That strange look in the headman’s eyes. What did it mean? Thinking of this, wondering, Haplo remembered Kari’s saying Vasu had sent her out deliberately to find them, bring them back.
How had Vasu known? What did Vasu know?
When Marit had left, she had not gone far, only far enough to take her out of Haplo’s sight. Keeping to the shadows of a tall, sheltering oak tree, she waited to see Haplo and the others marched off to prison. She was trembling with what she told herself was outrage. Haplo had admitted his guilt, actually admitted it! And to make such statements, to accuse Xar of being guided by evil! It was monstrous!
Xar was right about Haplo. He was a traitor. And Marit had done the right thing in obeying Xar’s commands, in having Haplo arrested and held prisoner until Xar could come for him. And Xar would come soon, perhaps any moment. She would tell her lord, of course, what Haplo had said. And that would seal Haplo’s fate. Which was right and just. Haplo was a traitor... a traitor to them all...
Then why this gnawing doubt? Marit knew why. She had told no one about the Sartan knife. No one.
She watched until the three were well out of sight; then she suddenly became aware that several fellow Patryns were approaching her, eyeing her curiously, probably wanting to discuss this unusual occurrence in their lives. Marit was in no mood to talk. Pretending she didn’t see them, she turned and walked away, trying to look as if she knew where she was going. Actually, she didn’t. She didn’t even see where she was going. She needed to think, to try to figure out what was wrong...
Her skin itched. The sigla on her hands and arms were glowing faintly. Odd. She raised her head swiftly. She had come farther than she’d intended, was near the wall surrounding Abri. Danger was everywhere in the Labyrinth; she should not be surprised to feel the warning magic. Yet the city had seemed so safe, so secure.
A hand closed over her arm. Marit had her dagger out of its sheath before she saw who held her. A fellow Patryn.
She lowered the dagger, but kept it in her hand. She could not see the man’s face; his hair was long and unkempt and hung over his eyes. The tingling warning signs had not abated. If anything, they were now stronger. Marit drew back, away from the strange Patryn. As she did so, she noticed that his magic was not reacting to the danger; the tattoos on his skin were not glowing. And then she saw that the runes could not glow; they were not true rune-structures, only copies.
Marit wasted no time in talk or in wondering who or what this creature might be. Those who waited to ask questions rarely lived long to hear the answer. Certain species in the Labyrinth, such as the boggleboe, had the power of shape-shifting. Gripping her dagger, Mark lunged at the impostor. Her weapon vanished, changed to smoke that drifted harmlessly through the air.
“Ah, you recognize me,” said a familiar voice. “I thought you might.” She hadn’t; not really. She had known he wasn’t a Patryn, but she had not recognized him—until he brushed the tangled hair back from his face to reveal the single red eye.
“Sang-drax,” she said ungraciously. She should have been pleased to see him, but her unease grew. “What do you want?”
“Didn’t Lord Xar inform you of my coming?” The single red eye blinked.
“My lord informed me that he was coming,” Marit said coldly. Her thoughts went to the hideous sight of the dragon-snakes of Chelestra. She didn’t like being around Sang-drax, wanted to get away from him. “Perhaps Xar is here? If so, I will go—”
“My lord has been unfortunately detained,” Sang-drax interrupted. “He has sent me to retrieve Haplo.”
“My lord said he was coming,” Marit reiterated, not liking this change, wondering what was going on. “He would have told me otherwise if he were not.”
“Lord Xar finds it a bit difficult to communicate just at the moment,” Sang-drax replied, and though his tone was respectful, it seemed to Marit that the dragon-snake smirked.
“If my lord sent you for Haplo, then you had better go and find him,” Marit said coldly. “What do you want with me?”
“Ah, getting to Haplo is proving rather a problem,” Sang-drax said. “I managed to have him arrested, but I—”
“You were the one!” Marit said. “You knew about the knife!”
“I mean no disrespect, but Headman Vasu is a weak-minded fool. He was prepared to let Haplo and his Sartan friend roam the city at will. My lord Xar would not have liked that. I saw that you were not going to act”—Sang-drax’s red eye glinted—“and so I was forced to do what I could.
“As I was about to say, my goal was to have Haplo placed in a dungeon, where he will be rendered helpless—he and his Sartan friend. I will be able to capture him quite easily without endangering your people.” The dragon-snake inclined his head; the red eye slid shut for an instant.
“But now you can’t get to him,” Marit guessed.
“Too true.” Sang-drax shrugged, smiled in a deprecating manner. “The guards would recognize me immediately as an impostor. But if you were to take me in...”
Marit gritted her teeth. It took a physical effort to remain standing this close to the dragon-snake. Every instinct urged her to kill it or run.
“We should hurry,” Sang-drax added, noting her hesitation. “Before the guards can get organized.”
“I must speak to my lord first,” Marit said, her way clear. “This countermands Xar’s earlier orders to me. I must make certain this is his will.” Sang-drax was obviously displeased. “My lord may be difficult to reach. He is, shall we say, otherwise occupied.” His voice had an ominous tone.
“Then you will have to wait,” Marit returned. “Haplo isn’t going anywhere.”
“Do you honestly believe that?” Sang-drax gave her a pitying look. “Do you believe that he will stay meekly in his cell, waiting for Xar to come for him? No, Haplo has some plot in mind, you may count upon it. I repeat, I must capture him now!”
Marit didn’t know what to believe, but one thing was certain: she didn’t believe Sang-drax. “I will speak to my lord,” she said resolutely. “When I receive his instructions, I will obey them. Where can I find you?”
“Don’t worry, Patryn. I will find you.” Turning, Sang-drax left, continuing on his way down the deserted street.
Marit waited until the dragon-snake was about twenty paces from her; then, keeping to the shadow of the wall, she followed him.
What was he really after? Marit didn’t believe Xar had sent him, nor did she believe Sang-drax’s implications that Xar was in some sort of trouble. She would see where Sang-drax went, discover what he was up to. The dragon-snake, maintaining his Patryn form, rounded a corner of a building. He was taking care, Marit noticed, to keep to the shadows himself, taking care to avoid any true Patryn. He didn’t run into many. This part of the city, near the wall, was mostly deserted. The buildings here were older, probably dating to a time before the wall had been constructed, and had probably been left behind as another line of defense. A perfect place for the dragon-snake to hide.
But how had Sang-drax entered the city? Patryns manned the walls and the gate; their magic would keep out all but the most powerful intruder. Yet Sang-drax was here, and he had obviously remained unobserved; otherwise the city would be in an uproar.
Doubt began to edge its sharp point into Mark’s mind. How powerful was the dragon-snake? She had always assumed that he was less powerful than she. The Patryns are the strongest force in the universe—aren’t we? Isn’t that what Xar said, time and again?
Guided by evil, Haplo had said.
Marit put Haplo out of her mind.
Sang-drax turned into an alley with no way out. Marit paused at the entrance, not wanting to find herself trapped. The dragon-snake continued down the alley, moving at a leisurely pace.
Marit crossed to the opposite side of the alley and entered a doorway from which she could watch unobserved.