CHAPTER TEN

OSPERO

Cazio stepped between ANNE and Ospero. He didn't raise his sword to guard, but he did keep it in front of him.

'As I told those other fellows,' he said firmly, 'these ladies are under my protection. I am no more willing to give them up to you than I was to them.'

Ospero's eyes tightened, and he suddenly seemed very dangerous indeed, even without the twenty-odd men gathered behind him.

'Careful how you talk to me, boy,' he said. 'There are many things you do not know.'

'There certainly are,' Cazio responded. 'I do not know how many seeds there are in a pomegranate. I do not know what sort of hats they wear in Herilanz. I've no understanding whatever of the language of dogs, and I cannot tell you how a water pump works. But I know I have sworn to protect these two ladies, and protect them I will.'

'I've made no threat to your charges,' Ospero said. 'On the other hand, they have become a threat to me. When swordsmen from Northside come into my town, I am very much concerned. When I am forced to act against them, it is even more my concern. Now I have to kill them all and sink their bodies in the marsh, and I need to know if anyone will miss them. I need to know who will miss them, and who,

if anyone, will come to look for them. And most of all, I need to know why they came here in the first place.'

'And the reward does not concern you?' Cazio asked skeptically. 'We haven't gotten to that yet,' Ospero said. 'Nor shall we,' Cazio replied. 'Now, kindly send your men away.'

'Boy',' Ospero began.

'I don't know who they were,' Anne blurted. 'I only know someone wants me dead and is willing to pay for it. I can't answer any of your other questions, because I don't know the answers. I thank you for your help against those men, Ospero. I believe you are a gentleman at heart, and that you will not take advantage of the situation.'

Ospero graveled out a laugh, and many of his men echoed it. 'I'm no gentleman,'

he said. 'That, above all, you can be sure of.' Cazio raised his sword deliberately. 'You don't want to do that, boy,' Ospero said. 'I think I know better than you what I want to do,' Cazio replied haughtily.

Ospero nodded slightly. Then he moved with astonishing speed, dropping and whipping his leg out so that he clipped Cazio's leading foot. Cazio spun half around, and Ospero stood and almost lazily took his sword arm and twisted it so the sword fell clattering to the ground. As if by magic, a knife appeared in his other hand and flashed up to

Cazio's throat.

'I think,' Ospero said, 'you've need of a lesson in respect.'

'He's in need of many lessons of that sort,' a new voice said.

'Z'Acatto!' Austra shouted.

It was indeed the old man, shuffling down the street toward them. 'What do you plan to do with him, Ospero?' z'Acatto asked.

'I'm just deciding whether to bleed him out quickly or slowly.'

'Do your worst,' Cazio gritted.

'I'd say to do it quickly,' z'Acatto advised. 'He's likely to make a long-winded speech otherwise.'

'I can see that,' Ospero mused. 'Z'Acatto!' Cazio yelped. The old man sighed.

'You'd better let him go.' Anne braced herself. She knew that despite his appearance,

Ospero

z'Acatto was a mestro of the sword, and also that he had a deep love for Cazio.

He wouldn't let the younger man die without a fight. Could she summon the power of Cer again, blind Ospero, and make him drop the knife? She would have to try, for all their sakes.

But to her surprise Ospero took the knife away and stepped back. 'Of course, Emratur.'

Cazio looked shocked. 'Emratur?' he asked. 'What is this? Emratur?'

'Hush, boy,' z'Acatto muttered. 'Just be glad you're alive.' He turned to Ospero. 'We'll need to talk in private,' he said.

Ospero nodded. 'It would seem there are things you did not tell me.'

Z'Acatto nodded, too. 'Cazio, take the casnaras back to the room. I'll join you there shortly.'

'But''

'Don't argue for once,' z'Acatto said bluntly.

Ospero's men dispersed as the two older men walked off together.

Cazio watched them go, sighed, and sheathed Caspator. 'I wish I knew what that was about,' he said.

'What was that name Ospero called z'Acatto?' Anne asked. 'Emratur? I've never heard you call him that.'

'Come on,' Cazio said. 'We'd better do what he said.' He started walking.

