A New Hope (Tales From a Second-Hand Wand Shop Book 4)

by Robert P. Wills

  “Akita. I’m desperate.”

  The Constable sat up. “Seriously then. You need someone who can come in here and look like one of the kids. Blend in and get their trust. Me? I’m the outsider, an adult authority that they’ll never talk to. Never trust for anything.”

  “Undercover?”

  “Ya got anyone that you can trust that’s like a youth?”

  “Well, there’s Guthrie. He’s a fourth-year.”

  “Well, if yer willing to make his life a nightmare afterwards, you could use him.”

  “What?”

  “Once word got out he was a snitch.” He pointed his finger at Julie. “And believe me, word would get out. He’d be through for the rest of the time he was here.”

  “Then that’s not an option.”

  “That’s why you need someone who’s like a youth. But not a student here.”

  “You’re talking in riddles, Akita.”

  “Hire someone who can go undercover as a student and find out from the inside. Then since they’re not a student, it won’t matter if he’s… found out.”

  Julie thought for a moment. Akita returned to his slouched position while she did. Finally she shrugged. “I haven’t a clue of who could do that.”

  Akita didn’t raise his head. “Oh, you know someone who acts like a kid but isn’t one.” He pointed at her again. “You know. You just don’t want to say it.”

  Julie’s eyes got large. “You want me to set him loose on the student body?”

  Akita pushed himself to a standing position. “That’s my professional opinion, if you want it.” He looked to the door. “Now, if you don’t mind, I need to get ready for my evening.”

  “And pick up some flowers,” reminded Julie.

  “And pick up a heap of flowers,” agreed Akita. He smiled at the woman. “I know you can do it. Be brave, Headmistress Julie no last name, former crime syndicate boss of bosses.”

  Julie’s eyes got large. “Who me?”

  Akita jerked his thumb at himself. “Those kids might have me beat, but that doesn’t mean I’m a complete slouch.”

  “Well, I never,” tried Big Julie.

  “Yeah. Yeah, ya did,” said Akita as he opened the door and started to slip out it.

  “Well, Rolton chips.”

  “Yep; that’s the one,” said Akita as he closed the door behind him.

  “Steaming Rolton Chips” said Julie. She looked back down at the term papers on her desk. She was torn between continuing to grade them and talking to Grimbledung. With a sigh she picked up the topmost one again. “So, magic from sunlight and wind, huh?” Grimbledung could wait until the morning. “I’ll ask after breakfast.” She promised her empty office. “Tomorrow’s breakfast.”

  Chapter 21

  Beans Spilled, Pot Stirred

  Grimbledung ambled back towards the wand shoppe. Out of habit, in the direction of Nulu’s establishment. “Good late morning early afternoon to you, missus Human,” he said to a middle-aged Human female. She stared straight ahead as she passed. “Really most sincerely annoying, that is!” he called at her back. With a shrug, he continued on his way. I’m thirsty. You thirsty? “Well, maybe a little” he admitted to himself. We should get something to drink. Just in case we don’t have a chance later on. Unable to argue with his own logic, Grimbledung turned left at the next intersection and made for the Duck Inn and Dine. “I’ll just pop in for a sip, then be on my way,” he said to another pedestrian. He ignored Grimbledung as well.

  Grimbledung pulled the door of the inn open and stepped inside. Thanks to a series of pulleys and a weight installed by Pinky, the door slowly shut behind him as he pushed around the heavy curtain that led to the tavern. He looked around the establishment. Even though it was early in the afternoon (or perhaps late in the morning), there were a goodly amount of patrons scattered around the room. He spied Colossus sitting at a table alone. Drinking alone is bad luck, he reminded himself. This way you’ll both be lucky. With a nod, he moved to the Halfling’s table. “Hey there, Col. How are things this late morning early afternoon?”

  Colossus looked at Grimbledung. “Aren’t you supposed to be running your shop?”

  “Drimblerod’s got the shoppe this late morning early afternoon. I am out and about running official work-related errands.” He smiled. “What’re you up to? Find a place to settle down yet?” He waved his hand frantically over his head, calling for a drink as he eased into the booth.

