surprising himself, considering how he had been treated over the years. “Keep my friends topped up.” He watched the girl. She was smal . He imagined the sweet nubbins beneath her rags, wondered if she had given it up yet.
She handed her pail to the barkeep along with some coins.
The barkeep handed Babeltausque his tankard, then fil ed the pail with dark ale.
Babeltausque turned for a better look. The girl flinched away. She was frightened now. She took the pail and left as fast as she could go without spil ing precious cargo.
Wolf set his mug down. “That was strange.” The publican said, “That girl ain’t never been right.” Erik said, “I figure she’l be fine, she ripens up.” Babeltausque faced the bartender. “Show me your hands.”
“Sir?” The man wanted to argue but recognized the sudden intensity of Babeltausque’s companions.
“Customer is always right.” Babeltausque considered the hands, saw nothing to suggest that the man was anything but a publican. “Reach over here. Both hands.” The wizard took hold. Startled, the barkeep tried to pul away. He could not. Babeltausque smiled an ugly little smile. “Tel me about Colonel Gales.”
The publican’s gaze darted, possibly looking for help that would not come.
Wolf surveyed the bar. He said, “Erik, take the front door.
Don’t let anybody in. Purlef, you make sure we get no surprises from the back.” Babeltausque said, “Excel ent, Mr. Wolf. Should there be an actual
rescue attempt, take one vil ain for questioning. Barkeep.
You must know more about the disappearance of the Queen’s man Gales than you admitted to Mr. Wolf earlier. I want to hear the rest now.” The publican kept shaking his head, never making clear what he was denying. But Babeltausque did reach a disappointed conclusion. The man truly knew nothing useful and lacked interesting suspicions as wel .
Babeltausque let go. “That first crown is for your trouble and discomfort.” He produced another. “The drinks wil be on this. Top us al off. Mr. Wolf, I was wrong. This gentleman knows less than we do.” “Shit!”
“Include me in that sentiment.”
“Stil a dead end.”
“Perhaps.” Babeltausque turned back to the bartender, who had fil ed al the mugs and now stood there shaking. “You recal the night in question? The drunk put on a show.”
“He pissed himself.”
“He did. Were any of your current clientele in here that night?” The bartender started to shrug, flexed the fingers of his right hand, thought better of playing dumb. “The one in the back, there, I don’t think I ever seen before tonight. He was drowned drunk when he got here. His whole crew was.
They ordered up al them pitchers and was working them hard when, al of a sudden, like a flock of pigeons, they up and swooped out. I guess they couldn’t get him woke up to go.” Babeltausque had a feeling. “That would have been when?” “Maybe ten minutes before you showed.” About the time they exited Castle Krief. Interesting. “I see.
How many were there?”
The barkeep looked back at the sleeping man’s table. “I see six pitchers.
Each one ordered one. So five of them left.”
“How about these two?”
“They was probably here that night. They’re here every night. I don’t know where they get the money.”
“Mr. Wolf, please investigate the gentleman back there. I’l talk to these two. Erik, Purlef, please remain alert. I’m sure we’re being watched.
Someone else would have tried to come buy a drink by now, otherwise.” Babeltausque had just planted himself with the drunks when Wolf said, “Sorcerer, I need you here.” Though irked, Babeltausque got up and went. “What?” Wolf got a fist ful of hair, tilted the drunk’s head back. “I see.”
“Looks like death on a stick.”
“Let me ask a few more questions.”
Babeltausque returned to the publican. “Did you recognize any of the men who came in with that fel ow?” Headshake. “I’m pretty sure they was from out of town.
Maybe from Sedlmayr, out that way, the way they rol ed their Rs.”
“I see. Thank you. Fil me up, please. This is actual y rather a pleasant brew. You add just a pinch of ground rail bark, yes? Mr. Wolf? Erik? Purlef? Do you need topped up? No?
And I thought I would be the lightweight. Sir. Tel me. Did yon fel ow’s friends do any drinking themselves?”
“Like they wanted to float their kidneys. Like they wanted to get every pitcher empty in record time.”
“Excel ent. You have been most helpful. Another crown for your trouble.”
As he settled down with the drunks Babeltausque realized he was enjoying himself. He could not recal the last time life was just plain fun.
He col ected himself, grasped the near hand of the man to his right.
The drunk started as though shocked. His eyes opened. He sat up straight. He gulped air, took a long drink, began muttering a prayer.
He had been present the night of the kidnapping. He remembered the show. He was unaware that anything had happened to the drunk after he left the Twisted Wrench, nor did he know that Gales was anything but what he had pretended.
He had to labor through a half minute of grueling thought before he could name the current monarch—and then fel short by one. The second man was the brother-in-law of the first. His wife had forced him to take that night off. He knew nothing at al . The sorcerer announced, “We won’t get anything more here. Lead the way home, Mr. Wolf. Purlef, you and Erik support our new friend, there. I’l fol ow along with a few spel s readied.”
He watched Wolf calculate and conclude that those instructions made sense for a passage through potential y hostile territory. Babeltausque turned to the publican. “In a few minutes someone wil come in asking about us.” He produced a bronze medal with turquoise inlays. It weighed a good six ounces. “Give this to the man who appears to be in charge. And this paper should go to a companion who seems dim and doesn’t say much. And this crown is me buying them drinks, however much they want.” He rubbed the crown over the medal ion and paper. “Don’t touch these again except to hand them over.” Wolf asked, “You’re going to pul their noses?”
“I am going to grab hold and yank til they squeal.” He told the publican, “Expect the men of the garrison to come back, soon. Mr. Wolf. After you.”
The bartender watched them go, unsure if he should be pleased or terrified.
It was not every day that a wizard tramped through an ordinary man’s life. When one did excitement usual y fol owed.
...
Flustered,hastily dressed,Inger rushed into Babeltausque’s quarters. She found Dr. Wachtel examining Josiah Gales. The wizard and Nathan Wolf watched, murmuring. The old doctor had been dragged out of bed.
He was sleepwalking through his task.
Wolf told her, “They left him at the place where they kidnapped him. That makes no sense to me but I’m sure they had a reason.”
Babeltausque said, “I hope this doesn’t sound self-important, Majesty, but I believe that reason was me. They thought I might trace Gales, even if they kil ed him, so they just gave him up. I expect they had no more use for him, anyway.”
“Could you have traced him?”
“I could have. I had his belongings to give me a scent.”
“Doctor, what’s his situation?”
“He’s dirty, dried out, and weak from lack of exercise. He wasn’t tortured or starved, though good nutrition was neglected. I see no reason why he shouldn’t recover completely, physical y. Mental y, we’l have to wait and see.”
“Could there be problems?”
“I don’t know. At the moment he is drunk and drugged. He tries to talk but makes no sense. He may be hal ucinating.” Inger stared at Gales. He was filthy but did not look bad otherwise. “Nathan, Babeltausque, thank you. You’ve made an excel ent start. Come with me. Let’s talk about what comes next. Doctor, my apologies for your
