Stalking Darkness - Chapter Eighteen

[kalinara]

So last time, there was more investigation: sewer shenanigans mostly, with some additional developments on the Seregil and Thero dynamic.



We rejoin Alec and Seregil as they've been shadowing Rythel. He's apparently been annoyingly regular in his habits. Also boring: work and sleep.

At this time, they're watching his tenement. They spot the landlady's grandson on his way to a tavern. Seregil thinks the guy looks like a talker, so he goes to shmooze. Apparently, he's successful. He manages to learn that basically everyone dislikes Rythel, except the landlady, who only cares about getting paid on time.

There are two notable facts though: one, Rythel has some "drawerings" that he's really protective and defensive about, and two, at the end of the week, Rythel dresses up in gentlemen's clothes and goes off for mysterious revelry.

Seregil thinks it's time for "Lord Seregil" to make an appearance. As for Alec, well, Alec gets to do some burglary!

So Seregil tracks Ryhel to a gambling house called "the Heron". At one point in his storied history, Seregil had made his living in dens like that, so he knows how to handle this right away. He bribes the doorkeeper for information about "new blood" and Rythel is among the names listed.

He's described as not noble, but "well turned out" and someone who takes wins and losses philosophically.

So he ends up at Rythel's table. Eventually Rythel suggests a change in game - this one is a partnered game, where Rythel ends up paired with Seregil (likely because of Seregil's skill earlier in the rounds). They win and Seregil introduces himself. They end up socializing well into the evening.

Seregil later sums up his evaluation to Alec: he's not the greatest spy, but he can keep his mouth shut. Eventually, when inclined to companionship, he was going to "take up with the first pair of clapmongers" that they passed. An interesting bit of classism from Seregil? Seregil ended up steering him to somewhere called the Black Feather.

Alec is worldly enough to note that the Feather is a considerable comedown from Eirual's. Aw, look at our little boy. Able to evaluate the cost and status of brothels. He's growing up!

Seregil thought that as well though, he's not sure if Rythel's putting on an act or if his fortunes fluctuate from week to week.

Seregil does get SOMETHING interesting: Rythel passes himself off as a "well-heeled" merchant and carries it off well enough that Seregil thinks it might even be true. He does think the guy is Skalan born, but of a type that the Plenimarians are apt to use.

Seregil did let slip some interesting details about privateers, so it will be interesting to see if they pop up later. Hopefully not in a way that sends the idiot BACK to prison.

As for Alec...

Alec pulled a flattened roll of parchment from inside his tunic and waggled it triumphantly.

Carrying it to the table, he pinned the corners down with books. As he reached to secure an upper corner, Seregil saw a ragged tear in his left sleeve that appeared to be stained with blood.

“What happened to you?” Alec shrugged, avoiding his eye. “It’s nothing.”

“Nothing?” Grasping his friend’s hand, he pushed the torn sleeve back. A rough bandage was tied around the boy’s forearm and stained through with a circle of dried blood the size of a two-sester piece. “Nothing doesn’t usually bleed like that.”

That seems ominous. Alec insists it's a scratch, but Seregil cuts away the dressings. The wound is bad enough that Seregil thinks there's a risk of "blood poisoning" (infection?) and quickly cleans it with brandy. Alec explains the circumstances, and the cadence of it makes me laugh:

“I just slipped going over the roof to his window,” Alec admitted with a grudging sigh. “I figured that would be the safest route in, but it was a little steeper than I thought, and the slates were really slick—“

“Ever heard of rope?”

“By the time I realized I needed one, I was already up there. Anyway, my sleeve caught-a nail sticking out of the gutter—“

“The gutter?” Seregil sputtered, feeling his stomach give a little lurch. “You went over the edge? It’s a forty-foot drop to stone paving! What in the name of Bilairy’s—“

“Actually, there’s a shed right under his window,” Alec corrected. “It would’ve broken the fall—“

“Oh, so you had it all carefully planned, then?” Seregil said with heavy sarcasm.

Alec shrugged again. “Learn and live, right?”

This is karma, Seregil. Seregil wonders if the look Alec is giving him is the same one he's given Nysander or Micum when they berate HIM for stupid risks.

So the parchment is actually a map. It's not stolen, rather, Alec had made the copy himself. He'd remembered what the landlady's son had said about drawings and brought materials.

("Except a rope." heh.)

The map is pretty confusing, but Alec thinks it's the sewers. There wasn't writing, just marks, but it looked like some of Kasserie's plans. Alec thinks he's identified the outlet where they're working. Seregil figures out more: channels to the Noble Quarter, and the middle of the city.

Alec didn't get all of it. He heard folks coming and had to run, but it's enough already for grounds for arrest. Seregil wonders how Rythel got the info, and they muse about how the Plenimarians would use it. Probably not a military assault, but it's good for sabotage or assassination.

Seregil congratulates Alec, saying it's more than he got. Alec is happy. He has more info too: the other smiths say that the work is expected done in a couple of weeks. Rythel's got to finish whatever he's doing by then. But how did he GET this info without ever leaving the house?

Interesting question! Seregil suggests that maybe he has a source. The chapter ends with some plans to go find "Tym" - the dude who pickpocketed Alec in the first book.

It's a short chapter, which means I really should continue on. But it's a busy week and I'm lazy, so well, to be continued!