by Guy Antibes
Where was Saganet when Ricky needed him?
“Cousin Hendrico?” Jac said. He pushed Ricky towards the head of the table. “I’ll sit next to you and let some of your grandness rub off. Were you pulling our legs when you said you grew up in Shantyboat Town?” he whispered into Ricky’s ear.
“No. I’ll explain later if it doesn’t come out during dinner. I’m as surprised as you are,” Ricky replied.
Jac pulled the seat out for Ricky and then sat next to him. The duke rose from his chair as the last few teammates found places at the table. A few of the dukes’ people filled in the empty seats.
“Forgive me for such a hasty invitation, but after investigating the match, I thought an apology was in order. The Briar Preparatory School coach played a vicious trick on you, and for that, I ask for your forgiveness. I knew he would be using a few professional players, but he hired an entire team, including their coach. After the match started, I nearly put an end to the trick, but you began to fight back. I quite enjoyed the second half. You employed an inspired strategy.” Duke Noacci gave a nod to Sippa.
“It was Ricky who came up with the idea,” Sippa said.
“Ricky?” the duke said. “Where is Ricky?”
“Hendrico. He is on your right.”
“My cousin?” Noacci looked genuinely surprised. “Your father, my predecessor, was quite good at broomball. He had a greater love for sorcery though.” He smiled at Ricky. “Well, that’s a pleasant surprise. Eat up. I told our staff to give you a meal to remember.”
Noacci sat down. “I didn’t even know you were in Applia until one of my staff said you might be on the field.”
“Gobble?”
Noacci nodded. “Bangatelli. He has not treated you well at all. Your grand-uncle has his uses in Applia. Perhaps we can chat during dinner.”
Ricky groaned. The duke knew everything. Would Ricky have to use magic to escape from Applia? He looked at the windows, but none were open. He couldn’t fly away. He bit his lip, trying not to let the panic he felt overcome him.
How could the man Ricky regarded as his worst enemy be sipping wine and chatting with Sippa? Ricky couldn’t imagine it.
The duke leaned over. “Perhaps we can have a private chat before I send you on your way back to the inn?” Noacci said. “Now, I wasn’t here, but can you describe your role in putting down the Winter’s Day Rebellion?”
“I didn’t put the rebellion down. General Farlotti’s forces did.”
Noacci let a servant put his plate in front of him. Ricky looked at the food and found his mouth watering. The duke put a morsel in his mouth first. “Don’t be shy. I know most of the story, but I’d like to hear it from your perspective, right after you entered the barracks square.”
Ricky didn’t hear any conversation at the table. He looked around and saw every eye on him. He cleared his throat and took a sip of water. “It was snowing when we marched from the Home. There were only a few hundred of us inmates, but I knew we were headed to our certain deaths,” Ricky began.
Other than a few offhand comments by the listeners, Ricky described the battle, including the death of Antino Pacci by an unnamed swordsman. “I was happy to have helped most of my fellow inmates survive what we all had thought would be our last day alive.”
The duke clapped along with the rest of the diners. “Brave, resolute, plucky, I might add. You are a powerful sorcerer to boot. Adapo would be thrilled.”
Ricky cringed inside when his father’s murderer spoke his father’s name.
“Did you know my father well?”
“What is well? I was a few years older, so even though we attended the same school, well, you know how that can be.”
Ricky did. If it weren’t for the broomball team, he wouldn’t know any of his teammates except for Benno. The duke seemed much different from what Ricky had expected, or was he an even better actor than Jac? Perhaps Jac could tell him.
“Eat up, Ricky, if I might call you that. The rest of us are nearly finished.”
Ricky nearly put his head on his plate while Noacci asked each player to stand up and tell him where they were from and who their family was. Jac was last, and Ricky had nearly finished bolting his food down.
“I am Jac Griama. My father is Lord Forari Griama of Dimani.”
“King Courer’s cousin?”
Jac nodded.
