Read Online Jak Barley-Private Inquisitor and the Case of the Seven Dwarves by Dan Ehl - Free Book Online

many cities.
    "We have Snorg," Fren interrupted my thought with an exclamation.
    "Snorg?"
    "Snorg."
    "What is a Snorg?"
    "Snorg be a he. A dwarf not given to the talents of bloodletting, but has twice proven clever at finding young ones who became lost in the burrows. I will send for him."
    Before I could stop Fren, he'd snapped his fingers and sent a clerk off to find this Snorg.
    "This is a little more involved than finding a lost child. Snorg may be more of a hindrance than help."
    Fren waved his hand as if brushing away my apprehension. "Don't look a gift dwarf in the mouth."
    "You are mixing your metaphors, but besides that, this will probably be extremely dangerous and I would not want to involve some little dwarf in these sinister affairs."
    "You do not believe we be not already involved?" Fren spoke with sudden passion. He was snapping out of his befuddlement. Again waving his hand, this time at the bodies scattered about the room, he said, "What be this called if not involvement?"
    He had a point. The coroners were now involved whether they liked it or not. I sighed and prepared myself for a long wait until this Snorg was found. I crouched over one of the assassins and checked to see if I had missed any clues. The search had barely begun when I felt a tap on my shoulder.
    "I be Snorg," a surprisingly deep voice said.
    I craned my neck, expecting to find an exceptionally large dwarf looking down at me, but the voice came from a creature even smaller than Fren.
    "I be Snorg," the dwarf again rumbled.
    "Ah, glad to meet you, Snorg," I hastily replied while rising to my feet.
    I held out a hand and he took it with fingers almost as long as my own, though thicker. We examined each other as we shook. Snorg might be lacking in height, but his stout build spoke of a condensed strength. He wore his black hair long and disheveled, like my own, though mine is brown. He had a pleasant enough face.
    When Fren had spoken of Snorg not having the talents of a bloodletter, I had imagined some idiot product of cousins marrying cousins for one too many generations down here in the tunnels. Some Hound Boy who could sniff out lost children by shuffling down the burrows with his nose pressed close to the ground. But Snorg, despite his name, had an intelligent look about him. I believed I could even detect a glint to his eyes that spoke of a tart wit.
    "Fren says you can track and know the tunnels."
    "As good as anyone."
    "I want to find the assassins who did this work. Do you believe you can follow their flight?" I asked.
    "Good as anyone."
    "It will most likely be perilous. Are you good with a blade."
    "Good as anyone."
    "Are you purposely trying to be irksome?" I snapped, not in the mood for some jester's half-wit.
    "Why should I aid you? Are you not the reason these assassins were here? That be my uncle lying on the floor, a good dwarf who loved his family."
    I was taken aback. Snorg's challenge was calmly spoken. I could not detect outright dislike in his voice. He was undecided how he should react to this misfortune and it was up to me to convince him to be on my side.
    "Snorg, the men who did this are evil and a peril to all good beings. Yes, they might have come here because of some link to me. I cannot deny this. I am sorry this tragedy occurred to your family. But these rogues must be stopped before they repeat this evil on other innocent folk. Stay or come with me, but I must leave now," I spoke, anxious to be on my way.
    It was a brief speech, but it was all the time I was willing to argue with the dwarf. He looked at me for several quiet seconds then nodded his head.

Chapter Five

    "We be off," Snorg said, crossing the room and out the door before I realized he was one not to loiter once he made up his mind. I rushed to catch up with the dwarf. He was smartly marching down the corridor with his torch thrust out before him.
    We took several bends and split off into a side tunnel before I uneasily asked, "Where are we going? How