3.

The Prelate's fingers closed around an alabaster Queen. He moved it without looking at the board; his pale eyes trained on Keldorn instead. Sir Firecam shifted in his seat and stroked his bearded chin. It was obvious that Prelate had weighed the situation on the checkered field with the thoroughness that the game, in Keldorn's view, did not deserve.

Yet, Perlate seemed to derive infinite amount of satisfaction from these quiet tournaments. The rumor had it that it was a safe substitute for jostling that the Prelate used to enjoy in the days long past. Some snickered that he had done well by that change, since he excelled in chess, but not in jostling. Keldorn doubted that it made any difference to the old man. The Prelate stood out as a person of rare integrity, even among the senior Knights of the Order; for him being found deserving to participate meant more than winning – a treat that Keldorn much admired. 'He would understand my haste, and would not take it as an affront,' Sir Firecam thought and moved a jetpiece in response to the Prelate's Queen attack almost at random. The Prelate smiled: 'So you forfeit yet another game, Sir? Very well, my son. Very well. I can see that you are eager to start the investigation into the Cult. Go then with my blessings –'

Keldorn went on one knee and respectfully kissed the old man's hand, while the Prelate whispered a prayer. 'Sir, I promise that once I have exposed the Cult of the Eyeless as the false religion, I would give my best to this board and you would find me a worthy opponent.' Just as the Prelate motioned for Keldorn to rise, someone knocked on the door. No matter how subdued the knock was, in the room where the only sounds prior to that were ticking of the tall clock and soft voices, it echoed as the Horn of Doom itself. To suit this analogy, the door burst open before the Prelate had a chance to acknowledge the visitor – an unheard of breach of the etiquette. Keldorn's hand moved to his sword belt reflexively, but dropped to his side when he saw the perpetrator, who pushed her way in past the abashed squire. It was a sobbing young woman in a dark cloak covering her head to toe. Two hastily made braids spilled from under the cowl to her chest over trembling white fingers. The fingers of her left hand clutched and twisted a ring on her right one. A band of solid gold with an enameled Firecam's insignia was all but invisible between these golden tresses and convulsive movements.

Maria...The Nine Hells it's my Maria!

It was unsurprising that he did not know he at once, Keldorn reflected. He had not seen his wife in such disarray since the night of their wedding. The luck had it that he barely had had time to take his wife's maiden gift when a bird brought summons he had been expecting for two months. Since then until now, not once did Maria allow herself to be caught dressed malapropos. The matter must have been grave indeed.

They woke me at dawn and I left her between the sheets with her braids undone.

The memory and the foreboding of something ill left him breathless. He forced himself to move and take his wife into his arms: 'Maria, is something amiss?' The woman gratefully pressed her cheek against his chest.

'Vesper...' she said and started weeping, the last of her restraint swept away, like a dam by a river in flood. For a few dragging scary minutes all she could do is to repeat 'Vesper...'. When she regained some control, the words came as barely comprehensible, between hoarse moans: "Vesper... went missing. She was not in her room this morning... nowhere in... in the mansion... gardens...'

Keldorn looked at the clock. It was well past noon. 'Vesper was missing since morning and you only now telling me about that?' he scolded, but corrected himself: 'I am sorry. I am sure you have had the City Guard looking into this already and searched the premises.' Lady Maria looked at him with bleary eyes: 'No... no City Guard... it's our daughter... our daughter!'

The Prelate intervened then, taking Maria by her hand and sitting her down into his own vacated chair.

'Have you received a ransom note?' he asked, 'There had been reports of two abducted nobles recently. '

Lady Maria shook her head in despair.

'If it is indeed an abduction similar to the two cases we have spoken, a private investigation would yield more success,' Sir Keldorn said trying to keep tremors out of his own voice. Both abducted nobles had been found dead and buried in the City's Graveyard after the ransom had been paid in full. The inquisitor was grateful that the information was still kept under wraps and that he had not discussed the case with Lady Maria.

'Sir Keldorn...' the Prelate's voice brought him back from the realm of fears and he eagerly turned toward his superior.

