The constable was nearly speechless at being in the presence of the Duke of Krondor and the Knight-Marshal, and hesitated a long moment before he said, “Yes, sir! Titus!”
From out of the shadows came a young constable, barely twenty years of age by his appearance. He carried a crossbow. “Yes, Sergeant?”
“Arrest that lot over there.”
“Yes, sir!” said the young constable and he pointed his crossbow at them in menacing fashion. “Come along, and no funny business.”
Other constables appeared and the sergeant moved them to positions surrounding the dozen captives, escorting them away.
Roo turned to Lord James and said, “I don’t suppose you just happened to be out for a very early morning ride, m’lord?”
James said, “No. We had you followed.”
Out of the shadows came the girl Katherine and Jimmy.
“Followed?” asked Roo. “Why?”
“We need to talk,” said James. Turning his horse, he said, “Get cleaned up and get your gold to safety, then come to the palace for breakfast.”
Roo nodded. “Straight away, m’lord.” To Luis and Duncan he said, “Get the gold off the boat and back to our offices.” Then he turned to Dash and said, “And tell me: whose employee are you? Mine or your grandfather’s?”
Dash grinned and shrugged. “In a manner of speaking, both of yours.”
Roo said nothing for a moment, then said, “You’re discharged.”
Dash said, “Ah, I don’t think you can do that.”
“Why not?” demanded Roo.
“Grandfather will explain.”
Roo shrugged. Suddenly too tired to think, he said, “I could use some food and coffee.” He sighed. “A lot of coffee.”
The men began loading the gold back into the Jacoby’s wagon, and two men took the Jacoby brothers’ bodies to load into the wagon beside the gold. Roo put his sword away, wondering what was coming next. At least, he reasoned, he could meet the demand note and keep his company alive. Never, he vowed silently, would he let his company become that vulnerable again.
Roo sipped at the coffee and sighed. “This is excellent.”
James nodded. “Jimmy buys it at Barret’s for me.”
Roo smiled. “Best coffee in the city.”
The Duke of Krondor said, “What am I to do with you?”
“I’m not sure I take your meaning, m’lord.”
They all sat around a large table in the Duke’s private quarters. Knight-Marshal William sat beside the Duke, while Jimmy, Dash, and Katherine filled out the company. Owen Greylock entered the room and sat.
“Good morning, m’lord, Marshal, Roo,” he said with a smile.
“As I was explaining to your old friend here, Captain Greylock, I’m at something of a loss as what to do with him,” said James.
Greylock looked confused. “Do with him?”
“Well, there are several dead bodies down at the docks and a lot of gold with little explanation as to how it got there.”
Roo said, “M’lord, with all due respect, I’ve explained this all to you.”
“So you say,” replied James. He leaned forward and pointed a finger at Roo. “But you’re a convicted murderer, and several of your business dealings in the recent past have bordered on the criminal.”
Roo’s fatigue made him prickly. “Bordering on the criminal isn’t the same as being criminal . . . m’lord.”
“Well, we could impound the gold and hold a hearing,” said Marshal William.
Roo sat straight. “You can’t! If I don’t get that gold to my creditors by the end of the day, I’ll be ruined. That was the entire thrust of Jacoby’s plans.”
James said, “Will everyone but Mr. Avery please leave us for a while. Breakfast is now finished.”
Greylock looked at the food still on the table with regret, but he rose and departed with the others, leaving Roo alone with Lord James.
James stood and came to the empty chair next to Roo and sat. “This is how it is,” he said. “You’ve done very well. Remarkable doesn’t begin to cover how well you’ve done in your rise, young Avery. At one point I thought we might have to take a hand in seeing you survive the attempts your enemies made upon you, but you didn’t need our help. That’s to your credit.
“But my threat wasn’t hollow; I want you to understand something, and that is, no matter how powerful you become, you are no more above the law than you were when you and Erik killed Stefan von Darkmoor.”
Roo said nothing.
“I’ll not attempt to impound your gold, Rupert. Pay off your creditors and continue to prosper, but always remember that you can be put away as quickly now as you were when we first tossed you into the death cell.”