,’ said Waylander. ‘If I can get to Pointer’s Head, I can take a caravan over the Peaks of Tranquillity.’

      ‘Well, don’t do anything rash,’ said James. ‘If my friends and I have our way, the Nighthawks will not be a problem much longer. My advice is to see the Earl, then sit tight. I’ll get word to you when it’s safe.’

      ‘But what about the men in Silden?’

      James stood up. ‘They’re also a problem.’

      ‘But I only know them by sight and first names, Jacob, Linsey and Franklin, and they may not even be their true names.’

      ‘Probably not,’ said James. He took