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00:00:01
The Thieves Guild
00:00:04
by Jake Kerr.
00:00:10
Episode 95:
00:00:16
Ten Families.
00:00:23
Relan considered how to present the news.
00:00:27
It was possibly the most important message he would ever speak in his life.
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The 10 men and women in the room were a subset of the families of those
00:00:36
dislocated from the Lower Quarter, but they were all influential.
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As they went, the Guild would go.
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He needed to somehow let the Guild members know that Kerris was
00:00:49
apologizing for Larsson's folly and welcoming back the Harvest Guild
00:00:54
while making sure that they did not believe him, or return.
00:00:58
It was an unfortunate position to be in.
00:01:02
On the one hand, he was going to push for civil war when peace was at hand.
00:01:07
He never wanted nor expected to be the one to push for that route.
00:01:12
On the other hand, the Thieves Guild was exposed, and if the Harvest
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Guild embraced peace, the entire city would unite to
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eradicate the thieves. Despite their kindness to the Harvest Guild,
00:01:25
he was certain that Sax and Orion, as well as Kerris and possibly
00:01:30
even Polo, would push for their removal as a newly discovered threat.
00:01:36
The deciding factor for Relan was the obvious reality: Orion
00:01:41
was a real threat, and by establishing his nephew as the guild master
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merchant, he was creating some kind of maneuver to remove Relan or Polo,
00:01:51
opening a vote that would usher in Orion as the undisputed leader of Ness.
00:01:56
He cleared his throat.
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"My new friends, the newly established guild master merchant has offered
00:02:02
your homes back.
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He apologizes for what his predecessor has done and promises to rebuild
00:02:08
the Lower Quarter."
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Blunt, to the point. Start with the edifice and then remove its
00:02:15
foundation.
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Murmurs that turned into smiles and happy discussions followed his
00:02:21
announcement. Relan waited, and then the moment came.
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A new voice from a small and older woman spoke up.
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"We can return home. Thank the gods for Orion
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and his nephew."
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Before the chorus of agreement could come, Relan broke in.
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"Are we so certain?"
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His voice was strong, and the question came out as a challenge more than
00:02:47
an inquiry.
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"What do you mean?"
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The woman replied, her voice already shrinking.
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"Orion sat back when you were forcibly removed from your homes.
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Is that the behavior of someone trustworthy?"
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Relan changed the tone of his voice to thoughtful.
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He had never considered himself a born leader.
00:03:09
He was the mischievous boy who was placed in a position of authority due to a
00:03:14
wayward punishment. But at that moment, all his words,
00:03:19
the tone of his voice, and the way he guided the conversation came naturally
00:03:24
and with the precision of a stiletto.
00:03:26
"Orion is simple-minded. Everyone
00:03:31
knows that."
00:03:32
"He is jolly.
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The same was said of Pietro, a harmless old man, universally beloved by
00:03:39
everyone. Yet you sit in his stronghold surrounded by knights in black.
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And just so, do you see any of those wearing the yellow sitting next to you?
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If Orion stood out of the way due to his simple-mindedness, why did his guild members
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not help you?
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They were your neighbors. They stood idly by, and they were protected."
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There were murmurs around the room.
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"Indeed, it is clear that the command to not help their Harvest Guild
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brothers and sisters came from Orion himself."
00:04:12
"Why would Orion do such a thing?"
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Simpson said.
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Relan looked at him, and he could see that Simpson was desperately latching onto
00:04:21
Orion as his salvation.
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The idea of the thieves providing assistance was too much.
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"Remember what occurred at the guild master banquet.
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Two people voted to stop the merger of the Harvest and Craft Guilds, your guild
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master (pauses)
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and me."
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More murmurs.
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"Why would Guild master Orion and guild master Polo be on opposite
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sides of something so momentous?"
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Simpson, still looking suspicious, replied...
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"But things may be different with this Kerris fellow."
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"True."
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Relan paused as the various family matriarchs and patriarchs looked at each
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other, a few sharing whispered comments.
00:05:06
"Yet things may be the same. We cannot be certain."
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Relan latched onto Simpson's uncertainty and brought his argument home.
