The Staff of Naught (3 page)

“In the corner there is Humbort Hillfloppen the quarter ogre, three quarter moron whom associates with Shamki Plugbol doing odd jobs for the city now and again. I sent them off to investigate the local graves and they’ll give a report later.”

“Finally,” concluded the mayor, “I’ve invited a couple of younger members of society to give the viewpoint of those not normally represented.”

“How egalitarian of you mayor,” said Myris stepping forward into the room. “It is a generous gesture and ….”

“But, my part in this little affair is now over,” said the mayor who did not even pause to acknowledge the balding man. “I turn this meeting over to my deputy mayor and I hope that you all can manage without me.” With that the mayor turned and exited the room followed by his son.

“Myris,” said Lousa with a smile. “Why don’t you go and join the mayor?”

“I thought I could be of help here?”

“No dear, I don’t think so.”

“I’m not your dear,” said Myris staring at the woman his upper lip trembled and his hands shook. “I’ll do as I please, I’m the chamberlain!”

Shamki gave a loud chuckle at this as the balding chamberlain spun on his heal to look at him while his head shook with excitement and his lip almost danced in agitation. “Apologize, you … you … you … person!”

The half-orc raised his eyebrows and turned the small knife in his hand over and over a few times not moving his gaze from the chamberlain. “Leave Winkels, or me make you leave.”

“I will not be threatened,” said Myris his eyes darted back and forth to the children, the merchant, the witch and then lingered for a moments on the long legs of the deputy mayor. “I will not be intimidated,” he continued and stamped his foot.

“In any case,” said Lousa coming forward to the table. “Tanner, I assume everything you said in the town square is true. Do you have anything to add?”

The broad shouldered merchant paused for a moment; his hand scratched his chin, and looked at the woman with his head tilted slightly to the side. “Well, Lousa, it’s clear to me the skeletons wanted something on that wreck. The dead are slow, their stupid, but they are persistent. That wreck’s been there for more than ten years, since I’ve traded up the Shadow Mountain Road.”

“Thank you Tanner. I think many, if not most of the panic that has spread through town can be traced to you Hazlebub and the boy,” she said and nodded to the witch and the young boy.

At this the girl on the boy’s shoulders burst into a giggle so soft that it went almost unheard and she tickled her brother with a tweak of his ears and broke into a little tune, “Bones and string, strings and bones, tools of crone, make people run and shout all about!”

Lousa looked at the young girl beyond the dirty face and scrubby dress for the first time and saw clear dark eyes, half a mouthful of teeth that looked cared for, and a strange sort of slant to her eyes, “That’s a lovely singing voice you have darling, untrained but with potential, would you like to meet with me and we could see about developing it?”

The girl looked down at her brother who looked back up and her and shrugged his shoulders. She then peered at the older woman, the beautiful older woman and narrowed his eyes, “How much do I have to pay?”

“Nothing my dear, I’d do it for the good of the community, the church needs as many singers as possible, I don’t know if you’ve been to services lately but it’s not a pleasant experience.”

A great guffaw came from Shamki who slapped his knee and stuck his knife into the table. “Lousa right,” he bellowed, “sound like crow eated by owl!”

“When was the last time you went to church?” asked Humbort as he twisted his foot around the chair and looked straight down.

The big half-orc glanced at his companion and made a kissing movement with his mouth.

“All right, all right, I know we’re all best friends and I was the one who got us off track,” said Lousa with a smile. “Hazlebub, you’re the town’s leading expert on the waked dead. I want straight answers, not any of your mumbo-jumbo, this is a town emergency.”

The witch shrugged her shoulder and gave off a loud belch. “Tanner’s pretty well got it, that storm last month must have stirred the cargo around on that old wreck, there’s something there that’s got the dead agitated. I know a spell to call a spirit, it might be able to help us, but the components to cast the spell are pricey.”

“All reasonable expenses will be covered from the town treasury,” said Lousa with a smile and a nod of her head. “How long will it take to prepare the spell?”

The crone shrugged her shoulders, “It’s best if done near the manifestation, if we call a spirit from town it’s likely to know little about the wreck. A few hours maybe.”

