The Redemption of Althalus. David Eddings

of trees some distance upstream.

      ‘Em,’ he said silently after they’d dismounted, ‘just exactly who are we supposed to find there in Osthos?’

      ‘Guess,’ she replied rather smugly.

      ‘Don’t do that,’ he scolded.

      ‘You’ve already met her, pet.’

      He blinked. ‘You’re not serious!’ He almost said it out loud.

      ‘Oh, yes.’

      ‘How are we supposed to get inside her palace?’

      ‘You’re the thief, Althalus,’ she replied. ‘If you can steal things, I’m sure you’ll be able to steal one little girl.’

      ‘Emmy, her palace is guarded by an army. One little squeak out of her and I’ll have thirty armed men climbing all over me.’

      ‘Then we’ll just have to make sure she doesn’t squeak, won’t we?’ She considered it. ‘I think we’d better leave Eliar and Bheid here – and your horse. We’ll want to move very quietly. I’m a cat, and you’re a thief. We know how to be quiet. They don’t.’

      ‘How long have you known that Andine would be joining us?’

      ‘Since the moment Eliar read the Knife.’

      ‘Why didn’t we pick her up before we went to Awes?’

      ‘That would have been out of sequence, pet. Everything must be in its proper place and time.’

      Althalus glanced at Eliar, and he remembered the way Arya Andine had looked at the boy. ‘I think your brother’s got a very warped sense of humor, Em,’ he said.

      ‘Why, Althalus,’ she said, ‘I’m shocked at you. Shocked.’

      It was well past midnight when Althalus and Emmy slipped into Andine’s palace in the center of Osthos. This time, Emmy chose to walk rather than ride, and she moved on silent feet ahead of the thief, passing warnings back to him. Once they were inside the massive palace, she led him to the Arya’s private quarters. ‘She’s asleep,’ Emmy advised. ‘There are two guards outside her door. Encourage them to take a little nap.’

      ‘How?’

      ‘Try “leb”.’

      ‘Will that work?’

      ‘It always has before. After we leave, you’d better wake them up again, though. People might think it’s a little peculiar if they slept for fifty or sixty years the way you used to do back in the House.’

      ‘Is that the way you did it?’

      ‘Of course. Step right along, Althalus. The night won’t last forever, you know.’

      The pair of guards at Andine’s door were still standing, but their chins had sagged down onto their chests and they were snoring softly. Althalus reached past them and took hold of the door handle.

      Then Emmy hissed.

      ‘What’s the problem?’ he whispered.

      ‘Argan!’

      ‘What’s an Argan?’

      ‘It’s a who, not a what. This guard on the left is Argan.’

      ‘Is that name supposed to mean anything to me?’

      ‘I mentioned him before. Argan’s another one of Ghend’s underlings.’

      ‘That’s convenient.’ Althalus reached for his dagger.

      ‘Put that away,’ Emmy said in a disgusted tone.

      ‘It’s a nice simple solution, Em.’

      ‘Perhaps, but how do you plan to solve the problem that’ll come up later?’

      ‘Which problem is that?’

      ‘Returning him to life when he absolutely must be alive and well.’

      ‘I didn’t follow that.’

      ‘I didn’t really think you would. Put the knife away, Althalus. You aren’t the one who’s supposed to deal with Argan – any more than you were the one who’s supposed to deal with Pekhal or Khnom. Just leave him alone.’

      ‘Hold it, Em. Doesn’t this mean that Ghend knew that we were coming here?’

      ‘Probably, yes.’

      ‘How did he find out?’

      ‘Probably because Daeva told him.’

      ‘How did Daeva find out?’

      ‘The same way I did, of course. We hear things that you can’t, Althalus. I know about people like Khnom and Pekhal and Argan, and Daeva knows about people like Eliar and Bheid and Andine. They’re significant people, and significant people give off a certain sound that we can hear. Just leave Argan alone. Let’s get Andine and get out of here before he wakes.’

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

      The moon was full, and her pale light streamed in through the open window of the Arya’s bedroom to fall upon the sleeping girl’s face. Her mass of dark hair spilled out over her pillow, and sleep had softened her imperious expression, making her seem very vulnerable, and very, very young.

      As silent as a shadow, Emmy flowed up onto the bed and sat beside the sleeping girl’s pillow. Her green eyes were a mystery as she regarded the face of her sometime mistress. Then she started to purr.

      ‘How do we get her out of here?’ Althalus asked silently. ‘I suppose I could carry her, but –’

      ‘She’ll walk,’ Emmy replied. ‘Look around and find her some clothes and a dark cape.’

      ‘Doesn’t she have to be awake to walk? And won’t she start screaming even before her eyes are open?’

      ‘I know what I’m doing, Althalus. Trust me. Get her some clothes.’

      Althalus poked around until he found clothing suitable for travel, boots, and a well-made cloak. When he turned, he saw Andine sitting on the edge of the bed. Her huge eyes were open, but they obviously saw nothing.

      ‘Just bundle up her clothes,’ Emmy said. ‘I’ll have her dress herself once we’re outside the city. The cloak should be enough for now.’

      Andine stood up, her eyes still blank, and she was holding Emmy in her arms. Althalus draped the cloak about her shoulders. ‘How long can you keep her asleep like this?’ he asked Emmy.

      ‘As long as I need to.’

      ‘Six or eight weeks might not be a bad idea. If the first face she sees when she wakes just happens to be Eliar’s, things might start to get noisy.’

      Emmy’s eyes grew thoughtful. ‘You might have a point there,’ she murmured. ‘Let me think about it for a bit. Shall we go?’

      They led their sleeping captive out into the corridor, and Althalus stopped briefly to examine the face of the sleeping Argan. Ghend’s henchman had yellow hair and regular features.

      ‘What are you doing,’ Emmy asked.

      ‘I want to be sure I’ll recognize him when I see him again,’ Althalus replied grimly.

      They went on down the corridor, and after they’d rounded a corner, Althalus reached back and woke Argan and his companion. Then he silently led the Arya of Osthos out of her palace.

      They moved quietly through the darkened streets of Osthos, Althalus used ‘leb’ to put the gate guards to sleep, and they left the city.

      ‘I think you were right, Althalus,’ Emmy said as Andine woodenly dressed herself.