Masquerades - Kate Novak [77]
Dragonbait, who eyed the boy with disapproval, asked, "If he's one of them, why did you bring him here?"
"He's given Olive and me a little information. I thought I might return the favor."
"She's lyin'," Kel snarled. "I didn't peach on no one. She tricked me into it. Hey! You never did give up that gold piece," he complained to Alias.
"Two Night Mask leg-breakers worked him over. He could be hurt even worse than he looks," she said to the paladin. "Would you help him, please?"
The saurial rose and approached the boy, but Kel, terrified of the saurial, backed into Alias.
"He won't hurt you," Alias said, holding him still.
"Murf," Dragonbait commanded, holding a clawed finger up to the boy's face. He placed his hands on the boy's shoulders and began reciting his healing prayer.
Kel relaxed as he felt his battered flesh mending. His eyes widened in surprise. "He a priest?" the boy asked.
"Sort of," Alias replied.
"Alias," the paladin said, "I know he is only a child, but the Night Mask's have twisted his soul. In time you might fix what is wrong, but for now you cannot trust him."
"I know, but I need to keep him off the street so he doesn't talk to his boss. A few days should do it, I think," Alias said in Saurial. She turned to Mintassan and asked, "You wouldn't happen to have a dungeon, would you?"
"Not exactly, but I'm sure I could arrange something," Mintassan said. "I suppose you'll want him fed, too?"
"Gruel and water at the very least," Alias replied.
"I hate gruel," the boy muttered.
"Well, I was just thinking I could use a hand tidying up around here. If you're wiling to work for your supper, I could arrange some roast pigeon," the sage said to the boy, holding up the bird in his hand.
"Pigeon's good," the boy agreed.
Mintassan, not expecting his joke to be taken seriously, paled. "There, there, girl," he said, stroking the bird in his hands. "He didn't mean it." He let the pigeon go free.
"You can't be serious, Mint," Jamal argued. "Letting a child loose in a sage's home is like giving a necromancer the keys to the crypt. It's a recipe for disaster."
"As long as he doesn't touch any boxes labeled 'Danger' or 'Keep out' or 'Hope,' he'll be fine."
"Can't read," Kel said.
"What do you mean, you can't read?" Mintassan asked.
Kel shrugged. "Never learned. No need."
"How can you grow up in Westgate and not learn to read?" the sage demanded.
"How can you grow up in Westgate and not realize it's full of people who can't read?" Jamal snapped at Mintassan.
"Yeah!" Kel seconded.
Mintassan looked taken aback. "Well, I guess I've been told." He looked Kel over. "I suppose we ought to get you cleaned up before we let you sit on the furniture. Come on, boy. Follow me."
Kel looked uncertain, but Alias gave him a shove toward the sage, and the boy followed Mintassan up the stairs.
"I'd better get back to Blais House and get cleaned up myself," the swordswoman said. "It's not too long till sunset."
"What happens at sunset?" Jamal asked.
"You don't want to embarrass Lord Victor either. Trust me on this. A tunic over a gown will look a little old-fashioned, but anyone who's really worth impressing will find that charming. The rest you shouldn't care about. Come with me. We'll get you fitted," the actress ordered, rising to her feet. Alias followed Jamal up the staircase, not icing that the older woman was no longer limping.
Jamal pulled Alias into a back room lined with boxes of costumes. Alias stripped off the clothing she'd worn as a disguise while Jamal rummaged through the boxes and pulled out a plain, short-sleeved gown of white silk.
"What were you and Dragonbait discussing?" the swordswoman asked as she slipped the gown over her head.
"Oh, old times. Cassana, Zrie, you."
"Me?" Alias asked, suspicious.
"You look too much like Cassana to be a distant relative, as you said," Jamal replied as she fastened the clasps at the gown's side. "I thought you must be a daughter or a niece. Dragonbait explained how he stole you from Cassana when you were young-that you