too much about my vote.
If I am to help the Princess I’ll need Cicerius to open a few doors for me. While we are discussing arrangements, we are interrupted by the arrival of a Captain from Palace Security.
“Praetor Cicerius,” he says, “I have a warrant here for the arrest of your son, Cerius.”
The Praetor masks his outrage, and demands quite coldly to know the reason why.
“A charge of importing dwa,” says the Captain. He shows Cicerius and Cerius his warrant then puts his hand on Cerius’s shoulder. Cicerius is left speechless as his son is led away. It’s a cruel stroke and a well-timed one by his rival Rittius. Praetor Cicerius has just lost his family and the election at the same time.
I walk up to him. “Hire me,” I say. “I’ll help your son.”
Cicerius glares at me with increasing loathing before marching swiftly out of the room.
“Only trying to help,” I say to the servant as he guides me out.
It’s around two in the morning when I arrive back at the Avenging Axe. I’m fairly sober, sober enough to avoid stepping on the drunks and desolates who litter the night-time streets, or tripping over the wreckage that’s still piled up after the riot. I have a headache. I’m tired. I can’t stand any more aggravation. When I reach my room it has again been wrecked.
I stare at the incredible mess with dumb fury. Every piece of furniture has been reduced to matchwood and everything I own is strewn over the floor. Who is behind this? Whoever it is I swear an oath to run them through and dance on their remains.
Makri’s a light sleeper. She’s woken by my cursing and appears with a sword in her hand. She’s naked.
“Shouldn’t you get dressed before you challenge intruders?”
“What for? They’d be dead before they noticed I wasn’t wearing anything. What’s going on?”
“My room’s been wrecked again,” I say, needlessly. Makri offers me the use of her couch. I shake my head.
“I wasn’t planning on sleeping yet. I’m still working. And I need you to come and speak Orcish. Cicerius has arranged for me to see the dragonkeeper.”
“Now?”
“Has to be. If things get any worse for Cicerius he might not have enough influence to even get me into the zoo.”
“How come?”
“His son just got arrested for dealing dwa. But that’s his problem, he doesn’t want any help from me. I’m working for the Princess again. I’ll explain on the way.”
Makri nods, and departs to get dressed. She loads up with weapons and I don’t object. On our way back to the Palace I fill her in with the details.
“Princess Du-Akai claims she’s innocent. She admits she was going to cut open the dragon to get the Red Elvish Cloth. Which is why she wanted the sleep spell originally. I asked her if she’d got the spell back but she denied it. That’s why she had the dwa, to try drugging the beast. Anyway, someone beat her to it. So when the King and his retinue walked in and found her and Strongman Brex standing beside the dead dragon with an axe and a big bag of dwa it naturally looked suspicious.”
“Naturally. Where did she get the dwa?”
“She stole it from the apartments of her brother Prince Frisen-Akan, though she didn’t tell the King that. He doesn’t know what a degenerate his oldest son is. I reckon the King might have tried to hush it up about her killing the dragon but Senator Lodius was there on official business. Naturally he started raising a scandal right away.”
“So what are we going to do?”
“Find out who really killed the dragon before the Princess is dragged in front of the special Royal Judiciary and sentenced to life in a nunnery. You see I was right about the Elvish Cloth, Makri, even if no one else realises. It was inside the dragon. Find that and we’ll find the killer. Maybe the killer of Attilan as well.”
“Are you hired for that?”
“Not exactly. But Turai badly needs to produce a culprit. Nioj is raising hell about it. Cicerius
If I am to help the Princess I’ll need Cicerius to open a few doors for me. While we are discussing arrangements, we are interrupted by the arrival of a Captain from Palace Security.
“Praetor Cicerius,” he says, “I have a warrant here for the arrest of your son, Cerius.”
The Praetor masks his outrage, and demands quite coldly to know the reason why.
“A charge of importing dwa,” says the Captain. He shows Cicerius and Cerius his warrant then puts his hand on Cerius’s shoulder. Cicerius is left speechless as his son is led away. It’s a cruel stroke and a well-timed one by his rival Rittius. Praetor Cicerius has just lost his family and the election at the same time.
I walk up to him. “Hire me,” I say. “I’ll help your son.”
Cicerius glares at me with increasing loathing before marching swiftly out of the room.
“Only trying to help,” I say to the servant as he guides me out.
It’s around two in the morning when I arrive back at the Avenging Axe. I’m fairly sober, sober enough to avoid stepping on the drunks and desolates who litter the night-time streets, or tripping over the wreckage that’s still piled up after the riot. I have a headache. I’m tired. I can’t stand any more aggravation. When I reach my room it has again been wrecked.
I stare at the incredible mess with dumb fury. Every piece of furniture has been reduced to matchwood and everything I own is strewn over the floor. Who is behind this? Whoever it is I swear an oath to run them through and dance on their remains.
Makri’s a light sleeper. She’s woken by my cursing and appears with a sword in her hand. She’s naked.
“Shouldn’t you get dressed before you challenge intruders?”
“What for? They’d be dead before they noticed I wasn’t wearing anything. What’s going on?”
“My room’s been wrecked again,” I say, needlessly. Makri offers me the use of her couch. I shake my head.
“I wasn’t planning on sleeping yet. I’m still working. And I need you to come and speak Orcish. Cicerius has arranged for me to see the dragonkeeper.”
“Now?”
“Has to be. If things get any worse for Cicerius he might not have enough influence to even get me into the zoo.”
“How come?”
“His son just got arrested for dealing dwa. But that’s his problem, he doesn’t want any help from me. I’m working for the Princess again. I’ll explain on the way.”
Makri nods, and departs to get dressed. She loads up with weapons and I don’t object. On our way back to the Palace I fill her in with the details.
“Princess Du-Akai claims she’s innocent. She admits she was going to cut open the dragon to get the Red Elvish Cloth. Which is why she wanted the sleep spell originally. I asked her if she’d got the spell back but she denied it. That’s why she had the dwa, to try drugging the beast. Anyway, someone beat her to it. So when the King and his retinue walked in and found her and Strongman Brex standing beside the dead dragon with an axe and a big bag of dwa it naturally looked suspicious.”
“Naturally. Where did she get the dwa?”
“She stole it from the apartments of her brother Prince Frisen-Akan, though she didn’t tell the King that. He doesn’t know what a degenerate his oldest son is. I reckon the King might have tried to hush it up about her killing the dragon but Senator Lodius was there on official business. Naturally he started raising a scandal right away.”
“So what are we going to do?”
“Find out who really killed the dragon before the Princess is dragged in front of the special Royal Judiciary and sentenced to life in a nunnery. You see I was right about the Elvish Cloth, Makri, even if no one else realises. It was inside the dragon. Find that and we’ll find the killer. Maybe the killer of Attilan as well.”
“Are you hired for that?”
“Not exactly. But Turai badly needs to produce a culprit. Nioj is raising hell about it. Cicerius
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