I hugged her to me, and held her until Magnus came, and reaching down, took all of her hurt away. One moment, she lay in my arms, weak as a kitten. The next, he touched her shoulder, said a prayer, and she was looking up at me, full of the energy and power that was hers.
Magnus winked at me, then chuckled and walked off, grabbing a mug of ale off a table as he went.
I really liked that guy.
After an event like that, people will go one of two ways. Either they’ll get out of there as quickly as they can, and distance themselves from what happened, or they’ll stay, help clean up and provide support for one another.
I shouldn’t have been surprised that our family and friends were of the second sort. Even Mr. Charles came out, tsked at the sight of his doors, and then had his staff start circulating with the food and drinks, as we all righted chairs and placed them around tables again.
Whatever Magnus did, Lilly said she felt better than she had in ages. I was very glad to see it.
Of course, there was a constant buzz in the air about what happened, and Lilly and I weren’t exempt from it.
“Yeah, but who was he?” I mused. “I mean, why’d he have it in so badly for Capital City?”
“He was my brother,” said a new voice.
I turned to the door and gasped. I had only seen him from a distance, but there was no mistaking the King, surrounded by hard looking men and women dressed totally in black.
“Well, one of them, anyway. I have a lot of them, and sisters, too. Dad got around in his day, I guess.”
He walked into the room, stopping to shake my hand, and kissing Lilly’s. We both stared with wide eyes.
“Please, everyone, pretend I’m not here.” But his expression said that he knew that wasn’t going to happen. “I’ve actually come to talk to you, Lilly. May we sit?”
“Of course,” she replied, and they moved to a table. I walked with them, and at first, he looked as if he was going to protest, but then thought better of it. Which was just as well. After what we had been through, neither the King himself, nor a host of black-clothed baddies were going to keep me from her side right now.
Mr. Charles discreetly brought us drinks and slipped away, watched carefully by those in black. One of them stepped forward and tasted the ale before the King himself had a chance to.
“Thank you, Charles,” His Majesty said dryly, then turned to Lilly. “I came to ask you if you would consider joining my personal guard. We could use someone with your talents.”
Lilly and I glanced at each other in surprise. When we hadn’t heard anything after the incident with the elves, we assumed that they weren’t interested. I was thrilled for Lilly. Here was her chance at a big time that neither of us even knew existed until a short while ago.
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” she said, and her hand found mine, our fingers interlacing. “But I think I need to pass.”
Ha. That was Lilly. Turning down the King without a second thought. I picked up my mug to hide the smile that I was trying to keep off of my face.
“What if I offered the same to you, Duke,” the King said to me. “We’ll make it a package deal.”
I lowered my mug without drinking, all thoughts of smiling gone. I looked over at those men and women in black. I could be one of them. One of the elite.
“Thanks, but no,” I told him. “If I wanted a regular day job, I could have had one with the Watch ages ago.” Then I did pick up my mug and take a sip, mostly to hide my nervousness. Lilly may be able to appear nonchalant turning him down, but I was having a tough time with it.
“I see,” he said. His voice expressed a note of disappointment, but no anger. “Well, I can’t say I blame either of you.”
“If I may, Your Majesty,” Lilly said. “What exactly do they do?”
“Pardon me?”
“Duke and I took out the Death Knight, and the Pipers, and the birds. He and Brindar stopped those nasty slug things, and if the banshee was part of it, we did that too. And we took care of the elves. So, what exactly does your personal guard do?”
The King smiled. “They keep me safe, of course. Now, is there anything I can answer for you? Anything. Consider it a wedding present to a couple who have saved our city.”
“I’d like to know what the deal was with your brother,” I said, horrified to hear my own voice asking the question.
“Ah. Well. He was one of the younger ones. No chance of ever getting the throne, even had I not had children. There are several older siblings in line before him. Like a lot of families, I’m afraid that those of us who were older weren’t always the nicest to the younger ones. Picking on them and whatnot. Most of us grow out of it over time, of course, but for him, I imagine the scars ran deep.
He left here years ago. I, and some of my siblings, tried to find him again, to mend fences. But we never could. We heard rumors, but whenever I would dispatch someone to bring him home, he would have already moved on. Over time, I would assume his annoyance grew to a hatred, which grew to a desire for revenge. How he made a deal with whatever evil is in that other place, I don’t know.”
“Wait,” I said. “All of this, everything that’s happened, and everyone who’s been hurt, is because of a spoiled brat who got his nose bent out of joint as a kid?”
The King took a drink of his ale. “Yes, Mr. Grandfather. I suppose it is. Now, I must take my leave, but I wish the two of you all the best in your lives together.” He stood up to leave, but paused. “Oh, I almost forgot. I have something else for you.”
He motioned and one of his men in black came over and placed two packages wrapped in brown paper on the table. On one was written “For Lilly” in an elegant script. On the other was simply, “Duke” in a neat print.
His Majesty bowed his head to us and took his leave, his personal bodyguard following behind. Lilly and I looked at each other, smiled, and turned our attention back to the items on the table before us.
“What do you think they are?” I said.
