Young Warriors (Wine of the Gods Book 10) Read online

  "We could just go. Maybe through one of the gates. Hunt and fish, plant a garden."

  Dominic snorted. "You'd need to buy a plow and either horses or oxen to pull it. Lots of seed. Tools to build a house. Do you have the faintest idea how to build a house?"

  "Well . . . "

  Keith shook his head. "Your family has mostly city property, don't they? Have you ever chopped down a tree?"

  Xen shook himself suddenly. "Let me get this straight, Rally. Is the problem that you think you might be missing out on hot sex, or is it that you care what happens to Hoon and Rufi?"

  "I love her, damn it."

  And she's using you. Although I'd pay to see her hauled off to a primitive world with this know-nothing.

  I wonder what her world is like? Where she grew up, what she did, every day. Is she a city girl, or was she raised in the country? Hell, she could have been born on Mars.

  We know nothing about those people.

  Xen dragged his mind back to the current situation. "You've saved Hoon from a lifetime as a whore. Now you need to focus on what she needs for the rest of her life. And what you really do need to do, which is build a marriage."

  Rally's uncle stomped up behind them. "Pay attention, Rally. You have to dismiss your mistress. You are getting married, and any sort of sneaking around won't work. Tell your bride that you have an illegitimate child by a prostitute, whom you give an allowance to, but no longer see. And make it the truth Rally, or you are going to be miserable for the rest of your life."

  Xen slipped out of the widening argument and headed for the stables, Garit right behind him. "Can I come hide wherever it is you hide most of the time?"

  "Umm, I need to report to Colonel Janic, then I'm free."

  He popped in briefly to let the colonel know his One World spy was about to get evicted. Janic snickered. "There speaks the boy who doesn't realize how much Miss Hoon charges wealthy men to attend a dinner party with entertainment. She's even got an Auralian Eunuch to play the guitar and service clients who prefer boys. How she's managed to not get caught by any of the six fellows who thought they had exclusive rights is beyond me. Most likely she'll buy the house herself, and continue to milk the young gentlemen for all she can." He looked indulgently at Garit. "And spread out and try and blackmail other people."

  Xen blinked. "What on the World did she blackmail you about—feel free to not tell me if it'll upset my stomach."

  Garit snorted. "You know what the lighting at the River of Sand was like, and all their hair bleached and so forth until you couldn't hardly tell one from the next? She tried to claim her son was mine. I'm surprised she hasn't tried that on you or Keith."

  "Insufficient social status to justify the risk. Let's see, we were there two weeks before the Summer Solstice, the baby was born right about the next Spring Equinox. So the father is probably any customer she had during the two weeks prior to Rally's brilliant idea to bring her along, or immediately after. Including possibly one of us." Xen shrugged and looked at Janic. "If she does approach me, how do you want me to respond?"

  "How do you want to respond?"

  "By grabbing the kid and taking him home to my Mommy to raise."

  "Ummm."

  "Okay, not proper Secret Agent thinking. If I 'fall for it' and pay up, can I insist on frequent visits, get inside the house regularly?"

  Janic's eyes crinkled at the corners a bit. "Much better. Stall. I'll think on this a bit longer." He reached over and flipped an envelope across his desk to Xen. "This came for you. The Bank of the West? One trusts you don't have any financial problems?"

  "No, sir. They may need my signature for some family business." He rose and saluted. "C'mon Garit, I'll show you the best way to travel."

  The hardest part was getting Garit to make his horse bump the end of the little stable. The guards snickered, being well accustomed to having dinner in the Tavern. Once Clowny had her head through she was perfectly willing to walk the rest of the way.

  "I can't believe I just did that. What did I just do?" Garit looked back at the wall he had just ridden his horse out of.

  "It's a corridor. Like the one to Havwee."

  "You have your own corridor? Is this another World?"

  "Yep, all mine. The corridor. This is still our world. Corridors go from place to place on the same World. We're about twenty-five days northeast of Karista on the Old North Road. We stayed here riding from Iceberg back to Karista. Has the Great Grand mentioned Harry's Tavern? Or the Fire Mountain Inn?"

  "Uh, do you mean the one run by the God of the Roads, himself? Uncle Rufi has a marvelous sense of humor. But that inn is supposed to be in a magical village."

