Quoted By:
“I'm very sorry, but there are still things that I need to do before the hours of closing pass – and then father ...”
You trail off a bit. You thought you heard someone approaching the door behind you, but you are not sure now. Seemingly oblivious to this, the goodman makes a soft sigh of disappointment, but then rebounds -
“Then perhaps - “
He is interrupted by knocking at the door.
“My apologies, but he wouldn't impose unless it wasn't important.”
You just nod at that – before remembering that nodding is dangerous if you are wearing a veil. Luckily, your glamor remains on and your host turns his undivided attention to the door.
“Come in.”
The clerk from the counter opens the door and steps in – and you can plainly see that something is bothering him.
“A Bailiff just came by -”
That is enough to make the room spin – but before you can fall into complete panic, the counter-clerk continues -
“ He said that Crabgate Coachery had a stage held up yesterday. The news just came in. Two Highwaymen killed the driver and one of the passengers, robbed the coach, stole the horses – and made off with a female passenger, apparently the wife of the passenger they - “
Perhaps belatedly coming to the conclusion that this is not a conversation that is suitable for your ears, the clerk clams up. At the moment though, the Bailiff is the sum total of your thoughts. And lucky for you, you are not the only one thinking of them. The goodman asks -
“Is he still here?”
To which the counter-clerk shakes his head in the negative. Relief washes over you, but only for a second, before you start to seriously worry about the safety of the roads. But again, you and the goodman are of one mind.
“Well … we are going to have to rework the schedule – make sure that all of our coaches have a porter along for the ride, just in case. And we better hire guards for any routes near this unpleasantness, though I cannot imagine they'd try for anything on a Thoroughfare. Still - “
“No, sir, that's the thing. They did! This was on the Fourth Lateral, just a few leagues out of Bleakbasin.”
“What! Bleakbasin? That is barely a day's journey away!”
The goodman clutches at the decanter, and pours himself another cup of aquavitae.
“How – how many of our coaches are on the Fourth, right now?”
“Six by my count, sir.”
“Maker's Mercy.”
Maker's Mercy indeed. You had been expecting to be safe on the roads at least until you were well into the interior provinces. Well, there is little that you can do about it now, you suppose ...
