Heart of Dorkness

Scourge Forty-Four - Spycraft

Scourge Forty-Four - Spycraft

Bianca leans over, pressing herself closer to my back so that she can snake an arm ahead of me. Over there, she says.

I follow her finger to the shoreline of the big lake next to the capital. Weve been following the coast for nearly an hour already. Below us are a bunch of houses. Little villages that are only a few minutes walk apart from each other, with a road connecting all of them together. Boats are coming in for the night to little docks and it seems like things are winding down for the day in the little towns.

Which one? I ask.

Biancas pointing is towards a part of the coast thats filled with jagged stones as the land rises. The capital is just a ways past that. If we flew straight for it wed reach the walls in maybe twenty minutes.

A few big roads, lined with homes and vineyards and farms, stretch out from the coast to the city proper. Opposite those is a river, one that I suspect was dug out by hand, leading into the city.

Its the villa with the red roof tiles and the large stables, Bianca says.

Do you want us to land in front?

Could we land somewhere more discrete? she asks.

I look around as we start to circle the area. Theres more than just one villa next to the coast. Six, maybe seven big houses, all with their own fenced in yards, several with what look like small homes built around them which only made the main buildings look bigger. I guess this is where all the really well-off families from Caselfella stay instead of the city itself.

Biancas family villa has a big mansion, with plenty of balconies overlooking a wide yard that someone spent a lot of time trimming and maintaining. There are a few servant homes off to one side, behind a copse of trees that keeps them out of sight. Theres even a greenhouse and some fields for farming.

I aim the bird monster were riding towards the outside of the villa, where the area has more woods and where the walls can hide us from view.

We land on a gravel road, the bird monsters jogging a bit to bleed off excess speed. Alright! Please unbuckle your seatbelts and prepare to disembark from the craft. We thank you for riding Air Valeria.

What are you talking about? Esme asks.

I laugh and swing myself off the bird. I pat it on the neck while Bianca carefully climbs off of it. Just a passing thought, sorry. So, thats your familys mansion?

Its our estate outside of the city, yes, Bianca says. Theres a second, smaller house in the capital, next to the seat of government.

Alright, I say. Are you sure we can just stay here for the night?

Im certain it wont be an issue, Bianca says.

We grab the stuff we need from the birds backs. Most of our things are in backpacks already, so we just need to toss them on and were good to go. I tell the two love birds to run off for a bit and to keep out of sight of any passing humans. Well need them tomorrow, after all.

Felix steps up next to me and squints ahead. I dont like being in a place like this. It doesnt feel safe.

Weve stayed at inns, I say.

We were anonymous then, she says. Now were staying at someones place. Its different.

I cant see much of a difference at all. Ill keep my guard up then, just in case. If thats all it takes to make Felix happy, then its a small price to pay.

Felix grins. Nah, dont bother. Guarding yous my job. Ill keep my guard up for the both of us.

The entrance to Biancas familys villa is closed off by a great big gate with a gatehouse next to it. The walls are only a bit taller than I can reach if I raised both hands over my head. Tall enough to stop most non-flying animals from just jumping over it, I guess. Not so tall that a determined person wouldnt find a way over it.

No ones at the gatehouse because why would anyone be sitting around and waiting there? This isnt likely a place thats visited all that often, and I bet that when Bianca and her family show up, its only after sending a warning ahead.

We slip through the gatehouse, then start along the road leading to the villa. Felix wasnt far off the mark when she called it a mansion. Its a big place, with columns and balconies and a roof entirely made of red tiles that must have been painted recently because theyre practically glowing in the evening sun.

Someone sees us from inside the building, and suddenly theres a fury of activity from inside the building. Someone calls out to someone else, their voices too indistinct for me to make out what theyre saying, but a moment later the main doors open and a man steps out.

Hes a middle-aged guy, wearing the kind of clothes Id expect a manservant to wear. A clean doublet and pants over... sandals and socks? I think we might have caught him off-guard.

Pardon me, pardon me, he says as he jogs over. We werent expecting any deliveries today. What do you have for us?

I blink, but this is Biancas place, so its also her problem to inform this guy of why were here. I turn her way and notice that shes a little flushed in the cheeks.

Hello Rafael, she says. Pardon the sudden appearance. I was not expecting to have to use the estate today. We need some rooms prepared for some important guests. And a meal wouldnt be amiss either. Baths too, I suspect.

Oh, wow, meals and baths, you know Bianca, youre not half bad, Felix says.

Bianca flushes a little more at that, but her focus remains on Rafael who blinks and stutters for a moment. Ah, well, yes, hello Lady Malicieux. We certainly didnt expect you. Is your father in the city?

No, just myself, Bianca says.

I see, I see, he says. He glances at us, then back to the house. Might I have a word, miss?

My friends and I stay put while Rafael and Bianca step closer to the house. The man leans in and whispers a few things. I distinctly hear him utter the words ruffians, and peasants.

I can feel the moment Bianca starts to be really angry. The air around her starts to waver and shift and a warm breeze shifts over to where Im standing.

Shes not very happy, I guess.

After repeating her previous demands, this time while wearing a glare that cows the older man, she returns to us as if fully expecting him to carry out everything she asked. Shall we retire to the sitting room while things are prepared? she asks.

Sure, I say. This is why mom has monsters instead of people. Monsters dont second-guess you or have any sort of loyalty issues. Also, they dont need to be paid and live basically forever. Really its mostly positives. If monsters werent so keen on eating people I bet theyd be a lot more popular as household helpers.

He didnt sound happy to see us, Felix says.

Yes, well I suppose weve ruined whatever plans he had for the evening, Esme says.

Those plans ought to be set aside for something like this, Bianca says. The entire reason the staff is paid and allowed to live on the estate is to keep the house ready for guests. I dont expect them to be able to prepare a grand feast on command, but a few rooms and some dinner shouldnt be infeasible. She sighs. If my father were here, theyd be tripping over themselves to do as he asks.

Well be fine, I say. Still, maybe Ill send a few little friends out. There are plenty of wooded areas on the estate that could hide a monster or twelve. And I can probably convince a few others to patrol the outside of the walls, just in case.

Come, we can sit back and relax a little indoors. Itll be getting chilly out here, Bianca says.

I, for one, wont mind sleeping with a roof over my head, Esme says.

We walk over to the villa, then step in. Its a tastefully decorated place, though theres none of the grandiose architecture Im used to back home. Bianca seems to know where shes going, so we follow after her as she stomps over to an office in the back.

My father has... lets not mince words here, he has spies. They often collect and send things here so that he can review them once hes in the city. If you dont mind, Id like to go over some of their reports. We might learn something.

Ill help, Esme says.

And with that, were all roped into it, I guess. Well, its not the weirdest way Ive spent an evening.

***