Demonkin (63 page)

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The sergeant caught Captain Beck on his way to the door. He spoke softly so that the other solders could not hear him.

“This is a bad idea, Captain. I am not authorized to command the center by myself, and the men know it. They may make trouble for you.”

“Keep them quiet somehow, Sergeant,” scowled Captain Beck. “I already told you that I absolutely must go out tonight. My sister’s life is in danger. Tell the men whatever you must to keep their tongues from wagging. Tell them that I owe them one and that I will make it up to them somehow.”

Captain Beck unlocked the door and exited the center before the sergeant could say anything more. He looked up and cursed softly as he saw that the sun had already set. He hurried to the Tap and Keg and found Natia waiting for him outside.

“I thought you weren’t going to come,” Natia said anxiously.

“I had trouble getting out,” replied the captain. “My men are going to hold my feet to the fire over this. I had to leave a sergeant in command of the center. I will be demoted if anyone finds out. Let’s get to the game before I change my mind.”

They hurried along the streets towards the warehouse where the game was being held. Natia suddenly halted in the center of the city, and the captain frowned as he turned back and looked at her.

“What is the matter now?” he asked.

“My lucky shawl,” frowned Natia. “I forgot it.”

“So what?” scowled the captain. “I don’t believe in luck.”

“Well, I do,” retorted Natia. “There is no more gold after we go through this ten-thousand. I do not want to take any chances.”

“Then run back to your inn and get it,” groused the captain, his irritability starting to show.

“It is not in my room,” countered the gypsy princess. “I left it on a hook outside the judge’s office.”

“Judge?” frowned the captain. “What judge?”

“Judge Julius,” answered Natia. “It is after sundown now. They will not let me back into the building. Will you go get it for me? It is only a block away from here.”

“What were you doing with Judge Julius?” asked Captain Beck.

“I didn’t say I went to see Judge Julius,” retorted Natia. “I said I left my shawl on the hook outside his office. He just happens to have the first office at the top of the stairs.”

“Whatever,” snapped the captain. “Forget the shawl.”

“No.” Natia shook her head adamantly. “Go get it for me. They will allow you to enter the building. Am I asking too much to ask you to go a block out of your way?”

Captain Beck growled under his breath. “Keep heading for the warehouse. I will catch up to you.”

Natia smiled broadly and walked away in the direction of the warehouse. Captain Beck shook his head as he watched her leave. With a heavy sigh, he turned around and made a left at the first intersection. A block later, he mounted the stairs of the government building. He opened the door and stepped inside to find a squad of soldiers staring at him. A sergeant stepped forward and asked his business.

“A friend of mine left a garment on the hook upstairs outside the office of Judge Julius,” explained the captain. “I just need to run upstairs and retrieve it.”

The sergeant nodded his permission and Captain Beck moved quickly to the stairs and climbed up them. When he reached the top of the stairs, he stared at the hooks on the wall. There was no shawl. He was tempted to turn around and leave, but the thought of coming back again, when Natia finally remembered exactly where she had left it, prompted him to be more thorough. The captain walked along the entire length of the second floor in search of the missing shawl, but he could not find it. With irritation and frustration, the captain retraced his steps along the second floor and ran down the stairs to the lobby. The sergeant looked questioningly at the captain when he noticed that the officer was not carrying any garment.

“It wasn’t there,” the captain said apologetically. “Maybe someone else mistook it for their own and took it home. I will look again in the morning.”

Captain Beck hurried out of the building and ran through the city streets. He caught up to Natia a block from the warehouse. She frowned as she saw his empty hands.

“I looked for it,” explained the captain. “It wasn’t there. I searched the whole second floor. Someone else must have taken it.”

“Great,” pouted the gypsy princess. “This certainly does not bode well for tonight.”

“You worry about the luck,” smiled the captain, “and let me worry about winning all that gold back.”

Natia scowled as they entered the warehouse. She handed the captain the pouch with the gold in it and watched as he eagerly made his way to one of the tables. Once he was seated, Natia moved away from the gambling room and made her way to the area setup as a kitchen. Headman saw her coming and nodded towards a door. Natia smoothly crossed the room and passed through the doorway to a small closet. Headman entered a moment later.

