4 City of Strife by William King Read Free Book Online

say it’s good to be back,” Kormak said. He headed for the door. “I will be in touch.”
    He headed back towards the Gilded Lion. The day had given him much to think about.

Chapter Five

    LILA DID NOT look too pleased as she showed the angry man into the room. Kormak looked up. He had been half-expecting this since he got back to the Gilded Lion.
    “Sir Kormak,” Lila said. “This is Sergeant Altman of the City Watch. He would like a word with you.”
    The Sergeant stamped forward into the room. He was about medium height and very broad. His features were swarthy and there was stubble on his chin. His eyes were very blue and very bright. Two more members of the Watch were with him.
    “What can I do for you, Sergeant?” Kormak asked.
    “Smooth bastard, aren’t you?” said the Sergeant.
    “Am I?”
    “You know why I am here. You almost killed two men in the Wineberg Close today.”
    “I wounded a man who attacked me. Did he die?”
    “No,” said the Sergeant. “Or I would not be being so nice to you. I don’t care how rich your Oldberg bosses are. This won’t stand.”
    “I don’t work for the Oldbergs, Sergeant. I am a pilgrim. I came here to see the shrine of Saint Verma and look upon her blessed finger-bones.”
    The Sergeant looked ostentatiously around Lila’s bedchamber then he looked at Lila. “I can see you are a very holy man.”
    “Did you come here to insult me and this good lady? Or do you actually have some questions?” There was something in Kormak’s tone that made the Sergeant flinch but he recovered quickly.
    “You don’t deny you took off Lemy Birke’s hand?”
    “I didn’t know if his name was Lemy Birke but I took a man’s hand off today. It was holding a sword that was intended to split my skull. Is it against the law to defend yourself in Vermstadt now?”
    “So you’re saying Lemy attacked you?”
    “I think I just did.”
    “That’s not what his friends say?”
    “What do they say? That I made an unprovoked attack upon a man with twelve armed comrades beside him? Or did I perhaps challenge all thirteen of them and then spare their lives?”
    “Are you being sarcastic?”
    “No. I am just curious as to exactly how crazy you think I am.”
    “It seems yesterday you intervened on behalf of an Oldberg partisan.”
    “There was a boy being picked on in the street. The thugs doing it decided to add me to the list of people they were bullying.”
    “And you didn’t let them?”
    “Do I look like a man who would?”
    “No. You look like a professional duellist. Like exactly the sort of man the Oldbergs would hire to help them with their Krugman problem.”
    “You know a lot of professional duellists, do you, Sergeant?”
    “I don’t like your tone.”
    “I’m not sure I like yours either.”
    “Maybe you’d like to do something about it?”
    “Tell me, Sergeant, do you think if I really worked for the Oldbergs we would be having this conversation? Or I would be staying here?”
    “The people you’ve hurt all work for the Krugmans.”
    “The people I hurt put themselves in the way of harm.”
    “Doesn’t it bother you that you might have put yourself in the way of harm? Jurgen Krugman is not likely to look kindly on a man who takes down his pet bully boys.”
    “I’d tell him the same thing I am telling you, Sergeant. I am not looking for trouble but if somebody comes at me with a blade in his hand I won’t stand still either.”
    The watchman looked thoughtful. Kormak could not tell whether it was because Altman believed what he had said or because another idea was forcing its way into his head. “Krugman has more than blades at his beck and call.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “They’re a family that dabble in dark magic.”
    “Then I am surprised you are not visiting them or reporting them to the church authorities.”
    “I would if I thought it might do any good,” said the Sergeant, then seemed to realise what he was saying to a stranger.