by Logan Jacobs
“Thank you, but I really--” the count caught the pouch but was cut off again by the beautiful dancer.
“Look inside,” Cimarra gestured toward Kieran.
“Oh … okay,” the count untied the pouch and then looked back at Cimarra. “Is this the correct amount?”
“It is,” Cimarra smirked.
“This … this looks more than what we’d make in a week,” the count stammered as he dug his fingers into the pouch to touch the coins.
“And we didn’t even sell out tonight,” Cimarra added. “Keep trusting Wade and me, and that pouch will only get bigger.”
“I … I” the count looked to me and then back to Rindell. “You know what she--”
“I don’t care,” Cimarra replied. “Look at the pouch again.”
“Time to go to bed, Kieran,” I suggested as I moved over and patted the entertainer on the back. “You did good today, but you have another show to run soon.”
“Fine,” the count huffed as he dropped his eyes toward his feet. “All I ask is that you don’t allow that woman to mock my efforts.”
“We won’t,” I replied and then watched the count walk away.
Once the count left, Rindell raised her hand to get my attention.
“Does that mean we can--”
“I need you to hear me.” I stepped toward Rindell. “What you did was unacceptable, and it seriously hinders my trust in you going forward.”
“I tried to find you, but they told me you ran off with Penny, and I don’t blame you for that at all, darlin’, a man has his needs and she …”
“Shh,” I cut her off. “Penny and I were dealing with an important theatre matter, now …”
“Yes?” Rindell perked her eyes up at me.
“I will not stop you or your girls from making coin on their own,” I sighed.
“Oh Wade, than--”
“Let me finish.” I raised my finger. “After you’re done serving the whiskey, you are free to do what you like. But, if they want to suck dick, spread their legs, or whatever else they do, they have to do it someplace I can’t see them. Not only me, but if any one of the dancers, the count, Cimarra, Penny, or Dar, see you, then you owe me all of your profits for the night. And I like to collect on profits, so you better believe I’ll be searching every nook and cranny for one of your girls on their knees.”
“That’s not too fair,” Rindell sighed.
“Then don’t do it,” I replied. “Or do it, and risk losing the coin you make. We can’t have the theatre be confused for another dance hall. That’s not what we’re doing here.”
“What if we split the profits with you?” Rindell offered as she narrowed her eyes.
“That time will come soon enough if you’d be patient with us.” I nodded. “We will invest in a new hall for you and your girls as soon as we can. You’re going to have to trust me, Madame.”
“Alright.” Rindell put her hands on her hips as she looked at her girls. “You girls hear Daddy?”
“I’m not--”
“This is just going to be the way it is for now,” Rindell cut me off. “Soon enough, we’ll have our own nest and our own rules again, okay?”
“Yes, Madame,” all the girls responded in unison.
“That goes for me, too,” Rindell gripped her chest. “I haven’t followed anyone in quite some time, but that’s what I have to do for now.”
“Wow.” Penny chuckled from a seat in the middle of the auditorium. “This is better than the show.”
“Why thank you, dear,” Rindell said as she bowed. “Now, we worked our little tails off here today, and I don’t know about you, but it’s time for this hen to hit the coop.”
“Good.” I nodded toward Rindell and her girls as they stood from their seats. I wasn’t sure if she was just saying that to appease me for now, but either way, the problem was over, but it made me want to find a hall for them sooner rather than later.
“The clock is ticking, dear,” Rindell whispered into my ear before she turned toward the girls.
“Great job tonight, ladies,” Cimarra encouraged Rindell and her dancers as they walked past her and toward the door next to the stage.
“Well done!” Dar added as he clapped next to Penny.
Then Rindell and her doves left the auditorium.
“What a night,” Cimarra chuckled as she sat down in the front row and looked at me. “How was yours?”
“Yeah, where did you and Penny even go?” Dar asked as he rested his giant feet on the row in front of him.
