THE SHERIFF OF HNUT / CH. 12: WIN SOME, LOSE SOME

Extract from initial contact report

Today Mags gate-crashed parliament. Which is to say she walked up to the door handed her Mer knife to the shocked guards, and gave her short speech. This time she didn't use the rude word. She apologised for not following form, and if anything we'd done might have had political implications, and explained the gospel in short sentences. She also said that she also had a queen who had given up her powers to a parliament, and that she was not here to get involved in politics except to say what our scripture said: rulers are put in place to protect the innocent and punish sin, and God is ruler over all rulers; he brings them to power, he removes them from power, and he judges their acts and the motivations of their hearts. And woe to the one who causes children to sin, accepts a bribe or puts to death the innocent.

For some reason that last bit started a rather heated debate. I wonder if it touched some kind of raw nerve.

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QNUT SHERIFF'S OFFICE, RESTDAY EARLY AFTERNOON.

“Dirak?” Gnor, the local sheriff greeted him.

“Sorry to ruin your day, too, Gnor. But I've just flown here from talking to his honour in Uttown. You need to read these.” He handed him the papers.

“Out of jurisdiction warrant,” Gnor murmured, “Unlimited search warrant. And an unrestrained posse order?”

“I'm guessing that six club-men ought to do. Unblemished characters at least as far as not getting involved in suspicious trade. I don't mind brawling. Not squeamish, preferably fathers with a good sense of moral outrage. If a couple of them were Zerkers it certainly wouldn't go amiss either.”

“What's going on?”

“Do you know what a hool is, Gnor? “,

“A hool? That's like, old for hole, isn't it?” Gnor asked, but looked a bit worried.

“Used to just mean hole, yes. And do you know why someone might send a pair of almost-year-old fluffballs up here from the city?”

“What?”

“Winterborn yellow ones? Drugged? In a box labelled theatrical props? What do you know, Gnor?” Dirak asked, feeling the enzymes starting to get ready.

“Nothing, Dirak. Nothing honestly. Infanticide? I don't know a thing. But I heard someone, a fine upstanding guy — I'd have had him on the posse if you'd not mentioned that word. He used it, to someone he was angry with. 'you're such a troublemaker someone should have left you in the hool'. But... he's a good family guy, a noble. I'm sure he'd never...”

“At the very least, its a rumour among nobles. And no one said anything to you?”

“No. Even that's a big crime, isn't it?”

“Get together a posse, Gnor, nice and quiet, but quick. We're going to be following a cart that's about half way here by now. The original trader, the original box, and some yellow pom-poms my girlfriend had at school and are the right size to look a bit like fluffballs if you only get a glimpse. We follow the delivery guy, wait until we get the signal, and then we find out how many there are in the lair. My girlfriend and the head of the council of wizardry are on the cart too, posing as tourists. They'll give the signal.”

“Aren't you, supposed to, like, keep your girlfriend out of danger?”

“The ladies outvoted me, had to be someone totally not scary to a band of child-murderers. And she does know the Zerk.”

“It's your future, Dirak. Wow, she's brave. What a mother for your kids she's going to make!”

“I'm proud of her already. I'll be using wizardry so I'll know where they are. Round up a few guys, OK? Zerker dad's be great, I reckon.”

“That's going to take me half an hour, Dirak.”

“That ought to be OK. I spotted them about half-way from Hnut when I came past. The trader's called Trum, he's going to be meeting a guy called Wam, if you recognise those names, here in the village. Tell them low key, we don't want to alert Wam, or any of his friends.”

“I know Trum and Wam. I'd put them high on the list of suspected smugglers, but I've never managed to catch them red-handed. Rumour says they work for someone. Not found out who though. You've got it easy in Hnut, Dirak. Up here there's a lot of miners and they're pretty much all smuggling something in or out. I've got some good citizens, though. I'll send them here, shall I?”

“Yeah, that'd be good. I'll do the explanations when we're all gathered.”

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“Right. thanks for coming. I'm Dirak, and I've got three titles these days: sheriff, wizard-at-large, and Zerker. We don't know how many we're up against, but it won't be lots. You know a seedy guy called Wam?” There were some nods.

