by Sam Ferguson
“What are you doing sneaking around in here? I thought you were in the dungeons.”
“Lador let me out to help him with an investigation, but he’s dead now,” Kai replied.
“Did you kill him?” another voice asked.
Kai turned to face the right, where the other voice came from. “No, he was my friend. I don’t know who did it.”
“Go ahead and light the lantern,” the first voice said.
“I think we should whack him over the head first,” the second voice put in.
“Ah, shut yer yapper, Pinhead,” grumbled the first. “He’s telling the truth.”
“You can read minds now?” the second shot back.
Kai lit the lantern and the two dwarves shielded their eyes for a moment. “I am telling the truth,” Kai said. “Governor Gandle is dead too,” he put in.
“Well, that’s perfect,” Pinhead said with a shrug. “They are going to hang us for sure.”
“Pinhead?” Kai asked, pointing to Pinhead.
“Yep,” said the first dwarf. “And I’m Redbeard,” he said as he jabbed a thumb in his chest.
“We don’t have much time. They’ll be scouring the city for me. It’s only a matter of time before they look here.”
“Well, we did make a big mess at the inn,” Pinhead said with a smile.
“And, I was seen fleeing the dungeon where Captain Lador was killed.”
“Aye, that is bad,” Redbeard said with a nod.
“Lador was going to smuggle us out after the heat cooled down, but now that he is dead, I don’t know how we are getting out.” Pinhead crossed his arms. “I could use a drink.”
“Ale is the last thing you need, especially now,” Redbeard quipped.
Kai returned to rummaging through the desk. “Go to that wall over there,” he said while pointing to the wall behind Pinhead. “Look for a crate that has a rat carved into the side.”
“Then what?” Redbeard asked as he and Pinhead moved to the wall and scanned the crates.
“Pop the top off and pull the lever inside,” Kai replied.
“I found it,” Pinhead shouted. He broke the boards on top and reached inside. “Argh, my hand!” he yelled. Pinhead’s hand was pulled into the crate and his face writhed in agony.
“What is it?!” Redbeard shouted as he reached over.
Pinhead smiled and stifled a laugh. “Nothing,” he said with a shrug. Redbeard slugged his arm and pushed him aside. “Just playing,” Pinhead said. “I thought it might be good to lighten the mood a bit.”
“Have I ever said how much your name suits you?” Redbeard retorted. He reached into the crate, gripped the crude, sturdy lever and pulled it up. Gears and cogs clicked into place and a small portal opened in the back wall.
“Not bad handiwork, for a human.” Pinhead went through and looked around. “Looks like it goes directly into the sewers,” he said while holding his nose.
Kai caught up to them with a rolled up paper in his hand. “Exactly, and the sewer leads out. If we follow this map, we can find the main drainage tunnel. That will lead us out under the walls and into a drainage field.”
“Then what? It just opens into the desert?” Redbeard asked.
“Not exactly.” Kai held up the map and squinted. “Looks like it opens into a cistern a few hundred yards away from the city.”
Redbeard shook his head and took the map from Kai. “No, a cistern is for storing good water.” He glanced at the map for a moment and then rolled it back up. “This will take us to a large cesspool. The bad news is we will need a very long bath.”
“But the good news is we get to keep our skins,” Kai put in.
Pinhead started looking through the crates. Redbeard pulled a small, cylindrical object from under his tunic and handed it to Kai.
“What’s this?” Kai asked.
Redbeard pulled the old city guard cloak off of his shoulders and stuffed it into the crate with the lever. “It’s called a stick-bow. I made it myself.”
Kai turned it over in his hands. It was heavier than he had expected.
“The outside just looks like a club, or perhaps a really large talisman, but inside there is a tightly compressed spring with a modified crossbow bolt loaded. The button just under your thumb will fire it out of the bottom end.”
“Why are you giving me this?” Kai asked.
Redbeard shrugged. “Well, I thought it might come in handy for you.”
Kai smiled and nodded. “Thanks. So, are you headed home then?”
