A Children's Tale (17 page)

Kincade nodded, then stuck out his hand again. "Quite. Be that as it may, thank you again for the assist. We may have some questions for you as well, since you and your crew were witnesses as much as victims of this."

"We've only put into port here. We'll be available for many days yet. Just send word and we'll be at your disposal." Hunter said while he shook the inspector's hand again.

"Good man. Well, good evening to you then." Kincade said before he vanished through the door.

Hunter followed along silently. Outside, he paused beneath the sole street lamp of Smithy's pub. The muted click of clockwork mechanics and gears echoed in the air. A dull, yellow light shone around, muted by the fog and soot of the close. He withdrew a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. It had been shoved there when he struggled with the fake RiBeld. He had not felt when it happened, only that it was suddenly there after the scuffle had finished. He replaced the glove over his clockwork hand and slowly opened the note. 

"Oh captain, my captain,

The true game is about to begin. 

We are not nearly done with our 'dance'.

A. RiBeld,

Blackheart League"

Hunter frowned and closed a fist around the note. The chill from a sudden updraft of wind blew off the waterfront with its smell of stale fish.

"Then let the game begin."

About the Author

C. B. Ash holds degrees as a Physical Scientist and Computer Scientist. Since college, he has run his own networking business, worked as laboratory technician, taught martial arts, and traveled for several years as a software engineering consultant.

During that time he has written several fantasy and science fiction short stories, a fantasy/murder mystery novel and several poems. One of which garnered him the Emily Dickinson Award in Poetry. His first novel,
Kinloch
, was published in May, 2004.
Tales of the Brass Griffin: A Children's Tale
is in the
Tales of the Brass Griffin
series. To find out more, visit:
http://BrassGriffin.com
.