“Wam is in on something. Maybe he's just a messenger boy, we don't know. We do know trader Trum's has been told that his wife and girl have been taken hostage to make sure he makes a delivery. And we do know what the delivery is. The plan is to find out where the delivery is to, who's in charge. The plan is to arrest that person, and any associates, including Wam; and also to make sure that trader Trum, his wife and girl if they're there, and a couple of harmless-looking volunteers who're playing tourists all walk away without a scratch. If that's too much ambiguity for anyone, or you're not happy going up against Wam, his boss and unknown others, or you don't think you can separate good guys from bad guys in a fight, now would be a good time to drop out.” He left a pause and asked “no one? Great. Good to have you on board. I see you don't have a club.” Dirak said to one man. “You know the Zerk?”

“Once,” he replied. “Time went slowly, but I was really angry.”

“Right. The second time you're in the Zerk, it's a bit more controlled. Third and fourth time, I was able to hold it off, and push it away when I needed to. My girlfriend, who's one of the volunteers, by the way, has experienced it three times now, but didn't expect it, nor recognise it. So... Let me tell you about why you're here under an unrestrained posse order, which means as long as you're with me or Sheriff Gnor, then if someone dies, well, that's a pitty because it means we can't question them, but as long as they're bad guys, then you don't even get a charge of excessive force. Trum isn't classed as a bad guy, by the way, even though he's a swindler and a contrabander. Compared to the guys we're after, he's practically guiltless. Who's a parent here?” about three quarters of the hands went up, including the Zerker. “So, the delivery. The delivery is now a box containing a couple of yellow pom-poms, but it used to contain a couple of yellow fluffballs, about a year old. We don't know where the parents are, but we know that's what Trum was carrying. And we can guess why too.

"Because some people think that yellow kids hatched in winter are trouble. Old stories, old laws that queen Poli denounced and rescinded. But some people believe them, think it's honourable to let hatchlings starve to death. Mainly it's older relatives who didn't approve of their deep-red daughter or niece or granddaughter or grand-niece marrying a Zerker. Great aunts and more uncles, great grandparents who think that the best thing to do with a helpless yellow hatchings, not able to even walk is to dump it in a deep dark hole and leave it to starve.

"Anyone angry at that? I know I am. So don't smash anyone's head if you can avoid it, nor their mouths, because we want them to talk. We want them to hear what the punishment is for keeping quiet about a plot to commit infanticide. But if you happen to break a back or splinter a leg, when you're politely asking them to stay still and await formal arrest, then the law understands. Don't punish, that's the law's job. Don't use more force than you need to. But try not to let any of them get away. Understood? We want to find out who arranged it, who's the boss, who's paying, who commissioned it, who knew it was happening. And then we'll be going after them too. And the same rules apply, minimum force, but any necessary force. We have a search warrant from the county judge in Uttown, it says 'search relevant homes and premisses and arrest all suspected of involvement.' Again, minimum of force. So we knock politely on the door, and if they won't open, we smash down the door. And we arrest everyone inside on suspicion. It might be we need to arrest someone's grandma but hopefully she won't put up a fight, and will come quietly. That is our job today. The law thanks you for being part of purging this old evil from among us. Any questions?”

“You said there were two volunteers?”

“Yes. Zerkess Lenepoli, my girlfriend, and Wizardess Thuna, chair of the high council of wizardry. Their main role is to protect the family of Trum if they're there. Don't expect fireballs, do expect there to be invisible walls stopping anyone from getting at the innocent, and even the less guilty, that's to say, Trum.”

“But... wizards don't interfere.”

“But they do help when asked, within some limits. We use dangerous forces, forces that could easily kill hundreds, so we put limits on how we use our skills, and try hard to injure no one. If you are injured, Thuna will try to protect you, but do not expect her to pin someone against a wall; the forcefield that pins is a tiny mistake from the forcefield that crushes to pulp. I will be using my staff to fly, and maybe to trip people, not to cut people in two.”

“I didn't think you could use a staff to cut people in two.”

“Gnor, do you have something I could cut, to show why wizards don't take their staffs into fights.”

“What like?”

“Bit of old iron, perhaps? Or a tough old log that your axe just bounces off or gets stuck in?”

“Yeah, great beast of a log. Wait a moment.” Gnor went out the back, and Dirak fiddled with his staff.

“Everyone stand behind me,” Dirak said, “I'm pretty sure I've got it right, but it's been a long time since I wanted to show off as a teenager.”

