Azarin nodded at that. “In fact, we might still follow you, because we’re being chased!”
Rade held up a hand to stop us. “Let the record show, that when Rade Tartaros makes a pledge, it will be kept.”
“Is this one of those secretary things? Should I be remembering this?”
Rade didn’t even need to understand that mental bombardment to guess what Trax was asking. “It is a matter of honor, my Squalo friend. It is settled. I have been chased from one home. I shall not be banished from another by mere criminals. We shall see this through to the bitter end.” He lifted his chunk of stale bread. “For Rufus!”
“Hear fucking hear,” Azarin said.
Rade was quite possibly deluded, but it was a brave, moral, loyal type of crazy which really made me appreciate the guy. “For Rufus.”
“I’m glad the rest of you are so enthusiastic, but please forgive me, Mr. Carnavon, I really don’t want to die,” Morton quavered. “I feel terrible abandoning the lofty goals of our organization, and I truly appreciate all that you have done for me. However, I cannot in good conscience be brutally murdered by gangsters. May I be excused?”
Truthfully, I’d forgotten the little guy was there. And frankly, he wasn’t very good at magic, or at all useful in a fight, so it wasn’t like we were losing any capability without him. I already felt awful over the other students we’d lost to treachery and carelessness, so there was no need to pile another pointless death atop my guilt.
“Of course, Morton. Do what you need to do.”
Azarin patted him on the arm. Even that was enough to knock the poor little fellow about. “It’s alright. We still like you.”
“It takes courage for someone to recognize his limits.” Rade tipped his hat toward Morton. “May the saints grant you a long and peaceful life, my friend.”
Krachma just scowled at him, and I suspected the lob wanted to call him a coward, because from what I’d learned about lobs, they’d fight to the death over which one of them had to do chores, but thankfully, Krachma said nothing as Morton climbed down from his boxes and scurried out the door. Like everything else here, the door was sideways, but he was short enough he didn’t even have to duck.
Azarin waited to make sure he was gone, before saying, “The poor little guy’s got a timid soul. I think he’d last ten minutes in Stormwolk before something swooped down and ate him. I had a puppy that happened to once. Morton reminds me of poor Stink Eye. It was very sad.”
“Tragic… I’ll go practice on the bowl some more. The rest of you, I’d say go ask around about Gerzog, but who are we going to talk to that the Latrocinium hasn’t already? I suppose try to figure out what’s the best districts to hit, then we’ll just go there and wander around hoping to get lucky enough to find our magic bullet.”
“Wait!” Morton shouted from the hall, rushing back into the kitchen so fast, he practically slid through the doorway on his heels. “I have an idea, Mr. Carnavon!”
He seemed downright giddy with excitement. “Spit it out already, Morton.”
“With the extremely limited nature of your magical senses, covering the city on foot would be a logistical impossibility, as Lord Tartaros has so astutely pointed out. But what if there was amuch fastermethod of travel available?”
Morton’s feverish glee was a bit worrisome. “What kind of travel do you have in mind?”
Thirty-Six
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
The Smorp family business was located in a section of the grand market I’d never been to before, across from the gate to the Elemental Plane of Life. The pens were at the far end of the market disk, probably to spare all the merchants and customers from the smell. Which was rather strong.
“This is no joke, Mr. Carnavon!” Morton was excitedly leading me and Azarin through the market, and it was almost as if he launched into a memorized sales pitch: “At Smorp Brothers Exotic Animal Emporium, we always have a fine selection of flying mounts from the various realms in stock. Such animals are a popular symbol of status among the wealthier citizens who live in the highest districts of the Core. Anyone can pay an enchanter to fashion for them a flying carpet or a set of magical wings to get around up there, but why not arrive at the party in a more memorable style, upon the back of a majestic flying beast?”
Azarin had an answer for that. “Because you don’t have to feed the carpet or shovel its shit.”
“But such common implements of transportation lack the gravitas my family’s clients seek. Besides, if they can afford to live in a floating sky castle, they’ve got plenty of servants to takecare of the animals for them… A flying carpet?” Morton snorted. “How pedestrian.”
I’d grown up so poor that I hadn’t even known carpet was a thing until I’d stepped foot in Carcalla’s office this week. Now I was being told there was a kind that could fly? Would the wonders of this city ever cease?
“I grew up riding giant eagles, Morton. I know all about how to care for flying mounts.”
“Of course, Lady Garzade, and depending upon which animals my brothers have on hand today, your help should prove invaluable. As you’re well aware, but Mr. Carnavon has yet to experience, airborne creatures of such size tend to have a temperament which can best be described asflighty.” Morton laughed at his own pun, then grew serious. “I mean, he’ll need you to steer, lest he die.”
“What’s he talking about?” I asked.
“You’ll be the passenger and concentrate on finding the magic bullet while I control the beast. Otherwise, you’re probably going to get bucked off.”
The plan had been to skim over the city’s rooftops so we could cover far more ground in less time. Getting tossed hadn’t been mentioned during that. “This idea is starting to sound worse and worse.”
