Rise of a Merchant Prince Read Online Free Page A

that, you Valeman scum!”
    â€œYou, Bobby de Loungville, Sergeant sir !” snapped back Jadow, but Erik could easily see the mocking humor in both men’s expressions. Battle had made him very aware of his companions’ every mood, and he knew they were having fun with each other. “And who are you calling ‘scum’? We men of the Vale are the best fighting men in the world, don’t you know, and we are usually wiping our boots to clean them of something that resembles you.” He sniffed loudly, bending forward as if to make sure de Loungville was the source of the offending odor. “Yes, very much like you.”
    De Loungville grabbed one of Jadow’s cheeks and pinched it as a mother does a child’s, saying, “You’re so lovely I should kiss you.” Playfully slapping him on the face, he said, “But not today.”
    To the group, de Loungville said, “Where are you off to?”
    â€œDrinks!” said Nakor with a grin.
    De Loungville rolled his eyes heavenward. “Well, don’t kill anyone.” He asked Jadow, “You comingback?”
    Jadow grinned. “I don’t know why, but yes.”
    His own smile vanishing, de Loungville said, “You know exactly why.”
    Instantly all humor fled. Each man had seen exactly what the others had, and all knew that a terrible enemy gathered across the sea, and that no matter how much had been accomplished in recent months, the struggle had only just started. A decade or more might pass before the final confrontation with the armies gathered under the banner of the Emerald Queen, but eventually every man living in the Kingdom would either stand and fight or die.
    After a moment’s silence, de Loungville waved them down the street. “Get away with you. Don’t have too much fun.” As the men walked off, he called after, “Erik, you and Jadow be back here tomorrow to get your papers. On the day after, you’re deserters! And you know we hang deserters!”
    â€œThat man,” said Jadow as they moved down the street in search of an inn. “Always with them threats. He has an unnatural love of hanging, don’t you know?”
    Roo laughed and the rest joined in, and the mood lightened as an inn seemed to appear by magic on the corner before them.
    Roo awoke, his head pounding and his mouth dry. The inside of his eyes felt as if someone had put sand behind the lids, and his breath smelled as if something had crawled into his mouth and died. He moved and Erik let out a groan, so he moved the other way, only to find Jadow groaning and pushing him away.
    With no other choice, he sat up and instantly wished he had remained asleep. He forced himself to keep whatever was in his stomach from coming up and at last managed to focus his eyes.
    â€œOh, wonderful,” he said, and instantly regretted talking. His own voice made his head hurt.
    They were in a cell. And unless Roo was mistaken, he knew exactly what cell. It was a long cell, open along one side to a hall, with floor-to-ceiling bars and a door with a heavy iron lock plate. Slightly above head height opposite the bars, a long window, less than two feet in height, ran the length of the cell. He knew the cell was below ground level, as the window was only a foot or so above ground, giving a peculiar angle so those inside the cell could see the scaffold dominating the courtyard beyond. He was now in the death cell beneath the Prince of Krondor’s palace.
    He pushed Erik and his friend groaned as if tortured. Roo shook him insistently and at last Erik came awake. “What?” he said as he tried to focus his attention on his friend’s face. “Where are we?”
    â€œBack in the death cell.”
    Erik looked instantly sober. He glanced around and saw Nakor curled up in the corner, snoring, while Sho Pi lay a short distance away.
    They shook the others awake and took stock. Several of them were splattered