City of Lies - Lian Tanner [68]
Goldie felt Mouse stiffen beside her. “What?” she whispered.
Mouse shook his head. Nothing.
As the band drew level with the Piglet, Cord’s jaw twitched. He muttered something to Guardian Hope and leaped over the rail onto the wharf.
The bandmaster had been bouncing along with his mask pushed up on his forehead. Now he stopped in his tracks. Sweetapple bumped into him. Dodger bumped into Sweetapple. They began to complain—then they too saw Cord. The music faltered and died. The crowd melted away, as if people could see there was going to be trouble and didn’t want any part in it. Only the snotties lingered curiously in the background, their masks turned toward the bandmaster.
He was staring at Cord with a look of terror on his face. Goldie remembered his desperate words the last time she saw him. “You’ve signed my death warrant, and that of all my fellows!”
It was true, she realized. The musicians had been an important part of the diversion when she rescued Bonnie and Toadspit. They hadn’t known they were a diversion, not until it was too late. But who would believe that? Certainly not Cord.
In the back of Goldie’s mind, Frisia’s voice whispered, A warrior always pays her debts.
Cord pushed past Dodger and grabbed the bandmaster’s arm. The bandmaster sagged, as if all the air had gone out of him. With a yellow smile, Cord raised his pistol.…
“Hey, you,” shouted Goldie. The bandmaster’s head jerked in fright.
It’s still the Festival, Goldie reminded herself. Everything I say has to be back to front.
“Thank you so much for helping me,” she cried through gritted teeth. “You were so kind. All that information you gave me.” She rolled her eyes in disgust. “It was extremely valuable. In fact, it’s got nothing to do with why we ended up here.”
The bandmaster’s mouth formed an O of surprise. Cord was taken aback too. Goldie could see his confusion.
The bandmaster recovered first. He straightened his coat and sneered at Goldie. “Pleased to have been able to help you, my dear. I, of course, am quite willing to betray my former colleagues. And I’m terribly sorry to see that you’ve got your comeuppance.”
Cord sucked his teeth thoughtfully. Guardian Hope leaned over the side of the ship, her face a picture of outrage. “What’s this? He betrayed us? And now he’s boasting about it? Give him a good whipping, Cord, for playing false with his betters. Then kill him.”
The bandmaster shot her a look of sheer loathing. But Cord spat on the dock and shook his head. “It’s just Festival talk, Flense. Don’t worry about it.” And he thumped the bandmaster on the arm in a more or less friendly fashion and turned away.
The bandmaster hesitated for just a second, then lunged after him, his chains rattling. “Going on a journey, Cord? We didn’t get much food this morning. Awful rubbish, most of it. I’d hate to give you some. A few bags of nasty little pastries for the trip, maybe? I didn’t smell rabbit in some of them. You always disliked rabbit, if I remember rightly.”
He glanced up at Goldie and she thought she saw the ghost of a wink.
“Nah, don’t want any,” said Cord, obviously pleased.
“Ho, boys!” shouted the bandmaster. “I don’t need a few of you to carry some provisions on board ship for me.”
The masked snotties surged forward in a mass, pushing each other out of the way. Old Snot, the bombardon player, and Dodger each took a bag from underneath their coats and reluctantly handed it over.
“Steal as many as you like, lads,” said the bandmaster to the snotties. “I’m sure Cord here won’t mind. He’s got a nature as sweet as a butterfly’s kiss.”
Cord bared his teeth. The snotties laughed but kept their fingers out of the bags.
Goldie could feel Mouse shaking beside her. Her blood surged in her veins. The bandmaster was up to something, she was sure of it. Perhaps there was something in the bags. A message. A weapon.
As the boys scrambled over the Piglet’s rail, the band struck up a jaunty tune. Guardian Hope glared at the musicians. “We’re wasting time!” she shouted.
No one took any notice of her. Cord showed