“How much swing do you need?” Gnor asked, bringing in a large piece of wood, and setting it down on the floor. Dirak was impressed, it must have weighed twice as much as Gnor.

“Swing? None at all. And do you want it cut up for kindling, or planks, or what?”

“You're going to cut it into planks?”

“I'll cut you a dozen strips of veneer if you like, but we ought to be going soon.”

“Veneer? This I've got to see.”

“You won't see anything Gnor. Behind me with the others.”

Dirak turned on the measurement forcefield, and set the cut width until he was at half the wood, and set the depth. Then he pressed the cut button. There was a slight quiver in the staff as a forcefield an atom thick expanded from the tip at a third of the speed of light; the log split down the middle. He adjusted the cut width to half a millimetre, and one by one, cut Gnor his sheets of veneer. “There you are, one dozen sheets of veneer, assuming I can count, which has been questioned from time to time. It really takes all the fun out of cutting wood, doesn't it? Or duelling, for that matter.” Dirak put the forcefield back to protective dome and then looked a piece of his handiwork.

“Pretty though, isn't it? That's gluetree or gumtree or angar. You really don't want to burn that stuff, it'll make a terrible stink.”

“What do I do with it then?”

“I reckon it'd turn into a pretty table. What do you want for it?”

“How about we say you cut some more sheets when we're back, and we'll give each of the guys enough to veneer their tables at home, as a thankyou and a reminder, and I'll have those dozen sheets to do my desk here and table at home?”

“Fine by me. The gum's going to get sticky if someone goes and puts a hot frying pan on it, but it ought to stand boiling water.”

“You could get rich waving that stick around like that for a couple of days,” one of the men said.

“Someone told me that when I was sixteen. Back then I said 'and get challenged to a duel by a lot of veneer makers.' I don't really think that answer's still true, since duelling is illegal. But they might decide to try to beat me up some dark night, or sue me to death for loss of trade, or something.”

“You're right there, we would. Angar veneer for a whole table? We'd make maybe one of those sheets, but in tiny slivers, in a couple of days, for inlay work, you know. and to do that you have two apprentices sharpening tools for each worker. If you don't mind I'd like to hang one of my sheets on the wall with a plaque, saying “Why we should be glad wizards don't intervene: five second's work.”

“I'll do one specially for that. But it did take me two years as an apprentice and half a year as a journeyman training, plus and a lot of evenings to make that tool. Most wizards don't bother with the guides you need for veneer, by the way.”

“But anyone by the end of their first year journeyman training could do it?”

“Oh yes,” Dirak assured him, “Now excuse me, I need to go somewhere and watch for approaching wagons.”

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“What about the old palace and harem?” Lenepoli asked. “You've not mentioned them yet. are they really as beautifully tiled as people say? Would they be a good place to take my class?”

“You have got to be joking,” Trum exploded, just as they got to the gate. “You want to take a school trip to the harem?”

“Not suitabl, for the kiddies, you think?” Lenepoli said, faking sadness.

“Not suitable for you, girl.” he replied. “Hello Trum, where's your load?” a voice said, as they entered the village gateway.

“Hello Wam. Most of it's in Hnut keeping the company of the sheriff there. He wouldn't stamp my manifest, said I'd have to go light-cart, so I said, OK, I'll go light cart. Paid off, too, these two lovely ladies wanted a lift so they can see the sights. Young miss here thinks she ought to bring a school party to see the tiles in the harem.”

“Then either she's sick, or she's not seen them.”

“Course I've not seen them,” Lenepoli said. “If I'd seen them, I'd not have paid master Trum here to give me a guided tour.”

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“What?” Wam asked, “You giving guided tours now, Trum?”

“No.”

“Yes,” Lenepoli corrected him. “As specified on my receipt, one trip to see the sights of Qnut, plain as day. How do I know what the sights of Qnut are if you're not going to show me? I could waste all day going in the wrong directions.”

“t'snot that big.” Wam said.

“Tough. I know what the rates are for passengers. I said I wanted to see the sights, you named a price, saying you were charging extra because you knew all the places, I agreed to pay. Deal done, receipt given. Start my tour.”

“Any ideas, Wam? I meant I was going to tell her about them.”

“Miss, before 'e gives you your guided tour, can I have my little chat with 'im?” Wam said. “Private business transaction, you know.”

“You're no 'elp!” Trum said.

