The Lady of May Tulip (The Lynchman's Owl Adventures)
Page 14
By the time Sir Boors returned home it was nearly eight o’clock. He sent for supper at once and found he had appetite for a second, so good was his mood. He could not wholly finish it, however, and gave Basil the leftovers. After that there was only one thing left to be done. The matter of procuring unfamiliar faces to staff the secret residence of the queen was given over to Basil. And as that worthy fellow has long before bragged to his master how well he understood the inner workings of the local criminal society so that he might make use of such fine folk he was now called upon to make good on it. The going rate according to Basil, was sixty copper crowns per year per person, and eighty for their captain. The Steward wanted three unfamiliar faces (for that was the number which he had settled on). “And to lead them,” he said, “Someone from my own household for whom you will be responsible. Can you recommend anyone?”
Basil thought long and hard, before saying finally: “There is a good, stalwart fellow called Bresweld Bolden’s Son, loyal and dependable in a crisis.” Much more praise was showered upon this individual than what is necessary to report, but truly it was because without fail, Basil attended dinner at the Bolden household for three nights out of seven a week and for four or five years going now was given a purse filled with money after, and asked to aid in the advancement of Bresweld by his father.