Disclaimer: Don't own Valdemar. So Sad. Wouldn't mind staying there, though. :)
Another reason for being So Sad: no reviews at all…:( Nevermind… will work hard at writing review-worthy fiction… I hope.
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Another death. Another set of investigations. Slade's fellow heralds were feeling the pressure bearing down from irate councilmen and hysterical courtiers. This time it was the murder of a high-profile merchant. His house had been set aflame last night, and there had been nothing left but charred remains. That it was arson was no surprise, though what did come as a surprise was why anyone would have wanted to harm the jolly merchant, no one could guess. Sal, as he was familiarly referred to by his customers, had been a friendly soul, and the pieces of jewelry he traded were both exquisite and unique. The ladies of the court especially lamented his loss.
Unless they knew what other 'business' our Sal was involved in. Slade thought wryly. It was frustrating to come so close each time, yet have his lead just vanish from under him. It was as if he was always two steps behind in this race to ferret out the traitor.
There had been rumors of smuggling and slavery in the less savory district of Valdemar. Children had been mysteriously disappearing off the streets. Not many, and not all at once. But even the street urchins were becoming leery of traveling the streets alone, especially in the dark. What made Slade interested was that some of the items smuggled included "papers of great importance". Slade was sorry that he had not been able to cultivate a contact among the children, but they were as wary of him as they were of the constables, mostly because he was a nobleman.
:And one who is unable to act, too!:
:Too true, horse.: Slade agreed with Dartha with a semblance of amusement. :Easy enough for me to act the fussy courtier, that doesn't take much brains. But those children are a perceptive lot!:
If only he could find a connection between Hastarllen and the gem merchant. If only he could find out where and how they had gotten their information, for like Hastarllen, Sal wouldn't have been able to operate his unsavory business without some informative and influential help. The kind of help that only those on the council seat could provide.
Slade gave a gusty sigh. If only he had more information.
He had made an attempt to seek out the serving boy who had darted Lord Javeranondin a month ago, but gave up when the boy seemed to have disappeared into thin air. After a while, that incident became insignificant when he found out that along with state secrets, children were also smuggled across the border to be sold as slaves.
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Well……? Whatcha think?