To Be A Maestro (The Maestro Chronicles) (28 page)

Daniel not only tried to picture a Condemned in his mind, he thought of how he perceived them through the spell, Find All, so Wisp could recognize one no matter what it looked like. The next mental picture to be sent was of
Mount Gosian and the vast area around it. After he had smashed the headquarters of the Serpent Guild, any Condemneds that did not die during the cave-in likely wandered out from there, and so it made sense to begin the search at the source. He then opened his mind to all of the raptors in his swirl and gave them the same information, while asking those who were willing to help in the search. Hundreds of tiny minds sent back their willingness and he had the sensation of many falcons suddenly taking to the air, heading east, flying in pairs, along with scores of hawks and ospreys, including Echo, who raced to meet Wisp. The only birds to remain behind were those who were nesting. Daniel withdrew his awareness and opened his eyes. The raptors would find Condemneds and give him the ability to Convey to the location and, hopefully, restore the wretched souls to humanity.

He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. The birds would do their part, yet there was more to be done to locate Condemneds. Boen Sentrainer, Minister of Law Enforcement, should have reports of actual encounters, and Daniel determined to make an appointment as soon as possible. The meeting had to be properly arranged through each other’s staff, meaning Jared must contact the minister’s secretary, and it all seemed so cumbersome to Daniel, yet he learned the hard way how prickly some folks were when it came to proper protocol, especially here in the capital. Since his Account Keeper still had not returned, he picked up his six-stringed guitarn and began playing, Riding The Wind, one of his favorite instrumentals.

Rex Badger sat at table six in the Lonely Patrolman, the favorite ale house of Lyal Van Kestral, in the city of
LyVak, on the shores of Kestral, the southern most of the three great lakes in the kingdom of Taracopa. This was and is the ancestral home of the noble Van Kestral family, whose influence and wealth is known all over the world, a dynasty not to be trifled with. Anyone looking at Rex would see a youngish, clean-shaven, slender Ducaunan whose irises were black and impossible to distinguish from his pupils. The brown suit, white shirt, and gold cufflinks caused everyone to believe him to be an Account Keeper here on the business of some wealthy foreign lord.

He sipped from his mug and tried to forget his single greatest failure, his only failure, and the reason his promotion to second in command of the Serpent Guild has
not been posted throughout the affiliation. “You are still the fang that delivers my poison,” Vance Cummin had told him after deciding to delay the announcement. “Complete Operation Undermine and your position in the guild will be published and your reputation will be as it was.”

There had been a time, only days ago, when no one dared dispute the Badger and Rex was proud of that. It took him years to build up his reputation to the point where few people questioned his methods. His assignment had been to render Serin Gell unconscious and destroy the flute of Della Lain. What occurred that night only came back to him in foggy bits, no doubt the effects of the spell-altered popp
ies. He vaguely remembered a man wearing a light green undershirt inside Gell’s nest and also remembered exchanging spells against Accomplisheds of Aakadon who had created a fortified compound around what was once Gell’s nest, and then falling asleep and waking up a day and a half later. Of all people, Phil Nettle had been given the task of finding the truth, and presumably the honor of destroying the cursed crescendo, an honor once meant for Rex.

Sitting at the table with him were some of his closest associates, each a one-bolt Accomplished, Joren Cappa, short and fat, from the mountains of Demfilia, enjoyed eating and sat chewing on a turkey leg. Joya PenKanner and her older sister Leea were a rarity, two Aakacarns born in one family. Both of the women were dark of hair and eye and had been recruited from Ducaun when they were children, as was Rex, although not from the same region. These three had been with him the longest, almost from the beginning of his career. Phil Crawlin, Byron Falton, and Ira Holis were of Pentrosan descent and all had the thin-framed, frail look, typical of their countrymen. The rest of Rex’s traveling circle were off in the more unseemly parts of the city, where the heir to the Van Kestral dynasty often goes after he has imbibe
d in the upscale establishment.

