"I just wondered if you could help us. We heard that a deputation from the Order of the Sisters of Divine Serenity had made their way here, only a short while ago, and we wished to pay our respects. I just wondered if they left any forwarding address, or if you knew which route they might have taken when they left."
The receptionist's dimples did not seem to faze Quelgrum, who responded with a cool, polite smile.
"Ah, yes; I do remember a party of nuns here a couple of weeks ago," the girl cooed. "Unfortunately, I wasn't here when they left. Let me look in the guest book."
She leafed through the large, leather-bound ledger in front of her. "Mr. Chudel, the Manager, handled the formalities when the party left. Perhaps they told him something about their destination; I don't know. Mr. Chudel usually asks for a forwarding address, in case a guest has left anything behind."
Her brow wrinkled. "If you'll forgive me for saying so, sir, you and your companions do not seem to be… religious types. I just wondered what the extent of your interest in the Sisters might be; I'm sure you'll understand that we need to respect our guests' privacy."
"Prioress Lizaveta acted as witness at my wedding, many years ago," came the General's smooth reply. "I promised to present my heartiest respects if we ever met again, but we lost contact. When I heard she had visited Yoren, I was reminded of my promise to her. If you'd just introduce us to Mr. Chudel, I'd be very grateful."
The receptionist produced another of her dreamy, dazzling smiles, and Grimm felt as if his knees had turned to treacle. "I'm afraid he's out of town at the moment, sir. He's expected back the day after tomorrow. If you like, I'll ask him to have a word with you before you leave."
"I'd really appreciate that," Quelgrum said. "It would mean a lot to me." Despite his earlier, cool manner, even the General now appeared quite relaxed.
"The nightly rate for seven rooms is twenty-eight gold pieces, Sir. First night is payable in advance, I'm afraid."
Grimm scrambled in his commodious purse for the large, heavy coins, smothering a curse at the sudden clumsy tremor in his fingers. He scarcely counted as he splashed the money onto the counter in several handfuls. Several of the coins bounced onto the floor behind the counter, and he winced.
"I'm sorry," he said, spreading his hands in abject apology.
"That's all right," the receptionist said, dimples forming on either side of her mouth as she displayed a flawless, snow-white set of teeth.
Power and presence, the Questor chided himself. What's the matter with you, Grimm? Get a grip on yourself, will you?
Am I bewitched? he wondered, remembering his enforced infatuation with Sister Madeleine on his first visit to High Lodge.
However, his current befuddlement bore no relation to the overpowering effects of Madeleine's Geomantic spell; yes, he felt happy and a little lusty, but the all-consuming passion and semi-intoxication he had experienced in the dead Sister's presence was absent. Although he found the girl very pretty, his mind was still his own.
I'm just happy to be out of that rat-hole, he told himself. Is that such a crime?
With smooth efficiency, the young woman handed a key to each man. "You're all on the second floor, nice and close to each other," she said, cheery and enthusiastic, as she began a sing-song litany that she had obviously repeated many times before.
"The restaurant's open all day. All we ask is that you make a reservation an hour before you wish to eat. We offer a free laundry and repair service, and there is a bar open until three in the morning, should you develop a thirst. If you need anything, just pull the bell-cord in your room, and an attendant will be dispatched as soon as possible…
"Oh, yes, there is just one more thing, gentlemen. If you intend to visit tonight's Pit contests, it's best to reserve your places in advance. It's a very popular attraction."
"What's the Pit?" Grimm asked, trying hard to suppress his burgeoning, inappropriate emotions.
"Ah, you gentlemen can't be from this vicinity," the receptionist responded, smiling again. "The Pit is what we call our unarmed martial arts arena. Boxing, wrestling, that sort of thing. Many of our guests come from far afield, just to witness the Pit bouts. We have bookkeeping staff on hand to assess the odds and take the bets. I'm told it's very spectacular, although I've never been there myself: I don't like violence."
"I think I'd like that," Harvel declared. "I used to do a little prize-fighting in my youth."
"Me, too," Tordun said. "I've fought in many a ring, and I was unbeaten in over fifty fights."
