The Wizard's Chalice, page 6
part #2 of Gags & Pepper: Protection Agents Series
They left the office and another florid Artport minister was ready to stomp into Mulcher’s office. Gags was happy to leave the Centrum behind after taking care of the business application and the transfer of funds. However, if the depots worked out Gags might be drawn into pushing paper like Dorian Mulcher. In approximately two months, Gags would have the right to do business in Artport.
“Not without drama,” Pepper said, “but it looks like our way is clear.”
“For the depots?” Gags asked. “Not as clear as I’d like. When we were waiting for Dorian Mulcher, I saw Remo Harshly and Seppius the Norian Curiosities shopkeeper talking by the gate to the Centrum.”
“Do you think they were talking about us?” Pepper asked.
“I’m sure they were, but I don’t know how we were portrayed. Luckily, Remo has less to do with the depot than any of the three. But we will have to be on our guard when we talk to Osmian tomorrow morning.”
~
Chapter Six
~
P ortia was subdued when they met her at her shop in the afternoon. “Mexius received a message not long ago and has gone out,” she said when they arrived.
Gags shared their experiences during the day, with the exception of Remo’s meeting with Seppius.
“That seems like you made some headway. I have heard of all three of the contacts King Calius provided you. Contrary to the Glorians, I will admit that I don’t trust anyone in Artport’s government.”
“I can’t agree or disagree at this point,” Gags said. “We will meet with Osmian again tomorrow. Dorian Mulcher said Osmian drives a hard bargain.” Gags told her about the deposit.
Portia shrugged. “That doesn’t seem excessive, but it’s no bargain. I’m sure all three know how to drive a hard bargain when it suits them or their backers.”
“Backers?” Pepper asked.
“Artport has been around for a long, long time and alliances form and fail regularly,” Portia said. “The three men you met may be in a single alliance or in multiple alliances. I’ve always encouraged Mexius to keep a low profile, but Terrius always egged him on to curry favor with this person or that person.”
“Could Terrius have put drugs in the statues without Mexius knowing?”
Portia knit her brow. “Was Terrius capable of running his own fiddle, you mean?” She nodded her head. “Either of them are,” Portia said. “Mexius has something going on, but it wasn’t what Terrius was doing. Mexius talking about the statues containing drugs in them was more bravado than anything else. I don’t think he knew much about it.”
Gags recalled that Portia hadn’t indicated anything when they first talked. She was more interested in getting to the bottom of the theft and murder.
“If Norian Curiosities is behind it all, don’t go any further. I want Mexius protected and observed when he goes to Caless.”
“And that is something to do with the Calessian pottery in your warehouse?” Gags asked.
“It might. You should examine it more closely tomorrow, after you’ve met with Osmian Battle,” Portia said.
“What do you think of the depot idea?” Gags asked.
Portia gave Gags a half-smile. “Changing the subject?”
“Yes,” Gags said.
The woman shrugged. “I think it is a great thing to do, but don’t count your money before it’s earned,” she said. “You haven’t seen all the palms appear that will be wanting a little grease on them.”
Gags nodded. “Nothing is as easy as it appears,” he said. “In the army, things were more black and white, not that I didn’t experience betrayal enough times.”
“Am I betraying you?”
“Not you,” Gags said, truthfully. “I’ll be waiting for obstacles tossed in my path by Mexius.”
“And I don’t know what they will be,” Portia said. “Be prepared for anything.”
Gags wondered if he should have turned Portia down, now that he was exposed to Artport’s unsightly underbelly. He wondered what Osmian would say to disparage Mulcher, tomorrow.
“We needed something to do until the day after tomorrow,” Gags said, “so the excitement continues.”
Pepper barked out a short laugh. “I’m learning as we go,” he said.
Gags nodded. He was learning more than he wanted to learn.
~
Osmian’s office was in the same building as Dorian Mulcher, but it wasn’t as nice, and he didn’t have anyone in the vestibule leading to his office.
