The Burning City by Jerry Pournelle Page B

couldn’t run, but he might get through…

C HAPTER
8

    He had reached Bull Pizzle territory when he heard shouts. Sanvin Street was supposed to be safe, outside the jurisdiction of any band, but five older boys were coming toward him. Whandall began to run. They chased him down and tackled him.
    â€œHoo!” one of them shouted. “Look what all he’s got!”
    â€œWhere?” another demanded. “Where’d you gather stuff like this?” When Whandall didn’t answer, he hit him on the head with his fist. “Where?”
    â€œLordshills,” Whandall said.
    â€œYeah, sure. Now where?” They hit him some more and sat on his head.
    â€œLeave me alone!” Whandall shouted. He wanted to scream for help, but it wouldn’t do any good. They’d just call him a coward and crybaby. But he could shout defiance…
    â€œSerpents!” He heard the cry from down the street. “Serpent’s Walk!” A dozen older boys, led by his brother Wanshig, were coming.
    â€œBull Pizzle!” his tormentor shouted. Then the others were there. Whandall felt the weight lift from his head. There were the sounds of blows.
    â€œYou all right?” Wanshig asked. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
    When they were back at Placehold, Wanshig thanked the others. “Somebody’d better tell Lord Pelzed,” Wanshig said. “We may have trouble with Bull Pizzle.”
    â€œI never left Sanvin Street,” Whandall protested.
    Wanshig shrugged. “So what happened? Get anything good?”
    â€œJust some clothes, and look, they tore them, and they gathered myjacket and shoes.” Whandall felt bitter disappointment. Nothing had gone right this time. “This stuff is too small for them anyway—”
    â€œNice, though.” Wanshig fingered the shirt Whandall was inspecting. “Nice. You just need a way to get stuff back to Placehold. Take one of us next time.”
    Even his own family lusted for what the Lords threw away!
    â€œIt wouldn’t work,” Whandall said. “It was… sort of an accident that I got in and made friends inside.” They’d never believe him if he said that Shanda had given him all those things. Or they’d want to know why. “Nobody notices me. But the Lordsmen wouldn’t let a bunch of us in.”
    â€œHow many Lordsmen?”
    â€œLots,” Whandall said. “Two at the gate, but there are others just inside.”
    â€œYeah, we heard that,” Wanshig said. “And they have magic too. Did you see any magic?”
    â€œMaybe a little.”
    â€œTen, twenty years ago, before I was born, three bands got together and went to the Lordshills to gather. None of them ever came back,” Wanshig said. “None.”
    Maybe magic
, Whandall thought.
And maybe it was only guards with armor and spears fighting together with the Lords to tell them what to do, and a ship to carry the losers away.
But he could never explain that to Wanshig.
    He said, “Wan, there’s going to be a big show. The Lords will have a show in the park, and give away some presents, maybe do some magic.”
    â€œWhen?”
    â€œFive days, I think,” Whandall said. He counted on his fingers. “Five days counting today.”
    Wanshig smiled. “Good. Don’t tell anyone.
Anyone
. We’ll keep this for the family.”
    â€œWhat will you do?”
    â€œI’ll have every Placeholder who can pick a pocket ready for them. We’ll have first pick of the crowd.” Wanshig nibbled his lip, considering. “We can’t keep Bull Pizzle out of the park. Can we make them go somewhere else? Something to get them to the other side of town…”
    Whandall watched his brother think.
    Wanshig grinned. “Did they go through your pockets?”
    â€œYou got there first.”
    Wanshig’s grin got bigger. “So they don’t know you