Guy gave an enthusiastic nod. "That sounds like a good night's entertainment to me."
Grimm felt the unmistakable push of excess testosterone in his bloodstream, no doubt left over from the brief fight in the alley. "I'll go."
A good, fair series of fights might be just the thing to quiet his roiling emotions.
Only Numal demurred. "Not my sort of thing, I'm afraid. I'll just stay in my room with a good book, if you don't mind." He gave an apologetic shrug. "Necromancer Numal, room 272, please, receptionist."
No surprises there. Grimm suppressed an amused smile as the girl handed the Necromancer his key. Numal doesn't have quite the same drives as the rest of us.
"Then that's settled," Quelgrum said. "Six seats for the Pit, please."
"Fights start at ten hours tonight," the receptionist said, dimpling again in that endearing manner, and scribbling in the ledger. 'Six Pit reservations it is. Just show your room keys to the attendant on entry; it's best to get there early if you want good seats.
"Welcome to Mansion House, gentlemen. I hope you enjoy your stay."
With that, the stunning vision was gone, and Grimm felt an almost physical pang of loss at her departure.
"Still want to camp out on the plain, Lord Baron?" Quelgrum said, with a wry smile.
"Not on your life, General!" Grimm wagged his right index finger in a mock reprimand. "If we have to wait a couple of days for this fellow Chudel, I can't think of a better place to stay while we're waiting. There's no Guild rule that says we have to live like vagrants while we're Questing, you know!"
It was not a witty, humorous sally, and the chorus of chuckles from Grimm's companions might have seemed forced and inappropriate at any other time. However, the young mage no longer cared.
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Chapter 27: The Pit
With an approving nod, Grimm eyed himself in the full-length mirror in his room.
Tonight, I'm going to be the very epitome of the cultured, sophisticated Questor, he vowed, adjusting the folds in his yellow-and-blue silk robes so that they fell just right. As he donned the magical gems loaned him by the Dominie, he felt pleased that none of the periapts indicated any magical interference; his unaccustomed surge of good humour could therefore only be explained by the salubrious surroundings in which he found himself.
An hour remained until the Pit bouts started, so Grimm decided to burnish and polish Redeemer. At least that should occupy his mind for a while.
As he searched in one of his commodious travelling bags for his cleaning kit, he heard an impatient thumping sound from the other; a sound he knew only too well. He opened the clasps on the other bag, and a tiny, grey-green creature, the size of a mouse, hopped out onto the bed.
"Thribble!" he cried. "I might have known that you would have tagged along."
"How else am I to get material for my sagas, Questor?" the small demon squeaked. "I heard your little scuffle in the town square, but I'd rather have seen it. I was a little hurt that you didn't invite me along in the first place."
Grimm smiled. Thribble had proved himself a valuable and stalwart companion ever since he had first called the netherworld being into the mortal world. The mage knew he had indeed been negligent not to consider his minuscule but valiant demon friend when planning the Quest.
"I'm sorry, Thribble; I've had a lot on my mind recently. You should have asked."
"I know what you've had on your mind, mortal!"
the imp chided in his piercing, reedy treble. "Human rutting? Ugh! The very thought makes my stomach churn."
Grimm gulped, as he felt a cold, iron frisson of guilt at the way he had reacted to the beautiful receptionist. One day away from Crar, and he was already beginning to act as if he had forgotten his beloved Drexelica. Thank the Names that the demon had not witnessed the disgraceful display of jejune immaturity he had displayed in the Mansion House lobby!
"Don't worry, Thribble." The Questor patted his robe pocket. "You can travel with me from now on. I'm sure you'll find more than enough to satisfy even your insensate demands for story material."
"I'm glad to hear it, mage," the demon squeaked. "I don't relish travelling in the company of your dirty linen."
"Tonight we're going to a series of fights, Thribble," Grimm said.
"No, don't look like that," he added as he saw the imp's rapacious, expectant grin. "I'm afraid we'll only be spectators, not participants. This is sport, not battle. It's a matter of fist-fighters and wrestlers trying to find the limit of their skills."
