"Chapter 5: Urendox Puts His Feet Up" by Ian Plumb

Chapter 5: Urendox Puts His Feet Up

Urendox rested his socked feet on the edge of the fireguard and took a long inhale through his pipe. His feet, frozen from being outside too long, were warming pleasantly and he sank back into the comfy chair. The New Year had been welcomed nearly a week ago and the investigation simply proved that strange things were afoot in Macon. Nothing new there of course.

A fourth body had showed up. Similar to the others -- affected by contagion, face and stomach eaten by the rats that were simply everywhere in this city. The difficulty with this one though was that he was a new member of the North Gate Guard.

The new recruits were proving to be problematic through no fault of their own. As the North Gate were funded by the City of Macon rather than the government of Cardolan they were paid even when the government was short of funds. Courtesy of the trip to Roche Grande the government was no longer short of funds -- but it had been for years, owing months of back pay to its soldiers. This meant that when positions were available in the North Gate Guard there was no shortage of recruits eager to be taken on (and clothed, fed, and housed).

Between the civil war and the trip to Roche Grande the North Gate Guard had many new or recent recruits. If someone wanted to infiltrate the unit it would be an easy task. Just way too easy. Many of the recruits came from farming country far from Macon, and verifying their backgrounds was problematic. Many came from the city militias or other semi-professional units and while their backgrounds were easier to verify it was difficult to determine where their loyalties lay. Everybody acts suspiciously when you watch someone believing they are worthy of suspicion.

The door opened and Charlotte strode in. "I thought you were interviewing the recruits!", she demanded.

Urendox took another puff from his pipe. "I have oh Queen of Cats. Now I am contemplating their answers."

"Don't call me that -- those days are past. I'm respectable now.", responded Charlotte, closing the door somewhat hurriedly lest anyone overhear their conversation.

"You are inferring that I am somehow less than respectable?", smiled Urendox as he took another puff on his pipe and blew the smoke towards the fire place.

"Your respectability or otherwise is your concern not mine. What though have you learned?"

Urendox pointed with his pipe towards another chair facing the fireplace. "Do take a seat Charlotte -- you'll put a crick in my neck standing there." As Charlotte sat Urendox continued. "The young soldier Jean died in the same fashion as the other three, on the night of the fourth. He was seen in the company of Breila in the tavern that is oft frequented by the North Gate Guard. He was also seen in th e company of another Guardsman later than night as the two of them were involved in a minor fight with some bargemen.

"The Guardsman in question was both large and strong. I have not been able to determine who he was.

"Also seen in the area where Jean's body was discovered were a working girl and what looked like a Beastman. Hard to believe of course but that is the witnesses report. Who was the last to see Jean alive I have not been able to determine.

"I was able to locate Pierre. He is dead, having starved to death out in the Faubourg slums north of the wall.", said Urendox as he tapped out the ash from the pipe.

"Do you have a description of the working girl?", asked Charlotte.

Urendox smiled. "Indeed. You're going to like this bit. Medium height, dark wavy hair, big breasted, nice perfume, and surprisingly well dressed..."

Charlotte groaned. "Antoinette? That isn't possible!", exclaimed Charlotte, instinctively reaching up to touch her mangled ear. "She wouldn't dare operate so close to us, magic or no magic."

"Yet there we have a description that certainly matches dear Antoinette and this working girl had a Beastman protector..."

"Anything else?", hissed Charlotte.

"Oh yes. I located Pierre's body in the shack that this working girl was using out in the slums. Her neighbours, fine upstanding people filled with civic pride I might add, mentioned that she had been visited by people from the city who were clearly up to no good. Two nearby buildings burnt to the ground in the ensuing conflict. Magical conflict. Those building were no doubt shacks but who throws their weight around so blatantly that isn't on Antoinette's side?"

Charlotte and Urendox both sat back in their chairs, staring into the fire and contemplating the meaning behind these events.

Note: For explanations regarding the world in which this story is set, it's peoples and language please take a look at The Encyclopaedia of Everything located in my library.