Aric had laughed at Vanis’s insistence on hiring bodyguards. ‘He is a merchant like you, Vanis. You think he would risk himself by hiring killers to hunt you down? If any were captured – and named him – he would lose everything. We’d have his palace and whatever of his fortune rests hidden in the palace vaults. By Heaven, it is almost worth hoping that he does send assassins.’
‘Easy for you to say, Aric. Did you hear about his hunting down of the raiders who attacked his lands? Thirty of them, it is said. And he killed them all.’
‘Nonsense,’ sneered Aric. ‘There were around a dozen, and I don’t doubt that the Grey Man had most of his guards with him. It is just a lie put about to enhance the Grey Man’s reputation.’
‘A lie, eh? I suppose it was a lie that he killed Jorna with a single blow to the neck and then slew Parellis with his own sword. As I understand it, he did not even break sweat.’
‘Two stupid boys,’ said Aric. ‘Gods, man, I could have done the same. What possessed you to use such simpletons?’
‘It was an error,’ said Vanis. ‘I thought they were planning to surprise him in the grounds of his palace. I did not expect them to make the attempt at a ball in front of a hundred witnesses!’
‘Ah, well, it is over now,’ said Aric smoothly. The Grey Man gave in without a struggle. Not even a raised word. Have you thought what you will do with Parla’s fifteen thousand?’
‘Thirty thousand,’ corrected Vanis.
‘Minus my commission, of course,’ said Aric.
There are those who might feel that your commission is a little excessive, my friend,’ said Vanis, struggling to control his anger.
Aric laughed. ‘There are also those who believe that, as chief magistrate of Carlis, I should be investigating what caused those two hitherto exemplary boys to commit such a deed. Are you one of those?’
‘You have made your point,’ muttered Vanis. ‘Fifteen thousand it is.’
Even now, some hours later, the conversation left a bad taste in his mouth.
Vanis finished a third cup of Lentrian Fire, and heaved himself once more to his feet. Moving somewhat unsteadily across the room, he pulled open the door and staggered to his bedchamber. The satin sheets on his bed had been pulled back and Vanis peeled off his robe and slippers and sat down heavily, his head spinning. He fell back on to the pillow and yawned.
A shadowy figure moved to the bedside. ‘Your nephews are waiting for you,’ said a soft voice.
Three hours after dawn a servant brought a tray of fresh-baked bread and soft cheese to the bedroom of the merchant Vanis. There was no reply to his gentle tapping, and he knocked louder. Thinking his master in a deep sleep the servant returned to the kitchens. Half an hour later he tried again. The door was still locked, and no sound came from inside.
He reported this to the head manservant, who, with a duplicate key, opened the door.
The merchant Vanis was lying back on blood-drenched sheets, his throat cut, a small, curved knife held in his right hand.
Within the hour the chief magistrate, Lord Aric, was at the property, along with the dark-bearded Eldicar Manu-shan, two officers of the watch and a young surgeon. The magicker ordered the little page-boy, dressed now in a tunic of black velvet, to wait outside the door. ‘Not a scene to be witnessed by a child,’ Eldicar told him. The boy nodded and stood outside with his back to the wall.
‘It seems fairly obvious,’ said the surgeon, stepping back from the body. ‘He cut his own throat and died within a few heartbeats. The knife, as you can see, is very sharp. There is only the one cut – a deep slash that opened the jugular.’
‘Strange that he removed his robe first, don’t you think?’ offered Eldicar Manushan, pointing to the garment on the floor by the bed.
‘Why strange?’ asked Aric. ‘He was getting into bed.’
‘To die,,’ said the magicker. ‘Not to sleep. This means he knew his body would be found. Let us face it, gentlemen, Vanis was not a handsome man. Bald, monstrously fat and ugly would be an accurate description. Yet he disrobes, sits down upon white satin sheets and ensures he will be found in the most disgusting of positions. One would have thought he would have left his clothes on. A second thought concerns the wound itself. Very messy and painful. It takes a man of great courage to open his throat. Just as effective would be to open the arteries at the wrist.’