“An army officer?” Amaranthe asked, though the lack of a “crest” name meant he wasn’t warrior caste. Though rare, ordinary soldiers did sometimes earn officer ranks through great deeds. Either way, it dashed her hopes that this fellow’s presence signified a nefarious plot. If he was an officer, he had a right to be there.
“A former officer, yes,” Sicarius said. “He was forced out of the service nearly thirty years ago for excessive cruelty.”
Basilard’s eyebrows flickered. You can be discharged from the Turgonian army for that? I thought it was a desirable trait.
“Easy, now,” Maldynado said. “We’re not that bad.”
“He was a rare case,” Sicarius said. “As a young officer, he made his superiors uneasy with his zealousness during interrogations. Later he tortured and raped young recruits, using his rank to force them to remain silent. When this was discovered, he was kicked out, and his family disowned him.”
That’s despicable, Basilard signed.
“Atrocious,” Books said.
“Agreed on both counts,” Amaranthe said.
“So, this fellow was one of the Pikecrests?” Maldynado asked. “They’re an old and honorable family. I can see why they’d want to disassociate themselves from someone of that, uhm, caliber.”
“After the incident,” Sicarius said, “Hollowcrest recruited the major to be the emperor’s Master Interrogator.”
Amaranthe snorted. “I shouldn’t be surprised.”
“I’m not.” Maldynado smirked at Sicarius. “Is he the chap who taught you how to interact with folks in such a friendly and affable manner?”
Sicarius sent a stony glare in his direction.
Maldynado nodded. “Yes, like that.”
Amaranthe watched Sicarius, also wondering under what circumstances he might have been associated with this man. No, she supposed she needn’t wonder. Who better than a Master Interrogator to help train the emperor’s personal assassin? If this Pike had been forced out of the army thirty years earlier and promptly gone to work for Hollowcrest, Sicarius might have been young, less than ten years old, when they first met. Amaranthe had seen Sicarius get answers out of people efficiently-though she had a feeling she hadn’t seen the extremes he might go to if she were not around to influence him-but she’d also seen him take horrible wounds himself without flinching or acknowledging the pain. Somehow she doubted that was a… talent one could learn without having endured a lot of pain in one’s life. Though Sicarius spoke little of his past, she remembered him once saying he’d learned to think of other things when his mind had to be elsewhere.
Sicarius returned her gaze, and, not for the first time, Amaranthe wondered if he ever wondered what she was thinking.
“Am I correct in assuming he no longer works for the emperor?” she asked.
“Sespian saw to his dismissal shortly after Raumesys died,” Sicarius said.
“Good for him.” Maldynado pushed aside the tiles on the table and waved to the map. “Are we going to plan the emperor’s rescue, or sit around squawking like hens all day?”
Basilard pointed at the scattered tiles. You only did that because you were losing.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Your brother, I believe,” Amaranthe said. “I’d like a few more details there, if you don’t mind. Is he an officer at Fort Urgot? Does it make sense that he’d be in charge of overseeing a delivery of weapons? Any idea what he’s doing with this Major Pike?”
“In no particular order, I don’t know, I don’t know, and I don’t know,” Maldynado said. “I haven’t seen him in years, and I haven’t talked to anyone in my family since before I joined up with you.”
“Can you tell us his name, at least?”
“I like to call him Lord General Dungpile,” Maldynado said. “Technically it was Lord Lieutenant Dungpile when I was a boy, but both have a nice ring.”
“Maldynado,” Amaranthe said, “I can see there’s not a lot of love flowing between you and your family, but I’d appreciate a little help here.”
“Ravido,” Akstyr said. “That was it, right? General Ravido something-crest.”
“Thank you, Akstyr.” Amaranthe frowned at Maldynado, and he squirmed under her gaze, oozing discomfort. He was always so relaxed and unflappable that she could only imagine that his family was a source of painful memories. She wanted more details, but had a feeling she would have to get him somewhere private to extract them. Like a private shopping trip. “Maldynado, how would you like to help me purchase a few items this evening?”
He winced, though he covered it quickly with a smile. “With you? Why don’t you let me go on my own? You know I get the best deals when I operate solo.”
He must know she wanted to pump him for information. “Yes,” Amaranthe said, “something about you finding it easier to convince female businesswomen and vendors that they have a chance with you if there’s not a lady tagging along behind.”
Books had pulled out his journal and a fresh newspaper he’d picked up and seemed to be looking around for suitable workspace, but he paused to snort at the conversation.
“I need to go along to do the special knock,” Amaranthe went on. “I’ve already put in the order, but I’m concerned I won’t have enough funds to cover the fee she quoted me. I thought you might be able to talk her down a little. Any reason you can’t make it?”
“None that I can think of,” Maldynado muttered.
“Good.” Amaranthe faced Sicarius. “That farm lorry we… acquired-” truth though it may be, she couldn’t bring herself to say stole, “-do you think it’s in suitable shape to be driven up to the Scarlet Pass?”
“There will be snow in the mountains,” Sicarius said. “A storm could make the roads impassable.”
“Even to people with blasting sticks?” Amaranthe asked.
The look Sicarius gave her suggested her question did not deserve an answer.
Basilard signed, Aren’t we taking a train across the mountains?
“Most of us are,” Amaranthe said, “and we’ll infiltrate the emperor’s train at Forkingrust, but for my plan to work, I’ll need a couple of people to go to the pass separately, with a few blasting sticks, to create a slight distraction that will force the engineer to stop.”
“A distraction?” Books frowned. “Such as a landslide?”
“One that covers the railway completely, yes,” Amaranthe said.
Books’s frown deepened. “You intend to blockade one of the main supply lines to Stumps?”
“Not permanently. We’ll just drop a tiny bit of rubble across the tracks, so the soldiers need to climb out and work on clearing it.”
Basilard signed, While we pull the emperor out?
“That’s the idea,” Amaranthe said. “Once the train is delayed and we escape with the emperor, the team can get away in the lorry.”
“You’re going to ask the emperor to ride in that dilapidated pumpkin hauler?” Maldynado asked.
“He’s the one who asked mercenaries to kidnap him,” Amaranthe said. “He can’t expect us to pick him up in a velvet-cushioned steam carriage.”
“No, no. A clunker purloined from a farm will never do for this mission,” Maldynado said. “You need a reliable vehicle to get the blasting sticks into the mountains, one with enough size and comfort to fit everyone in afterward, including persons accustomed to fine things.”
“Do you know where we could get a more appropriate vehicle?” Amaranthe asked, wondering if she would regret it.
“Better, faster, you bet. I have a friend, well, more than a friend in truth… Lady Buckingcrest. She has all sorts of interesting conveyances. I’m certain I could arrange for a suitable transport for our needs, providing I’m not being tasked with the unchallenging task of bartering for lower prices on blasting sticks.”
The blasting sticks weren’t going to be inexpensive, and Amaranthe had a feeling Maldynado would be useful in that negotiation, but his eyes were gleaming, and he seemed quite pleased at the notion of talking to this Lady Buckingcrest. Amaranthe wondered if he wasn’t simply looking for a way to avoid spending time alone with her. Still, a better vehicle would be a boon.