Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2016 22:00:48 +0000 (GMT)
From: ovote@unseen.is
Subject: The Magician and the Prince - 7

A tale of magicians, magick and a lost boy. By saying this is a fantasy I
don't really need to stress that it is a work of fiction. Set in a nameless
land, maybe even a nameless world, our rules and conventions do not apply
here.

As always this free resource needs your donations to keep it alive, so
donate as much or little as you can afford.
http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html


A curse on MS Word autocorrect, turning prisoners into footballers or
hockey players with them being in goal, instead of gaol, in the previous
chapters. And many thanks to bulwark69 with his eagle eye spotting it.

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"When you bring my tea to the library this morning would you bring another
cup for yourself Sarah. I would like to sit and share with you some of my
intentions for the time ahead" Jacob said while breaking fast.

The waning of the winter would see activity on a higher level, all had
spent a lot of time around the house, devoting more to tuition of Jamil and
Donae. With Zachary taking time away to be a liason between the workmen in
the children's home and both Jacob and the trading house there would be a
need to bring in a new carriage driver. On Zachary's suggestion another man
employed at the trading house, Joshua, would take his place. Also a
gardener cum handy man for the outside of the house, another trained man
with many years experience spying in the city. Neither would know the long
term objective being worked towards. The carriage house at the mansion
would be one of the first tasks to have work started on it. At Zachary's
suggestion a full suite of rooms was to be made on the upper floor for him
to live in. It was better for him not to be seen coming and going from this
house, they still wished to keep the identity of the principals as discreet
as could be. Jacob also expected that more visitors would be coming to see
him, and constant visits to the trading house wasn't something he felt
desirable. Secret businesss conducted at this house, away from the
commercial part of the city, could also be protected with a little help
from Jacob's magick. Some visitors may be stay as guests at the house, so
he wished Sarah to find an assistant to help her, one that she had known to
be a good worker with her lifelong experiences working in many houses of
the city. With the extra work involved in running the house he also gave
her an increase in her pay. He was very sure that when the time came she
would be overjoyed if he offered her the job of being in charge of the all
the domestic staff at the new children's home.

Zachary, after some time thinking over how he would approach his new role
as the replacement head of the spy network informed Jacob he intended to
include in the work of the children's home a school to teach some of the
boys to become carriage drivers, carters, or even messengers in an adult
life. He couldn't hide his joy at the thought of having so many horses to
keep, for Zachary loved his horses more than anything else. Teaching
children to ride and care for the magnificent beasts was more than he had
ever hoped for. And the ones that were being quetly trained for the king's
service would need to develop excellent riding skills. For him to have
horses always available at little notice for secret work, and outside the
main city, would also greatly improve the network. These ideas convinced
Jacob even more that Zachary's promotion was well deserved. The training
school would disappear inside the children's home, in much the same way the
spy network had been hidden within the trading house. He had hired a two
seater buggy and been away on a few trips to horse farms already,
inspecting the newly born foals and making agreements to buy the best he
found. Jamil had gone with him on those trips, and came back reasonably
proficient in handling the small trap. Moving up to bigger carriages was
only a matter of him gaining strength as he grew through his youth.