“Shamki, Humbort, what did you find out at the cemetery?”

“Some of the graves was dug up,” said Humbort moving forward so he stood near Lousa who in turn moved half a step away from the man.

“Is that true Shamki?” asked Lousa of the big half-orc who nodded. “Hazlebub, kids, do you know anything about anybody digging up the graves?”

The little girl giggled again and the boy simply shrugged his shoulder while the old crone looked at the kids and shook her head. “We need to work together, indeed we do, indeed.”

“That wreck is the key,” interjected Tanner. “If we can find out what it’s about then we’ll find out what is going on with the skellies.”

“I agree Tanner,” said Lousa and looked at the man and nodded her head. “Hazlebub, you go about making preparations for that spell of yours, Shamki and Humbort will go with you to make sure nothing goes wrong. Kid, I’m going to give you access to the town hall records, can you read?”

“I can do that,” interjected Myris, “and I can read just fine.”

“You’re right Myris,” said the woman with her brightest smile. “You go with … what’s your name again kid?”

The boy shrugged his shoulders, “They call me Unerus around town but I don’t rightly have a given name, and I can read, taught myself but Ariana’s better at it, I paid to have her teached.”

“Fine,” said Lousa, “you and the girl go with Myris and look for ships that wrecked sometime more than ten years ago. Tanner, how old do you think that wreck might be in the condition it’s in?”

The merchant shrugged his shoulder, “Don’t rightly know Lousa, you’ll have to find a sailor to tell you that, but surely someone in Lycidas or Sea Fen remembers it and if not you could petition the baron for help.”

“Mayor Shumba made clear to me his aversion to calling in the baron or any military aid from Doria at all. Head to Lycidas, you’ve got contacts there, right?”

The merchant nodded. “I’ve traded as far north as Lycidas but that’s not an ocean town. They live up against the Great Salt Marsh so they are mostly smaller boats and such. I’ve never been to Sea Fen, that’s on the Great Eastern Sea and they have ocean going vessels. I mostly work with the Thilnog Monks up in the mountains bringing down iron products and the such and as a kid I took one trip into the lands of Lord Thotmes but they don’t have anything other than river boats.”

“I understand, head up to Lycidas and find out what you can while the rest of us meet out by the wreck for Hazlebub’s ceremony. I’ll alert the rest of you as to when. After we’re finished I’ll want to talk to you again Tanner so as soon as you get back look me up. Any other questions?”

No one said anything although Myris raised his hand and no one paid any attention to him. “Good then,” said Lousa with a broad smile that showed off her brilliant white teeth. “Now, go on about your business and Hazlebub I’ll want receipts for any expenses!”

The wind blew with tremendous vigor as a pair of heavily cloaked figures struggled against it towards a small copse of trees where a large bonfire blazed away as its flames flickered wildly and sparks shot skyward every few moments. “Why we gotta haul the wood?” asked Humbort straining under a backload of thick sticks and heavy broken branches. “It’s her damn spell and the wind chills me to the bones.”

“Shut up or you get cuffed,” said Shamki not bothering to turn around and address his companion. The packet of wood on the half-orc’s back was several times the size burdening his friend but he walked with apparent ease and sniffed at the air now and again.

“You smell something Shamki?”

The big half-orc grunted and kept walking towards the bonfire.

“I don’t like being out here in the dark with all those dead things, you saw them down the coast, digging, what’re they after?”

The big half-orc grunted again and picked up his pace a little.

“Slow down Shamki,” complained Humbort and almost stumbled over a small stick in the road, which he bent down to pick up. By the time he finished his friend was already out of site in the darkness ahead. “Wait up Shamki,” called Humbort loudly his voice quickly carried away by the swift breeze. The tall, gangly man looked around into the night seeing a thousand pinpoints of light in the sky, heard the sound of waves as they crashed over the shore, and then called out again, “Shamki, Shamki!” Getting no reply, he trotted in an awkward gait towards the bonfire. By the time he arrived everyone else was there and he came panting into the circle with his eyes wide open and completely out of breath. He immediately inhaled a cloud of smoke and began to cough and hack until he fell to his knees, rolled onto his back, and continued to choke.