“I see that you got him here,” stated Headman. “Any changes to our plan?”

“No,” answered Natia. “Give him an hour and then mention me. I will be sitting where he can see me.”

“Consider it done,” smiled Headman.

The thief backed out of the closet. Natia waited a minute before cracking the door and peering out. When no one was looking, she slipped out of the closet and made her way to the gambling room. She chose a seat away from the tables, and adopted a permanent scowl. An hour later, a waiter serving drinks at the gaming tables stopped near Captain Beck.

“Two as you ordered,” the waiter said cheerily.

The captain nodded distractedly and positioned the drinks to one side of him. “Bring another two on your next pass.”

“If I may be so bold, Captain,” the waiter said in a whisper, “is that your woman over there?”

Captain Beck gazed in the direction that the waiter had nodded. He saw Natia and she looked like she was miserable. The captain sighed and nodded.

“She lost her lucky shawl. I don’t know what she is upset about. I am doing just fine without any lucky shawl.”

“Was it a white shawl?” asked the waiter.

“It was,” nodded the captain. “Did you find it?”

“I doubt that the one I have is hers,” answered the waiter, “but it might cheer her up a bit. Someone left a shawl at one of the previous games. It has gone unclaimed for months. I am sure the night will go much better for you if your woman is not sulking in the corner.”

“An excellent idea,” brightened the captain. “Give it to her.”

“I could,” frowned the waiter, “but it would work much better if it appeared to be coming from you and not me. Perhaps you could write a short note that I could deliver with the shawl?”

“And say what?” frowned the captain.

“Something simple will do,” smiled the waiter as he placed a piece of paper and a writing utensil in front of the captain. “Let me suggest this, ‘I am sorry. I hope this will make you feel better.’ I think you will discover the wisdom of my advice later tonight.”

The waiter winked at the captain, and Captain Beck laughed as he scribbled the words on the paper and signed his name.

“Do you also offer advice on gambling?” quipped the captain as he handed the paper and writing utensil back to the waiter.

“Unfortunately, no,” chuckled the waiter. “It was gambling that brought me to my current lofty position. Let me go get you another set of drinks.”

Captain Beck returned his attention to the game. A few minutes later, he saw the waiter approach Natia with the shawl. She read the note and glanced in the captain’s direction. The scowl fell from her face and she grinned broadly. The captain cheerily waved to her and then returned his gaze to the table.

As soon as the captain’s attention was diverted back to the game, Natia rose and hurried out of the warehouse. Sitting across the street was a merchant’s wagon bearing a sign that said Spino Mercantile. Natia ran across the street and hopped up on the seat. She turned and handed the paper to the driver.

“Interesting,” mused Edmond Mercado. “Did he really write this?”

“It is his handwriting,” grinned Natia, “although its use will not be what he intended.”

“What if they all do not partake of the ale?” asked the merchant.

“We will deal with that when the time comes,” shrugged Natia. “I hope for their sake that they all drink heavily, but we will be going in whether they drink it or not. You may have to haul some bodies away with the children, but I wouldn’t want them in the same wagon.”

“My people can deal with that,” promised Edmond.

“Are you going to deliver the ale yourself?”

“No,” answered Edmond. “My face is too well known in Giza. I will send Cobb to do it. He has been itching for a more active part in crushing the Federation.”

“Well have him be quick about it,” urged Natia. “I want your wagons rolling out of the city well before sunrise.”

“The earlier the better,” agreed Edmond.

Natia jumped off the wagon and crossed the street to wait in front of the warehouse for Headman to arrive. Edmond drove his wagon around the corner and halted behind another wagon. He hopped down from the seat and walked forward. When he reached the front of the other wagon, he handed the note to Cobb.

“The note is meant to make it appear as if the kegs are from Captain Beck. Encourage the men to partake greedily, but do not sample it yourself. I have need for you before the morning.”

