by Warhammer
‘What do you want with us, old man?’ said Gotrek. Ever the diplomat, Felix thought sourly.
Andriev leaned forward. He seemed slightly hard of hearing. There was a faintly crazed glimmer in those weak eyes. ‘A member of the Slayer cult,’ he muttered to himself. ‘Fascinating.’
‘I know what I am, dotard. I asked what you wanted with us.’
The count cleared his throat and began to speak in a thin, quavering voice. ‘Forgive me,’ he said. ‘This might take a little time.’
‘Snorri thinks it would take less time if you got on with it,’ said Snorri Nosebiter. Patience was not a strong suit with him, Felix noted.
‘Ahem – well – yes. I shall begin.’ The old man paused and gazed around as if to make sure he had all their attention. Felix was starting to feel a little impatient with Andriev’s querulous manner himself. ‘I am, as you have probably noticed, a collector of curios, antiques, all manner of ancient and interesting objects. It has been a hobby of mine ever since I was a boy when my grandfather gave me a particularly fine carved war mask from the Southland, a truly exquisite piece, marked with the three sigils of the black gods of Tharoum. It was–’
‘Perhaps it would be better if you stuck to what you wanted our help with,’ suggested Felix as gently as he could. The old man leaned back, looking faintly startled, and put his hand across his mouth as if in surprise.
‘Of course – ahem – sorry, sorry. I am old and my mind tends to wander. It’s been a while since I had company and well–’
‘The point,’ Felix added, a little more harshly.
‘Sorry. Yes. As I said, I am a collector of antiquities. Over the years I have acquired many pieces of considerable interest. Some of these pieces are said to be… well, mystical. I am not a sorcerer myself so I can’t really say, but Brother Benedict, my appraiser, assured me this is so.’
‘So?’ said Gotrek. It was obvious that he was fast losing patience. Doubtless he was feeling the lure of the tavern particularly strongly right now.
‘I have been assured that some of my pieces would be very valuable to mages of a certain sort. After a few incidents among the collecting fraternity many years ago, I paid not inconsiderable sums to mages of the Golden Brotherhood to protect my mansion and my collection with all manner of spells. I believe these spells might have helped preserve my house during the late inconvenience with those Chaos chappies.’
Felix wondered how sane the old man was. The siege had been something more than an ‘inconvenience’ to most of the city. On the other hand, he supposed that if he were an old man locked away deep within the city in his own fortified manor house, surrounded by servants and bodyguards, he might have been able to ignore the worst of it too.
‘So you have some valuable stuff here,’ said Gotrek. ‘So what?’
‘A few days ago, my appraiser, Brother Benedict, a former priest of Verena who left the temple after an incident which was, he assured me, none of his doing but rather–’
‘I am sure Brother Benedict is a fine man,’ said Max hastily. ‘But could you perhaps stick to the point.’
‘Yes, yes, ahem, sorry. A few days ago, a stranger, a nobleman from the Empire who claimed to be interested in purchasing one of my pieces, approached Brother Benedict. Benedict told him that my collection was not for sale, but the offer price was so high that he thought I should know about it. Of course, I love my collection and I would not part with any of it, not even that small chipped piece of Nipponese porcelain with the painting of the two herons–’
‘Please,’ said Felix. ‘Have mercy.’ Ulrika glared at him. She appeared to be the only one capable of tolerating this old bore. All very well for her, he thought. She was his relative, and her head was probably not starting to ache. He rubbed his nose with the edge of his cloak and was unsurprised to discover that it was running. He really hoped he was not coming down with something.
‘Yes, sorry. Well, I thought it would be interesting to meet a fellow collector. One rarely encounters any kindred souls. My hobby is rather a specialist field and not many people are that interested in it…’
Probably it’s you they are not interested in, Felix thought, but kept the thought to himself. Instead he coughed loudly. His cough sounded a bit phlegmy.
‘Yes, yes. Anyway, I agreed to meet the man. And I don’t mind telling you there was something about him I did not like. Not to put too fine a point on it, he scared me.’