“Other than Ricky, I didn’t know such a distinguished player graced my table. Give my regards to your father, young Griama.” Noacci clapped his hands. “Now for dessert, and then I’ll let you all return for a well-deserved rest.”
Servants brought out broomball-shaped cakes. The icing was tinted brown. Ricky had to try it and found it delicious. His fork hit something hard in the center, just as other boys showed surprise as well.
“I thought a souvenir and a tiny bit of compensation for your superb performance today would be in order. Don’t worry; the coins won’t turn you into professionals. Even my advisors who joined us are receiving a little token.”
Ricky pulled out a golden coin an inch and a half or so in diameter. One side had Applia stamped on it, and the other said Tossa.
“Thank you, your grace,” Jac said. The rest of the diners echoed their thanks.
“You didn’t have to do this,” Sippa said.
Noacci waved off the coach’s protest. “I was very entertained this afternoon. Now, if you don’t mind, I will spirit young Valian away. Thank you for visiting with me tonight.” The duke looked down at Ricky. “Come with me. Don’t forget your coin.”
Ricky wiped off the cake and put the coin in his pocket. He nodded to Sippa and Jac. They might be the last friends he’d ever see. Duke Noacci took him towards a door on the opposite side of the dining room and led him across a corridor and into a sitting room.
“Sit, Ricky,” Duke Noacci said, pointing to an upholstered chair.
After taking a deep breath, he did as the duke said. The duke moved a similar chair, so they faced each other.
“I’m sure you are nervous. I must admit a bit of trepidation coursing through my system. Let me start out by saying that I have no designs on your life. There are others who have claimed otherwise, but they are mistaken,” the duke said. “Gobble Bangatelli is a coward, a thief, and an immoral cur, but I have uses for him. He won’t bother you again.”
“Did you know he took me?”
The duke nodded. “He told me that you had died. I had given him a handsome sum of money as compensation for caring for you while your parents’ affairs were being taken care of. Unfortunately, he remains your closest relative. You know I am not even related by blood to you.”
“I know.”
“Are you intending to sue for Naparra?”
“No. There are some who have suggested it.”
“Undoubtedly. Let us say that I hold it in trust now that I know you are alive and well. I do not doubt that you are who you say you are. I did not know Adapo well, as I said, but I knew Vera much better. You are unmistakably their child, and your sorcerous power confirms it.”
“You are willing to give me the Naparra title?”
Duke Noacci smiled without mirth. “I am not a particularly nice person. I’ll be the first to admit it. I have broader ambitions than Naparra.” He waved his hand around the room. “I don’t need Naparra since I have already surpassed it. However, the time to bestow the title on a minor such as you will bring up issues that I don’t want to deal with at present. For one, Gobble Bangatelli. Once you are a legal adult, I think we can plan a transfer. Will that suit you? Do you need funds?”
“No,” Ricky said. “I have sufficient funds for my needs and a scholarship that will take me all the way through Sealio University.” He wouldn’t let his ‘cousin’ know about Mirano Bespa’s offer.
“I will send you something, even though you don’t need it. Nothing can compensate for what Gobble Bangatelli put you through. I will formally recognize you tomorrow as Adapo’s son, and since I have no issue, in line to inherit N
aparra as long as you don’t visit the duchy leading an army or something, at least without letting me know.”
“I can do that,” Ricky said. He had never been to his father’s duchy, anyway.
“Do you have any questions for me?”
“What of Lady Taranta?”
The duke pursed his lips. “Ah, the woman has been a thorn in my side. She nearly had you killed in the Home, so she said. We all have our enemies. At present, she is a toothless one, and I can make it clear that if I hear she has contracted another attack on you, she will be more than merely toothless. Is that acceptable?”
Ricky nodded.
The duke stood. “You must be exhausted from the game and from meeting me.” The duke smiled. “I am not a perfect man, Ricky. I said that before, and I’ll say it again, but I do not hold any animus towards you. I do not hold you as an impediment to my ambitions and genuinely wish you the best. Be patient, and you will bear the family’s title that you deserve.”
