“Does anyone other than Kent know of your involvement?”
“No’” Kyrga shook his head.
“Then eliminate the captain. The investigation will go no further.”
“I cannot just kill an officer in this city,” complained Kyrga. “Any dead officer will surely be investigated. That would just make things worse.”
“Must I think for you?” scowled the priest. “If you cannot kill him here in Despair then transfer him to some outpost and have him killed there.”
Kyrga’s eye twitched as he glared at the priest. He was about to open his mouth with an angry retort, but he remembered the power that K’san possessed. He inhaled deeply as he fought to control himself.
“That is a wise idea,” Kyrga finally replied meekly. “I shall handle it.”
“Do so,” K’san replied in a calmer tone. “Are you afraid that Jaar will replace you?”
“That is always a concern.” Kyrga nodded. “I am perfectly placed to bend the emperor to our will. If I am replaced it will be more than a personal setback for me. It will mark a delay in all of our plans.”
“Not for long,” K’san smirked. “If you are replaced, your replacement will suffer the same accidental fate that your predecessors faced. Do not fear for your position, Kyrga.”
“Your assurances are most welcome,” Kyrga said without inflection. “If that is all, I will leave you.”
“There is one thing that I want to ask you. I felt a presence in Despair last night. Did you notice anyone strange within the city walls?”
“A presence?” frowned Kyrga. “What kind of presence?”
“A magical presence. A presence of great power. Has anyone new been to see the emperor perhaps?”
“Not that I am aware of,” answered Kyrga. “I usually manage to keep track of everyone who meets with the emperor. Only the elven king has been admitted to see him recently. Surely, he is not the power you felt.”
“Certainly not,” scoffed the demonkin. “He is but a hair on the back of a dog.”
Chapter 15
Unwelcome in Valdo
Tedi and Natia completed their quick tour of Valdo and headed back towards the coast. Tedi glanced at the reeducation center as they passed and then looked towards the docks. It was a fairly short distance to travel, but it would be nearly impossible to move a couple hundred elven children without someone seeing them. He frowned and sighed in frustration.
“Think about it later,” Natia said softly. “It is not going to happen tomorrow. What about staying at the Greystone Inn? It is close to both the elf center and the Royal Palace.”
“And probably the most expensive inn in the whole city,” scowled Tedi. “We do not have much gold on us. Let’s stay somewhere cheaper.”
“We have the diamond that Garth gave us,” Natia retorted. “We can sell it and have plenty of gold.”
“That is for emergencies.” Tedi shook his head. “Staying at the Greystone Inn is not an emergency. I must talk to Garth about getting you used to staying in fancy inns. He started it all.”
“That is the type of inn that a special agent is supposed to stay in,” insisted Natia. “If you won’t sell the diamond, I still have some DeCardia figurines. I will sell those.”
“They are supposed to be the merchandise we sell as special agents,” frowned Tedi. “Without them we won’t have anything at all to convince soldiers that we are merchants.”
“You worry too much,” pouted Natia. “I am staying at the Greystone Inn. You can stay wherever you want.”
Tedi sighed as Natia veered off the street towards the Greystone Inn. The inn was an old stone building and looked as if it had served as someone’s castle a long time ago. Tedi thought it still looked formidable as a defensive stronghold, but the moat no longer existed, and other buildings lined the street on both sides of it. He sighed again and followed Natia towards the stables. Natia was excited, and she ran into the inn before Tedi dismounted. The stableman grinned at Tedi as if he had seen the same reaction a hundred times before.
“Newlyweds, sir?”
“No,” scowled Tedi as he handed the reins to the man. “Make sure their feed is fresh. They had some pretty foul feed in Farmin on the way here.”
“Everything in Farmin is foul,” chuckled the stableman. “Our feed is the best. Don’t you worry none about that.”
Tedi saw the man’s hand out for a coin. He grumbled under his breath as he placed two copper coins in the man’s hand. The stableman did not seem thrilled with the gift. Tedi grumbled some more and strode briskly away. He entered the side door of the inn and saw Natia heading towards him.
