Chapter 49

I cannot say this enough, students. No matter what your hunches, assumptions, ideas, you as investigators need to keep your nose to the facts – the facts should be a knife that cuts through your prejudices, shows you where your hunches are false trails, how wrong your initial assumptions can be. Only in this way, can we pursue justice and insure that wrongs are righted. And if this is not your goal, you should find another line of work.

Class Lecture, Zeriel Brimstell, DIC Academy President, in DIC Study Guide, Sunderland Press

At the Goblin Market Dragon Web station, the freight area was filled with goods ready to be picked up from the morning delivery.

“That looks like it,” Gob Hezney said. The Spriggan porter wiped his huge forehead with a bright red handkerchief. He stepped outside, with Umber Madrona following quickly behind. “Transport, it’s all yours!”

The lock on the door, a long metal bar that was triggered from the other side slammed into place. One of the transport workers gave the sign that all was good. In a few moments there was a glimmer of magic in the air like a fine sheen coating the carriage and it was gone, off to Meridae.

“Hey Jabot! We’re leaving it all in your hands. Try to get it cleared out before the afternoon carriage gets here,” Gob said, wiping the back of his neck with the same cloth.

Jabon, looking up from his desk where he managed all the shipping and receiving of the freight running through the station gave the pair a nod. He was an older Bauchan man, with a little gray beginning to pepper his brown hair. People at the Dragon Web station said he let the gray in to distract through his most notable feature, a set of extraordinarily large and extremely pointed ears. It might have been true.

“Ah, you’re just lucky there’s no more wool sacks ready to go today. But we’ll have something just as interesting when you get back.” He looked at his clipboard. “Master Glamstin has a shipment of clay water pipes ready to go to Waterford by Glint, along with a big order of tiles.”

“No rest for the weary,” Gob said. “I’ll be sure to give my back a good rest until it’s time.”

“That Glamstin, I swear he has it in for us,” Gob said. “So, are you meeting your young lady for lunch today?

Umber sighed. “No, she said she has to run some errands today at lunch time. She and I, well, she’s going to show me something tomorrow on our day off. I think maybe it has to do something with that.”

Gob patted him on the back. “Now that’s a good sign. I’d heard Dragonkin women, once they set their eye on someone, well, they don’t take no for an answer.”

“No one ever set their eye on me before,” Umber admitted. “I don’t know if that’s true or not.”

“Well enjoy it. I’ve heard nothing but good about the Lana of yours.”

He and Umber stepped out of the freight area, where a wagon was being loaded with goods that had just come in with the morning’s shipment. Gob waved goodbye, and headed home for his midday break.

Umber wandered back to the office. For some reason, Thornfield was gone, no doubt taking an early lunch, and he got his paperwork for the morning run calculated and filed away without any sarcasm, belittlement, or stupid errands to slow him down. He put the last forms away, stood up, and made a decision.

“There’s no way I’m eating field rations for lunch again,” he said. He thought about the lunch Lana had made him yesterday, and it gave him both an odd yearning for something he wasn’t sure of, some combination of nostalgia and whatever was blooming between him and the young Dragonkin woman, and the determination to live a better quality life than he had been having since moving to this town.

“Lana thinks I’m worth it,” he muttered to himself. “Commander Byrony thinks I’m worth it. It’s time I think I’m worth it.” Closing the office door behind him and posting the out to lunch sign on the doorknob, he headed for the outside.

He walked briskly down the main street, dodging shoppers, and stepping around a wagon parked in front of Turbot’s Dry Goods. The place he was heading for was a small food kiosk he had eaten at before – The Lunch House, a popular daytime eatery for street food. There was no place to sit down. The customer ordered, it was served on paper, and a person either ate it while standing on the street or carried it off to eat elsewhere. It was very popular with the people who worked in town. Even though it was not quite lunch time, there was a line of people already ready to buy, and the smells coming from the tiny shop smelled delicious. He got in line. In front of him was a Bauchan man with clay smeared on his clothes, a man who he suspected worked at the workshop that made the pipes he was going to have to deal with in the afternoon. He found himself wanting to say something snide, but resisted the temptation. In front of that man was a Lake People woman, with cascading green hair. She worked at Mayor Turbot’s office.

