Another Assistant Guildmaster

[00:00:01] The Thieves Guild by Jake Care, Episode 107, Another Assistant Guildmaster.

[00:00:24] After a week in the kitchens, Karch already had the outlines of his plan to poison

[00:00:29] sacks. He knew who made his meal what food would hide the taste of the poison and the

[00:00:36] fuel of when it was delivered to sacks. All he needed was the poison, but that was proving

[00:00:42] difficult to procure. He had associates who could provide such things, but they lived in

[00:00:48] the flats, and at this point they could be dead, hiding or stumbling about in the

[00:00:54] wretched quarter. Even getting messages to them would be difficult. He had staff who worked

[00:01:00] to him and now feared him, but could he trust any of them? Traveling out of the night tower

[00:01:07] was also impossible. The kitchen work was the hardest work he'd ever done. Sacks' idiotic

[00:01:13] desire to be self-sufficient meant that they were badly understaffed, and Karch ended

[00:01:19] up doing everything from peeling potatoes to serving soup. It was such messy work

[00:01:25] that there was a standard joke that the kitchen staff started the day in the night's

[00:01:29] guild, and ended the day guildless. Their white shirts turned brown after day of spills

[00:01:36] and laboring over a grill. Karch had not given up and settled on a longer-term plan, cultivating

[00:01:44] a young kitchen boy with incremental advancements and mentorship, concluding with improving

[00:01:50] his worth by procuring some special spices in the flats. It was a day after he had

[00:01:58] finally fallen into a restful sleep with the confidence of a long-term plan to poison

[00:02:03] Sacks when Sacks called him to his quarters. Sir, Karch bowed his head as he stood before

[00:02:11] Sacks, who was already drinking from his goblet early in the morning.

[00:02:15] Karch, you look much better in white than blue, Karch simply nodded in reply. How are

[00:02:21] the kitchens? No one has been poisoned yet.

[00:02:25] Sacks let out a loud before. That's what I like about you, Karch. You come across as

[00:02:31] old-dull and serious, but then you unleash something like that. Sacks laughed again, but

[00:02:38] then his voice fell silent. The turn from loud laugh to intense seriousness was what

[00:02:44] alarmed Karch about dealing with Sacks. He let his emotions run wild and was thus unpredictable.

[00:02:52] I have good news for you, Karch. Sacks is serious demeanor switched just as suddenly into

[00:02:58] a broad smile and that was the moment that Karch knew he was in trouble.

[00:03:04] You have done a wonderful job in the kitchen, so I've decided to make you a system-gild master.

[00:03:11] Karch didn't quite know how to take the news. He knew that Sacks wouldn't replace his deputy

[00:03:16] John. He also knew that there was no other position for him to fill. Stammering a bit,

[00:03:23] Karch replied, I'm not familiar with a assistant-gild master position, sir.

[00:03:27] Sure you are. Sacks' voice was so loud, it echoed off the walls of his de facto throne room.

[00:03:35] You worked alongside when her, Orion's nephew, the Weasley one that killed Larson.

[00:03:41] Sacks leaned forward, spilling some of his drink, just don't kill me, Karch.

[00:03:46] Sacks laughed loudly as if such a possibility was so beyond the realm of reason that he had made

[00:03:53] an enormously funny joke. Karch was not one to ignore what was likely a very significant step

[00:04:00] in restoring his place among the Nest ruling class. He bowed and then said,

[00:04:06] I'm very grateful, sir. I'm new to the guild, and while I have my talents and connections,

[00:04:11] I was not expecting such a kindness so soon. Waving his hand while he took a drink,

[00:04:16] Sacks leaned back, it's nothing, uh, you're a snake, and I said I'd someday need one.

[00:04:23] It appears I need a snake, so you've earned this one, Karch.

[00:04:29] Thank you, sir. You know I'm no good with all this useless talking the other guild masters do.

[00:04:35] Sacks waved his hand as if encompassing all the other guild towers, and John would assume run

[00:04:40] one through his open-ismouth, Sacks shrugged, so I need you. I'm glad to be of service, sir.

