Djaren stayed up quite late cleaning up after the party. He owed it to Missus Craderly, he thought. He felt fortunate that no one had thrown up their ill-advised food combinations within the apartments. Outside was another matter and, happily, someone else’s jurisdiction. Continue reading “Chapter Six, Tombs and Princes”

Kara was deeply annoyed. She was flattened to the ground, hiding from grave robbers who were hiding from noises, and the long grass made her nose itch. The grass was wet, like everything else here in Cambriol, and she did not want to be arrested as part of this miserable group of grave robbers. Continue reading “Chapter Five–New Friends, Old Enemies, continued”

Djaren stopped and ducked behind a rain barrel, quieting his breathing and thinking fast. He might be able to convince them that he was local, but he had only one name to reference, and no strength or martial skill to back that with. He didn’t know what he’d say in class to excuse the bruises. He checked his pockets and found only a few coins. Would they be insulted he had so little money? Djaren hadn’t been mugged before, and he wasn’t sure how it was done. Continue reading “Chapter Five–New Friends, Old Enemies”

“I don’t like meeting here,” one man said, his voice smoke-roughened.

“It’s safe ground,” the thinnest of them said. “Our safe ground. None else digs anymore here but us Leverdowns, and the others all know it.”

“The Crackers and Wells’ lot don’t seem to know lately where their territory ends,” the first mumbled.

“They’d best leave us this if they know what’s good for them,” the short round one said. Continue reading “Chapter Four–Pauper’s Field, continued”

Kara watched from the rooftop across the street as Djaren, Eljiah, and Tallis knocked at the door of the somber little building on Stableway that doubled as an undertaker’s shop and the headquarters of the Mourners. This seemed a sensible enough combination to Kara—if one had to deal with dead bodies, why not make money off them twice over, once for the burying and once for the official weeping and parading about in black? Continue reading “Chapter Four–Pauper’s Field”

“If Mother were here, she’d have founded a charity already,” Djaren muttered.

Eljiah cleared his throat. “I’d like to look in here, if it’s all right.” He stood looking up at a solidly built building double the width of most of the houses. The placard read “The Herringbroke boys’ house.”

“You already have a charity here.” Djaren smiled. Continue reading “The Cambriol Riddle, Chapter Three–Laws and Paupers, continued”

The day had decided to be one of Cambriol’s rare sunny ones, so the Tembelakan and Shandorian students had pooled their resources and spread their dinners out by the riverside on Tembelakan mats and Shandorian picnic blankets. Continue reading “The Cambriol Riddle, Chapter Three–Laws and Paupers”