Menan joins Arawyn and gets warm with some dry clothes.
"What did he say?"
"Nothing. He saw me, made a face and walked the other way."
Menan heads to the manner looking for Adelaide.
"I am here to see the grumpy old man. But first, I need to know what the spy learned from you after Arawyn and I left. The man sitting at the next table by himself was the spy. That is why Arawyn approached and attempted to distract him. What did he hear?"
"Oh, nothing, we changed the topic immediately after you left." Lady Adelaide assures Menan.
"Shall I introduce you to the old man?"
"Yes. please."
Lady Adelaide leads you outside the building and to a nice little terrace with an own entrance into the building. She opens and enters.
"Hello Pops. There is a visitor for you. Meet Menan Variel. This is Gharen Muricar. Have a nice time."
"It is a pleasure to meet you Master Muricar. I am seeking information that I believe your experience has given you. I am new to Abadar and have learned of the details of how the council, the temple of Abadar and the court system works. I am interested to know how things were run when The Duke of Seacrest was alive. What powers did he have? The council? The court? Some other entity of which I am unaware?"
The old man sits in an armchair in front of a game of chess. He corrects his glasses' position and gets up to greet the visitor.
But as Menan steamrollers the old man with all those questions he is confused. "Who is this?" he inquires from Lady Adelaide.
I am Menan, Master Gharen. What was it like when the Duke of Seacrest was alive?"
"Ah, the good old days!" he starts and returns to his seat, offering Menan the seat on the other side of the low table with the chess board.
Then starts the long story of how Gharen had full dark hair, what fair maidens he was after and in painstaking detail why everything was better back in the day.
But between all of that and with a little help to get back on track there are glimpses of the information about the duke here and there. There was a dispute about two dead cows that had finally to be settled by the duke. The story of even older times, when Gharen's family was ennobled by the duke - not Fallon - for agreeing to build here, buy land and help build the city by tilling the land. And how a lot of that money the first duke got for selling the land was wasted "... to build that elven whore house." From what he tells, he wasn't in need of one, as the girls lined up to enjoy his company, and you wonder how big a part of the population are descendants of him. If his stories are to be believed.
Menan shows his amusement when appropriate. "Was there a city council back then?"
"Poppycock! Who needs a council. Those nobles that sucked up the hardest to the duke could try swaying him. But that was it."
"And the council today are still suck ups."
Menan is genuinely amused as he thought he might be. He has what needs and continues the jovial conversation until he sees that Gharen can use a break.
"Thank you Adelaide for the opportunity. He is quite the man. I truly enjoyed my time with him."
He joins Arawyn and contemplates on the gravity of the matter before him.
After a mind numbing wait with nothing to do in the office the ship is finally moored.
Gorm gets up with a clipboard in hand. "Follow me and bring the cart."
He walks out to greet the officer of the ship who will oversee the unloading. "Ahoy. Are you ready to lighten the ship?"
"Ye better hurry. I'm gonna leave faster than yer Betties can ride my first mate home." Mr. Plugg replies.
Three sailors shove the plank out and many others are already dragging crates and barrels up from the belly of the ship to stack them on the docks.
Gorm requests the delivery list and checks it off as the items are stacked on the cart and once it is full, on the dock.
"Put them into the small warehouse." he orders Persephone. "Right at the front door. Clean stacks. Same letters on top of each other. Number ones left, growing to the right."
He himself touches not a single crate.
Persephone waits 'til the cart is full then drags it to the warehouse. There she unloads it in the manner ordered. Then she drives the cart back for the next tour.
In the meantime everything is stacked on the docks, the plank is withdrawn and the Captain salutes Gorm.
To his sailors he shouts "Get that tub on the way already. I want to be out of that rotten dump before the sun sets. Set the foresail."
The seamen pull in the ropes and push the ship off with long poles. The wind is still blowing from the sea, which makes it hard to get away, but the captain and his helmsman know their trade and slowly the ship drifts along the dock. Pushed in by the wind athwart to the trunk, but the sail pulling it forward, along and away from the dock.
Once the ship got some speed and distance to the shore more and more sails are set and the ship gathers pace.
With the sailors gone the loading of the cart is a lot slower. But all the time Persephone is wondering what is special about this delivery. It could be done by the usual guys. Two or three of them would have that done in short time. But if Gorm pays good coin she doesn't care moving the stuff alone.
With the last haul Gorm comes along. He closes the gate to the yard. In the warehouse he takes out a crayon and marks a dozen the boxes and two barrels. He orders Persephone to move some crates that are long time stock.
Beneath the ring and the hinge of a large trap come to light. He opens it. "Now carry all the marked boxes down there, close the door and put the crates back on top of it. I'll wait inside."
Below the warehouse is an empty basement with brick walls and a brick floor. And without light. There are cobwebs in the corners and a pallet leaning at a wall.