“Only one way to find out.” Lilly picked hers up, and carefully unwrapped it, exposing a beautiful jewel, deep blue in color, held in a simple setting on a gold chain. There was a note with it, which read, “Dearest Lilly, May this gem bring you light in the darkness when you need it. I hope to return the hospitality that you showed to us. You and Duke are welcome to visit me at any time. Congratulations on your wedding. Your friend, Tomoni.”
“How beautiful,” Lilly breathed, and slipped the chain over her head. It could have been a trick of the light, but I swore I saw it flash brilliantly for a moment when she did. “How nice of her. We’ll have to go visit soon, Duke.”
I nodded, and picked up my own package. Under the paper was a wooden box, with a lid that slid off of one of the long sides. There was a note attached here as well, but this one simply read, “From one warrior to another. It will last longer than you think. Masuyo.”
Inside the box was a small, brown, glass bottle, closed with a cork. I opened it, put my nose near to smell what was inside, and sat back, with a happy sigh.
“What is it?” Lilly asked me.
In answer, I slugged down the small amount of ale that I had left, and wiped my mug out with a napkin. I slowly poured out a measure of the liquid inside the bottle and took a sip. It was incredible. Better than I ever could have imagined. It was ale, but ale of such a nature that it took you away, made you think that there could never be anything as blissful as it was.
I slid the mug over to Lilly, who looked into it, then took a sip herself. If my expression matched hers, then I appeared very happy indeed.
“Is this…?”
“Yep.” I reached to take my mug back, but she grabbed another sip first. “Elven ale. I knew it existed.”
Masuyo’s note was dead on. I wanted to share it with friends, so I found Jessup, and gave him a taste, then Brindar, Sarge, General Daken, Magnus, and even Raven. And still there was some left in the bottle. I put it back in its box after that, to be savored
later on.
Finally, when the food was eaten and the ale drunk, it was time to go. Lilly and I said our goodbyes to friends and family, and took the coach back to our house. We disembarked and walked to the front door, but when Lilly went to open it, I stopped her.
“What…” she began, but I kissed her, swept her up in my arms, and crossed the threshold that way.
I’d always wanted to do that. Must be the romantic in me.
THE END OF THE STORY
By the time Duke was done talking, the fire was lit in the hearth, and the lanterns were glowing on the walls. Meals were eaten, and ale drunk. The young man knew that his grandfather was tired, and his hand ached from writing so many notes, but he had a keen sense of satisfaction.
It was a long tale, but it was one worth hearing, and he thought that it would make a good book, too.
“So, the scroll, Grandad. What does it say?”
“Oh.” Duke was nodding off now that the story was done. “Well, here, you can open it.”
The young man took the scroll and carefully untied it and then spread it out on his lap. It was an official proclamation, signed by His Majesty, Robben the III, and it proclaimed that Duke and Lilly Grandfather were henceforth and forever citizens of note in Capital City, in recognition of services performed to the benefit of the city and its inhabitants.
“Wow,” he said, “that’s pretty incredible.”
“Sure. That and a few silver ingols got me an ale.”
“Doesn’t ale usually cost a few…oh, I get it.”
“Still,” Duke said, “your Grandmother and I were pretty proud of it when one of the Palace Guards showed up here with it. Brindar got one too, as did Magnus.”
“It was well deserved. I don’t understand why there isn’t a statue of the two of you in one of the squares.”
“Ha. There isn’t a sculptor alive who could do justice to your Grandmother,” Duke said, with a twinkle in his eye.
“It’s an incredible story, Granddad. Thanks for telling it to me. One thing though…”
“Yes?”
“When did you finish the Elven Ale?”
“Who says I finished it?” Duke got up from his chair, disappeared into the kitchen and returned with two mugs, and a small, brown glass bottle. He poured a small amount into each mug. “It refills itself every month. Truly a great gift.”
The young man took a sip and made the appropriate appreciative remarks. If he was to be honest, he wasn’t much of an ale drinker, and while this was good, he thought it was somewhat wasted on him. But his grandfather was so proud of it, he didn’t want to disappoint him.
“What about the elves? Did you and Grandmother ever go visit them? And Father Magnus, could he always do that stuff he did at your wedding? And what ever happened with the Dokkalfar down in the Deep? Did the dwarves have to worry about them again? And…”
“Enough,” Duke laughed. “I’ve been talking all day, boy. That’s enough for now. Maybe we’ll do more another time. Maybe.”
“Yeah, you’re right. Let me go say goodbye to Grandmother, and I’ll get out of here.” He rose, gathering up his stylus and pad. “You know, Grandad, you’ve still never told me…”
“And now isn’t the time either. Maybe someday, but for now, know that your Grandmother and I saved the world. Or at least this little part of it.”
AFTERWORD
Returning to Capital City was a lot of fun. After I finished the first book, Tales of a Nuisance Man, I knew that there were more adventures that I could relate, but I wanted them to be a little bigger somehow. Mean a little more to the world, rather than it being Duke fighting the monster de’jour.
