The Innocent Mage Read Online Free PDF Page B

me.’
    The wine-soaked, bloodstained silk handkerchief w; dry now. Asher shoved it into his pocket and followed.
    For all that she was a good head shorter than he, Ash’ found himself scuttling to keep up with the womar impatient haste along the rising High Street that led, apparently, to the palace. The roadway was lined with shops; he would’ve liked to stop for a minute, have a stickybeak through their sparkling windows, but the sinkin’ woman just kept forging ahead as though a shark had plans to swallow her for supper.
    ‘So what’s this Matt like then, eh?’ he asked, hitching his knapsack back onto his shoulder for the fourth time.
    ‘You heard His Highness,’ she replied. ‘He’s an excellent fellow. You’ll like him.’ She spared him a sidelong glance. ‘The question is, will he like you?’
    That stung. ‘Ain’t no call for him not to be likin’ me! Reckon 1 be as -good a man any day as some fancy prince’s
    stable meister.’
    Her eyebrows lifted. ‘Well, that remains to be seen, doesn’t it?’ Taking him by the sleeve she tugged him off the main thoroughfare and down a quieter side street lined with balconied private dwellings. Just as Hemp had claimed, they were toweringly tall and painted all different colours. ‘This way.’
    Asher stopped staring at one high, narrow house painted yellow — yellow — and stared at the skinny woman instead, suddenly distrustful. He pulled his sleeve free and slowed, almost halting. ‘Where are we goin’? I thought we were headin’ for the palace.’
    ‘We are, more or less,’ she replied. ‘His Highness hasn’t lived in the palace itself since his majority. He has his, own separate establishment in the palace grounds now. Going this way saves time.’ She favoured him with a sly grin. ‘Mind you, if I weren’t in a rush I would take you the long way round. Make sure you were in a suitably humbled frame of mind before meeting Meister Matt.’
    Asher scowled. ‘What did the prince say your name were again? Mistress Clever Clogs?’
    Surprisingly, that made her laugh. ‘It’s Dathne,’ she said,
    and bustled on.
    ‘Ha.’ With a leap he blocked her pell-mell progress along the quiet street. ‘And why would you be interested ii doin’ a favour for me, eh, Mistress Dathne? You don’i know me from a hole in the ground.’
    Eyebrows raised again, she looked him up and down ‘Who said the favour was for you? I thought to help Matt out — but if you’re going to be this disagreeable, could k I’ll think again.’
    ‘Y’can’t!’ said Asher, alarmed, feeling those precious twenty-five weekly trins trickling through his fingers. ‘Tk prince said —’
    ‘Whatever he said can as easily be unsaid. He doesn’t interfere with Matt’s running of the stables, so long as he’s happy with how the horses are looking. And trust me, His Highness is very happy. If Matt says he won’t have you then you’ll be out on your ear, Meister Fisherman, and all forttf sake of a little civility. Is that what you want?’
    After a struggling moment, Asher shook his head ‘Never said that. I just like to know where I stand, Dathne That’s all. Don’t like owin’ folk. Especially strangers.’
    She favoured him with an enigmatic smiled ‘But we’t not strangers, Asher. And as for owing me … well.’ Pushin him to one side, she started walking again. ‘I’m sure if I pi my mind to it, I’ll be able to come up with some way fc you to pay me back.’
    Asher stared after her, mouth open. Did she mean .. He hoped not. Skinny lemon-tongued shrews weren’t h catch of mackerel, not by a netful they weren’t. And then 1 pushed the thought aside, because she was turning anoth corner and in a moment he’d have lost her, and what kii of an impression would that make, eh, with his twenty-fi trins still hanging in the balance?
    Hoisting his knapsack to safety yet again, he hurried catch up.
    The palace grounds were enormous. Stretching the entire width of the