  "Well, so to speak. Harry moved it here so he could keep an eye on the gates my. . . that were made, while we were experimenting. Before the comet almost hit." Xen led him off down the road, pointing out the various gates and the worlds beyond them. They had dinner in Charliesville before returning to the Tavern. "Harry's cook eloped with the stable boy, so dinner at the Tavern is the wrong sort of memorable, right now. We've had some witches come and go, but they just don't seem interested in staying."

  Xen unsaddled Pyrite and freed his mane of the obnoxious braids. "Run free, wild thing! You want Clowny in a stall or turned out? Pyrite and the old Dun will bring her back, when you want to leave."

  "Oh, let her go. So, there are eight gates right around here. 'Arrival' and 'Mammoth' have civilizations about like ours, and we have started diplomatic relations. Three have no people at all. Two have people in a very primitive state. One has a moderately advanced civilization, which we are scouting out, but have not contacted officially." Garit followed Xen inside, still chattering away.

  Xen lit a lantern, and fetched a bottle of wine and they talked about the possibilities, both good and bad, that the gates represented.

  And Garit's assignment, which was about to change. "I think they want me away from all the poisonous influences at court. And Rebo. Damn it, I don't know whether to worry about him, or just beat him up. At least Staven got him away from Hoon. And even a foreign spy was an improvement over the previous . . . friend."

  "Yikes. You're too sensible to be easy prey. Not that I've ever met Rebo, but his reputation is . . . weak."

  "Heh. Yeah. Well, they'll send him out on the rotation, and maybe it'll be as good for him as it was for me. I think I'm going to like the life . . . Oh, hey. My commanding officer is interesting. He's got a glow like some sort of magician, but he flat out doesn't believe in magic. I haven't quite figured it out."

  Xen snickered. "He could be what they call a natural wizard. No conscious magical ability, but they apparently have a tendency to be in the right place, have coincidentally brought along just the right equipment, say just the right thing, or trip over anything important. My dad argues with the trained wizards over which way is actually more useful."

  "Huh. I'll have to keep an eye on him, see if that's true."

  Some time in the predawn, a smug looking Dun led the Prince's gorgeous bay mare down from the hills, and he rode her back through the wall to Karista.

  Xen eyed the old boy. "I think you're hiding a lot more than I'd realized."

  The old horse looked innocent.

  Xen studied him. "Apart from the color and age, you actually look a lot like Jet, don't you?"

  The horse nodded.

  "And the age is all an illusion, isn't it?"

  Ears swiveled. :: I was old for a long time. Vala gave me wine. ::

  "And therefore you're a stallion, not a gelding."

  Smirk.

  "Garit's going to kill me."

  Smirk.

  ***

  The snobby receptionist looked down his nose at Xen's uniform. "Mister Hastman is a Director of the Bank! I'm sure one of our tellers can assist you . . . " his eyes drifted to the single rank tab on Xen's shoulder. "Lieutenant . . . ?"

  "Wolfson. Xen Wolfson."

  "Oh . . " the man swallowed a word that probably would have
ruined his upper crust reputation. "Uh, uh . . . I'm sure the Director will see you right now, immediately, uh . . . "

  "I'm in no hurry, please don't disturb him if he's . . . "

  "No, no, n . . ." the poor man pulled himself together. Pity, he'd been pretty funny.

  Poor fellow knows Dad owns half the bank. Definite fox paw territory, as my little sister used to say.

  "Come right this way, I'll let Mr. Hastman know you're . . ." At which point, with his head turned to watch Xen, he paused, wondering why Xen had stopped, which gave Petro Hastman time to dodge the onrushing flunky . . . Drat! No more opportunities for low humor.

  "My, haven't you grown!" Petro Hastman gazed up at Xen. "It must be ten years since your father brought you around. I hope I'm not imposing, but I need a signature on this loan guarantee for Laughiler Mining . . . "

  :: Dad? Laughiler Mining loan guarantee? ::

  :: Oh good grief. Is Petro bothering you? I sent a letter, but the man is such a stickler for proper documentation . . . Yes, please do sign it. A big mining company in the Gold Rush Territory might help civilize the place. ::

  Hastman had whipped out a sheaf of papers. Xen skimmed and signed. "Dad mentioned this the last time I spoke with him. He has great hopes it'll help settle things down out there."

