yesterday’s take was just sitting there waiting for him and Urgoth to take care of it.
He grinned as they went into the counting room.
“Why’re you smilin’ s’much?” Urgoth asked snappishly.
“’Cause I got me a house with a counting room, so I can count all my gold.” He sighed. “If only my father coulda lived to see this.”
ELEVEN
WHEN HAWK ARRIVED, ALONG WITH DRU AND GROVIS, AT THE AXE Lane branch of the Cliff’s End Bank, he was surprised to see Than Martel there waiting for them.
When he was at Frannik’s Lane earlier, Martel was tense; now, he was in full-blown panic. He’d loosened his necktie, and Hawk could see rivulets of sweat running down his long face.
As confused as Hawk was to see the bank manager here, that was as nothing compared to Grovis’s shock. Hawk had assumed that each bank had its own manager.
And indeed, Grovis put his hands on his hips as they arrived at the entrance to the bank. “Than? What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be at Frannik’s Lane.”
Dabbing sweat from his high forehead, Martel said, “I’m also manager of this bank.”
“I don’t understand,” Grovis said, “what happened to Yellin?”
“We had to let him go.” Martel hesitated. “And Catlan and Hilig as well. I’m now manager of all four banks.”
“Erm, well, congratulations, I suppose, but dash it, Than—Yellin, Catlan, and Hilig were good people! They—”
“I’m sorry, Amilar, but I really do not have time to bring you up to date on personnel changes at the bank. If you really care that much, please ask your father.”
Grovis looked down and shook his head, muttering, “You seem to speak to him more than I, lately.”
While Hawk was enjoying the banter as much as anyone, they had a case to solve. “’Scuse me, Mr. Martel, but could you please be tellin’ us what happened?”
“I don’t know, I wasn’t actually on-site. I thought you lot would be here sooner, to be honest.”
Dru answered that. “We needed to make sure that nobody reported any coins covered in red.”
“Stopped by Unicorn and Dragon, and they ain’t heard a thing,” Hawk added. “You’d think we woulda been hearin’ something , seein’ as that’s your security, and all.”
Martel winced. “Ah, yes, well, I’m afraid there’s a bit of an issue, there.”
“I should think,” Dru said. “You didn’t even mention that you had a security system in place. We only know about it thanks to ‘Amilar’ here.”
“You see,” Martel said, after wiping some more sweat off his forehead, “there’s a very good reason why I did not mention the security system we have in place.”
“And that’s bein’ what, exactly?” Hawk asked.
“It isn’t in place, and hasn’t been for over a month.” Martel sighed. “For Ghandurha’s sake, you really should talk to Mr. Grovis about this.”
“Daddy isn’t here,” Grovis said tartly. “You are. And since you’re the manager of this bank—indeed, of all four of them, apparently—then it behooves us to inquire of you as to why the security system that would have foiled these malefactors is no longer present!”
Hawk looked over at Grovis, impressed. The young lieutenant didn’t usually get this pissed off, and it was kind of fun to watch.
“The bank—” Martel sighed. “Oh, for Ghandurha’s sake, I really think—”
Dru stepped forward. “We can do this here or back at the castle, Mr. Martel.”
“Very well.” Martel held his hands together with fingers interlaced again. “You see, the bank has had some—some difficulties of late.”
“Daddy never mentioned anything to me.”
“I can’t speak to that, Amilar, but it’s true.” He sighed. “Some of the bank’s investments did not work out as planned. Some real estate loans on Oak Way were defaulted upon after the dragon attack at midsummer, some shipping concerns fell through, and so on. The wedding between your cousin and the Cynnis girl being called
He grinned as they went into the counting room.
“Why’re you smilin’ s’much?” Urgoth asked snappishly.
“’Cause I got me a house with a counting room, so I can count all my gold.” He sighed. “If only my father coulda lived to see this.”
ELEVEN
WHEN HAWK ARRIVED, ALONG WITH DRU AND GROVIS, AT THE AXE Lane branch of the Cliff’s End Bank, he was surprised to see Than Martel there waiting for them.
When he was at Frannik’s Lane earlier, Martel was tense; now, he was in full-blown panic. He’d loosened his necktie, and Hawk could see rivulets of sweat running down his long face.
As confused as Hawk was to see the bank manager here, that was as nothing compared to Grovis’s shock. Hawk had assumed that each bank had its own manager.
And indeed, Grovis put his hands on his hips as they arrived at the entrance to the bank. “Than? What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be at Frannik’s Lane.”
Dabbing sweat from his high forehead, Martel said, “I’m also manager of this bank.”
“I don’t understand,” Grovis said, “what happened to Yellin?”
“We had to let him go.” Martel hesitated. “And Catlan and Hilig as well. I’m now manager of all four banks.”
“Erm, well, congratulations, I suppose, but dash it, Than—Yellin, Catlan, and Hilig were good people! They—”
“I’m sorry, Amilar, but I really do not have time to bring you up to date on personnel changes at the bank. If you really care that much, please ask your father.”
Grovis looked down and shook his head, muttering, “You seem to speak to him more than I, lately.”
While Hawk was enjoying the banter as much as anyone, they had a case to solve. “’Scuse me, Mr. Martel, but could you please be tellin’ us what happened?”
“I don’t know, I wasn’t actually on-site. I thought you lot would be here sooner, to be honest.”
Dru answered that. “We needed to make sure that nobody reported any coins covered in red.”
“Stopped by Unicorn and Dragon, and they ain’t heard a thing,” Hawk added. “You’d think we woulda been hearin’ something , seein’ as that’s your security, and all.”
Martel winced. “Ah, yes, well, I’m afraid there’s a bit of an issue, there.”
“I should think,” Dru said. “You didn’t even mention that you had a security system in place. We only know about it thanks to ‘Amilar’ here.”
“You see,” Martel said, after wiping some more sweat off his forehead, “there’s a very good reason why I did not mention the security system we have in place.”
“And that’s bein’ what, exactly?” Hawk asked.
“It isn’t in place, and hasn’t been for over a month.” Martel sighed. “For Ghandurha’s sake, you really should talk to Mr. Grovis about this.”
“Daddy isn’t here,” Grovis said tartly. “You are. And since you’re the manager of this bank—indeed, of all four of them, apparently—then it behooves us to inquire of you as to why the security system that would have foiled these malefactors is no longer present!”
Hawk looked over at Grovis, impressed. The young lieutenant didn’t usually get this pissed off, and it was kind of fun to watch.
“The bank—” Martel sighed. “Oh, for Ghandurha’s sake, I really think—”
Dru stepped forward. “We can do this here or back at the castle, Mr. Martel.”
“Very well.” Martel held his hands together with fingers interlaced again. “You see, the bank has had some—some difficulties of late.”
“Daddy never mentioned anything to me.”
“I can’t speak to that, Amilar, but it’s true.” He sighed. “Some of the bank’s investments did not work out as planned. Some real estate loans on Oak Way were defaulted upon after the dragon attack at midsummer, some shipping concerns fell through, and so on. The wedding between your cousin and the Cynnis girl being called
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