Thief’s Magic (31 page)

“Men’s room’s that way,” one called out, pointing to a gap between the main airpark building and a smaller one. “Second door along. Don’t go too far or you’ll end up in the dockworkers’ quarter.”

Tyen tapped his hat in gratitude and hurried in the direction they’d indicated. Once in the passage he glanced back to make sure nobody had followed him and the dockworkers weren’t watching, then continued on towards the rectangle of light where the smaller building ended.

At the end he stopped, surveying the area beyond. A narrow but clean street crossed his path. To the left it met a wider road, which he guessed was the one that ran along the public entrance to the airpark. To the right it continued for a short distance before coming to a dead end. Directly ahead was a narrow, unlit alley. He walked across the road and slipped into the shadows.

A small measure of weight lifted from him. He had evaded the police, but how long would it be before they learned of the sick passenger who had left by the rear of the aircarriage to use the men’s room below and not returned? Once they did, they would guess he had come this way. They would follow.

And he was dressed as a wealthy man in what was probably one of the poorer parts of the town.

If the locals saw him they’d know instantly that he did not belong. While he could use magic to defend himself against robbers, it would make him stand out even more. And the
Leratian Daily
would have arrived hours ago, so it would not take much for anyone to connect an out-of-place sorcerer with the fugitive the Academy sought.

I need to change my appearance again
, he thought
.
He needed clothing and somewhere to hide until he worked out how to get out of Sacal Bay.

First things first
, he told himself. Sticking to the shadows, he tried to keep his footsteps quiet. He heard occasional voices from within the houses on either side, but the streets were quiet. Perhaps the dockworkers were early risers. Perhaps they knew better than to roam the area at night. A staircase appeared between two houses, leading down. It was unoccupied and he needed to get off the street that led so directly from the airpark, so he began to descend. He had to slow, as the stairs were in a bad state of repair and loose treads were concealed in the shadows. It crossed another narrow street. The street was empty, so he turned onto it.

Several steps later he noticed a man standing in the doorway of a house. It would have appeared suspicious to stop and go back so Tyen kept walking and pretended not to notice. He felt the man’s gaze on him as he passed. After twenty or so more steps he heard footsteps behind him.

He took the next stairwell, though it was occupied by some children. They stopped their play to watch him. This time he could not pretend not to have seen them, so he smiled as he skirted around them.

Even before he’d reached the next street he could hear it. Slowing, he realised that he was approaching a busy thoroughfare of the area. His heart sank as he saw that the stairway did not continue on after it. He would have to walk along it or go back. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the shapes of the children still sitting on the stairs. Beyond them was another figure, descending towards him.

The man from the doorway?
A chill ran down his spine.

Perhaps it would be better to be among a crowd, even if he did stick out in his fancy clothes. Turning away, Tyen continued descending. He briefly considered stopping to open the pogbag and change into his student coat, but as people on the street below passed the bottom of the stairs he knew it would make no difference. He’d still look far better off than the locals.

Reaching the corner, he stopped to survey the street. People were walking to and fro, many with the weary look of workers heading home at the end of the day. A small, loosely spread crowd had gathered several paces along in front of a drinking house. More such establishments were spaced along the street.

Hearing footsteps drawing closer behind him, Tyen took a deep breath, stepped out and started walking. He tried to look relaxed and purposeful, and unconcerned when a few drinking house patrons noticed him and their eyebrows rose. More faces turned towards him as he passed, but he ignored them.

Once he’d passed he could do nothing more than stroll onward. Shops, their windows securely shuttered, followed the drinking house. Far ahead there appeared to be a gap between two that he hoped was a staircase heading uphill again. Before then, he had to pass another, smaller drinking house. As he drew closer he realised that it was actually a cheap travellers’ hotel with a drinking room at the front. The thought of a bed to sleep in tempted him, but he dared not go inside. The story of the rich traveller stopping at the hotel would surely reach the police before the night was through.

