Heart of Dorkness

Terror Ten - Trade

Fancy backs up until he’s leaning against his desk, then he crosses his arms and gives us a brilliant smile. “From the top then. Javier. You know plenty about him, I’d wager?”

I shake my head. “I’m not here to tell you anything, but if you’re asking so that we’re on the same page, I’ll admit that I don’t know that much about him.”

“Hmm, well, he’s a big-name trader, probably one of the biggest ones to come and visit our humble little city,” Fancy says, his hand wheeling around in some grand gesture. “In Montele, he’s just some small gnat, but here... ah, but you likely know as much. He trades in interesting stock, a bit of everything, really, but lots of tools and machines from the capital. And, of course, books.”

“That’s what I’m interested in,” I say.

“Books, huh? I know there’s a shipment that goes north, once a season or so. No one messes with it, and it barely has a guard at all. But there’s that symbol on its side, the Dark Mark. That’s reason enough that I never told anyone to try grabbing it. Besides, they’re just books.”

“Books are worth a lot,” I say. At least, they are to me and Mom.

“Sure,” Fancy agrees with the ease of someone that doesn’t actually care. “Now, books are the reason he was arrested, as far as I heard.”

“Wait, what?” I stand a bit taller, Fancy the centre of my full attention.

He nods and grins at me. “Oh yes. A new law, something pushed by the Hero’s Church--and everyone knows they own the king--saying that some books can be dangerous, that they hold terrible secrets and such.” He made little wiggly gestures with his fingers.

“What’s the law say?” I ask. I don’t want to agree with the law, but, well, I’ve looked at and have read some of the books in the library at home. I can’t deny that there are some dangerous things out there.

“I’m no lawman,” Fancy says. “Quite the opposite. Siverus, can you find us some fruit? Where was I? Right, I don’t know what the exact words of the law are, but they essentially have a list of acceptable books. If a book isn’t on there, you need to get a permit for it, and it will be added to the list.”

“That’s... that ‘s draconian!” I say. “How long does it take to get a permit?”

“Someone at the capital needs to read it, to make sure there’s nothing dangerous within,” Fancy says.

I sputter. “That could take weeks! Months even! How many books can someone read a day? Three, maybe four? A good library will have thousands of books. A great library will have rare copies, some that can’t just be shipped in some box!”

The kingpin’s eyebrows raise up a bit at my outburst, so I try to rein in it a little. “Quite the opinion,” he says. “Well, in either case, there’s a fine for having an unpermitted book. And Javier was caught with hundreds of them, from what I heard. A literal wagon-load.”

“So he has to pay a fine?”

“Well, the fine would depend on the severity of the crime, and who knows how many of those books would get a permit? So he needs to pay to have them all checked, and if some of them aren’t permitted books, then he was smuggling illegal goods, wasn’t he? That can be grounds for quite a few more fines in the merchant’s guild. Trust me, they’re far more cutthroat than any gang of street rats.”

I fume, core roiling at the unfamiliar emotion until I pull away from anger and direct it elsewhere. Disgust comes easy, of course. What else is a system that takes away books but something utterly abhorrent and loathsome! Vigilance is harder to empower, but I do want to know more, and I am wary of these new laws and of this place.

Anger properly managed, I turn back to Fancy. “So, where is Mister Juárez now?”

Fancy shrugs. “Perhaps still in the city, perhaps on his way to Montelle. I’m not entirely sure. He didn’t seem very important to my sort of business, not now that he was removed from the game being played in Santafaria.”

“And his cargo? The books?”

“Likely wherever Juárez is. I imagine that he will at least try to clear his name.”

I hum and rub at my chin, then I glance at Felix who seems very calm about everything.

The mage returns, and he brings a bowl filled with fruit with him. Fancy claps his hands in delight before pulling an end table closer and setting the fruit onto it. He grabs an apple from the top, and gestures at me with it.

“No thanks,” I mutter.

Felix eeps a bit as he underhands the apple at her, but she doesn’t complain, not when she has something to sink her teeth into.

“Alright,” I ask next. “What can you tell me about the temple?”

Fancy looks a bit awkward for a moment. “Well, that was my boys.”

I pause, then felt my brows meeting together. “Please explain.”

“Calm down, little Miss,” he says, hands raised placatingly. “We were hired to set fire to the temple. It was just a bit of arson, and the gold was as real as gold gets.”

I considered setting my friends on him for a moment, but I can always do that later. “Who paid you?”

“You mean who paid me, or who came to deliver the gold and make the requests?”

“What’s the difference?” I ask.

“Well now, when you become important enough, you don’t go and take care of things yourself. You hire someone else to do all of that for you. The person that showed up here with the request was Baron Miquel Fonz. From Midtown.”

“Did he tell you he was hired?”

“No, but the good baron is barely a noble as is. He owns some two dozen boats and a few warehouses by the docks. His father pissed the family fortune away, some of it right here. I can’t imagine him leading the charge against the Dark Goddess or her temple. Someone had to be paying him.”

I frown at Fancy, then try to focus a little. Someone had hired this baron to burn my mother’s temple down, or he wanted to do that for himself. “Does anyone get anything from the temple being burned?” I mutter.

“The Hero’s Church disliked it; they practically threw a party. But I don’t know enough to really point any fingers,” Fancy admits.

I mutter a curse that Mom had said once, then shake my head. “Fine. Anything else you want to let me know?”

Fancy taps his chin. “Oh, you’ll definitely be robbed on exiting my wonderful abode.”

“You’re going to rob me?”

He looks insulted. “Me? No, never. However much gold you have on you, I can make more the next time you return, or the time after. I’m a businessman. A few gold now compared to repeat custom with someone so generous? No, no. But the people out there? Practically barbarians.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I say. “Thank you for your time; you’ve left me with plenty to think on. Can I trust that you won’t be telling everyone what I asked about?”

Fancy bows with a flourish. “Of course. Siverus, be a gentleman, and escort the little Miss and her companion out?”

The mage nods, and soon we’re being escorted out of the office at our own pace. I notice a few looks cast our way, and before we even make it to the stairs, two people have gotten up and left already.

Messengers? Ambushers?

“Felix, when we get outside, stay close to me,” I say. “I don’t know if they would chase after you, but it wouldn’t surprise me.”

“Are you going to be okay?” Felix asks.

“Not concerned about yourself?”

She shakes her head. “Nah. Don’t have anything worth robbing. But I’ll stay with you, Miss; sometimes seeing two people makes muggers think twice. But, um...”

“Yes?” I ask.

“Maybe showing gold wasn’t clever.”

“Duly noted,” I said. “But there were things I really had to know.”

“About books?” Felix asks.

“Yes, about books. Back home, there are few things more important than a good book.”

Felix gives me a look, but I don’t take offence. I guess to someone who can’t read, it must be a little strange. “Let’s get back to the inn.” I look up and behind us to the mage following. “Is there a back exit?” I ask.

“There is,” he says.

“Can you show it to us, please? I’d rather put the odds on our side.”

“I’m certain Fancy would agree to that,” he says. “Do you want an escort? One could be hired here, for the right price.”

“I... will think about it,” I decline politely.

I should be able to make it back just fine, I figure.

***