Lord looked at the man for a moment, and narrowed his eyes. The wizard gazed back with a guileless expression on his face. “What?”
“Our information,” said Lord, “I consider reliable. And I get a feeling you’re not telling us all you could.” He leaned forward, his bulk hovering over the wizard. “How about you start helping a little? After all, I did just save your life.” He gestured at the body on the floor.
Rumpold licked his lips, suddenly nervous. “Look, I really don’t have the Eye.”
“I never trusted magic users,” said Nurn. “Maybe you should convince this guy the way you convinced the last one who lied to you, boss?”
“Perhaps I should Nurn,” Lord said, his hand going to the pommel of the blade at his hip. “Though I don’t want things to get messy. Blood is hard to get out of my furs, especially in this backwater town.”
“Now listen!” Rumpold stepped backwards, retreating until he bumped against the wall. “There’s no need for any violence, at least against my person. The Wizards’ guild wouldn’t take kindly to that you know.”
“That’s what the last fellow said too,” said Nurn, picking at the material on his robe idly. “Didn’t make any difference though.”
“Okay, okay. Look, maybe I did have the Eye,” said Rumpold. “But I don’t have it any more! Someone took it. Stole it actually.”
“Someone stole something from a wizard?” asked Velvet. “Isn’t that rather suicidal? What about the Guild? I always thought they took a rather dim view of people stealing from one of their own.”
“Yes, well,” the mage harrumphed. “Usually it would be.”
“They didn’t know you had the Eye, did they?” Nurn asked, realization dawning on his face.
“Well, not as such. No.” The wizard heaved a deep sigh. “Oh pish. I don’t suppose it’ll hurt to tell you lot. You’re not going to let others know about this are you?” He looked hopefully at Lord.
“We only need to use the Eye to find the Door,” said Lord. “After that you can keep it. I’ve no interest in getting involved with your politics.”
“Very well then,” Rumpold said. He thought a moment. “Come downstairs, let’s talk in a more civilized way, perhaps we could help each other even. Yes, yes, maybe this is a fortunate turn of events.” He gestured at the stairs and cocked an eye at Lord, who nodded and moved back a pace, allowing the wizard to move past.
They filed down the staircase, leaving the body cooling on the floor. The wizard made a gesture, and the front door, which was still hanging ajar, closed itself. Then the man looked at the spilled tea, tutted, and set about cleaning things up.
“Please,” he said as he mopped at the fluid on the table with a cloth he’d apparently pulled from thin air, “take a seat. Would you like some tea? I’ll brew a fresh pot.”
“That would be nice, thank you,” said Velvet. Then, because she’d been brought up to be polite, added: “May I help in some way?”
“Thank you my dear, but I’m fine. Just sit down, I won’t be a moment.”
“If you’ve something to nibble on I wouldn’t say no,” said Nurn, climbing onto the sofa and buffing up a cushion. “I’ve not eaten in what feels like aeons, and I’m on the verge of imploding.”
Rumpold nodded, and carried the teapot and cup off through the door Velvet had noted when she’d come in. The rattle of cups and plates could soon be heard coming from beyond. She raised her eyebrows to herself and sat down gingerly on an armchair. Lord paced the room, clumping around like a caged animal.
“Sit down boss,” said Nurn, as Lord did another lap. “You’re making me nervous, stalking around like a panther.”
The Lord of All stopped and looked at him for a second, but then grunted and sat down heavily next to the Grey, nearly bouncing Nurn off the sofa in the process.
A few moments of silence later and Rumpold came bustling back in, carrying a tray with a pot and four cups. There was also a plate of small brown biscuits. He set them down on the table with a kindly smile “Shall I be mother?” he asked, as he proceeded to pour tea into the delicate white cups. “This is jasmine, you know, the very best. Here you go, my dear.” He handed one to Velvet, who thanked him and took a small sip. It was very good.
The wizard passed another two cups to his other guests, and some biscuits to the Grey, who munched on them happily. Velvet had to stifle a giggle at the Lord of All. The image of a great big warrior, his swords jutting out at awkward angles as he sat perched on a couch in the living room whilst balancing a small cup of tea on his knees, was rather a striking one.
“So then, how pleasant,” beamed Rumpold as he sat down on another armchair and sipped at his own drink. “I always say a little civilization goes a long way.”
Lord of All cleared his throat and gently deposited his cup back onto the table. “This is all very well wizard, but how about you tell us what’s going on here? Where is the Eye?”
“Oh dear oh dear,” Rumpold sighed. “It’s all rather depressing. Where to begin?”
“The beginning is always a good place,” Velvet suggested. “So my mother always said.”
“Your mother is a wise woman my dear,” the mage replied, cocking an eye at her. “How are you involved in all of this anyway? It’s no matter for a young girl.”
“I’m twenty two!” she replied, rather hotly. “I’m old enough to look after myself thank you.”
“Ah, twenty two. Old enough to get into trouble, young enough not to know better.” The wizard shook his head slightly, but then looked back at Lord. “Very well. I shall tell you the whole sordid tale, as long as you agree to repeat none of it. The affair wouldn’t… enhance my reputation if it got out.”
“Agreed,” Lord replied, in a tone that warned of growing impatience.
“It all started when I managed to get hold of a rare parchment. It was a total chance you understand, I wasn’t looking for this thing, it just sort of… fell into my lap.” Rumpold took another sip of his tea as he warmed to his tale. “This parchment hinted at the location of a rare and valuable, not to mention powerful, artefact. Naturally, I was interested. Who wouldn’t be?” He turned the palm of his free hand up in a questioning manner. Velvet nodded.
“Anyway, the artefact, the Eye I’m talking about of course, wasn’t in a place that was easy to reach. I would need some help. Unfortunately the help I hired wasn’t very discreet, and I fear other parties, less reputable than my own good self…” he paused here as Nurn broke out in a coughing fit.
“Go on, go on.” The Grey waved a hand. “Choked on a biscuit. Sorry.”
The wizard frowned, but carried on. “As I was saying, another person found out about the Eye and managed to get to it first.”
“I thought you said you had it?” asked Velvet, frowning.
“Yes, I did. Please don’t interrupt; I’m getting to that bit.” Rumpold sipped his tea again before continuing. “To cut a long story short, I managed to… retrieve the item whilst it was in transit. It’s a magical artefact after all, and commoners, er, I mean non wizards, shouldn’t have it. It could be dangerous.”
“You were only protecting them you mean? asked Nurn innocently.
“Precisely!” the wizard beamed.
“So you took the Eye and presumably secured it in a safe place,” Lord said. “What happened next?”
Rumpold’s face fell. “Someone, someone very skilled I would add, managed to steal it. I’d barely started my studies on the thing when it went missing.”
“Perhaps it was the same person who you took it from,” Velvet said.
The mage shook his head gravely. “Sadly, I know this to be not the case,” he replied.
“How can you be so sure?” Nurn asked, finishing off the last of the biscuits and take a noisy sip of tea.
“Because that party has managed to trace the device to me, and has requested its return. In a fairly direct manner, I may add. It’s one reason I find myself in such an uncomfortable position.”
“Okay, I’m assuming this first party isn’t someone you can just report to the authorities,” Lord said. He frowned at Nurn as the Grey slurped noisily on his drink.
“The person who managed to retrieve it first is a person who calls himself ‘Puzzle’. No one knows his, or her, real identity.”
“Puzzle?” Velvet asked. “What sort of name is that? Who is he?”
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