“Everybody eats here,” he said. That pleased him for some reason.

“Now Rosebud,” came a voice from behind him, “you know we’re going to meet Rob at that cafe soon as we’re through getting our shopping done.” It was a voice he had heard before, but he couldn’t put a face to it.

The line moved forward as a member of the Alder Branches, who ran a local free school took a big bag of food away from the kiosk. Her blue robes fluttered as she hurried away.

“Now maybe we can get some food,” said the workman in front of him, grumbling. “Stupid teachers always buy such a big order.”

The workman almost drowned out the small voice of whoever was talking to the woman behind him.

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“But I’m so hungry! And it smells so good! Please, please?” the little voice pleaded.

After stepping forward, Umber turned around and saw a small Bauchan-looking woman in a plain blue dress with a brilliantly white apron. Her eyes, though was bluer than her dress. It looked like she was talking to a bag that hung from her arm by a fine wooden handle, but when he looked more carefully, he saw a tiny woman dressed in what looked like a dress made of flower petals. That surprised him.

“Are you a Pixie?” he said to the little woman. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Pixie before.”

Both Gan and Rosebud looked up at Umber. Rosebud flew up and turned her head as she circled around the young Dragonkin. “I’ve never seen a person that looks like you before. Where did you come from? You look like a lizard.”

“Rosebud!” Gan said, a bit bothered by Rosebud’s rudeness. “He’s a Dragonkin. And he’s a nice young man. He was very helpful the day I got here.”

Another customer got his order and the line moved forward. Umber moved forward.

“I remember seeing you that day – you seemed rather excited, and a little nervous, and I was hoping to help you get out of the freight carriage with no problems,” Umber said.

“Why yes!” Gan said. “You remembered that? I was a bit nervous, and wondering if I was going to have to circle my team around, and you opened the other door. If warm feelings counted for anything, you got a bucketful that day.”

Umber gave her a small smile. “ I was trained at the DIC academy in Sunderland. They teach us how to do that,” Umber said, shrugging. “There’s a whole group of techniques and training for memory. It comes in handy for investigators. But I think I would have remembered you, anyway. I saw you before that day when you came to the station, and Mayor Turbot made it a point to talk with Lady Elaine. I thought it was a bit rude of him, but Lady Elaine handled it very well.”

“Well, I won’t say what I think of Mayor Turbot, but it wasn’t the best first impression. But Elaine, Elaine is a special soul,” Gan said, nodding.

“If she’s anything like her younger sister, she has to be.”

“You’ve met Arriane?” Gan asked.

Umber nodded. “She goes back and forth to the White Island a good bit. The first time we met, I was having a rather bad day, and she gave me a sweet and tried to cheer me up. Ever since then, she stops by to say hello.”

“That sounds like Arriane. Yes, Elaine is very much like that.” Something lit up Gan’s face as she had an idea. “So you’re getting lunch?”

He nodded.

“I guess I am, too.” Rosebud, who had been hiding once again, lifted up and hugged the woman on the neck.

“It smells so good,” Rosebud said. “I’m so hungry.”

“Do you know any place near here where we can sit down and eat?” Gan asked Umber.

“There’s a small park near here,” Umber said, nodding. “If you’d like, I can show you the way.”

“That would be lovely,” Gan said. “I think I’d love to sit down for a little while. All this shopping, it takes a bit out of a person. It’s been awhile since I’ve done this.”

After they got their food, Umber led them to a small park about halfway between the kiosk and the Dragon Web station, a couple of blocks off the main street. There were a few benches under a scattering of trees, and a statue in the center of the little square. It was walled off from the hustle and bustle of the business of Goblin Market, although an open wrought iron gate in each wall invited people to enter.

A boy was in the park, playing fetch with a dog, while an older woman kept a watchful eye on both of them. Gan and Umber moved to the opposite side of the square.

Gan settled down, placing her lunch next to her. Rosebud circled around the bundle, but didn’t land. “Smells so good. So hungry.”

