Swords: 06 - The Third Book of Lost Swords - Stonecutter's Story by Fred Saberhagen Read Free Book Online Page B

them.”
           “I will tell you presently who I am seeking.” Wen Chang sighed, and shot a glance at Kasimir that seemed intended to convey some kind of warning. “But first, the two men with the magic Sword—which way did they go when they left here?”
           “That way,” said Umar immediately, pointing out into the desert, toward nowhere.
           “I rather suspected as much. You may rebury these poor fellows now.” He seemed about to add some further remark addressed to Lieutenant Komi, but then simply let the order stand.
           Wen Chang, Kasimir, and Umar walked slowly back toward the foreman’s shaded observation post, while the officer stayed behind to supervise the re-internment.
           “I would offer you hospitality, Excellencies,” Umar was beginning, “I would bring out refreshment for you, had I any worthy of the name to offer. But as matters stand—”
           “You were wondering who I seek,” Wen Chang broke in. “They are two men. The name of the leader, or the name I know him by, is Golovkin. I had information that he was foreman here. And that he was the man the Sword-bearing strangers came to visit.”
           Kasimir, who had never heard of any such person as Golovkin before, shot his mentor a curious glance. But the Magistrate ignored him and continued: “This Golovkin is about forty years of age, tall and powerful, black of skin and hair. Missing an eye. Unless I am badly mistaken, he is the man who wore, before he gave it to you, that foreman’s belt that fits you so poorly. I intend to track him in the city of Eylau. Well? Have I described your predecessor in the office or have I not?”
           Umar shook his head emphatically. “Not at all, sir, not at all. The man who wore this belt just before me was promoted two weeks ago, and transferred to the other end of the Hetman’s domain. He is red of hair. His skin is not black, but freckled, and he had two good eyes when last I saw him. He couldn’t possibly be this Golovkin or whatever his name is—you can ask anyone here!”
           “His name?”
           “His name is Kovil. Ask anyone here!”
           Wen Chang blinked as if in disappointment. “Then it appears he cannot be the man I seek … when Kovil left, did not another man go with him? The second man I am looking for is some years younger than the first. Not red-haired, but light of skin, and jolly of face and manner, though not always so jolly upon further acquaintance. His—”
           “No, no.” Umar appeared to have taken renewed alarm. “Nothing like that. I mean no other man went with Kovil when he was transferred. Nor with the two strangers when they left. No, not at all.”
           The Magistrate tried again, in his best soothing manner; but Umar’s latest fright was not going to be soothed away. Eventually Wen Chang expressed his regrets for having wasted the foreman’s time, and signed to his companions that they were ready to leave.
     
    * * *
     
           In a matter of only a few more minutes, Wen Chang was leading his small party away from the quarry in the direction Umar had indicated, almost directly opposite from that where the city of Eylau lay.
           Kasimir could hardly wait until they had got out of earshot of the quarry to begin his protest. “Why didn’t you challenge the man, tell him we knew he was lying about those bodies? That they were all stabbed, and that one of them at least, the most deeply buried, was not that of a quarry worker!”
           “I have my reasons for not challenging the man,” Wen Chang assured him mildly.
           Since they had left the quarry the Firozpur lieutenant had been riding close enough to Kasimir and Wen Chang to be able to join in their conversation. “That third body,” Komi put in now, “could have been that of a newly arrived worker, one who had not been on the job long enough to