The sheriff led them past the fig tree and the fat, meditating cleric to another building from which strange, exotic music was coming. Inside, about fifty of the town’s men were sitting cross legged on the floor watching a scantily clad young woman dance to the music of a small, three piece band playing weird looking instruments. Two more scantily clad women moved among the men, offering them trays of spicy sweetmeats and glasses of amber liquid. Shaun and Matthew brightened at the sight. This was more like it! A taste of Haldornian nightlife was just what they needed after the trials of the past few weeks.
Diana and Lirenna glanced around nervously, wondering whether women were normally allowed into places like this, and whether they wanted to stay even if they were. Although they attracted plenty of curious stares and appreciative ogling, though, there was no great outcry at their entrance, so they presumed that the women of the village also came here on occasion, perhaps to keep an firm eye on their husbands. Thomas kept close to Lirenna, just to be sure she wasn't bothered by anyone, and Shaun and Matthew walked on either side of Diana, glaring at the men who seemed a little too interested in her, and as it became clear that the women weren't available attention drifted back to the dancer, who was now doing a belly dance and seemed irritated that attention had been attracted away from her, no matter how briefly.
They sat down cross legged on the floor and the sheriff called one of the serving girls over to serve drinks and snacks to the questers. Diana glanced dubiously at the drink she was given, until the sheriff assured her that it contained no alcohol and was merely a mixture of fruit juices, whereupon she gave it a tentative sip. Her face lit up immediately. “It’s delicious! What’s it called?”
“Jesdana,” he replied. “It is very popular with the Lydians, and we export a great deal of it to them.”
“I can understand why,” said the cleric, draining her glass and accepting another from the serving girl. “It’s absolutely wonderful!”
“Now then, to business,” said the sheriff, waving the serving girl away. “There is a reward of ten thousand kundi for the capture of Ashlazzar, and another thousand for each of the men in his gang. That comes to twenty seven thousand kundi, equal to about three thousand Beltharan crowns, I believe. I will have it for you as soon as I can get word to Dalimos, say about three days. Until then, you will be our honoured guests here in Kellimentar.”
Some of the men sitting nearby looked around with renewed interest. “Did you say Ashlazzar has been captured?” asked one excitedly.”
“Yes, Kopol,” said the sheriff, “and seventeen of his men, captured by these people here.” He swept his arm to encompass the eight questers.
“These people?” asked Kopol in amazement. “Six youngsters and two trogs against his whole gang? They must be mighty warriors!”
Thomas shifted uncomfortably, not liking having to take the credit for what the slaver had done. There was no choice, though. He couldn’t very well tell them that they were travelling with a cthillian ambassador, so he just tried to grin and accept the misplaced praise as they were cheered and slapped on the back by all the men in the room. The dancer, now being completely ignored, tossed her head indignantly and swept out of the room.
“Ashlazzar must have been furious at having been brought in by such beardless youths,” commented a man whose own beard was as thick as a bush.
“He was,” laughed the sheriff. “He did say that they were in league with the minions of Hell, and that they did set a demon on him. A demon with skin the colour of hot coals and the trunk of an elephant.”
“Red skin and the trunk of an elephant?” said an older man near the back. “Do you mean like a devil man?” Thomas started in alarm. Devil man was the Haldornian’s name for slavers.
“Why yes, now that you mention it,” replied the sheriff. “He must have heard a description of a devil man and used it to bolster his description of the demon.”
“Yes, that must be it,” said the man doubtfully, but he kept his eye firmly fixed on the questers.
Thomas didn’t like it at all. We’d better get out of here as quickly as possible, he thought. Change the subject in the meantime, and keep it changed. “Er, there’s one other reason we came here,” he said hurriedly. “We lost most of our food and supplies in the fight, and we’d like to buy some more, if we could.”
“Yes, certainly,” replied the sheriff. “In the morning, you will be able to get whatever you want from old Gharda, our main wholesale supplier.”
“Well, the thing is, we can’t wait that long,” said the wizard. “We’ve got a long way to go, you see, and not much time to get there. We were sort of hoping that we could be on our way again tonight, and travel a few more miles before dawn.”
“I am afraid not,” replied the sheriff. “Old Gharda does go to his bed at sundown, and only an earthquake will get him up before dawn. Besides, you cannot leave for three days, or you will not get your reward money.”
“We don’t want any reward,” said Diana. “You may distribute it to the poor of this town.”
All the townsmen cheered, but her brothers felt a familiar despair settle over them. “We’re going to have to do something about her,” whispered Matthew.
The sheriff put the palms of his hands together and bowed his head. “Your generosity humbles us, noble lady. It shall be as you say.”
“My friend is right, though, when he says that we must be leaving as soon as we can,” continued the cleric. “Tonight if possible. If this Old Gharda you speak of could be prevailed upon to supply us right now, we would be most grateful.”
“Normally, that would be impossible,” replied the sheriff. “However, in return for your great generosity, I think he might be more amenable to reason. We can only try.”
