Crap, I thought and slammed the door closed. I turned to flee but I
heard the door open behind me and someone grabbed me by the arm.
"Hold on there", said a firm voice in New Pelorian albeit in an
uncouth accent, "I mean you no harm." I turned, somewhat mollified by
the sound of my native tongue. Mind you most of the people who have
tried to kill me over the years have spoken New Pelorian so I wasn't
as calm as I could be. Actually, the uncouth accent helped since it
probably wasn't a Lunar who had me. When I'd finished turning I saw
that my captor was another one of the local bright boys. He must have
been rather important though since he had two sheathed shortswords at
his waist. Must be a registered weapon master. He gestured behind
him into my room. How gracious of him.
I entered my room and saw that the scales I'd seen belonged to a small dragonewt. Great, first ducks, now dragonewts, what next newtlings? My "guest" gestured for me to sit on my own chair which with as graceful a bow as I could manage I did. "Who the hell are you?" I asked rather testily, it had been a long day after all. He sat down on my bed after lighting the lantern. This allowed me to get a better look at him. He seemed fairly fit though definitely middle-aged. His clothes was subtle though expensive and I suspected that I knew who he was after all.
"My name is Lord Belvani. I understand you're investigating the
murder of Cressidus Silvercloak." I wasn't really in the mood for a
game of the Goddess Knows You so I decided to be blunt. "You bloody
well know I am. What's it to you?" Belvani shook his head and
smirked sardonically. "So rude," more damned heading shaking,
"Where's the refinement I expect from a citizen of the great Lunar
Empire?" "Bugger that," I replied. He shook his head and smiled some
more. "What now, a beating?" I asked. He pretended to look shocked
and said, "No, no of course not. Actually I've been asked by Count
Solanthos to help you with your investigations."
"What!?! How in Sheng Solaris' prison hell did Count Solanthos hear
about it already?" We both spat reflexively at my inadvertent mention
of the dread name, he must have spent quite some time among Lunars to
have picked that habit up. "Or more accurately, how could he have
both heard and sent you. Sun County isn't that close!" He shrugged
and looked somewhat sheepish, "Well he has heard by now I'd imagine
and I'm certain that he would want me to help you out." This I had
trouble believing. "He would want you to help me investigate would
he? Out of some heart-felt love for us Lunars, right." We both
laughed at that one, Count Solanthos being a notorious Lunar hater.
"More likely that he'd want to pin the murder on us Lunars". Belvani
shrugged. All this time his lizard had just stood there staring at me
unblinkingly, creeping me out. "Take my offer or reject it. It is a
serious offer. And I do flatter myself that I have some influence and
status in the Solar community."
It was my turn to shake my head, resignedly though. "Oh, all right.
I accept. Now take your damn lizard and go. I need my beauty sleep."
"You'll get no argument from me," he replied, "I'll be back after
first light tomorrow to pick you up so we can start our
investigation." He bowed, made some hand gesture to his lizard who
ducked out the door ahead of him and left, whistling an appallingly
rude ditty I recognized about the Emperor and the conjoined triplets.
hate people who have to get the last word in.
To be continued.
Oliver
Powered by hypermail