“Fine, go for your chat. I'll stay on the cart.” Lenepoli said.

Trum groaned. “OK, Wam, where shall we talk?”

“In 'ere.” Wam said, taking Trum down a little alley. “You got a delivery for me?”

“Yeah, didn't know you was into the theatre, Wam. You've got something for me, in exchange?”

“Not here.”

“Where?”

“You give me my merchandise, and when I've checked it, then I'll see what I can find you.”

“You'll give me what the letter said Wam, and I'll make sure it's OK, and then I'll give you your merchandize, Wam without asking the sheriff to have a look at what's in the box.”

“You looked.”

“First night. What do you want a couple of fake fluffballs for, I don't know, but somehow I don't think it's a private performance. Give you a bit more time while you do a substitution kidnapping or summint? Don't tell me. Just tell: Where's my wife Wam? And my daughter? Give'm back and I'll go take up fishing for a living or something, you'll never hear of me again. I ain't involved no more. They execute you for being involved in kidnapping, I'm delivering your theatre props and I'm out.”

“And why do you think I'm going to let you get away, when you know who I am?”

“Easy, mate, 'cause those two lovely ladies out there know I'm talking to someone called Wam, and that old one? She was doing some sketches on the way. Really realistic. I reckon if you go spoiling their guided tour, your picture and mine are going to be in front of the sheriff right quick.”

“What did you tell them?”

“I said I had to make an urgent delivery up here. I told loads of people, what with being held up by that stupid sheriff in Hnut I told you about. I got there around dawn, got stopped by some muscle man who wanted his money and didn't like the tariff, then the sheriff turned up telling me I had to go back and settle it day after tomorrow, and I said, right, I'll settle it day after tomorrow, and I'm leaving my cargo here, because my spiky might be pregnant, you never know, and it's been a hard run, too. I don't want some other sheriff telling me she's hauling too much and needs a day's break.”

“They're from Hnut?”

“Yeah. Young'un's a teacher there.”

“You blazing idiot!”

“What?”

“The Hnut sheriff's got a teacher for a girlfriend. It's got to be her, hasn't it!”

“So?”

“So how are you planning to get to Tumpf if you're giving them a guided tour?”

“Tumpf?”

“You're supposed to meet me here and take me and the cargo to Tumpf, you idiot. I don't know nothing about your wife and girl, I guess they're there.”

“Tumpf. Right. It's not that far, is it? Half an hour?”

“'bout that.”

“So, we tell the ladies we'll start in Tumpf, 'cause that's where you need the package delivered.”

“Start in Tumpf?”

“Their tour of all the sights. What's to see in Tumpf?”

“Nothing.”

“There's got to be something. Some old ruins or something? Teacher's really into ruins.”

“Oh yeah, there's the old ruined mine, I s'pose that's worth a look if you're brain dead.”

“All the sights. No old ruined mine here, let's go to Tumpf.”

“Then you'll get your wife and kid and calmly take everyone on a guided tour?”

“No.” Trum said. “Then I'll say, 'hey, I didn't know you were here! What are you doing up here? 'Scuse me ladies, I really need to have a good long talk to my wife about what's wrong at home.' Or some such rot and hand em back three quarters of the fee if I need to to get rid of them.”

“Why not do that now?”

“Not enough motive to offer them so much. It'd be suspicious. And it'll take that much to get rid of them.

I'll give it a go, say there's only a ruined mine there, but motive's important, see. If you're conning someone, you've got to have a believable motive to change plans.”

“And you're conning them, are you?”

“That teacher might be pretty and think she's clever, but she doesn't know the passenger rate very well, Wam, I'm charging them four times standard. Dayligh robbery it is, shouldn't be allowed!” he laughed coarsely. Then sobered up. “My.wife's OK, isn't she, Wam? And my girl?”

“I don't know nothing.”

“Yeah, right. You'll stand up for me, won't you, Wam? I don't double-cross people, but this was bigger than just moving some brandy, else your boss would have never taken my wife and girl. It's too big for a small time guy like me. I'm not up to it. I'll do my delivery, then that's it, I'll empty my cart, sell it and my spiky and take up fishing. Lie low till I die. Your boss won't mind that, will he?”

“I really don't know a fing, Trum. Don't think I seen you this scared though. Thought you was always cool.”

