by T L Ford
A half hour passed. Guildmaster de Bains came to inspect the tables. Angela refused to unroll hers for him. She gestured at De Siedes' apprentice, who came over. "Please tell your Master or your Dauphin, whichever is more easily found, that I require one of their presences to reveal my theft results."
He gave her a look that clearly implied that she was unwisely impertinent, but he flagged down one of his guildmembers and passed along the instruction.
* * * * *
"Well, someone had to take it!" Guildmaster de Siedes shouted at his Dauphin.
"All the guards have been interviewed. No one but our own guildmembers came or left," the Dauphin de Siedes replied, cautiously bland. He'd never seen his Master so irate. "It was all checked with a truth scroll."
"Whoever took it knew I was detained at that bloody Court! We will search the entire den. If it's still here, I want it found."
"Yes, Master."
"You're the only one allowed in here," the Guildmaster said accusingly.
"I know. I didn't take it, nor did I know anything about it before you, and you know that from the scroll of truth." There was a timid knock at the door. De Siedes angrily gestured at his Dauphin, who perforce answered it. "This isn't a good time," the Dauphin de Siedes said as he opened the door. He saw one of his fellow apprentices.
"The Dauphin de Merryweather has arrived with her treasure but refuses to open it without one of you two present."
Guildmaster de Siedes and his Dauphin looked at each other and shook their heads, disbelievingly. De Siedes swore and stormed over. "How long has she been here?!" He grabbed the man and pushed him against the wall.
"Uh. I'm not sure, Master. She apparently told Tyler, who told one of the aides, who told Hector, who begged me to come tell you. I don't know how long any of that took," he stuttered.
De Siedes swore again and dropped the man. He stomped out with long strides. His Dauphin ran after him.
When they entered, Guildmaster de Bains was already in the arena inspecting the tables. A blue bundle was on the table in front of the Dauphin de Merryweather. A blue bundle that was just the right size to hold his statue and a tiny bit more.
When they got close enough, Dauphin de Merryweather said, as demurely and humbly as she could, "Guildmaster, my Master bid me to pass the test, but he did not say how I should." In this, she took all blame and left none on her Master. She leaned forward and unrolled the blue velvet. Last to be revealed was the buttery golden statue, which she carefully stood up.
"You go too far," Guildmaster de Siedes growled.
"The statue is the theft. The rest is the tithe. It's all yours," she said quickly and dropped into a humble curtsey. Normally, the Master thief got to keep his loot.
"Who helped you?" De Siedes asked.
"No one, Guildmaster. This was entirely my own feat."
"That's impossible."
"I brought along a scroll of truth. You may use it on me."
"It's a nice statue," Guildmaster de Bains commented, looking it over. "Where did you get it?" he asked Dauphin de Merryweather who didn't answer. "The tithe seems right."
"It was in a private collection," De Siedes replied. "My Dauphin will return it to its owner." His Dauphin promptly stepped forward, took the statue, and left.
"Well, I guess that covers it. Looks like everyone managed to pass and we have four new Masters to celebrate," De Bains commented.
For the sake of not giving away precisely who the statue had been stolen from, Guildmaster de Siedes was forced to hide his seething anger, lest he lose even more stature than he already had due to this woman. He also had to find out how she'd done it, and decide on a suitable punishment.
Dauphin de Merryweather turned toward her Master and curtsied. De Siedes thought briefly on putting a blade between her shoulders.
* * * * *
Later that evening, the Masters in attendance had all been invited to the dais for Guild discussions and celebration. The current conversation about minimum Guild tithes continued briskly. The Masters were seated around the banquet table, each with an attendant standing by their side. Technically, Angela, now a Master, could have sat with them, but she chose to serve Kevin instead, reaffirming her loyalty, a point that was lost on no one.
At the end of the meal, Kevin ordered quietly, "Go fetch yourself a drink, My Dauphin."
As they had devised so long ago in Merryweather, Angela whispered in reply, "No, thank you, Master. I'm not thirsty." That was the last action her Master had requested of her - for a geased person could not have denied the request. It made clear to all present, that Angela served and respected her Guildmaster without the normally-required geasing. Angela saw Guildmaster de Siedes' eyebrow twitch upward. She let the corner of her mouth lift in the tiniest of smiles as she returned his incredulous gaze.
