Tau

Drug Runners

'Now, here's your chance to double your money!'  Kahutchek Simarl grinned his charming grin and made eye contact with the captain of the guard, who stood before him in the crowd.  The captain smiled back at Simarl and strode forward.  He placed a single gold coin on the table and drew his sword.

In the crowd, Kirad Nirgalen edged closer to the two Shardahn Legionnaires, ready to pick their pockets.  Simarl carried on with his spiel.

'Good captain, all you have to do is follow the cups... and tell me where the golden coin lies.'  Simarl placed his coin under the centre cup and, with a fluorish of his hands, began to move the three old metal cups over the rough table.  The captain's eyes intently followed the cups, and he moved closer to Simarl, until his sword was a fraction of an inch from Simarl's throat.

As Simarl stopped moving the cups, the captain spoke in an ice cold tone:

'The coin is under the centre cup, where it started.'

'Ah, captain, I'm afraid you're wrong.'  Simarl slowly shook his head.  He lifted the central cup, to show the bare table beneath.  The captain's blade edged closer towards Simarl's throat, and the captain snatched the old iron cup from Simarl's hand.  The captain glanced at the inside of the iron cup, at the metal coin stuck to the inside.

'Guards, arrest this thief.'   And that was Nirgalen's cue to move.  He stumbled in front of the two Shardahn Legionnaires and dipped his hand into the pocket of one of them.  As the guard moved forward Nirgalen's hand became caught up in the material of the tunic.  All eyes turned from Simarl and the captain to the two guards and Nirgalen.

'You thieving scum, think you could pick my pockets, eh?'  The guard's sword hilt connected with the side of Nirgalen's head and he crumpled to the ground.  The second guard moved up to Simarl and placed a set of cuffs on his hands.  In a matter of ,moments Nirgalen was similarly cuffed.

'Ok, entertainment over.  Looks like we have two new recruits for the Legion.'  The captain smiled and the crowd dispersed.  Someone from the crowd quickly made off with the old wooden table and the set of cups, but the captain let that drop, his concern now was his two new charges.

The guards pulled Nirgalen to his feet and shoved Simarl in front of them.

'You two; I've never seen a sorrier pair of thieves.  What's it to be: death or the Legion?'  The captain spoke the customary words and expected the customary answer.  The two men in front of him both smiled and answered as one:

'Death.'

The captain shook his head.  'Well, death it is then.  Guards, take them to the lock up.  The Kula-Mar will hang them first thing in the morning.'

'Aye, Sir!'

Past guards of the Shardahn Legion, Nirgalen and Simarl were led away and into the Kula-Mar compound, by the square.  At the centre of the square stood the gallows, where sentence was passed on criminals deemed unfit to join the Legion.  And that would be the fate of Nirgalen and Simarl.

K'Vathin guards of the Kula-Mar took charge of the two captives.  They searched them for weapons and valuable items, but found nothing.  The two captives were marched inside the main building of the compound and down into a block of cells within the Kula-Mar central chambers.  The jail was empty and Nirgalen and Simarl were left alone inside a small cell.  With a resounding click the cell door closed and the Kula-Mar guards marched off.

'So, Simarl, you happy now?'

'Happy as a clam my dear Nirgalen.'

'You said the Mara-Tong will pay you 1,000 gold to take the Kula-Mar's spice?'