Arny Gets a Promotion

- "Are you sure everything is secure?" the guildmaster asked his underlings. "No-one scrying us?"

- "All the wards are in place," the battlemage said. "And no-one could have entered - all the entrances have been sealed."

# Ha! That's what you bipedals think!#

*Twiggy! What is it!* It was Winski, frantic.

# Hush. I'm fine. Don't interfere now, I have to listen to them.#

Winski was pacing, pale and sweating, in an inn next to the building the peddler had revealed to them as a base of Night Masks' operations, the one giving him orders. Twiggy had suggested slithering inside to spy, as it was easy to move undetected for a snake. Winski was at first adamantly opposed to that, but Twiggy had pointed out it was either this or letting Sarevok annihilate the place. Now the others tried to calm Winski.

- "Look, even if they noticed Twiggy I'm sure she can hide someplace at least as long as it takes for us to rescue her," Peri said. "Have some faith. She is one smart snake."

- "I know that she is! It is just that I couldn't bear losing her," Winski said.

- "Is your bestveryspecial friend, oh yes..." Cespenar nodded.

Meanwhile, Twiggy concentrated on listening to the discussion.

- "Everything is in order for the trip?" the guildmaster asked. He was a man with pale eyes and a long face, almost unnaturally calm in appearance.

- "Yes, the children are kept in the Vagabond, ready to be distributed once we reach Cormyr."

- "Are they chained?" The guildmaster's voice was stern now.

- "Well, no... it's not like they get out of there, the hatches are locked. We thought to let them play and walk a bit... but most of them just sit and stare ahead." The underling sounded puzzled, and also a little alarmed.

- "Damn it! That may be all right here, because it is not illegal to sell them. But I can not stress enough that they MUST be chained, each and every one of them, once you reach Cormyr, or any other destination for that matter. The authorities and many powerful groups feel strongly about this kind of thing... and the clients have a lot to lose. Many of them are respectable citizens with a good standing in society. The business would be ruined if they were revealed. It is essential that no-one knows what you are shipping! Am I making myself clear?"

- "Yes. You are, sir. But... I know, they are Maztican... but they cry... and they get even worse once they have been used by those men... stealing and even assassinating is one thing, but I can't help thinking this is a reprehensible way to make a living."

The guildmaster stared the underling down, long and hard.

- "Are you getting second thoughts about this?" he asked.

- "I... I don't know..." the man stammered.

The guildmaster smiled thinly and rose. He walked next to the young man and put his hand on his shoulder. He talked in a kind, mild tone.

- "You are a young man yet. You may have some ideals, or remnants of the things your parents have taught you, I don't know. I understand, I do. But the world is a place where the only right is the right of those clever enough to take the profit there is to take. I won't hold this against you."

The young man relaxed a little, and in a quick flash of a blade knew no more.

The guildmaster wiped the dagger clean and went to the door.

- "Arny," he called. "Come here!"

Another young man with dark, mean eyes entered the room and eyed the corpse conveying only mild surprise.

- "You are promoted," the guildmaster said. "Oh, and dispose of the corpse. Before you do, however, we need to discuss the operation you are going to partake."

Arny smiled approvingly. Finally they had figured out his talent. The guildmaster explained the operation to him, and he didn't flinch at the mention of the child pleasure slaves.

- "You will travel to Cormyr, and run the business for a while. If the clients wish to buy them, having means to keep them, that is allowed too. Lord Marshwall shall give you the names of the contacts, and his personal letters of recommendation."

- "How far do I go to protect the operation?" Arny asked.

- "No limits. This is our most lucrative business yet. The children get useless pretty quickly, but they are easy to control, and capturing new ones is easy as well," the guildmaster answered. "Protect it at all costs. Marshwall is valuable for the contacts, and gets a big share, but still... now go meet him and get the names."