“My dad got burned, Wam; someone snitched and he burned. I don't mind risking prison, that's fair game, but I don't want someone to snitch on me and get burnedalive, I've got a wife and a girl to look after. And your boss took 'em. That's got me scared, all right. What's he want to take them for? I can keep quiet, you know that.”

“I know that, Trum. You're reliable, you are. I told the boss, Trum's reliable. You pay him, and he gets the job done, none's the wiser. So why did you dump your cargo?”

“I went the long way down to the city. Full cart, extra five days travel. I honestly forgot the guy whose leather I had was like, strongest guy in half the county. He didn't like the extra tariff, see, started to get rowdy? Then the sheriff comes up, 'Is there a problem? You can't trade on Restday, there's a by-law. I can't stamp your papers, there's a by-law. Enjoy your stay.' With your theatrical props, on my cart, looking really like a couple of fluffballs. Really unnerving that was. I poked them, though, not real, and was I thankful. But I still didn't want the sheriff to look at that bit of cargo. So I said, fine, if I'm going light-cart, I'll go light cart. Then I don't get.anyone bothering about any stamps, see? Avoid any more run-ins with sheriffs, keep a low profile. I really like low profile, these days. I want to see my little girl grow up happy, not whistling on some street corner in Drana like my mum had to.”

“All right, Trum, don't panic. Let's go to Tumpf.”

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QNUT SHERIFF'S OFFICE, RESTDAY EARLY AFTERNOON.

“OK guys,” Dirak told the posse, “They've just left, heading along the valley road. We're going to need to follow, but far enough away that they don't see us.”

“Sounds tricky.”

“I should have asked. Is anyone afraid of heights?”

“You're not going to fly us all, are you?” the veneer maker asked.

“You're welcome to go by thlunk if you prefer, but they might have watchers out, so you're going to have to not be looking at where they go.”

“He's going to fly us.” Gnor said. “That was my plan.”

“And you've no idea where they're going?”

“Somewhere in Tumpf.”

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THE OLD MINE, TUMPF

“Trum,” the figure in shadow said. “Why are those females here?”

“It's a bit complicated. They paid me over odds, for a lift, and reckon I agreed to give them a guided tour, because they said they wanted to see the sights and I said I knew what they ought to see.”

“They tricked you, you mean?”

“Yeah, well, they wanted the guided tour, I wanted four times the going rate.”

“Mutual profit. I see. And they won't get off your cart?”

“They know enough... while they're on, they're passengers.”

“But you've got the package.”

“Yes, sir. Got curious and read the note, my first day out. Two scarily good fake fluffballs. Must be expensive, props that lifelike, had to poke em with a stick to be sure. I was gentle, of course, didn't want to deliver damaged goods. Just couldn't get over how lifelike they was. You've got my wife, my daughter.”

“Amazingly enough, yes.” the figure said. “We wouldn't want to break a deal, now, would we? That's bad for business. I'm sure they're looking forwards to seeing you. But they're not here.”

“That's what Wam said, sir. Going to be hard to explain it to my passengers.”

“Oh they're not far. First I need to see the props.”

“That'll be hard, sir, the passengers, once the delivery's made they'll wonder,

suspect something. It's not exactly a warehouse, now, is it? Silly thing is, this place is the only place we could think we'd show them here.”

“Oh, you must invite them in, let them have a look at the place.”

“If you think it's wise, sir. Urm, the young one, she's a teacher in Hnut. Wam thinks she might be the sheriff's girlfriend. I dunno if he's right, but it's what she said, she's looking for some place to bring a school history trip.”

“And the old woman?”

“Friend of her mum. Company for the journey.”

“Trum, you've brought me trouble.”

“I've brought you the package sir, and like I told Wam, I don't know what you want with them props, but, well, taking my wife, my girl, that made me think its not safe them being home without me, is it? Someone I don't know might take them.

"So I'm going to get out of carting. Take up fishing some place where if the sheriff wants to look at my stuff all I'll have to show him is fish. I want to see my little girl grow up, sir.”

“You're going straight?”

“Mostly. Staying home, anyway. Those props, they was right scary, they were. Made me think of what happened to my dad. I got scared and then I got thinking; going straight is going to be boring, but it's better than my little girl ending up on some street corner in Drana, sir.”

“Parental concern from Trum the trader. Amazing! Amazing! Who got to you Trum?”

“Don't understand, sir.”

