Plans and Plots

While shopping in the marketplace, Shel overhears a murder plot.

10.

Plans and Plots

 

The entire way to the guild, Tadd did not ask Rick a single question, but he knew that the Halfling was eager to learn everything about his relationship with Shel.  Rick didn’t feel like explaining right then, so he left Tadd hanging and --thankfully-- they had no time once they reached their destination.

Mutt had brought several of the more advanced assistants that they had trained months ago to help him with the work, yet even with the extra help, it was a terribly busy day.

They heard the news about the royal expedition to Albyia to try to find Muld and Syndi and yet had little time to think about that in their hurry to catch up on back orders.

Rick and Mutt had plumbing pipes to enchant and were thankful that Muld had trained enough workers to install them once they were enchanted.   Fortunately, both orders connected to pipes already connected to the city’s water source, and trenches for them had been dug a few days before, so it was easy for the workers to install them.

 

***

 

As Rick and Mutt were completing their enchantment on all the pipes and heading back to the main building at nearly 3 PM,  Shel was blissfully shopping for ingredients on Market Street.    She had in mind a spicy chicken and rice dish with lots of fresh vegetables, but was having trouble locating a specific spice that was essential to the dish.

She was worried about having enough time to cook the meal and to make herself look attractive to Rick, so she hurried into some rather shady ingredient shops in desperation to find the needed spice.

As she browsed through Lin’s Exotic Arcane Components and Potion supply, she had just located the needed spice on a back shelf in the store when she heard a conversation from behind the curtain that separated the back room from the rest of the store.

Two men were talking quietly, but she was near enough to hear them and they apparently didn’t know of her proximity to them.   She only heard the last half of what she imagined was a much longer conversation.

“Well, what about that assassin?”

“They paid him to keep his mouth shut.”

“Without killing anyone?   What a waste of gold.”

“Yeah, but it wasn’t worth it just for some of his workers; he wanted the Practical Magician.”

“I don’t see how kidnapping one of his assistants is going to be any better of an idea if he doesn’t even know if Muld Mozzil is still alive!”

“Oh, he’s alive - both him and that fine looking redheaded elf girl.   Donnel said that the king had a bunch of sorceresses and wizards searching for Muld and they sent off four airships this morning to an island called Albyia to find him.”

“Albyia?   I never heard of it.”

“Me neither, but apparently it is some distance off.    Anyway, ol’ Hobby figures when they return with them, he’ll bait him with his assistant’s life in the balance if he doesn’t comply.”

“Ha!   That didn’t work with Gelden’s kidnapping scheme - he’s dead and all his men too!”

“Gelden was a presumptuous idiot.    Muld did Hobby a favor by killing him and his damned men.  The stinking traitors!”

“What about our spy?   If the Bitter Dregs know of him, they’ll send others to Losahome to locate him, especially after they learn about the Silver Pegasus.”

“He’s safe - nobody knows who he is yet and he’ll escape before they tighten a noose around his neck.     Hobnail wants him to stay there for now, but he’s too valuable for ol’ Hobby to sacrifice, so he’ll make sure he pulls him out.”

“It seems too dangerous to me.”

“It ain’t no worse than hiring assassins.”

“Yeah, I guess not.   What do we do, though?   If they’re pulling everyone out of Westmark, shouldn’t we go too?”

“Not yet, not until Hobnail says we leave.   This Hobnail ain’t as reckless as his brother was; he wants revenge but he calculates things a lot more than ol’ Hobby number one.”

“He wants everyone to think he’s the same one as his brother, but the rumor is going around town that he died.”

“This Hobnail doesn’t care if they know or not - he just wants revenge on that Practical Magician and his guild.”

 

There was an abrupt silence and Shel quickly backed up a few steps and began closely examining a bottle of spell components.    Out of the corner of her eye she saw a man pull the curtain back and glance out into the shop, staring at her for a long time.   She pretended not to notice and tried to look casual and relaxed as she put the bottle down and then slowly moved to the front of the shop to pay for her spices.    She could feel the man watching her, but hoped her nonchalant attitude would convince him that she was just a casual shopper who had not heard a word of the backroom conversation.

But after she had paid and slipped out into the streets, she was sure she saw two men leave the building behind her.   She was being followed.

Yet if she was truly a casual shopper who had not heard what they said (like she wanted them to believe), then she had to act the part.

So though she wanted to race away and tell Rick the news, she stopped by a basket weaver’s stall up the street and began examining the baskets for sale.

The two men stopped at a stall maybe a quarter of a block down from her and were clearly watching her.

She looked at the baskets for a few minutes and asked the price of one, then resumed walking up the street, being careful to look around as if lazily window shopping.

What if they had seen her with Rick, she wondered as she turned onto one of the main streets and purposely turned away from the Practical Magician’s Guild building and headed toward Flapjacks.   She figured that if they knew who she was, this would be a logical destination for her.

She had dared hope that the men had given up on her, but when she was unlocking the restaurant (which had closed for the day an hour earlier), she saw them watching her from up the street.

Shel locked the door behind her and ran through the empty restaurant, into the kitchen and out the back door, taking only enough time to lock it.   Then, heading down the back alley, she rushed over to a connecting street and then down another back alley, doubling back to head to the Practical Magician’s Guild building by the back streets.

Every shadow made her jump, but she reached the Guild building and rushed inside, slamming the door behind her.   Tadd was waiting on a customer and both of them jumped at the sound of the slammed door.

