A Spell Misplaced, page 9
part #4 of Gags & Pepper: Protection Agents Series
Chapter Nine
~
T he sun had set as the final shadows crept through Baxterton and onto the sea. Gags didn’t have the pleasure of an ocean window, but he had an imagination. Lucian walked into the room.
Gags yawned. “Too much for today. I’m going to bed. Sorry if you wanted to do a little drinking tonight.”
“There will be other nights. Enjoy your sleeping.” Lucian gave Gags an exaggerated wink and returned to his room. Gags went to the bedroom and fashioned a decoy with an extra blanket or two so a casual observer would think Gags was asleep. It wasn’t an elaborate ruse, but it would have to do.
He sat by the window, dressed in dark clothes, and observed the stableyard until a groom lit the lanterns, which didn’t do much. Gags hadn’t seen a sea mist coming from the ocean. His vision of the sun setting wasn’t accurate, as fog shrouded everything outside.
Gags put a handful of bolts in his pocket and checked his boot knife before opening the window. He stood on the ledge and closed the window as best as he could before stepping out into thin air and descending to the pavement below.
It felt good to use magic again after an idle week. There were sounds in the stableyard, but Gags used his night vision to avoid any encounters and walked through the gate.
He started his stroll heading in the direction of the palace, in case anyone watched the front door to the inn, then he turned toward the docks. He wanted to see the docks and hear the sea. The fog was so thick there wouldn’t be a view of the horizon or the stars during Twinkle.
Few people were about, but at least there weren’t squads of magicians sweeping the streets like Hardcastle. Still, Baxterton felt closed and hostile now that Gags had learned about the strict social order.
He reached the docks. There were more people about, but with the murky air, no one paid Gags any attention. Few ships were loading or unloading. One was preparing to leave, so Gags guessed the tide was turning.
He didn’t dare walk into a forbidden establishment, although he did sniff plenty of enticing odors as he passed pubs and restaurants. He was about to return to the inn and headed up a street that would take him closer to the inn when three dark figures stepped into the lane behind him, and two more emerged from an alley ahead of him.
“I am not without resources,” Gags said to the black-clad thugs ahead of him.
Gags heard a woman’s laugh. “We know that if you are Gags from Peria.”
“I am,” Gags said, relaxing his guard a little. He wasn’t a random victim.
“What do you want?” Gags said.
The woman stepped closer. Gags lit a magic light. That should be warning enough.
“Douse that!” the woman said.
“You don’t douse magic lights,” Gags said, but he made it go away.
“I don’t need further proof. Where is your friend?”
“Back at our inn.”
The woman nodded her head. “My name is Eliza Farris. In a sense, I run a business on the docks and the surrounding area.”
“A crime lord?” Gags asked.
Gags could make out a smile in the dim light. “There is no crime in Baxterton.”
A few of her people laughed softly.
“I met Seppius Darkman before he left. He paid me to contact you, but I don’t dare get close to the Royal Inn,” she said. “If you need messages sent, I will do so. Darkman wants to trade, and trade is good for Baxter.”
“I would like to send a message, but we are under constant watch,” Gags said.
“Figure something out. There is a stableboy named Hank. Give your message to him, but don’t be too obvious. Is there anything that you need?”
“Not now,” Gags said. He laughed. “I have my stipend.”
Eliza grunted. “Off the backs of the commoners.”
Oddly, it sounded like she was a noble, but Gags didn’t want to stand surrounded by chatting thugs.
“I’ll do as you say. I might need your services at a later date,” Gags said.
“Through Hank. I told Seppius you would. He didn’t think either of you would want to be stud animals for the nobility.”
“Not out of choice, at least for me,” Gags said. “Can I go now?”
The woman and her partner stepped aside and let Gags pass.
The walk back to the inn was faster than his stroll to the wharf. The fog was beginning to thin, but he negotiated the stableyard and ended back in his room. The flight up the window was a breeze since he hadn’t been using his magic. He cleaned his boots as best he could, undressed, and slipped into bed.
