Dragons of the Valley - Donita K. Paul [74]
He snapped his fingers. “I’ve got it. Three-point-six rotations.”
He picked up the fourth and sixth papers and exchanged their places in the order. With a little more finagling, all the lines met at the edges. The oblong loop ran an irregular pattern through the six pictures, going from one painting to the next.
“Do you see, Kulson? The wavy line completely encompasses the papers. That’s probably the outline of a territory, and the fruits and vegetables will denote civilians and military. The position of the food items may signify numbers.” He pointed to the second picture in the bottom row. “See, the pear is pointed toward three o’clock, and that would indicate one number, while it points to seven o’clock in this next one. That would be a different number.”
The smile on Groddenmitersay’s face faded when he looked at his henchman. The elaborate message completely baffled the first speatus.
Kulson grunted. “Can you tell what it says?”
“Not yet, but I’ve already solved one element of the puzzle.”
“You still think there’s a message hidden there?”
“Of course. He’s sending reports to King Yellat.”
“How does he get information to send on? He doesn’t do anything but paint all day.”
Groddenmitersay sighed his frustration. “Haven’t you noticed how many people come to see him?”
“Well, yes, but he is interesting. A famous artist. Kind of royalty because of his wife. He wears different clothes too. He puts on a show, you might say. And he’s got those dragons. Lots of people come to see the dragons.”
“Curiosity would explain some of the visits, but there is a steady stream of coming and going. Some of those people are relaying information gathered to inform the king of our doings.”
Kulson looked so uncertain that the tumanhofer wanted to slap some sense into him.
He held his temper. “Don’t try to figure it out. Just take my word for it.”
The tumanhofer picked up the heavy papers off the bed and stacked them on the table. “It might be worth our while to capture one of these three pawns of King Yellat. Lady Peg, Verrin Schope, and Sir Beccaroon are high-class informants. We will force the code out of one of them.” Groddenmitersay waved a dismissing hand at the first speatus. “You can go now. I’ll continue to scrutinize this work, and quite probably I will uncover the key.”
Kulson had already bolted for the door, but he stopped with his hand on the doorknob. “Do you want us to kidnap the lady?”
“No, she’s too clever to give anything away. The artist is probably too noble.” He huffed in disgust. “One of those who would die with a secret rather than face the shame of a traitorous act.”
The bisonbeck’s eyes grew large. “The bird?”
“The bird will have to do.”
“We can’t catch him and bring him here. It’s too risky.”
“I know that, Kulson. Have your men search the countryside for a deserted barn or something.”
“Yes sir.” He opened the door but quickly closed it again as Groddenmitersay continued.
“It can’t be too far from here as I’ll have to be able to get to it and back in a day.”
“Yes sir.” He twisted the knob and pulled.
“Shut that door. And don’t do anything until I give the order. I may be able to break the code on my own. I wouldn’t want to cause an unnecessary disturbance.”
First Speatus Kulson nodded and waited, his hand twitching on the door’s handle.
Groddenmitersay glared at his subordinate. “Dismissed.”
The soldier fled. The chief commander had frequently met bisonbecks with more intelligence than this one. At least Kulson wasn’t as blustery as some.
The tumanhofer sat in the only chair in the room and systematically inspected the wrapping that had protected the art. He saw nothing unusual. He returned to the pictures, and after an hour of speculation on the front side, he carefully put the pieces together upside down so that he could scrutinize the odd smudges and scratches across the back.
In the end, he had to admit the code mystified him. He felt sure the grapes represented his forces, or rather the king’s infiltrating units.