Free Dragon's Ring by Dave Freer Page A

public building well, Scrap? No training in arson, either. You've had a sadly neglected upbringing, youth."
     
    Meb turned to find the gleeman standing in the doorway looking at her, his hands on his hips, his toothy grin white in the firelight. "Can we get out that way?" she asked. "It's a long way down."
     
    "Alas, no," he said with a shrug. "With the front doors open and the roof burning this place is an excellent chimney. We'll have to leave by the window that you so wisely found your way to. Let's see. Those drapes should make a fine rope, if you mislike the jump. Never jump onto cobbles in the dark. They make for poor landing places." He ripped the drapes off their hooks as he spoke. "The bench will do nicely," he said. "Bring it to the window."
     
    Meb did. He looped the now-knotted drapes around it, and pointed at the window. "Out you go. Slide down it like a rope. Drop when you get to the end. And head for the alley across from the fountain."
     
    Meb had never slid down a rope in her life—but boys did that on the boats—so at least she'd seen it done. She took her courage in both hands and went over the sill. It was a lot more difficult than it sounded. But the fire was behind him, and he'd come back to find her. She had to do it. It wasn't that far down . . .
     
    Sitting, rubbing the seat of her breeches, she knew that rope-sliding would be the next thing that he would say she needed to learn.
     
    "What were you doing in there?" someone asked, helping her up. "That's the chief inspector's room!"
     
    "We were trying to put the fire out. We got stuck on the second floor. We had to break in there to escape the flames." She thought fast. Better to sound like a real firefighter. "Mairi's going to kill me. I left her bucket in there . . ."
     
    "She'll probably be glad to have you back in one piece, you young tearaway," said the man, laughing.
     
    Meb had been watching anxiously for the gleeman. He didn't appear. She'd have to go back for him! He had come back for her. Could the smoke have overwhelmed him? She got up, and headed back toward the burning building.
     
    "I thought I said the alley across from the fountain," said a voice behind her.
     
    "I thought you were still inside," she said gaping.
     
    "I found a side door. I'm good at that," he said quietly. "I thought if they were going to look for anyone, it shouldn't be the two of us. Head for the alley."
     
    She did, and he arrived moments later. "Time to go," he said. "Unless you want to serve in the bucket chain. They're getting organized, and the rain seems to be coming down harder. Unfortunately. I've never liked tax halls."
     
    He led her through several alleys and out into a broad street, then off down a side road, to an inn. Standing outside under the hanging lantern he looked speculatively at her. "Hmm. You're smoky smelling, and your clothes and your face are sure give-aways, blackened like that. Are you dry again?"
     
    "Er. Yes." She was, fairly. The heat had been enough to frizzle the hair on her hands, which, now that she looked at them, were black. Her face probably looked much the same.
     
    "Good. Time to get you wet again, then," he said, evilly. He somehow seemed to have escaped the worst of the smoke and ash. "There's a well around the back. Come. Over the fence rather than in the front door. The front door is not for the likes of us, anyway. The only time I see the front door of an inn is when I'm being thrown out of it." He led her to the gate at the side of the building and said, "Well, up and over then."
     
    It was a good bit taller than she was. But he seemed to expect her to climb it. So Meb tried. And failed. After the day she'd had her muscles felt like jelly. Even the walk back through the streets had seemed a long, long way.
     
    The gleeman shook his head. "Not like that."
     
    "I'm sorry. I'm just so tired. I can't," she said weakly, hating herself.
     
    "Ach. You poor little scrap of humanity. Here. Have a