“We have a suite on the top floor,” beamed the gypsy princess. “Come on. I will race you to the top.”
“A suite?” groaned Tedi.
Natia did not hear him. She was already racing up the stairs. Tedi trudged up the stairs to the top floor. Finding the correct suite turned out to be easy. The door was open, and Natia’s excited voice drifted out into the corridor. Tedi entered the suite and closed the door. He dropped his pack on the floor and looked for Natia. Natia was not in sight, but there were two doors leading out of the room besides the one he entered through. He opened the first door and saw an office complete with a desk, three chairs, and a long couch. He backed into the main room and tried the other door. His eyebrows rose at the massive bed, but Natia was not in the room. Confused, he backed into the main room again. He glanced out the window and saw Natia through the curtains. He swept the curtains aside and found a doorway leading to a balcony. He stepped out onto the balcony and found Natia leaning over and looking down.
“Isn’t this wonderful!” exclaimed Natia. “You can see the whole Sea of Tears from here.”
“How much?” Tedi asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice.
“Stop it,” scowled Natia. “Just stop it.”
“What?” retorted Tedi. “You are spending all of our gold and now you are mad at me? I don’t get it.”
“No, you don’t get it. When Garth Shado stays in a fancy inn, it is fine by you. When Garth spends our gold like water, it is fine by you. When Garth passes himself off as a special agent for Sidney Mercado, it is fine with you. I am the one who has made the most money selling stuff. Why is it that I cannot spend a night in a comfortable inn?”
“You have been great with…”
“The trip down here from Giza is the first time we have been alone since we left Alcea,” Natia continued, “and we have been staying in crude campsites or flea-bitten inns the whole trip. Not anymore! We are both likely to die in the next couple of months. What difference does a small bit of gold matter?”
Tedi bit his lower lip as he listened to Natia’s tirade. He realized at once that she was right. When she finished her speech, Tedi embraced her and kissed her.
“I am sorry,” he said softly. “I had no idea how frustrated you felt. Strangler is going to demand gold to help us anyway. We will sell the diamond as soon as we make contact with him.”
“The noose!” Natia said as she suddenly remembered. “We need to put a noose on the door outside.”
“I will take care of it,” smiled Tedi. “You admire the view.”
Tedi fashioned a small hangman’s noose and hung it on the door. When he was done, he returned to the balcony and put his arm around the gypsy princess.
“It certainly is pretty,” he said softly.
“I asked for a room overlooking the sea,” Natia replied softly. “I didn’t want to look down on the slums we passed through today.”
“I think that is part of why I objected to such a fancy inn,” admitted Tedi. “Somehow I cannot see spending so much gold to stay in comfort when there are so many people out there starving to death. It just doesn’t seem right to me.”
Natia turned and gazed into Tedi’s eyes. “I hadn’t thought of it that way,” she said. “Now I feel so selfish.”
“I did as well, but neither of us are truly selfish people. As you said, w
e are probably giving our lives to bring down the Federation. That will do more for these people than any amount of gold we could give them.”
“Maybe we can give them a food caravan like we did in Farmin?” brightened Natia.
“Bad idea.” Tedi shook his head. “We left Farmin on a ship with the Federation chasing us. Let’s do what we came here to do. Why don’t you go sell the diamond? I will wait here for Strangler to contact us.”
“We will go together,” smiled Natia. “It may take Strangler a while to notice the noose. We will be back by then.”
Tedi and Natia left their suite and headed down the stairs. By the time they reached the street, the sun was already setting. The left their horses in the stables and walked the city streets by foot. Several of the gem merchants were already closed, so Natia was happy when they found Jewels by the Sea. The sign indicated that the proprietor was named Renzler. Natia led the way through the door and found a middle-aged man staring at them.
“Are you Renzler?” asked Natia.
“I am,” answered the man. “What can I do for you?”
