D& D - Greyhawk - Night Watch Read Online Free Page B

again, turning to the Ratikkan. He should have gotten rid of the man earlier. He had no doubt the adventurer would soon spread the story of Kathenor’s murder through every tavern in the city. “There’s a tax on mercenaries in Greyhawk,” he told the man. “No foreigner carries a sword unless he’s paid three gold orbs for the license. You have three gold orbs?”
    “He was probably coming here to steal them,” Rudi commented rudely.
    The Ratikkan sneered down at the little soldier. Then he looked at Garett and shook his head.
    Garett sighed inwardly. At least he could delay the spread of this tale for a few hours. Maybe he could find something out in that time, though he had precious little to go on and little appetite for stepping into something involving magic—and, inevitably, wizards.
    “You’ll be our guest for the night, then,” Garett told the Ratikkan. “We’ll confiscate your sword, of course.” He waved to the pair of Rudi’s men who held the mercenary at sword-point. “Take him to the Citadel.”
    As the man was led away, Garett turned again and studied the room, imprinting every last detail in his mind.
    “Who could have the power,” Burge whispered, coming to Garett’s side, “to strike at Boccob’s high priest through his own scryin’ glass in his own private sanctum?”
    “Magic,” Rudi muttered to Blossom. “I hate magic.” “But it does lend itself to interesting crimes,” Garett said
    with a touch of sarcasm. Actually, he hated magic as much as his small sergeant. He shook his head as he turned slowly, studying the room one last time. “Tell the priests they can clean up here if they want. We’re done.”
    Garett left Blossom and Rudi to deal with the priests while he exited the sanctum and pushed his way through the crowd of white-robes now gathered in the temple’s main hall. He made his way quickly to the outer door and stepped into the warm night air. From the top of the temple stairs, he gazed down into the empty street.
    Murder by magic.
    His thoughts churned. It was the worst kind of case. It was a rare occurrence, thank the gods, but when it happened, it was inevitably on the night shift. Why? he cursed. Why, for once, couldn’t it happen in the daytime? It would be fun to watch Korbian Arthuran stew in his own ineptitude if he ever actually tried to solve a real crime. Of course, Garett’s pompous superior would never really sully his hands with a case. He’d delegate the task to someone. Most likely to Garett.
    He walked halfway down the steps, stopped, and stared up and down the Street of Temples. The dim light from street lamps hung high on slender poles cast shadows everywhere. A wind swept suddenly up the street, blowing a thin curtain of swirling dust before it. The flames in the lamps flickered only slightly, just enough to set the shadows dancing.
    Across the street rose the graceful and beautifully designed Temple of Celestian, the Star Wanderer, which was really more of an observatory and an educational center for astronomers, astrologers, navigators, and philosophers than an institution for religious worship. Its principal tower rose higher than the roof of any other temple or building in the quarter, giving a clear, unobstructed view of the night sky.
    The teachers and priests of Celestian were not watching the sky tonight, however. The temple’s porticoes and porches were unlit, but Garett Starlen noticed the figures milling about curiously in the darkness, their gazes turned toward the Boccob temple. Obviously, the Celestianites knew something was up. Probably, someone had heard the cries that had alerted Rudi’s patrol. Certainly, they had seen the Ratikkan escorted away.
    He looked to the temple on his right. The adherents of St. Cuthbert were equally intrigued. The chief priest, a stout fellow with flowing white hair, dressed in a fluttering green robe, stared firmly in Garett’s direction and lifted a hand in greeting or salute, while shaking