  Hastman nodded. "The Gold Gang is bad enough, but there are even more small bands of bandits. Laughiler's security people can co-ordinate with the marshal . . . "

  "Can't hurt." Xen escaped without too much more obsequiousness from the staff.

  Hastman sighed as they parted on the front steps. "I keep telling them to stop scaring your father, but they just don't understand. I hope they noticed you trying to not laugh at them, maybe they'll stop being so . . . "

  "Citified?" Xen grinned and trotted down the steps to where a city guardsman was hauling on Pyrite's reins. The horse, untied of course, had his hooves planted and wasn't about to be pulled off balance by a single human.

  The guard gave up, and frowned at Xen. "You are supposed to tie horses in the city . . . sir." He touched the rim of his hat, irritated and sweaty after trying to wrestle the immobile animal.

  Xen touched his own hat brim in acknowledgement. "I'll remember that, Corporal."

  Pyrite wickered. Or possibly snickered.

  The next evening the gang all had dinner 'in town'.

  Rally was all perked up. "I found a financial backer. I'm buying my father's portion of the house, and buying out Bay and Lester."

  Keith rolled his eyes.

  Dominic sighed. "You are begging for trouble, Rally."

  Unusually, the children had been in evidence, tonight. And on good behavior. Little Rufi had Hoon's smooth deep tan skin coloring; combined with his brown hair and blue eyes he could have been nearly anyone's child, speed crawling and gregarious. Xen felt Hoon mentally nudge the child about, the boy spending nearly equal time with Rally, Garit and Xen. Dominic's little Demi was experimenting with walking, a darling girl with her father's golden hair. Onray's girl was a few months younger. Crawling, but happy to cuddle on Daddy's lap and melt the man's heart. Phillip's boy was the youngest, a sturdy baby with a big smile.

  As a way to keep the men paying, it couldn't have been arranged any better. That it had been arranged, Xen hadn't the faintest doubt.

  But little Rufi was well cared for, happy and content. Sociable, and that hadn't been forced. The Oner spy was apparently a good mother.

  "Hey, Xen?" Rally looked a bit anxious. "As soon as I clear this loan I'm taking out, I'll buy your Dad's interest. I know I should have bought it out with the rest but the interest rates are . . . really high."

  "Don't worry about it, Rally. You guys wine and dine me often enough to constitute payment of interest." Oh, cripes. Same shark or a new one, Rally?

  "Thanks, man. I've been thinking, and Lord Shy thinks it's a good idea, of taking on a position in the Government. Just a dogsbody at first of course, but that's how everyone starts."

  "Yeah, once you get a few steps up it'll be really interesting. We all make jokes about bureaucrats, but they're the people who really run the country."

  Rally nodded. "That's right."

  Janic's going to love this development.

  Janic sighed. "There's a certain fascination to watching a man really and truly ruin himself. Not the first time I've seen it, and it won't be the last. In the meantime, I haven't found any outside contacts. She's got to be reporting to someone."

  "Well, the situation with One World . . . Is there a situation? Apart from Hoon, do we know of any activity at all?"

  "One other man, and we haven't seen any indication that he and Hoon are even aware of each other. And that's really interesting. Since Pax stole the Earth gate terminus and they all piled through, we haven't seen any activity from the Oners."

  "So Hoon might just be setting up a really good apparatus, for use when needed. She may not contact anyone regularly, or often. Is it possible that she is completely marooned?"

  "That idea has been floated." Janic admitted. "Interesting, that she kept you and Garit in the loop, in this little party."

  "And Keith. Why Keith?"

  "He could become a Duke. He's been seen visiting the house alone several times. One of them has him by the short curlies."

  "Poor Rally. Or maybe I should feel sorry for his fiancée. Want me to ask about his financial backer?"

  "We'll do that. In fact a report may be wending its way in my direction already."

  Janic dismissed him, and he took a side trip to Ash to explain everything to his parents.

  His father shook his head. "Idiot. I'd say something worse, but I remember what I was like at that age. You are doing mostly better than I did."