“We would be most grateful,” said Diana, and they all stood to leave the tavern.
As they were stepping out into the night, however, Thomas felt the cthillian’s slimy, repellent thoughts seeping into his head and he stumbled in surprise. “What are you doing?” it asked. “You have had ample time to complete your business here. We must be gone.”
“What’s wrong?” asked the sheriff, seeing the wizard’s step falter. Thomas said nothing, but started walking again, keeping up with the others. “I can’t speak now,” he whispered, hoping the sheriff wouldn’t hear him.
“It is not necessary for you to speak,” replied the slaver. “I can hear the thoughts that you wish to communicate. Just form the words in your mind. Now answer me. What is keeping you?”
“We’re on our way to pick up our supplies right now,” thought the wizard in his head as the cthillian had directed. “We won’t be long.”
“See that you are not,” replied the slaver, and fell silent.
Lirenna saw the relief on Thomas’s face and came over to walk beside him. “Charlie?” she asked quietly.
“Yeah,” whispered back Thomas. “He wanted to know what’s keeping us. He’s getting pretty impatient.”
“Well, hopefully we won’t be long now.”
“Yeah, that’s what I told him.” A thought struck the young wizard. “Hey, I just thought of something. His mind must be pretty powerful to reach us all the way from where we left him. What is it, half a mile?”
Lirenna looked alarmed. “Impossible!” she replied. “No-one’s that powerful, not even slavers. You need magical assistance to communicate telepathically over distances greater than a hundred yards or so.”
“Perhaps he was using a telepathy spell. Slavers aren’t supposed to be able to use wizard magic, but this one may be able to. What do you think?”
“Yes, that must be it.”
They each read doubt in the other's face, though, so Thomas tried to get in touch with the slaver again. “Ambassador Ctharliwun, can you hear me?” he thought.
“Yes,” replied the cthillian. “Are you ready to leave?”
“Not yet,” thought back Thomas. “We were just wondering, how is it possible for us to communicate over such a great distance? Your mind must be incredibly powerful.”
“The distance is not that great,” replied the slaver. “I have entered the town, and am currently less than fifty yards away from you.”
“What!” exclaimed the wizard out loud, making the sheriff jump and look around in surprise. “What is the matter?” he asked. “Is something wrong?”
“N-no, sorry,” stammered the wizard as he struggled for self control. “I just trod on something, that’s all.” The sheriff looked doubtfully down at the wizard’s tough leather boots, shook his head wonderingly and continued walking on.
“In Lexandros’s name, be careful!” Thomas thought back at the slaver. “If you’re seen, all hell’ll break loose!”
“You forget to whom you are speaking,” replied the cthillian. “I will not be seen.”
“He’s in town!” hissed Thomas to the demi shae. “He’s somewhere in the square, less than fifty yards away.” He glanced around in near panic, wondering which of the shadows cast by the comet he was hiding in.
“Drass!” swore Lirenna, the first time Thomas had ever heard her swear. “I hope he knows what he’s doing.”
Old Gharda’s place was a hundred yards away from the square, on one of the town’s main roads. The sheriff rapped loudly on the door for several minutes without any response until an upper window opened and an angry, elderly head poked out, emitting a long stream of Haldornian bad language and abuse. The sheriff's reply was reasonable and apologetic, but had no effect on the old man, who shouted another barrage of foreign obscenities and started to close the window. The sheriff hurriedly said something else, and the old man’s head emerged once more, this time with an expression of interest. A few more words passed back and forth between the two Haldornians, before Old Gharda closed the window and they heard footsteps descending a flight of steps.
“He has agreed to see to your needs immediately,” said the sheriff. “He is opening up especially for you.”
“What did you say to him?” asked Diana in wonder.
“I promised him a share of your reward money. I hope you do not mind.”
“Not at all, so long as most of it still goes to the poor,” replied the cleric.
“Of course it will,” promised the sheriff, and just at that moment the door opened and Old Gharda stood there, a broad smile of expectation beaming all over his face. He waved them all in, lit a couple of oil lamps and took them through to the back where all his stock was stored.
“This is perfect!” exclaimed Shaun, as he surveyed the stacked shelves and the piles of sacks and barrels that nearly filled the large room. “Everything we need, it’s all here!”
“Well, let’s pick out what we need and get out of here as soon as possible,” said Thomas. “Charlie’s getting impatient.”
While Matthew went to get their horses, therefore, the others wandered around the storeroom, assembling a comfortably large store of provisions for themselves, enough to last them several weeks if properly rationed. Shaun was delighted to find that they were also able to replace some of their pot holing equipment. Not all of it by a long chalk, but enough to make him feel more comfortable about going underground. “It would be madness to go poking around in caves without at least a few good strong lengths of rope,” he said as he examined a coiled, fifty foot length of finest hemp. “Charlie may be able to levitate, but we can’t, and we may come to some pretty tricky places along the way.”
