A Spell Misplaced, page 12
part #4 of Gags & Pepper: Protection Agents Series
“You can come in,” Gags said. “Now it’s time to do some hand cleaning.
“We will need water,” Ann said.
“Gags will solve that,” Lucian said
Gags pulled water out of the moist coastal air and filled up the sink in the kitchen. They found old buckets and rags that they had to wash first. Lucian knew a good drying spell, and soon the house didn’t immediately make one want to sneeze.
Raymond walked through the front door. “I forgot to give you the key,” he said, gawking at the more presentable foyer.
“No worries. Breaking and entering are what we do,” Lucian said.
“Actually, in the past, it has been more entering and then breaking,” Gags said. “We do need new furniture. Three beds, a few odd chairs for the dining room, and new furniture for the sitting room.”
“Not on your stipend,” Raymond said, “But Lucian’s wasn’t cut. Perhaps I will get something delivered and what it replaces carted away. I can’t believe you’ve made so much progress in so little time.”
“The more you can help, the more wonderful you are,” Ann said. “I can’t wait to spend the night in Gags’s clean, new house.”
Ray gave Ann an icy look. “You are NOT staying here.”
She smiled at Ray. “I know that, silly. But I will spend some time here during the day,” she said. “Perhaps when Lucian and I marry, we can live here, and Gags can find something elsewhere.”
“With Lucian’s and your stipends added together, you can afford something nicer.”
Gags felt left out, but he wasn’t devastated. “Where do I buy food?” Gags asked. “Lucian can eat out, but I probably can’t.”
“I’ll convert some of your stipend to cash so you can find a place around here. The market isn’t too far.”
“Then I’m more than satisfied,” Gags said, especially since he hadn’t been able to detect any listening posts or secret passages in the house. Perhaps losing his title at the exhibition had been a good thing. He knew he wouldn’t escape unscathed, but he had expected to win.
~
Two weeks before the Noble’s Retreat, someone knocked on Gags’s door in the morning. Lucian had gone out exploring Baxterton with Ann. Gags opened the door to a middle-aged man in uniform standing next to a younger man dressed in a different uniform.
“General Francis Victory. This is Grant Dyre, the adopted son of Stephen Dyre, an assistant in the Ministry of Treasury. May we come in?”
Gags let both men into the newly furnished sitting room.
“You honor me with your presence,” Gags said.
“If you noticed, my last name is the same as the king. I am his cousin. I am here unofficially to apologize for how you were treated at the exhibition. I am hopeful you have fully recovered.”
Gags forced a smile. “I have. You are both military men?”
Grant laughed, and General Francis smiled. “You noticed, eh?” the general said. “I’ve never seen such inventive fighting, even if you did use some magic.”
“My secret is out, right?” Gags said, knowing full well that it was. “Magicians aren’t invulnerable. If I took my shirt off, you would see evidence of that. I’m a military man, as well. I fought as a scout in the magicians wars on Atto.”
“As did your associate Lucian Rapper?”
Gags nodded.
“We suspected something quite different from commanding or fighting among the common troops. You have stories, I am sure.”
Gags shrugged. “If you want to take me to a pub, I’ll be happy to share some with you. My throat needs constant soothing if I’m telling tales.”
The general looked at Grant Dyre and nodded. “Let’s do that.”
They left the house, and Grant directed them to a pub three blocks away. Gags hadn’t gotten around to looking for drinking establishments in this part of the city.
They sat and ordered drinks and snacks. The general and Dyre ordered harder drinks, and Gags had a fruit wine.
“What do you want to hear?”
“You have killed wizards?” Grant said.
Gags nodded. “A few. Before I headed to Baxterton, I was part of the army that fought wizards and sorcerers in Merona, a port on the western side of Peria. It was a growing infestation, and we attacked a ship of them fleeing as the army burned their enclave on cliffs overlooking the ocean. I boarded their ship and was able to set it on fire. As far as I know, there weren’t any survivors. I killed a wizard with a belaying pin before I had to abandon the ship.”