  "Ha. I'll bet." His mother grinned up at his dad.

  "Your mother was precocious. She was getting into trouble with genetics, no less, from about the age of twelve. Still is. Go see her purple sheep, if you are feeling really brave."

  "I learned a purple spell years ago . . . " I haven't used that purple bunny spell in years . . . silliest thing ever . . .

  Xen hadn't done anything with genetics since he'd very nearly used a spell for genetic sabotage as revenge when he was twelve. His mother's pre-dyed silky wool made him laugh. And wish he'd kept studying genetics and genetic engineering. Maybe I ought to start again. I may need it, if we have a clash with the Empire of the One. He recognized the genetic basis for the very odd colors of the sheep herd his mother was accumulating, from his early studies with Lady Gisele. Gisele had also shown him the genetic basis for magical abilities and power collection. I ought to think about those in conjunction with those Oner genes. I wonder if they are as strong as ours? Or stronger. Or perhaps just different.

  They wandered toward the horse pasture. The God of War kept his horse in a bubble to prevent aging, and to have him handy when he was summoned. He brought Jet out now, a huge powerful beast, so black he was nearly an absence of light. The stallion exchanged nods and ear twitches with Pyrite, a ripple of something that wasn't human in a quick exchange Xen could barely feel. Xen had never really looked at their genes. It was fascinating. Jet and Pyrite had been experiments on Earth, before the exile, and had human genes as well as experimental genes spliced into their otherwise normal horse chromosomes.

  "Look. They've both got a power gene. I told you they could do magic."

  His father nodded. "Jet shields himself, in fights. I thought that was the limit. But maybe I just didn't teach him anything else."

  An amused snort from the stallion. :: I know enough to be what I am. ::

  There was no sign that his father had heard that.

  Xen walked over to the mare's pasture. Spooky snorted at him. Phantom's little sister was a big solid mare now . . . "She's got a lot of engineered genes, but then her dam is one of Sun Gold's daughters."

  His dad followed. "Yes. I suppose I ought to send her to Guy . . . but I'd like to have another heavy horse around, in case you need one." His dad
grinned at Pyrite's indignant snort.

  "How about the Old Dun?" Xen looked at the mare's suddenly pricked ears. "Right. Why don't you come home with us?" What's one more member of the insane horse breeders' club, after all?

  At the next soiree, Rally introduced Xen to his backer.

  Lord Matthew Gallery.

  Prince Rebo spent the entire party glued to his daughter's side. Apparently she was attending for a protracted and well chaperoned goodbye.

  The next morning Rebo departed to visit relatives for the last month before it was time to report for his two year rotation.

  Lady Eden Gallery attended very few parties, after that. Xen went out of his way to meet her. Study her.

  He immediately sought the experts, and wound up kicked back at the winery with a glass of four year old merlot. "Poor thing, she's pretty much of a disaster inside her head. There's no sign of a coherent childhood. I swear Art must have just stuck blocks of knowledge and experience in there. How can you raise a kid like that?"

  "Hmm. Very unsavory. Gallery, though, is the God of Art. A friend of Pax and Mercy." His dad frowned down into his own glass. "Political ambition is a bad thing in a god."

  "At any rate, she's made very brief appearances at the last two parties where one would expect to see her, so Gallery may be playing for the long term. Keeping her in the public eye as high class and a possible wife for the heir to the crown." Xen winced at the thought. I've never met Crown Heir Rebo, but his reputation is not good. With a God as an ally . . . or him under the influence of an ambitious god . . . "Not good" could easily become "Very bad."

  Chapter Nine

  Late Summer 1390

  Crossroads, Foothills Province

  Flare whistled cheerfully to the rhythm of Cat's trot.

  The harvest was canned, dried, bubbled or otherwise stored, the second cutting of hay was stacked and she was going to be away from her parents and brothers all fall and all winter long! Yes! Fourteen and a half years old and free!

  Oh, sure, she'd be working her rear off. But it wouldn't involve changing diapers or babysitting her little brothers. Without pay. She'd be cooking for tons of people, but with her family of ten people, and frequently visiting aunts, uncles and cousins, she was used to cooking for a crowd.