Chapter 48: 48.

Unfortunately, the expected relaxation will have to wait. No, I mean, I am all for starting right now, really. I'd relax so hard you wouldn't be able to tell where I end and the floor begins, if I could. But I can't. Because apparently, sir Malachi is in the Academy and has something to discuss with me. Which is all sorts of interesting, because I can't think of anything NOT interesting that Grand Inquisitor would care to discuss with lil'old me. Especially so, in person.

"Good morning, sir Malachi." - I offer to him politely, as he lets me into Ambercrombe's office (Good grief, dean just can't catch a break. It seems like everyone is set on commandeering his office every now and then.) and starts casting immediately. That... is curious, because he is doing a lot of privacy-ensuring spells. Huh. Guess it's going to be one of THOSE kinds of conversations.

"Good morning, lady Gillespie. I had a number of questions and requests for you piling up, so I've decided to visit to try and settle some of that. Hope I'm not intruding on any plans?" - he offers absentmindedly, as he finishes the last - "Phew. Sorry about that, some of the things I need to ask are not for public ears."

"Do tell." - I quip at him, setting into the chair comfortably. He grins and takes the other one, putting a bunch of papers on the table as he does so.

"Well. First of all. On behalf of Inquisition, I would like to place an order for half a dozen sets of copperphone. We need sets of four, specifically." - he begins - "I understand you need copper and lapis lasuli to make them. Two livres of copper, four onces of powdered lapis lasuli, four spans of wood and eight ecu per set of four, right?"

I shrug. "Since you're ordering in bulk, I'll give you a bit of discount." - I offer to him - "Twelve livres of copper, two livres of lapis lasuli, twenty four spans of wood and ten gold for the whole lot."

He nods - "Deal. One of my pages will bring you the materials on Moonday. It is not that urgent to take up your free days. Now, second... I believe you are familiar with a certain Vole Konistan, correct?"

Huh. "I'm... aware of him." - I offer back - "Familiar would be too strong of a word."

Sir Malachi nods thoughtfully - "I thought so. Over the last month, I've come to realize he is not well liked by most people. I believe you had a discussion with him shortly before he disappeared. Would it be possible for me to inquire what was discussed?"

"Eh. He tried to talk me into giving him control over my freshly opened shop." - I admit - "I came to the meeting expecting he would offer to buy the shop from me, but his offer was just insulting."

"Let me guess. He harped for a while about the hardships shop owners tend to have, then insistently suggested you sign the enterprise over to him, right?" - he offers, nodding - "You're not the first person to get this sort of offer from him. I am assuming you refused to follow his suggestions, right?"

"Indeed. It is barely disguised swindling." - I tell him - "And before you ask, yes, he did attempt to threaten me with his ork servant next. I had to kick some sense into him."

Malachi makes a note. "Vole or his servant?" - he asks distractedly.

"Servant. I think Vole called him Uz, but I'm not sure I remember it right." - I explain - "I mean, honestly, what would you expect? He had the gall to call me a whore to my face."

Malachi winces. "Yeah, given what I was told about your duels, it was foolhardy. Wait, Uz?... Uh. Just what did you do to him, lady Gillespie? I have a record here that an ork by that name died in Konistan's service roughly at the same time."

"I kicked him in the stomach. Once." - I continue blithely, - "To the best of my knowledge, he was still alive after the kick, if not particularly willing to stand up again. Though, considering Vole's character, I wouldn't be surprised if he elected to dispose of a failed servant."

He nods again. "I concur. Konistan was a vile person. Did you discuss anything else with him after that?"

"Well... I did tell him he will find his life in Champagne hard from now on, and suggested he find another country to live in. I'm a vengeful person, I'm afraid. He protested, citing a number of shops in his care, so I offered him to buy them out on the condition he takes the money and leaves the country for good. He, well... was not enthused by the offer but consented to sell, when I outlined the alternatives." - I suggest - "Only a fool would not realize that offending someone about to marry into the royal family is not conducive to being a successful merchant in the country."

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Malachi smirks grimly - "That's borderline extortion, lady Gillespie, but I will admit you had good reasons for it. Considering he made attempts at your property AND at your dignity, I daresay his highness would rule in your favor, if the case were ever to make it in court. You did pay him, correct?"

