The Drawing of the Dark

'Just out for a stroll, eh? Well, these gentlemen had horses. They left them tethered in a clearing about a half mile back. When you've chosen a pair of boots, perhaps you'd care to select a horse.'

Duffy laughed and wiped his sword off on the dead man's shirt. 'All right,' he said, 'let's go take a look at them.'

Half an hour later the two men were riding north. Duffy allowed himself a gulp of the wine, which was running low, and offered the wineskin to Bluto.

'No, thank you,' the hunchback said. 'Not right now, or I'll get sick. You're bound for Vienna, I assume?'

Duffy nodded.

'So am I. I've been hired to organize the city's artillery.'

'Oh? You know about that stuff, do you?'

'It's what I do. I'm a freelance bombardier. What is it that's bringing you to Vienna?'

'Nothing so dramatic. I've been hired to be the bouncer at an inn there.'

'Hah! These Viennese range far afield for their employees. There was no local talent?'

The Irishman shrugged. 'Apparently not. The guy who hired me - weird little man named Aurelianus -'

'Aurelianus?' Bluto exclaimed. 'Black clothes? Trembly? Afraid to open windows?'

Duffy frowned, mystified. 'That's him. How did you know?'

'I met him two months ago, in Bern. He's the one who hired me to take charge of the artillery.' For a minute or two they rode along in silence. Finally Bluto spoke. 'I don't suppose there have been murderers chasing you around, have there?'

'Well.. .there has been an incident or two.'

'Ah. I might hazard a guess, then, that there are those, enemies of Aurelianus, perhaps, who don't want us to get to Vienna.'

Duffy snorted skeptically. 'Who'd care whether or not the Zimmermann Inn gets a new bouncer?'

'I couldn't say. I wonder, though, who else he's hired, and for what.'

'Have you...' Duffy began. 'Have you run into any odd types, besides common murderers? Stranger.. .things... that pay uncalled-for attention to you?'

The hunchback stared at him uncomprehendingly. 'Aren't murderers enough? What kind of "things" do you mean? Lions? Wolves?'

'Yes,' said the Irishman quickly. 'Wolves. I've been plagued by them.'

Bluto shook his head. 'No. But then we're coming from different directions. Wouldn't be likely to run across the same sorts of beasts.'

'That's true,' assented Duffy, letting the discussion drop. That's odd, though, he thought. Bluto has apparently seen no supernatural creatures at all. Why have I seen so many?

At midafternoon their horses' hooves clattered on the Leitha Bridge, and by sunset they had reached the high, stone, battlement-crowned walls of Vienna.

'God, she's big,' Bluto remarked as they rode up to the Carinthian Gate. 'Have you ever been here before?'

'I used to live here,' Duffy said quietly.

'Oh. Can you tell me where I could spend the night? I want a bit of rest before I present myself to the city council.'

Duffy frowned. If there's one thing I don't want right now, he thought, it's company. But he's a decent sort, and if it weren't for him I wouldn't have this horse. 'I imagine they'd give you a room at the Zimmermann. Aurelianus owns it. Did he give you some kind of letter of introduction?'

'Yes. Sealed with two fighting dragons.'

'Well, show that seal to the innkeeper. I doubt if he'd even charge you any money.'