Redbeard smiled. “Nah, figured we should probably come with you and keep an eye on you. We already saved you once, and we just found you creeping around in a basement.”
Kai chuckled.
“Found one,” Pinhead said to himself as he wiped dust off of a clothespin.
“Why don’t you and your brother hang on to that map,” Kai offered. “Maybe later you can come back for your goods or something.” Kai went through the opening and located the lever that would close the portal once they were all through.
“I doubt it,” Redbeard said as he raised an eyebrow at Pinhead. “But, thanks just the same.” He tucked the map into the back of his trousers and called out for Pinhead. “Let’s go brother.”
“Ugh,” Pinhead muttered as he clamped his nose shut with the clothespin. “This stinks! No pun intended.”
Redbeard and Kai looked at each other and shook their heads.
*****
Blacktooth Pete sat with his heels digging into the worn floorboards below, his shoulders melting into the chair behind him, and his head drooping lazily in front of him. His left hand held a pair of cards and the dice lay before his right hand.
“Your roll, Pete,” said the man across the table.
“I know,” Pete said. His cards were decent, but he hadn’t been having any luck with the dice. He would have to roll either a pair of sixes or threes to win the round. He didn’t like his odds. Pete reached over his pot belly and snatched the dice. He kissed his dirty knuckles and tossed the red dice onto the table. Not even close. A four and a one. Pete slapped his cards on the table and sat up straight. “That’s it for me,” he said.
The man across from him swept the copper pieces to him with a big, toothy grin. “Pleasure doing business with you,” he smirked.
Pete stood up and stretched. He hadn’t walked two paces when someone else sat in his chair, eager to try their hand at winning a few extra coppers. Pete walked over to the bar and hailed the barkeep. “Whiskey, if you have any left.” The barkeep nodded and promptly produced a shot glass full to the brim so that Pete spilled a bit as he raised it to his lips.
“Two coppers,” the barkeep said.
Pete reached into his coin purse, grabbed the seam, and turned the bag inside out. “On my tab?” he asked with a sheepish grin. The barkeep shook his head, took the whiskey bottle back, and walked away. Pete smiled and turned around, propping his elbows on the bar behind him in a way that accentuated his gut even more.
He scanned the room and was just about to call it a night when a strong, determined man walked through the door. Pete watched this newcomer take three steps inside, pull his hood back, and head straight for Vermut’s table. Pete did a three-quarter turn so that he mostly faced the bar, but could still watch. The two enforcers at Vermut’s table intercepted the newcomer and he surrendered his sword and a pair of knives to them. Then, he promptly sat directly in front of Vermut himself.
Pete watched for a few moments, and then Vermut abruptly rose and walked through the back door, leaving the newcomer to sit alone with the two enforcers. Pete knew something was stirring. He weaved through the tables to sit in a chair near Vermut’s table.
“Mind if I join you two lovely ladies?” Pete asked a pair of chunky, well-weathered women. The two exchanged glances and nodded for him to sit, but they weren’t overly happy about it. “Name’s Pete,” he said as he pulled out a chair and sat. “Where are you two from?”
“Let’s go,
” one of the women said. The other nodded and they abandoned Pete just as quickly as he had joined them.
“Well, thanks for the…” Pete reached out and took the half empty green bottle they left behind and sniffed it, “ale,” he finished. Pete wrinkled his nose and grabbed one of the goblets that they had left behind. It too was half full, so he drained it before pouring more.
A moment later a large, bald Kuscan man pushed through the back door, followed by Vermut. The change in the room was palpable. Several gamblers left, the barmaids briefly stopped serving tables, and even the newcomer seemed a bit unsettled. The Kuscan was easily seven feet tall, with shoulders wide enough that he had to turn sideways to fit through the door. His arms were thick and meaty and his footsteps thudded through the floor as his massive legs propelled him toward Vermut’s table. Pete had never seen this man before, but he knew who it was; Galion the Red. Pete had heard of the Kuscan custom of roasting the hearts of a vanquished army in a great feast after battle, but Galion elevated the ritual to an especially sinister level. Galion had earned his name by cutting the hearts from his still breathing enemies, smearing the blood on his own chest, and eating the hearts raw on the battle field.
