Mohan shook his head, turning back to the slaves. “I’ll take these three,” he said, pointing to the three men standing next to Alexander.
The Babachenko stepped up in front of Alexander next, looking at him closely, a slight frown ghosting across his face. Alexander schooled his nerves while the Babachenko’s colors swirled with curiosity and magic. He didn’t know the man’s calling, but he did know for certain that he was standing before a mage.
Titus Grant checked his roster and looked at Alexander. “Says here you’re a miner.”
“That’s what it says,” Alexander said.
Grant cocked his head and smiled slightly. “Well, I guess if you weren’t a miner before, you are now. I’ll take him.”
An overseer tapped Alexander on the shoulder with his club and pointed at the holding area for Titus Grant’s purchases. Alexander dutifully shuffled over to the table. Grant’s men questioned him about his experience for a minute and then sent him to await their master with the rest of the day’s purchases.
Alexander watched carefully as the last of the men were bought. There were only a handful of women remaining in the yard, all of them looking fearful-all except Anja. She was scowling openly until Alexander caught her eye and slowly shook his head.
Kalderson and his remaining sailors had all been purchased by Kendrick, presumably to be sent to the shipyards.
“I’ll take all the women. If you gentlemen have no objection, that is,” Grant said. “It’s so much easier to find good servants when I buy in bulk and then discard the ones that upset my wife.”
The rest of the men laughed, heading back toward the table, now set with a steaming hot lunch.
Chapter 9
Alexander lay down in his bunk, exhausted and sore from a long day’s work in the mines. The first few days after being purchased by Titus Grant had involved endless paperwork, assessments of his health and strength, tests of his mining knowledge and finally assignment to a work crew digging deep beneath the city itself. Many of the others bought by Grant had been sent to other mines around the country.
Through Chloe, Alexander had remained in contact with Anja and Jack. He counseled Anja to remain calm and to obey. From Jack, he learned a great many things about Andalian culture and political structure.
In the short time since Jack had arrived, he’d managed to obtain papers and join the Minstrels Guild. While many of the practicing minstrels were none too happy about his musical abilities, the nobles were delighted with his first performance in a concert put on the day after he had obtained his guild chit.
The next day, he had nearly a dozen invitations to perform for various nobles and their guests.
Initially, Jack was concerned that his true identity might be revealed, but after his first private performance, he discovered that no one really cared who he was or where he’d come from. They were far more interested in how his music was received by their guests. Jack made sure they were entertained, and he gained valuable access to the homes of the most influential people in Mithel Dour in the process.
“Are you there, Little One?”
“Always, My Love.”
“What have you learned today?”
“I’ve found the forges,” Chloe said in his mind. “It seems that they have two different magical forges, one to create force lances, the other to create slave collars.”
“Well done. What can you tell me about them?”
“Both are located under the palace. I heard one of the guards call it Crescent Palace. I believe it’s named that because of the shape of the building. It’s actually built atop a large dam. I have to admit, the view from the palace is breathtaking. On one side is a placid mountain lake framed by snow-capped peaks. The other side looks over the city itself and off to the western horizon. Sunset is particularly beautiful.”
“And the forges?”
“They’re in the lower level of the palace, accessible only through a single series of very well guarded passages. Neither of the forges appears to have been used for quite some time.”
“I wonder why,” Alexander mused. “I have to assume they’d be making more lances if they could, so what’s stopping them?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll keep searching.”
“I also wonder if the slave collars are tied to the king’s Crown like the lances are. If so, we might be able to undo them all with a single stroke.”
“I tried to get close to the king, but there were barriers around his chambers that extend even into the aether.”
“Really? I didn’t know magic could do that.”
“I remember stories from the time before man about races that commanded magic in ways that have been lost. The wards around those chambers are subtle and elegantly woven. I doubt any wizard alive today could reproduce them.”
“What about the rest of the city? The stonework is like nothing I’ve ever seen before and it’s clearly ancient. Any insight into who or what might have built this place?”
“No, I don’t think anyone really knows.”
“Any word from Jack?”
“He’s been very busy,” Chloe said in his mind. “In between performances, he’s been gathering information. Oh, and he got your ring back. The man who stole it took it to the market the very next day and sold it. Jack was able to buy it from a jewelry vendor for a pouch of silver.”
“That’s a relief. How’s Anja doing?”
“She was angry at first, but she’s making an effort to fit in and do her work. The lady of the house seems to have taken a liking to her-turns out they both have red hair.”
“Good. I’ve been worried about her.”
“How are you doing, My Love?”
“I’m tired. Working in a mine is difficult and dangerous. Supervisor Doyle works us hard, but he’s careful to make sure we don’t get ourselves killed, probably to protect Grant’s investment. Speaking of which, have you had any luck with him?”
“I’ve been watching him off and on for the past few days,” Chloe said. “Titus Grant is very adept at manipulating the system to his advantage. He seems to take great pleasure in beating his rivals and even his associates, always looking for a way to get the better end of the deal in any situation.
“I also noticed him slip a note to another man on the street. It happened so quickly that I almost missed it. They passed each other without even so much as a nod, their hands touching for only a moment. I had to get very close to the other man to confirm what I saw.”
“What did the other man do after he got the note?”
“He left the city immediately without even looking at it.”
“So, Titus Grant has secrets. Not terribly surprising for a man in his position, especially in a place like this, but still interesting. Let Anja know about his suspicious activities and tell her to pay closer attention to what goes on in his house.”
“I will, My Love.”
“Good night, Chloe,” Alexander said, rolling over and clearing his mind. He was asleep within minutes.
***
The next day, Alexander was working beside Hod and another slave named Benny, digging a tunnel, swinging their pickaxes in dogged rhythm while Supervisor Doyle watched. Doyle was a big man with broad shoulders and burly arms. His black hair was usually coated with dirt and his face was worn and pockmarked. While gruff and quick-tempered, he knew his trade, taking care to ensure that the tunnels and shafts were properly shorn up to prevent a cave-in that might claim the lives of his workers.
“Stop,” Doyle said. “Step back and let the shovels clear the debris.”
Alexander was grateful for the break. He and the other two pickaxes, as Doyle called them, stepped back and let the team of shovel men dig away the rock and dirt they’d knocked loose. The process was the same all day long. Pickaxe the wall until they were standing in a pile of dirt and rock, then let the shovel men load the material into a cart, clearing the way for them to resume their relentless attack on the wall of earth.