‘That must have been difficult,’ said Gotrek sarcastically.
‘Ahem, believe me, sir,’ said the old man testily. ‘I am not all that easily daunted. As a youth I rode to battle along side Tsar Radhi Bokha and single handedly slew the great Ogre of Tronso. It was a feat of considerable renown and–’
‘No one doubts your courage,’ said Max. ‘Please tell us what so frightened you about this man that you felt you needed to make an offer for our services.’
‘There was something very sinister about him. Something daunting. Something about his eyes... When he looked at me, I wanted to do what he told me, and it took all my willpower to refuse. I think the man was a magician of some sort, and a powerful one. For a moment, after I refused his offer, I thought he was going to attack me, in the presence of my own guards and my own house magician. Brother Benedict thought so too. He said he suspected that only the protective spells in place around the mansion stopped the man from turning nasty. I ordered my guards to escort him from the house, and he went. But he said he would be back, and told me I had seven days to reconsider his offer. This was several days ago.’
‘Where is Brother Benedict?’
‘I do not know. Normally he visits me every morning. He has not shown up for two days. This is another reason I am worried. He is a man of regular habits. Only serious illness would have prevented him from coming, but this cannot be the problem. I have sent servants to his house and his office, and he seems to have disappeared.’
Felix glanced over at Gotrek and Snorri Nosebiter. They were quieter now and seemed more interested. The mention of evil magicians seemed to have got their attention. The mysterious disappearance of Brother Benedict had gotten his.
‘Are you sure he has not simply left town.’
‘Maybe Benny went on a bender,’ suggested Snorri Nosebiter.
‘Impossible on both counts. Brother Benedict would have informed me of his departure. He has been in my employ for twenty years. And as for your suggestion, Herr Slayer, he was an abstinent man. Never touched anything stronger than water. Claimed anything else interfered with his ability to concentrate.’
This seemed reasonable to Felix. He had often heard Max claim the same thing.
‘So your magician has disappeared. Anything else?’ asked Gotrek.
‘Ahem, I think so. The guards report the house is being watched.’
‘By this mysterious stranger?’ Felix asked.
‘No, by others, well-dressed men and women, trying not to be noticed but obviously – ahem – not good enough at it to escape detection.’
‘Not a gang of professional thieves then,’ said Max. Seeing all eyes on him, the magician shrugged and said, ‘I used to make my living casting all manner of protective enchantments for people. It has given me some familiarity with the way such people operate.’
‘That is one reason I wanted to hire you, sir. Your reputation precedes you. The duke himself is said to think highly of you, and my dear kinswoman here says you are the most competent mage she has ever met.’
‘Why do you need us then?’ asked Felix. ‘Surely you have hired swords enough.’
‘That is another strange thing about this whole affair. Even before Brother Benedict vanished some of my guards failed to report for duty. Mostly the day guards, the ones who do not live here in the mansion, but even a few of the residents went out and never returned.’
‘These are strange times,’ said Felix. ‘The city has been under siege. Many folk are starving. Perhaps they left the city. Perhaps they felt they could ge
t more gold or food elsewhere.’
‘Herr Jaeger, I am, without wishing to appear to be boasting, a very, very wealthy man, and I pride myself on seeing that my people are well taken care of. I doubt they could be better paid or fed anywhere else in this city under current distressing circumstances. My cellars are very well stocked. I keep the house prepared for the harshest of winters. As an old man, in Kislev, you know how to do these things.’
‘Why not take this matter to the duke?’ Ulrika asked.
‘And tell him what? That one stranger has threatened me in my own house? That my guards are disloyal and my mage has disappeared? The duke has more important things to worry about right now! Why should he trouble himself with one old man’s problems when there is a war on.’
‘Have you made inquiries why your guards did not report for duty?’ asked Felix.
‘Again, I sent servants. Some were not at their lodgings. In some cases, the servants thought there was somebody at home, but no one was answering.’