“What got you so scared?”

“It was those props there, and then that Rangar of Hnut stopping me before I could. go on, and then the sheriff taking an interest, telling me I had to wait until Earthday to present papers, and he'd have to check my cargo before he gave me a stamp tomorrow.

So I told him, fine, I'll go light-cart, here's my cargo. I didn't want to get.stopped again, see? But he expects me to settle that dispute with Rangar on Earthday. He's going to find out I picked up goods for the long way in Uttown. So I had to go, see? What'd the sheriff think if he saw those props, so realistic? I saw my dad get burned for his part in a kidnapping. I don't want to get burned.”

“So the police are on to you.”

“I might go to jail, I don't know, cooking the books, it's not the worst crime in the world, but they sure don't like it in those villages. But you go home after jail, you don't go home after being burned. So I won't say nothing 'bout any of this. No way. Where's my little girl?”

“So. the police are on to you, you've got scared and gone soft, and now you're useless to me. What a shame.”

“Yes sir, I'm sorry sir. But I ain't no blabbermouth. And I'm not going to risk gettin burned, so I'm going straight and staying away from the law once I've settled up in Hnut, And I don't know nothing about what you're planning with those fake fluffballs. I don't even want the delivery fee, sir, just let me have my wife and girl and none of this happened, all right? Can't say fairer than that sir, can you?”

“All right, Trum, here's what you'll do: You'll take that box to where your wife and girl are, which is down bit of a ladder, I'm sure you don't expect me to carry it. And then when you've had your happy reunion, you'll open it so I can see the merchandise. And Wam'll be there with his club to make sure no one gets any silly ideas, And if the merchandise is all OK, then you and your wife and kid go up the ladder and Wam and me, we never see you again. And we go down and collect it. But if there is something wrong...”

“Then I stay down the hole with my wife and girl?” Trum asked.

“Exactly. And before you go, you tell your passengers they're welcome to stay in the cart, but it's interesting in here, and your friends have brought your wife and daughter up here as a nice surprise for you. But your daughter's drawing something, and if you can't persuade your girl to leave her art project then it might take hours until she's finished, so maybe they'd like Wam to drive them back to Qnut. And of course you'll refund their money, come what may. Because you ain't going nowhere without your family, are you, Trum?”

“Absolutely not, sir. I was telling Wam, you need a real good excuse to change plans on people. Maybe they'll even want to walk back to Qnut, save them the wait. You really want me to invite them in?”

“If they leave your cart they've finished their ride, haven't they? And then they can walk home, and that way Wam doesn't need to get so friendly with the back view of.your spiky.”

“Oh that's clever sir! Very clever!” Trum said. Not liking one bit the implication that it was a foregone conclusion that he was staying there.

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“Anyone see any faces at windows?” Dirak whispered. Since they were three hundred metres paway, on the other side of the valley, it wasn't needed, but the occasion demanded

it, he thought. They were mostly out of sight, having found spot in the shadow of an overhang, “None. Doesn't mean there aren't any.” Gnor said.

“But it might mean everyone's inside, which'd be really handy.”

“Dirak, you don't reckon the hool is down the old mine, do you?”

“It might well be. You don't get much more of a deep dark hole than a mine.”

“Who owns these workings, do you know?”

“The mayor. Been in his family for generations, pretty much everything round here that's old and falling apart belongs to him. Not many buyers for a disused mine or a disused palace, even the theatre's been closed since the roof caved in a couple of years ago. He keeps trying to talk up the palace mosaics and things, but really, it's the end of the line and he knows it.”

“Is he married?”

“Yes, nice lass, much younger than him. I think actually it was more that she was new to the village, down on her luck and let herself be impressed by his ancestry. No sign of any eggs, nor likely to be.”

“Because?”

“Rumour says they had an almighty row and she won't talk to him. All I know is she spends a lot of time in the church, praying, and a lot of time in the school, helping out, and a lot of time trying to help poor people. Rumour says she's planning to stand.against him for the post of mayor, when it comes up in a month's time. She'll probably win, just because she's really happy to be out of the house, and he's a miserable old guy. That's him.”

“That man with Trum?”

“Yes.”

“Let's all listen in, then.”

The conversation they heard was about the ladies being invited in to see the old workings, and the old offices, and how yes, it'd make a very educational visit for the school children, and how Trum's friends had arranged the surprise for him of his wife and daughter being here, but of course it made more sense to not leave business unfinished before the joyful reunion.

