Privateer

Muld runs into trouble

27.

Privateer

 

It wasn’t so much a need to change clothes that had fueled his decision to leave the palace as much as it was a desire to try to clear his head from everything, at least for a short while.

The city was more alive now that there were streetlights, but he felt safe enough as he hurried eastward down the main boulevard toward the guild’s buildings on the other side of town.

Syndi was still troubling him, but it was a mixture of pleasure and fear that swirled around in his mind.    He had felt so close to her in the bathhouse, and he was sure that she felt that as well.   But where would that lead them?    She had told him that her definition of  Aleiryid was more of a bond of friendship at a level that seemed very difficult to define or understand.     On one hand she was pushing him back from physical intimacy, but had seemed to enjoy their physical contact in the bathhouse.

Perhaps it was intimacy of a sexual nature that she feared, or the danger of one developing with him.    Maybe she just wasn’t physically attracted to him, but was drawn to him mentally or spiritually.    That would certainly account for the mixed signals she was giving him.

He wasn’t sure exactly what he should do.   While their encounter at the Bathhouse had not had any obvious sexual overtones, he was certainly attracted to her in that way.   Not that he would dare act on that desire, for he had no experience in romance and the thought of ‘making a move’ on someone who did not feel the same way toward him was too embarrassing and awkward for him to consider even in his wildest fantasy.

It was much better to conceal his feelings and try his best to mimic the platonic Aleiryid that she felt.    But what would he do if she became attracted to another man, and yet felt completely comfortable to tell him all about her desire for this man and seek his opinions and suggestions?    How would a potential boyfriend view her close friendship with him?   Was that even possible?   

 

The thoughts tormented him as he walked across town in the cool evening air.     He was still investigating all the frustrating possibilities when he reached his destination.    As he fumbled for his key, he was alarmed to find that the door to the main guild building was unlocked and slightly ajar.

Then he remembered that Matron Zeatt had told him that she had sent someone here for one of his spellbooks.     But why in the world wouldn’t the night watchman lock his door back?

Unless…

His senses tense for any sound, he slowly pushed the door open, then cautiously slipped inside.

He had taken only two steps before he felt a hand across his mouth and the point of a dagger against his neck.

“Scream or move and I’ll slit your neck, savvy?"   A ruff voice whispered in his ear.     Out of the darkness of the warehouse, five forms surrounded him with weapons drawn.

“Now, who are you and why are you here?”   The voice demanded, removing the hand from his mouth.

Muld’s mind was already deep in an answer, for he knew at once that it was some of Hobnail’s pirates that were creeping around his building.

“I’m Zillom Lum, I am one of the guild casters.    Listen, I was after the bounty too!”

“What bounty?”   The man holding the tip against his throat asked.

“The bounty on Muld Mozzil’s head that Hobnail posted.”

“How would you know about that, mate?”

“I overheard a bounty hunter talking about it in a bar to a barmaid, a few days ago.    I don’t owe him or his guild any loyalty after how they’ve worked me to death!    I didn’t get the pay raise he promised when he hired me, either!    He was such a skinflint.”

“Was?”   The pirate asked.

“You haven’t heard?”

“Heard what?”   He poked Muld’s throat slightly, to reinforce that he was not in any mood for playing games.

“He went with his managers on his ship to the Losasidhe capital to deliver cannons.    Hobnail set a trap for him, but he evaded it.    Then the pirates had him poisoned.     I just came from The Muddy Boot, and one of the off duty palace guards said that the Losasidhe king contacted Eleazar to tell him that Muld Mozzil had succumbed to the poison after being in a coma for a day.”

“He’s dead?    You’re sure that was what you heard?”

“That’s what the guard said.    So I figured that I’d break in here before the king seizes all of his property for himself.     You see, ol’ Muld promised me not only a raise after working here two months, but also an old beat-up pair of Boots of the Elvenkind which I really wanted.     I figured I’d take those since they were due me anyway, and maybe see if I can find any money or something to sell to get my wages, then I’d head back to East Point.   They don’t keep gold here though, so I doubt I’d get my pay, but at least I could get the boots they promised to me.”

The tip of the dagger loosened slightly.    “You came here for a lousy pair of boots and a few gold pieces?”

“Well, yeah, I didn’t want the night watch to find me in here looting.   So are you some of Hobnail’s men?”

“Maybe we are, maybe we’re not.”

“I have no problem with that.    Is Hobnail with you?”

Out of the shadows stepped a particularly mean looking dwarf with a dirty red beard, wearing huge boots with large metal studs attached to them.   He glared at Muld, and then slowly came up to him.