'Sir Keldorn, the Order had relied on you for many years. Now that your family is endangered you can rely on our full support. Do not tarry. Squire Wincent would arrange for a proper escort for you and your Lady wife. Return to your Estate and conduct the search for Lady Vesper Firecam.' the Prelate announced before Keldorn had made any requests. Keldorn bent his knee again, grateful. 'Thank you, Sir.' The Prelate leaned towards him and whispered: 'I pray that your daughter's abductor is guilty of nothing more than being young, foolish and in love.' Keldorn's eyes flashed: 'Whomever it is, he'd pay dearly for my wife's tears and for my daughter's honor.' The smooth hand smelling of myrrh descended on his forehead in another blessing: 'I am glad that you had not said 'life', Sir. Luck first deserts those who lose the sight of hope. Now go, Sir, go.'

For many years, Keldorn had entered households struck by evildoers to collect the evidence. Standing on his own porch in an official capacity gave Keldorn an eerie feeling.

It cannot be happening.

'Sir, would you be needing me further?' squire Wincent asked. 'No, lad, I will send a message to the Order once I have learned more,' Keldorn replied, grateful for the boy's interference. 'I should do my duty, not stand here like a column.' If this thought did not entirely chase away the inquisitor's uneasiness, it enabled him to finally step over the threshold of the Firecam's Estate and start on a routine investigation. The house settled into an uneasy silence interrupted by an inopportune lamentation or a sob, just like they usually do.

It took him three hours to ascertain that he had known as much as everyone else in the household. Vesper had received two gifts a day prior – a garnet necklace from Lady Maria and a set of garnet earrings from Lord Gayan Jistev. Lady Maria believed that the earrings were worth a fortune, however she did not take a closer look, too excited by the implications of such a present. Ruby Berk, the jeweler at Walkin's Promenade might shed some light on the deal, for it was where Lord Jistev acquired the earrings. According to Lady Maria, Vesper acted as if she had not encountered Lord Jistev before and she, Lady Maria, had no reason to doubt it. Leona testified that Vesper was wearing the earrings all night, and maybe even went to bed wearing them. The infamous piece of jewelry vanquished into the night together with Veseper. Nothing else was apparently missing from the mansion.

'So they came to steal the earrings and took Vesper as well, because she either was still wearing them, or awoke inopportunely. Unless Lord Jistev is playing some foul game...' Keldorn mused. 'Whatever is the case, it's time for me to speak to Mistress Ruby Berk and then to pay a visit to the Lord, who ingratiated my family with his accursed attentions.'

Sir Keldorn did not tarry in front of Berk's shop the way he did by his mansion's gates. He walked inside purposely and stared hard at the gnome, using every inch of his height to his advantage. Mistress Berk was however unimpressed. In her trade Ruby dealt with the mighty and powerful buyers of all sorts, with the Thieves' Guild to protect her wares from the robbers, with Cowled Wizards to sell as simple jewelry a ring or brooch that emanated magical power and with anyone and everyone in between. It took more than a lanky sour-faced human to intimidate the gnome. Ruby greeted the inquisitor however in the respectful, but not submissive manner, that she judged would work best with the likes of Keldorn. She did not ask questions. Let the man speak his business if he meant business.

'Madam,' Keldorn said, 'you have sold a pair of earrings to my daughter yesterday for two hundred golden pieces. My wife, Lady Maria, however is convinced that they had been worth more than that and were acquired by someone, called Lord Jistev.'

Ruby cocked her head: 'Sir, with all duew rewspect, it is my own business, and what I sell and for which priwece is nowbody's concern, but mine –'

Keldorn's face stiffened: 'Madam Berk, my daughter and the earrings had disappeared yesterday night.'

Ruby Berk sighed. 'Such a spirited youwng girl. Very well, I will tell youw what I know, but it would not be much. Firstly, I cannot tell youw how much the garnets were worth, since I have not seen them closely. Thewy belowng to Lord Jistev's mowther, and he came yesterday to privately inquire abouwt their cost, since a certain noble wanted to buy them from his mother. But when he saw youw lovely dauwghter, he decided that the earrings should belong to her... Lord Jistev is such a good client that I obliged his fancy and 'sold' the earrings to Vesper. Lowrd Jistev was vewry pleased.'

'Are Jistevs in trouble financially that they have to sell their family jewelry?' Keldorn asked sharply.

