“Is this going somewhere, Price?” Royce snapped.
“Just giving Etcher a little background, Duster. You wouldn’t begrudge me the chance to educate my boys, would you?” Price smiled and returned to his casual pacing, slipping his thumbs into the loose waistline of his pants. “Where was I? Oh yes, Jade. It happened right over there.” He pointed back across the bridge. “That empty warehouse with the clover symbol on its side. That’s where Hoyte set them up, pitting one against the other. Then, like now, bucketmen wore masks to prevent being marked.” Price paused and looked at Royce in feigned sympathy. “You had no idea who she was until it was over did you, Duster? Or did you know and kill her anyway?”
Royce said nothing but glared at Price with a dangerous look.
“The last of the three bucketmen was Cutter, who was understandably upset to learn Duster murdered Jade since Cutter and Jade were lovers. The fact that his friend was responsible made it personal, and Hoyte was happy to let Cutter settle the score.
“But Cutter didn’t want Duster dead. He wanted him to suffer and insisted on something more elaborate, more painful. The man is a strategic mastermind—our best heist planner and arranged for Duster to be apprehended by the city guard. Cutter traded a few favors and with some money, bought a trial that resulted in Duster going to the Manzant Prison and Salt Mine. The hole no one ever comes back from. Escape was thought to be impossible—only somehow Duster managed it. You know we still don’t know how you got out,” he paused, giving Royce a chance to reply.
Again, Royce remained silent.
Price shrugged. “When Duster escaped he returned to Colnora. First, the magistrate who presided over his trial was found dead in his bed. Then the false witnesses—all three on the same night—and finally the lawyer. Soon, one by one, members of the Black Diamond started disappearing. They turned up in the strangest places: the river, the city square, even the steeple of the church.
“After losing more than a dozen members, the Jewel made a deal. He gave Hoyte to Duster who forced him to confess publicly. Then Duster killed Hoyte and left his body in the Hill Square Fountain—it was pure artistry. It stopped the war, but the wounds were too deep to forgive. Duster left only to reemerge years later working out of Crimson Hand territory up north. But you’re not a member, are you?”
“I don’t have much use for guilds anymore,” Royce replied coldly.
“And who’s that?” Etcher asked pointing at Hadrian. “Duster’s servant? He’s carrying enough weapons for the both of them.”
Price smiled at Etcher. “That’s Hadrian Blackwater, and I wouldn’t point at him; you’re likely to lose that arm.”
Etcher looked at Hadrian skeptically. “What? He’s some kind of killer swordsman? Is that it?”
Price chuckled. “Sword, spear, arrow, rock, whatever is at hand,” he turned to Hadrian. “The Diamond doesn’t know as much about you, but rumors abound. One says you were a gladiator; another reports you were a general in a Calian army—successful too if the stories can be trusted. There’s even one story circulating that you were the enslaved courtier of an exotic eastern queen.”
Some of the other Diamonds including Etcher chuckled.
“As much fun as this trip down memory lane has been, Price, do you have a reason for stopping us?”
“You mean beyond entertainment? Beyond harassment? Beyond reminding you that this is a Black Diamond controlled city? Beyond informing you that unguilded thieves like yourselves are not allowed to practice here, and that you personally are not welcome?”
“Yeah, that’s what I meant.”
“Actually there is one more thing. There’s a girl looking for you two.”
Royce and Hadrian glanced at each other curiously.
“She’s been going around asking about two thieves named Hadrian and Royce. Now, as entertaining as it has been to hear your names publicly advertised, it is embarrassing for the Black Diamond to have anyone asking for thieves in Colnora that are not members of our guild. People are apt to get the wrong impression about this city.”
“Who is she?” Royce asked.
“No idea.”
“Where is she?”
“Sleeping under the Tradesmen’s Arch on Capital Boulevard, so I think we can rule out her being a noble debutante or a rich merchant’s daughter. Since she is traveling alone, I think you can also rule out the possibility that she is here to kill you or have you arrested. If I had to guess, I should think she is looking to hire you. I must say, if she is typical of the kind of patrons you two attract, I would consider a more traditional line of work. Perhaps there’s a pig farm you might be able to get a job at—at least you would be keeping the same level of company.”
Price’s tone and expression dropped to a serious level. “Find her, and get her, and yourselves, out of our city by tomorrow night. You might want to hurry. Cleaned up she could be pretty and might fetch a fair price or at least provide several minutes of pleasure for someone. I suspect the only reason she hasn’t been touched so far is that she’s been dropping your names everywhere. Around here, Royce Melborn is still something of a bogeyman.”
Price turned to leave and his mocking tone returned. “It’s actually a shame you can’t stay around; the theatre is showing a play about a couple of thieves lured into being accused of murdering the King of Medford. It’s loosely based on the real murder of Amrath several years ago.” Price shook his head. “Completely unrealistic. Can you imagine a seasoned thief being lured into a castle to steal a sword to save a man from a duel? Authors!”
Price continued to shake his head as he and the other thieves left Hadrian and Royce on the bridge and headed down the streets on the far bank.
“Well, that was pleasant, don’t you think?” Hadrian said as they retraced their steps, heading back up the hill toward Capital Boulevard. “Nice bunch of guys. I feel a little disappointed they only sent four.”
“Trust me, they were plenty dangerous. Price is the Diamond’s First Officer, and the other two quiet ones were bucketmen. There were also six more, three on each side of the bridge hiding under the ambush lip, just in case. They weren’t taking any chances with us. Does that make you feel better?”
“Much, thanks,” Hadrian rolled his eyes. “Duster, huh?”
“Don’t call me that,” Royce said, his tone serious. “Don’t ever call me that.”
“Call you what?” Hadrian asked innocently.
Royce sighed then smiled at him. “Walk faster; apparently, we have a client waiting.”
———