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Authors: Robin Wayne Bailey
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sir.”
“Thank you,” Garett answered, setting his helmet down on a corner of his desk as Burge swung around and sat up. “I’m sorry I’m late. Anything from the watch houses?” He pulled out his chair, but instead of sitting down, he planted his hands on the desk and leaned over it.
Burge rose with a fluid grace and went to stand by the opposite wall, facing Blossom. “Every Attloi in Greyhawk has packed up and fled the city,” he answered quietly.
“All of them?” Garett said, incredulous. “In one night?”
Burge pursed his lips. “All of ’em,” he affirmed.
’“That’s not all,” Blossom said. “A number of dwarves, or folks with dwarvish blood, have reportedly slipped out, too. Sentries also reported a pair of half-orcs left through the Highway Gate at the far south end of town.”
Garett raised an eyebrow. “Dwarves? Orcs? None of them have been murdered. The Attloi I can understand after seeing Exebur’s body. But why them?”
Blossom folded her hands behind her back and began to pace in a small area. She’d tied her blond hair back in a tight braid, and it swung as she moved. “I think we should ask Burge how he feels right now.” She shot him a look from the corner of her eye and leered down at him. “How about it, sugar boy? Any queasies?”
Burge drew himself straighter and flashed her a bright smile. “I feel fine,” he answered at once.
“Burge?” Rudi said at the same time. “Why?” “Think,” Blossom said with smug superiority. “Gypsies, dwarves, ores. All people or races who are sensitive to the presence of magic. There’s a pattern. Why not elves?” “I’m not an elf,” Burge snorted, looking insulted. Garett rubbed a hand over his chin, wishing he’d had time to scrape his cheeks and bathe himself. “You think they’re getting out because of the murders last night?” he said to Blossom. She was irritating sometimes, but she had a keen mind.
“While the ‘getting’ is good,” she answered seriously. Garett paced behind his desk, ignoring his friends while he thought out a course of action. The murder victims of last night had been the best seers in Greyhawk. That was the only connection they all shared. Due to the nature of the murders, the criminal was undoubtedly a wizard. Presumably then, there was some thing or some event this unknown magic-user didn’t want them to “see” in advance.
But, surely, in Greyhawk, a city some called Necropolis, those were not the only five seers. They were the best, maybe, but there had to be others.
“I thought we were goin’ to turn to the Wizards’ Guild for a little advice,” Burge said with the penchant he had for sometimes knowing what was on his captain’s mind.
Garett stopped near the window and gazed down into the darkness that filled the Great Square. Beyond, the lights of the High Quarter shone like little earthbound stars. “I suggested that this morning,” he answered. “But our new mayor, Thigpen, rejected it this early in the investigation. ‘An unwarranted expenditure of city monies,’ he called it.”
Burge snorted derisively.
Rudi put on a small frown, being generally more supportive and respectful of Greyhawk’s leaders than either Burge or Blossom. “Well, look at it from Thigpen’s point of view,” he said irritably. “You know what those mages charge every time the city asks them for the smallest favor. They’ve got no sense of civic responsibility at all. Ask any common constable in the watch how much a guild wizard wants for the simplest capture spell. They’re worse than the Thieves’ Guild, I tell you!”
Burge waved a hand before his face, as if swatting Rudi’s words aside. “When five citizens die in one night,” he countered coolly, “you’d think Thigpen would at least ask their fee.”
“Why?” Blossom said with sudden indignation. She tossed her long braid over one shoulder and stared stony-faced at Burge. “Because these five all lived on the
“Thank you,” Garett answered, setting his helmet down on a corner of his desk as Burge swung around and sat up. “I’m sorry I’m late. Anything from the watch houses?” He pulled out his chair, but instead of sitting down, he planted his hands on the desk and leaned over it.
Burge rose with a fluid grace and went to stand by the opposite wall, facing Blossom. “Every Attloi in Greyhawk has packed up and fled the city,” he answered quietly.
“All of them?” Garett said, incredulous. “In one night?”
Burge pursed his lips. “All of ’em,” he affirmed.
’“That’s not all,” Blossom said. “A number of dwarves, or folks with dwarvish blood, have reportedly slipped out, too. Sentries also reported a pair of half-orcs left through the Highway Gate at the far south end of town.”
Garett raised an eyebrow. “Dwarves? Orcs? None of them have been murdered. The Attloi I can understand after seeing Exebur’s body. But why them?”
Blossom folded her hands behind her back and began to pace in a small area. She’d tied her blond hair back in a tight braid, and it swung as she moved. “I think we should ask Burge how he feels right now.” She shot him a look from the corner of her eye and leered down at him. “How about it, sugar boy? Any queasies?”
Burge drew himself straighter and flashed her a bright smile. “I feel fine,” he answered at once.
“Burge?” Rudi said at the same time. “Why?” “Think,” Blossom said with smug superiority. “Gypsies, dwarves, ores. All people or races who are sensitive to the presence of magic. There’s a pattern. Why not elves?” “I’m not an elf,” Burge snorted, looking insulted. Garett rubbed a hand over his chin, wishing he’d had time to scrape his cheeks and bathe himself. “You think they’re getting out because of the murders last night?” he said to Blossom. She was irritating sometimes, but she had a keen mind.
“While the ‘getting’ is good,” she answered seriously. Garett paced behind his desk, ignoring his friends while he thought out a course of action. The murder victims of last night had been the best seers in Greyhawk. That was the only connection they all shared. Due to the nature of the murders, the criminal was undoubtedly a wizard. Presumably then, there was some thing or some event this unknown magic-user didn’t want them to “see” in advance.
But, surely, in Greyhawk, a city some called Necropolis, those were not the only five seers. They were the best, maybe, but there had to be others.
“I thought we were goin’ to turn to the Wizards’ Guild for a little advice,” Burge said with the penchant he had for sometimes knowing what was on his captain’s mind.
Garett stopped near the window and gazed down into the darkness that filled the Great Square. Beyond, the lights of the High Quarter shone like little earthbound stars. “I suggested that this morning,” he answered. “But our new mayor, Thigpen, rejected it this early in the investigation. ‘An unwarranted expenditure of city monies,’ he called it.”
Burge snorted derisively.
Rudi put on a small frown, being generally more supportive and respectful of Greyhawk’s leaders than either Burge or Blossom. “Well, look at it from Thigpen’s point of view,” he said irritably. “You know what those mages charge every time the city asks them for the smallest favor. They’ve got no sense of civic responsibility at all. Ask any common constable in the watch how much a guild wizard wants for the simplest capture spell. They’re worse than the Thieves’ Guild, I tell you!”
Burge waved a hand before his face, as if swatting Rudi’s words aside. “When five citizens die in one night,” he countered coolly, “you’d think Thigpen would at least ask their fee.”
“Why?” Blossom said with sudden indignation. She tossed her long braid over one shoulder and stared stony-faced at Burge. “Because these five all lived on the
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