he had to keep moving with confidence. She winked as they passed.
He came to the seneschal's offices and was confronted with a collection of minor functionaries and hangers-on in the room outside the sanctum of the man himself. He knew instinctively that talking to any of them would result in being bogged down in a morass of obsequious helpfulness that thinly disguised their need to insert themselves into any and all affairs of powerful men. They would be his most formidable obstacle on this entire venture.
So naturally he ignored them and strode boldly towards the door of the inner office.
"Excuse me, sir"
Rickard ignored the call.
"Please, allow me to help you."
He kept going.
"You can't go in there!''
He went in there. He opened the door, ready to immediately start apologizing for the interruption, but he had an important message to deliver.
What he saw inside stopped him in dead silence.
Kellar was behind his desk, and seated on the other side was Fleur. Two royal guards stood in the back of the room. All four men looked at him, slight scowls on their faces. The guards moved their hands to their swords. Kellar's annoying functionary stood behind Rickard in the doorway, breathless.
"Well. What's so damn urgent?" Kellar looked at the letter in Rickard's hand. "Let's have it then, we have much to do and no time for it."
Once again the only way out of Rickard's plans was to plunge forward.
Rickard gathered his courage and handed the man the letter. There was a ducat folded inside of it, and Kellar met his eyes with a frowning question when he felt the weight of it. Fleur shifted in his chair and eyed Rickard with a cold stare. Rickard wondered what he'd find outside the window behind Kellar when he escaped through it.
Rickard watched Fleur as Kellar unfolded the note. His face would tell the tale. As soon as Fleur saw the ducat and the note with his coded handwriting, his face went blank.
Kellar read the note slowly, obviously familiar with the old war code. "We have a spy loose in the palace? Of course we do! We knew that. There are always spies in the palace. Though not usually so highly placed as to know the planned movements of the Princesses."
Fleur changed to a more relaxed pose. Rickard could almost see the wheels within wheels turning in the man's head.
"We'll put our best men on this, Kellar. Let me have the note for our men to examine. They may be able to tell us who wrote this code, their files are quite comprehensive." Fleur was planning to bluff his way out of this.
Rickard thought he might have an idea who Fleur's men would report were responsible. He looked nervously at the guards behind Fleur. The functionary in the doorway cleared his throat meaningfully and reached towards Rickard.
"Lord Kellar, if you would, please examine the other piece of paper. I believe you'll find it quite illuminating." Rickard didn't know if Kellar was technically a Lord, but in his experience no man ever complained about being mistakenly addressed with the title.
Kellar read the sheet of paper containing the accounting of payments that Arundel had so meticulously kept.
"Well. This does raise certain questions." Kellar leaned back in his seat, a slight smile crossing his lips at the conversation that was about to transpire. He placed the paper down in front of Fleur.
Fleur leaned forward and examined the paper with his name on it, next to dates and payments. He sat back, clearly preparing his next lie.
He opened his mouth to speak, but then bolted up from his chair, leaping directly at Rickard.
Rickard had been ready for this, however, and dodged easily to one side. Fleur continued past him, and bowled over the functionary in the doorway. He kept going, heading for the door to the hallway.
Kellar had absorbed what was happening and yelled for someone to stop Fleur. If he got out into the hallways, he might be able to escape completely. The guards stood, confused and unsure of why their captain was running and who they should stop.
Immediate, unthinking action was called for. Rickard was the right man in the right place at the right time.
Picking up the heavy wooden chair the captain had just been sitting in, Rickard spun and threw it hard at Fleur's back. It hit him with loud crack and sent him sprawling forward on his stomach. He lay gasping but otherwise unmoving.
Everyone stared at the supine captain. Everyone except Kellar, who looked at Rickard. Rickard stood, cradling his right arm, which was more in pain than ever after his throw.
The guards began moving towards Rickard, the man who had possibly broken the back of their captain.
"No," Kellar said quietly. "Not him. Get Fleur. He is a traitor to our King. Hold him here."Kellar looked to the still stunned functionary getting back on his feet outside the doorway. "Smithsen. Go and retrieve four guards from the palace gaol. Tell them to come here and take Fleur to the black cells. We'll prepare him for questioning."
Rickard shivered. That could have gone either way.
"Someone get a physician in here to treat this man's arm."
Kellar gestured for Rickard to have a seat.
"We have much to discuss. I have to know how you came by this unique set of items. Start from the beginning, and don't hide the truth young man. As we just saw, the truth will always come out."
Rickard sat and took a deep breath. No way out but forward.
The seneschal sat back in his chair. "You were quite foolhardy, coming here to make an accusation like this in person. Even if he had not been here this was a very risky venture on your part."
Rickard had left out any mention of the Spider King. It was plain that Kellar knew there had been some omission, but equally plain that he had expected it. The truth would always out in the long run, both of the men believed that much, but there was no reason to rush it along.
"I did not think anything less had any chance to succeed."
"Even so. Most men who came into possession of this kind of information would have simply left the city."
"Truth to tell, sir, I liked the thrill of it." Rickard wasn't sure why he confessed that fact.
At that, Kellar had a knowing smile.
"Mr. Rickard, I have a proposition for you. You are a man of resourcefulness. You take direct action, yet you do so cleverly. We have need of such men from time to time. I would like to believe that if we call, you will answer."
"Sir?"
"You can serve your King, Mr. Rickard. You can serve Correndrum. I can promise you all the thrills you might ever want."
Rickard didn't hesitate. Did he ever?
"Of course, sir. I will answer if called."
"I am glad to hear it. The world is about to change, and men such as yourself will play a role in that change."
"Thank you, sir."
"One thing, Rickard. We will compensate you handsomely for your assistance, but any...freelance activities remain subject to the laws of Correndrum. We will not afford you special treatment if you are found in the course of such unauthorized actions."
"Yes, sir."
"If you're found", the man said with a twinkle.
When he arrived home, Rickard found several candles on his table. Along with a note of congratulations on his new employment. The Spider King had known where Rickard's actions would lead all along. In fact, he had probably been counting on it. A postscript to the note added that if Rickard was open to the possibilities, additional opportunities may come his way as well.
Yes, Rickard though, he would be open to the possibilities. Hit lit a candle and lay down for a long, long rest.
Fin
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