Ruby smiled: 'Lady Jistev of Waterdeep never had head for money, so she is always on the look out for more. Not Lord Gayan Jistev though. When his father died, he inherited the title, businesses and lands, but the small estate and family jewelry left to his mowther. He could give ouwt earrings like that every night of the week to the likely lawdies. Small folk like us wouldn't spent that much in a year or maywbe even in -'

'Just how much did these damnable earrings cost?!' Keldorn interrupted her impatiently.

'Oh, I cannot be prewcise, as I told youw before. Elvish antiquities have to be examined very closely, Sir to know for truew, but I would guess... twenty thousand... no less. If it's not magical and I think I sensed... something. But I cannot be sure.'

'My daughter had received a pair of earrings worth twenty thousand gold?' Keldorn exclaimed, horrified.

'Not a pair, Sir,' Ruby smiled at him, pityingly. 'Each.'

Keldorn ran out of the shop. The long strides took him past the illuminated shops of the promenade and along the cobbled streets into the heart of the Government district to the grand mansion occupied by Jistevs. He took a moment to catch his breath before lifting the small mallet and knocking at the gates. He chewed on his lips – the habit that he though he had dropped long ago – until a man in an impeccable uniform and a powdered wig opened the gates. Keldorn introduced himself and demanded to see Lord Gayan. The gate warden summoned the majordomo.

Jistev's majordomo, Simon, regretfully informed the inquisitor that the entire family had left last night for a hunting trip to the countryside and produced a silver tray with an inkwell and expensive paper marked with Jistev's sigil. Would Sir Keldorn leave a message? Sir Keldorn reached for his purse instead of the quill. Simon became even more accommodating with the visiting paladin and in a friendly conversation recalled that the carriages left the estate at eight o'clock. 'It was not unusual for Jistevs to leave in the evenings when the young Lord Gayan was visiting,' he said amiably. 'The waterdevian was not a morning bird, and my Lord and Lady were fond enough of their nephew to humor his little peculiarities.' Jistevs had left while Vesper was still happily chatting with Lady Maria. It proved nothing, of course, as Lord Gayan could have employed all of the Athkatlan thugs if he wished and those of Baldur's Gate besides.

A few more coins bought Keldorn the tour of the house. The inquisitor surveyed a wide bed with a baldachin and a collection of risqué paintings on the walls. The boudoir had five large mirrors and a small marble table. The vials filled with powders, perfumes and other substances crowded its polished top. A small book of poetry in leather binding was left forgotten between the vanities. Keldorn opened it on the page bookmarked by a piece of gold-gilded paper cut intricately to look like a pair of lovers in a passionate embrace. The poetry was of such a sensual quality, that Keldorn reddened and closed the book with an angry thud. There were no letters or any other papers for that matter on the desk by the window. Keldorn pulled on the thick golden cord to open heavy velvet curtains. The still warm, orangey light of the lowering sun reflected of the impeccable wooden surface. Keldorn stared at a jade paperweight with a mermaid carved on its side and a stack of unused quills. If Lord Gayan governed Jistev's Waterdevian businesses, he did not do it behind this rosewood desk.

Lord Gayan's apartments were no different from any other young noble's. Except for the vibe of evil, unnoticeable to the less experienced eye than Keldorn's.

Or the less subjective.

Bidding a farewell to Simon, Keldorn stepped back on to the street, left the Government district and headed for the poorest and ugliest area of Athkatla, known simply as Slums. The paladin had not had to go far into the narrow alleys to find the first thing that he had sought. An urchin was settled comfortably in a furry arc made by a belly and paws of a huge mongrel dog. Both looked equally dirty, grim and hungry. As soon as Keldorn flipped the coin into the air, the pair readily entered his employ as the messengers.

Keldorn was unsure if his perception had failed him in Lord Jistev's apartments. He was unwilling to lose precious time chasing the Lord whom the rest of the world would see as guilty only of being rich and flirtatious (which was rather a virtue than a sin in the eyes of the commoners). So his request to the Order was cautious. He wanted for a capable man to be sent to locate Lord Gayan Jistev and keep an eye on him.

Keldorn however did not return home after the boy and his dog galloped towards the Temple District. Instead he continued pacing through the crookedest alleys and the smokiest taverns. He was looking for someone else to help him untangle the thread from another end.