All of Rex’s associates were dressed in shades of brown, although not as stylish as he, so as to give the impression they were working for him, which they were, just not as account keepers. These were some of the deadliest Accomplisheds of the Serpent Guild.

Leea took a sip of ale and watched the young well-dressed nobles laugh drunkenly, some playing cards, and others dancing with the serving girls to the music of a flute player. “How much longer is the lordling going to take?”

Lyal would never be considered handsome by any stretch of the imagination, yet the females gathered around him as if he was the most attractive man alive. Years of physical training gave him the body of an athlete, so the girls happily overlooked his plain face and pointed nose, but it was who he is, and most importantly who his father is, that attracte
d them more than anything else.

“His pattern is to mingle with the upper crust of society for half the night and then go spend some time with people of lesser repute,” Rex replied softly, so as not to be heard beyond the table, while deliberately looking away from his prey. “Joya, you and Phil should head out first and wait down the block. Leea, take Byron and wait in the alley. Ira, go alert the traveling circle and Joren sit here with me. I will be delivering the strike while you remove all traces of our activity.”

After a tenth of a mark Joya and Phil laughed and exited the Lonely Patrolman. Few patrons noted the going of a seemingly young pair of foreigners, had Phil gone with a local girl, now that would have turned some heads in this community. Leea bent toward Byron, whispered something in his ear, and then they both headed out the door. Half a mark later, Ira stood up and said in a loud voice,” Well, my friends, I believe it is time to find my bed. Don’t you worry Barnaby; I’ll have those figures in the morning.”

“Be sure that you do. Lord Tamkin is an exacting man and does not tolerate errors,” Rex responded to the name he was locally known by.

Two marks went by and Lyal headed out the door with two of his closest friends, Jase Van Teffel, a swarthy man from the coastal region, and Timon Van Poppen, a fair-complexioned fellow from the lake area, as is the lordling. Both men had well-made swords at their hips, while the heir made do with an ornate silver short sword with a gold handle and a sapphire in the pommel, a show piece more than a weapon. All of them were dressed in fancy coats and shirts in hues of purple and violet, having no desire to be caught wearing the earth tones of the commoners. Rex laughed inwardly, seeing all non-Aakacarns as commoners, even the ones who passed themselves off as being of the noble class. Taracopians thought adding Van in front of their names gave them nobility.

He ordered another mug of ale, leisurely drank the contents, paid his bill, and then exited the Lonely Patrolman with Joren waddling behind him. Lanterns on tall poles lit the mostly deserted cobblestone street and far to the right Rex spotted his prey, precisely where he expected him to be. Merchant shops, inns, and several houses of finance lined both sides of the roadway with alleys in between eac
h establishment.

His boots clicked on the stones as Rex moved briskly along, which is how Barnaby Cosell always walked. Lyal and his friends came to a stop, peering into the alley on the left as if something curious caught their attention. The time to strike had come. An aqua-marine glow radiated from Rex and he focused the potential at the unsuspecting Van Kestral. The man stiffened and fell on his face. At the same time, Joren glowed pale green and focused his potential at the two friends, dropping them to the ground asleep, as he did several passersby on the other side of the street who would have been witnesses. A deep blue beam came from the alley, engulfed Lyal, and floated him up off the road and into the darkness where Leea would hold him until Rex
arrived.

Joya and Phil entered the alley at the same time as Rex. Ira brought the ten members of the traveling circle, while Leea, Byron, and Joren dragged the two unconscious friends out of the street, and away from casual view.

“Everyone, focus the Potential for, Teleportation, at me in, five, four, three, two, one,” Rex commanded while summoning the potential through his silver baton and firmly picturing himself, each Accomplished, and Lyal Van Kestral in the subbasement of Lord Cyrus Van Joppa’s mansion on the southern coast of Taracopa.

The brief time between here and there had no meaning, simply the feel of absolute nothingness and then life flashes back into existence in another place. When the two fools awaken in the alley, they will only know their friend has disappeared without a trace, just like what has been happening among the commoners for nearly a year. Rex smiled at the thought of how Lord Zakeriah Van Kestral will react upon hearing the news. The man all but ruled the southern quarter of the kingdom and it was the king and his ineffectiv
e military who would be blamed.