It had weighed heavily on Jacob's mind that with the re-opening of the
docks following the winter the slave ships would soon return to plying
their horrific trade. One possible consequence of his manufacturing the
ledgers, showing Sir Samuel's large scale cheating, would be for others
involved to now believe the trade was much more lucrative than they ever
knew. He could expect them to step up their efforts, feeling they needed to
recoup the loss Sir Samuel had cheated them out of. The pressure to seize
more and more for the slave ships would become greater. During the reign of
Tancred's grandfather he had made use of mercenary forces, to supplement
his, at a time of particularly poor relations with the city. The leader of
that mercenary force had been killed in another conflict some years later,
his son now led the force. After extended and convoluted negotiations word
came to him of their willingness to meet with a potential new client. The
place agreed was a neutral land a few days riding from the borders of the
city state. The weather was still cold, but with the snows now all but
gone, it was a manageable journey. Rather than leave Tancred in the city he
decided to take him with him, and for Zachary to also accompany them,
staying with the prince during the time Jacob went alone to the
meeting. Tancred having been taught horsemanship almost from the time he
could sit astride a pony as a tiny boy, they would make the trip on
horseback rather than by carriage. Zachary hired good quality horses for
them and stabled them overnight at the carriage house of the mansion. He
also took their travelling packs so they could appear to leave the house as
if just on a normal visit in to the city. The next morning the two left the
house early and went to the trading house. From there they left by the
goods yard in a small closed carriage, and were carried to the mansion
where they met Zachary and set off unobserved. It was the first time
Tancred had left the city since his rescue, and also the first time he had
been apart from Jamil. As much as Jacob would have wished to bring him on
the trip, he was not yet ready for such a long trip by horse, time was
against them and he would slow them down. Despite the three horses now
carrying a large amount of gold from the vault of the trading house they
made excellent time on the journey, magick from Jacob's touch giving as
much extra stamina as they needed. They arrived in the small town the day
before the meeting was to take place, amazing Zachary on the journey to see
the frail Jacob disappear and a vigourous strong man riding alongside
him. It was further showing of his trust in Zachary.

Anyone watching Jacob leave the inn to make his way to the other inn
designated by Captain Jard, the mercenary commander, would have seen a well
dressed lady of means coming from the passageway to the street. Clearly she
was a lady who was well used to having her instructions carried out without
question. Entering she made her way to the counter where the innkeeper was
stood, passing him the token provided by Captain Jard's middle man she
requested use of the private room as per the instructions. Beckoning the
young pot boy he passed him the token, and with that the boy scampered out
of the back door of the inn. Shortly afterwards the curtain was pulled
aside as the Captain entered the room. If he was taken aback at seeing the
lady, instead of a man as he expected, he gave no sign.

Taking a seat across the table he said to her "I don't believe we have met
before"

He was shocked to his centre by the answer "You have your father's chin,
and your mother's eyes"

In the shocked silence that followed she went on "And you, young man, have
a scar on your shoulder from when you knocked a glass from the table. You
were five years old at the time"

Jacob, having good memory of Captain Jard senior, plainly seeing the father
reflected in the son sat before him. Though this younger version lacking
his father's dark piercing eyes. The memory of that young child's injury he
pulled from a distant part of the man sat before him, bringing back
thoughts of the young boy crying as the tiny pieces of broken glass were
picked out of the ugly gash, and of stinging ointment applied during the
time of healing.

That memory from long ago came shooting back to the front of Jard's mind as
he said to the lady "Madam, I had forgotten all about that, you must have
known my parents well" A child, well used to the comings and goings of many
doing business with adults around him, rarely took note of the people
towering above as it sat at play. And a man used to trusting his own
instincts will take his own memory as true most every time. So it was that
the two sat at business together as the Lady outlined her
wishes. Furnishing Jard with details of the routes the city slave ships
would be bound on as they returned in convoy to the docks she made required
Jard's fast warships to lie in a secluded cove watching as they passed in
the distance, they were to trail the heavily laden vessels until at a point
far out on the open seas. Then to engage those three ships and put them to
the bottom, cargo and crews as well. The lady agreed the cost with Jard,
and offered a sizeable bonus above that for his agreement not to enter the
city during the seasons ahead, and that no contract be entered into with
the Grand Duke of the city for defence, or for subversive acts on his
behalf.

Coming to the payment of the fee agreed the Lady once again took charge and
told Jard "Your gold will be delivered to the back door of this inn within
the hour, payment in full. We will not meet again.

The man bringing the fee will have no knowledge of the load he carries, for
he will be just a local carter, no good will come from questioning him. I
have no doubt you will act according to our agreement. You will have a much
longer future if you fulfil my demands, I am not a person who would be
crossed" She then went on to mention a good deal of his closely guarded
secrets.

Taking her leave of the Captain, she stepped from the room. Captain Jard's
men going about the town after that meeting could find no sign of the
mysterious lady, no innkeeper had let room to her, and just as nobody saw
her come to the town, her leaving of it was also unseen. As promised, a
cart pulled into the inn yard at the due time bearing a plain, heavy crate
for the Captain.

