Page 21 of Company of Thieves
FIVE
Itrotted down thestairs to the cargo area, finding most of the crew gathered at the great doors that opened to allow cargo in and out of the hold. I searched through the men, looking for Alan by examining the decorations on all the armor.
Two men who were speaking in a language I didn’t understand paused when I passed by before one of them said in English, “I hope you don’t intend on doing what I think you intend on doing.”
I turned back, my gaze first on the man’s armor, moving up to meet a pair of frowning blue eyes shadowed by a turban. “Oh, there you are. Of course I don’t intend to join you fighting, assuming there is fighting, and given the few seconds I saw of the main square, I’d say there was.”
“There is fighting,” Zand said, his voice recognizable despite it being slightly muffled by the cloth over his lower face. “The Black Hand is here.”
All the men gathered had the tails of their respective turbans tucked across their faces, as well. I gathered this was the style de rigueur for combat, or other stealthy actions. “I’ve only had a few hours’ worth of lessons. I’m not a complete idiot, Alan.”
He looked momentarily surprised, then gave me a sharp nod. “I’m glad to hear you realize your limitations.”
“I do have to find my brother if he’s still in town, but I can wait until you guys cream the revolutionaries.”
“Cream?” Zand asked, his eyes smiling.
“Beat to a pulp. Pound into the sand. Wipe all over the ground,” I explained.
“You’re that sure of us?” he asked, glancing at Alan.
“Of course. You guys are the baddest of the bad. Why else would I ask Alan to train me?”
Alan gave what nearly amounted to a roll of his eyes, taking my arm when the big double doors were opened, and a couple of ramps slid into place. Beyond the doors, darkness lay. We had moored just at the end of the town. “Hallie, I wish to speak to you briefly.”
“If you’re going to lecture me about staying out of trouble—”
“I don’t lecture. I give orders.”
“Oh, Ireallydo not like orders,” I warned, prying his fingers off my arm. “That said, I have no intention of doing anything reckless. I’ll wait a bit before I go look for Jack.”
He tried to pull me aside, but I resisted, getting annoyed. I realized he didn’t trust me to not behave in a manner that would leave me open to being hurt, but the sooner he understood that I wasn’t a fool, the happier we’d both be. “Will you stop fighting me?” he snarled when he grabbed me and tried to push me against the wall.
“I will if you stop treating me like I’m a brainless child!” I snapped back.
“That’s because you’re acting brainless. I’m trying to move you out of the way, woman!”
“Out of the way of what?” I asked, rubbing my arm when he pushed me back.
“Horses,” he said, turning so that he stood directly in front of me. I was aware then that the dull rumbling sound I had heard was coming from inside the airship. From the aft hold, the doors suddenly were thrown open, and a screaming white horse charged through, all flashing black hooves, two men holding his bridle while he more or less dragged them forward.
I pressed myself against the wall, thankful for Alan in front of me, although just as the horse was passing by us, his mouth frothing, eyes rolling, and hooves kicking at someone who got too close, Alan did the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen.
He marched forward to the insane, killer beast, and punched it on the shoulder, saying, “That’s enough.”