“Who'd ever be convinced about that line?” one of the posse members said.

“Someone who knew it was a hostage situation,” Dirak said, “and who didn't want to make a fuss.”

“What?” Thuna's voice exploded from Dirak's staff. “How does it possibly make sense? You've spoiled the surprise by telling him that, and now you're not letting the man see his family? What sort of friends are you? Totally brain-dead? Give the guy ten minutes to kiss his wife and hug his daughter, then talk business. I don't.know, some people! Go on, shoo, get back in there for some happy reunions! Talking about school visits and keeping a family apart? That's cruel! You!” She waved the staff at the younger man, “You let the boss talk school visits and take me and Trum to. see his wife. I want a word with her. What was she thinking of? Trum might have found a cargo that let him make a side trip home, and what a surprise that'd be, eh? Come, on,nmove boy, take me to see see the silly thing.”

Thuna got off the cart, continuing her unending and uninterruptable stream of words about how thoughtless it had been and how Trum's wife ought to have thought it through and what did they mean, business needed to come first and so on. Prodding the confused Wam with her staff every time he looked back towards his boss for guidance, she got him to lead them towards the building, and then berated him even more when he moved to pick up his club at the doorway. “What do you need that thing for? You're planning on threatening Trum until he gives his wife a kiss? I don't know, leave the guy some privacy! But show us the way, boy.”

“Is that part of the plan?” another of the posse members asked.

“Once she's found the wife and girl, we go in. That's the plan.” Dirak said.

“It was wonderful how she stopped Wam from picking up his club, there.” Gnor said.

“She often said she wanted to be an actress when she was young, and she's used to dealing with a crowd of unruly apprentices,” Dirak said, “I expect she's thoroughly enjoying herself. Be ready, guys, things might happen quickly.”

“How quickly?”

“Are you joking?” Thuna said over the radio. “Down there? Why is Trum's wife down there? Hello is there really someone down there?”

A faint sound was then heard, followed by Trum's voice, “I'm here Estha. Trum.”

“Touching, innit?” Wam said, then there was the sound of a scuffle. “Be careful, Trum, don't struggle,” Wam's voice said, “It's a long way down.”

“You think think I'm going to just stand by and let you throw him over the edge?” Thuna asked.

“No, lady, I'm just going to tell you to climb down the ladder, nice and calmly, and that way I won't drop him. You see, trader Trum here tried to cheat my boss. That's not a nice thing to do, not to a descendent of the princes. And he knows too much, too, just like you. So either you can climb down that ladder, nice and civilised like, or I'll have to throw Trum down and you too.”

“I see. That's your plan is it?”

“Good plan, isn't it?”

“You forgot something. I've still got my walking stick.”

“And what are you going to do, hit me on the head and the catch Trum before he hits the bottom?”

“No, that entirely lacks finesse,” Thuna said. “I prefer doing it this way.”

“OK, guys, that wasn't the signal but it'll do.” Dirak said, starting to fly them down.

“What happened?” one of them asked.

“When a sixty something year old female with a walking stick that's taller than she is gets cross with a young male, what do you think happens?” Gnor asked.

“Something intensely painful?”

“Exactly my thought.” Dirak agreed. “She won't have used wizardry to incapacitate Wam, but she might well have used the stick. He might be missing a kneecap, you never know.”

“I wasn't thinking about knees.”

“She will have been. Knows all about a guy's weak spots. A guy will defend his genialita, but take out his knees, and you can be sure he's not going to chase you down any ladder.”

----------------------------------------

INSIDE THE MINE

“He could have dropped me.” Trum said.

“But he didn't, stop worrying. It's a little known thing, but if you suddenly experience pain and you're off balance, then you don't drop things, you hang on to them. I took out his leg, and tugged his crest. He didn't want to fall over, so he pulled you in. It's all about reflexes, see?”

“So you knew what'd happen?”

“At least sixty percent sure. Come on, I don't care how hard you kicked him, you've got your wife waiting for you. “Down the ladder?”

“With my knees? You're joking. Hold on to the staff. It's faster too.”

“How much faster?”

“Half a second if you like.”

“Half a second faster?”

“No, travel time. But let's go down slowly. Some people throw up their first few times.”