Lucian’s voice came from the sitting room, and his friend entered the bedroom. Gags sat up in bed, making Lucian back up a step with his hands in the air.
“You woke me up,” Gags said, which would be enough of a signal that he had returned.
“Any sweet dreams?” Lucian asked.
“I wouldn’t call them sweet. I was walking around Baxterton. The day was bright, and a fresh breeze blew from the sea. I walked down a lane and was surrounded by criminals.”
“Was there a fight?”
“I tried to pull out my sword, but it wasn’t at my side, but then one of them called me by name. Now, who knows my name in Baxter?” Gags said, chuckling. “Anyway, somehow they were connected with Seppius, and then I was here with you waking me up.”
“It doesn’t sound too creepy.”
“The head criminal called us studs for the nobility. I do remember that.”
Lucian frowned. “That sounds about right. Like this inn, we are held with velvet handcuffs in a gilded stable. I’m almost happy about that.”
Lucian was talking about Ann Pearton. Gags was glad he had little attraction to Valerie West. He didn’t want any complications with Miria, not that marriage was on the horizon.
After breakfast, a server presented a message to Gags. Lord Admiral Dexter West requested Gags’s company for a hunt with a carriage arriving an hour before noon.
“I suppose Lord Dexter wants to know me better,” Gags said.
“Or wants an occasion to kill you. Hunts are good for that kind of thing. I’m glad I’m not invited,” Lucian said.
“You’ll be all alone,” Gags said.
Gags brought out all his weapons. If someone tried to kill him, he wouldn’t care if they knew he was a magician. He used one of his small bags to stuff some additional bolts.
“You are going to war?” Lucian asked as he strolled inside Gag’s rooms.
“As you said, hunts may offer human targets, and I want to be prepared if one will be me.”
“But you are taking your iron staff.”
“It can also be used as a spear. I want to be prepared for big game.”
Lucian frowned. “Please don’t make it too big unless you need to. By the way, I’ve got an appointment with Ann and Valerie for a late lunch. That was before your invitation. I don’t know whether Valerie will be on the hunt.”
“What about Ray?” Gags asked.
“Oh, he will be escorting Cecily. I guess Valerie will be a chaperone, too.”
Gags shrugged. “Whatever. I’ve got a carriage to catch. Have fun.”
~
The carriage was waiting, but Gags was the only passenger. The ride was long, heading to the southeast, and soon they were in a forest on a strip along the coast. The road took them inland, but the vegetation was still coastal. After a long stretch on a rutted road, the carriage stopped at a rustic manor lodge. Much smaller than Gags’s hunting manor, it looked more like something he would have expected on Atto.
Gags passed grooms that were holding horses as he walked inside the lodge. Admiral West talked to a group of younger nobles. Some of the faces were familiar. Gags took that as a bad sign. He didn’t want to become too familiar with Baxterians.
A hand grasped Gags’s shoulder. “It is good to see you again,” Count Browning said. “I understand congratulations are in order. Valerie is one of the brightest flowers in Baxterton.”
Gags smiled. “Thank you. Although I’m afraid I’m not good marrying material.”
Browning looked surprised. “Why not? You are tall, handsome.” The count patted Gags’s stomach. “Nothing that a quick diet wouldn’t cure.”
“See? I enjoy food too much,” Gags said.
“There are worse vices,” Browning said with a smirk.
“Duke!” The admiral joined them. “You’ve hunted before?”
“I own a hunting estate on my fief,” Gags said. “I’ve also done my share of fighting for Peria, hunting two-legged prey.”
Both men looked surprised. “I thought you were a more placid man,” Admiral West said.
“We even had to fight pirates in the Maritime Gap. It was a close thing, but the weather was in our favor. We left the pirate ship burning,” Gags said.
“And you participated?”
