“Pretty new,” Cole replied.
“Tell me about these guys you’re working for,” the man said. “Could they use a fellow like me?”
“I don’t really know a lot about them,” Cole said. “They’re kind of mysterious.”
The man sighed. “Life in East Carthage.”
“Hey, maybe you can help me,” Cole tried. “I’m looking for a fountain with seven spouts.”
“What’s it worth to you?”
“It would save me some time. It’s part of the delivery process. I haven’t gone around counting the fountain spouts.”
“You think I do?”
“Maybe. You’re good with details. I could mention your help to the guys I work for.”
The man gave him a pensive stare. “You seem like a good kid. You’re trying to make some extra ringers. I can appreciate that. You want Lorona Fountain. It’s a long walk, but not complicated.” He gave Cole an explanation that involved four turns. “Got it?”
Cole repeated the directions back to him.
“Good,” the man said. “If you come to know and trust these people, tell them I helped you. Until then, be careful. Taking ringers from one location to another may seem like easy money. But when something looks too good to be true . . .”
“I hear you,” Cole said, feeling a little guilty about misleading him. For a shyster, the guy seemed like a decent person. “Thanks for the advice. And the directions.”
“Around your chest might be better,” the man said. “For the ringers. You can hide any bulges under enough layers to mask them.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Cole said, starting down the street. He mentally repeated the instructions as he went and kept his eyes open for the first intersection where he needed to turn.
The farther away Cole went from the river, the less fanciful the buildings appeared. Although he continued to spot bizarre people, the city itself began to look more normal.
He came to Lorona Fountain without missing a turn. The fountain served as the centerpiece of a modest plaza bordered by narrow streets and the plastered walls of residential buildings. Four cherubic statues played in the basin. Three of the pudgy cherubs clutched a shell in each hand, while the central one held a single shell over his head. Unlike some of the other statues Cole had seen in East Carthage, these were stationary. Each shell sprayed water.
The man had been correct. This fountain had seven spouts. Hopefully, that made it unique in East Carthage.
Cole didn’t see any of his friends. He felt a jolt of worry. What if something had happened to them? Shouldn’t they have had time to get here first? He supposed he had hurried quite a bit with the Jumping Sword. What would he do if they didn’t show up? He became acutely aware of how little he wanted to explore the five kingdoms on his own. In a foreign place like Elloweer, he would feel totally adrift.
Not wanting to look too conspicuous, he went and sat on a bench in the shade. Before long, his weariness began to catch up with him. The gentle splashing of the fountain didn’t help.
What were the chances of Ansel or one of his men happening by? Cole surveyed the area carefully. He was on the other side of the city from where Ansel had spotted him. This plaza was relatively small and had little traffic. Joe must have chosen it for its anonymity. Ansel would be watching the main roads and bridges. And he would probably be more focused on West Carthage.
The longer he sat, the more Cole felt his exhaustion. Should he get up and pace? It would be foolish to doze. How bad would it be to close his eyes for a minute? Nobody else had shown interest in his shady bench, so Cole curled up his legs and leaned against the armrest. The position was dangerously comfortable.
Shaded from the high sun by a gnarled tree with sprawling branches, the temperature was nearly perfect. The fountain gurgled soothingly. As an experiment, Cole closed his eyes. He knew he should open them and take another peek. But it felt so nice to rest them, and he had just looked around a moment ago.
“Get out of here, you vagrant,” a voice growled in Cole’s ear, jarring him awake.
Cole leaped to his feet, blearily fumbling for an apology, until he recognized Jace grinning at him. Cole might have thrown a punch if he wasn’t so glad to see him. “You need a new joke.”
“I’ll get one when this stops working,” Jace said. “You’re pretty casual for a wanted man. Pleasant dreams?”
“Just trying to fit in,” Cole said. He looked around. “Where are the others?”
“Not far,” Jace said. “I booked us a few rooms nearby. We can’t wander the town with people after you. We’ll stay near here until Joe shows up.”
“Ansel saw me,” Cole reported. “The slaver—he came after me.”
“I know,” Jace said. “Twitch kept an eye on you. He told us you escaped with the Jumping Sword.”
“He knew that?” Cole asked.
“Twitch is pretty sneaky,” Jace said. “After watching your getaway, he caught up to me and Mira like it wasn’t much trouble.”
“Ansel promised to hunt me down,” Cole said.
“Sounds like a great reason for a public nap,” Jace said. “Come on.”
Chapter 6
KASORI
Halfway down a quiet side street, a few blocks from Lorona Fountain, the modest inn stood three stories tall. Light blue shutters covered the windows. Not flashy, not dumpy, it looked like dozens of other buildings Cole had passed throughout the day.
“No common room,” Jace muttered as they approached the front door. “That means no crowds.”
The main door from the street led to a smallish foyer where an inattentive woman sat behind a counter to receive guests. Jace waved at her as they walked by. She acknowledged him with a vague smile. Even in a strange and deadly world full of magical illusions, Cole supposed a boring job was still a boring job.
On their way up to the second floor, Jace produced a key. “I rented three rooms—the nicest one they had available, and two of their cheaper ones, including one that sleeps four. I wanted the workers to think we were servants getting rooms for our master. The lady up front didn’t press me for specifics. The best room is up on the third floor. We gave it to Mira.”
“Is it safe to leave her alone up there?” Cole asked.
“Our smallest room is just down from her,” Jace said. “I’ll stay there. You can go bunk with Twitch for now, finish up the nap you started by the fountain. If you want, you can bathe in the room at the end of the hall.”