May Every Fool Know Your Name

Wealthgiver 36

This is the thirty-sixth chapter of Wealthgiver, an alternate history serial romance about nationalism and cave-Thracians. For the back-of-the-book description and an index of chapters, click here. For the beginning, click here. For the previous chapter, click here.

Andrei's host did not so much enter Batak as penetrate far enough into its shell to detect signs of life. The outlying fields were choked with thorn bushes and spiny wild plums, but soon signs of grazing appeared. Cobbles clacked under the horses' hooves. Something scrabbled behind garden walls.

Andrei's ears had not been trained under a mountain for fifteen years, but he knew when he was being watched. He leaned forward over his horse's neck and spoke in a low voice. "Captain Zülfü, translate my message for these people and shout it: we will stop at the center of town…"

His officer tongue-clicked and kicked his horse forward, shouting in Bulgarian.

Andrei watched the back of his newly-acquired and very disloyal man. Zülfü mus…