“I don’t come in here, much,” Osmian said. “Did you have any trouble finding the place?”
Gags shook his head. “Not at all. Dorian Mulcher’s office is a floor above you.”
Osmian smiled. “It is, isn’t it? How did it go with Remo and Dorian?”
“Well enough. Dorian handed me an application for a business license.”
“You didn’t put a deposit on it, did you?” Osmian took a deep breath. “It is very premature. You have a receipt for the deposit?”
“I do,” Gags said, “and proof I withdrew that specific amount from my bank.”
“Which bank?”
Gags told him. Osmian seemed relieved. “Make sure you keep those receipts. Mulcher is a good man, but there have been problems with licenses before.”
“What about the farm?” Gags asked.
“Ah, he told you that I control the property that I had told you Artport took over. They really did, but I bought it from the city. Make me an offer,” Osmian said.
“It is yours?”
Osmian shrugged. “It is, and I’m sure Mulcher told you it suits your enterprise perfectly, because it does.”
Gags nodded and quoted two-thirds of the amount that Mulcher said should be the maximum.
“You are a shrewd judge of real estate,” Osmian said. Osmian made a counter offer ten percent higher than Mulcher’s estimate.
Gags was schooled by Gelius Karkle, his attorney, to take maximum advantage in a negotiation and they settled on eighty percent of Mulcher’s price.
“We will execute a handwritten contract,” Osmian said, “but since you won’t be effecting the purchase until your current assignment with Mexius Dapple is over, it will do to hold the price and the property with a ten percent deposit. Is that acceptable?”
Gags would have little left on his letter of credit, but the farm was cheaper than the land in Glorius, so he agreed. Osmian wrote out two copies of deposit receipt, and they signed with the provision the deposit would be transferred to Osmian’s account in the same bank.
“I have accounts in all the banks for all my transactions. It is easier and safer that way.”
“Now, here is the location of the farm. It is easy to find since it is on the main road to Japershing.”
Gags nodded. “By the way, the name of Seppius Darkman of Norian Curiosities came up. Have you heard of him?”
“He was involved in the murder?”
“Possibly,” Gags said.
“Stay away from him,” Osmian said. “Seppius isn’t in my circle of acquaintances, and I’d like to keep it that way. His syndicate, he is not the leader, has their hands in all kinds of Artport activities, and I’ve had to watch my own steps to make sure there aren’t any entanglements.”
“And if there are entanglements?” Gags asked.
“I generally choose to withdraw. Remo isn’t as discriminating, but then he deals with all Artport’s gangs and syndicates on a regular basis.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Gags said. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll check out the property.”
Osmian grinned. It seemed genuine enough. “I’m sure you will be pleasantly surprised.”
~
Pepper complained about the heat and the smell of the horse, but they had ridden in weather just as hot and on the same horses on their journey to Artport. Gags was about to say something else when Pepper noticed a pillar of smoke.
“Are we headed there?” Pepper asked.
“We are, and I think we need to move a little more quickly and more uncomfortably,” Gags said as he urged his horse forward.
When they arrived at the fire, it was indeed the farmhouse that Gags had just put a deposit on. The outer buildings hadn’t caught fire yet, but no one was on the property. Gags used his magic to quench the fire by moving dirt, using his volcano technique. Pepper found the well and did what he could with a leaking bucket.
Although they finally got the fire out the farmhouse was gone. Dead grass was piled up so when the farmhouse burned, the fire would burn the grass and spread to the other buildings without leaving much evidence that arson caused the fire.
They looked around the property. Despite the disaster, the size and location were perfect for a depot.
Pepper put his hands on his hips as he caught his breath. “If we are going to Caless, there won’t be anyone to stop a firebug from burning the place down.”
“Then we let them do it. I’ll ask Portia to hire someone to inspect the place every week. We will plan that someone will burn the buildings to the ground and we will rebuild. I have to build the Japershing depot from scratch. Maybe we do that one first and then this one unless there are some salvageable buildings,” Gags said.
