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The Thieves Guild

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by Jake Kerr

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(dramatic music plays) . Episode 113:

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Two Prisoners.

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The first prisoner.

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Allard awoke on his side, and as he attempted to
pull himself up, he

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grimaced in pain. Everything was dark.

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It was darker than dark, pitch black.

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The pain was intense as Allard pushed up with his
arm and slowly sat

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awkwardly. Everything hurt, and Allard wondered
how grievously

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he was wounded.

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He was beaten into unconsciousness, but there was
no saying how much more

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damage was done while the beating had continued.

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He did an assessment starting with his feet.

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He was barefoot, but his feet were just bruised,
probably from a few

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random kicks.

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His legs were covered in what felt like burlap.

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Each touch caused him to wince.

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He touched his knee and let out a small grunt of
pain.

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"It was dislocated,"

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a voice from off to Allard's right said.

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Allard reflexively pulled himself into a defensive
posture, but all it

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did was rack him with so much pain, he became
nauseated.

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"Your knee,

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it was dislocated. I put it back in place." "Who
are you?" was all

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that Allard could get out as he held his body
steady to avoid any more stabs

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of pain. "A thank you would be nice." "Thank you.

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Now, who are you?" "Better.

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I'm Alexio." He paused and then added, "You're
Allard, aren't you?" "I

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am." "No wonder they beat you so badly. (laughs)
There's nothing broken, by the way.

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I don't think they were trying to break any bones,
but I don't think they were trying not to break
any

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bones, if you get my meaning."

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Allard ignored the response. "Where am I?" "Your
eyes are

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swollen shut, by the way." Allard reached up and
felt his face.

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His lips were split open in multiple places, but
the blood had dried.

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He also suddenly noticed that he was missing a few
teeth.

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As his fingers touched his eyes, he winced again.

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Alexio was right. Both his eyes were shut tight
behind

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badly swollen tissue. "Alexio, I appreciate your
updates on my health,

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but it would be helpful if you let me know where I
am." "I don't know." "What do you mean you don't

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know?" "I woke up the same way you did, beat to
near death and dumped here.

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I think we're somewhere in the mines, but that's
just a guess.

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We could be in some cell under Harvest House." "So
the Harvest Guild has us?"

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"Aye." "Then it's the mines. Polo is too smart to
imprison me within the city."

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"If you say so." "Is there water?" Allard asked,

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realizing that he was weak not just from the
beating.

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He must not have eaten or had a drink in many
hours.

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There was a shuffling sound, then a clink, and
then soft padded

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footsteps. Alexio's voice came from directly in
front of Allard.

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"Hold out your hand." Allard held out his hand,
and a tin cup was

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placed in his palm. Allard drank, the pain of the
cool metal against his

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split lip well worth the refreshing water that
quenched his thirst.

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"So, my friend, what brings you to this hole?"
Allard didn't know who Alexio

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was, but he was fairly certain that his future
depended on having him as an

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ally. "Mercy." "Mercy brought you here?" "Indeed.

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I was certain of my date with death, but as I
said, I was beaten and

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awoke here." "And what was your crime?" Allard
wondered if Alexio

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was an outlander or perhaps a merchant guild
member who had cheated a Harvest

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Guild member or something similar. He knew that
Alexio wasn't a thief, or

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he would have known who Allard was immediately and
treated him with more

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respect. "I killed Polo." Allard jerked his body
up,

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the pain ignored as he tried to look at Alexio
through his swollen face.

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"Impossible." "Apparently not," Alexio replied
with a

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laugh. "Polo was isolated in Harvest House.

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It is impossible to reach him there." "Apparently
not," Alexio

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repeated, again with a laugh. "How?" Allard asked,

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refusing to believe what Alexio had said.

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Polo's death was not only impossible, it would
create chaos

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within Ness. "I usually would not answer out of
professional discretion,

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but it doesn't look like I'll be leaving this cell
anytime soon,

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so why not tell you?

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It was poison."

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Allard took the news in. Of all the ways to
assassinate Polo,

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poison actually seemed like the most doable.

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There were layers of people Alexio would have had
to get past, but it was much more

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doable than getting past his guards and reaching
Polo in his

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quarters. "Why?" "Because my guild master told

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me to?" Allard nodded, which Alexio must have
seen, as he

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stated, "Yes,

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I am a Blade,

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the Blade of the Merchant Guild."

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Before Allard could comment, Alexio added, "I
obviously don't need to

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explain to you why the guild master wanted him
dead." "Larsen or

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Caris?"

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It was annoying Allard that all he was doing was
asking questions, but he

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had little to go on, and at least Alexio was
answering them.

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"Yes.""I see." With nothing to lose, Allard

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decided to be blunt. "And your guild master wants
you to kill me as well?"

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"He does."

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"And yet I'm alive."

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"Well, you may be useful in helping me escape."

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"I see. And after you escape?"

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"I haven't decided."

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Alexio laughed.

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"Kill you, throw a party for you, imprison you,
join

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you.

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(laughs) Who knows? I'll make up my mind later.

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First, we have to escape."

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"How difficult will it be to escape?" Allard
asked, figuring he

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too could make up his mind later on how to deal
with his would-be assassin.

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"More difficult than killing Polo,

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the second prisoner."

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The door slowly closed behind Raylan and was
followed by the scratch of a key

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and a click. Just for amusement, Raylan checked
the door.

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It was locked with no way to unlock it on his
side.

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That was, of course, expected. What Raylan didn't

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expect was the prison that surrounded him.

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It was a room larger than his guild master
quarters back in Ness.

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As he walked down the center of the room, he was
further shocked.