  Colossus put his drink down. “Well, Chéri has gone out to Aution to get an idea of what kind of wood she can get with Semfeld and Liverioso. If things work out they’re going to bring back a first load.” He slowly turned his mug in the puddle of condensation that formed under it. “They’re not back yet.”

  A serving wench slipped a frosted mug of ale in front of Grimbledung. “So how’s things looking over at the constabulary?” He winked as he took a sip of his ale. “Promising?”

  Colossus shrugged. “Good. I went over this morning and Akita had this cantankerous old man in a cell and he asked me to come back later in the day.”

  “One armed fellow?”

  “That’s the one.”

  “I don’t care for him too much. Killed me, you know.”

  “Well, you seem to have pulled through.” Colossus picked up his own mug and toasted the Gnome before taking a drink. “Congratulations, I suppose.”

  “Thanks.” Grimbledung took another drink. “So are you going to stick with the deputy career, or what?”

  “I think it’s temporary. Not sure I want to be a lawman.”

  “Not sure if you could. Well, you could be a law-Halfling, I suppose.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “So what sort of work you going to do in town, Col?”

  Colossus ignored the shortening of his name, deciding that trying to convince the unstable Gnome to not call him that would take most of the afternoon. He sat back and considered the question. “Well, I was thinking of maybe setting up a security and investigative company.”

  “What’s that? You mean like Edward at the bank?” Grimbledung downed the last of his drink and immediately raised his hand over his head. He gestured at himself and the Halfling wildly.

  Colossus shook his head. “No, more like security for businesses moving their money at the end of the day to the bank. Personal security kind of work. And maybe private investigations.”

  “You’re going to investigate Privates?”

  “What?”

  “I mean, as a Corporal, I suppose you could do that, but…”

  The serving wench slid two frosted mugs on the table as she moved past.

  Is this stupid Gnome going to stiff me for these drinks? “No, not Privates in the military, I mean doing investigations for private citizens.”

  “There much call for that?”

  Colossus picked up his mug. “Well, spouses running around, missing wagons or beasts wandering off happen and when they do, private citizens oftentimes want to deal with the matter themselves instead of involving the law. As the town grows and more people move here, there’s more opportunity.”

  “So it’s like being a constable without being a constable. What happens if you don’t solve the crime or whatever it is?”

  Colossus smiled, “Well, you always insist for a small fee upfront and then expenses as they occur so even if you can’t solve the mystery, you still make a little bit.”

  “So you can just not solve anything and be set!” Now Grimbledung toasted the Halfling with his mug. “Brilliant!”

  “No, if you never solve anything, word gets out and no one comes to you for help. Word of mouth- bad or good- will make or break a private investigator.” He looked to the curtain. Save me Chéri!

  “I see. So detective work.” He thought it over as he sipped his ale. “Sounds exciting.”

  “It’s not all sneaking into buildings and excitement. Most of it is deductive reasoning, attention to detail, and being able to ask the right quest
ions.”

  Grimbledung slammed his mug onto the table. “Ohh! I can do that! Wann’a partner?”

  Colossus leaned back in his chair. “You’re already a partner.”

  “I’m already your partner?” Grimbledung thrust his hands in the air. “Whoo hoo!”

  “No, you daft Gnome; of Second-Hand Sorcery.”

  “But that’s wand sales. This is detective work. I wanna do detective work!” He whined.

  Colossus looked at the curtain again. Longingly. “I don’t think so…” A thought occurred to him. “I’m not even set up you know. You can’t very well run a business out of an inn. We’ve got to get a place to live in and work out of before anything else.”

  Grimbledung frowned. “Rolton chips.” He took a sip of his drink. “That makes sense, I suppose.” Much to Colossus’ relief, he didn’t wave his hand over his head. “Well, once you get set up, let me know, alright?”

  “Sure thing,” lied Colossus. “You’ll be the first I tell.” Colossus took a sip of his drink. “Well, I think I should get upstairs.”

