Roo knew that meant he and Duncan would stay the night at the Prince’s expense, and he smiled. Every coin he saved now would be put back into the business, to compensate for the riches lost when Helmut was murdered. At the thought of his former partner’s murder, Roo’s thoughts turned dark again, and he found his merriment fleeing.
The inn was modest but clean, and Roo enjoyed a hot bath after the long journey. Duncan found his willing barmaid and Roo found himself left alone with Erik and the squad of soldiers. Roo motioned for Erik to sit with him, and when he was sure he was out of earshot of the soldiers, he asked in a low voice, “Do you know what’s going on?”
Erik said, “About what?”
“This ‘rush’ shipment of old clothing.”
Erik shrugged. “I think it’s just some things belonging to the old Prince that Prince Patrick thought his great-aunt would want to have.”
“That part I understand,” said Roo. “I understand why they want me to bring things into the palace.” He left unsaid what they both knew about that contract “But this cargo could have gone to anyone, and why the rush?”
“Maybe the old woman is ill?” said Erik.
Roo shook his head. “Hardly. She looked like she might yank Duncan’s trousers down.”
Erik laughed. “She was kind of outspoken, wasn’t she?”
Roo said, “Is de Loungville doing me a favor?”
Erik shook his head. “Not him. He has nothing to say in this; fact is, no one in the military does, either our command or the palace. Your selection was handled by the office of the Chancellor.”
“Which means Duke James.”
“I guess,” answered Erik, suddenly yawning. “I’m tired. Why don’t you worry about this tomorrow. Besides, who cares if it’s a pointless job, as long as it pays well?”
He stood and motioned for his men to retire for the night Roo sat alone for a long minute, and a barmaid came over to see if he wanted anything. She smiled at him. He inspected her with a young man’s eyes, then shook his head.
To the chair Erik had just vacated, Roo at last said, “I care.”
Back in Ravensburg, the homecoming was far more festive than before. Knowing that Roo was returning, the locals planned a small party.
Erik and his guards had left Salador the morning after the delivery, while Roo and Duncan had set out to track down some of the mysterious accounts on the ledger Jason had found. A few of them had been known to Karli, and by using deduction during the conversation with those people, Roo identified all those in the Salador area in quick order. With each of those accounts he discovered a different reason for the discretion exhibited by Helmut Grindel. All but one had agreed to continue doing business with Roo’s new company, and that one had paid off his account in full. Roo was satisfied with the overall outcome.
Erik had ridden ahead so he could spend a few days in Ravensburg. Roo felt no pressing need to linger in the town of his boyhood and was content to spend but one night there before moving on back to his new home in Krondor.
At least sixty people were crowded into the common room of the Inn of the Pintail, and Erik was grinning at the attention. Roo watched his friend from across the crowded room, feeling envy. Always something of a rogue in Ravensburg, Roo knew everyone but had few friends. Erik, on the other hand, had always been everyone’s friend, including Roo’s.
Roo smiled despite his somewhat subdued mood. Erik’s mother Freida, long the resident rain cloud in Roo’s life, came into the room through the kitchen door looking like a sunburst. She smiled at the sight of her son and husband talking together. Marriage certainly had agreed with Freida, Roo was forced to concede. He wondered if he would ever find such pleasure in wife and family. Thinking of Karli, he felt some concern, yet women had been having babies since the dawn of time and what could he accomplish by being near her? Making his fortune, providing for her and the child, that was the most important thing Roo could do.
“You’re lost, aren’t you?” asked a feminine voice.
Roo glanced up to see a familiar face. He smiled. “Gwen, hello.”
The girl sat down. An old friend, she reached across the table and patted Roo’s hand. “Thought I might run into you and that cousin of yours,” she said. Then with a twist of her head, she indicated Duncan at the other side of the room, deep in conversation with a young girl unknown to Roo. “Seems Ellien found Duncan first.”
“Ellien? Bertram’s little sister?” Roo looked again at the girl and saw that she was a little younger than he had thought her to be when Duncan first began flirting with her. The last time he had seen the girl, she had been shapeless. Now, given the plunging neckline of her blouse, he could see some shape had definitely manifested itself over the last three years.
Gwen twirled a strand of her hair absently as she said, “What about you?”
Roo said, “I’m doing fine. I’m owner of a freight company now.”
Gwen’s smiled broadened. “Owner? How’d you manage that?”
Roo mentioned the death of his partner, and in the telling of his story, he overstated his own skills only a little. Freida came by and filled Roo’s wineglass, smiling at him while she did.