Sapphire Crescent by Thomas M. Reid Page B

looking at Junce.
    The rogue chuckled.
    “We followed Vambran Matrell today after he went to the watch headquarters to meet with Captain Leguay,” Junce explained, flopping down onto the chair once more. “When she didn’t give him any satisfaction, he left in a huff. The priest read his thoughts and discovered that Vambran seems to think he has a way of finding our phony watchmen. He seemed to have some notion of tracking down a dagger.”
    Bartimus frowned.
    “Of course, I suppose that’s possible, assuming that he knows of a particular dagger to track. Certainly, there are ways to do it, both arcane methods and divine incantations,” he said. “But that wasn’t something I would assume he had the capability to utilize, since first and foremost, he would need this dagger to be familiar, and secondly—”
    “Enough,” Grozier interrupted wearily. “I don’t care how likely it is that he can do it. The fact is, he seems confident that he can. In those situations, I tend to trust that he knows what he’s talking—er, rather, thinking—about. The question we should be asking ourselves is, what do we do about it? I don’t intend to let the fate of all my planning rest in his hands,” the merchant said, nodding toward the door where the
    “Me?” Bartimus yelped, taking a step back. “I can’t—oh, wait. You want something else.” He began to think about his repertoire of magic. “There are a number of different things I might try. Let’s see,” he said, beginning to mentally tick off possibilities. “I could—”
    “I don’t want the details,” Grozier said impatiently. “Just come up with something suitably nasty that’s certain to deal with everyone.” The merchant was nodding then, a pleased look on his face. “Yes. If our nosy little mercenary lieutenant slips through Junce’s ambush and still wants to track down his favorite dagger, we’ll just let him. That should solve our problems just fine.”
    • • •
    As usual, the Temple of Waukeen in Arrabar was bustling with activity when Vambran arrived. The building itself soared from the middle of a vast open lawn, a great rounded structure capped by a massive dome and surrounded by various towers that were all topped with sweeping, majestic spires, each one taller than the next and reaching skyward. All of their various surfaces were etched in gold inlay and precious gems, some of the stones large enough to glitter brightly even when viewed from several blocks away. No expense had ever been spared in the construction of the temple, and its expansion continued even then, as more and more space was needed to house the new priests who pledged their lives to the Merchant’s Friend each day.
    Vambran bypassed all of it with barely a glance, for he had seen it many times before, and truly, such a display of wealth did not impart the same impression upon him that it would most others. Still, he was surprised by the amount of new construction going up on the grounds. He gazed at the scaffolding where
    of his superior, Kovrim Lazelle, who was in charge of many of the business-related activities of the Sapphire Crescent. Vambran and Kovrim would spend the morning together going over the business details and financial documentation of the lieutenant’s company’s most recent excursion, to Aglarond and Sembia. Vambran was certain Kovrim already knew that Lady’s Favor was in port. In fact, the older priest had most likely already ordered its cargo unloaded. Once he and Vambran went over the manifests together, the goods would be put up for sale in temple-owned shops and stalls throughout the city and in the bazaar. Vambran’s visit promised to be filled with tedious but necessary paperwork, but he was looking forward to the day nonetheless. Uncle Kovrim was also family, the lieutenant’s mother’s brother.
    The lieutenant climbed a circling staircase that spiraled just inside the main outer wall of one of the towers, rising a couple of levels and