Over an hour had passed since the Landlord’s messenger had been dispatched and it had been a tense hour. Rufi and his Goblins remained chained up and surrounded by nervous Humans with crossbows. They sat in a circle, quietly talking in Kittei, and casting dark looks at the Humans around them. It was a testament to the hardiness of Goblins that Rufi and Chuch were even able to sit up. Pelt alternated between weeping and laying on the floor staring up at the ceiling. Nairo had tried to speak to him, to comfort him, but since the Landlord had opened the box, the little Pixie had withdrawn into itself and disappeared. Bill was perched on a stool behind one of the butchers’ tables, sharpening a seemingly endless number of blades. He worked with quiet focus, a thin black cigar clamped between his teeth, but Nairo noticed his eyes kept twitching to the Diamond box next to him.

Nairo had crawled over to a wall and sat slumped against it next to Ridley. She hurt. Her body, her mind, and her soul ached. She was past the point of exhaustion now. She felt light headed, almost delirious. She stretched her swollen legs out in front of her, not wanting to look at them, afraid of what she would see. Ridley looked no better. His body looked gnarled. His joints had all curled up like he was physically unable to straighten them out. He hugged his injured arm to his chest and was breathing fitfully. There were so many livid bruises on his face and neck that he looked more like a mistreated fruit than a man. He silently chain smoked and winced with every breath.

“You okay?” he asked Nairo after almost half an hour of staring at nothing.

“No. Everything hurts.”

“I don’t mean that,” Ridley said. “I mean are you okay?

“No.”

Ridley nodded and exhaled a cloud of smoke.

“How can this be right?” Nairo asked him. “How can this be justice?”

“Who said it was?”

“Then why are we doing it?”

“Because it has to be done,” Ridley replied.

“So we just trade Pelt back to the Elves? We hand them back the Diamond they used to murder so many innocent creatures and then what? We pat ourselves on the back for a job well done?”

Ridley blew a smoke ring and didn’t answer.

“I thought… I thought if I always acted lawfully then… I would always be right. I would always be moral. But this isn’t right. This isn’t moral.”

“But it is the law.”

“Then the law’s wrong,” The words tasted like bile in her mouth. “This whole case, the law hasn’t never helped anyone.”

“Is it supposed to?” Ridley asked.

“Of course it is! The law is supposed to exist to help and protect the people.”

“No it ain’t. It’s supposed to keep the people in check. It’s there to make sure millions of self interested creatures have to abide by something that allows them to live on top of each other without murdering and warring. The law ain’t never been about morals.”

“Then what is it about?”

“Control.”

Nairo wanted to tell him he was wrong. She wanted to scream it at him. She wanted to slam her fists and stomp her feet. But she had no fight left.

“But that doesn’t mean there ain’t good coppers like you,” Ridley continued. “That doesn’t mean everything you’ve done means nothing.”

“It does.”

“No it doesn’t. All you’ve done this entire case is what you believed to be the right thing. Even when a damned Minotaur tried to turn us to pate you helped him. Drug addicts, Villains, degenerates, and incompetent bureaucrats, you treated everyone with dignity and respect. Maybe… maybe good people don’t need laws to tell them how to be good. They just are. And you’re one of ‘em, Sarge. Just because the system’s corrupt. Just coz it doesn’t work, doesn’t mean you’re not doing good. You’re a good copper… you’re a good person, don’t let this shithole of a city take that away from you.”

Nairo sat silently, staring at the piles of ash and dogends by Ridley’s knee.

“Here, you dropped this.” Ridley clamped his smoke between his lips and fished around in his pocket. He pulled out Nairo’s badge and handed it back to her. “There ain’t enough good people out there Sarge. Don’t stop being one just coz you’ve seen how ugly this world is.”

Nairo’s hands shook as she reached out for the badge. It was tarnished and scratched. She felt like the cold weight of it in her hands.

“Where did you…”

“Picked it up after you dropped it. Thought it might be worth something.”

“Was it?”

“Naa,” he said, blowing a cloud of smoke. “It turns out who’s wearing it gives the badge its value. Without a good copper to get pinned to, it’s just a bit of brass and tin.”

She looked up at Ridley and for the first time in what felt like days she smiled.

“Thank you Ridley.”

“Yeah whatever,” he said looking away. “What do I know?”

“More than you want people to think.” She placed a hand on his and gave it a squeeze which she regretted when they both winced in pain. “When this is all done, I owe you dinner.”

“Fish head soup?” Ridley said, perking up.

“Let me save up a bit,” Nairo laughed.