"Oh, well," the demon piped. "I know very little about these human pastimes; perhaps I will learn something from them. However, I cannot understand why you mortals should fight when you are not threatened. We demons find tales of your mindless combat extremely diverting."
"It's a part of our nature, Thribble. The desire to strive, to succeed against overwhelming odds, makes us what we are. Fighting when we don't have to is an important part of being human."
"Is that strange, silly-looking smile a part of being human, too?" the demon asked, although there was no trace of malice or sarcasm in his voice.
"I'm just in a good mood, Thribble. Even a Questor is allowed to enjoy himself, once in a while. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to polish Redeemer."
****
Grimm and his companions arrived in plenty of time for the bouts, which were held in a large rotunda behind the main building. There was already a long queue for the Pit, the impatient customers pushing and jostling despite the sturdy double doors that barred access to the edifice.
All of the people waiting in line seemed to be well-dressed, sophisticated men-about-town, although their raucous behaviour was far from decorous. Tordun was at the back of the group, and he used his elbows, his forearms, and even his meaty fists to hold back the growing horde behind them.
The young Questor heard snatches of conversation from the crowd, all of which seemed to be concerned with the upcoming bouts:
"Shugar's the man to bet on; fists like sledgehammers…"
"Rempur's at eight-to one against…"
"A fool's bet, my man…"
At last, the mage heard a howl of approval as the doors swung open, and the crowd surged forward. Grimm felt a smile spreading across his face as the Pit grew nearer, nearer…
Grimm had plenty of money with him, but the entrance fee of fifteen gold coins, posted on a board outside the door, caused him to blanch.
"I've only got twelve golds on me," he confessed to his companions. "I could go back to my room and get some more cash, but I don't want to lose my place."
Guy sneered, but he seemed to be in excellent humour. "Cheapskate," he said, holding out a bulging purse. "Don't worry, Dragonblaster: I have more than enough for all of us. I'll pay the entrance fees, although you'll have to cover your own bets. It's my treat."
Grimm might not know the Great Flame well, but he had never imagined that such good cheer and generosity were part of the older Questor's make-up. Before he had time to consider Guy's odd behaviour in greater detail, the open doors were right in front of him, and he felt a pulse of testosterone surging through him, speeding his heart and drying his mouth.
Guy moved to the front of the queue, holding out a double handful of coins and his room key to a burly, rotund man who stood by the open doors. Another man, who could have been the guard's identical twin, moved in to inspect the golden mound of bounty.
Biting and twisting one of the coins, while his companion counted the hoard of money, the doorkeeper nodded. "Good as gold," he said, chuckling at his own joke. "Welcome to the Pit, gentlemen. Enjoy your evening."
As the muscular attendants stepped aside, Grimm and his friends walked into a bizarre spectacle. The interior of the rotunda was in the form of a giant bowl, lit by a dazzling, white light that emanated from some invisible source, high above. At the centre of this was an empty, pale yellow circle of what appeared to be sand, maybe twenty feet below the segmented, banked, circular rows of seats, and protected by a tall wire barrier.
"Betting cards, sirs?" a voice said, and Grimm swung round to see a smartly-dressed functionary, holding out a handful of slips. "You'll be sitting down there in seats twenty-six to thirty-one-A; right at the front of the action, Gorga, over there, will be taking your bets tonight, but I'm afraid we can't take any markers; all wagers must be in hard cash. We don't care where it's from as long as it's good gold and silver.
"Enjoy yourselves, gentlemen."
Grimm and his companions made their way to the row indicated by the attendant. As promised, their seats were right next to the wire barrier, providing an excellent view of the arena. Grimm saw a man sitting in one of their seats, and he cleared his throat.
"What do you want?" the man whined, without facing the mage.
"That's one of our seats," Grimm said. "We'd be obliged if you'd move to your own seat."
"Oh, you'd be obliged, would you?" The interloper rose to his feet, his brows lowered and threatening. "Well, I'd be obliged if you just got…" The man's voice trailed off as he caught sight of Tordun towering over the mage.
