Free Alexander, Lloyd - Vesper Holly 01 by The Illyrian Adventure Page A

killed."
    I did not wish to answer. I had seen bands like Nilo's in Greece, in Crete, in Sicily. They all had the same look, all desperately brave and devoted. Sometimes, like Garibaldi's people, they won a little. Usually, they ended up nobly dead or drifted into banditry, having fought so long they forgot why they had started in the first place. Naturally, they were very young, but that was no fault of theirs.
    "I never thought of people really getting killed before. Someone you know, someone—" Vesper suddenly put her head against my shoulder. She did not cry, but the dear girl was certainly at the edge. "Brinnie—I want to be home."
    I patted her arm without, I fear, providing much comfort. Mary would have done better. Vesper straightened up.
    "No. I don't want to go home. Not until it's settled. I won't have Nilo getting himself killed. And we'll find what we came to find."
    I had my own opinion about those two subjects, but I kept it to myself. The poor child was suffering a touch of nerves—the result, naturally, of being more or less confined to a cave, subsisting on cheese and fiery hot sausages, being surrounded by desperate charaaers, including the most dangerous man in Illyria. It was no kind of life for a Philadelphian.
     
     
     
     

CHAPTER 12
     
     
     
    "I don't care what Nilo says about not accepting favors," Vesper told me later. "As soon as we're back in Zenta, I'll have a long talk with Osman. Somebody has to start listening to reason."
    The possibility of reaching Zenta before the fighting broke out struck me as dim. More likely, we would become permanent residents of the cave and eat sausages the rest of our lives. Nilo did not intend to release us.
    "This is the safest place, Lincilla, " he said when he returned after nearly a week's absence. "Zalik has been looking for you even harder than he is looking for Vartan.
    "I can stay no longer," he continued. "I have work to do in other villages. Milan and Silvia will come with me. You must wait here, Lincilla. You will be well cared for."
    "No," said Vesper. "We're going with you. We can help each other. I want to go to Zenta. You want to go— wherever you have to. There's a way to do both.
    "Can you get hold of horses and a carriage? A wagon? Then do what you did before. Be our dragoman. Milan and Silvia can wear Zentan uniforms and ride along as our escort. We have out firman, we have a letter from Osman. They're very impressive documents; no one will question them. Once you're where you want to be, we'll separate and go our own ways."
    "We have no uniforms," Nilo said. "The btmhashi's men found them. They confiscated your baggage, too. As for the rest of your plan—" He rubbed his chin and thought for several moments. "Yes. It is a good one. It will serve your purpose and ours. Milan will see to everything we need."
    "One more thing," said Vesper. "I'm not going to Zenta without a look at Vartan's Castle. It's important and I may not have another chance. The matrona said it was by Lake Lara. That's not far from here."
    "You will find nothing of interest," said Nilo. "Only ruins."
    "Then it won't take long to see them. We have to go in that direction anyway. We'll need to stop for a rest. We might as well do it there."
    Milan looked doubtful. I felt the same. Our situation was touchy enough without adding a side trip. Nilo and Milan spoke apart for a while.
    "Lincilla," said Nilo, after they finished, "we have an old proverb. The bear gladly trades a few grapes for the fox's pomegranates. When you offer me a service in Vartan's cause, I cannot refuse a small favor in your own."
    "I hoped you'd see it that way," said Vesper.
    We started next day at first light, leading our horses down the rocky slopes. Milan, Silvia, and a few others had already gone. They would meet us a safe distance from Alba-Collia with whatever vehicle they could obtain.
    Now that he had stopped playing incompetent dragoman, Nilo proved an excellent guide. He knew the area,