Here is Chapter Three of my newest novel in the Drachma series. In this chapter we see some of the evil machinations of our thoroughly bad Antoine LeGace.
Chapter Three
Mortimer and Tingley followed the two Scotsmen at a distance and watched as they stepped into the small inn at the outskirts of Champour. They knew that the two had been invited to dinner with LeGace and Leonardo. But then they were surprised to see two others enter the inn. They recognized Guarneri but couldn’t be certain of the other. Perhaps it was Patronis – it made sense. If only they could listen in to the talk at the dinner table. But they figured this was better than nothing, and they could at least get the Scotsmen’s version of the dinner talk, later.
As the two settled down behind a house from which they could watch the inn, they began discussing recent events, and their talk naturally turned toward the two newest strangers.
“Now, it do seem a bit odd t’me that the lady Marilyn has come to us and seems to know all the people who did previously come from the ewe ass. An’ that includes Master Charlie. And she bein’ Master Robert’s wife an’ all.”
Tingley responded, “aye, it be strange indeed. An’ what d’ye suppose’ll happen when Lady Marilyn an’ Lady Judy meet?”
“That could be more of surprise than anythin’ we’ve seen yet! An’ I don’t know if I’d even like t’be there when that happens. Whooeee!”
“Have ye heard whether Lady Judy had her baby? Last I’d heard she was goin’ t’deliver really soon.”
“Nah – I’ve heard nothin’. But then we’re usually the last t’hear anythin’ interestin’.”
“But sometimes,” Tingley noted, “we get t’be the first to find out somethin’.” He gestured towards the inn.
“Aye… and here we may have somethin’ to tell our lords.”
“Aye that!”
Enoch and Clifton walked into the inn, which sat just north of Champour, separated from the village by a small creek. Inside it was dark and filled with the aromas of onions and grease. It was also exceedingly quiet. The atmosphere was so unlike Barncuddy’s as to make the pair on edge and a bit nauseated. On a back table sat a pair of men, one of whom they recognized, the other not. The one called Leonardo waved to them as they came in. They had to step down as they entered the dining area, and the floorboards creaked as they made their way to the back.
Leonardo rose and shook hands with the two Scotsmen, introducing the two to Antoine LeGace, who acknowledged them with a perfunctory nod of his head. This made the two of them even more ill-at-ease, as they sat down.
Leonardo hailed the waitress, a large, matronly woman named Charlene who came over to their table.
“I see two more o’ ye here. Will there be others?”
Leonardo answered in the affirmative. “Aye there shall be two more. But for now, if ye could -these gentlemen would like some of yer ale. Then, after the others be here, we shall be ready to eat as well.”
“Very well, gen’lemen. I’ll be right back wi’ yer drinks.”
After she had gone back into the kitchen, Leonardo opened the conversation blandly with, “so, ye’re from Scotland, is that right?” The two men nodded their assent. “Well, if ye can tell us why ye have come all the way over t’ Shepperton. For it would seem to offer little for the two of ye.”
Clifton looked over at Enoch, who looked back. Clifton began cautiously, “we are both of us alchemists, from Edinburgh. And we had heard that Shepperton has developed an institute for higher learnin’.”
At that moment, Charlene returned with two flagons of ale and set them down with a thunk. And as she straitened up, she noted the arrival of two more coming in. “Be they the other two fer yer table? An’ shall I get two more drinks fer yer guests?”
“Aye, do that.” Leonardo said, “and when ye come back, we shall be ready t’eat.”
“Very well, sires.” She headed back to the kitchen, and along the way directed Guarneri and Patronis toward the table in the back.
As the two men walked back, Leonardo again got up, and made introductions. LeGace again only nodded his recognition, staying seated and basically mum.
Leonardo continued with introductions and said, “these two are Scotsmen, alchemists by trade, who came to Shepperton because of its renown as a place of learning. They have come from Edinburgh, and, I believe, were going to tell us of their reasons for coming all that way down.”
Clifton and Enoch looked somewhat nervously at one another. Then Clifton resumed, “aye, it be as ye say. While still in Edinburgh, we had heard of Shepperton, and its academy. And thusly we decided to come down fer ourselves an’ got permission from the headmaster of our school to come.”
Enoch sipped his ale rather timidly, then, as the taste hit him, he made a face as though someone had just burnt the hops. Clifton noticed, and said softly, “that bad, eh?”
Enoch nodded, and added, “I shall have to have one o’ Barncuddy’s when we return.”
Charlene then returned with the drinks for the other two, and asked, “what’ll it be tonight? We have a mutton stew, and also some fried mackerel. And ye get rolls with either one.”
They ordered, and Charlene went back to the kitchen. Then the questioning started in earnest. “Tell us, if ye will, what did ye do back in Scotland, and what happened that ye decided to make the journey hence?” asked Leonardo rather pointedly.
As if to take Clifton off the hook, Enoch answered, “well, ah… we were working as alchemists, and teaching in our school, and one day one of our students told our class of an amazing place on the island of Shepperton. It was a place, he said of real magic, and had two persons from another time and place. And further there was now an institute where amazing things were taught, and amazing things were done. When we researched it, all we could find was tantalizing tales told by persons who had traveled to Shepperton and came away with similar reports. And interestingly only recent travelers reported these things.”
