And she set her face firmly to the south, ignoring the adjutant’s stare of confusion, no matter how quickly it was masked.
Chapter 12
Five miles was all it took for the twilight to thicken to the point at which Matt had to call a halt. “If we go any farther tonight, we might as well go wandering among the trees-we won’t be able to see any more out in the open.”
Pascal shuddered. “Not the forest, I pray you, friend Matthew! There are still so many outlaws that one does not ask whether one will be robbed, but when.”
“Doesn’t sound too good,” Matt said. “This road passes through the forest, doesn’t it?”
“Aye, but my relatives have told me that the road itself is safe. The king’s foresters and reeves have seen to it that the trees are cut back for seven yards to either side, and the reeves’ men patrol it frequently.”
“So travelers are never robbed anymore?”
“Almost never.”
Matt didn’t like the sound of “almost,” but reminded himself that they had a backup. “Okay, Manny! You can come out now!”
There was a moment’s pause, during which Pascal sidled around to put Matt between himself and the only nearby outcrop of trees-so of course the manticore stepped out from the boulder behind him. “I thought to accompany you openly on the road, mortals, but there were too many other folk abroad.”
“Yüü!” Pascal’s head seemed to jump a foot, though his shoes stayed on the ground, stretching him out, then snapping him back. “He does move quietly,” Matt agreed. “Yes, Manny, thanks for staying undercover. Half of northern Latruria seems to be hiking south on the highway.”
“The other half are staying at home seducing one another,” Pascal grumbled. Matt could see he was beginning to have doubts about Panegyra’s fidelity-and this before she had even married! But the man was far too old for her, and Matt thought Pascal was right-the little snip would probably be planning her first affair even as she was marching down the aisle! Assuming she wasn’t working on her second. Or third, or fourth. But maybe he was doing her an injustice. He turned to the manticore. “I’ve got a question, Manny.”
“I am hungry.” Both sets of teeth grinned. “I paid a fanner to tie out a brace of goats for you-he seemed to be overstocked, judging by the state of his clothes.”
“Where!”
“Ah, ah!” Matt wagged a forefinger, then pulled it back quickly, just in case. “Answers first, before you get my goat!”
“I thought they were the farmer’s.”
“Mine now-I bought ‘em. When Pascal introduced us, you mentioned that somebody had sicced you on me.”
“I had been commanded to eat you if you crossed the border, aye.” The manticore’s tongue slurped around its lips. “It took little urging to induce my accord.”
“Good thing you didn’t follow through-I’m not a man of good taste.”
Pascal winced. “That was old.”
“That’s why it didn’t taste good anymore. Besides, I believe in recycling. So tell me, Manny-who was it who told you to put the bite on me? Of course, if you can’t say…”
“ ‘Tis simplicity itself!” the manticore assured him. “The man who bade me gobble you was Rrrnimmmmmmmm…” His lips sealed themselves shut and his eyes widened in astonishment. “Mmmm! MM, mm!”
“I was afraid of that,” Matt said unhappily. “What’s your name, manticore? Not your true one-I can see you wouldn’t want to go spreading that around. Just the nickname I’ve given you.”
“Mmmmmanny!” Then the manticore clacked its jaws shut, looking even more surprised. “Easy for you to say. But how about this guy who compelled you to hunt me? What was his name?”
“Mmninmimirürimmmmm…” The manticore stared in outrage. “Mmmmm! Mmm, mmm, mm!”
“Can’t even get his mouth open this time.” Matt sighed. “Okay, what’s the name of my partner, here?”
“Why, he is Pascal!” Then Manny frowned, puzzled, and opened and closed his jaws a couple of times.
“Don’t worry, they work just fine-as long as I don’t ask you to tell me who told you to get me. What was his name, by the way?”
This time the manticore hesitated. “I know, I know, your lips are sealed-or will be, if you try.” Matt held up a hand to forestall the answer. “Don’t blame you for not even wanting to try-the condition might become permanent, and then what would those poor lonely goats do? Not to mention all the spare cattle that are for sale between here and Venarra. Okay, Manny, go find ‘em. They should be staked out in a meadow about a mile back.”
“I go!” the manticore cried with a toothy grin. “Just try to snap ‘em up before they even know what hit them, okay?”
The manticore pouted. “I am a cat, Matthew! A large one, and mixed with a scorpion and a hedgehog, perhaps, but a cat in bulk, and a cat in nature!”
“Yeah, but just feed, okay? No recreation. Okay, go.”
The manticore disappeared in a blur. “Remind me not to get his goat.” Matt turned away. “Well, let’s pitch camp, Pascal.”
“Are you not concerned that the reeve may send his men after you?”
“Not terribly. Nobody seemed to notice my would-be murderer dying, in all the excitement over Perkin and Simnel.” Matt remembered the scene with a shudder. “Besides, out of sight, out of mind.” He only wished they were. “Well, mere living is a hazard, in Latruria,” Pascal sighed as he dropped his pack. “I was mad to come here!”
“Lovers generally are-and you really were mad for a sight of Panegyra. Don’t worry, you weren’t exactly the only mad soul in that house.”
A low moan began all around them. Matt froze. “Speak of the-” He clamped his jaw shut; in Latruria, it probably wasn’t a good idea even to speak about speaking of the Devil. “-of the ghost, and you hear him moaning!” He turned around. “That you, Spiro?”
“How did you know?” A wavering tendril of mist curled up from the ground, thickening and spreading to a little above Matt’s head. The top of it sculpted itself into the rough semblance of a human face. “Deduction,” Matt answered. “A form of reason? Foolish mortal!” The face firmed into Spiro’s countenance, and the body began to define itself into clothing. “When you deal with the supernatural, what good is deduction?”
“If it’s good enough for the tax man, it should be good enough for you,” Matt answered, nettled. “What’s the occasion? Decided it was going to be too long before they gave your room to some other poor sucker, so you might as well track me down and have another try?”
“Nay.” The hollow eyes scowled down at him. “I have come to thank you, if you must know!”
Matt stood frozen in astonishment for a minute, then said slowly, “Well, I guess I must, if you’re going to say it. Uh, you’re welcome, Spiro.”
“I have not even thanked you yet!”
“Okay, so I’m premature. My mother always said I was. Let’s try again. Uh… glad to see you, Spiro.”
“A pleasure, minstrel.” The ghost bowed.
“Say, how’s it been going?”
“Most marvelously well! The current squire has already unearthed my coffin and built another around it. Even as we speak, it trundles through the night toward Genova, where it will take ship for Greece!”
“Hey, congratulations!” Matt grinned and reached out to pat Spiro on the back, then thought better of it. “I never thought he would agree so quickly!” Pascal said, eyes wide. “Who should better know the nature of my descendants?” the ghost said dryly. “Nonetheless, he succumbed to his wife’s pleading-and his own dislike of my claim on the manse, no doubt! I must thank you indeed, minstrel, for I shall soon be all at sea!”