CHAPTER FOURTEEN

A MISHAP

Terra climbed out of the basket. Above her at an astonishing height she could see a small glimmer of light coming from the roof of Mrs. Duncan's house, inconspicuous unless someone were looking for it. She gave the rope a few tugs as a signal, then made for a copse of trees a short distance from the wall. The unburdened basket lifted off the ground, swinging more violently than before.

Terra rubbed her arms and look along the wall right and left to where the darkness impeded her vision and the wall bent out of sight. There was no one.

After a long while the basket reached the ground a second time, and Terra was disappointed to see Edgar come out. She had hoped that it would be Locke, for she desperately wanted to talk to him. Two impulses were striving inside her: to ask for his forgiveness and to punch him. But it was Edgar who came out and joined her in the trees.

"I'm cold," said Terra shortly.

"Have my coat, my dear," said Edgar, happy to oblige. He laid his coat over her shoulders, which required him to wrap his arm around her, which he did not immediately remove.

"Just the coat, thanks," said Terra, shrugging off his arm.

"Of course," he said, with a tone that said he'd registered the coldness in her voice. Terra felt bad, realizing that she was taking out her frustration on Edgar.

"Thank you, Edgar," she said in nicer tone. They watched the basket rise slowly to the roof again. "How is Locke going to get down? Mrs. Duncan can't manage his weight all by herself, can she?"

"She is an infinitely capable woman, my dear. Her husband, Master Duncan, is a great martial artist. There is more strength and control in those old sinews than you can guess."

Terra, remembering Mrs. Duncan's comment to Edgar ("You look just like him") wondered about the connection between him and his look-alike and the Duncans. But she sensed it was a subject on which he was still unwilling to speak. How could he ever expect her to love him, when he was always ready to take everything from a woman but never give anything of himself?

Now the basket was being lowered for the third time. It was over halfway down when Edgar said, "Don't move; someone's coming." Indeed, a figure emerged from the darkness and was walking along the wall. Terra prayed it would be a merchant or townsman, but soon she recognized the familiar shape of an imperial soldier with spear in hand. He did not appear to have seen the basket yet, but if he kept on at that pace and the basket kept falling, he was sure to see it. Unfortunately, they could make no signal to Mrs. Duncan without the soldier seeing it.

"Edgar, where is your sword?" she whispered.

"With our other things, which we had to stow outside the city."

"Do you have any weapons on you?"

"I'm afraid not, my dear," said Edgar, equally alarmed.

"Well, Locke still has his knives on him, doesn't he?"

"Yes, but I don't know if he'd be a match for a trained spearman by himself, especially if he starts jabbing that basket before Locke has a chance to—"

"Damn!" said Terra, "He's seen it!" She was terrified for Locke. He couldn't die before they were reconciled! The soldier ran to the spot where the basket would land, poised to strike.

"My dear, can't you do anything? I mean, if ever we were in need of your special talents…"

"Shut up! Let me think!" Terra concentrated as hard as she could, but fear distracted her. She stared at the soldier hard enough to bore a hole in him and bent all her will towards him. But she didn't know what to do. "Burn!" she hissed. "Sleep! Um…Go away!" But she only made herself feel ridiculous. Nature did not bend to her will. Before, her magic had sort of cast itself, as if by reflex. But now that she was aware of her abilities and called upon them, they failed her.

Locke was about ten feet above the raised spear now.

"Oh, God!" Terra whispered.

Eight feet.

"Edgar, I…can't!"

Six.

The soldier's arm drew back.

Four.

"Hey there!" cried Edgar, jumping out into the open. "I've seen the girl! I know where she is!"

The soldier was startled for a moment, to which momentary hesitation Locke owed his life. The basket hit the ground next to the soldier and Locke sprang out like a tiger. Locke had the advantage of proximity, for the spearman needed some distance from his opponent.

What happened next was too fast for Terra to see with any certainty. All she knew was that, after a quick exchange, the soldier lay dead at Locke's feet, his soul faintly floating up into the night. Immediately she and Edgar ran to meet him.

"Oh God, I was so scared, Locke!" Terra cried. Without inhibition she threw her arms around him, but in doing so unintentionally knocked him to the ground. He did not hug her back. Moreover, from on top of him she could see that his face was ashen gray. Alarmed, she released him and found her hands covered in blood.

"Locke!" cried Terra, as he lay dazed and bleeding, his eyes searching. With all her might she willed Locke to be healed, but with no effect. He bled profusely as Edgar searched his wound.

"Stop it; he'll bleed to death!" said Terra.

"The wound is deep," said Edgar. "I might be able to stop the bleeding, but if we don't get him to a surgeon, he won't live through the night."

So saying, Edgar tore a long strip of clothe off his shirt and tied it around Locke mid-torso so tightly that he gave a cry of pain. Terra refrained from criticizing Edgar's work.

Now they were in trouble. They couldn't carry him back into South Figaro without being caught, and they didn't know of any other place nearby where they'd be likely to find any leechcraft. Furthermore, they had to do something with the dead soldier's body. They could put it in the basket, but they didn't know if Mrs. Duncan could dispose of it, and the consequences would be fatal for her if it were found. They couldn't just leave it there either, because if it were found beneath Mrs. Duncan's window, she would still be implicated. If it were found soon, any lingering doubt that they had come this way would be destroyed. And it was not certain that they could spare the time to bury the body, without having to bury a second.

Needless to say, a bit of magic would have immediately remedied the situation, but all the wishing in the world would not suffice: Terra was powerless. I'm afraid she cried hard and was very frightened, holding Locke's head as Edgar dragged the soldier's body off into the trees. It would certainly be found, but perhaps they would buy themselves some time.

What made matters worse for Terra was that Locke was hurt while he and she were not on good terms. It embittered the already bitter reality that Locke was dying.

Though she didn't know if he could understand her, Terra spoke to him: "I'm sorry that I left the inn and made you worry so much. Please forgive me. I know you were only angry because you care about me." She cradled his head and brushed his scraggly hair out of his face, which was now wet with sweat and her tears.

"We have to try to move him," said Edgar, returning. As gently as he could manage, though in Terra's opinion not nearly gently enough, Edgar hoisted Locke up over his shoulder and together they entered the woods.

They walked for a long time in silence. With every tedious step, Terra was terrified lest she see a blue light escape from Locke's mouth. At last she couldn't take it anymore, and so she looked up through the trees at the heavens, but the sight of the stars filled her with dread. Angered by their taunting resemblance to departed spirits, she silently prayed, "If there are any gods with love for man, show us the way!" The stars twinkled brightly as before, but still their heavy trek went on, and it seemed as if it would go on indefinitely till Locke died or they reached the end of the world.

But then something wonderful happened; a voice called to them from somewhere nearby: "Is someone there?"

"Should we answer?" whispered Terra.

"It might be an enemy," said Edgar.

"But it might be a friend," she replied. "I think we have to risk it."

"Agreed," said Edgar, then called out in a louder voice, "We're here!"

A moment later a hooded figure appeared which worried Terra a little, until Edgar whispered to her, "A hermit. I should think we have nothing to fear from him."