Селеста / Сelesta: Глава 18

Chapter 18

Camrad_RIP 05.02.22 в 18:20

The bundle of dinir handed by Medea looked moderately thick. Exactly what Celesta had expected to get from her first trip. She was much more interested in her friend's account of Carlon's death and in the books the looters had brought with them.

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 12:18

"Karwa went to the nearest army camp after the excavation and asked about the monastery. The soldiers still avoided it, even though it was almost completely burned down. They consider it a cursed place." Medea thoughtfully pored over the knives on the table. Her weapon of choice was a fine pair of stiletto knives or a short, throwing blade on a simple hilt. "They say Carlon managed to put down nearly two dozen guards before he died."

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 12:37

"They must be lying."

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 12:38

"Maybe. But there is a strong smell of blood in the temple."

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 15:46

"Did the library burn down?"

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 15:47

"Yes, all of it, along with the secret vault. I don't know how they found it. Everything I brought with me was taken out of our hiding place."

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 15:47

Sitting in the corner, next to the books on the floor, Hustin looked up:

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 15:48

"Is that all, or is there more left?"

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 15:48

"We didn't haul a tenth of it. Your uncle promised to get a wagon later and bring the rest of what Celesta and I had stashed away in one go. Where shall we set up storage?"

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 15:49

"In the lab," Celesta replied. "There's a cubicle over there, and we'll clean it up, put some shelves in it, put a door on it. It'll fit right in. Did Karwa say when they'd go again?"

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 15:51

Soon. There was an unexpectedly large amount of loot: the northerners were even dumbfounded by the sight of the loot. I don't think they'll rest until they're all gone. I showed them the hiding places - they're going to clear them one by one. We agreed that they would roughly assess the goods on the spot, give us our share, and pay us the final price after we sell them.

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 15:54

"So it went well," concluded the leader.

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 15:54

"It's even amazing."

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 15:55

Celesta nodded, looked thoughtfully at Hustin, who was fully immersed in the study of a puffy volume with the toothy title "Features of differential calculus of force flows as applied to the construction of third-order spells. Then she began to pour out her news, bad news:

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 15:55

"The old network is completely compromised. Absolutely all of the old agents should be considered compromised until proven otherwise. We'll have to start recruiting new ones immediately, so you've got a good deal on the money."

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 15:57

"So we're starting all over again?"

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 15:59

"Yes," the little ghoul grimaced, "considering the mistakes we've made. We'll start tomorrow. I've made a rough list of people to work with, four names so far. Look through the records and see who you can cross off, who you can look at more closely. In the second half of the night, we can go and see them for ourselves."

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:03

"Why not right after waking up?"

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:03

"Richard left a note asking to meet."

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:03

Communication with the former bandit leader was carried out through caches, where he left papers with the appointment of the place and time of the meeting. It wasn't the best system, but Celesta wasn't going to give Richard Fakasius's address, much less Varek's. The officer hadn't been in town for a long time, so his desire to talk seemed natural - apparently, he wanted to offer something. There was a lull on the front if you could call that the rapidly expanding ring of government troops, and many of the guards had been given leave to arrange their personal affairs. I wonder what adventure the former bandit is up to?

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:05

"I'd rather go with you," Medea said. "I'll go over the papers today, and it never hurts for a girl from a decent family to see a handsome officer. Hгstin's folks almost drove me to suicide with their manners."

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:06

"They talk as they are able to," said the boy speaking up for his own people. "We are simple people, not trained in politeness. But if we don't like someone, we tell him right away, not like your noblemen: if he smiles in the face, he spits on the back."

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:08

"Don't you dare speak badly of the descendants of the gods!"

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:09

"I'm descended from Zvet the Hunter myself!"

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:10

"Okay." The disputants were momentarily silent as if crushed by Celesta's brief word. "I'm afraid to leave you alone, so, Medea, come with me. Hastin, start setting up the library. And one more thing. We have access to the city archives: at one time we bribed the curator. See if there's anything in there we could use, like books on a certain subject or tools."

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:14

"It's not just papers that are kept in the archives?" Medea wondered.

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:15

"Yes, they recently created a department for all sorts of technologies. Objects and their description, which cannot be created now, but which may come in handy in the future. A very far-sighted decision, which almost caused a riot among the townspeople. The Duke's descendants will not have to reinvent anything - it will be enough to send a request to the repository."