“Might I ask,” broke in Guarneri, “what is the name of your school back in Edinburgh? For I know some persons in Edinburgh, and they would be interested, of that I am sure.”
Without thinking, Clifton answered, “Prince Rupert’s School for Young men. ‘Tis attached t’ the University as a preparatory Academy.”
“I see, very interesting,” answered Guarneri.
Enoch looked at his comrade, who realized quite suddenly what he had done.
“So, let me see if I have it straight,” Patronis now got into the conversation, as he had been reading more of what had been written by Master Robert, “Master Robert’s influence has reached all the way to Edinburgh? And ye have arrived, in what capacity – as students?”
“Aye, that is correct,” said Enoch, hoping that his comrade’s faux pas would be quickly forgotten.
“Ah, well,” Antoine LeGace finally made his presence felt, “it would seem that the Third Prefect does carry some influence in the affairs of Edinburgh, and I know for a fact, that your headmaster, Montaugh has felt its influence keenly. So, I would suggest that you both listen carefully to what I have to say. I do intend to take over this island and make it a Duchy of the Third Prefect of the Court of Byzantium. And for the present I do think it fine that you two are placed within the Court of Shepperton, and your role as students would be fitting for my purposes. But let me tell you that I do not tolerate any deviation from my instructions. You shall report to Leonardo on a weekly basis, and you shall find out what you are able of Master Craycroft’s plans. Now I do know that Master Robert is in the interior of the island (though I do not know his precise location).”
At this, Patronis and Guarneri looked at each other slyly.
“If, in fact, I find that you have deviated in any way from my instructions, which may be adjusted at my discretion, your institution shall suffer grave consequences. Is that clear?”
“Aye that is understood,” answered Enoch.
“Aye,” said Clifton as well.
LeGace simply nodded, with finality.
As Charlene returned with their meal, all seemed to enjoy what they had ordered, save Clifton and Enoch, who merely picked at their dinners, and neither one could stomach their ale. No one said anything as the meal wound down. Eventually, Leonardo said, “since ye do not seem t’ be enjoying yer meals, I would simply say that ye may be excused, but I shall meet with ye on Friday, the time and place shall be made clear t’ ye before then.”
Sheepishly, the two Scotsmen got up, and made their way out.
Back at the table, the others continued to “enjoy” their food, though not with any gusto. Guarneri and Patronis has just witnessed an example of LeGace’s style, and it shook them to their core, for they could sense his otherworldly malevolence.
As they were getting ready to go themselves, LeGace turned to them, and with a look unlike any they had experienced, but one which pierced them deeply, said,” now, before you go. I’ll have you tell me something. Do tell me where you have taken your prisoner, Master Robert. And believe me I have ways of finding out. It would be better for all concerned if we could work this out, playing on the same team.”
Guarneri and Patronis looked at each other, and then again at LeGace. Finally, Guarneri said, “we do have them held as prisoners, Master Robert and his companion, Hermes, at the barracks in Clear Bay.”
“Well, let me make this clear. Be certain no harm comes to either of them. I have plans for Master Robert, which shall be made clear soon enough. And I shall not have you or anyone else (and that includes the king and his men) fouling up those plans. Is that understood clearly?”
“Aye. Ye have made that quite clear, sire,” answered Guarneri. And then the two of them made their way out, quietly.
“And now, Leonardo, we shall have to go as well, for there is much to arrange in the next few days, eh?”
“Well, now, Enoch, did ye ever think that we’d be gettin’ into anything like this?”
“Nay – headmaster Montaugh never let on that there was this evil. That is how I feel, all dripping with his evil secretions.”
“And did ye notice – how, when LeGace mentioned Master Robert, that the other two looked at each other, like they knew somethin’?”
“Aye, I did. D’ye suppose…?”
Mortimer and Tingley had no trouble catching up with the two Scotsmen. They were walking as though coming from a funeral.
“Ah, me friends, Mortimer and Tingley! Did ye see anythin’ or anyone suspicious?”
“Nay Clifton,” Mortimer answered, “just that ye left mighty early from yer “feast”. Was it no’ t’yer likin”?”
“Nay, Barncuddy offers a fare piece better dinner, and besides that – the ale! And in addition, me appetite had been knocked out from under me by the meetin’ wi’ Master LeGace.”
“Aye. I hear he does that t’ one’s appetite.”
“Listen, is there any way we could meet wi’ Craycroft this evenin’?
“Oh, I’m quite certain he’d be ready to hear what ye have t’say,” said Mortimer. “And may I tell him what this’ll be about?”
“Just that we met with Master LeGace, and we have some serious misgivings. It was as if we walked into a snare.”
“Aye, that is just what I feel, too,” added Enoch.
“Well, let us get ye back t’ Barncuddy’s, me friends. An’ then me an’ Tingley’ll see if we can get Master Craycroft t’ come down.
No comments:
Post a Comment