As wild as the stories were, there were very few who doubted their accuracy.
“What do you want?” Galion rumbled.
“Gildar has been slain,” the newcomer said with a slight bow of his head.
If Galion was displeased or upset, he didn’t show it. He motioned for the two enforcers to leave, then he and Vermut sat opposite the newcomer.
“How did it happen?” Vermut asked in his surprisingly nasal voice.
The newcomer shook his head. “Gildar was slain by one of the Rasselin Rangers, a man named Kai.”
“Correct me if I am wrong, Diggs, but don’t we pay you to handle these kind of issues?” Galion growled.
Diggs nodded. “This was different. There was no investigation. Gildar’s men kidnapped Kai’s sister. Somehow he was able to track Gildar down and he killed everyone.”
Galion scowled and his shoulders tensed.
“Everyone?” Vermut repeated.
“If any survived, they didn’t contact me,” Diggs said soberly.
“What of the women in Rasselin?” Galion asked.
Diggs shrugged. “They were never found.”
“Then some escaped,” Galion observed. “They will not likely return until we have increased our security in Rasselin.”
“I have a plan to rebuild the network. Kai is in the dungeon. Captain Lador will plead for his life, but Governor Gandle will condemn him to death, I’m certain of it.”
“That won’t be enough,” Vermut said impatiently.
“I know,” Diggs replied. “I am close to Captain Lador. I have his trust, I can take him out.”
“Then you would be in charge of the Rangers, correct?” Vermut inquired.
Diggs nodded. “They would be under my complete control. Plus, with Kai hanged and Captain Lador dead, I could initiate two new members.”
“I have two that I can send back with you,” Vermut said.
“Then, with the Rangers under my command, we can be your increased security.”
“You don’t own all of the Rangers,” Vermut pointed out.
“True,” Diggs admitted. “But we can dispose of those that get in our way and replace them with allies.”
Galion tapped a thick finger on the table. “What of the girl? If she knows about us, we will need to eliminate her.”
“She is here,” Diggs said in a hushed voice that Pete could barely hear. “I just brought her and her friend into town as a favor for Kai.”
“Interesting,” Galion said.
“Here is her information. She moved into a house on Dobtree Lane with her aunt, an old lady named Agnes. The first floor is an alchemical shop.” Diggs slid a piece of paper across the table.
Vermut picked it up and glanced at it. “Sebina and Jenedina,” he said with a slight frown. “I think it’s time we visited the alchemical shop on Dobtree Lane.” Vermut tucked the piece of paper into his belt.
“Just wait until I am out of town,” Diggs pleaded. “The other Rangers are with me, and it will be difficult to get her alone until after we are gone. As you said, not all of them are on our side.”
“Understood,” Galion said with a nod.
Pete had heard enough. He knocked another goblet back and let the warm, stale ale rush down his gullet. Then he loudly pushed back from the table and rose clumsily to his feet. He set the empty goblet on the table and turned for the door. He barely took a step before a large hand gripped his shoulder and turned him around. He looked up to see Vermut glaring down at him.
“And where are you headed?” Vermut growled.
Pete squinted his eyes at Vermut and wagged a finger in his face. “I’m goin’ to the pisser,” he slurred.
“You drunk, Pete?” Vermut questioned as he pulled Pete’s collar in roughly. Pete coughed in Vermut’s face. “Gad, your breath is horrid!”
“That’s why I’m called Blacktooth Pete!” Pete grinned wide, displaying his trademark dead, black left incisor.
“Let the fool go,” Galion growled from the table. “I don’t need a scene here tonight.”
Vermut pushed Pete away. “Go on and sober up Pete, and keep your nose clean eh.”
“Bah,” Pete shot back as he stumbled to catch his footing. “Blacktooth Pete!” Pete shouted as he waved a hand to everyone in the room. His shaky, unstable legs carried him along a crooked path back to the door, but everyone else had gone back to their respective activities, Galion and company included. Pete pushed through the door and out into the street.