Suddenly, the sound of a horse’s hooves pulling up outside the warehouse snapped them out of their contemplation. Every head swivelled to the door.

“Looks like it’s show time,” Ridley said.

Bill took a drag of his cigar and let smoke curl from his nose.

“Unchain Ruf’Gar,” he ordered his men.

“You sure, Mr Graves?” Golden asked nervously.

“He’s representing his Uncle. I won’t have him chained like a dog in front of these fucks,” Bill said, stubbing out his cigar.

Hesitantly, a man approached the Goblins and unlocked Rufi’s manacles, while the other men kept their bows trained on the rest of the Goblins. Rufi sighed and stood up, massaging his wrists.

“Take a seat,” Bill said to him. “And keep your mouth shut.”

Rufi bit back a retort and took the seat that Bill offered him, trying in vain to straighten the tatters of his ruined suit.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

The door to the warehouse screeched open and four men stomped in. At their head was Human pitbull, Albert Stubbs. He strode in wearing a fine long coat with a fur neck. Despite not having much of a neck, he still managed to look down his nose at everything around him. Disdain dripped from every twitch of his jowly face. The three men with him looked like apes in dark suits. They were the type of men who sent a message, and it wasn’t one of peace and love.

“Mr Stubbs!” Bill said, as if greeting an old friend. “Welcome!”

“Mr Graves, what is the meaning of dragging me here at this hour?” Stubbs harrumphed, his thick eyebrows knitting together when he saw the hulking, mangled figure of Rufi sitting at the butchers’ table. He cast his eye further around the room and saw the three badly beaten Goblins chained on the floor, then he looked at Pelt’s prone figure, and finally his eyes landed on Nairo and Ridley. “What is going on here, Mr Graves?”

“Ahh, well Mr Stubbs, I’ve had a very interesting evening,” Bill said. “Why don’t you have a seat and I’ll share all with you.”

Stubbs looked at the grimy stool, his lip curling, then he looked at Nairo again.

“Sargeant Nairo?”

“Yes sir.”

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“All will be explained, Mr Stubbs. Now please, sit.” Bill spat the final word in a way that told Stubbs he wouldn’t be asked again.

Stubbs unbuttoned his coat and carefully lowered himself onto the stool.

“Tea? Coffee?” Bill asked.

“No thank you.”

“Good, I don’t have any.” Bill gave Stubbs a grin that looked like a wolf baring its teeth. “Mr Stubbs, this is Ruf’Gar Chaw’drak, blood nephew of one Sam’Sun Chaw’drak, who your mates have banged up under lock and key.”

Rufi nodded at Stubbs who gave him a curl of his lip in return.

“And why am I meeting with a notorious Goblin criminal in some shithole on the riverfront?”

“That’s what I like about you Albert, you’re a straight talker, for a politician.” Bill said, picking up one of his freshly sharpened blades and inspecting it. “So allow me to repay your candour, I’ve just pulled you and your boss’ arse out of the fire and you are gonna pay me handsomely for doing so.”

“What are you talking about?”

“And not only are you gonna pay, but you’re also going to acquiesce to several demands, all of which are non-negotiable.”

Stubbs stayed quiet. He drew himself up to his full height, but somehow he looked less impressive, less intimidating sitting around a table with actual Villains. Rufi dwarfed him in terms of physical presence and Bill’s level of menace was incomparable.

“I’ve got your Diamond,” Bill said.

“You’ve got what?”

“You’re Magick Diamond that your Elvish mates are tearing apart the city looking for.”

“How?”

“Not important. I’m a very resourceful man, you should have come to me first, I could have saved you a lot of time.”

Stubbs turned in his seat and glowered at Nairo.

“Do you have something to do with this?” he snarled at her.

“The Sergeant has become an unfortunate and unwilling component in all of tonight’s drama,” Bill said, licking his thumb and scrubbing a spot from his knife. “But she did crack the case and find the Diamond. Maybe you want to give her a medal or something.”

“If this Diamond is real, and I am not saying it is, officially what would the Mayor have to do with it?”

“Maybe because his Elvish mates are desperate to get it back. And if he doesn’t deliver, well, it would look very bad for him wouldn’t it?”

“Would it?”

“Hmmmm. I’ve been hearing all sorts from your Houses. Don’t forget, my boys are all over the place and most of ‘em have two ears and two eyes. I know Pleasently is hanging on by a thread. And I know the Owners are getting close to washing their hands of him. If he loses the Elves’ backing, he’s done for. He needs the Diamond badly.”

Stubbs pursed his lips and remained silent.