Anne followed. 'Cazio?' she persisted.

'Cazio's just saved our lives,' Austra reminded her. 'Again.'

Anne ignored her. 'You looked surprised,' she said.

'It's not a name,' Cazio grunted. 'It's a title. The commander of a hundred men.'

'You mean as in an army?'

'Yes, as in an army.'

'Was z'Acatto an emratur?'

'If he was, I've never known it.'

'I thought you had known him all your life.'

They had reached the steps to their apartment, and Cazio started up. 'I have.

Well, sort of. He was a servant of my fathers. He taught dessrata to my brothers and me. But sometimes, when I was young, '

he would leave for months at a time. I suppose he might have been off fighting.

My father had many interests in those days. He might have commanded a hundred men.'

'But z'Acatto still serves your father.'

'No. My father fell on hard times, and eventually was killed in a duel. I inherited z'Acatto, along with a house in Avella. They are all that remain of my father's estate.'

'Oh. I'm sorry.' Tears welled in Anne's eyes. In the excitement, for just a few moments, she had forgotten to grieve.

Cazio stopped, looked a little puzzled at her expression, and put a hand on her shoulder. 'It happened a long time ago,' he said. 'There's no reason for you to cry.'

'I just recalled something,' Anne murmured, 'that's all. Someone I lost.'

'Oh.' He looked down at his feet and then brought his gaze back to hers. 'I'm sorry to be so brusque,' he said. 'I'm just'well, I wish I knew what was going on. I thought something was strange when z'Acatto got us lodging here, that he must have known Ospero before'it was too easy, and he even gave us credit. Now I'm sure of it. I just don't know what it means.'

'Then you don't trust z'Acatto?'

'I don't think he would ever betray me, if that's what you mean,' Cazio said.

'But his judgment is sometimes poor. He let my father get killed, after all.'

'How was it z'Acatto's fault? What happened?'

'I don't know what happened, but I know that z'Acatto feels guilty about it. It was after that he started drinking all the time. And he doesn't have to stay with me'I haven't the money to pay him. Yet he does, and it must be out of guilt.'

'Maybe he stays out of love,' Austra suggested. 'Hah,' Cazio replied, waving the possibility aside with his hand. 'But who is Ospero? I thought he was just our landlord.'

'Oh, yes'he's landlord for most of the Perto Veto. He also controls a lot of what happens at the docks. And the ladies I escort. They call him zo cassro, around here''the boss.' Not a pocket gets picked without him knowing about it.'

Ospero

'He's a criminal?'

'No. He's the prince of criminals, at least in this quarter.'

'What are we going to do?' Anne said.

'Until the right ship comes along, and we have enough to pay passage for it, there's nothing we can do. They're looking for you everywhere now. We're safer here than anywhere. If z'Acatto knows what he's doing.'

'I'm sure he does,' Austra said.

'Let's hope so.'

Anne didn't say anything. She knew very little about z'Acatto other than that he stayed drunk most of the time. Now, as it turned out, Cazio didn't know as much about the old man as he thought he did.

It might be true that z'Acatto would never betray Cazio. But that didn't mean Austra and Anne were safe'not in the slightest.

PART

II

FRESH ACQUAINTANCES

The Year 2,223 of Everon Late Novmen Prismo, the first mode, is the Lamp of Day. It invokes Saint Loy, Saint Ausa, Saint Abullo, and Saint Fel. It evokes the bright sun and the blue vault of Heaven. It provokes optimism, ebullience, restlessness, brash behavior.

Etrama, the second mode, is the Lamp of Night. It invokes Saint Soan, Saint Cer, Saint Artumo. It evokes the Moon in all of her phases, the starry sky, gentle night breezes. It provokes weariness, rest, and dream.

'from The Codex Harmonium of Elgin Widsel Prismo, the first parry, is so called because it is the easiest one to do on drawing the sword from its sheath. The riposte is awkward.

Etrama, the second parry, is named this for no particular reason, but it is a strong parry against flank attacks.

' translated from obsao dazo chiadio ('work of the sword'), by Mestro Papo Avradio Vallaimo