Chapter 25
THE ONE WITH THE MOST TOYS STILL DIES
Pasha had arranged sumptuous accommodation for his party to stay in all week long, hoping that he’d convince Nik to remain once he saw the sights and tasted the food.
It was his good luck that the boy had stumbled upon the very people, er, tigers, he was looking for within the first few hours of arrival.
The being known as the Ghoulish Gnome of Grotesquery hadn’t been at all certain the “family” Nik had been looking for would be found at the Novgorod Games at all.
In fact, as a betting man, he would have put down money that they were long since dead, knowing all the dangers and lethal creatures that inhabited the world in which he resided.
Without some sort of magic or weapons, they were very likely to either be food fit for a beast, stolen away as chattel, or worse—that is, if they survived at all.
As he well knew, there were things in this world much more terrible than death.
Still, he had hoped to convince the lad that staying the week would be good for both of them.
The chances were better that Nik’s friends would be at the Games.
At least, finding them at the Games or hearing word of their whereabouts would be easier than just searching blindly.
That much was true. Often strays and stragglers were rounded up and tossed into the Games by unscrupulous rustlers, looking for entrants that might make them a coin or two.
The boy was hopeful right now. Pasha didn’t have the heart to tell the poor lad that the arena being constructed for the tigers and the game they were designing for them meant that only one was supposed to emerge a victor.
One of his contacts had set up a meeting with the new owner of the black tiger for him that evening.
He was hoping he could purchase ownership in exchange for a few favors.
If there was a contract on the man’s head, Pasha had the power to cancel such things if the man was open to negotiation.
Then there were also rumors of a young man of the religious persuasion with a small girl.
The two of them appeared to be asking a lot of questions about the tigers, and what was worse, the man was flashing around red gold, a surefire signal that he wanted to be hauled off to the nearest gambling den so someone could see what else the good priest had tucked beneath his robes.
Unfortunately, there were a lot of unsavory elements circling the pair already.
He’d have to try and locate the two of them as soon as possible before someone made them disappear permanently.
Pasha would have to work quickly indeed.
But tonight was about keeping up appearances.
He didn’t need the boy following him. He’d wait until they were all asleep, then sneak out to meet his contact.
“Come, my sweeting,” he said to Polina. “I’ll escort you to our suite of rooms, then fetch the finest of tidbits to tide you over until morning.
” Leaning over to Nik, he whispered, “I’ll find out what I can, boy.
Long as you promise to watch over my girl and her sister. There’re ruffians about. Deal?”
Nikolai gave a brisk nod in return, and Pasha straightened with a charming smile, blinking his one large eye.
“We’ll be headed up to my personal luxury suites.
You’ll love it, Nik,” Pasha said. “Panoramic views of the Games, personal chefs, a full-service bar, even a special system that lets you tune in to announcers covering each arena so you never miss an event. It’s large enough I could host a party of up to one hundred guests, but since we can style it however we like, I turned the space into guest suites where we could spend the evening as well.
Maids will come make it up for us in the morning or come clean it at the ring of a bell. ”
“Sounds expensive,” Nik said.
“Oh, it is,” Pasha replied. “Not that I pay a dime. The Gamemakers consider it ‘curse insurance.’”
“Must be nice.”
“My Pasha is such an important man, isn’t he?” Polina said.
“I’d rather have a good one,” Pushka said.
“But he is good!” Polina said. “He’s good to me!”
“I suppose that’s all that matters, then,” her sister replied drolly.
As the two girls began arguing, Nik winced and Pasha ran a hand down his face, rubbing his one eye.
“Sorry if I started something,” Nik said.
“Don’t worry about it, kid,” Pasha answered. “The two of them squabble all the time. Serves me right for bragging. I just like enjoying this part of my job, you know? The rest of it is—”
“Yeah. I get it.”
“Okay. I’m heading out now. Sorry to leave you with that. Order them up something sweet. The staff are gone for the night, but someone’s always on call. Just ring the bell and tell them what you’d like. If you can’t think of something, say, ‘Bring the usual,’ and tell them how many people.”
“Got it.”
“See you in a few hours, kid.”
“Pasha?”
“Yeah?” He turned, holding the door.
“Be careful.”
“Always.”
Pasha left, quietly closing the door behind him.