"The gentleman asked you to move, worm." The albino raised his clenched, ham-like fists. "So move."
"All right, all right, all right," the would-be bravo stammered. "I'm moving. You only had to ask. If you…"
"Tack off, chicken-neck. Don't just stand around telling us your bloody life story." Tordun punctuated this riposte with an almost feral growl.
Grimm smiled as the man scuttled out of the seat he had been occupying, and he saw several other people staring at the swordsman.
"It looks as if you've started the entertainment early, Tordun," Grimm said, settling into his seat. As his companions took up the rest of the row, he looked at his betting card. The mass of names, numbers and statistics meant nothing to him.
"Um… can anyone tell me what all this means?" he said. "I've never gambled before."
"Just bet as we do, Questor Grimm," Harvel advised, patting him on the left shoulder. "Crest and I are old hands at this sort of game, and we know some of these athletes."
"Bet on Shugar in Match Three," Tordun said. "I faced him in a bout at… somewhere or other, and I remember he broke my nose, my cheekbone and my right wrist."
"I thought you said you never lost," Guy said in his usual, acerbic tone.
"I broke my wrist when my right fist hit his jaw and knocked him out." Tordun grinned. "I don't like to lose."
All of the men in the party laughed, including Guy, who seemed still in the best of moods.
"Ah, but your man Shugar's the three-to-one favourite, Tordun," Crest said, scanning his card. "It's hardly worth the money. I wonder if they'll take on accumulator bets. See, if we split the bets like this…"
Grimm's first lesson in gambling was underway.
****
High above the arena, two men sat in a small cubicle, eyeing the small party with interest.
"You see that white-haired guy, Keller?" one of them said, a grizzled man who sported a scarred cheek. "That's Tordun. He used to fight in the Gallorleyan Bouts, and I never saw him beaten. Feller's got a steel jaw and fists like boulders, and he'd take on all-comers, sometimes four at a time. Names' sakes, he beat our bloody heavyweight champion at his peak, and he doesn't look a day older.
"We've just got to get him to fight for us."
His older, bald-headed companion, who wore steel-rimmed spectacles and looked more like a clerk than
a fighter, nodded. "Sounds like he would make a good draw, Mort, but just check out the company."
"Three skinny peacocks, an old man and a half-breed elf?" Mort sneered. "What's worth taking there?"
"Mort, boy, two of those skinny peacocks are Seventh Rank Guild Mages. From their ages, they've just got to be Questors. They can cast 'most any sort of magic. Pretty destructive magic, I might add. They call 'em Weapons of the Guild."
"Bloody Guild bastards!" The younger man spat. "They've got a lot to answer for, around here. Yoren used to be quite a nice town 'til that sodding wizard, Loaraz or whatever his name was, came here. We had a decent slave market going here, 'til he totalled it and killed old Duke Moras, all on the orders of the frackin' Guild. The bastard all but ruined us."
"A single Questor did all that." Keller's eyes gleamed. "There are two of 'em down there."
He paused, letting his words sink in. "I was told we had a couple of mages in town, and I got Brant, the telepath, to make a few inquiries with some friends who work for the Guild. Apparently, the youngest one is Loras Afelnor's very grandson: he's famous for it. Wouldn't it just be poetic justice to put him in the Pit?
"I don't know who the other one is, but you can bet your last copper that he's dangerous. I think you'd find two Questors engaged in mortal combat a better draw even than your man Tordun could offer. A one night stand, of course, but I think the ticket receipts alone would make it worth everyone's while. I can see the posters now: 'Magical Mayhem: One Night Only!' Just think about it for a few moments."
Mort thought about it. "What about the other guys?"
"The old guy's General Q. You've heard of him, I'm sure. It'd probably be better if we didn't mess around with him too much; he's got a whole army at his disposal, with real weapons, if you understand my meaning. There's another old guy who came with them; some Second Level Necromancer, though he's not here tonight. Not much use to us, but we could always put him in a novelty bout. The other two might be good for lightweight stuff. They're not heavyweights, but they look as if they know how to handle themselves."
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