“I am Natia,” the gypsy princess said. “I work for Garth Shado, special agent for Sidney Mercado. I have a diamond for sale.”
“Let me see it,” Renzler said as he stretched out his hand.
Tedi pulled a pouch from under his tunic and extracted the large diamond. He placed in the jeweler’s hand. Renzler moved close to the lantern and held the diamond up to examine it.
“Not much demand for diamonds these days,” Renzler mumbled as he examined the gem. “Not enough people left with any appreciable amount of money. Are you staying in the city?”
“At the Greystone,” answered Natia.
“An excellent inn,” the jeweler replied. “That castle predates the country of Spino. Did you know that?”
“No, I didn’t,” admitted Natia. “Their suites are gorgeous. I am looking forward to my stay there.”
“Are you staying long in Valdo?” asked the jeweler.
“A few days,” Natia answered vaguely.
“This is an excellent gem,” stated the jeweler. “Unfortunately there is not much of a market for it. There is one potential buyer for such a piece. I would like to show it to her. May I keep it for a day or two?”
“We would prefer to sell it today,” answered Tedi. “How much will you pay for it?”
Renzler raised an eyebrow as he stared at Tedi. “Without knowing if it meets the buyer’s criteria, I could pay five-hundred gold for it.”
“Five-hundred?” balked Natia. “That would be stealing it.”
“As I said,” shrugged the jeweler, “there are not many buyers for such a piece. Let me hold on to it for a couple of days. I might be able to double that price.”
“I don’t think so,” frowned Natia as she stuck her hand out.
“You will not find a better deal in Valdo,” Renzler declared, making no effort to return the gem.
“Then we will not sell it in Valdo,” stated Tedi as he stuck his hand out. “Give us the gem. Now.”
The jeweler hesitated, and Tedi brought back his hand and gripped his staff with both hands. Renzler’s eyes widened, and he quickly placed the diamond in Natia’s hand.
“I think you should go now,” scowled Renzler. “Jewels by the Sea is closing for the day.”
Natia cupped the diamond in her hand and quickly exited the shop. Tedi was right behind her, and they stood in the street and returned the diamond to the pouch. Tedi tucked the pouch under his tunic, and the two Knights of Alcea strode off towards the Greystone Inn.
“He was trying to steal the diamond,” complained Natia.
“I do not trust that man,” nodded Tedi. “Had we left the diamond with him, I think it would have been accidentally lost or exchanged for a lesser gem.”
“I agree,” said Natia. “It is probably too late in the day to try other merchants. Let’s return to our suite. We can sell the diamond tomorrow.”
The Knights of Alcea retraced their steps to the Greystone Inn and climbed to the top floor. They unlocked the door to their room and stepped inside. Instantly, knives filled Natia’s hands.
“Who are you?” she demanded of the man standing near the window.
“You left something on your door,” the man replied. “The real question here is, who are you?”
“Check the other rooms,” Natia said to Tedi as she moved further into the room.
“We are alone,” the visitor said with a touch of amusement in his voice.
Tedi quickly checked the other two rooms and emerged with a nod of his head. Natia sheathed her knives and relaxed.
“I am Natia,” she said to the man. “My husband is Tedi. We wish to meet with Strangler.”
“Does he know you?” asked the thief.
“Not yet,” Natia replied. “We are friends of Morro.”
“Morro no longer belongs here,” frowned the thief. “He has moved on quite a while ago.”
“We know that,” stated Tedi. “We have come to speak with Strangler regarding a business proposition. We were told that the noose would get us a meeting. Will it?”
“Perhaps,” shrugged the thief. “What business do you have in Valdo?”
“Our business will be discussed with Strangler,” declared Tedi.
“Maybe it will, and maybe it won’t,” replied the thief. “Strangler does not bow to the demands of just anyone. If you won’t state your business, I doubt that he will waste his time with the likes of you. This could well be a trap.”
Natia laughed, and the thief turned and glared at her.