As soon as the door closed behind him, Pete straightened and gave up his drunkard act. He sprinted away as fast as his stubby, fat legs could carry him.
*****
“Have you heard enough now?” Yeoj asked.
Kelden paced in front of the empty fireplace and shook his head. “You are sure this is accurate?”
“As sure as I am standing here now,” Blacktooth Pete replied.
“I don’t buy it,” Pendonov said. “Why would a Ranger throw in with Vermut and Galion? It doesn’t add up.”
“Sure it does,” Yeoj said. “It’s money.”
“A lot of it,” Pete confirmed.
Pendonov shook his head and waved the notion away.
“You don’t get it,” Pete scolded. “When you smuggle a weapon, how many times can you sell a sword?”
“Once,” Pendonov answered.
“How many times can you sell a woman in a brothel?” Yeoj asked.
“As often as you like,” Kelden spoke with a grim nod. Pendonov grimaced and turned away.
“Now you understand.” Pete said flatly. “What are you guys going to do?” Pete asked. Kelden stopped pacing and leaned back against the mantle. “You are going to go after them right?”
“We need proof,” Pendonov put in.
“I have given you proof!” Pete replied.
Yeoj stepped forward and put his hand in the air to calm Pete. “Pete’s right, he’s been good to us. We have to act.”
Pendonov shook his head. “Pete gave us names, but so far we have no evidence of anything. We have followed Vermut, we’ve shadowed his men, and we have nothing yet.”
Yeoj walked in close to Kelden’s ear and whispered. “What do you plan to do Kelden, wait until the women are kidnapped and then politely knock on Vermut’s door and ask to speak with him like one of your little Merchant Guard investigations?”
Kelden glared at him and pushed him back. “Do not speak to me like that. I have bled and fought harder for the queen than you ever have.” Kelden then turned to face Pendonov. “I understand your trepidation, Pendonov, but I asked you to join our group for a reason. Your skills are valuable to us, and your sense of conscience is a good balance to Yeoj’s impulses.” Kelden turned a sharp eye to Yeoj, but the hard man was unfazed.
“The quee
n chose us for a reason,” Yeoj responded. “Vermut and Galion are extremely powerful men. If left unchecked, they too could threaten Kobhir, or even the queen.” Yeoj folded his arms over his chest. “We have to stop them somehow. We can’t allow a network as large as this, with connections to the Rasselin Rangers to thrive.”
“You did understand that I said Governor Gandle was working with them, right?” Pete put in.
“Maybe that’s why he gave you the brush off,” Yeoj said. “Maybe he has his own plans for the throne.”
“No,” Pendonov cut in. “Gandle’s too old to care about that.”
“Right,” Yeoj chortled. “I forgot that old men don’t care for power.”
“Yep, and old men never chase skirts either,” Pete snorted.
Yeoj pointed to Pete and smiled wide. “I bet Gandle was in with Theodorus –that’s probably why he brushed you off like a flea-ridden dog.”
Pendonov opened his mouth, but Kelden held up a hand to silence him. “Pendonov, Pete and Yeoj have a point here. Think about what might happen if Gandle is working with Vermut and Galion. The possible power plays these men might make would make the recently foiled assassination look merciful.”
“That’s right,” Yeoj agreed. “And, you know this network didn’t just appear overnight. I know these men were connected to Theodorus. If Pete says they work with Governor Gandle, then that means it is possible that Gandle worked with Theodorus.”
Kelden nodded grimly. “Alright,” he started. “Pete, you get to the safe house and stay there. You are not to leave until we are finished.”
“About time,” Yeoj said as he checked his sword belt. “Let’s go scalping.”
“No,” Kelden said sternly.
“But you just said…” Yeoj started.
Kelden patted the air with a hand. “We go to watch Sebina’s house. If they come for her, we’ll apprehend and interrogate them. If we are going to do this, it’s my way. We wrap up the whole network as clean as we can.”
Pendonov shot a smug smile at Yeoj and then brushed past him roughly on his way to open the door.
Yeoj crossed his arms. “The dungeons aren’t big enough to hold everyone.”