“A belaying pin?” Dyre asked.
“You’ve seen me throw things if you were at the exhibition. Wizards usually know how to invoke strong shields against magic, but those shields don’t stop physical objects nearly as well. The scouting team was as proficient with conventional weapons as magical ones.”
“And that is where Count Browning failed,” the general said. “He boasted you wouldn’t last past the second round since magicians aren’t proficient with normal weapons.”
“I hardly call the knobbler’s hammer a normal weapon,” Gags said.
“Or the trident and net?” Dyre asked.
“That either,” Gags said. “I made them work well enough for me, but our team was somewhat unconventional, so we became very creative.”
“Or, at least, you did,” the general said.
“With constant training,” Gags said.
“Were you ever on a protection detail?” Dyre asked.
Gags smiled. “Let me give you something.” He handed each of them his last two Gags & Pepper cards. “When I left the army, I inherited part of my father’s fief and started a protection agency.” He told them about guarding caravans while he wandered on Atto with Lucian and an Attoan. “So, I started this business. We’ve had a few jobs.”
“Is that why you came to Oroia?”
Gags pursed his lips. He had to tell them something. “I have a mission on Oroia that I want to fulfill before I return to Peria.”
“You admit you want to return to Peria,” the general said.
“Why not? If you were stranded on Peria, wouldn’t you want to return home?”
Francis Victory nodded. “I believe I would.”
“If I wanted to return, I would have already done it,” Gags said. “My mission keeps me here.”
“Is it the same for Lucian Rapper?” the general asked.
“Lucian and Ann Pearton are definitely a pair,” Gags said. “Lucian’s home life wasn’t good for him, so he left the royal family in Shatterset, the capital of the Yellow River kingdom, to join the army. We both joined the magicians army to escape unhappy family situations.”
“May I ask what your mission is?” the general said.
“You may ask, but I won’t answer. It is a delicate situation, but it doesn’t involve an assassination, and I have no designs on the crown.”
“Any nobles?” Dyre asked. “Count Browning is your rival.”
“Rival to what? I can’t conceive anything that we both want,” Gags said. “Other than hating me for being a magician, I can’t account for his animosity.”
“He wants to rule Baxterton. He has a faction within the Manxists that is pursuing a program of bringing down my cousin’s reign,” the general said.
“And you think I want to be the king of Baxterton?” Gags laughed. “I’m already a target of multiple attacks, and I haven’t done anything. Did you know of the assassination attempt at Admiral West’s hunting lodge?”
“A version of it, yes,” the general said.
“One of the assassins was my second victory at the exhibition,” Gags said.
“And you didn’t take the opportunity to kill him?”
Gags sighed. “I kill when I’m threatened. The assassin wasn’t a threat to me in the ring. I don’t want to sound arrogant, but in a fair match, I could easily defeat every person I fought, including Count Browning.”
“I believe you,” Dyre said. He looked at the general, who nodded back. “I am not aligned. My father and mother were of royal blood, although I’ve kept that very quiet. I grew up in a non-royal household. General Victory is a Golden Shield, but we are both against King David’s enemies. We’d like you to join us since you claimed you had no designs on the throne.”
“What does join you consist of?” Gags asked. “I’d rather not be restored to a lofty title and sent back to the Royal Inn. I think I’m going to like my house.”
“It won’t negate the contract you signed. If you attempt to escape, we will do all we can to stop you,” General Victory said.
“Then what do I benefit by joining you rather than not getting involved with any faction?”
“Your stipend will be restored, but the crown will pay you in cash. You can marry Valerie West, and after a child has been produced, you may return to Peria.”
“Why not let me marry whomever I want?” Gags asked.
“There are reasons. Admiral West is a silent member of Browning’s rebellion,” Dyre said.
“And Vincent?”