The duke pulled a servant’s cord. The door opened a moment later. “Please show young Valian out. I believe a carriage is standing by to take him to his inn.”
Ricky bowed to the duke. “This has been much less painful than I had feared.”
“Let us both work to keep it that way.” The duke bowed back, surprising Ricky. “Enjoy the rest of your term at Doubli.”
“I will,” Ricky said as he left the room.
He hardly knew what to think as he followed the servant through the palace. Duke Noacci knew everything. Ricky would have to assume that. He didn’t present himself as an evil monster, although the man did describe himself ‘not a perfect man’ twice, and to Ricky that meant a dark side. He certainly didn’t perceive Duke Bariani as a perfect man, not now. He didn’t consider Saganet to be fully informed, but Ricky would change that very soon.
When he entered the inn, Saganet sat in the well-furnished lobby.
“Been out to see the sights?” he said.
“I’ve met another duke,” Ricky said. “I’m confused.”
“Outside,” Saganet said. “Fewer ears.”
They walked for a bit on Applia’s streets and found a bench in front of a closed shop. Ricky described the dinner and the private meeting with Duke Noacci.
“You are sure he knows everything?” Saganet said.
“Not literally everything, but my lineage, my time in Shantyboat Town. I had to tell everyone at dinner about the battle at the barracks. That happened here in Applia not that long ago.”
“I think we have to assume he knows something of the Order of the Curled Fist,” Saganet said. “Perhaps we are compromised.”
“I’m more worried about Duke Bariani. He wanted me to challenge the duke for his title, yet I will be placed in the line of succession to my father’s duchy tomorrow if Duke Noacci makes good his word. He’s even going to send me some money. I was so afraid of the man.”
“You still should be. Duke Noacci has blood on his hands.”
“And Duke Bariani doesn’t? In some circles, some could say the same of me. I’ve killed a member of the Council of Notables and his son, not to mention another Duke.”
“You didn’t tell him that?”
Ricky shook his head. “It didn’t even come up. Duke Noacci did say he has broader ambitions.”
“You mentioned that. What could be broader than Duke of Applia? It would be foolish to speculate. Time reveals all, they say.” Saganet rose to his feet. “All in all, a good day for you. Can I see the coin?”
Ricky dug it out of his pocket.
“If there isn’t a lead core, this is a valuable token. Duke Noacci didn’t have to give everyone a coin.” Saganet shook his head. “I’d take him at face value if he proclaims you an heir. That will be the first step. It doesn’t mean you are out of danger, but the fact that he doesn’t have to do that works to your favor. If he were as evil as you’ve always thought, you’d be a dead heir.”
“I know,” Ricky said.
~~~
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
~
Before the carriages rolled out, a messenger presented a leather tube to Ricky. The boys gathered around as Ricky opened it up and unfurled a proclamation officially recognizing Ricky as heir to the duchy of Naparra. A note attached declared it was a copy of three sent to Sealio, Naparra, and one retained by Duke Noacci.
Ubbo, above all the others, was impressed. Ricky let him read the proclamation and closely examined the note attached once they got underway. “So, you are one of us,” he said.
“I am me,” Ricky said. He didn’t want to get into an argument with Ubbo’s crass comment, but he didn’t let his comment go unanswered. “Until my twentieth birthday, I am just Ricky Valian.”
“Unless Duke Noacci finds himself breathing dirt,” Benno said.
“I may beat him underground,” Ricky said.
“He was genuine, as far as I could tell last night,” Jac said before Ricky could ask his opinion. He pulled the Applia/Tossan coin out of his pocket and showed the teeth marks. “Not lead.”
“You bit into that coin?” Benno said.
Jac made a face. “No! I paid a servant who was more than glad to make a handsome tip for a second’s time.”
They all laughed.
“Riders are coming up from behind,” the driver said as the coaches slowed down.
