Chapter 26: Stealing for the king

It was late summer and I had just finished the new budget for the duchy. I think the people living and working on it were going to be very happy with what I had come up with. I was in the garden fair helping move the god statues. They seemed very satisfied with the new location since there were a lot more people and they were under the protection of roofs.

Even most of the phoenixes had moved to the large special nest boxes I had made. They were happy here and tended to sing which made the people stop to watch and listen. I had added more basins of water for people to wade in and cool off. Silver and Jasmine had also managed to create fountains that sprinkled water out and onto people or the animate plants.

Tami and doctor Malcom were walking around holding hands. I was sitting on a bench watching Jasmine in a basin with our sons. Melody and Ash were with Gloria and Silver a few basins away. They had a small crowd of other girls they were playing with. I glanced at the king when he sat, “Playing hooky?”

He grinned and nodded to his wife and son crossing to an area where a few dozen animated stuffed animals played, “Edmond assured me you had placed safeguards to keep the children safe.”

I nodded, “Beside all the stuffed animals watching there are the statues walking around and a few hundred mage creatures. The gargoyle also brought another dozen from somewhere and they all are extremely protective of the children.”

I gestured to one of the god statues which had became a lot more animated since being here, “Plus the god statues who tend to be very good at protecting children.”

I looked at him, “Harming a child here would be a very bad idea.”

He grinned and then chuckled and relaxed. It was a minute before he looked at me, “I wanted to speak to you.”

He was blushing and I raised an eyebrow, “About?”

He looked around before leaning closer, “Beside your duchy is the lands of earl McBannon. He has two barons, Kestrel and Shannon. For the last few years he has claimed poverty and has not been able to pay my taxes. His books have been checked and support his story.”

I looked at him, “But you think he has altered the books.”

He sighed, “I just found out that the three of them with two mages have been buying and selling merchandise out of the kingdom in the imperial capital. From the few things I have heard they have been using what they heard at court.”

He looked at me, “They are once more taking a trip to the imperial capital.”

I snorted and then grinned, “You want me to remove their funds.”

He nodded, “And find any evidence he has lied to me about the taxes.”

I was looking at Tami who had caught one of the drakes and was petting it. I grinned, “If I find what you want what are you going to do?”

He snorted, “Take their patients and put them in debtors prison.”

I smiled and looked at him, “If I do it I want payment.”

He sighed, “How much?”

I nodded to Tami and the doctor who was playing with a dozen children, “See the girl?”

He looked and nodded, “One of your apprentices?”

I looked at him, “If I succeed you give her the earl’s lands and his patient.”

He grinned and then laughed and stood, “Deal.”

I watched him join his wife and stood and went to kneel beside the basin Jasmine was splashing around in, “I need to go.”

She grinned and splashed me, “You finished all your work remember?”

I caught Michael and turned him to crawl back to his mother, “This is for someone else.”

She sighed, “One of theses days someone will catch you.”

I grinned, “But not today and I plan to retire before they do.”

She smiled, “Tomorrow is your day with the children.”

I laughed as I stood, “I will make sure I wear protection.”

I left and headed to see a man that had become the new fence for most of the thieves in the city. I glanced at Jewel when she landed on my shoulder, “Not staying with the children?”

She rubbed against my neck and I reached up to give her a caress. I walked into the shop and a man glanced at me from behind a counter and gestured another away as he smiled, “I was wondering if I would ever meet you.”

I smiled and crossed to the counter and pulled out a gold coin and held it up. I set it on the counter, “What can you tell me about earl McBannon or barons Kestrel and Shannon?”

He frowned and looked up as he thought before grinning, “Earl McBannon is headed to the imperial capital. The two barons are bullies and tend to hung around as if waiting for his scraps. The earl also has two mages that seem a little to cruel not to be dark.”

I nodded, “How is the earl traveling and from where?”

He glanced at the other man before sweeping the gold coin off the counter, “You thinking of robbing him?”

I looked at him and he blushed before gesturing me to the side as the other man closed the door, “He leased a warehouse for a month. He brought in three wagons that were very heavy and two fancy carriages.”

He looked back and leaned over the counter, “He has two dozen armed guards that are traveling with him. They leave the day after tomorrow.”

I nodded, “Any idea what is in the wagons?”

He shook his head and I pulled out another gold coin, “Thanks.”

He smiled as I started for the door. I headed to a apothecary and bought a few things before going home. I left after grabbing my pack and crossed the city which seemed a lot more crowded. I was very careful when I reached the warehouse and slowly made my way around it. The guards were outside the main doors with all the horses on a picket line.

I watched them before moving through the shadows as I moved closer. It was growing dark when I pulled a tiny leaf pouch. I untied it before holding it up and whispering, “Drop this in the supper pot.”

Jewel grabbed the pouch and seemed to weight it before leaping into the air. I knelt and picked up a rock and tossed it away and to the side. When it struck the guards turned to look and Jewel dove and let the pouch go before flying away. I held still until the guards relaxed and moved back into the shadows.

Every few minutes two men would stand and begin to walk around the building. It was an hour after they had eaten before they each nodded off. I moved into their camp and checked them before moving them to the side. I picked the lock on the large warehouse doors and pulled them open.

I stopped when I saw the magic strands crisscrossing the floor and moving through the air. The strands blocked this end and the door and I began moving them aside and pushing them up a wall. When I finished and went to check the wagons and smiled at the magic strands on the wheels.

It took several minutes to move the strands and finish checking the wagons before going out to get the horses. I harnessed one wagon and took it out and down the street and into an alley before returning. When I was done I had all three wagons and tied them together before returning to the warehouse.

One glance in the carriages and I knew one belonged to the mages. I opened the door into the other and glanced at everything including a small chest hidden under the back seat. I lifted it out and checked it before disarming a poison needle trap. I picked the lock and opened the chest to see a thick ledger on top and fancy jewelry below it.

I opened the ledger and began reading before closing it and carrying everything out. I walked the three wagons through the streets in short relays until I reached the shop of the fence. The guard peeked out door and turned to speak to someone before the fence walked out. I set the small chest down and slipped the ledger into my shirt.