“The son is not particularly active in anything. It may be his youth, I suppose. If something goes wrong, Vincent can carry on the family.”
“And Valerie? Is she in on Browning’s efforts?” Gags asked.
“As it turns out, Browning took her on as a lover a year ago. We didn’t find out about it until recently,” the general said. “Another reason for Browning’s animus.”
Gags ran all the people he had met through his head. “What about the former prime minister, Lord Benjamin Julius?”
“We have multiple factions in Baxter,” the general said. “We don’t regard the ex-prime minister at the same threat level as Count Browning.”
“I have nothing else to do, and I can’t see things changing much, no matter who runs your country.”
“Our country, Duke Vingus,” the general said.
“I’ll agree if everyone just calls me Gags.”
Chapter Twelve
~
G rant Dyre’s job was to lead the royal guard, King David’s personal forces. He became a visitor at the townhouse for the next few days, although he never again arrived wearing a uniform. He knew Lord Raymond since they often chatted in the kitchen.
“Here are plans for the palace. I suggest you learn them now. I’ll be coming by to share our defensive plans. One would think the Auxiliary being so close would be a benefit, but Browning has influence over half of the employees. We have traps under the shared courtyard and movable barriers to drag into place if needed.”
“You were on high alert during the exhibition?” Gags asked.
“We were, although we didn’t consider it a severe threat. Browning’s inclusion in the last contest was a surprise, but we felt it was better to let things go.”
“What was your intent, making me use defective weapons?”
“The king and Count Browning arranged the exhibition together. An odd pair, don’t you think? The exhibition was intended to be a test, pure and simple. The king wanted to know how resourceful you were and determine if killing the boar was luck or skill. Your weapons were interesting. Browning’s ultimate purpose was different than the king’s.”
“My success was a bit of luck and skill, like any unexpected fight, if you want to know the truth. Dealing with the assassins wasn’t much easier. Those were Browning’s men?”
Grant nodded. “I can now give you an assignment. We want you to help us hide Beryl’s scepter.”
“Hide it?” Gags asked.
“We keep it secure beneath a statue of Beryl in the back garden of the palace, but someone tried to break down the door. It is only a matter of time before the thieves find a way to get in.”
“How many people know what I’m doing for the king?”
“Assume everyone knows,” Grant said. “We think only a few.”
“Then make me two copies. They have to be exact so that the king can display a copy. I’d like a tour of the current hiding place. I know it sometimes comes out of its hidey-hole, so I don’t think I’m asking too much. I’ll find two hiding places, but I won’t tell you. You’ll have to give me… two days’ notice when you want the scepter. I don’t want to be seen running around with the scepter.”
Grant grinned. “I like the way you think. I’ll arrange something through Lord Raymond. Perhaps a visit to Ann’s father’s office for Lucian and you.”
“I don’t want it to keep me from going on the Noble’s Retreat.”
“Part of your mission?”
“Information gathering,” Gags lied.
~
Ray took Ann, Lucian, and Gags to see Minister Pearton. It was a pleasant enough meeting, but it was clear the minister was busy.
“Can I take them on a tour of the royal gardens?” Ann asked Ray as they walked out of her father’s office.
“Go ahead. I have a few things to take care of. I will meet the three of you at the carriage,” Ray said, looking meaningfully at Gags.
Ann took Lucian’s hand, but she looked at Gags. “Valerie said she would like to get back together with you. She’s sorry you two got off to such a bad start.”
Gags raised his eyebrows. “It wasn’t me.”
“We know that. Valerie needs to approach you in her own way,” Ann said. “I know she didn’t treat you very well after the hunt.”
And for a good reason, thought Gags. She cheered when Browning won, just like the others. He didn’t mention that Browning had already claimed her, but he didn’t know what Ann knew or what she didn’t.
“I’ll have to think about it.” Gags said.