00:05:16
"You may be safe, you may not be. Perhaps it would be best if you waited for
00:05:21
guidance from your guild master."
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It was Relan's only hope. He was convinced that Polo would know
00:05:28
what was going on and would object to anything offered by Orion or his
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nephew.
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Yet it would be impossible to get a word from Polo while he hid in Harvest
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House.
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That wasn't a problem, however. Polo's hesitation to move in public
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would further raise suspicions among the Harvest Guild members as to Orion's
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and Kerris' intentions.
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All Relan had to do was have the families agree to wait for word from Polo,
00:05:57
and he would have the time necessary to assess things with reports from Allard,
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Vesper, Rogers, the other captains, and possibly even
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Maylor.
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I will travel to Harvest House and inquire with Guildmaster Polo myself.
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Simpson, the man who had proven to be the most inclined to
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doubt Relan, was now calling his bluff.
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I fear that would be impossible. You would be unsafe with the chaos in the
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streets and the merchants guarding the bridge and the lower quarter.
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We have been invited back. I will go alone as a representative of our
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guild members in the wretched quarter.
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I will meet with Guildmaster Orion and Charis and tell them that we
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will do nothing without Polo's guidance.
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Three thoughts went through Relan's
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head. The first was that he was positive that neither Orion nor
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Charis had anticipated such a scenario.
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The second was that there was no way they would allow one of the refugees to meet with
00:07:04
Polo. The third was that Simpson had just volunteered for his own
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imprisonment or even death.
00:07:13
It is a wise decision if you believe that Orion and Charis are acting in good
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faith,
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but if you are wrong and they have no intention of goodwill for Guildmaster Polo,
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they will see you as a threat and your life will be in jeopardy.
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Why a threat?
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There can only be one reason for letting you return to the lower quarter if
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Orion and Charis have false intentions, to draw out Guildmaster
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Polo.
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If Guildmaster Polo believes them, they will imprison or kill him.
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If he does not, they will use his disregard for your wellbeing as an excuse to replace
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him.
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We would never question Polo.
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Someone shouted, and a chorus of agreement followed.
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But does Guildmaster Orion or the new Guildmaster Merchant know that?
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There was no reply.
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It matters not. If I do not return, I am a message that
00:08:13
Guildmaster Orion is not to be trusted.
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If I return, we will know it is safe.
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Simpson laid his hands flat on the table.
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Either way, the message will be delivered.
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Relan admired Simpson's courage.
00:08:29
You are not to be dissuaded?
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No.
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Turning to the room, Relan spoke out.
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Do you all agree that Simpson will be your guidepost, and until we hear word of his
00:08:41
completed mission, you shall remain our guests, safe with the thieves?
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There was still a hesitation in admitting to being guests of the
00:08:50
thieves, but everyone either stated agreement or murmured it.
00:08:56
Very well. I will leave you to your own counsel.
00:08:58
If you need anything, you can send word to Captain Cude.
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Relan stood up, followed quickly by Cude and Dirk.
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They exited the room, leaving behind loud discussion.
00:09:13
As they walked down the steps of the building, Cude whispered to Relan.
00:09:17
That was a masterstroke, sir. They will remain calm and await a message that will
00:09:22
undoubtedly never be delivered.
00:09:25
Relan frowned.
00:09:26
I would have preferred not sacrificing one of our guests to achieve the goal.
00:09:31
Who do we have in the lower quarter?
00:09:33
Rogers and Moss, sir.
00:09:35
Rogers is still missing. Send word to Moss and have him shadow
00:09:40
Simpson.
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If we have ways to watch him in the towers and, more importantly, rescue him,
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I want it done.
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Cude nodded.
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I will send word to Moss.
00:09:52
Simpson's safety will be of paramount importance.
00:09:55
Relan was still too new to know the extent of the thieves' network and
00:10:00
how far into the merchant and craft tower that they had infiltrated, but
00:10:05
he hoped that Cude was right. He didn't want to see Simpson imprisoned,
00:10:09
hurt, or killed, but he also knew a very simple truth.
00:10:14
A rescued Simpson was the most important Simpson of all.
00:10:21
(dramatic music)