“Is this Remo’s doing?” Pepper asked.
Gags shrugged. “It could be any of the three.”
“Four,” Pepper said. “There is still that Seppius fellow.”
“Any of the four, then. Let’s measure the space before we return.”
In less than an hour, they were on their way back into Artport. The farmyard was bigger than the Japershing lot and that was a plus to Gags since convoys originating from the Artport depot would go to more cities than Japershing.
Portia came to her door with her eyes glistening with tears. “Mexius has been kidnapped.”
“We were to leave tomorrow,” Pepper said.
“You still will,” Portia said, handing a ransom note to Gags.
“It says to bring the ransom to Veilport in Caless. Mexius will be exchanged for the money there,” Gags said. The note didn’t make much sense to Gags. “Why go to Caless?” he asked Portia. “Could Mexius be behind his own kidnapping?”
“What?” Portia said. “You mean he might have staged this?”
“To get us out of Artport?” Pepper asked.
“Perhaps,” Gags said. He turned to Portia. “Is this his handwriting?”
Portia shook her head. “No. He barely scribbles his letters.”
Gags pressed his lips together. “We were going to Caless, anyway, right?”
Pepper nodded and Portia’s expression didn’t change. “We will have to find our client,” Gags said. “Either here or in Veilport.”
“Veilport,” Portia said, “especially if the abduction is something Mexius staged. He is so stupid! You could have protected him while you were here, but he wouldn’t hear of it.”
“I’m sorry Portia,” Gags said.
“I am too,” she said. “Bring him back alive. I’ve started collecting the money.”
“That is our goal.” Gags looked at Pepper. “You will be all right?”
“I have friends in Artport. Don’t worry about me. Come in and I’ll give you the voyage papers and have the ransom delivered directly to the ship in your name, Gags.”
In a few minutes, Portia locked the shop up, leaving Gags and Pepper on their own until the ship sailed.
“What do we do now?” Pepper asked Gags.
“A visit to Osmian at his house and then whatever you want to do,” Gags said. “We have to do something with our horses, but that is about it until we head to Caless on the early morning tide.”
Osmian was back at his house, but in a meeting, so Gags and Pepper were shown to a sitting room to wait for an hour or so. Finally, they were shown to Osmian’s office.
“This is unexpected. I didn’t expect to see you for a few months,” Osmian said.
“Unexpected, yes.” Gags said. “The farmhouse was torched. Pepper and I were able to keep the flames from spreading, but the house is a loss.”
Osmian frowned. “It has been abandoned for two years,” he said. “Why now?”
“Someone doesn’t like the idea of a depot with ex-army guards escorting prime targets out of Artport?” Gags asked.
The older man sighed. “You may be right. What can I do?”
“Nothing. I must build the Japershing depot on bare ground. I’ll do the same thing in Artport. If there are any outbuildings left, I’ll find a use for them. The buildings weren’t as important as the location,” Gags said.
Osmian nodded. “I knew that.” He looked down at his desk in thought for a moment. “I have a proposition. Let me be your partner in your Artport depot. You run it but let me help where I can. I deal with Mulcher on a regular basis. I can handle Remo a little less well, but if my name is attached to the depot, there won’t be as much exposure for you as an outsider.”
“Can I think about it?” Gags said. Osmian’s offer intrigued him, but Gags couldn’t commit at this point, heading to Caless. “The other development is Mexius Dapple has been kidnapped and taken to Caless.”
“Why?” Osmian asked. “You were going anyway. His kidnapping makes no sense.”
“None that I can puzzle out,” Gags said.
Pepper lifted his hand for permission to speak. “Maybe the fire and Mexius are connected.”
“What?” Osmian said.
“Someone sets the house on fire, a hasty move intended to discourage us setting up the convoy depot and forcing us to focus on our departure from Artport, hence an attempt to force us on the ship,” Pepper said. “It sounds crazy, but it could be what happened.”