As the group departed the table, Kevin approached De Siedes. "Are you feeling well? Did dinner not agree with you?"
"Come join me for a drink," De Siedes said, turning toward the exit.
Kevin nodded and followed his brother.
* * * * *
Guildmaster de Merryweather and Guildmaster de Siedes sat in opposing chairs in De Siedes' private receiving chamber. They were alone. The decor was garishly ornate. Both chairs were trimmed with gold and placed across from a huge stone fireplace. The room's intricately carved shelf contained expensive books and a full beverage collection.
Kevin kicked at the familiar bear-skin rug. A rug that would have been, should have been, his. "It doesn't look like you've been taking good care of it, Brother."
"You want the rug? You can have the rug," De Siedes spat out.
"I don't want your rug, Paul," Kevin replied, emphasizing the word 'rug', implying that the only thing Kevin had ever wanted was the Guildmaster position Paul had cheated him out of so long ago.
"I didn't have anything to do with him choosing me over you, you know."
Kevin shrugged, not taking offense at the lie. Kevin's own investigations had long ago revealed that Paul had spent considerable time as a sycophant, flattering and gratifying the previous Guildmaster de Siedes, bringing him whores, drink, and treasures, while Kevin labored to maintain the guildhall, foolishly thinking that dedication, effort, and loyalty would earn the position. Kevin had applied that painful lesson learned when he'd first moved to Merryweather. Merryweather's previous Guildmaster had never stood a chance. Unsympathetically, Kevin said, "At least you grew into the part."
"I didn't have much choice after you left. That man was a demanding nightmare. You always wanted this life more than me. It's why I stayed out of your way."
Kevin laughed at that. "And all this time, I thought you avoided me because I was always doing all the work and you didn't want to do any."
"So where'd you find her?"
And there was the question De Siedes had invited him here to ask. Kevin frowned at his brother's lack of manners. Such immediate abruptness was insulting, but maybe that was the intent? "I didn't find her. I made her." There, the truth, up front, where a lie should have been.
"Oh, come on. You aren't skilled enough to have trained her," De Siedes said with a snort.
Another insult, but alas, true. That was why Kevin hadn't entirely trained her himself. He'd just made sure that she'd had the correct instructors and life experiences. "Why dear Brother, are you asking for advice on how to train apprentices?" Kevin picked at something on his sleeve.
Kevin's brother glared. Perhaps Angela's theft of his statue irked him more than Kevin had thought. Enough taunting, then. Kevin offered an alternative: "I didn't find her. She found me." Kevin let the silence prepare for an obvious lie. Lies were, after all, a standard way to communicate within the Guild, even if they were absurd. "Have you considered that perhaps she applied to your guildhall first but was mistaken for a bed toy?"
Kevin stood. He'd found out what he'd come to learn: his brother would indeed seek revenge for the embarrassing theft, but Paul was still too unimaginative
to come up with a truly treacherous scheme. Meanwhile, the first part of Kevin's plan was complete, and his Dauphin was skilled enough to defend against any revenge his brother might throw at them.
Kevin bowed respectfully and said, "Guildmaster." He left, smiling.
* * * * *
Dawn found Angela gazing out over the calm, glassy water of the harbor. Her father's ship was anchored midway out in the harbor, completely still, as if waiting for the day, looking much like a tiny ship captured in a bottle. The first rays of the sun hadn't brought the morning's activity yet.
Angela suddenly wanted to throw her head back and laugh. She was finally free. She could be anything she wanted to be, do anything she wanted to do. Kevin would keep the Merryweather guildhall and Angela would build her town. She thought she might begin by funding Merryweather's schools so that any child could attend, regardless of wealth. One thing was certain: from here on, she could finally choose her own destiny.
Bonus Content
Bonus Digital Content may be viewed at the book's website:
http://www.cattail.nu/books/lawful_good_thief
using the login information below:
User Name: angela
Password: angelasgift
Bonus Digital Content is subject to change at the author's discretion.