“But your old mate Bill has ridden to the rescue once again. I’ve got your Diamond. I’ve got the creature that nicked it. I know who’s been doing all the killings that kicked off these riots. I could put a stop to it all tonight and have the right honourable Mayor come out smelling of roses.”

“In exchange for?” Stubbs asked, his voice barely above a croak.

Bill cleared his throat and adjusted himself on his stool.

“First of all you make us whole on our original terms… and let’s say fifty per cent on top as a goodwill gesture. Plus a couple of other little favours that we can discuss in private. Next, I want the EIF gone. No more investigations, no more arrests.” Bill’s eyes slid to Rufi and then back to Stubbs. “I want Sam’Sun Chaw’drak to be freed with a full acknowledgement of his innocence.”

“That’s not up to us, he’s under the EIF’s arrest.”

“Then make it up to you,” Rufi growled, leaning closer, his tusks glinting in the half light. His scraped face and bloodied teeth made him look like every Human’s nightmare of the Goblin scourge.

Stubbs flinched, only slightly, and his face retracted into a grimace.

“Why would you want Chaw’drak freed?” Stubbs said to Bill.

“Why would I want Pleasently to keep his seat? I’m just a charitable soul doing good in this wicked world.” Bill’s flat eyes twinkled with malevolence.

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“Like I said Albert, nothing is negotiable,” Bill said before continuing. “And I want a personal sit down with Pleasently, behind closed doors, one on one.”

Stubbs clenched his jaw, his nostrils flaring, as he made some silent calculations.

“Anything else?” Stubbs said through gritted teeth.

“I think that’s enough, for now.”

“Where is the Diamond?”

“Right here,” Bill pulled the box out from under the bench and placed it between them.

“That’s it?”

“Yes.”

Stubbs reached out to open the box but Bill placed his hand on the lid.

“I wouldn’t. It’s dangerous.”

“How do I know it’s even in there?”

“Are you calling me a liar?”

The Landlord’s men, lined up behind him, bristled and Stubbs’ apes shuffled closer to their boss. Stubbs looked Bill in his cold, blue eyes and after a few seconds he gave a reluctant nod.

“And the thief? And the murderer?”

“One in the same. Right there, behind you.”

Stubbs swivelled in his seat and looked at the prone figure of Pelt.

“A Pixie!” he said, giving a short bark of laughter. “What game are you playing?”

“That’s the second time you’ve called me a liar. There won’t be a third,” Bill growled.

“What… really? The Pixie stole the Diamond? And killed those men?” Stubbs stammered.

“Yep. And according to what I know, your Elvish mates will understand the why and how. But from what I hear, those Elves have been a right nuisance with it.”

“How so?”

Bill ran his tongue across his teeth and then gave Stubbs another wicked smile.

“I’ll give you this one for free, Al, since we’re mates. That’s an Active Diamond. It’s very dangerous. And the Elves used it in Ling.”

Stubbs thought for a moment and then his eyes widened. Only for a flash of a second then his face reverted to his usual sour expression.

“I see.” Was all he said.

“And then they brought it here.”

“Indeed.”

Bill looked into Stubbs’ grey eyes, clearly unhappy with Stubbs’ non-reaction. They held eyes for uncomfortably long.

“That’s it then?” Stubbs asked.

“Simple as that,” Bill replied.

“And the riots? The barricades?”

Bill clicked his fingers.

“All will be as it once was.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that. In fact, since I’m feeling generous, I’ll even give Captain Mallory a few of the ringleaders to put up on charges. Make an example of those who flout law and order.”

“And… the Goblins?” Stubbs said, his eyes flicking to Rufi.

“Once Uncle Sam is free there will be peace,” Rufi said.

Stubbs accepted this and breathed heavily through his wide nose.

“Then I will contact the EIF agents and they will be here shortly. They’ll take the Diamond and arrest the Pixie.” Stubbs stood and cast a withering look around the warehouse. “I trust when they arrive this place will be less… messy?”

“Leave it with me, Al.” Bill stood and thrust his hand forward.

Stubbs eyed it like it was both dangerous and filthy, before giving it a quick shake, only to have Bill tighten his grip and pull Stubbs towards him.

“This time, you make sure keeping me happy is top priority. I would hate for the truth of today’s events to get out. Or even better, a knife gets put in your eye.”

Stubbs clenched his jaw in fury and then nodded, prising his hand loose from Bill’s. He looked at his apes and waved them on before storming out.

“That’s that then,” Ridley said, stubbing out his smoke.

“Justice has been done,” Nairo said quietly.

“Case closed.”

“Yes.”

“Yeah.”