“You ask too many questions, elf.”   The dwarf growled.

“Are you Captain Hobnail?”   Muld tried to sound excited.

“Maybe I am, maybe I’m not.  Maybe I’m his brother, or his son, or even a decoy.   Hobnail is everywhere!    Hobnail is everyone and everything!”

There came a chorus of crude laughter from the shadows surrounding him.

The dwarf grabbed Muld by the collar of his robe and pulled him down close to his nose, “You wouldn’t be lying to me, would you elf?”

“No sir!    I’m only here for the boots, sir!    I know a way that you can take all the canons and all the loot you want and not have to carry it back to your ship.”

“What ship is that, boy?”   The dwarf growled.

“I know you’ve got one nearby.   You probably have a launch hover boat sitting on the roof, don’t you?     If you let me live and allow me to take the boots, I’ll show you an easy way to take the cannons to your ship in one trip without making any noise.”

“Don’t you even think about trying to trick me, elf, or me and my boys will gut you like a pig and by Hell we’ll cook your skinny bones and eat you!”

“All I want are my boots, sir.”

“Where are they?”

“He has them in a display case in the guild break room.”

“Then take us there and let me see these boots.”    The dwarf’s human companions pulled Muld’s hands behind his back, then pushed him forward, while others drew their swords and formed a circle around him, blocking any thought of escape.

Muld just internally calmed himself, but to look --externally-- wide-eyed in fear and respect of the pirates.   He bowed his head and let them push him roughly down the hallway, then into the break room.    Apparently they had a good knowledge of the layout of the place.

“It’s over there.”   He pointed with his head at a glass display case against the wall opposite to the double doors of the break room.  Next to the case was another door which Muld prayed they wouldn’t be curious enough to ask about.

With his hands still bound, they led him up to it and released him.

“Go ahead and break it yourself.   No tricks, elf, for your life is in our hands.”

“I don’t have anything to break the glass with.”

A hand came out of the darkness holding a dagger with a hard diamond-shaped pommel and slapped it into his hand.

“Thank you,” Muld mumbled and smashed the pommel into the glass of the case, breaking it.    The pirates paused, expecting some sort of arcane defense to activate.     Nothing happened, but as they waited, Muld quickly slipped out of the Losasidhe slippers he wore and into the old rough looking boots.

The dwarf and his companions completely circled Muld, ready for an escape attempt.    But Muld had a far different plan, for the boots were not mere magic Elven boots.

He slowly put the boots on, and flexed his toes as if trying to get the feel for them.    They quickly adjusted magically to perfectly fit his feet, but he didn’t let them know that.

“Alright, elf, we’ve given you the damned boots, now show us how to move the cannons and loot.”

Muld smiled as if intimidated by them, yet desperate to please them so they would spare him.

“Follow me, gentlemen,”  He said and he led them back down the hallway and through a pair of double doors.   They continued to surround him closely, and as his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, he could see there were about half a dozen of them.    They all had weapons drawn and had positioned themselves so that at least one of them would be able to react against him if he tried any sudden move.

As soon as they entered the main warehouse, the motion-controlled arcane lighting activated.   The pirates jumped like surprised cockroaches.

“It’s automatic lighting; do not be alarmed.”   Muld assured them calmly, stopping in his tracks so they would see that he wasn’t trying anything against them.

His words and passive stance convinced the nervous men and when they had recovered their nerves, he pointed to a large, raised metal platform in the very center of the huge room.   

“That is a levitation platform that can be raised and lowered magically to bring merchandise into hovering airships.    It also can move horizontally, but it moves slowly in either direction.   It is meant for moving very heavy material at a safe speed.   I know how to operate it.”

“Well, how fortunate for you!”  The dwarf snapped rudely, and then he gestured for the men flanking Muld to push him forward.    “Let’s go see this wondrous machine.”

They no longer held his hands behind him, for all six of the pirates were too fascinated with what had already been packed on the metal platform.

The Guild workers had completed another order for cannons to be fitted in four of the royal airships that patrolled the border with the Southern Empire, around Orc Pass.    Twenty four cannons rested neatly in line, with quadrupled boxes of iron cannon shot stacked neatly behind them.    Then, behind the boxes of shot were larger boxes containing a variety of Practical Magic items for the airships and the government offices in Southgate, including a chest containing 24 exploding cannon balls with fireballs in suspended animation that would activate when the cannon ball crashed into something.

All of these items were packed securely on the heavy steel platform.    In the very center of the platform was a seat bolted to the platform, with three levers set into the floor.