It was time to put the city itself in danger. Attack it with some outside force, someone who had it in for the place. But not with an army, because that’s been done a lot, and by much better writers than me. No, it was someone with a grudge. I won’t say more than that in case you’re one of those weird people who read afterwords before they read the book. If you’re doing that now, then yes, I’m talking to you. You’re weird.
For me, in the end, this book came out a little darker than the first one. There is no chapter that lines up with “The Witch’s Broom” from Tales. But I like the adventure in it. I like exploring a little more of the different cultures, like the dwarven city right under Duke’s nose, or the minotaurs, camped outside the walls.
Like the first book, it was a labor of love, that granted me hours of entertainment, and I hope does the same for you.
As always, I couldn’t have done it without the constant support and encouragement of my lovely wife, Barb. She’s my proofreader, my best friend, and my muse. Let’s face it, she’s my Lilly.
Also, I’d like to thank Judi and Marty again. And I’d especially like to thank my mother, Joyce. Her edits were invaluable to making this a better book.
And thank you for reading it! I hope you’ve enjoyed the visit to Capital City. Please take a moment to leave a review, visit my website, or check out the first book if you haven’t already.
At some point, I’m sure Duke will be back. He’s an old man now, but I’m certain he has more tales to tell.
Duke
Grandfather
Hears Voices
James Maxstadt
To Judi, Ben, and Pam. Pains in the neck all, but my pains in the neck.
Contents
VOICES FROM BEYOND
DOG DAYS
THE RESTLESS DEAD
THE HORN OF THE UNICORN
THE HIDDEN KNIFE
THE SCULPTURES
GOING HOME
NUISANCE
TRAVELING
AT LAST
AFTERWORD
A CHILLY NIGHT
The house was showing its age, like the occupants who lived there. When the door opened, it creaked, and the floor squeaked as the young man tip-toed across it, glancing into the parlor, where a fire blazed in the hearth. It was a chilly, fall night, and although there was rarely snow, or even truly cold temperatures, in Capital City, his grandfather had reached the age where even a slight chill would be felt.
He was there, sleeping in his chair, a half empty mug of ale near to hand. The young man smiled at that. If there was one thing, other than Grandmother, that the old man’s love for had never faded, it was ale.
“Stop sneaking around and come in if you’re going to,” the old man suddenly said, his head still back against his cushion and his eyes closed.
“Thought I had you this time,” the young man laughed, abandoning his attempt at stealth and walking into the room.
“Hah. The day I don’t realize that someone has entered my house is the day that I need to hang it all up. Besides, did you really think you could sneak past your grandmother?”
“No, of course not. But she wasn’t going to tell you.”
“Probably not. She’d probably enjoy watching me get startled. But enough of that. Why are you here? Not that I don’t enjoy our visits, but still…shouldn’t you be out, chasing after girls or getting into trouble?”
The young man smiled. “Probably. Although the girls all seem to run too fast for me to catch. And trouble and I have never been friends.”
“Nothing wrong with that. The world needs all kinds.”
“Besides, I think you’ve gotten into enough to satisfy the whole family for generations to come.”
At this, the old man sat forward, picked up his mug and took a healthy swig of his ale. “Maybe so. But I’ve done good, too, for all that. But you still haven’t answered my question.”
The young man sighed. “Well. You’re aware that I’ve written down the stories you’ve told me and printed them up. They’ve sold, Granddad. Like hot griddle-cakes. People all over the city have been reading about your and Grandmother’s adventures. They love them.”
“Added to shamelessly by you, I’m sure.”
“Not at all! I wrote them down as you told them to me. That doesn’t mean you were exaggerating, does it?”
>
“Me? Why would I do that? Things were exciting enough without lying about it. Besides, your grandmother wouldn’t let me.”
“That’s what I thought. But here’s the thing. Everyone who talks about your stories has the same question. Where did you get it?”
“I keep telling you, that’s a story for another…”
“No, I think it’s a story for now,” a new voice said.
The two men turned their heads to watch as an elderly woman entered the room. Slim, with long, silver hair, she walked to the chair across from the old man and sat down.
“Hello, Grandmother,” the young man said, and rose to kiss her on the cheek.
“What are you talking about?” the old man said. His eyes were narrowed as he leaned forward and stared at his wife, a sour expression on his face.
“It’s time, Duke. The world wants to know, and quite frankly, so do I. You’ve never even told me where the gun came from.”
Duke sat back in his chair, lips pursed. “Why does everyone want to know this so badly?”
“Are you kidding?” his grandson said. “It’s unique, and you yourself credit it for a lot of the stuff you did. Even now, it’s still in your belt every time I see you. When’s the last time you used it?”
Duke reached down and pulled the gun from his belt, holding it up so that it gleamed in the firelight.
“A long time now, I guess,” he said quietly.
“I never did examine it,” Lilly said. “I wonder what I’d find.”
“I believe you’d find the same as any other tool, or weapon. It’s been used for good and for bad, I suppose.” He continued to look at it. “Are you sure about this? It’s a long tale.”
“Positive,” Lilly and his grandson said in unison.
“You know what the deal is then.” Duke tucked the gun away again.
Duke Grandfather- The Whole Story Page 56