Cobb nodded silently and urged his team forward. Minutes later, he halted the wagon in front of the reeducation center. He pulled the kegs off the wagon one at a time and set them by the door to the center. He knocked loudly on the door and the window eventually slid open.

“Delivery,” said Cobb.

The soldier’s face moved away from the window and another took its place.

“What delivery?” asked the sergeant. “I was not told about any delivery. Perhaps you have the wrong address.”

“Is there another reeducation center in Giza?” asked the merchant. When the sergeant frowned and didn’t answer, Cobb pressed on. “These kegs will get stolen out here if I leave them unattended.”

“Kegs?” echoed the sergeant.

The window suddenly slid closed, and Cobb heard keys being used to unlock the door. He smiled inwardly as the door crept open.

“What kind of joke is this?” the sergeant asked as he stared down at the two kegs.

“No joke on my part,” Cobb said defensively as he handed a piece of paper to the sergeant. “I was told to deliver this message with the kegs.”

The sergeant took the paper and read it. An eyebrow rose in surprise and his eyes returned to the kegs as he opened the door wider. He turned to the soldiers lurking behind him and nodded to the kegs. “Get those things in here so I can shut the door.”

Two soldiers moved quickly to seize the kegs and carry them into the building. The sergeant closed the door without a word to the deliveryman, but Cobb did not mind. His task was complete.

Headman exited the warehouse and headed towards Natia. Gone was the thief’s white garb that he used to portray a waiter for the gamblers inside the building. The elven thief was dressed totally in black.

“Are you sure you can do this alone?” Headman asked.

“I just need a way into the building.” Natia nodded.

“Very well,” replied Headman. “Come along then.”

The head thief of Giza led the gypsy princess through streets and dark alleys. He eventually entered a building and took the stairs down to the basement. The basement was dark and cluttered, and Natia followed the thief closely so as not to lose her way. The chosen path weaved through tall stacks of crates and eventually ended in a corner obscured by the crates. Two men were waiting for them. Headman nodded to the two men, and they began to shove a tall dresser along the wall.

“This wall is shared by the basement of the city building next door,” explained Headman. “When they are done,” he continued with a nod towards the two men, “you can go through. You will emerge in a small closet. Listen for sounds before opening the door. Their basement is used mostly for dead storage, but the cleaners keep their supplies down there, and they often work at night. If you hear nothing for a decent period of time, crack the door and see if the torches are lit. If they are, you will have to wait because the cleaners will be in the building.”

“How long do the cleaners stay if they are there?” Natia asked with concern. “I am on a tight schedule tonight.”

“Hours,” Headman replied.

Natia frowned, but she nodded with acceptance. This portion of her scheme was expendable, but it would do a lot to maintain her cover in the city. She turned to watch Headman’s men as they reached through the wall and moved a piece of furniture in the closet beyond the wall. When they were done, one of the men turned with a grin on his face. He bowed with his arm extended towards the hole in the wall.

“Thank you,” Natia smiled.

Natia slid through the hole in the wall. The closet was small and dark, the only light coming from the torches in the other building where Headman waited. The gypsy princess put her head to the door and listened intently. She heard nothing. After listening for a couple of minutes, she cracked the door open and was greeted by total darkness. She slid out the door of the closet and closed it, blocking all traces of light from Headman’s torches. The room was so dark that Natia dared not move for fear of knocking over something. She reached into her pocket and woke up her fairy.

“This is darker than the inside of an ogre’s stomach,” chirped the fairy. “Where are we?”

Despite the tenseness she felt, Natia giggled. “Since when have you seen the inside of an ogre’s stomach? Create some light so we can see.”

“Fairies have great imaginations,” Chip replied humorously as he cast a fairy light. “Have we been imprisoned? This is rather large for a cell. And very cluttered.”

“Be quiet,” cautioned Natia. “We are trying not to be detected. Lead me through this maze so I can find the stairs.”

Chip did not reply as he darted upward so that he could see over the stacks of furniture. The fairy dropped back down to the level of Natia’s head with a wide grin on his tiny face.