I nod - "That's right. I've actually used monsieur Tomino's moneycounting services to certify the payment, he can confirm the sum and the recipient."

He nods back at me. "Ah. That explains some things." - he hums - "The best we can tell, Konistan had elected to leave Parsee for a while, at least. He was traveling in his own carriage with a paying passenger, one Gileas Hardlock... Come to think of it, didn't you cause the man to be fired from Academy for ineptitude?"

"Yes? What of it?"

"No, no, nothing. I just find it amusing that two people with grudges against you found each other like this." - he retorts - "Anyway, we have some witnesses claiming they picked up someone along the way. Unfortunately for them, that man was a brigand, who likely noticed the riches both men were transporting and decided to rob them. From what we found at the inn, monsieur Hardlock was tricked into opening his chest and then stabbed in the back with a knife. It was someone well used to stabbing, there was only one wound on the body, right into the liver. Konistan apparently overheard something or just followed Hardlock and attempted to wrestle the murderer down, only to get stabbed in the chest for his troubles. We have found no money coffer within the carriage, so it seems likely it was taken by murderer along with a number of precious items from bodies and Hardlock's luggage."

He pauses, and then sighs - "To be frank, we started on assumption that murderer was sent specifically to recover your payment... And if not for other clues, we would be talking about it much sooner and probably in less amiable circumstances. But, well, it appears that the intended target of robbery was Hardlock instead, given that he was specifically lured outside and tricked into opening his chest before he got stabbed. Konistan was just a victim of circumstances." Malachi smirks viciously - "And, just between us two, I daresay it couldn't have happened to a better person than him. However, this brings us to the next point. Were you aware that Vole had a brother?"

"He never mentioned any relatives to me." - I quip back - "What of it?"

Malachi sighs - "Vole was a vile man, but he still feigned the veneer of a respectable merchant. His brother Kaste? Brigand from head to toes. Be on your guard, lady Gillespie. He is a dangerous man and he might target you in revenge for his brother, misguided as it may be. We haven't had any reported sightings of the man recently, so he may have gone into hiding. He looks like his brother, but after ten years of being a drunkard and wastrel. So much more gaunt and unkempt. If you see a man matching the description, please tell the nearest guard. You are a fearsome duelist, but that brigand follows no rules nor gallantry, so if at all possible, do not try to confront him on your own."

"I see. Well, if I see anyone like this, I will do my best to notify the guards." - I agree - "Though, a fair warning, sir Malachi. If I catch him trying to harm my family, you might get back naught but a corpse."

He laughs. "If so, I will gladly pay you twenty gold for it. That man has a bounty on his head." - he replies - "Enough about criminals. I have a third matter I wanted to bring up with you."

"Oh? Do tell."

"Recently, I have received a number of magnifying glasses from prince Edward, and I found them to be eminently useful in my line of work. Clues are often minuscule, after all." - he continues - "Some of my traveling men had also procured looking glasses for their own needs, which gives me an idea. Looking glass is simply a set of magnifying glasses in a brass tube, is it not? So, could it be possible to create a similar tool with a different arrangement of glasses? Not for seeing far, but for discerning the smallest details up close? If you look on a grain of sand through the magnifying glass, it is like a pebble. Could a device be made to see it like a boulder?"

Huh. He wants a microscope? Actually, I can see why he would want it. There are spells that can establish a relation between a hair and a person, after all. Having something that lets him pick out a flake of skin or a stray hair would give him a lot more clues he'd otherwise miss.

"Ostensibly speaking, yes." - I tell him after thinking about it for a bit - "I will mull over the design over the weekend and send back the word with your page. It should be possible, but might require some experimentation with lenses to ensure clarity. Actually, while we are at it, can you do me a bit of a favor?"

"If it is within my power and not against the law, then certainly, lady Gillespie." - he retorts easily.

"I have devised a number of tools sir Pasteur might be interested in. It just occurred to me that some of them might be of use to you too. Could your page pick up the two sets of tools for evaluation? One set should go to sir Pasteur, obviously, and I'd be glad if you take the other set and consider the uses in your own craft. I believe there might be a bit of overlap in the tools that might come in use to both of you." - I tell him, and he brightens up.

"Goodness, lady Gillespie. Only you would ask for a favor and offer a boon." - he chuckles - "Yes, I daresay I would be very interested in seeing what you have come up with."

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