Cerebral Paladin
First Post
They mulled it over for some time, trying without success to come up with a new plan. But within twenty minutes, Kit held up her hand. “I’m getting another message. There’s more talk of platinum.”
<<My lady… I have found another place where platinum has been spent. In the lower market, considerable spending in the stalls. It is the talk of the shopkeepers. He refused all change.>>
<<What did he buy?>>
<<He purchased a donkey, two cows, bolt of cloth, some candy, and tipped a bard--well, a singer, perhaps bard is too much--a platinum as well. All this was yesterday evening.>>
<<Can you tell us any more details? We might be able to find those animals.>>
<<Oh, yes, lady, I discovered as much as I could about the animals.>>
<<Excellent. Give me their descriptions.>>
<<Thank you, lady, your good dog serves lady,>> the mind simpered, reveling in Kit’s praise. It then passed on detailed descriptions of the animals, which Kit relayed to the Farsensor.
“Can you scry based on those descriptions?”
“A small matter. They are in a stone building, with no windows, with some other cows and some sheep. There is dead grass on the ground.”
“Probably feed,” commented Kit.
The Eldar looked vaguely horrified, but kept his opinion to himself. “There is brackish water nearby, in a trough. And now a door opens. A human man, with the signs of age that you get so young, has entered. He wears gray robes and the sun disc of Glor’diadel, and he carries a bucket.”
“We need to look at a map,” said Alistair. “We may be able to figure out where the assassin is going based on his route.” They quickly adjourned to the map room, where Alistair unrolled a large map of the City, perhaps a yard on a side. “He started out here, in the southeast of the City, and then moved north to the markets. The animals are in a temple or monastery, probably near the market… perhaps the monastery of the Brothers of the Hope of Dawn, in the Middle City? So the question is where he’s headed now… he may be heading in towards us now.”
“I’m getting another message,” interrupted Kit.
<<Lady… does giving away platinum count?>>
<<Yes!>>
<<Then he gave at the Church of St. Agatha this morning. The priests and vestry were very surprised to see platinum in the offering-- they rarely see gold in that church.>>
“He was at the Church of St. Agatha this morning,” said Kit, pointing at the map.
“So he’s still heading north, and the Brothers of the Hope of Dawn were just a detour,” deduced Alistair. “The question is where he will head now, since he’s at the north wall of the Outer City. Perhaps he’ll turn east, and continue around the Outer City?”
“If he does, the next church that he would be likely to reach is St. Areata’s,” noted Dame Brionna.
“Farsensor-- could you watch that Church? If he passes through there, we may have the chance to catch him.”
“What are these large buildings in the northeast of the City?” asked Kit. “They have no label on the key.”
“That’s because they are sealed up buildings, owned by private merchant houses. One of my ancestors built them as barracks to house and train a large military force in the City, but then that plan was cancelled and they were sold to merchant houses, presumably for use as warehouses. But ownership disputes broke out, and the courts are still occupied trying to sort everything out, with multiple sales, inheritances, and so forth. So they sit empty.”
“Or at least officially empty. In my experience, unless they are guarded, ‘empty’ buildings don’t stay that way long. Plus, that would offer plenty of space for an assassin to set up a safehouse.” Kit snapped open her fan with a flick of her wrist and concentrated for a minute or so. “I’ve sent two of my people who I have mental links with to search those buildings. They’ll bring along a couple of friends to cover them more quickly. As it is, it will still take them a while.”
“Good.”
The Farsensor said, “There are a few dozen people at the Church of St. Areata. This must be one of the major daily services?”
“Yes, the service of Sunheight,” said Dame Brionna. “Usually the most heavily attended service of the day, although of slightly less liturgical significance than the Dawn service.”
“But I do not see the one for whom we seek. Perhaps he has gone elsewhere?”
“Please keep watching for the time being,” said Alistair. “It’s possible that he will come after the service is over.”
“As you wish.”
