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Several coaches are already leaving, only a couple others still awaiting their passengers. One coach is especially fine with gold worked in intricate detail. That coach has a compliment of half a dozen guards besides the two men on the driver’s seat.

“Come on,” says Jiron. “Let’s get back to the others before they begin worrying, if they aren’t already.” Striding down the street, it doesn’t take him long before he realizes James is beginning to fall behind him and Reilin. Slowing down, he sees him casting frequent glances back to the tavern. Finally, he comes to a stop when the tavern is just within sight.

“Let’s stop here a moment,” he tells the others. Then he has them move to the side of the street and stand in the lee of a building where the shadows are the thickest.

“Why?” Jiron asks.

Motioning for the other two to come close, he keeps a constant eye on the front door of the Wallowing Swine as he explains. “The person who wrote the note was in the tavern,” he tells them.

“Who?” asks Reilin.

“I didn’t see anyone,” says Jiron.

In a very quiet voice, so quiet the other two can barely hear him, he whispers, “It was Kir.”

“The bard?” asks Reilin.

“Yes,” nods James.

“How do you know?” Jiron asks.

“I just do,” he replies. “He wants us to meet him here in the street.”

“Someday you’ll have to tell me how you found all this out,” Jiron says.

“Shhh!” James tells them for he just saw Perrilin come out of the front door of the tavern. He points over to where a group of people are standing just outside the front door talking to him. The manner in which they are speaking to him leads them to believe they are congratulating him on a superb performance. They watch as he shakes the hands of several of the men then turns and begins walking down the street in their direction. The people with whom he had been talking give him a final farewell then move off in the opposite direction.

As he approaches, Jiron begins to move out in the street when James grabs him and whispers, “Not yet.” He waits until Perrilin is close then begins to softly whistle Home on the Range.

Perrilin must have heard him for he alters his course slightly and moves more directly to where they are. When he gets close, he gives a quick glance up and down the street then moves into the shadows where they are waiting. James begins to speak but Perrilin cuts him off with a shake of his head and signals for them to be quiet by putting his finger against his lips.

They hold still a moment, unsure what is going on. Then a motion down the street draws their attention and they see two men working their way from the direction of the Wallowing Swine. From the way Perrilin is watching them, James can tell there’s something going on here of which he is ignorant.

As the two men walk down the street, they casually look this way and that. All the while they continue to maintain a steady pace. When they finally move past the spot where they’re hiding and disappear down the road, Perrilin says, “They’ve been keeping an eye on me lately.”

“Does this have anything to do with Korgan?” asks James.

Eyes widening at the name, Perrilin asks in return, “What makes you say that?”

“Just the fact that ever since I rescued you from him in Cardri,” he explains, “he’s had it out for me.”

Perrilin looks to him and the other two and nods, “In a way.”

Jiron moves closer and asks, “Why did you have us meet you?”

Perrilin glances to him and recognizes him from the time before. “Jiron right?” he says.

“Yes,” he replies, surprised at how this man knows him.

James sees the confusion on his face and clarifies it for him. “This is Perrilin.”

“Perrilin?” he asks, still not sure if he should believe him. “You don’t look anything like the Perrilin I know.”

“That’s the whole idea,” he says. “This isn’t a good place to talk.” Glancing up and down the street again, he says, “Follow me and then we can discuss a few things.”

Jiron looks at Perrilin, still not convinced but trusts in James’ judgment. When