Murder in Cormyr - Chet Williamson [64]
I heard Barthelm Meadowbrock tell Mayella that he was going to be joining some of the councilmen over at Shortshanks's tavern, but that was before Captain Flim came up to him and spoke quietly. I couldn't hear what he said, but I certainly heard Barthelm's reaction.
"What! Flim, you must be mad! You can't expect me to leave now and go out to… to that old wizard's! I have business to conduct, contacts to make…"
Since this conversation no doubt concerned my master, I moved in closer and heard Captain Flim's reply. "Begging your pardon, sir, but the wizard Benelaius's orders are to be obeyed by me as if they came from King Azoun himself, and if Benelaius says to bring you and your daughter to his house tonight, so it shall be."
"It bloody well shall not!" growled Barthelm. "I am the host of this gathering, and-"
"And the host shall find himself taken in chains to Benelaius's if he will not go willingly," said Flim. "Hardly the image you wish to project to your fellow merchants." Oh, yes, Captain Flim could be quite persuasive when he had to be.
"Are you threatening me?" Barthelm said.
"I am telling you, sir, that I will obey my orders and bring you to Benelaius's house any way I must."
Barthelm fumed for a few minutes, then nodded his head briskly. "Very well. Give me a minute to say my farewells and have the coach brought round."
"Take your time," said Captain Flim. "I have a few more citizens to gather. Benelaius wants us there by midnight."
"Midnight," grumbled Barthelm. "Oh, I'll be so alert for the meeting tomorrow…"
Captain Flim buttonholed Mayor Tobald then, who seemed just about ready to head off for more drinking with some convivial merchants. His ruddy face sobered quickly, and he nodded, looking concerned, I thought, that no news of this murderous scandal reach the ears of the councilmen.
"I have four more people to gather," Flim told me after his talk with Tobald. "Rolf and Shortshanks will be at the Bold Bard, and I've already sent my men to the houses of Marmwitz and Khlerat."
Phelos Marmwitz and old Khlerat? There was a pair. The ancient librarian and the retired dabbler in public works. Maybe it was a geriatric conspiracy.
"Have your horse ready outside the Bold Bard in twenty minutes," Captain Flim concluded. "We'll ride out to Benelaius's together."
"Will you be taking any Purple Dragons along?" I asked. "A dozen good men," Captain Flim said, and walked out the door.
A dozen men. That meant that something was going to happen at Benelaius's, sure enough, and I recalled the thrilling scenes in the Camber Fosrick tales where Fosrick gathered together all the suspects, confronted them with the evidence, and identified the killer. Now Benelaius was going to create the same situation, but in reality. As much as he frowned on the Fosrick mysteries, I could not help but think that he had read them-and learned from them too.
I had Jenkus ready to go within minutes, and waited impatiently as the parties gathered. Barthelm and Mayella Meadowbrock were already there, Barthelm looking annoyed, Mayella looking as though she were willing to accept whatever life and her daddy threw at her. Tobald came riding up on his strong if none too fast mare, and shortly after, four soldiers rode up surrounding Rolf, who appeared nothing short of livid. I think he might have broken through them and run for it, but for the fact that they had him mounted on a very old, very tired horse.
Then a commotion broke out down the street in the person of one man-or dwarf. Shortshanks was riding a small mount between Captain Flim and one of his Purple Dragons, and I've seldom heard a dwarf