As Mark finished lacing his best sandals, a thought struck him. “How much time do we have?” he asked Talia, who was experimenting with magically coloring her hair slightly different shades of blond in order to better complement the blue dress she had chosen.
“We have about ten minutes to spare.” she told him as she settled on a hue and turned away from the mirror.
“I’m curious about that Dulyamil guy, and the elven criminals. I mean, most elves can get whatever they want by magic, so why did they resort to crime? I don’t know, but after the feel I’ve gotten for your people, the idea of there being elven criminals just seems strange.”
“From the little I know of them, the elven criminals are far from nefarious, being mostly concerned with petty thievery and pranks.” Talia told him as she climbed into his lap for a hug and a quick kiss.
“Huh. That makes even less sense.” he stated in puzzlement.
“Why not call Dulyamil and Meri here and ask them? After all, they now take our pay and are under our command, and I’m sure they’ll be pleased to chat with us for a bit. They arouse my curiosity as well, though my interest lies in how they met and came to be married. From her manner of speaking, Meri is well-educated and likely of the aristocracy of Kuth. Yet she is married to the former elven Prince of Thieves. There must be an interesting story in that.”
“All right, we’ll see what they’re like in more personal surroundings.” He nodded as he picked her up and carried her into the living room, ducking slightly through the door.
“Relgemit?” he called.
“Relgemit is off duty, this is Kalem, monitoring communications for The Hilian Command Center. How can I serve you, Mark?”
“Hi Kalem. We have a few minutes before we leave for the meeting of The Just Alliance, and we were hoping to speak with Dulyamil and Meri before we go. Could you have them come to the cottage, if they can make it in the next minute or so?”
“Certainly. They’ll be right there.”
“Thanks.”
Only eighteen seconds later there was a polite knock on the front door. When they answered it they found their guests looking alert and refreshed, despite it being almost four hours after midnight, Hilian time, and still wearing the simple white tunics.
“Greetings, and welcome.” Talia smiled, and she and Mark led the way back into the living room. “Sorry about the sudden call at such a late hour.”
“Not at all. We were touring the underwater facilities and enjoying the beauty of the nocturnal life of the reef.” Dulyamil smiled. “Wondrous work indeed, and the nearest Plane door was only strides from where we were.”
“Please, have a seat.” Mark said as he indicated a two place sofa, while he and Talia took the adjacent one. “We only have a few minutes right now, but we’re curious about a few things.
“I’m wondering about the elven criminals. What are they like, and what are they doing now that The Just Alliance has curtailed most criminal activity?”
“Ah. Well you must first understand that elven criminals as a rule are not evil, nor are they materialistic in a conventional sense.” Dulyamil explained. “They are spontaneous. They are generally talented but poorly adjusted minor wizards adrift in the midst of vast and populous empires, where the majority of the citizenry are humans with no appreciable magic ability. The elven scofflaws steal food from markets, and vanish without paying for their meals at restaurants, and usually the theft is only detected by accounting after the fact. They sleep in the first unused bedroom they happen upon, drop their rumpled clothing on the floor, take a fresh change from the closet when they leave in the morning, and spend much of their day attending entertainments without paying the admission. They traipse through life owning nothing, avoiding all responsibilities and social entanglements. And though no elf would violently rape, many of the males are avid practitioners of seduction, and are not above using spells to ensure that their affections are enthusiastically returned.
“Many are among the least intelligent persons of my race, though they are cunning enough to be all but impossible to catch. Many have suffered emotionally traumatizing events, and almost all are estranged from their families and former friends.
“No conventional approach had proven effective at helping them, or preventing their activities, or apprehending them.
“I took it upon myself to let it be known that they could visit my home in safety, and that they would be treated civilly and without judgment. I did what I could to see to their well-being, and to teach them what wisdom I could without risking their trust. I was never their leader, but I was their advocate.
“They knew their safety depended on their never taking anything of value, but there were a few who couldn’t resist a pretty trinket, mostly girls. I often convinced them to return the item later, and a few prevailed upon me to return an item for them, in order to relieve the pressure of a large investigation. A few times, I was charged with receiving stolen property in the course of these activities, but never convicted, since in each case I had initiated the contact in order to return the item. The cases were pressed because I refused to identify those who’d entrusted me with the task. My trials caught the attention of the news criers and gossipmongers, my activities were exposed, and I was dubbed The Prince of Thieves by popular opinion.
“Most of them are still at large, their lifestyles unchanged by the advent of The Just Alliance. I can no longer shelter them due to public scrutiny, nor will they approach me, though I still have their affection.”
“That’s fascinating.” Mark told him, his interest obviously piqued.
“I’m curious as to how you met.” Talia smiled. “Everyone knows how Mark and I got together, but I understand that such mixed-race couples are still a rarity.”
“Not so rare as many would think, as it was often kept secret.” Meri said, returning the smile. “Humans and elves mix and mingle in their thousands within the empires, and sparks are bound to fly. Many have come forward and announced their love these last few days.
“As for Dulyamil and I, my favorite hairbrush was stolen by a little elven waif only fourteen years old, and I chased her by foot and flight and Translocation all over the city. I’d have lost her a dozen times, but I was following my hairbrush, and she refused to release it. When she realized that I would not be shaken from her trail, she ran to Dulyamil. I found her cowering behind him in his courtyard. He handed me my brush, she vanished, and he invited me to dinner. Six months later we were married. In secret. My parents had apoplexy when we told them yesterday, but they’ll get over it.”
“How sweet!” Talia laughed.
“Yes.” Dulyamil smiled fondly as he squeezed his wife’s hand. “I owe the best things in my life to elven criminals. Besides bringing Meri to me, I learned some ingeniously inventive spells and techniques from them.”
“Well, it’s really a shame that we only had this short time to meet you right now.” Mark said as he stood.
“We appreciate the hectic nature of your schedule.” Meri assured him as she rose, and they exchanged handshakes “Thank you for having us; in your home, and in your employ.”
“We’re glad to have you.” Talia grinned as they held each other’s hand for a moment. “By the way, have you done any settling in yet?”
“Oh yes, we’ve been assigned some lovely quarters near the Command Center, and our personal items are already installed.” Meri assured her.
“It seems fate that sixty-six tournament contestants chose to enlist or be transferred to your forces.” Dulyamil related. “So when Relgemit allowed that we could form our own unit, we began to refer to ourselves as The Sixty-Six of Hilia. Relgemit on the other hand favors the term; The Mated Brigade. Which most of us think sounds silly.”
“Ah.” Mark grinned. “Well I’m sure you’ll be a fine and formidable unit, however you’re titled.”
“Thank you, and thanks again for having us by.” Dulyamil smiled as they were escorted
out.
“Time?” Mark asked as he closed the door.
“We should go.” Talia answered.
“All right.
“Somonik? We’re ready if you are.”