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:16

Richard was usually the first to arrive. Today Celesta felt a kind of vague uneasiness: both her partner's tardiness and a large number of armed men in the vicinity alarmed her. Though the soldiers had been moved to the new barracks two blocks away, their presence unnerved the ghoul. Nor was she at ease with an inspection of the sewers, scheduled for this summer, but now underway for some reason. Finally, on instinct, she ordered her friend to climb to the roof of the house and look around to see if there were too many men roaming the neighboring streets. Celesta herself lurked in the back of the room, motionless in the shadows, absorbing the sounds through the broken window.

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:17

The crunch of pebbles under the boots of the four men was a confirmation of her fears. She heard Richard's voice from a distance, and now she was thinking feverishly about how to proceed. Medea jumped down from above:

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:21

"There are two archers on the roof of the neighboring house, and there are men standing down the street. They are dressed in the uniform of the Guardsmen."

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:22

"Damn!"

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:21

"Worst case scenario. The Duke's Guards were considered an elite unit: escaping from them would be difficult. Medea nodded grimly:"

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:23

"Some of the sewer manholes are blocked - it looks like they're waiting for us in the underground too. What are we going to do?"

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:23

Celesta didn't have time to answer. Richard's voice rang out from below, shouting with fake amusement:

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:23

Lady Celesta! I've brought some friends to see you, and they really want to talk to you!

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:24

"We'll have to leave by the rooftops," Celesta decided. "That's not what they expect. Stand behind the breach in the wall - if a fight breaks out, don't engage in close combat."

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:25

"You don't want to run right away?!"

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:25

"We have no choice. I feel they've put us in a tight spot, so we should at least try to solve the case peacefully."

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:26

Medea slipped out of the room, leaving Celesta alone. She hurriedly turned the table around, put it between herself and the door, and moved the chair away from the window. Now the people who entered the room would be at a disadvantage - to reach her they would have to go around or jump over a small but insignificant obstacle. An extra moment that would allow the ghoul to escape. She prepared a small "lady's" crossbow and called out:

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:27

"I'm right here. If I see a drawn weapon, I shoot immediately."

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:28

The door creaked open, and Richard was the first to enter, his empty hands out in front of him:

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:28

"There's no need to worry, lady. They just want to talk to you."

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:29

The guardsman slipped in after him, in an unmistakable way. His slow, soft movements made Celesta cringe; this fighter, with his indifferent gaze, was head and shoulders above any she'd ever encountered before. If a fight broke out, there was no point in trying to kill him. Only to flee. The man did not draw his weapon, merely placed it on his hilt, but Ghoul had no illusions of safety. She knew the master swordsman could draw his blade, strike, and return it to its sheath in a heartbeat. They must have sent their best to meet her.

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:32

The aristocrat was the second to enter. Dressed in simple, minimal ornamentation, though made of very expensive material, the man exuded the scent of power and superiority. Remarkable self-control. If from the other men came the smell of tension, anxiety, and - from Richard - fear, the nobleman felt absolute self-confidence and even a certain relaxation. His face, adorned with a short beard, expressed benevolence, though his eyes looked too sharp. For herself Celesta identified him as the most dangerous of the entrants: it is he who gives the orders to the others. So she aimed the crossbow at him.

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:32

The last guardsman, who looked like a copy of the first, carefully closed the door behind him. There was a suspicious silence in the room. Celeste imagined what they were seeing: a short woman, almost a girl, with short blond hair tied into a knot and regular features. Not beautiful, but pretty, definitely of noble birth - you can see some sort of breed in her. As long as she is in control, no fangs are visible, no reddish light is reflected in her eyes, and her milky white skin seems to be the usual sign of a noblewoman. Except that her clothes are a bit off, obviously off someone else's shoulder. A dark dress with slits down the sides revealed leather men's pants and sturdy boots, more suited to a child. A pair of long knives dangling from her belt, and a few shorter ones were on her chest strap.

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:34

Finding the right size shoe was the most difficult task Celesta had ever faced.

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:35

The pause dragged on, and Richard became more and more nervous. Of all those present, only the aristocrat and the girl remained cool - the others were preparing for a fight. No, fighting was not part of the ghoul's plan. Celesta raised an eyebrow slightly:

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:35

"You're into cheap tricks, aren't you, Lord? Whoever talks first loses?"

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:36

"Not at all, lady," the man smiled slightly. After some hesitation, he pulled back the second and last chair in the room and sat directly across from the undead. The guardsmen stood behind him. "I'm just confused. It's funny to look for a meeting for so long and not know how to start a conversation."

Camrad_RIP 06.02.22 в 16:36