  “Sure, sure. Great idea, Colossus.” Grimbledung stood and pulled a silver coin from his belt pouch. “I need to get back to the shoppe.” He dropped the coin on the table, “I’ll talk to you later about this investigating of privates”. With a wave, he shuffled off.

  Colossus looked at the silver coin on the table. Considering they only drank four drinks, it was a pretty good tip. He shook his head. “What an oddball.” Colossus nursed his drink for the better part of a half an hour, hoping Chéri would return. When he finally finished his drink - one tiny sip at a time- he waved to the serving wench.

  “Paying or adding to the tab?”

  “That oddball left this.” He pointed at the silver coin.

  The serving wench sidled up in front of him. “Hey, he tips good,” said the Gnomess. She slid the coin off the table and into a hidden pocket in her apron. “You leave that crazy Gnome alone. He really doesn’t mean any harm, you know. And he’s really…”

  “Crazy?”

  “A good tipper.” She said again.

  Colossus looked at the server. “Well, Gnomess, that’s got to count for something. I suppose.”

  “It does when you work for tips. And in case you didn’t notice, he just bought drinks for one of the soldiers who was trying to burn this entire town to the ground and probably stick a bunch of its citizens on poles.” She pointed a finger at him threateningly. “So you leave my crazy, great tipping Grimbledung alone.” She deftly moved the empty mugs to her tray with one hand as she wiped off the table with a cloth in the other. “Or that’ll be the last drink you ever have in this place that’s safe to drink.” She leveled her eyes at the Halfling. “And, if my name isn’t Flora O. Willowfeet, you’ll find yourself on a pole. You got me?”

  “Sure?” Said Colossus, caught off guard by the unexpected threat from what until just a moment ago seemed to be a meek and dainty-looking Gnomess.

  “Some folk,” she muttered as she turned to leave.

  Colossus considered that as he walked back to his room. Grimbledung definitely treated him better than Colossus would have if the tables had been turned. Still; him as a partner? Not likely. Chéri? Definitely.

  Grimbledung pushed the door to the Duck Inn and Dine open and stepped into the sunlight just as Akita reached for the handle of the door. “Akita! You just missed drinks.”

  “They outta drinks?”

  “No, drinks with me. Best thing ever, you know.”

  Akita nodded. “I’ll take yer word for it. So, Julie talk to you?”

  “Sure!”

  “So what’d you say?”

  “About what?”

  “When Julie talked to you,” said Akita. He scowled at the Gnome. “Yer doing this on purpose, aren’t ya?”

  “Well, Julie talks to me all the time. Which time?”

  “This last time.”

  “I said ‘got it’ of course.”

  “What kind of answer is that?”

  “You doing this on purpose?” Grimbledung hopped back and forth. “She said ‘make sure you’re on your best behavior’ and I said ‘got it’ because I remembered that’s what I’m supposed to do when that Dwarfess who smells like lilacs come to the shoppe for a visit.”

  Akita did a double take. “Lilacs?”

  “I swear. Lilacs.”

  Akita shook his shoulders, letting it run down his back to the end of his tail. “I mean earlier today. She’s looking for someone to help her with a problem at the school.” Akita looked around suspiciously.

  So did Grimbledung.

  “She’s got a thievery problem and she needs someone to go undercover and figure out who’s doing it.”

  “Well, it’s not me doing the burgling.” Grimbledung put his hands on his hips. “I’m sure of it.”

  Akita growled. “No, you crazy Gnome; she’s gonna ask you to go undercover.”

  Grimbledung did a little hop. “What? Undercover work? You mean like investigating privately?”

  Akita narrowed his eyes. “I suppose.”

  “Wooo!” Grimbledung thrust his hands in the air and did a little jig. “My first job as a privates investigator.” He rubbed his hands together. “Oh, this will be great.”

  “I’m sorry I mentioned it…”

  “No, no,” Grimbledung shook Akita’s hand, “I’m just the Gnome for the job. So when’s Julie hiring me?”

  Akita shrugged his shoulders. “No idea. Prolly soon though. She’s going through wands like no one’s business.”