The customers were a quieter lot, he noted as he passed. A small group outside appeared to be exchanging farewells before they parted ways, and barely glanced at him. He was drawing curious looks from the workers he passed, however. The sooner he got off this street the better. He fixed his gaze on the stairway gap ahead and lengthened his stride.

“Ren!” a woman shouted somewhere behind him. He heard the sound of someone running behind him, coming rapidly closer. “Stop, Ren! It’s me, your little half-sister! Sezee!”

A hand caught his arm. His heart lurched. He considered resisting – pulling away and making a run for it – but the good manners drilled into him by his father, and the fear of attracting more attention by shaking her off, made him turn.

Immediately he saw three things: the woman was unfamiliar, she was foreign and she was rather beautiful.

“I’m sorry, young la’, you are mis—” he began.

“Oh, Ren. I’d know you anywhere. But you haven’t seen me since I was a child, and the light is behind me.” She smiled and hooked her arm in his. “Come over to the street lamp.”

Perturbed by her overt friendliness and certainty, he did not know what to do. Across the road, the small group had separated, one half entering the travellers’ hotel, the other walking away, and neither paying attention to the apparent reunion. Less than a hundred paces behind him a small group of men approached, and they
were
paying attention.

She leaned closer and murmured. “Come with me. They won’t dare follow you inside the hotel.”

He obeyed. There was no time to consider his misgivings. Either she was leading him into a trap, or rescuing him from a mugging. He noted that her clothes were neither shabby nor designed to be seductive, so if she was a whore she was no ordinary one. Her skin was a warm light brown in the lamplight, and her hair a glossy black. She guided him across the road and to the hotel door, which he opened for her. As he stepped inside the other patrons glanced up, then looked again as they noted his fine attire. Sezee – if that was her name – immediately unhooked her arm from his and wove between the tables as if there was no question he would follow.

He could not go back outside, so he trailed after her to a small table by the front windows, occupied by another, older woman. This woman looked to be of the same race – perhaps from the West Isles. The smell of food sent his stomach growling, and he was glad it was too noisy for them to hear it. His rescuer, Sezee, sat down and pushed an empty plate and glass to the centre of the table.

“You remember Aunt Veroo, Ren?” she asked.

Perhaps, if she was keeping up the pretence, she had reason to. He bowed. “I … it was a long time ago.”

“It was,” the woman replied, her eyes crinkling with humour. “Let’s get you a chair.”

“Do not trouble yourself,” he told her. He glanced out of the window. The thugs were gone. No police. Yet. “I cannot stay long.”

Sezee ignored him, rising and moving to a nearby table to ask if she could take an unoccupied chair. The couple sitting there eyed her suspiciously, but as her gesture led their attention to Tyen the dislike in their faces disappeared and they nodded.

“Thank you,” Tyen said as he took the chair and Sezee settled down again. Sezee leaned towards him and lowered her voice.

“Forgive me for asking, but what are you doing in this part of town?”

“I confess I was lost,” he told her.

“So you just arrived in town?” she guessed. “Looking for your hotel?”

“Yes.”

“Which hotel were you seeking?”

He shrugged. “Whichever had a room free. I hadn’t made a booking.”

She smiled again. “You have an adventurous spirit. I like that. Perhaps a little too adventurous if you thought you could come into this part of town looking like that.” She leaned a little closer. “What will you do now?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I fear I must risk heading back to the centre of town, or all the rooms will be taken before I arrive.”

“You could stay here. It’s not glamorous, but it has a clean reputation.” Her gaze shifted over his shoulder then back again. “I wonder … would you be willing to continue pretending to be my wealthy Leratian half-brother Ren?”

He looked from her to the older woman. Sezee appeared hopeful and perhaps even a little embarrassed, but Veroo was frowning. Was this some kind of trick? Had they worked out who he was and were they trying to delay him?

On the other hand … if they were willing to pretend to be relatives, it might prove to be the disguise he needed.

“Why do you want me to be?” he asked.

“We’ve been trying to find a decent place to stay since we got here this morning, but all Sacal Bay’s hotel were full, despite what their signs said.” Veroo’s scowl told him how likely she thought that was. “This has been so often our reception. I do not know if it is because we are foreign or two women travelling without a male companion, or a combination of both.”