The Council waited for the better part of a half-hour, trying to calm their nerves as they hoped for more news.
<<My lady… I have found another place where platinum has been spent. In the lower market, considerable spending in the stalls. It is the talk of the shopkeepers. He refused all change.>>
<<What did he buy?>>
<<He purchased a donkey, two cows, bolt of cloth, some candy, and tipped a bard--well, a singer, perhaps bard is too much--a platinum as well. All this was yesterday evening.>>
<<Can you tell us any more details? We might be able to find those animals.>>
<<Oh, yes, lady, I discovered as much as I could about the animals.>>
<<Excellent. Give me their descriptions.>>
<<Thank you, lady, your good dog serves lady,>> the mind simpered, reveling in Kit’s praise. It then passed on detailed descriptions of the animals, which Kit relayed to the Farsensor.
“Can you scry based on those descriptions?”
“A small matter. They are in a stone building, with no windows, with some other cows and some sheep. There is dead grass on the ground.”
“Probably feed,” commented Kit.
The Eldar looked vaguely horrified, but kept his opinion to himself. “There is brackish water nearby, in a trough. And now a door opens. A human man, with the signs of age that you get so young, has entered. He wears gray robes and the sun disc of Glor’diadel, and he carries a bucket.”
“We need to look at a map,” said Alistair. “We may be able to figure out where the assassin is going based on his route.” They quickly adjourned to the map room, where Alistair unrolled a large map of the City, perhaps a yard on a side. “He started out here, in the southeast of the City, and then moved north to the markets. The animals are in a temple or monastery, probably near the market… perhaps the monastery of the Brothers of the Hope of Dawn, in the Middle City? So the question is where he’s headed now… he may be heading in towards us now.”
“I’m getting another message,” interrupted Kit.
<<Lady… does giving away platinum count?>>
<<Yes!>>
<<Then he gave at the Church of St. Agatha this morning. The priests and vestry were very surprised to see platinum in the offering-- they rarely see gold in that church.>>
“He was at the Church of St. Agatha this morning,” said Kit, pointing at the map.
“So he’s still heading north, and the Brothers of the Hope of Dawn were just a detour,” deduced Alistair. “The question is where he will head now, since he’s at the north wall of the Outer City. Perhaps he’ll turn east, and continue around the Outer City?”
“If he does, the next church that he would be likely to reach is St. Areata’s,” noted Dame Brionna.
“Farsensor-- could you watch that Church? If he passes through there, we may have the chance to catch him.”
“What are these large buildings in the northeast of the City?” asked Kit. “They have no label on the key.”
“That’s because they are sealed up buildings, owned by private merchant houses. One of my ancestors built them as barracks to house and train a large military force in the City, but then that plan was cancelled and they were sold to merchant houses, presumably for use as warehouses. But ownership disputes broke out, and the courts are still occupied trying to sort everything out, with multiple sales, inheritances, and so forth. So they sit empty.”
“Or at least officially empty. In my experience, unless they are guarded, ‘empty’ buildings don’t stay that way long. Plus, that would offer plenty of space for an assassin to set up a safehouse.” Kit snapped open her fan with a flick of her wrist and concentrated for a minute or so. “I’ve sent two of my people who I have mental links with to search those buildings. They’ll bring along a couple of friends to cover them more quickly. As it is, it will still take them a while.”
“Good.”
The Farsensor said, “There are a few dozen people at the Church of St. Areata. This must be one of the major daily services?”
“Yes, the service of Sunheight,” said Dame Brionna. “Usually the most heavily attended service of the day, although of slightly less liturgical significance than the Dawn service.”
“But I do not see the one for whom we seek. Perhaps he has gone elsewhere?”
“Please keep watching for the time being,” said Alistair. “It’s possible that he will come after the service is over.”
“As you wish.”
The Council waited for the better part of a half-hour, trying to calm their nerves as they hoped for more news.
Enjoy!
