The first man came to a stop not more than ten paces away
from the one blocking his path. Then he spoke. “You certainly chose an obscure
place for this transaction, Mr…”
The second man answered. “My name is of no consequence here,
but yours is Dirk Grithinshield. I suppose you would have preferred to do
business in your sizable store in the merchant district, but I find this
setting more to my liking.”
“Your odds are better as well,” Dirk commented dryly. “You can tell your men surrounding me to come
out. We are alone, and I already know where they are hiding.”
“You are mistaken,” the man said halfheartedly. “The agreement was that we each come alone.”
“Indeed, that was the arrangement,” Dirk confirmed. “You can tell that I have not been
followed. However, I can see the breath
of your men hiding there, there, there and there.” Dirk pointed at places in a circle around
him. “It makes me wonder if you have
kept your word on the rest of our bargain.”
The man waved, then four armed men stepped out of the shadows
and moved closer to Dirk. “You’re observant, Grithinshield. I’ll give you that.”
Dirk sighed in a tone that suggested that the situation did
not surprise him in the least. “I could
inquire further about your expected deception, but I want this transaction to
be over with as soon as possible. Do you
have the key I seek?”
The man was angered that his actions were anticipated and
that they had not intimidated Dirk as he had hoped. “I have the key, but I didn’t hear any coins
jingle as you were walking. That makes
me wonder if you have the money on which we agreed.”
“I am quite prepared for you, good sir,” Dirk answered. “The money is close by. Now, since you appear
to have me at a disadvantage, and I am the one who has kept his word so far,
you will show me what I am purchasing first.”
The man scowled and produced a golden key from his
pocket. Begrudgingly, he tossed it to
the waiting right hand of Grithinshield. Dirk ran his fingers down its length
and looked at its handle in detail.
Then, he tossed it back to the man who caught it in midair in an effort
to defend his face.
“That is a poor attempt at a forgery,” Dirk said
sternly. “Not only is the key warped, but
you can see a glimpse of the iron underneath, where it was held as it was
dipped in a coating. The key I seek is
solid gold. Your credibility is
dwindling by the moment and I am mildly annoyed. Show me the real key, if you have it, or you
will not see a single gold pharring.”
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