The Fourth Book Of Lost Swords : Farslayer's Story (Saberhagen's Lost Swords 4), Fred Saberhagen [100 best novels of all time TXT] 📗

us with a few pearls. Or other valuables if they find any. It’s a sporadic kind of barter, that happens when both parties have an urge to trade. No really considerable wealth is involved.”

      “I see. How many mermaids do you suppose will show up when you summon them?”

      Hissarlik shrugged his shoulders. “I suppose we’ll get a dozen if we’re lucky. As I said, there’s a minor control spell that will summon them, or at least those who are within range, to attend us at the water’s edge. It’s related to the spell we use to call up mermaids when we want to sell or rent them out to visiting magicians, or to traveling shows. We rent them, usually. The creatures seldom live beyond the age of thirty, so there’s no great bargain for a purchaser in buying one. When we have them at the shore we can give them orders, and bribe them with food. But as I warned you earlier, the magic for obedience is unreliable, and the orders we give them are seldom or never carried out just as we would wish. So, you see, the curse has never been of much value in a military way.”

      Chilperic brushed aside the problems associated with the regular mermaid trade. “You keep harping on the idea that they’ll be unreliable as searchers.”

      “I’m afraid they will.” Hissarlik hesitated. “And then—suppose they do find this Sword.”

      “Yes?”

      “Well then, suppose one of them found it and instead of turning it in decided to try to use it.”

      “Is that what’s bothering you? Consider that if Farslayer does lie at the bottom of the river, one of the fishgirls is likely to discover it there anyway.”

      “Oh.” It was obvious from the Tyrant’s sudden change of expression that he hadn’t thought of that.

      Chilperic pressed his new advantage. “So, it should help if I offer a reward to the fishgirl who brings it to us. And if at the same time I threaten punishment of any who try to conceal the Sword or dispose of it in any other way.”

      Hissarlik looked reluctantly ready to agree.

      “They are at least moderately intelligent, are they not?”

      “Hey?”

      “The mermaids, man, the mermaids.” There were limits to Chilperic’s patience.

      “Oh yes. As intelligent as any other peasant. Very well, then, let’s go.” And Hissarlik got to his feet.

      Within an hour a small party, consisting of Hissarlik, Chilperic, and an escort of militia, had formed and had moved on to the riverbank, where several boats were being made available for the short jaunt to Mermaids’ Island.

      “Hissarlik, my friend?”

      “Yes?”

      “Is there any real advantage in our going out to the island? Can we not lure the creatures, and speak to them, just as successfully from here on shore?”

      “Well, it might take a trifle longer that way—but yes, I suppose we can.”

      “Then let us do so.” A handful of soldiers from the Senones Home Guard were standing by, ready to offer armed protection during the boat trip to the island, just in case some of the Malolo forces should be encountered on the island or on the water. But Chilperic, sniffing the air and eyeing suspiciously the fishing boats already on the river, had decided that he would rather not trust in the protective abilities of the Home Guard. He could of course call up the demon for protection, but his reluctance to depend entirely upon that power continued.

      “I suppose we can do it just as well from shore. And perhaps we ought to wait for Megara anyway,” said Hissarlik vaguely, turning away from the boat he had been about to enter.

      Anselm had joined them, and was now serving as stand-in magician. He began to cast a spell. Within a quarter of an hour three or four of the underwater creatures had appeared in the water near shore, where they paddled about looking surprised, as if wondering why they had come here. Within an hour there were about a dozen, and these were all the mermaids that were likely to attend, according to Hissarlik.

      A couple of the creatures sat on the muddy shoreline, while the others swam about. By now they all looked sullenly unwilling to be here.

      Chilperic had to admit they were all lithe and attractive young women from the waist up. When he was assured that no more were likely to arrive, he stood up on the bank and spoke to them, describing the missing Sword, and promising to heal all of them of their affliction if one of them could bring him such a weapon. Their reaction was subdued; he could not tell to what extent his promise was believed.

      So he took care, before dismissing them, and while the food from the hampers was being thrown to them, to threaten them with his demon if none of them did bring him the Sword he sought. He let them see the demon to convince them that it was no empty threat—and this time he got the reaction that he sought.

Chapter Eleven

      The mermaid named Black Pearl had attended the gathering on the northern shore, more out of curiosity than from any compulsion by the feeble magic of Anselm Senones. She had listened to the arrogant strange man who spoke from the bank after Anselm, but she had not been much impressed by either his promises or his threats. At least not until the demon appeared to give a brief demonstration of its powers. Naturally the people on the north bank wanted the Sword, but they, or their late parents, were the same people who had sold Black Pearl into slavery, and she was not inclined to help them get anything they wanted now. Besides, if she had known where the Sword was, she would have taken it to Zoltan.

      When the demon-master had finished his threats and the feeble magic of Anselm had relaxed its grip, Black Pearl had slipped away from the other mermaids, into the swift flowing depths of the Tungri. And now she was on the south shore. Swimming and scrambling, she was struggling