‘That’s very strange,’ said Felix.
‘The whole business is very strange, Herr Jaeger. Which is why I need your help and am prepared to pay handsomely for it.’
‘How handsomely?’
‘If you resolve this matter for me, I will pay each of you one hundred gold crowns, plus a bonus depending on how matters turn out.’
‘That sounds fair to me,’ said Felix. A glance at the dwarfs told him that they agreed.
It was Max who began to dicker.
‘Normally I am paid for the spells and wards I cast, separately from any other fees.’
‘I will pay your normal fees – in addition to the amount mentioned previously.’
‘Fine.’
‘Then you will do it?’
A glance at the others told him they were all willing to get involved. It seemed it was left to Felix to ask the obvious question: ‘What was it the stranger wanted to buy from you?’
‘Come, I will show you.’
Count Andriev’s favoured treasures were certainly well protected. The old man had led them into the centre of his mansion, and then down into a cellar guarded by thick walls worthy of an emperor’s tomb.
The entrance to the vault was through a series of huge counter-weighted doors. ‘Dwarf-built,’ the old man said proudly.
‘And protected by several very strong wards, unless I am much mistaken,’ said Max. He sounded impressed.
‘You are not mistaken. The great Elthazar himself cast these for me. I brought him especially from Altdorf two decades ago. You know of him, of course?’
‘He was one of my tutors at the College of Magicians,’ said Max in a neutral tone of voice. ‘A great wizard but very… conservative.’
‘You… ahem, sound as if you don’t like him.’
‘We had a few disputes before I left the College.’
‘Do you not think his work is good?’
‘No. I am sure it is very fine. He was very capable and strong in the power.’
‘I am glad to hear you say this. But if there is anything you feel can be improved do not hesitate to mention it.’
‘I will not, believe me.’
The vault reminded Felix of a cave from some tale of the riches of Araby. In it were many precious and beautiful objects: golden statuettes from the deserts of the Land of the Dead; complex patterned amulets from Araby; beautiful carpets from Estalia; detailed dwarf metalwork carved with all manner of intricate patterns, and vials of precious liquids engraved with the flowing scripts of the elves. Felix understood why the old man had spent so much money to protect it. He also understood just how desperate he must be to hire five near strangers to help him guard it.
Of course, Ulrika was his cousin, and Max was so renowned in this field of wizardry that the dwarfs had hired him to protect their airship so maybe it was not all that strange. And he supposed Ulrika’s recommendation would be good enough to get the Slayers and himself the job. He considered the fee. One hundred crowns was a small fortune. Enough to allow a man to live like a noble for months.
The old man showed them a massive sealed chest. He produced the key from under his robes. The chest and the lock looked like dwarf workmanship too. One thing was certain, Felix thought: he knew how to look after his treasures.
‘Ah – here it is. The Eye of Khemri,’ he said, retrieving a small dark object from out of the strongbox. He held it up to the light. After the long tale, Felix was expecting something more impressive-looking. Max held out his hand: ‘May I see it?’
Count Andriev seemed almost reluctant to hand it over, but Max kept his hand outstretched and eventually the old man gave the object to him. Felix moved closer, standing next to Ulrika so he could look over Max’s shoulder. He saw a small oval carved from what looked like black marble. A central eye gazed out from strange pictograms depicting animal-headed men and women, perhaps representations of some elder gods. The stonework was encased in a silver hand that gripped the disc with pointed talons. The whole amulet depended from an age-blackened silver chain.
Felix looked at Max’s face; he saw the wizard was frowning.
‘What is it?’ Ulrika asked. Max pursed his lips and a look of concentration passed across his face. Felix could see dim pinpoints of fire blazing within his eyes and knew that the wizard was summoning his power.
‘I don’t know,’ said Max. ‘There is something very odd here. The talisman is magical, but seems to contain little power…’
‘And?’ Felix asked.
‘Why would anyone go to the trouble of obtaining it, if such were the case?’
‘You are saying this trinket could indeed be a magical artefact?’ said Andriev.