“I certainly did. But let’s not talk about me. What do we hunt today?”
“Wild boar,” The admiral said. “There are trophies to be had. The boar in this forest are huge. Some are as tall as you.”
Gags would believe it when he saw one. “When do we start?”
“We were waiting for you. Our lunch is closer to our destination,” the admiral said.
Gags nodded. Count Browning looked appraisingly at Gags. “You aren’t what you seem, are you?”
“I am what I seem to me,” Gags said.
“Let’s ride!” Admiral West said
Gags was shown to a large horse. He spoke to it, looking into the horse’s eyes. It seemed intelligent enough. He mounted and rode the horse around the lodge to get a feel for his ride. The horse was spirited, but if this were a test, Gags would not fail.
One of the younger nobles took off, following a track in the woods. Gags let everyone go ahead of him except for the admiral.
“After you, Gags. I always bring up the rear.”
Gags put a knuckle to his forehead like a sailor making the admiral chuckle before heading out. Gags’s horse began to neigh and shimmy underneath him. He immediately stopped and removed the saddle and the blanket. Burrs had worked their way from the blanket into the horse’s coat.
“Sorry about that,” the admiral said.
“No worries. Burrs are part of riding,” Gags said as he pulled out his boot knife and cut the burrs out. “You have to go deep to get these things out.”
“You are an experienced rider,” the admiral said, almost disappointed.
“Let’s go.” Gags mounted, and the horse sped ahead, leaving the admiral behind. They reached the rest, still in the process of dismounting, when they arrived.
“Did something happen, Father?” the lead noble asked the admiral.
The young person was Valerie’s brother.
“A burr,” the admiral said nonchalantly.
Five burrs evenly spaced on the blanket was not a happenstance. It was either a prank or a test of Gags’s horsemanship. A poor rider might have been thrown off and gotten injured or worse. He suspected there would be more tests.
Lunch was hearty, reminding Gags of his meal at the village pub with Flora. He didn’t hold back even though other lords smirked at his third helping.
“I’m a growing boy!” Gags said to a few of them.
The young noble leading the riders to the lunch spot walked over. “I am Vincent West,” Valerie’s brother said.
“Vingus Gags, but you know me better than I know you,” Gags said.
Vincent grinned. “My sister has told us that you like to eat.”
“Indeed, I do,” Gags said. Did these nobles have anything else to talk about other than his eating habits?
“Are you educated?”
“Enough,” Gags said. “I had tutors for most of my youth. I’m afraid my geographical knowledge of Oroia isn’t up to snuff, but I have other areas where I did much better.”
“You were a soldier? What units did you command?”
Gags grinned. “I was a common soldier in a special unit. I took orders and didn’t give them.”
“A special unit, like spies?”
“Not really. We were more like scouts,” Gags said. “My father died, and I inherited Karkle Cross. I helped King Horius out of a situation. As a reward, I was given another fief and elevated to Duke.” Gags shrugged. “That’s it.”
“You earned your title?” Vincent acted like it was an astonishing accomplishment, and as Gags thought another moment, perhaps it was.
“I did.” Gags looked around at the empty plates. “When are we going to leave?”
“Father is attending a meeting. Neither of us is invited, so I’ll entertain you here.”
The other nobles were already heading to the other side of the clearing. Gags sat down and helped himself to a little more of his favorite dishes. He poured himself some wine and urged Vincent to join him. The young man refused, nursing a mug of wine.
“What was your education like?” Gags asked. “I’d like to know if Baxterians learn differently.”
“We have a noble school,” Vincent said. “We learn how to manage people and spend most of our time learning history and how to fit into Baxter’s social structure.”
“Did you learn about Beryl’s scepter?” Gags asked.
“Of course. It is the ultimate source of the king's power over the Baxterian people.”
Gags nodded. “Your sister gave the same answer.”
“You asked her about what she learned? That isn’t very polite.”