“Shel!   Hi!   I’ll be with you in just a minute,”  Tadd called, then added, “Rick is not here; he’s out on a job.”

“Uh… could you tell me where he can be found, Tadd?   It’s rather important.”

“I’m really not supposed to do that, Shel,”  Tadd responded kindly, but when he looked up and saw the anxious look on her face he sighed and asked her, “Do you know the Wagon Maker shop behind Baker’s Row?”

Shel nodded, “Yes.”

“Well, behind the Wagon Maker is a small glass-blowing shop, ran by Boris Feth.”

“I know of the place; Mr. Feth eats at Flapjacks.   Is that where Rick is?”

“Yeah, but he’s probably about done for the day, you know.   It’s only about forty-five minutes until closing time and amazingly, we’re caught up, so he should be home on time;   If you want to just wait here, he’ll be back soon.”

“I need to find him quickly, Tadd; is there a back door in here?”

“Shel, is something wrong?”

“Well, I don’t know for sure, Tadd, but I need to find him.    Listen; be careful going home, okay?   Tell Mutt to be careful too.”

“Why?   Are we in danger?”

“Possibly - I don’t want to explain now, but just be careful, okay?”

“Shel, maybe you should go to the City Guard!”

“I need to find Rick first.    Point me to that back door, Tadd, and please hurry!”

The Halfling jumped off his stool and led her behind the counter and into a back room.

He gestured to a barred door, “There, Shel.   You’ve got to tell me, though; who is after us.”

“I think it might be Hobnail, Tadd.”

“Hobnail?   But he’s dead, Shel!”

“Apparently another member of his family has assumed his role and name.   I’ve got to go, Tadd, but be very careful, okay?”

“Alright… You too, Shel.”

She nodded and just rushed out of the door.

 

***

 

“That should be the last one,” Rick said while wearily standing up to stretch his legs, “Do you want me to stay around until they finish connecting the pipes, Mr. Feth?”

“Go on home, young man, you’ve put in a long day already,“  The kind elderly glass-blower replied, patting him on the back.

“All in a day’s work, Mr. Feth,”   Rick responded with a smile, thinking of what waited for him at home.

 

As if his thoughts could magically bring her forth, through the door of the glass-blower shop came Shel.   On her face was a very apprehensive look that she was trying unsuccessfully to mask.  

Rick went over to her, “Shel?   What is it?”

She led him out of range of Mr. Feth and the guild workers and related what she had overheard and told him of being followed.

Rick paled at the news, “Well, I know Tadd and Mutt are okay, so that would leave Jevon!   They must have hijacked the airship.”

“Rick, what do we do?”

“Let’s get back to the guild building and talk with Mutt and Tadd.”

 

Rick quickly excused himself from Mr. Feth (who was extremely curious about what was going on) and they rushed down the street toward the Guild headquarters.

They were nearly there when Shel grabbed Rick’s arm and pointed at two figures ahead of them.   

“That’s them!”  She whispered.    The two men were trying to look as if they were examining a street merchants’ wares, but as soon as they saw Shel pointing, they began walking toward them.

“Come on!”  Rick said, pulling Shel behind him as he turned and raced between two buildings.   The two men followed suit, shouting for them to stop.

But they didn’t stop.   Down the dark alleyway they flew, until, near the end, Rick suddenly ducked into a doorway, pulling Shel after him.

The door was locked, but the late afternoon shadows concealed them to some degree.

The footsteps of the two men grew closer, and Rick suddenly began chanting a spell or cantrip.   

The men heard it and raced toward them, but just as they neared, Rick held his hand up, his palm toward them and made a pushing motion.

The two men were suddenly shoved backwards.    Not expecting him to use any magic, they were caught off guard and off balance.    One of the men smacked hard into the wall of the adjoining building and slumped down unconscious to the alley.   The other man just crashed into a garbage can, but was stunned by the impact, and Rick leaped on top of him.   Three savage punches to his face and the man was out.

“Wow!”  Shel commented, impressed by Rick’s defense, “But now what do we do?”

“Can you pull that guy over to me?”

“Yeah, I think so… why?”

“Put him next to this guy and I’ll show you.”

 

Shel grabbed the man by the boots and dragged him the short distance until he was next to his companion.

Rick gestured for her to stand back and began chanting another spell.

A minute later, he pointed to the two men and made a motion across them and a second later an amber colored substance covered them from their chins to their feet.

“What is that?”  Shel asked in wonderment.

“Glue " it is the ‘Adhere’ spell " it wouldn’t have worked if they’d been conscious and moving, but since they weren’t, they’ll be stuck like that for a few hours, or until someone frees them.”   Rick took a soiled rag out of his pocket and tore it in half, “Stuff this half in that guy’s mouth and I’ll gag the other one with this half, then we’ll go and get Mutt and Tadd, bring them back here with a cart or levitation platform and take them back to the Guild to find out who they are and what they’ve done with Jevon.”

“Wow, this is much more exciting than hunting for ingredients for supper!”

Rick turned to her, “I’m sorry, Shel; I guess this ruins our dinner plans.”

Shel smiled, “We can reschedule that; right now we have more important matters to worry about.”

“Let’s go get Mutt and Tadd " these two aren’t going anywhere.”

A moment later the two exited the alleyway, trying to look inconspicuous as they hurried.