I should have known better really. The nation of Zilargo is full of gnomes all dressed in big hats, outlandishly colored, garish clothes. Gyger wore drab brown, unusual for a Zil. I should have guessed something was up.
Bynara was waiting for me, looking unhappy. She was striking a sunrod, filling the dark space with illumination. She was also stooping, the room was gnome sized.
I landed amongst a pile of cloth stacks that formed a makeshift landing area. The only exit was gnome sized leading out into a darkened passage. Large enough for us to walk through stooping, we wouldnt break any speed records.
Ahead we saw a faint light moving away from us, it distance hard to gauge. By's hand went to her weapon as she started to move.
"Careful" I offered, "we dont want to kill him."
"If I bang my head on that corridor too many times," Byanara said already moving away, "Ill gut him like a fish."
We half duck walked as fast as we could in pursuit of the faint light. The corridor remained straight for perhaps 100 feet, then abruptly turned to the left. It emptied into a larger tunnel, a kind of roundish drainage tube. Ankle deep running water covered the tunnels floor.
Gyger was ahead not 30 feet away. He was fumbling with a key to a heavy metal door. Bynara ran at him quickly, splashing. I followed. "Gyger stop! We just want to talk!"
Dont hurt him too badly Bynara I thought as water splashed up my leg.
Gyger lunged quickly away from the door, his time up. By dived to tackle him but missed. As she sputtered to rise, the gnome feinted toward me. I took a position to block him and stop him from running down the other end of the tunnel. Gyger bandished his feeble little lantern like a weapon, but kept a distance.
"Wait, Bynara!" She ignored me and went for a tackle again. She got a hand on him, but the gnome managed to wriggle away. Gyger size was working to his advantage, and he kept away from me.
"We dont want to hurt you" I said trying to reason, "we just want to talk!" I could see anger growing on Bynara's face. She dropped the sunrod, and circled to get position and trap Gyger in a corner. She was going to shift, Id bet the farm on it.
"I dont have anything of value." Gyger said in a pleading voice. "I've done nothing wrong...and and I'll sell to Brody if he wants."
Huh?
We were getting nowhere. I motioned for Bynara to hold. I cast Command. Gyger had no place to run, but began to dash like a wild animal. He dropped his lantern in the water.
But the spell succeded.
"Halt." Gyger did and Bynara grabbed up the gnome with an evil laugh.
He came to his senses soon enough. Bynara held him and I began to search him.
"Why'd you run? We just want to know about Hennet." I found a small keyring and, tucked rather akwardly in the suits outside coat pocket- a black scroll case.
"Nonono, please" Gyger pleaded "Ill give you money leave the scrolls, dont open it, dont rob me,no."
"Stop whimpering idiot" Bynara snarled, rapping him on the head with her knuckles.
Now of course when someone tells you not to touch something or look at something the opposite usually happens. I should know better. Here I am, a member of a House and a fine profession. I should have left it.
But did I? No.
"Leave it be, Calib." Bynara commanded, "give me a hand with this fish, lets go back upstairs."
I opened the case, nodding. There was an inner case made of brass. There were raised words shaped on the brass surface. It looked old and quite well crafted. The words looked painted in dark black. Despite myself I formed the words written there in my mind......
Bynara sniffed in the blackness next to me. "I might be able to get out of these bonds, its just rope. I wonder were we are?"
I didnt answer. Someone, somewhere on the other side of the darkness was opening a door.