“You won’t have much time because she is going to ask you if she can join us at the Noble’s Retreat. We generally don’t mix, Manxists and Golden Shields, but there are always exceptions. We will just have to be exceptions,” Ann said.
“I suppose having her with us won’t hurt,” Gags said, although he was sure Valerie had ulterior motives.
The gardens were lovely, but Gags had seen better ones in his time. He could see the marble statue of a woman in the distance. She wore archaic clothing, and as they approached, Gags noticed the scales of armor on her torso. She held a torch in her hand, but as Gags looked more closely, he guessed it was the scepter.
“This is Beryl?” he asked Ann.
“Queen Beryl. Let’s go closer.”
The statue sat in a circle of paving with curved benches around the statue. Beryl stood on an eight-foot-high plinth. She became more imposing the closer they approached. Conveniently, Ann and Lucian sat on a bench, still holding hands. Lucian nodded to Gags.
Gags circled the monument, and a new timber door showed signs of entry in the back. The lock was almost as archaic as the subject, and Gags found it easy to open it. He found a stone table with the scepter supported by golden braces. Gags reached out and touched the artifact, feeling a touch of magic. He infused it with a tiny bit of his power. The scepter accepted his magic, and the blue stone in the golden cage at the end began to glow. He cut off his power, and the ball dimmed.
Was this how the queen gained the throne? Did she use magic power to make the stone glow? It seemed that there must be more to it than a simple magic light. He stepped out and summoned Lucian.
“Ann can stay there,” Gags said.
Lucian showed up, and Gags asked him to give the scepter a taste of magical power, but nothing happened. Gags accepted the scepter from him and made the ball glow again.
“You and your special powers,” Lucian said.
He didn’t mean anything by it, of course, but while the ball still glowed, there was a small gasp from the door. Ann stood at the entrance with a shocked look on her face.
“Join us, Ann,” Gags said. “You have the opportunity to hold the scepter again.”
Gags gave it to her, and the ball immediately dimmed.
She frowned. “Lucian can’t make it work, but you can. Are you going to usurp King David?”
Gags laughed. “Of course not. My combined fiefs are almost as large as Baxter, and I have other things to do with my life. Don’t tell Valerie that. Just between the three of us.”
Ann looked at Lucian, who nodded back to her.
“I want you to concentrate on the ball and will the ball to glow,” Lucian said.
“Me?”
Lucian nodded. “Just for a moment.”
She looked at the scepter and pressed her lips together. The ball began to glow barely enough to notice, but she was able to get the scepter to work. Ann shoved the scepter at Lucian.
“You try it again,” she said.
Lucian smiled and pursed his lips, but nothing happened. He lifted his other hand, palm up, and created a swirling magic light. “I’ve got magic, but not for this,” Lucian said.
“It happens as we know.” Gags turned to Ann. “You have magic.”
“It isn’t as much as you,” she said, almost pouting.
Lucian laughed. “You get better and more powerful when you practice.” Gags noticed he didn’t tell her about the weight.
Gags put the scepter back in place and followed the other two out of the room. He was surprised the lock held up for so long, but Lucian could seal the door.
No, he couldn’t, Gags corrected himself. King David wouldn’t be able to access it without him. He made sure the lock was secure before proceeding with the rest of the tour.
Grant Dyre greeted them on another path, followed by four guards carrying halberds.
“Are you enjoying your stroll?” Grant asked.
“It has been illuminating, thanks to Ann,” Lucian said, squeezing her hand.
“We will escort you out of the gardens,” Grant said. “The king is entertaining a real ambassador from the kingdom of Haver. He prefers to have the grounds to himself when he strolls through his gardens.”
Gags nodded. “Perhaps I could join you and give Ann and Lucian some space.”
Dyre ordered the guards to walk three paces ahead of Ann and Lucian and three paces behind Gags and himself.
“Did you find the entrance?”
“I found the scepter. The lock wasn’t a barrier to me.”