“A comedy of actions?” Osmian asked.
“That makes as much sense as any. Maybe the Norian syndicate isn’t as smart an operation as I thought,” Gags said.
“Just as the murder of Terrius Dapple was unnecessary?” Osmian asked.
Gags shrugged. “All I know is we will be going to Veilport tomorrow at dawn.”
“Then you will have the time to think about a partnership,” Osmian said. “I am involved in a lot of things, and I’d rather be a participant than an observer in increasing trade between the kingdoms of Peria and my friends Hamian and Wisnian.”
Gags stood. “It is time for us to leave you. I will think about your proposal, and we won’t bother you until we return to Artport.”
Pepper laughed once outside Osmian’s mansion. “What possessed Osmian to want to join us?”
Gags shrugged. “It is a minor investment for him, but perhaps he sees an opportunity to trade that he didn’t have before. I’ll have to speak to Portia again before we leave. Now, what do you want to do?”
After selling the horses and the tack through the innkeeper, they walked through one of Artport’s bustling wharves, watching cargo loaded and unloaded. Pepper seemed to be interested in what went on and Gags was sure his partner was absorbing all he saw. Gags wasn’t as interested, until he saw Seppius Darkman observing a crate being loaded. The man looked around the dock and saw Gags and walked over.
“Have you found your statues?” Seppius asked.
“Maybe they are on that crate,” Pepper said.
Seppius blinked, looking startled, before he collected himself and laughed. “That would be something, wouldn’t it?”
“It would be something,” Gags said. “Do you know much about the ancient pottery in Caless?”
“Enough to tell Mexius that I would like to sell some of it in my shop,” Seppius said.
“When did Mexius tell you that?” Gags asked.
“Before you showed up in Artport,” Seppius said. “I asked around and found out who you really are.”
“And who are we?” Gags asked.
“Two bodyguards from Hosand. You are starting a depot in Artport, I understand.”
Gags nodded. “To connect with Japershing,” Gags said, “and then other kingdoms. Easier trade means more trade and more profits for you if you ever want to expand your sales.”
“Perhaps. Now that my shipment is loaded, I must return to my shop.” Seppius gave them a little bow and headed away from the docks.
Gags collared a sailor. “Where is your ship headed?”
“Up the Innersea. We go up the western Perian coast and back all the time. Do you know Seppius Darkman well?” the sailor asked.
“We met him at his shop a few days ago,” Gags said.
“Watch what you tell him. There is a big gang in Artport and he is one of the leaders,” the sailor said. He turned red. “You aren’t part of the gang, are you?”
Pepper laughed. “Don’t worry about us. Happy sailing!”
The sailor knuckled them a nautical salute and scampered up the gangway.
“I’ve seen enough,” Pepper said. “Let’s see if Portia is back.”
When they returned to her shop, the sign said open. They stepped inside. Portia, her eyes reddened by tears, came in from the back.
“I didn’t expect to see you until you returned,” she said.
“Neither did we. Could you do something for us while we are gone?”
“Probably,” Portia said.
“Could you gather information on Osmian Battle? He wants to partner with me on the Artport depot and I want to know how much I can trust him.”
“You couldn’t give me any guarantees about your investigation about Terrius’s death, so I give you the same caution, but I will do what I can,” Portia said. “The money has already been accepted by the captain.”
“I thank you in advance. We will be leaving now,” Gags said.
“Find my husband,” Portia said.
“He may end up finding us,” Pepper said.
“I hope so,” Portia said.
When they returned to the inn, Gags and Pepper were given a note from the ship’s captain that they might be leaving earlier, so the two were invited to spend the night on the ship.
They arrived at the proper dock an hour after sunset and were ushered into the cabin that they were to share. The ship wasn’t the most elegant vessel afloat, but the cabin was better appointed than the ones Gags had used going to and from Atto.
