talien
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Gangs of Freeport: Conclusion
After a hike through the Fortress of Justice that took Vlad through the imposing main gates and past the notorious Courts, he was brought to the second story of a large stone building. A heavy wooden door, banded in bronze, stood before him, and a commanding voice calls out for him to enter.
Within was a spacious office. A heavy oaken desk sat on the far corner, cluttered with piles of paper too organized to be called “heaps,” yet not neat enough to qualify as “stacks.” Weapons of all manner and make hung from the walls. Some gleamed as if purchased from the smith only the day before, while others were little more than solid rust, held together by sheer force of habit.
Behind the desk stood a man of average height and solid build. Though graying strands amidst his black hair and beard betrayed the onset of middle age, he still boasted the physique and the carriage of a seasoned warrior. Even inside, though he wore no armor, he carried at his belt the heavy “smashstick” mace that had become the unofficial emblem of the Guard.
He bid Vlad welcome in a voice that, when raised, could carry clear across a parade ground or battlefield. “Please take a seat,” he offered, indicating a chair before his desk. “I am Commissioner Xander Williams. My guards tell me you have information regarding the current crime wave. I would be delighted to hear it.”
“You already know about Price,” said Vlad. “What you don’t know is that Dutch Tillinghast was behind it all. He was importing the ingredients for Ghoul Juice from an island,” he slid a map over to the commissioner. “There’s a shipment due tomorrow, five thousand pearls, in exchange for the ingredient in Ghoul Juice, essence ingots.”
Williams leaned back in his chair and stroked his beard, his eyes worried. “This is far worse than I had thought,” he admitted. “I knew that only an alliance of gangs could result in the level of crime we’ve been seeing, but it never occurred to me that someone from the outside might be taking over all of them. We’ve got to stop them.” The commissioner shook his head sadly. “Alas, even knowing what I now know, I fear I may be able to do little about it.” His gaze suddenly became intent. “Would you be willing to help us out?”
Vlad smiled. “I will see this through to the end. My companions have been cleared of all charges?”
Williams nodded. “Even Kham. Technically, it was a life sentence. The official record has him as dead.” A slow smile crept over William’s face. “So I don’t see any reason to amend it. So long as he lies low, we’ve no reason to press charges. Your other friends will be likewise cleared of any wrongdoing, including that unfortunate incident with Coombs’ bombs.”
Vlad nodded. “Good.” He stood up.
“One moment, before you leave.” Commissioner Williams lifted a handful of papers off his desk—clearly, despite the chaotic appearance, he knew exactly where everything was—and removed several prewritten forms. He snagged a quill from a drawer, signed and dated the forms, and handed them over to Vlad. “These are official invitations to meet with me again,” he said. “Simply display them to the gate guards next time you’re here, and they’ll show you right in.”
Vlad took the papers. “I’ll return with the essence ingots and stop this Ghoul Juice problem once and for all.”
“There’s one thing I find strange,” said Williams. “You went into the house where the ssanu were, but you never mentioned what you found. And yet you knew all about Tillinghast’s plans…”
Vlad blinked. He didn’t remember what happened. He just remembered an all-consuming need to apprehend Tillinghast. If the ssanu had done something to him, they hadn’t let him retain the memory.
“My men searched the place. We didn’t find a thing. It was wiped clean. No bodies, nothing. If you ever remember something from that day, use those invitations and we’ll talk, okay?”
Vlad shut the door behind him.
After a hike through the Fortress of Justice that took Vlad through the imposing main gates and past the notorious Courts, he was brought to the second story of a large stone building. A heavy wooden door, banded in bronze, stood before him, and a commanding voice calls out for him to enter.
Within was a spacious office. A heavy oaken desk sat on the far corner, cluttered with piles of paper too organized to be called “heaps,” yet not neat enough to qualify as “stacks.” Weapons of all manner and make hung from the walls. Some gleamed as if purchased from the smith only the day before, while others were little more than solid rust, held together by sheer force of habit.
Behind the desk stood a man of average height and solid build. Though graying strands amidst his black hair and beard betrayed the onset of middle age, he still boasted the physique and the carriage of a seasoned warrior. Even inside, though he wore no armor, he carried at his belt the heavy “smashstick” mace that had become the unofficial emblem of the Guard.
He bid Vlad welcome in a voice that, when raised, could carry clear across a parade ground or battlefield. “Please take a seat,” he offered, indicating a chair before his desk. “I am Commissioner Xander Williams. My guards tell me you have information regarding the current crime wave. I would be delighted to hear it.”
“You already know about Price,” said Vlad. “What you don’t know is that Dutch Tillinghast was behind it all. He was importing the ingredients for Ghoul Juice from an island,” he slid a map over to the commissioner. “There’s a shipment due tomorrow, five thousand pearls, in exchange for the ingredient in Ghoul Juice, essence ingots.”
Williams leaned back in his chair and stroked his beard, his eyes worried. “This is far worse than I had thought,” he admitted. “I knew that only an alliance of gangs could result in the level of crime we’ve been seeing, but it never occurred to me that someone from the outside might be taking over all of them. We’ve got to stop them.” The commissioner shook his head sadly. “Alas, even knowing what I now know, I fear I may be able to do little about it.” His gaze suddenly became intent. “Would you be willing to help us out?”
Vlad smiled. “I will see this through to the end. My companions have been cleared of all charges?”
Williams nodded. “Even Kham. Technically, it was a life sentence. The official record has him as dead.” A slow smile crept over William’s face. “So I don’t see any reason to amend it. So long as he lies low, we’ve no reason to press charges. Your other friends will be likewise cleared of any wrongdoing, including that unfortunate incident with Coombs’ bombs.”
Vlad nodded. “Good.” He stood up.
“One moment, before you leave.” Commissioner Williams lifted a handful of papers off his desk—clearly, despite the chaotic appearance, he knew exactly where everything was—and removed several prewritten forms. He snagged a quill from a drawer, signed and dated the forms, and handed them over to Vlad. “These are official invitations to meet with me again,” he said. “Simply display them to the gate guards next time you’re here, and they’ll show you right in.”
Vlad took the papers. “I’ll return with the essence ingots and stop this Ghoul Juice problem once and for all.”
“There’s one thing I find strange,” said Williams. “You went into the house where the ssanu were, but you never mentioned what you found. And yet you knew all about Tillinghast’s plans…”
Vlad blinked. He didn’t remember what happened. He just remembered an all-consuming need to apprehend Tillinghast. If the ssanu had done something to him, they hadn’t let him retain the memory.
“My men searched the place. We didn’t find a thing. It was wiped clean. No bodies, nothing. If you ever remember something from that day, use those invitations and we’ll talk, okay?”
Vlad shut the door behind him.