As soon as Matthew returned, they loaded everything onto the horses and the old man, having jotted down everything they were taking on a piece of paper, came over and held his hand out, jabbering expectantly in Haldornian. “What’s he saying?” asked Jerry.
“He does say that you owe him fifty three Kundi, five Ramatis and seventeen Pandits,” translated the sheriff.
“What!” exclaimed the tiny nome. “I thought you said he was getting a share of the reward money for it.”
“That was for opening up in the middle of the night,” said the sheriff. “He still wants to be paid for what you are taking.”
“Why the cheap crook!” exclaimed Matthew in outrage. “He wants to be paid twice for the same stuff? Well tell ‘im he can go stuff himself! He’s nothing but a lowdown, dirty cheat!”
“Old Gharda does have a certain reputation in this town,” agreed the sheriff. “However, the fact does remain that, as owner of this establishment, he is perfectly at liberty to charge whatever prices he chooses and, as the sheriff, I have to uphold that right. If you want to take any of his goods, you must pay him what he asks.”
“Not in a thousand years!” protested the young soldier angrily. “I’ll be a bowlegged goblin before...”
Diana laid a gentle hand on his arm. “We have no choice," she said. "We will pay him what he wants. Pay him, Matt.”
“You’re kidding!” exclaimed Matthew. “You’re really going to just give in to him, just like that?”
“The sheriff’s right,” replied the cleric. “He has the right to charge whatever he wants. We can either meet his price or go elsewhere.”
“We can’t go elsewhere! Nobody else in this town has what we need.”
“Precisely, so pay the man.”
Still grumbling, Matthew haggled a price for the captured steel weapons they’d brought with them. He then counted out the triangular Haldornian coins to make up the difference and handed them over, the old man grinning toothlessly as he took them. Then he put the palms of his hands together, bowed low, and said some words in Haldornian before disappearing off into another room.
“He said it was a pleasure doing business with you,” translated the sheriff.
“I bet it was,” said the young soldier coldly.
“He also said ‘May the Gods go with you and keep you safe.’”
“I think we may need that blessing where we’re going,” commented Jerry mirthlessly.
“Yeah,” agreed Shaun. “Well, if we’re finished here, shall we go?”
“Thank you once again for bringing Ashlazzar in,” said the sheriff as they took their now fully laden horses back out into the square. “This will be a much safer town with him out of the way. Yes indeed, you can be sure of that. And thank you also for your great generosity with the reward money.” He cast a glance back towards the wholesale shop behind them. “I only wish everyone were so generous.”
“Thanks aren’t necessary,” replied Diana. “It is our pleasure to do anything we can to help.”
“Do you have to go right now? I’d like to buy you all another drink before you go.”
“Thanks, but we really do have to be going,” replied Thomas, glancing anxiously around the square for a glimpse of the slaver. “Right this minute, in fact.” He raised his voice at the end, hoping the others would get his meaning. The cthillian’s patience had been stretched almost to breaking point.
“There’s just one more thing I’d like to do before we go,” said Diana, however. “I’d like to ask that sage over there for a blessing.” She indicated the cleric of Tizar, Goddess of wisdom, who was still meditating under the tree. “As Jerry just said, we’re probably going to need all the blessings we can get.”
“Will it take long?” asked Thomas anxiously.
“No, just a moment.” She walked over towards the fat, meditating cleric, the others following behind, and stopped in front of him. She put the palms of her hands together and bowed in imitation of the Haldornians' custom. “Greetings, wise one,” she said reverently. “We are travelers, on an errand of great importance and great danger. Will you give us a blessing to watch over us and keep us safe in the days ahead?”
The fat cleric blinked a couple of times, and then looked up at her. “It is a pleasure to meet a follower of the Lady of Healing,” he said in a deep, rumbling voice. “I know of your errand, as I know everything that happens in this part of the world, and so I give my blessing gladly to all nine of you. May the Gods go with you and keep you safe.”
“Nine of us?” asked Thomas in surprise. “You mean you know about...”
“Yes,” replied the sage. “I know of your unseen companion, who hides in shadows and creeps furtively like a thief in the night. I know where he is, and I know what he is. You showed great courage and wisdom in asking for his help, but you will need greater wisdom yet in dealing with him and averting his terrible wrath. Be careful, I warn you. So long as you travel with him you are in great peril. If you are careful, though, you may be able to survive his company and succeed in your mission. I shall pray to my Lady that it be so.”
“Thank you, wise one,” said Diana, bowing again, “and may the Gods go with you also.”
The sage nodded in acceptance of the returned blessing and then returned to his meditation, his eyes becoming distant and unfocused once more. “Alright,” said Diana, turning away from him. “We can go now.”
“Good!” said Thomas in relief. “Another couple of minutes and Charlie would’ve either come in to get us or gone off and left us. He’s fed up with waiting.”
“Well, he doesn’t have to wait any longer,” said the cleric. “Let’s go.”
They led their horses out of the town, back the way they’d come, and then continued south towards the mountains.