Swords: 06 - The Third Book of Lost Swords - Stonecutter's Story by Fred Saberhagen Page A
Authors: Fred Saberhagen
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me, asking me to remain here.”
The Magistrate grunted. “And I suppose there have been no callers at the inn wishing to sell us Stonecutter?”
As Kasimir began to describe the first man who had come asking to buy weapons, there sounded a louder splash than before from behind the screen; a moment later the face of Wen Chang, staring narrow-eyed above the folds of an enormous towel, peered fiercely around the edge of the screen. “And you simply let him go?”
“But the man told us, both Komi and myself, at the start that he wanted to buy weapons—”
“Did it not occur to you that he may have begun that way simply as a precaution? That he wished to see if our merchant operation was a legitimate one before he approached us with his real treasure? What did he look like?”
Here, at least, Kasimir had not failed, and could supply a fairly complete delineation. But the description of the elderly would-be client did not tally with that of anyone Wen Chang was able to recognize.
Wrapped from shoulders to knees in his great towel, his bath for the moment forgotten, the Magistrate paced impatiently. “Well, well, it is impossible for me to tell now whether he had any connection with our real business here or not. Did he give you the impression that he was coming back?”
“Frankly, he did not. Though I fear that also is impossible to know with any certainty.”
“Then it is useless to speculate upon these matters any longer. Here comes my dinner up the stairs if I am not mistaken, and when I have eaten I intend to sleep. Tomorrow we must arise early. Unless there is some new development, we are going to interest ourselves in the gem-cutting project at the Blue Temple.”
Chapter Seven
Wen Chang declined to discuss his plans for approaching the Blue Temple until morning. Even then he remained silent on the subject until, over breakfast in their rooms, Kasimir questioned him directly.
“How are we going to approach the authorities in the House of Wealth? If, as you say, this fabulous diamond is being kept there secretly, they are not likely to admit its presence, or that any special gem-cutting is about to take place.”
“True, they will not admit such things to the merchant Ching Hao. But if they are approached directly by the famous Magistrate Wen Chang, their response might be more favorable—especially if I bring them information of a plot to steal the gem.”
Kasimir paused with a tea mug halfway to his lips. “You said nothing to me last night of such a plot.”
“Nor did I learn anything of one during my investigations yesterday. But today it strikes me as a very useful idea.”
“I see. And who am I going to be today?”
“The very well-known Doctor Kasimir, of course. We shall both be surprised—raise our eyebrows politely, so—if any of them admits that he has never heard of you. You are my assistant—or my associate, if you prefer—and a specialist in forensic medicine.”
Kasimir thought about that. “It is not a common specialty. In fact I have never heard of it. But I suppose the very fact that it is unknown makes it sound prestigious. Very well. And I think I do indeed prefer ‘associate.’ ”
“So be it, then.”
There was not a single shabby thread in any of the garments in which Wen Chang arrayed himself this morning. Before starting for the Blue Temple with Kasimir, the Magistrate left orders with Lieutenant Komi to maintain the fiction of the merchant Ching Hao against any suggestion to the contrary, and to take careful note of any potential customers.
“In particular I am interested in the elderly man who was here yesterday and said he wanted to buy weapons. If he should return, send one of your men riding to
The Magistrate grunted. “And I suppose there have been no callers at the inn wishing to sell us Stonecutter?”
As Kasimir began to describe the first man who had come asking to buy weapons, there sounded a louder splash than before from behind the screen; a moment later the face of Wen Chang, staring narrow-eyed above the folds of an enormous towel, peered fiercely around the edge of the screen. “And you simply let him go?”
“But the man told us, both Komi and myself, at the start that he wanted to buy weapons—”
“Did it not occur to you that he may have begun that way simply as a precaution? That he wished to see if our merchant operation was a legitimate one before he approached us with his real treasure? What did he look like?”
Here, at least, Kasimir had not failed, and could supply a fairly complete delineation. But the description of the elderly would-be client did not tally with that of anyone Wen Chang was able to recognize.
Wrapped from shoulders to knees in his great towel, his bath for the moment forgotten, the Magistrate paced impatiently. “Well, well, it is impossible for me to tell now whether he had any connection with our real business here or not. Did he give you the impression that he was coming back?”
“Frankly, he did not. Though I fear that also is impossible to know with any certainty.”
“Then it is useless to speculate upon these matters any longer. Here comes my dinner up the stairs if I am not mistaken, and when I have eaten I intend to sleep. Tomorrow we must arise early. Unless there is some new development, we are going to interest ourselves in the gem-cutting project at the Blue Temple.”
Chapter Seven
Wen Chang declined to discuss his plans for approaching the Blue Temple until morning. Even then he remained silent on the subject until, over breakfast in their rooms, Kasimir questioned him directly.
“How are we going to approach the authorities in the House of Wealth? If, as you say, this fabulous diamond is being kept there secretly, they are not likely to admit its presence, or that any special gem-cutting is about to take place.”
“True, they will not admit such things to the merchant Ching Hao. But if they are approached directly by the famous Magistrate Wen Chang, their response might be more favorable—especially if I bring them information of a plot to steal the gem.”
Kasimir paused with a tea mug halfway to his lips. “You said nothing to me last night of such a plot.”
“Nor did I learn anything of one during my investigations yesterday. But today it strikes me as a very useful idea.”
“I see. And who am I going to be today?”
“The very well-known Doctor Kasimir, of course. We shall both be surprised—raise our eyebrows politely, so—if any of them admits that he has never heard of you. You are my assistant—or my associate, if you prefer—and a specialist in forensic medicine.”
Kasimir thought about that. “It is not a common specialty. In fact I have never heard of it. But I suppose the very fact that it is unknown makes it sound prestigious. Very well. And I think I do indeed prefer ‘associate.’ ”
“So be it, then.”
There was not a single shabby thread in any of the garments in which Wen Chang arrayed himself this morning. Before starting for the Blue Temple with Kasimir, the Magistrate left orders with Lieutenant Komi to maintain the fiction of the merchant Ching Hao against any suggestion to the contrary, and to take careful note of any potential customers.
“In particular I am interested in the elderly man who was here yesterday and said he wanted to buy weapons. If he should return, send one of your men riding to
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