“If you have time, why don’t you join us, Master…” Gan said.

“Umber. Umber Madrona,” the young Dragonkin man said. “Are you sure?”

“Yes please,” Gan said. “You’re the nicest person from the DIC I’ve ever meant. Are there more like you?”

“I hope so,” Umber said. “Thankfully they aren’t all bad.” He sat down near her. “Have you had problems with the DIC? Outside of travel problems, most Aos Si don’t have any run-ins with the DIC.”

Gan opened her lunch bundle, and took out a croquette. Her face grew solemn as she broke off and handed a piece to Rosebud.

The little Pixie took it with great appreciation, and took a bite. “So wonderful!”

Gan gave her a little smile, not as sincere as her usual, then sighed. “It was a few years ago. The headmaster of our school, Tobias Gwaher, was also a noted researcher of no space devices. He had been working on a new project, I think with the aid of someone out of town. One night, his laboratory lit up like a fireworks display. He did not like people interrupting his work, so me and the rest of the staff were a bit hesitant to check on him, but finally, we got the keys and went in. But when we got there, he was gone. Nothing was disturbed, and even his notes were there. Because we knew he was working on no space, we went to the DIC office in Comrie, who swarmed over the place, took his notes and other things out of his laboratory and told us nothing.

“Later, they came and questioned us. One of the investigators, a man named Leshin Riven questioned me multiple times. I got the strong impression that he suspected I had killed Master Gwaher in a fit of jealous rage or something, Gwaher who had been a father to me after my parents died. That enraged me.”

“We are trained in techniques about how not to prejudge cases we’re investigating. I am sorry you had to deal with that. To lose someone and then be treated like that.” He unwrapped his own lunch. “I’m sorry for bringing up such sad memories.”

Gan nodded. “I know you didn’t mean anything bad, young man. And if Arriane likes you, I know you have a good heart.” She broke off another piece for Rosebud, then took another bite herself, and chewed thoughtfully. “What really made me angriest,” she said after a moment, “that every time I made inquiries about the investigation, Riven gave me the runaround, and eventually implied the case was closed. Finally he instructed everybody to no longer let me in the DIC office.”

“There is no such thing as a closed case until it’s solved at the DIC,” Umber said. His spiked flared with aggravation at what Gan had gone through. “It is true that cases that are beyond or more critical than the local DIC office’s ability to handle get transferred to more experienced investigators. I’m betting this is what happened to your case, but Riven was such a…”

“A stupid head!” Rosebud said, rather vehemently. “Just like Fergus gets when he’s had a fight with Lila. He never wants to admit he’s wrong.”

Both of the big people stared at the little woman. Neither of them had realized Rosebud was paying attention to them.

“Yes, Mistress Rosebud, that probably fits him well.” Umber took a sip of the soup he had bought. “Anyway, he was probably too full of himself to admit he was wrong and that’s why he treated you so poorly.”

“It’s good to know everyone in the DIC isn’t like him,” Gan said. She broke off a final small piece of food and gave it to Rosebud, and popped the last bit into her mouth.

“It’s been very nice to meet you, Umber Madrona. Thank you for taking time to make this a good day, even if we brought up sad memories.” She stood up and brushed a few crumbs off her dress. Next, she reached into her bag, and pulled out a small packet. “Here, take this.”

Umber looked up at her. “What is it?”

“Oh, just a little something I made at home. May it sweeten up your day.”

Rosebud circled around, looking at what Gan had given him. “It’s all right, Rosebud. We’ll be going to the bakery where Leila gets her cookies. You want some of them, right?”

That brought the Pixie back to Gan. “Promise?”

“Right after we go order the flour and beans and other things. We’ll go to the bakery, then go get Rob. So back to the bag.”

The Pixie retook her place.

Umber stood up as well. “Well, I have to get back to my work as well. I hope your shopping goes well. And perhaps I’ll get to see you again. Thank you for the company.”

Saying their goodbyes, Gan headed back to the main street, and Umber went the back way to the Dragon Web station.

On their way back, Rosebud looked up at Gan. “Umber is nice. But I still think he looks like a lizard.”

Gan just rolled her eyes.