Navarin, Thunder and Shade
Page 33
Brooking no counterargument, Marmellion strode from Lughor’s room and up to his apartment.
They heard the explosion about half an hour later. Broad and Shade darted up the stairs to find the door hanging off its hinges and black smoke pouring from the room. What was left of the Duke decorated the walls and ceiling. Shade darted around but it was clearly too late to glean what had happened.
Lughor, having heaved himself out of bed, arrived in the doorway with Tiggy at his side. “Gunpowder...” he said. “There was a bloke who tried to tell me something about some missing gunpowder...”
Shade hovered over the pepper pot. “I think I’ve found it.”
“That - that bitch was trying to kill him all along!” said Lughor. “He should have held onto the goldinium pendant for a bit longer. Just think: if he had given it to her, she would have been unstoppable!”
“What kind of mind comes up with something like that?” marvelled Shade. “Slow poisoning with gunpowder. She was patient, you have to give her that. Mind you, I suppose she had time on her side. Playing the long game.
“No wonder she was so keen about the peppered eggs...” said Broad.
Lughor, shielding Tiggy’s eyes, steered the boy out into the corridor. Broad and Shade followed.
“Guess what, Tiggy!” said Broad. “This means you’re the new Duke!”
“And we’ll stay on as your bodyguards,” said Lughor.
Tiggy grinned.
Deep behind the little boy’s large, dark eyes, Bradwyn the wizard grinned too.
THE END
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