A World Without Heroes - Brandon Mull [119]
“Where’s your horse?” Jason asked. “Does it have a wooden leg or something?”
“It’s a good mount,” Tad assured him. “It will carry both of you. Take it and go, if you please. Whatever you choose, you won’t escape.”
“What if I we take you hostage?” Jason asked.
“Getting ruthless? That man over there is the law in this town.”
Jason glanced to his left and saw a big man leaning against a pole, examining his fingernails. He wore a heavy sword.
“I told him to keep an eye on me,” Tad explained. “If you want to attack me unprovoked, have at it. But I’m really not worth the trouble. I’m the least of your problems now.”
Jason glanced around, scanning the parade of faces moving up and down the street.
Tad chuckled. “The others aren’t here with us. But they’re watching. To lose them now, you would need wings.”
“Does your horse have wings?” Rachel asked.
“Sorry.”
“Let’s see it,” Jason said.
Tad shrugged. “Be my guest. It’s the brown one tethered over there.”
Jason peered at the horse. It stood beside a few others, and looked healthy. Jason narrowed his gaze at Tad. The short man stared back evenly, one eye brown, the other blue.
“So we can just leave?”
“Sure. You won’t get far, but I was instructed to offer the option.”
“What do you think?” Jason asked Rachel.
“I think we need two horses,” she replied.
“They only gave me the one,” Tad apologized. “You have money?”
“Plenty,” Jason said.
Tad turned to the big lawman. “Know any horses for sale in town?” he called. “Good ones.”
“I have an exceptional horse,” the man replied. “Not for sale, though.”
“Everything has a price,” Tad replied.
“Okay, stranger,” the lawman said, walking toward them. “What if I said two hundred drooma?”
Tad looked at Jason. “Can you cover that?”
Jason nodded. “What’s he look like?”
“He is a she,” the lawman said. “Intelligent and reliable. She’s the black one near your friend’s mount.”
“Look okay?” Jason asked Rachel.
“Looks fine to me,” she replied. “We need to hurry.”
Jason fished out two gold pellets. “Can we take her now?”
“For two hundred?” the lawman snickered. “Be my guest.”
“See you later,” Jason said to Tad, turning and walking toward the horse.
“Count on it,” Tad called after him.
Jason was relieved he had learned something about horsemanship. He managed to mount the brown horse and guide it down the street without much awkwardness. Rachel handled her mare like a pro. They rode out of town to the south, then curled around to head east. He scanned the surrounding prairie, searching for prying eyes marking his progress. His gaze repeatedly returned to the top of the conical mountain—anyone watching from that towering vantage point would have easily noted their little change of direction.
Rachel cantered beside him. “Think we have a chance?” she asked.
“I don’t think they would give us horses if they thought we could escape,” Jason replied. “I’m just not sure what else to do. Maybe they’re counting on us making bad moves, or being lousy horsemen. Maybe we can surprise them. If we can make it to the forest, we’ll be harder to spot. Keep that orantium ready.”
The country around the town was covered in wild grass, and they made smooth progress for some time. Beyond the expansive sward, to the east and north, ranks of forested hills awaited.
Jason weighed their options. Perhaps they could dismount and let their horses loose. If they did it carefully, their pursuers might follow the hoofprints. He and Rachel could hide until after sunset, then sneak into the forest on foot. Of course, if their enemies were watching, or if they caught on to the ruse, the chase could end quickly. It was probably best to take their chances on horseback.
The sun was sinking. Jason kept a sharp lookout, but he viewed nothing across the surrounding terrain to arouse his suspicions,