Tyen blinked as he realised what this meant. “You do not have a room here?”

“No. Fortunately they were happy to sell food and drink to us. We were about to leave when I saw those men following you.”

“You want me to come with you to try another hotel?”

She shrugged. “We’ve tried all the rest. So I guess if you don’t help us we’ll have to find somewhere quiet to wait out the night.”

Which was what Tyen had planned to do. But they were not fugitives, like him. They were two innocent, defenceless women.

He ought to leave them to their own troubles. He ought to find a place to hide and a new disguise. Looking out of the window, he saw no police. No pursuers. Had they not worked out where he’d gone? Did they fear to enter the dockworkers’ quarter at night? To search it thoroughly they’d have to go from house to house, hindered by disgruntled residents. Perhaps it would be easier and safer to do so in daylight.

“The manager wasn’t around when you came in,” Sezee told him. “If you ask for rooms for yourself and two women…”

“You think he’ll give them to me,” he guessed.

Sezee nodded. “It’s worth a try. You don’t look like someone he’d dare refuse.”

He didn’t. But for the same reason, he couldn’t stay here. Still, it was the least he could do to see them settled in a room. Perhaps there was a rear entrance to the hotel that he could leave by, rather than the very public street in front. And if he could somehow find a change of clothes …

“How many nights do you wish to stay?” he asked.

“Just the one. We’re leaving early tomorrow.”

“What does the manager look like?”

“Large. Bald. Smells like pipegrass.”

Tyen found the manager at the back of the room, smoking with two equally large and hairless men. When the man saw him, his eyebrows rose with amusement.

“Have you a couple of rooms free?” Tyen asked.

The man blinked in surprise, then got to his feet. “We have one. It’s a standard double room. Nothing fancy.”

Tyen shook his head. “There are three of us, and the la’es require a room of their own.” He began to turn away.

“Well, if you don’t mind sharing, I have a free bed in another double.”

Looking back, Tyen pretended to consider. “Very well,” he said, then sighed. “It will have to do.”

The man demanded the fee up front and refused to haggle. Tyen insisted he inspect the women’s room before paying anything. Once out of sight, he quickly explored the nearby passages and found a door that, though locked, appeared to be a way out. Then he returned to the drinking room. The manager looked more amused than annoyed when the women turned out to be to Sezee and Veroo.

“How are you related?” he asked as they made their way towards Tyen.

“My father travelled a lot when he was young,” Tyen replied drily.

The manager chuckled, then recounted the coins Tyen gave him before handing over two keys. “Yours is next door to theirs. Number five.”

Sezee followed Veroo into their room, then turned and startled him with a kiss to each cheek. “Thank you. I hope you manage to sleep.”

She glanced at the door to room five and grimaced. Even through the door they could hear the other occupant snoring loudly.

Tyen found his voice. “Have a pleasant trip … wherever you’re going.”

“I’m afraid after our reception here in Leratia, anything would seem pleasant in comparison. But you, at least, have proven that some Leratians are decent people. May you find your hotel without mishap, tomorrow.” She smiled, then closed the door.

The snoring quietened as Tyen unlocked the door to number five, but resumed with gusto after a moment. The other occupant looked a few years younger than Tyen. A familiar smell flavoured the air, but Tyen couldn’t place it. As his eyes adjusted to the faint light coming through a small window, he made out more details. Something lay on the empty bed. He quietly stepped forward.

A shirt. Trousers. All laid out ready for the next day. On the floor below was a pair of shoes. Work boots. The smell was suddenly very familiar. Shoe polish. Tyen shook his head at the luck of it, fighting a sudden urge to giggle. Slowly, so as to make as little sound as possible, he took off his fancy clothing and dressed in the stranger’s clothes, slipping Vella into a pocket. Then he laid out his expensive woollen trousers and jacket, over which he placed the fine shirt. The stranger would be surprised indeed to find his clothes transformed into fine garments overnight.