“With hundreds of men,” Natia chuckled, “Strangler is afraid of the two of us? Perhaps his reputation is overstated. If he is so timid as to be afraid to meet with us, I doubt that he would be interested in our project. Perhaps you should leave now.”
The thief was shocked by Natia’s words. He glared at her, but she turned her back and ignored him. Tedi watched the thief with interest. The man was obviously miffed at his reception, but he said nothing. The thief shook his head and walked out of the suite. Tedi closed the door and walked to Natia before speaking.
“Was that wise? I cannot accomplish my mission here without the help of the thieves.”
“It was necessary,” answered the gypsy princess. “That man was taking on more responsibility than was allowed him. I am certain of that. Morro’s name alone should have entitled us to a meeting, but he wanted to know the details of what we would say to Strangler. I did not trust him.”
“I agree that he was probably overstepping his bounds, but he is our only path of contact. We may never get to meet with Strangler now.”
“Not all of Strangler’s men can be trusted,” stated Natia. “We cannot afford to alert the Federation to our plans. If Strangler does not respond, we will try another way to get his attention.”
The Knights of Alcea left the room and headed to the common room for the evening meal. They lingered for a couple of hours and then returned to their room on the top floor. Knives filled Natia’s hands before Tedi unlocked the door, but there were no surprise visitors waiting for them.
“I had expected Strangler’s men to be here,” frowned Natia. “Perhaps I have misjudged the situation.”
“Or maybe they merely react slowly,” shrugged Tedi as he closed and locked the door. “Let’s get some sleep.”
“I am not sure that I will sleep soundly tonight,” sighed Natia. “I am sorry, Tedi. I thought that taunting would force Strangler to see us.”
“The message may not have been delivered in the tone you sent it,” Tedi said to ease his wife’s feelings. “Sleep lightly, and we will dwell on the problem in the morning.”
The Knights of Alcea slept fully dressed, Tedi’s staff leaning against the wall beside the bed. It was several hours later when Tedi heard the faint click of a door being unlocked. He gently touched Natia’s shoulder, and she was instantly awake. Numerous footsteps padded lightly on the floor of the next room,
but Tedi’s keen hearing heard them clearly. He held two fingers for Natia to see and then increased them until all of the fingers of his left hand were extended. Natia’s eyes grew wide as she slid off the bed and knelt next to it. Tedi eased out of bed on the opposite side, knelt next to the bed and grabbed his staff. The room was pitch black.
“How do we handle this?” Natia whispered.
“This is not a social call,” Tedi whispered back. “I heard swords drawn.”
“So much for working with the thieves,” Natia sighed softly.
The door to the bedroom was noisily kicked open and men surged into the room. The first man blindly swung his sword at the bed, but the light spilling in from the other room was not enough to warn him that the bed was empty. Tedi stood up and swung his staff towards the sound of the man’s breathing. A loud crack split the air followed by a scream of pain. Natia concentrated on the dimly lit doorway. She let her first knife go when one of the men faltered near the entrance. The knife sliced into the man’s neck, and he fell with a gurgle whimpering from his throat. Tedi strode towards the light, his staff swinging once again. Another loud crack split the air followed by a dead thud.
“Get out!” came a shout from the doorway. “It’s a trap.”
Natia’s second knife sang as its hilt vibrated, its blade deeply sunk into the man’s skull. Tedi and Natia both rushed for the door. Tedi was first through the doorway, and he saw the last thief racing for the front door. He watched helplessly as the thief grabbed the door and opened it to make his getaway. Natia’s third knife flew across the room and struck the thief in his upper back. The thief arched his back as he cried out in pain. As the thief’s body slowly slid to the floor, his hand tugged the door open. A lean black man stood in the hallway outside the door. His eyes grew wide as the thief died at his feet, and he saw Natia holding a throwing knife and glaring at him.
“If you are Natia,” the black man said quickly, “do not throw that knife. Morro would be disappointed in you.”
“I think Morro would be greatly disappointed in you,” snarled Natia as she appeared ready to release the knife.
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