Chapter 22: A Simple Investigation
"I am aware that many of my sources shall be available at this hour," Yoshimo declared as he and Anomen marched down the street, neither happy to be working together, "but am I not right in believing that your Order shall most likely be sleeping at night, and thus will be even less willing to give a squire sensitive information regarding one of the cities most influential men?"
Anomen shrugged. "Mayhaps," he murmured idly. "But if it the politics you fear, then do not. The Order is above such things – whether Duchinov were high-ranking noble or simple serf, he would receive the same treatment from the Radiant Heart. Yet still, the Order is open at all hours to listen to those who need help. I know for a fact that Sir Ryan Trawl, the knight I was squired to, shall be at the headquarters at this hour."
"I see," Yoshimo said levelly, his voice infuriatingly unreadable. "Where should we investigate first? Your Order, or my street friends?" he asked lightly, giving Delryn a broad and irritatingly false smile.
Anomen sighed. He had a feeling this would be a long night.
* *
Tellis the informant jangled the small pouch full of gold pieces as he slid into a seat at the bar of the Sea's Bounty. Business was going well, what with the three thousand he had in hand, and the other three thousand he could expect from those friends of Yoshimo down at the Five Flagons. Tomorrow he would go there, get his pay, and probably treat himself to a slightly better home than the house he was squatting in at the moment.
But, for now, he had every intention of drinking himself stupid for the night in celebration. Celebration alone, granted, which was not as entertaining as it could be, but if he was lucky he'd stumble whilst inebriated right into the path of one of the harlots that frequented the area and throw some money the right way.
"My friend, you really do waste your life," an all-too familiar voice declared from beside him, and he looked up in surprise to find himself stuck between Yoshimo and that cleric friend of his. A small look of panic crossed Tellis's face, and he drew his drink to him protectively.
Anomen snorted with disgust. "Lay off, scum, we are not interested in your petty alcoholism. We simply want some questions answered and we shall be on our way," he muttered disdainfully.
Yoshimo threw him a glance. "I shall let you do the talking when we get to the Order house, Anomen, if you let me do the talking when we are in my domain for this investigation," he retorted, then looked at Tellis. "Tell us what we want to know and we'll leave you in peace," he declared.
The informant shook his head, already a little inebriated. "Nope. No way. Not unless you give me some more money, heh heh…" He looked hopefully at the two men on either side of him. "Then I'm your man, heh."
"No. If you don't give us any information, then you won't be getting your three thousand gold," Yoshimo informed him sourly, dearly wishing he didn't have to deal with this low-life of a man today.
"That's not fair!" Tellis exclaimed, erupting into anger and panic.
The bounty hunter smiled thinly. "We agreed what we would pay you when we had the scroll. The scroll was stolen from us. Help us find it again, and we can maybe add another thousand to your money?"
"We don't –" Anomen was interrupted in his protests by Yoshimo raising a hand, and the cleric subsided unhappily.
Tellis looked up, the greed in his eyes. "Another two thousand," he insisted forcefully. "Otherwise… no deal, otherwise I'm too cheap in my work, heh heh. Another two thousand, and we talk, heh."
"If he does that damned chuckle again, by Helm I swear I shall beat him to death with my bare hands," Anomen muttered irritably, glaring at the informant as if he was scum crawling out of the abyss.
Tellis considered this for a moment. "Or maybe, I just help you, for free? Still part of deal, heh –" He stopped as Anomen glared at him, and nodded. "Still part of deal. What do you want to know? Who stole this scroll?"
Yoshimo shook his head. "Count Duchinov got his handyman to steal the scroll from us. We want everything you have on Duchinov, and as soon as possible. We don't want him to make use of the scroll before we do." Whatever this scroll is, he added silently.
Tellis shifted unhappily. "Duchinov… very powerful person, you know. Very powerful. But not much information on him, I'm afraid," he answered. "All I know is that he gets this unnamed handyman, who you've met, to do his dirty work. Very fond of magical artefacts and other rare things, yes, yes… Cowled Wizards hate him. Big threat to the constraint on magic in the city."
"We know all of this," Anomen retorted haughtily.
Tellis thought frantically. "If you want an opportunity to get the scroll back, Duchinov is a big show-off… if he has something like this scroll, he'll be using it to impress his close circle of friends. You could get to it that way."
"We're not in his close circle of friends," Yoshimo pointed out.
"True," the informant replied. "But he does like the ladies. He would doubtless use it to impress someone he has his eye on. Maybe you can use that lovely lady in your party to get close to Duchinov?"
Yoshimo and Anomen exchanged glances. "Ah, yes. Maybe," the squire responded with a frown and a small smirk, his amusement piqued by the idea, his survival instincts screaming at him to not pass the idea on.
"The ball would be a good time for her to get close to him," Tellis assured them, suddenly on a roll, his own survival instincts assuring him that he was on the right path with these two. "I don't know when it is… but you can find out; it'll be big in the city, for sure… invitation only, though. All of these balls are."
Yoshimo smiled. "My thanks, Tellis. Rest assured, you have been a great help to us," he reassured the informant, and then looked at Anomen. "Maybe your friends in the Radiant Heart could give us a hand with the when and the how to get in."
Tellis looked panicked. "You… you're one of those knights? Hey, you know, I have never, ever hurt anyone or let anyone get hurt in my profession… I'm a minor nobody, you know that," he declared defensively, his voice hurried and worried.
Anomen gave him a derisive look. "Do not worry yourself, cur, the Order has far greater evils to worry about than you. Just rest assured that the Gods will deal with you when it is your time, and they do not show mercy for people such as yourself."
"Cease scaring my informant," Yoshimo muttered as they stood up. From the shaken expression on Tellis's face, he could tell the most irritating Anomen had gotten to him. Tellis had taken so much care to avoid the law, he had stopped worrying about mightier powers dealing with him.
The bounty hunter sighed. "Let us simply proceed to your Order's headquarters, so they may tell us when Duchinov is having this ball, and maybe procure for us the means of getting to the damnable thing."