Then Nik rang the bell and ordered “the usual” for four.
After that, he sat down and waited for the girls’ argument to lose steam.
They were just winding down when he heard a quiet knock on the door.
He opened it without checking first, thinking it was room service.
On the other side was a huge man, or at least a huge half man and half something else.
“Can I help you?” Nik asked.
“I’m here to escort you to your meeting with the owner of the tiger,” the man said.
The two women hissed at one another to be quiet.
Hesitating only a moment, Nikolai answered, “Yes, that’s right. Lead on, man.” He turned to the women. “You two wait here for Pasha. Tell him where I’ve gone and that he shouldn’t worry.”
“I don’t like this,” Polina said.
“Nik knows what he’s doing,” assured Pushka. “We’ll tell him,” she promised.
He nodded his thanks and followed the big man out through the maze of streets, which was still crowded with partygoers.
Though the Games were over for the evening, the vendors remained open, and bright lanterns danced from stalls and tree limbs in the cold wind.
Feather-like snow fell, covering the paths, but rotating heaters bathed the attendants in warmth and melted the dusting as quickly as it fell.
Nik longed to examine the strange machines, wondering if they were man-made or magical, but he dared not stop.
The man led Nik down the hill, farther and farther.
The lights and noise of the parties faded until all he saw around him were darkened tents, torches, and campfires.
Finally, the man stopped at a large gate built right into the side of the mountain.
Pulling a key from inside his shirt, he inserted it into a heavy lock and swung open the gate.
Nodding at another man, he said, “This is where I leave you. Follow Sergey the rest of the way.”
“And you’re certain this man is the one who owns the tiger?”
“He owns everything,” was the only reply. “You’re lucky to be granted an audience. He must think you have something of value to trade,” he said. “Most people who ask something from him end up being killed.”
Nodding too quickly, Nik swallowed and offered a sheepish grin. “Right. Right. I’ve got something valuable. Absolutely. Wouldn’t be here otherwise. Right?” He laughed awkwardly, but it sounded too loud and hollow in the dark, huge space, so he stopped and cleared his throat. “Shall we go on, then?”
“This way, Bringer of Misery,” Sergey said.
The gate closed and locked behind him as Nik realized what had happened.
These were the men Pasha was supposed to meet.
Obviously, there had been a misunderstanding.
Either that, or Pasha had been delayed, or worse.
What should he do? Should he play it as if he were Pasha?
Would they know? Had they met before? As they walked in the dark, Nik quietly removed his shirt and pulled the tunic out of his secret pocket, then slipped it on over his head backward.
He wouldn’t have the luck that came with a goat kicking him or the butt of a horse, but it would have to do.
Pasha had said these men could see through magic.
Nik sincerely hoped he’d been wrong. Putting his own shirt on over the top of the tunic, he followed behind his guide and hoped he wouldn’t need to make a quick escape.
Sergey stopped at a wide door and threw a lever. A series of lights came on, and he realized he was standing next to a large iron cage of some kind.
“What’s this?” Nik asked.
“Get in.”
“Are you putting me in prison?”
“No. See? I’m getting in as well. It’s a levitator.”
“A what?”
“A levitator. It takes you up inside the mountain. Runs on pulleys and gears. Waterfall does the work so’s we don’t have to haul things to the top or climb stairs. Get it?”
Glancing up the dark shaft lit only every so often by tiny gleaming lights, he said, “Brilliant. Is it made by magic? Did you install those snow heaters outside as well?”
“Don’t rightly know. Boss is a bright one. Wouldn’t never cross him. Look at him wrong, you’re dead. You’d do well to remember that.”
“I will,” Nik said.
The man shut the cage, pulled a lever, and they began to slowly rise, ascending level after level. Nik was certain he heard the roar of a tiger at one point.
“Are the tigers kept down there?” he asked.
“Some are,” the man replied.
“How many does he own?”
“You ask a lot of questions. I don’t make it a habit to answer. Answering gets me killed. Understand? I’m only courteous to you being on account of who you are and all.”
“I see. Thank you for explaining. You don’t need to answer. I won’t ask any more.”
“Appreciate it.”
The levitator finally came to a stop in a luxurious and well-lit entry. “These are the boss’s personal quarters. Keep your visit brief and to the point, and you might live. Good luck.”