“Ariana, darling,” said Lousa dressed in a dark blue cloak lined with luxuriant fox fur at the collar and trim around her wrists said to the young girl, with a cleanly scrubbed face but the same bright smile that always seemed to adorn her face. “Could you make sure Humbort doesn’t choke to death?” The little girl hopped over to the downed man and began to pound on his back with a heavy club she liberated from the wood pile.

“It would be a terrible shame if he died and I called his spirit instead of someone useful,” said Hazlebub who wore a heavily stained, tattered yellow cloak that stank of sulfur.

“The witch makes a good point,” said Lousa. “How much longer before you can summon the creature from beyond?”

“These things are never quite … predictable,” replied Hazlebub spilling a vial of something onto the fire, which immediately flared up with reds and blues. “We shall see.”

“While we’re waiting I understand Unerus has a report about finding something in the archives?”

The balding little chamberlain immediately stepped forward, “It was me who found it and me who read it and I should give the report, not the thief.”

Lousa smiled and patted him gently on the shoulder, “Of course Myris, of course. How insensitive of me to overlook your contributions, can you ever forgive me?”

Even on the dark night it was easy to see the man’s face turn bright red as he choked for a moment, “I … I … could never stay angry at you Lousa, you’re so lovely, and that cloak is ….”

“Yes, thank you Myris, get on with the report or I’ll let Unerus take over.”

The chamberlain stood up rigidly, gazed at the others, cleared his throat three times, pulled a sheaf of papers from his heavy cloak vest pocket, cleared his throat again, tested the wind direction with his finger, and then cleared his throat one final time. “This momentous occasion brings together an apparently mixed match of heroes all from different walks of life but all with a like sense of purpose to their community.”

“She was called the Tremulus, out of Tarlton, another ship, the Light of Ras, drove her onto the rocks,” interjected Unerus quickly and with little fanfare.

“You little brat,” cried Myris taking a step towards the young urchin who wore a light leather jerkin and huddled up close to the roaring fire.

The boy slipped a dagger from his pocket into his hand and held both behind his back as he gazed at the older man. “You were taking too long.”

Myris took a step towards Unerus but the massive bulk of Shamki, who moved with surprising agility and speed, interposed between the two. “Get out of my way Shamki, the boy has gone for too long without a boot in the backside and I aim to rectify that situation!”

“Ain’t protecting boy,” said Shamki and put a massive hand on the chest of the chamberlain who fell backwards two steps and barely managed to keep from toppling over.

“You hoodlums stick together,” said Myris his lips curling upward and spittle flying from his mouth. “Worthless dregs of society, bringing all the hard working folk down.”

“Tarltonites, you say?” asked Lousa looking thoughtfully at the boy. “The Light of Ras, that’s Seymour’s private vessel isn’t it?”

“I was getting to all of that,” said Myris and pulled his cloak tight. “If you are willing to give me a chance I can provide all the information you need.”

“Go on Myris,” said Lousa.

“Not until I get an apology from the boy,” said Myris staring down at Unerus who put the dagger back into his pocket quickly and with practiced motions. The young girl, Ariana, relaxed her body as well, lowered the club held in her hand, and began to soothe Humbort who still gasped for breath and gave out occasional hacking coughs.

“I’m sorry,” said Unerus, and then continued under his breath in a barely audible whisper, “that you’re such an idiot.”

“What was that,” cried Myris and took a step forward.

“The boy is a boy Myris, you are a chamberlain, an important man, let’s get on with your report if you don’t mind,” interjected Lousa putting a hand on his shoulder but also turned her head and gave the boy a wink her long lashes fluttering in the firelight.

“The sunken ship was registered as a Tarlton trading vessel known as Tremulus. She was new to the waters but identified by debris that washed ashore and the report from the captain of the Light of Ras who drove her onto the rocks. Said captain, a seafaring expert born in Sea’cra, docked at Sea Fen the following day and claimed that there was a renegade political exile aboard the Tremulus wanted by the King of the Sand, Tarlton VI. As I’m sure you’re all aware there was a recent change of power in Tarlton as the youngest son of Tarlton VI took over administrative duties although much of the power of that realm is said to be vested in the darkling warlord, Ming.”