That walking, talking clown was always around when something big was about to happen. He had a way of always being at the fringes of everything important. He never got involved, never took sides; in retrospect, that was probably why he was still alive. Could Tizzy have recognized him?
While Tizzy was only a fiend, he was a very old fiend. Sam had known of Tizzy for longer than just about any demon other than Lilith. While they rarely traveled in the same circles, a meeting every few decades over countless millennia did breed a certain level of familiarity.
Even if Tizzy had somehow recognized him, it would be unusual for Tizzy to have said anything unless directly questioned. Even upon direct questioning, there was no guessing what the demon might say. Sam shook his head. He would need to go talk to his agents in Lilith’s camp as well as in others. Perhaps there was some other key event that had happened recently that might give him a clue where Tom and his entourage had gone.
Chapter 107
Sirs Gadius and Gaius walked down the tightly manicured boulevard running from the west gate of Keeper’s City towards the government buildings. As expected, entering Keeper’s City had been complicated. Having been warned by the Church lawyers and diplomats, who specialized in Oorstemothian protocol, they had known that as members of a recognized military organization, their entry would be more complicated. Members of known militias were required to sign in and out of the city and present their papers at the gate and have them on them at all times.
It had been for this reason that they had chosen to enter the city on foot rather than their more traditional mounted style. If they had done that, it would have drawn too much attention and once inside, only one of them would be registered.
“However do they keep these smoothly paved streets so clean?” Gaius asked Gadius, gesturing at the boulevard of clean white stone pavement, curbs and planters. His obsidian chain mail and black leather gauntlets made a sharp contrast to the white stone as his arm swept out.
“By arresting the dust and debris religiously?” Gadius responded jokingly.
“One would think they must.” Gaius shook his head. “Did you by any chance nod off when that one visa official started rattling off the rules of work within the city? I thought I saw your eyes close and heard a small snore.”
Gadius laughed. “I may have; these people are incredibly long winded. Where is this recommended tavern?” he asked, referring to the tavern that the Church diplomats had recommended as a rendezvous point within the city. The Rod had no presence within Keeper’s City; nor, for that matter, within Oorstemoth. This was completely due to Oorstemothian Defense Regulations regarding foreign military forces. The Church, on the other hand, had a relatively robust, purely non-military presence within the country.
It was only under the very odd circumstances being negotiated by the leadership teams of the Church and Rod with Oorstemoth that allowed the Rod’s presence within the nation. They had had to show the papers provided them by Heron’s people to get into the city at all. Of course, as Knights Rampant, they could come and go unofficially as their Holy Mission demanded, and if discovered, the Church and Rod would back them and deal with any repercussions. After the first few hundred years of this, however, and more than a few “repercussions,” the Church had decided to do two things: first, increase stealth capability via both training and Holy Relics of the Knights, and second, increasingly counsel patience regarding Holy Missions within Oorstemoth.
“The tavern is down three more streets, then to the left and about another block,” Gaius said.
“I swear you seem to hear more outside the tent and a hundred feet away than I do inside the tent.” Gadius shook his head.
Gaius smiled. “And isn’t it the same for you?”
Gadius shrugged; when he was outside, he was not as enthusiastic about listening in on distant conversations that Gaius might be having. Gaius was the one with all the curiosity. He shook his head. “It should be the same either way!”
Gaius grinned even more broadly. “I think it’s because inside the tent, one is too distracted by the stench of sweat and oiled armor. Not to mention the claustrophobia of being inside a tent with half a dozen Rod members.”
“It would be better if other Rod members bathed more,” Gadius admitted, making a distasteful expression. The two continued in silence for a while, gathering stares from the other pedestrians.
Gadius was not sure if this was due to the fact that they were non-Oorstemothian military, or to their admittedly unique appearance. Two knights of near identical height and weight, one with alabaster skin and fair hair dressed in shimmering white mail and a white tabard trimmed in silver, the other with a deep midnight complexion and tightly cut, military style black curly hair, dressed in obsidian black chain mail with a black tabard trimmed in gold. Both tabards were emblazoned with the Rod’s symbol, as were their great cloaks. Both knights were armed to the teeth with weapons strapped to their bodies and giant swords crossed with pikes with either pearlescent or obsidian heads.
Gadius shrugged; in most places, it was their striking appearance as individuals or as a pair that garnered the attention. Although if either of them was mounted, the attention was always on the mount. He grinned; this was the one place where he was not sure of the source of the stares. All Oorstemothian soldiers were immaculately uniformed in expensive outfits. Given that all civilians seemed remarkably unarmed, the presence of well-armed knights not of Oorstemothian origin should be unique as well.
They turned the corner on the designated street and continued on silently for a block before coming to the door of the recommended tavern.
“The Unicorn’s Tale,” Gadius observed sourly, reading the sign.
Gaius laughed. “Well, at least it’s a story and not a tail.”
“Such jokes are not funny; nor are such plays on words,” Gadius stated firmly.
Gaius laughed again and slapped Gadius on the back. “You really should not take everything so seriously or personally. Do you think anyone in Oorstemoth has even seen a unicorn? Unicorns are merely myths here.”
Gadius gave him a dark grin and a stare. “So you are saying it is good we entered the way we did, so as to continue the myth? That would seem to do nothing but perpetuate stereotypes. Better to let people understand the reality, to accept it.”
“How many times must we argue this? Yes, the truth is best served by openness and honesty, but sometimes more good can be served if there is some mystery left in the world,” Gaius said.
Gadius smiled. “Neither of us will win this argument. I am too pragmatic to force any such issue in the real world prematurely, so we are where we always are.”
“Where almost everyone has been for centuries. Fortunately, scarcity makes the choice effectively moot,” Gaius said as they walked up to the bar. He made a small motion with his hand to end the discussion now that others were present. They had noted the posted time of day during which alcohol was sold at the door’s entrance. It was still a bit early, but the tavern was open for alcohol now, and they had been travelling the aether for several days.
“Ah, my good barman, might we purchase one of your fine libations? An ale perhaps?” Gaius asked.
The barman nodded in greeting at the two. “Certainly; two ales it is then?” Gaius nodded.
Smiling, the barman reached down below the bar and pulled up two sets of documents bound by a small string loop in the upper left corner. The documents appeared to be some form of contract. “I just need you to sign the waiver of liability, the acknowledgement of the health dangers of alcohol, tobacco and other substances within our foods, along with the absolution of responsibility for any actions taken by you after partaking in food and beverage within these premises.” He waved his hand dismissively. “Just the standard stuff you have to sign everywhere these days. Nothing unusual, all on the same old eight pages.” He shrugged. “Oh, and of course, an ID to verify the name and signature.”