“So, the dwarf ended up leaving?” Cimarra pondered.
“Who?” Dar asked.
“Yeah.” I nodded toward the dancer and then faced Dar. “One of Hebal’s goons was in attendance tonight.”
“Oh, fuck,” Dar said as he sat up straight in his seat and took the pipe out from his mouth. “That’s why you left? To chase him down?”
“We did,” Penny replied.
“And we had to kill him,” I added.
“Shit,” Dar hissed. “No one saw?”
“No,” I said. “But he also inspired us to pay Hebal’s store a visit.”
“You went to Hebal’s?” Cimarra asked. “Was he there?”
“No,” I replied as I dug into my pocket and pulled out the folded ingredient list. “But we found this, among other things.”
“What is it?” Dar squinted from his seat.
“It’s an ingredient list to make whiskey,” Penny replied.
“Well,” Dar began. “Looks like that confirms what he’s been doing … as if we needed any more confirmation.”
“I’d say so,” Cimarra added.
“There’s also a name,” I said as I pointed to the paper. “I think it might be the new distiller that Hebal is using.”
“Fuck him,” Dar spat. “What’s the plan then?”
“That’s what I wanted to talk about with you all,” I began. “Because we also found something else inside Hebal’s store.”
“Did that fucking mirror wizard give you trouble again?” Dar asked.
“Naw,” I chuckled. “It wasn’t him we found, but something else that might greatly interest us.”
“Why do you think that?” Cimarra questioned.
“The keys gave me another vision the other day,” I breathed. “And what they showed me we found underneath Hebal’s store.”
“Underneath?” Dar scratched at his neck. “And what did the keys show you.”
I explained the vision to both Cimarra and Dar. I described Grodmick Opalstone and the magical necklace around his neck. Then I explained how Penny found the secret hatch in Hebal’s office and how it led to the dungeon from my vision.
“Do you think Hebal even knows about the dungeon?” Dar asked as he leaned forward in his seat.
“That’s the same thing I asked.” Penny nodded.
“You’d think he would, but the fact that there was nothing down there, but it was the same dungeon I saw in the vision might mean that he doesn’t.” I shrugged.
“And you didn’t see that necklace made of light down there?” Dar squinted at me.
“No,” I said as I shook my head. “Remember what Skam said?”
“Naw,” Dar scratched his chin. “I don’t even remember what I had for breakfast.”
“Well,” I cleared my throat. “He said Grodmick has been dead for a hundred years, so there would be no way the necklace would still be down there. Plus, he escaped from the dungeon.”
“You saw him escape?” Cimarra asked.
“Not fully,” I explained. “A light burst from the necklace and pulled me out of the vision at the same time.”
“That’s how the bars of the cell were morphed,” Penny chimed.
“Yeah.” I nodded. “I think it’s safe to assume that.”
“But who even captured him threw him in that dungeon, and why?” Penny wondered aloud.
“Hebal isn’t that old, is he?” Cimarra asked.
“You think Hebal
is responsible?” Penny asked.
“Maybe?” Cimarra tilted her head as she thought.
“He doesn’t look like he’s that old,” Dar remarked. “The Retired Miner’s Association leader is over one-hundred, and he looks the part, ya know?”
“Does it even matter if Hebal was responsible or not?” Penny wondered.
“Sure,” I replied. “That would mean he would know about Grodmick and the necklace he wore. But for some reason, that’s what the keys wanted me to see.”
“True.” Penny nodded. “Well, first, have you decided on how to handle this Kazmus person?”
“Is that the name on the list?” Cimarra asked.
“It is.” I nodded. “We’ll add him to our own growing list of people we need to find.”
“Is Skam still here?” Dar asked as he looked throughout the theatre.
“No,” I replied. “I sent him home, he looked pretty spent, especially after dealing with the count and Rindell.”
“That’s why I went into the lobby,” Dar chuckled.
“Do you think Skam would know something, though?” Penny turned to Dar.