“That is the pilot’s chair and controls,” He told the pirates as they eagerly rushed onto the platform to examine the cannons and equipment.

One of the pirates stood guard over Muld, having him sit in the pilot’s chair with his hands in plain sight, resting on his lap while the pirate stood with a cutlass pointed at his chest.

The other five swarmed all over the cannons and boxes, opening them up and excitedly discussing the contents.

After several minutes, the dwarf who was possibly Hobnail, came over to him, his eyes gleaming with greed.

“And you say that this platform can levitate?”

“Yes.”

“With all of this stuff on top of it?”

“Yes, in fact, it will hold quite a bit more, but it will levitate.”

“And you know how to pilot this platform?”

“Yes, sir; it was one of my mundane duties.”

“So if me and my lads were to add to the stuff on this platform, you could take it up just the same?”

“Yes.”

“How would we get it out of this building?”

Muld pointed upward, “There are double doors built into the roof that swing open on each side when this platform is within twenty feet of them.”

“A nice set-up!”  The dwarf laughed gruffly, “This place is brimming with magic.”

“Most of the valuable magic is already on the pallet, I’m afraid.    There are some cold chests against the far wall that you might like "- they keep anything placed inside them frozen.”

The dwarf just sneered, “We ain’t got time for garbage like that, elf!   We’re here after weapons or gold!”

“They don’t keep any gold here; this is only a warehouse.”   Muld was lying through his teeth, for all the transactions of the guild were conducted in the room next to the display case that he had broken for the magic boots.

“Ah, well, at least we’ve got the cannons and ammunition.”    The dwarf suddenly scowled, drawing in close to Muld as if hoping to unnerve him by his proximity.   “You’ve been mighty cooperative, elf.    It smells very fishy to me.   You’re not fixing to try anything stupid, are you?   As long as you do what I say and keep cooperating, you just may live to see tomorrow.    But if you think you are clever and plan to catch us off-guard or betray us to the night watch, then…” 

He trailed off, clenching and unclenching his thick hands in front of Muld’s face.

“I understand, sir.   I want to live, so I will continue to cooperate.”

“Good.   How fast will this platform rise in the air?”

“About thirty or forty feet a minute, I’d guess.”

The dwarf scratched his beard, calculating something in his head.   Muld just sat passively waiting.

“Alright, here is what we will do.    Me and four of my lads will ride with you on this platform; Freddo and Arof will take our ship’s boat behind us.   You are going to pilot this thing onto The Bloody Badger.     Take it slow and smooth and if you do these things right, you’ll live to see the sunrise.  Savvy?”

Muld nodded.   “If your boat is on the roof, you’ll have to remove it before I open the doors.”

“I know that, elf!”   The dwarf growled, “Do you think I’m stupid?”

I’m counting on it, Muld thought, maintaining a whipped expression on his face.

 

***

 

In the palace, across town, Matron Zeatt and Snoe kept looking at the doorway, wondering where the eccentric Practical Magician was.    Abruptly, the crystal ball flickered and the face of Aedric appeared, smiling broadly.

“Success?”   Snoe asked her husband.

“Success!    The geis is lifted and I was shuffled out of the room as Princess Jeevy is now giving birth to the first baby.   She is doing fine and the midwives and healers are greatly relieved… so where is Master Muld?”

“He went to his guild to change clothes but has not returned yet.”

“Well, let him know that he is a hero.    I’m going to go speak with King Eiolmoel and his sons, but I will let you know when the Princess delivers her last child.”

“Alright,” Snoe replied, looking a bit sad, “I’ll be missing you.”

Aedric smiled, “I’ll be back before you know it.   If we can’t think of a way to return me sooner, I’ll catch a ride on The Raging Bull - it just arrived from East Point and is supposed to head on to Westmark tomorrow morning.    I’m sorry I had to leave so quickly, sweetheart, but at least it was for a very good cause.”

Snoe nodded sweetly, “I understand.”

“By the way, the king and queen send their congratulations on our news.”

“Thank them for me.    Aunt Zeatt and I will monitor the crystal ball until we hear about Jeevy’s babies.”

“Alright.   I Love you, sweetheart.”

“I love you too.   Bye.”

“Bye.”

The image in the crystal ball went dark and Snoe sighed, fighting off silly tears.   Zeatt hugged her great niece, understanding the strange emotions associated with pregnancy.

“I wonder where Master Muld is?”   Snoe asked, mostly to stop thinking about her husband.

“He’ll be showing up soon.”  Zeatt assured her and their talk turned to other things.