As the dawn tide carried Jard's sleek sail ships away from the port to the
open sea that following morning, three horsemen sat astride their mounts on
the hilltop above, watching them go. Turning away they set a brisk pace for
the lightly laden journey home.

Jard stood on the headland watching the three heavily laden moved slowly
through the circle of his spyglass. His fast vessels would remain far back
out of sight during the daytime as they followed the same course. Night
fell early to these northern latitudes, and they would have many hours to
catch the unaware ships. Casting a final long look back to the direction
the ships had come from he shortened the tube, and let it hang from the
strap that held it around his neck. With his other two Captains he made his
way back to the rowboat on the shore that would take them back aboard
ship. Having sent one of his ships to the port where the slave ships were
berthed he knew no other ships were close to being ready to sail, his
having made quick progress back here once it had been noted all three
taking on final supplies, and the sailors return from shore leave. All that
day they sailed behind the slave ships, taking care to stay below the
horizon, and when light left the skies they made none that could be seen
ahead. With no live cargo to watch over the men aboard the slave ships were
in the habit of going about their duty in a more relaxed manner. With a
smooth calm sea the men retired to their cots with the night's rum lulling
them to a peaceful sleep. The men drawing watch had little to do but keep
the course true. On the signal the rowboats, already lowered to within
inches of the water were dropped that last little distance, mercenaries
dropping down the holding ropes to man them. Jard trained his men well, and
their powerful muscles driving the oars had them drawing steadily towards
the rearmost of the three ships, sitting low in the water. The sound of
grappling hooks hitting the deck, bound in sail cloth to muffle them, was
lost among the myriad creakings and bangings of the masts. That ship was
lost before it's men knew danger was upon it. The first the watch knew was
when they felt the sharp blades that opened their throats. Moving silently
to the holds the mercenaries found the cargo, barrel upon barrel of lamp
oil. Knocking the bungs from some of these barrels they set a single lamp
on the hold floor and left the glass open. The spilling oil already rising
towards the naked flame, they quickly left the hold, and motioning the rest
of the mercenary band, slid down the ropes and cast way from the slave
ship. Jard's warships dropped sail and hove to, the flames were already
visible on the ill fated ship. It took no time at all for the ship to be
engulged from bow to stern, the two other lumbering ships too far apart to
help, even with only a slight wind behind them, they could nothing to close
the distance as they watched burning men jumping from the ship. And the
hard hearted men aboard would not risk their own vessel catching aflame
from the spreading pool of oil afire on the water. Staring into the light
from that burning ship blinded the watchers on the other ships, Jard's
three war vessels circled around and closed unseen on the slave ships. The
fight was short and brutal between the ship's crews and the professional
mercenary fighters. After the cargo was inspected the first slave ship had
it's sea cocks knocked open, but on the second, Jard's men first carried as
much of the fine wines they found in the holds aboard their own ships,
before leaving that one to flounder the same way. If any had been there to
observe as dawn broke on that patch of ocean, the only sight would be the
blackened timbers of a single ship sitting on the water. Captain Jard many
leagues away, counting the profits from the sale of his bounty of wine. Not
a man lived to carry the tale back to the city. The misery they had
bestowed on so many poor wretches was ended without remorse.

By Jacob's calculations the loss of bodies from this city would cause the
slave traders to make up the loss from other lands. This city being a much
longer voyage from the slave lands, those traders would see no gain in
travelling here to do the same as they could do easier by a shorter
voyage. Their would be no ships available to be bought by the city
authorities that were ready configured to carry live bodies, and conversion
would be a lengthy affair. Also their would be no revenue coming to fund
purchase and work converting. What had been unknown to him however, for it
was a secret known only to four men and none were the slave ship's
captains, was that hidden in those barrels of lamp oil was the full profits
from the previous year's trade in slaves. A number of barrels were
carefully marked, and would be moved apart in the city's warehouses.
Captain Jard had sent to the bottom of the ocean much of the city's
income. The loss of all the fine wine was not be the only reason that a
sobering time was ahead for the city.