The Adventures of Benjamin Skyhammer Read Free Page B

wistful peek at the sunny plains of his last Relic hunt.
    A movement out of the corner of his eye alerted him in time to jump backward, out of the way of a group of young women walking by while looking at their Retrographs. They hadn't noticed him. Since they weren't travelling by air, they must only be Conjurer level humans.
    His gaze followed them up the street towards the peak of Market Hill. A block up, just outside of the poorest area of Market Hill, humans conducted their business, along with a few adventurous visitors of the Katipo, Aridizan and Byndari species. Carpets flew back and forth a few feet above theirs heads. Almost all the humans had their Retrographs open while they walked, making the street look as though it was populated by roving golden apples on two legs. Skyhammer had to admit he liked being able to appreciate women's legs and hips without disapproving looks being sent his way.
    "Ready?" Higgins voice interrupted his thoughts. While he'd been sending negative vibes to Floatilla, she'd spelled her blue and green striped carpet to carry them back to her yacht, which was docked in the harbour at the foot of Port Hill.
    "Skyhammer! Wait!" A carpet with a bold daisy pattern, carrying a human female, plunged almost into the ground in front of Skyhammer.

Chapter 3
     
     
    Countdown to ceremony: 55 days
     
    The woman stumbled off her carpet, the ruffles of her loud pink dress billowing in the wind.
    Skyhammer reached out a hand to steady the new arrival, one of his Relic informants named Bernice Young.
    Bernice pulled back, avoiding his touch. "The Aridizans know where the glove is," she announced as she performed a spell to tidy her mussed red hair. She tucked her slate away. "They're sending a Relic protector team out to claim it."
    Butterflies of fear fluttered in his stomach. Unclaimed Relics were silver-coloured and changed to a species-specific colour when claimed. If any other race subsequently touched the claimed Relic, their life ended in a wet and immediate explosion. If the Aridizans got there first he would lose the glove forever.
    "Bernice." Higgins put her hands on her hips. "This is an unexpected surprise."
    The informant glanced at Skyhammer, who gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head.
    "I just wanted to warn you that Relic protectors are after the glove as well. They've taken the eastern route but there are only three of them."
    The eastern route took longer, Skyhammer recalled but if only three protectors were travelling, they could move quite quickly.
    Higgins laughed. "If I didn't know better I'd think you cared about our well-being."
    "I do care." Bernice's smile didn't reach her eyes.
    Higgins stepped onto her carpet. "You told us because you want the 1000 gold piece reward that Skyhammer promised for information leading to his retrieval of the mesh glove. If the Relic Protectors claim it, you'll never see that money."
    Bernice looked into Skyhammer's eyes. "If you want that glove, leave now. And for some reason they've got it out for you especially, Skyhammer."
    Skyhammer saw Higgins' puzzled face and spoke before she could ask any controversial questions. "They know I want it and what I'll do to get it. Thanks, Bernice."
    The informant nodded and zipped away on her carpet without another word.
    "Why would they have it out for you?" Higgins asked him as he seated himself on the carpet, leaning against his backpack.
    He shrugged. "Relic protectors always have it out for me. I'm the best Relic hunter on Pingala which means I deprive them of Relics they think they should be protecting." Relic protectors believed in a ridiculous theory, to his mind. Apparently the Moksha were planning to return to Pingala - if indeed they'd even left, no one knew - and the Relic protectors possessed an almost religious fervour to ensure the Relics stayed exactly where they were found. Why the Aridizans thought an intelligent species like the Moksha couldn't find their own Relics again was beyond