Ricky got out his cane, but he relaxed when he saw the colors of the Royal army. He walked up to where the captain of the unit had called Saganet out of the carriage. He spilled out, along with Sippa and Effie. He wondered when she had boarded the carriage.
“Hendrico Valian?” the captain called.
“Ricky, come here,” Saganet said.
“We are here to escort you to Tossa,” the captain said. “The duke also had us bring a strongbox for you.”
Ricky showed them to his carriage. Two horses with a litter attached between them carried a heavy box which two soldiers placed in the carriage.
The captain dismissed a few of his men to return to Applia with the horses after quickly removing the litter. “This is the key, young Valian.” The man grinned. “My personal thanks for your brave efforts at the Battle of the Barracks." The captain saluted and took a detachment of men to the front.
“An escort,” Ubbo said. “What’s in the box?”
“Shall we find out?” Ricky said as the carriage lurched forward. He took the key and opened the box. A letter covered the contents of gold and silver coins.
To Hendrico Valian
Heir to the duchy of Naparra
Ricky,
This chest is but a token of the funds you should have received from me had I known you were alive. I suggest you treat this as inadequate compensation for your treatment by Gobble Bangatelli. I look forward to another conversation when we both find a suitable opportunity.
Together in Naparra,
Dino Noacci
Duke of Applia
Duke of Naparra
“There is as much gold here as there is silver,” Benno said. “You are rich.”
Ricky smiled. “I don’t need gold to feel rich. We are together. We played professionals and made a good showing. I feel that life has compensated me well enough this year.”
“It sure has,” Ubbo said. “Mind if I take a few samples, then?”
They all laughed, but Ricky still locked the letter up with the coins. Duke Noacci had made good on his promises, and as Ricky thought about it, he felt that the duke’s graceful gestures didn’t solve his fears, for Duke Noacci was a self-described imperfect man.
~
Soldiers guarded the carriage when they stopped at the same two inns on their way to Applia.
“I suggest you have that placed in a depository before we arrive at the academy,” Saganet said.
“Is there one you recommend?”
“Not the Tossan Depository, if that’s what you mean. Baron Mansali has his money in a branch of the Sealio Bank. I suggest you put it there since they have int
ernational branches. If you ever entertain Mirano Bespa’s offer, you can access your funds at the Duterian branch.”
“Then that’s what I’ll do,” Ricky said. “Can you help me with that? I’ve never been to a depository or a bank.”
Saganet grinned. “That’s what guardians are for.”
“I think Gobble missed out on the training,” Ricky said.
Effie and Saganet joined the four boys after a rest stop before crossing the bridge to Tossa. The four carriages came to a square. Three carriages continued on to the academy, and Ricky’s carriage, along with six of the soldiers, drove straight ahead and stopped at the Tossan branch of the Sealio Bank.
All six walked into the bank, followed by two of the soldiers carrying the strongbox. Ricky followed Saganet to a counter.
“The heir to the duchy of Naparra would like to establish an account,” Saganet said.
“You are the heir?” the clerk dressed in the black robes of a banker asked.
“I am,” Ricky said. “Saganet Crabacci is my guardian.”
Ricky heard Jac chuckle in the background.
“And the others?” the clerk asked, looking a bit pained.
“Friends.”
“The strongbox contains the deposit?”
Ricky nodded.
The paperwork took longer than Ricky had expected. Two other bank officials had to rule on the formal declaration, and one even demanded to see Ricky’s letter from the duke.
“Do you want it counted here?” a more senior official asked. He had two thick stripes of gold thread embroidered around one of his sleeves.
“I will trust you,” Ricky said.
The man smiled and nodded. “Our business is built on trust.”
“So Baron Mansali told us,” Saganet said.
The man stiffened up, but he smiled and relaxed again. “You know the Baron, then?”
“And Duke Bariani,” Ricky said.
“Of course, of course.”
Ricky grabbed a handful of thick silver coins and the receipt.
“We will notify you of the amount after we have counted the coins and weighed them.”
