Fanuilh by Daniel Hood (best books for students to read TXT) 📕

Fanuilh's help, it was easy. Liam rode into Southwark alone that afternoon and left Diamond at the stables. He told them he would be keeping the horse with him after that night, and settled his account.

Then he strolled down towards the harbor and the one thing he needed to make sure of. The clouds had rolled away a day before, leaving a bright sky out of which a cold, invigorating wind blew. His soreness was gone, and he felt well.

The harborfront was busy, men and animals straining to move the last of the season's cargo. He walked alone to Marcius's warehouse, and knocked at the smaller door. An unknown face appeared, and ordered him off. There was no activity around the building, and Liam smiled to himself spitefully. There was no activity because Marcius' s best hopes were at the bottom of the sea. He found he could not muster much sympathy.

"I think your master will want to see me," he said, and pushed his way past the ugly face into the warehouse proper.

Two new men waited behind the doorkeeper, who now thrust his face into Liam's and growled.

"I think you—" he began, and then his eyes rolled up in his head and he slumped heavily to the ground. Liam stepped back, startled, and saw that the other two guards had dropped as well.

Fanuilh fluttered to the ground behind them.

"They're all right?"

Asleep. It will not last long.

"Then we'd better hurry."

He walked to the stairs, and with a lazy beat of its wings, Fanuilh rose and settled on his shoulder like a bird. It was large, the size of a dog, but Liam barely felt the weight, and he imagined he looked quite fearsome. Fanuilh rocked gently to keep its balance as he hurried along the creaky steps.

Marcius's perfectly coiffed head snapped up as his office door slammed open, and a shout of anger died on his lips as he saw Liam stride into the room with Fanuilh on his shoulder.

From the merchant's sudden pallor, Liam judged that he did indeed look frightening with the tiny dragon in tow.

"Master Marcius. Do you remember me?"

"Yes," the merchant stammered, and before he could recover himself, Liam plowed on, as much to keep Marcius off balance as not to laugh at what he was saying.

"It was not wise of you to fool with a wizard, Marcius. Do you understand that?"

Marcius nodded once.

"The things that can result are unpleasant, you see." Marcius nodded again.

"And I would not want to have. any unpleasantness. Your men are in prison, now, and will remain there. I allow them to escape lightly, because I know they acted on your orders. You will rescind any such orders you may have since given, and will leave me in peace. Do you understand?"

Marcius nodded several times, his eyes on Fanuilh, who was yawning widely, revealing needlelike teeth.

"The maps I sold you are good, and will not be sold to anyone else. l suggest you put them to good use, and forget about me. Is that clear as well?"

The merchant was still nodding when Liam left, because Fanuilh stayed behind.

I will leave here in a few minutes, Master, and wait for you at the beach.

Not used to thinking to the dragon, Liam simply nodded and walked out.

Once on the street, he indulged in a broad smile. He had achieved the effect he was looking for, and knew the merchant would not bother him again. He was pleased with his own performance, absurd as it seemed in retrospect, but knew that most of the merchant's fear had stemmed from Fanuilh's presence.

And the dragon had acted completely in accordance with Liam's wishes. It was truly his servant. The thought buoyed him up, inspiring another secret smile.

Wondering what else it could do, he let his imagination play with the idea as he walked to dinner at Coeccias's.

There was still a great deal of cider left from the Uris-tide batch, but between the heavy meal Burus served and a misguided attempt on the part of the three men to go through all the verses of "The Lipless Flutist," they finished it by midnight.