  “Well, I can’t imagine thievery is anyone’s business.” He waggled his ears. “Except thieves, that is.”

  Akita shook his head. “Now I really need a drink.” He took the door latch in his hand. “Talk to Julie,” he said as he opened the door.

  “Thanks Akita!” Grimbledung hugged the Constable. “You won’t be sorry!”

  “It’s too late for that.” Akita stepped into the doorway, “Let me know when you catch the little fiend or fiends.”

  “Oh, you’ll be the first to know after me and Big Julie, and the little thief, of course. And any witnesses that are around, and probably Drimblerod!” Still rubbing his hands together, Grimbledung moved off.

  “Maybe two drinks,” said Akita as the door slowly closed behind him.

  Chapter 22

  How I Gave Up Worrying About GrimbledungWolf

  (And Learned to Love Gnome Lycan)

  Nulu watched the interaction between Grimbledung and Akita as she walked toward her business. Seeing poor Akita’s body language, she was sure that Grimbledung was in top form today. Not wanting to get a dose of his antics so early in the day, she detoured to Maca’s shop. She had learned the hard way that just because Grimbledung left her tavern, it didn’t mean he would convince himself to return after a few minutes and drink more. Once she had even caught him arguing with himself in the middle of the street over the subject. He ended up accompanying her back to her establishment and spend the remainder of the day there helping wait tables. Nulu was sure that Flora was actually going to kill the unstable Gnome at one point.

  As Nulu got to the door, it opened for her. “Thanks,” she said out of habit. She was used to the door at Second-Hand Sorcery being friendly in its duties- Maca’s just opened silently and when she was in the shop, shut. The front of the shop was empty. “Anyone home?”

  Maca peeked over the top of the swinging half-doors that separated the sales area from her work area. “Back here, Nulu,” she said.

  “You busy?”

  Maca frowned. “Not anymore, it seems.” She smiled, “So come on back.”

  Nulu pushed past the swinging doors. Maca was already sitting on one of the stools next to her work table. She was back to frowning. “What’s wrong?”

  Maca pulled two glasses from a shelf that ran along the bottom of the table, “Well, you know I have been working on a potion to try and cure Grimbledung of his lycanthropy, right?”

  Nu
lu moved to a stool and sat in it. “Yep. How’s that going?”

  Maca pulled a bottle from under the table and poured the bright orange liquid into the two glasses.

  “Wow, if you’re drinking Melonchello this early in the day, it can’t be good.” Nulu picked up the glass. She smelled the drink- melons with just a hint of alcohol. “Is it that tricky of a potion?”

  Maca picked up her glass as well. “It is, actually. Lycanthropy binds to his host much like Vampirism does.” She took a sip of the drink. “Oftentimes, trying to cure someone of the disease ends up killing them. Or the potion ends up not working at all.” She took another sip. “Or the potion doesn’t even come together right.”

  Nulu downed her drink in one gulp. In her defense, glasses were practically the size of shot glasses to her. “So you can’t make it?” She poured herself another drink.

  Maca shook her head. “Oh no; I have it made.” She gestured toward a decanter filled with a purple liquid. There was smoke rising from the fluid. “It’s just airing out.”

  “So what’s wrong?”

  “If I give it to him, Grimbledung would be cured.” She downed the rest of her drink. “But Drimblerod would die.”

  Nulu leaned close and peered at the liquid. “So it would work?” She looked back at Maca- she was pouring herself another drink as well. “Wait, how would that potion kill Drimblerod?

  “As I was finishing the potion, I got this vision of it working.” She picked up her glass.

  “That’s helpful to know, right?.”

  Maca nodded. “Well sure. Especially with a tricky potion. I oftentimes get a flash of the future showing the effects a potion would have if I gave it to the subject.”

  Nulu looked down at her once again empty glass. She wasn’t sure if she should pour another. For a Trolless, bottles of anything were a single-serving. She used glasses just to be sociable. “So how would that harm Drimblerod?”

  Maca poured the Trolless another drink. “Well, what I saw was Grimbledung and Drimblerod in some sort of trouble...”

  “Trouble where?” Interrupted Nulu.