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While not as luxurious as his guild master
quarters, it was close.

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In the rear was a large bed with bedposts and a
canopy.

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It was almost too royal for Raylan's comfort.

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Along the wall with the door were shelves with
knickknacks, and on the wall

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were landscape paintings of fields, one of a
river, and a

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majestic piece of goat land.

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The walls were stone, as was the floor, but the
floor was covered with thick

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rugs. The rugs were soft, but faded and threadbare
in places.

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To his left, as he faced the bed, was a large
opening to another room.

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To his right was a large empty fireplace.

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To his shock, there were fireplace tongs, which he
could easily use as a

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weapon. "What is this?" Raylan thought.

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"It's like I'm a guest, not a prisoner."

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The nightstands next to the bed were covered with
dust.

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In fact, everything was covered in dust, including
the bed covers.

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The room hadn't been disturbed in a very long
time.

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Walking through the arch and into the adjoining
room, Raylan smiled.

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Rafe would consider this an escape, not a prison.

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He was surrounded by books. From floor to ceiling,
the shelves were filled

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with bound volumes.

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They covered every wall.

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In the center of the room was a dark wooden desk,
so dark that Raylan

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didn't think that the wood was real.

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A quill and an empty inkwell were all that
occupied it.

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Opening one of the books, Raylan was surprised to
see that it wasn't like the

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books he saw in Ness, with elegant words in
straight lines.

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The contents of the book looked handwritten, and
in some ways, rushed.

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He gently put the book back and looked at another
one.

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He found the same thing.

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He had just returned a third book with the same
scrawl, all of which

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seemed to be by the same hand, when he heard a
click and the door to his prison

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opening.

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Raylan walked out to be greeted by a familiar
face,

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Joseph, Lord Wilhelm's second. He stood rigidly
with his

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arms behind his back. The door behind him was
open, and he had no

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guard.

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Clearly, the Outlanders didn't think Raylan would
be foolish enough to try to escape.

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Even if he got outside the city, how would he
return to Ness?

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"Guild master, it is a pleasure to meet you
again."

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Joseph bowed, and Raylan nodded his head, which
seemed like the right thing

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to do, but he was unsure of the Outlander customs.

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"I wish I could say the same, Joseph, but it
appears that I am imprisoned."

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Joseph brought his hands forward and waved them in
denial.

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"Imprisoned is perhaps too strong a term.

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Do you not like your quarters?" "My cell appears
comfortable," Raylan replied,

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presenting as stern a countenance as he could
muster.

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"Uh,

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yes. Be that as it may, I am glad you are
comfortable.

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I am here to provide you with some guidance."

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His hands returned to being clasped behind his
back.

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"You will be served food and drink in the morning,
midday, and evening.

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You are free to talk to the guards that bring your
food, but they will not answer or reply."

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"Have you considered that I could perhaps engage
their interest and convince them to free me

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over time?" Raylan smiled. It was a performance,
of course, but he

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enjoyed taunting the uptight Outlander second.

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"I have not considered that, as we have cut their
tongues out."

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Joseph then added, "But you are certainly welcome
to try." The words were

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spoken with such nonchalance that Raylan couldn't
discount them as Joseph

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attempting to shock him.

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Were the Outlanders so vicious that they removed
the tongues of prison guards?

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Shaken a bit, Raylan simply nodded in reply.

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"You may partake in whatever pursuit you desire.

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Simply ask the guard, they can hear, of course.

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We do respect your position, guild master.

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If you desire a man or woman for company, it can
be provided, but it will only be for one evening
and

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never the same person."

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Raylan was going to reply that it wouldn't be
necessary, but instead, he decided

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to push Joseph. "And will their tongues be cut
out?" "That would

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limit their usefulness, no?" Joseph replied, and
again, his

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casual cruelty left Raylan speechless.

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"I want to be clear, Guildmaster. Yes, you are
imprisoned here, but we respect you and

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your guild. We want you to be comfortable and not
suffer.

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Do you have any questions?"

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"How long will I be imprisoned?"

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Relan assumed the answer would be "forever", but
he was shocked when Joseph thought

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for a moment before answering.

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"That is, of course, up to the Crown, but I would
say that it will depend

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on how our attack on Ness goes.

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If successful, you may be useful as a servant to
Lord Wilhelm there.

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If not, you may be useful to limit the damage.

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But what that means, I know not.

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It is possible that your use to us ended with your
inability to open the trade

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route."

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"And in that case?"

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"You will never see sunlight again."

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The comment from Joseph made Relan realize that
the room had no

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windows. Perhaps it truly was a prison converted
into a room.

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It was all such an odd arrangement. Without
thinking, Relan muttered-

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"What is this room?"

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"The room?"

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Realizing he could simply ask Joseph, Relan
decided to do so.

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"Yes, this room.

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Someone lived here, but clearly very long ago.

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It is a prison, yet there are beautiful paintings
on the wall, and someone filled

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dozens of volumes with writing at a lonely desk."

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"This room was Pietro's cell for many, many years,
but that was

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before my time, and before he was released.

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He presumably spent the entire time filling pages
with his writing."

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Joseph shrugged.

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"He is still referred to as 'the Scribe' by the
older guards who heard

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stories from their parents about Pietro's time
here.

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Pietro was young then, and there is no one left
alive from that time."

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"Pietro was imprisoned here?"

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Relan couldn't hide his shock.

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Joseph shook his head.

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"You really do know nothing of the world you live
in, do you, Guildmaster?"

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And with a crisp nod of his head, Joseph turned
and exited the room,

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locking the door behind him.

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(dramatic music)