“He might,” Dar said with a slight shrug. “If the dwarven community is anything like the halfling, then he could have an idea, or maybe he has at least heard of the guy. He knew who Grodmick was.”
“Yeah, but he was famous,” Penny retorted.
“I’m just thinking aloud, here,” Dar tilted his head toward the pixie. “What ideas do you got up in that brain of yours?”
“More than you.” Penny punched the halfling’s arm. “I hate to add another subject to discuss, but what about our own whiskey?”
“What about it?” Cimarra asked.
“How much do we have left for the next show?” Penny wondered as she glanced at me. “If we don’t find Hebal for a few more days, weeks, or months, then that’s more time for him to start his own distribution.”
“She’s right,” I started. “As we search for the dwarf fucker, we need to act as if he never existed and focus on making and selling our drinks.”
“Let’s look and see what we have left,” Cimarra said as she stood up, stretched, and covered a yawn. “I’m curious myself with how much we sold.”
“How much coin did we even make tonight?” Dar wondered as he stood and waited for Penny to stand too.
“Well,” Cimarra sniffed as she started to do the math in her head. “We didn’t sell out tonight, but we were close.”
“How many people does our theatre hold?” Penny asked.
“Around fifteen-hundred, and we sold around eight-hundred tickets tonight,” Cimarra began. “And we made around two thousand silver just from the whiskey.”
“That’s twenty gold, right?” Dar asked as he looked at me and followed the pixie down the center aisle.
“That’s right,” I answered. “One barrel should hold around five-thousand shots, so if we sold one-thousand, then we haven’t even come close to using an entire barrel yet.”
“Damn, that’s good,” Penny added. “We were only making thirty gold per barrel with Hebal.”
“I know,” I chuckled. “We’ll be making one-hundred gold per barrel here at the theatre.”
“Then we don’t even need the dwarf at all,” Penny responded.
“Well, let’s check the barrels in the hall just to be safe,” Cimarra said as she gestured for us to follow her.
So, we walked to the side door near the stage and moved into the hall where the four barrels, serving trays, and empty glasses were.
“We’ll have to clean these glasses out, huh?” Dar asked as he picked up a used cup, and his fingers stuck to it.
“After seeing that,” Penny grimaced. “Yeah, I think that would be wise.”
“Wade’s math was right,” Cimarra said as she struggled to tilt one barrel and checked on how much whiskey was still inside. “This was the only barrel we used, and there is still a lot inside.”
“One-hundred gold per barrel,” Dar muttered under his breath. “Fuck, that’s a lot of coin.”
“That was the plan, pal,” I grinned. “Even if we sell out the show and every single person buys two shots of whiskey, one barrel will last us a show and a half. So, just to make it easier, a barrel per show is more than enough.”
“We’re making ten barrels a week, for now, right?” Cimarra asked.
“For now,” I confirmed. “We still have all ten, and those can all go to the theatre’s next ten or more shows. But we will need to produce more for the Halfling and the Dwarf Districts.”
“You still want to distribute in those other districts even with the theatre making as much as it will?” Dar asked as he tapped his foot against a barrel.
“It would be foolish to only operate in one location and put all our eggs in one basket,” I began. “The more options we have, the better.”
“What’re you thinking, then?” Penny asked as she leaned against the wall.
“I think the stables can produce for the theatre and even act as an aging location for more top-end whiskey that I want to get started on,” I gestured toward the stables. “But, I’d prefer to find another distilling location in the Dwarf District, and one in the Halfling District.”
“Shit,” Dar chuckled. “This is huge, but would that mean we can’t live in the stables anymore?”
“If we're making that much coin, you’d still want to sleep in a pile of dirty hay?” Penny scoffed.
“Uh … yeah?” Dar shrugged. “It’s comfortable in there.”
“We’d find a better place for us to call home, pal,” I clapped my halfling friend on the back. “But, there’s no rush, these are just dreams for where our vision can take us.”
