Elfsong - Elaine Cunningham [77]
"If not they are certainly exploiting it" Khelben said in a weary voice. "I have a contact who may yield some information. I'llseek her out at once."
He murmured the words of a spell. In a moment the tall archmage was gone, and in his place stood a young man of medium height and build. His features were pleasant and shaded by a broad-brimmed hat. Simple, well-made clothing of dark gray linen would be deemed equally at home in the marketplace or a North Ward parlor. In short, he was unremarkable and could pass unnoticed through most of the city. Thus disguised, Khelben took his leave of Piergeiron and headed toward the nearby Jester's Court. It was time for the archmage of Waterdeep to pay a call on a certain lady of the evening.
*****
Imzeel Coopercan had heard too much in the last several days for his peace of mind. Yet the half-dwarven proprietor of the Mighty Manticore listened carefully to the talk of the early supper crowd, picking out bits from the hum of conversation as he endlessly polished the bar with a rag.
"At the rate you're going, you'll wear clear through the wood before moonrise," teased Ginalee, a plump, merry lass who'd been Imzeel's barmaid long enough for him to permit such familiarity. She was more than passing fond of her employer, despite his dour personality and barrel-shaped torso, and therefore she tried to distract him from whatever woes now absorbed his attention. Resting her elbows on the shining wood of the bar, she propped her head in her hands and dimpled up at him. This posture yielded Imzeel a view of cleavage that should have rallied a dying man; he gave Ginalee a mere glance and went back to polishing the bar.
The offended barmaid snatched the rag away and draped it from the fang of the stuffed and mounted lion head that hung over the bar. That trophy, with a little creative taxidermy and a great deal of wishful thinking, had inspired the tavern's imposing name. For a moment, Ginalee toyed with the idea of telling Imzeel his establishment was more commonly known as "the MangyManticore." With a sigh, she decided that it wouldn't matter to him, as long as business continued to thrive.
And thrive it did. The Mighty Manticore was located in the heart of the Castle Ward, at the busy crossroads of Sel-duth and Silver streets. Those who spent their days in commerce and diplomacy often stopped by the tavern to share news and to make deals over a no-nonsense supper of thick, flavorful stew, sharp cheese, fresh black bread, and hearty ale. Just as important, the back of the tavern opened into Jester's Court Something interesting always seemed to be happening there, and therefore those whose business was best conducted in shadows also found their way into the tavern through the back door. The result was a nice blend of information and intrigue that Imzeel found to be as satisfying as profit; the proprietor sought and hoarded knowledge as avidly as his dwarven forebears had mined for mithril.
Yet Imzeel found the day's talk troubling. He reclaimed his rag from the "manticore" and resumed his endless circling as he listened in. There were the usual complaints about problems with shipping and theft, but such things seemed to be occurring on a larger scale than normal. Entire ships and the full contents of warehouses were vanishing, right under the noses of city officials. Even more distressing were the whispers suggesting that the Lords of Waterdeep were disappearing. Tavern talk made the odds-on culprit Waterdeep's resident archmage.
It was widely accepted that Khelben Arunsun was one of the secret Lords of Waterdeep. There were some who felt the archmage had a bit too much power of his own without such a position, but most Waterdhavians had nothing against wizard rule. In fact Ahghairon's Tower stood nearby, a monument to the powerful mage who'd established the Lords of Waterdeep several centuries past The city had prospered under Ahghairon's long rule, and the consensus seemed