[00:04:47] How can I help? Sacks turned serious again. I've talked to the override,

[00:04:53] as you may expect he's bumbling about not knowing what is happening with the flats,

[00:04:56] and even what his nephew is doing with the merchants, the young wellp is at least saying the right

[00:05:01] things, but Orion fears that isn't enough, and I agree. And I am to help with the rebuilding of the

[00:05:09] Quater. No, Orion said something about his guild overseeing that and thank the gods for that.

[00:05:15] I was afraid he'd come over to ask my men to lift rocks and place timber. They don't do that, Karch.

[00:05:22] They are warriors. Indeed they are, sir. So what role am I to play then? It appears the

[00:05:28] simple-minded Orion has a good idea once in a long moon. Karch was certain that Orion was

[00:05:35] actually one of the smartest and most lethal people in Ness that he hid it for so long

[00:05:41] was a testament to that fact that Sacks didn't see it, was a testament that Sacks was one

[00:05:47] of the stupidest people in Ness. Sacks continued. Orion feels like we should reach out to Polo

[00:05:54] and tell him that everything is fine. Orion's nephew is making things right in the lower quarter

[00:05:59] and working to undo the damage last and did. Karch waited as Sacks paused, finished off his

[00:06:06] goblet and refilled it, seemingly abandoning the conversation for the more important task of

[00:06:12] filling his drink. Reaching to a small table next to his throne, Sacks lifted up a sealed letter.

[00:06:19] This is a letter from Orion to Polo. It explains everything. You are to deliver it to Polo

[00:06:26] personally, not to anyone else, not even to Esmer. Sacks leaned forward again, a look of deadly

[00:06:34] seriousness on his face. You ought to deliver this only to Polo. Karch couldn't believe what he was

[00:06:41] hearing but he had worked for Larson for many years so his response was firm and steady.

[00:06:48] While the plant sounds wise indeed sir, am I the best one to deliver this message?

[00:06:52] Who else generates the respect that you do, Karch? I told you that Tim and I are ill-suited for

[00:06:57] such things. Orion is a buffoon and would embarrass himself. Hell, he's probably embarrassed himself

[00:07:03] in the letter and you'll have to explain things to Polo. Sacks waved the letter as he talked.

[00:07:11] Orion won't let his deputy go and I can't blame him. His deputy is a paper pusher doing all the

[00:07:17] things that Orion is too stupid to do. No, Karch. This is the perfect job for you.

[00:07:24] Sir, Sacks interrupted. I have to sadly admit that this wasn't even my idea.

[00:07:30] When I told Orion you were now a knight. He practically exploded in joy.

[00:07:35] He's a big fan of yours, Karch and he wondered if you would be better to deliver the message.

[00:07:40] Of course I agreed and explained to him why it was such a great idea.

[00:07:45] Sir, Sacks pared at Karch as if daring for him to turn down the mission.

[00:07:51] There is wisdom in the idea and it would have been an ideal solution not that long ago,

[00:07:56] but I fear that I am too recently connected to Larson and the merchant guild and their

[00:08:00] rage will be too great for them to accept any message from me. Don't be ridiculous, Karch, you will

[00:08:07] wear white. We are the ones protecting the outer fielder. We are the ones that guard the wall.

[00:08:12] We did nothing when Larson cleared the lower quarter. The fact that the knights did nothing

[00:08:18] was another one of the reasons Karch was worried. He doubted he would get past the harvest house

[00:08:24] guards without being killed first. It was much more likely that they'd toss his body at the feet

[00:08:29] of polo than present him in a meeting and that's when it hit Karch. That was Orion's plan all

[00:08:37] long. Karch would carry the letter to harvest house and in the process of Karch being killed,

[00:08:44] the letter addressed to polo with Orion's seal would be found. In fact, polo most likely

[00:08:50] considered himself secure enough that he would actually meet with Karch with him in chains

[00:08:57] and ending up dead or in prison afterward. But in every scenario Orion's letter would be delivered.

[00:09:05] The white of the knight gild indeed makes everyone shudder before it.

[00:09:35] It's not only satisfied that he had one less thing to worry about, as Saks drank Karch pondered.

[00:09:42] But who will I deliver it to?