“All while we continue to ruffle the empire's feathers?” Penny asked as she crossed her arms.
“That’s a given,” I replied. “No matter how much coin we make; the commander will try to sniff down our trail.”
“So, realistically,” Cimarra began. “What are our next steps for now?”
“I think we can at least start to think about getting another building to distill in,” I answered.
“Along with the new dancehall for Rindell?” Penny asked.
“One-hundred gold per barrel.” Dar smirked. “We’ll be able to afford thirty halls if we wanted to.”
“Not that we want that,” Cimarra added. “It’s your call, Wade.”
I didn’t want to do anything too quickly, but after seeing the response from the theatre, I was confident we could expand into the Halfling or Dwarf District at this time, and then focus on Rindell’s dancehall.
“I think we should move forward on our plan to distribute in the Halfling District first since we already started to do that until the elves interrupted us with their investigation,” I said. “I talked with Selius about reconnecting with our two contacts out there, and I also have a place in mind for us to consider.”
“Like a building?” Cimarra asked.
“Yeah.” I nodded. “So, just to be clear, first, we need to find Hebal and his new distiller, hope Ava convinces her guild we are innocent, distill in the stables like we have been, run the catering business, and the theatre. But, I think we’re ready to move into the Halfling District if we wanted to.”
“How much was the building?” Cimarra asked.
“I don’t have all the details, but I connected with the owner, and he said I could stop by anytime,” I replied. “If we want to distill in other districts, which I do, then I just think it’ll be easier the closer we are to that said district instead of having to worry about transporting our product long distances.”
“I agree,” Cimarra said. “What kind of business is it?”
“The one in the Halfling District?” I questioned.
“Yeah,” Cimarra answered.
“It’s a bakery,” I replied. “It would be a smooth transition, especially when we have to order large amounts of grain just like we’ve done with the catering business.”
“Perfect,” Cimarra said as she was deep in her head, trying to figure out all the details like she always did.
“Don’t worry about that, though,” I reassured her. “You focus on the theatre and keep an eye on Marver and the catering business for now.”
“Okay.” Cimarra’s eyes softened. “Between the count and Rindell, it’s like a full-time babysitting job over here.”
“I know,” I sighed. “I think that’s why we all need to have a drink for once and celebrate the theatre’s re-launch.”
“I’m down for that.” Dar’s eyes widened.
“With all the battles we have fought and overcome, we need to celebrate the victories when they happen, and it’s safe to say the re-launch was a success,” I said as I gestured to Cimarra and Penny. “You both did an incredible job.”
“Let’s have that drink then,” Penny said as her cheeks blushed.
“We’ve got that sample bottle in the stables,” Dar suggested. “The nights still young, we can even play a round of Halfling Four Card Draw.”
“What the fuck is that?” Penny asked.
“I’ll show ya,” Dar said as he skipped past me down the hall and then opened the back door. “Come on!”
“We’re comin’,” I said as I waved to my excited friend.
Then Penny, Cimarra, and I walked down the hall, out the back door, and into the warm night air and headed toward the stables.
Even with so much mystery around us, I felt like our little crew could handle anything that was thrown at us. I wasn’t sure what these next few days would look like, but I never knew.
I couldn’t solve Hebal’s mystery until we found him and his distiller, I couldn’t handle the Assassin's Guild until I knew if they were friend or foe, and most importantly I couldn’t make everyone happy, and that was the hardest thing for me to accept at times.
My crew was my family, and my whiskey was my friend, and I wanted to just sit down and have a few drinks without rushing around for once.
“Alright,” Dar panted as he ran up to the stable's door and gestured at me for the key. “Halflings may not be the smartest, but Halfling Four Card Draw is something my kind is proud of.”
“What makes it different than normal four card draw?” Penny asked.
“I ain’t tellin’ ya anything until we are ready to play,” Dar said as he rubbed his hands together. “Wade, I need the key.”