Persephone grabs the marked goods and moves them into the basement. She stacks them in the middle of the room.
Once all marked containers are down she closes the trapdoor and puts the longtime stock back to hide it.
She walks into the office and reports to Gorm. "All done."
"Good. Tuesday we expect the ship to take over these goods. You'll do the checklist then." Gorm tells. He hands Persephone 10 gold and sends her off.
Persephone leaves and walking along the dock, she wonders where to go. Out of habit she walks over to The Pig's Whistle to see if someone is there.
As that is not the case she takes a seat at the bar and orders an ale.
Once Faerveren has enough of poetry reading she leaves Mike for a stroll to The Whistle.
Once Faerveren leaves, Mike remembers that he is supposed to be in the kitchen of The Pig's Whistle for at least an hour. He comes along.
A man that doesn't pay attention walks into Faerveren. "I'm sorry." he calls over his shoulder before moving on.
The man has reached into Faerveren's pocket.
"Hey!" Faerveren calls out and checks her pocket, while her other hand reaches for her rapier.
Inside it's Your private place? D.
"What is wrong?" Mike inquires.
"I won a job as mailman." Faerveren concludes, before moving on to the tavern.
Once there she takes a seat besides Persephone. "How's the ale?"
"Fresh and tasty like always." Isabella answers, before Persephone can say something that isn't praising the beverage.
Mike walks through into the kitchen and prepares a stew for the evening.
After an hour he proudly reappears, serving bowls of a very tasty dish made up of all the vegetables left in the kitchen and some chicken.
"The first one for the start that shines brightest in this place." he states serving Faerveren the first bowl.
"Oh my, that one looks really smitten with you." Persephone teases.
"He is." Faerveren replies with a smile.
After a nice evening with music, dancing and drinking, all go home.
Buring night the wind turns and blows the clouds away. After a few hours of stars to look at, morning dawns. Over the sea and most of town the sky is blue, but over the fields to the south hangs the early morning mist.
The bell calls out the new day.
After their morning routines, the Variels make their way to The Temple of Flame and enter through the hidden doorway.
Menan and Arawyn are received by Merileth, or Ealoviel, and led to a private chamber similar to last time but with more seating furniture. It has two canapes.
"Please take a seat." Merileth offers. "Let us wait for a moment."
On the table in front of each canape is a teapot with steaming hot tea, and fine china. Two cups, a small pot with sugar and a small pot with cream.
Merileth pours herself tea from the set where the Variels don't sit down and takes a seat in the armchair.
After a few minutes of silent waiting the secret entrance in the wall opens again and a familiar face appears.
"Wonderful. I'm glad you could make it." Dearil greets the Variels and takes a seat on the canape that is still free.
"Likewise. Let us get straight to it. I am sure you are aware of the two options before us. Dearil, your preference is what I seek to execute. What is your desire at this time in this matter? Which road do you prefer?"
"Of course the option that benefits me the most. Did you find anything about that murder of the Duke? If he has a heir? As an alternative we could make the point, that seized property from a convicted murder falls to the Duke anyway."
"Besides that I have no preferences yet. I got some education to not fall flat on my face when around noble circles, but it is not the way of living I'm used to."
"The real question is, what we can get the church of Abadar to offer. I mean beyond and above what they obviously owe me."
"From what little we could assess in this short time, mostly from the memory of those still around from that times..." he tells with a side glance at Merileth "... we got the ruins of a castle, the woods around it, and the money for selling the land their temple is built on."
"Above we could claim that the land is still ours too, restitution for dragging off the stones of most of the buildings around the castle to build their own and maybe interest for the gold in the account."
"We'd have a hard time persuading them to hand over any real power, but a seat on the noble's council with the monthly payment, should be possible."
"Or the nobles all chip in to keep me unknown to the greater public, and I become just a rich landowner that builds a sawmill. Though parading around a watch with my own crest in front of them has a special appeal."
"And so it shall be." Menan stands. "Dearil, there is something you need to see. Please join Arawyn and me for short walk."
"I'd prefer not to be seen with you as long as this is not settled." Dearil replies. "What is it, that I need to see."
"An opportunity to experience something few in this world ever get. This opportunity is fleeting and will soon be gone. You can trail us as usual if you so prefer."
"Lady of Calistria, I will return to have you review my plan of execution in detail as you know more than anyone about these matters."
He takes Arawyn's hand and helps her to her feet.
"If you must and can't tell, you go ahead."
Menan and Arawyn walk to the old castle. They wait for Dearil to catch up before entering.
Merileth leads Menan and Arawyn back to the secret entrance. "See you soon."
Dearil arrives some minutes after Menan. "Well, what is it you want to show me at this old pile of stones?"
Menan smiles at the duke. "This way, sir." He opens the door and heads to the room where the ghost stays.