‘Certainly. At this moment I cannot say more. Would you mind letting me study this, count?’
‘If you do not take it out of the vault, I would be fascinated to learn more. I always assumed it was some relic of the Tomb Kings. The man who sold it to me claimed it had been found in the rubble of Khemri. I always assumed he was exaggerating. Now I am not so sure.’
‘It is certainly ancient. I have never seen its like before.’
‘The question is, what are we going to do about the man who wants it? Do we go looking for him or do we wait for him to return?’ Felix was not sure he liked the idea of going looking for a magician, even in the company of Max and Gotrek. They were too powerful, and too unpredictable, and too many things could go wrong. Felix had witnessed what Max could do with a wave of his hand and a word, and did not like the idea of standing in the way of a lightning bolt.
‘No reason why we cannot do both, manling,’ said Gotrek, of course exactly what Felix had feared he would say.
‘Where would we start? Did the stranger give you his name, Count Andriev?’
‘He said his name was Adolphus Krieger.’
‘That’s an Imperial-sounding name,’ said Max.
‘Easy enough to give a false name,’ said Felix. ‘Particularly if you are going to go around threatening people, it would seem like a good idea.’
‘True enough,’ said Ulrika. ‘He must be a very confident man, to threaten a Kislevite noble, in the middle of Praag, in his own palace.’
Felix thought about the disappearing magician and the desertion of the guards.
‘Perhaps he has cause to be. He could be a very powerful magician.’
‘I’ve killed wizards before,’ said Gotrek. Felix wondered why such a feeling of foreboding had come over him. For once, all the odds appeared to be in their favour. They were in a fortified mansion. Max was a sorcerer of great skill, and Gotrek, Snorri Nosebiter and Ulrika were as formidable a trio of warriors as any man could hope to fight beside. Why then was he worried? There was something wrong here. Something troubled him. He wished the feverish feeling would go away. He was having a little difficulty concentrating.
‘We could start by looking up those guards hiding in their houses,’ said Gotrek. ‘Find out what put the wind up them.’
‘That seems like
a logical starting point,’ said Felix, turning the problem over and over in his mind. A few more thoughts occurred to him.
‘Did Brother Benedict keep records?’ Felix asked Andriev. ‘How did this Adolphus Krieger know you had the Eye? How did he get in touch with Benedict?’
‘Of course Benedict keeps records,’ said Andriev. ‘He was a meticulous and methodical man, and as a former priest of Verena he was a great believer in written records. You could try his chambers on the Street of Clerks. Tell his scribes I sent you and they should help. As for your other questions I do not know how this Krieger found out I had the artefact, but I can guess.’
‘If you could share your speculations with us, I would be most grateful,’ said Felix.
‘The market for exotic collectibles is a small one. Few people have the interest, and – ahem – to be frank, the gold to indulge in a hobby like mine. There are a few dealers who make a living in this way and they tend to know all the potential customers in their area. I deal with certain reputable houses in Middenheim and Altdorf. Brother Benedict used to make purchasing trips for me once a year. I used to go myself until I became too infirm. Those were the days, let me tell you, to stand in the great hall at Zuchi & Petrillo’s and gaze upon their collections with my own eyes. It makes me want to weep when I think of all those treasures. I recall–’
‘You seem to have trusted this Benedict a good deal,’ said Felix, interrupting the old man before he could begin another of his rambling reminiscences.
‘He was a good man, worthy of trust. He accounted for every pfennig he spent, and I was always satisfied with his accounts.’
Felix returned to his original line of questioning. ‘You think this Adolphus might have traced the Eye through the dealers you bought it from, Zuchi & Petrillo?’
‘They are models of discretion, Herr Jaeger. It’s part of what their clients pay for.’
‘Men can be bribed or… daunted with sorcery.’
‘That is true. Yes.’ The old man seemed genuinely shocked by the thought that his favourite dealers might have betrayed a confidence. On the other hand, he was not denying the possibility either.