Gags frowned, sensing anger. “Why not? We are to be married. Can’t I ask her such things?”
“Women and men are taught differently. We learn how to run the country, and they learn how to run a mansion.”
“You mean all about dresses, ribbons, and ornaments?”
Vincent brightened. “You have been talking to Valerie! That’s it.”
“Flora Baker in the Ministry of Rites and Protocols seems to have a broader picture of things than that.”
“She is an exception. Some women aren’t satisfied with learning what they should. Most of them are spinsters like Lady Baker.”
Gags laughed. “No one likes a smart woman,” Gags said as a test.
“Something like that.”
“Is Ann Pearton like that?”
“How did you know that? It is supposed to be a secret. Minister Pearton was excited to marry his daughter to one of you. He thinks she is more suited to an outsider, and now I know why. You are less constrained by polite society.”
“Indeed, we are,” Gags said. Lucian would be interested in this point of view, and now he might know why Browning rejected Flora. She was too bright.
The meeting broke up, and Gags thanked Vincent for minding him. He used that exact language. Vincent was unaware of the slight, however.
“If you ever want to talk about Peria, just ask,” Gags said as he left the young man and mounted his horse after checking all the tack.
“What is this?” Count Browning said as he rode to Gags’s side, holding out one of Gags’s tiny crossbow bolts. “I can see why you carry an odd spear, but these?”
“Habit. I have a tiny crossbow at home. I can bring down small game and always carry these. Today, they are with me for luck. Do they sell small crossbows in Baxterton?”
“Ask Lord Raymond,” Browning said as he grimaced more than smiled and rode off.
Vincent called out, and the party rode out to find wild boars. Admiral West wished Gags luck and galloped ahead.
Gags rode toward the rear again, but the admiral was at the front, next to his son. Gags suspected there wouldn’t be another attempt to embarrass him and provide the admiral with some entertainment. He had successfully contained his anger at Browning or one of his cronies going through his saddlebags. He guessed it was something he had to get used to until he left Baxterton.
The party rode over a ridge and stopped. A sizeable shallow stream ran through the broad valley. The hills were a barrier since the trees in the valley were different, more like the countryside on their ride, but not quite the same.
Gags leaned over and addressed a noble he had met at Count Browning’s luncheon. “Is the ecology what attracts the boars?”
“Ecology?” the noble asked.
“The plants. Trees, bushes, grasses.”
The noble raised his eyebrows when he understood. “Yes! Some mushrooms and insects live just below the ground. The boars love them. There are always boars here.”
Gags spotted wagons in a clearing just below them. “Are those to cart out the boars?”
“You are a smart one, Duke Vingus. There is a more direct road. We ride through the forest as part of the tradition,” the noble said.
“Ah, the ride is part of the event,” Gags said.
“It is.” The noble said.
A horn blew, and the noble urged his mount forward. Perhaps the noble wasn’t supposed to have too long a conversation with Duke Vingus, the victim, Gags thought.
Gags kept up as the riders listened to a gamesman give instructions on the hunt.
“We’ve spotted more boars to the north. A large one in the group was observed running down a deer. So be careful.”
The nobles moved their horses in a line and were given a bow, a quiver full of arrows, a rope to tie up a kill, and two wineskins.
“In threes,” the gamesman said.
Gags ended up riding with two strangers. They were a little rough looking for nobles, and Gags guessed these were assigned to hurt Gags or worse.
Gags took the bow and tested it. The bow cracked when Gags pulled it back. “I’m sorry,” Gags said. “I’m probably a little stronger than most of the others. Do you have a different bow?”
The servants looked at each other and gave him a different bow. This one had more pull and held up to Gags’s test. He did the same with the arrows and chose a different wineskin than the one he was offered. He decided there was no reason to make things easy. He would try to keep from drinking the wine, anyway.
The three of them were shown a different path that led east rather than north.
“We will move the boars closer to the others,” one of the men said.