“Keep watch on our package, I’ll be meeting with Lord Van Joppa and then we can take this one to Serpent North. Do not wander off; we all want to be back in our respective inns within a mark so we can be just as stunned by Lyal’s disappearance as the residents of LyVak,” Rex told his associates and then exited the chamber.

Several flights of stairs brought him to the first level of the mansion and he headed down the carpeted corridor decorated with statues every twenty paces and fine paintings on the walls. A swarthy fellow, dressed in white, with a curved lighting-marked sword at his side stood in front of an ornately carved door of cedar. Blyar Ki was considered by many to be the greatest swordsman in the world. He always stood guard over his lord and would doubtlessly give his life if necessary. The bodyguard recognized Barnaby Cosell as someone his master often does business.

“His Lordship is expecting you,” Ki spoke in a deep voice, while opening the door.

Rex nodded acknowledgement and entered the private study. Shelves of books lined the walls, except the one opposite the door, where sat the Taracopian lord behind his desk. “Ah, yes, Mr. Cosell, it is good of you to come at this late mark,” he spoke in a deceptively mild tone. People often mistook his soft spoken manner to be reflective of a gentle nature. Those who stood in his way soon learned differently. The white hair of his beard and mustache were impeccably trimmed and his violet wool suit, the best money could buy. His bald head shined in the lamplight as did the gold rings on each of his fingers.

Rex sat down in the first of two cushioned chairs directly in front of the desk. “The parcel we discussed has been acquired and with your influence, I am sure Lord Van Kestral will soon come around to our way of thinking.”

Ki stepped out, closing the door behind him, ensuring privacy, and ending the need to be opaque. One of the bookcases swung outward and a man in a black hooded cloak joined the meeting. Leron Sukang, a fellow two-bolt Accomplished of the Serpent Guild had light brown skin, black silky hair, and his green eyes were ovoid in shape with a slight upward slant, him being of Zunean descent. “I have been looking forward to seeing you, Mr. Cosell,” he said as if they were meeting for the first time.

Rex gave a nod of respect to the Accomplished and refocused on his host. “It would seem you have powerful friends.”

“Which is why your employer does business with me,” Van Joppa replied with a sly smile while Leron took the remaining chair. “Accomplished Sukang and I were discussing our mutual business when you arrived.”

Rex pretended to be impressed. “Your contacts are powerful in deed and far reaching. We are also pleased by the fact you always have the means to make good on all sorts of transactions.”

“As do we,” Leron joined the conversation. “Beginning with the Arrabella, flagship of Lord Jerrome DeSuan’s merchant fleet, we have destroyed nineteen ships bound for Taracopa, four of which were the property of the Serinian lord.”

“You did make sure no ship under the flag of Taracopa has been hindered?” Van Joppa apparently wanted reassurance.

Sukang waved away the concern with a casual sweep of his hand. “No ship of Taracopa has been attacked,” he said and chuckled. “When the Arrabella failed to arrive, Lord DeSuan was forced to cover the king’s loss from his own coffers. I could not discover which of the three swift ships contained the payment so I tracked down and destroyed all three. By now sailors the world over have learned that ships bound for Taracopa do not make it to port if they fly a foreign flag. Captains are refusing to take cargo bound for this kingdom and merchants are forced to use only ships bearing the flag of Taracopa.”

Cyrus Van Joppa laughed out loud. “The pressure on Van Efery is building. His imports are shrinking, he is having difficulty paying his military, and commoners all over the realm are crying out for something to be done about the mysterious abductions. The king has raised taxes again to make payroll. Maintaining the world’s largest cavalry is extremely expensive.”

“What of Lord DeSuan, will he try to make good on the loss a second time? The man has already lost more coins in this venture than several monarchs would have difficulty repaying?” Rex asked.