Questions And Answers

[00:00:01] The Thieves Guild, by Jake Kerr, Episode 118, Questions And Answers.

[00:00:20] You're a terrible thief, you know that.

[00:00:27] Raylan wasn't so much frightened as shocked. He quickly rolled over in bed, fully awake now,

[00:00:33] and reached for the letter opener on the nightstand that he intended on using as a semblance of a weapon while imprisoned.

[00:00:40] It wasn't there. He shuffled back in bed to a sitting position and wiped his eyes as he looked out to the source of the voice.

[00:00:49] A woman sat in a chair that had been pulled up to the base of his bed.

[00:00:54] She was wearing an elegant red dress and was spinning his letter opener in one of her hands.

[00:01:00] She had jet black hair and a round, pretty face, the kind that Raylan always saw in the upper quarter, but never down in the flats.

[00:01:09] Her skin was very pale. A corner of her mouth was turned up in an amused smile.

[00:01:16] Who… who are you?

[00:01:18] Raylan pulled the blankets up over his thin nightclothes.

[00:01:22] That's a good question, but I think there are others you should be asking first. Why don't you try again?

[00:01:28] Raylan was immediately reminded of Mailer's sarcastic replies to his questions, when Mailer had surprised him in a similar way.

[00:01:36] He had no patience for that, so he decided not to play this woman's game.

[00:01:42] God! Someone has snuck into my room!

[00:01:45] The woman pouted, but it was far from cute.

[00:01:48] My goodness! You have someone who snuck into your cell and is talking to you, and rather than think of this as a means to escape, your first thought is to… call your jailer.

[00:02:00] Raylan didn't quite know how to reply, and the woman continued…

[00:02:05] And you call this your room and not a prison?

[00:02:08] The woman shook her head.

[00:02:09] You're an even worse thief than I thought.

[00:02:12] Raylan grit his teeth.

[00:02:14] Much like Mailer, the woman was maddening, but she somehow made good points as she insulted him.

[00:02:21] He took a deep breath and decided it would make the most sense to talk to this woman.

[00:02:26] There was too much he didn't know, and before he could make a decision, he would have to know more.

[00:02:31] The first question he had was…

[00:02:34] Where is the guard?

[00:02:36] The woman smiled in apparent delight.

[00:02:39] That wouldn't have been my first question, but it's a good one.

[00:02:42] The guard is currently resting outside your door.

[00:02:45] He won't disturb us unless I call for him.

[00:02:48] The woman leaned forward and waved the letter opener at Raylan.

[00:02:52] Next question.

[00:02:54] Why are you here?

[00:02:56] Another good question, and directly related to the question…

[00:02:59] What do you want from me?

[00:03:00] So let's tackle both of those questions, shall we?

[00:03:04] I am here because you are the Guildmaster Thief of Ness.

[00:03:08] And I've been waiting for your arrival for quite some time.

[00:03:11] What do I want from you?

[00:03:12] Well, that's a long and complex answer, but let me just say that I'm here to help you achieve Pietro's goals.

[00:03:19] So, an ally, Raylan thought.

[00:03:22] And clearly a skilled and even dangerous one.

[00:03:27] Why should I trust you?

[00:03:29] The woman seemed almost delighted.

[00:03:31] You are getting the hang of this.

[00:03:33] You can't trust me, of course.

[00:03:35] I must earn your trust.

[00:03:37] Raylan thought over what to ask next about his current situation.

[00:03:41] But all he could think of was the woman's comment about Pietro's goals.

[00:03:46] Wilhelm had said Pietro's goal was to open the trade routes.

[00:03:51] But Wilhelm had also tossed him in prison.

[00:03:53] You mentioned helping me achieve Pietro's goals.

[00:03:57] I don't know what Pietro's goals are.

[00:04:00] He left no guidance to Allard or in writing.

[00:04:03] The woman nodded.

[00:04:05] Yes, that is the key question.

[00:04:08] What are those goals?

[00:04:10] And how can you and I work to achieve them?

[00:04:12] But that is not a question I can answer.

[00:04:15] Try again.

[00:04:16] She is hiding something, Raylan thought.

[00:04:19] But he was fully awake now and he was getting a handle on his visitor.

[00:04:24] So he decided to circle back to the question later.

[00:04:28] To buy time, Raylan asked an obvious question that had been top of mind for him

[00:04:33] as he came from a city where colour defined your role in life.

[00:04:37] Why do you wear red?

[00:04:40] The woman looked unsettled for the barest of moments, but then answered,

[00:04:45] It is but a colour.

[00:04:46] We don't tie colours to guilds or status in Gowland.

[00:04:50] She is lying.

[00:04:51] The colour red means something.

[00:04:54] Raylan filed those thoughts away.

[00:04:57] You said I'm a terrible thief.

[00:04:59] Why would you say that?

[00:05:00] You came upon me asleep.

[00:05:02] In the wardrobe there are small metal rods for securing things to your clothes.

[00:05:06] They can be used as lockpicks.

[00:05:08] You are on a higher floor.

[00:05:10] But if you look out your window, you would see means of escape.

[00:05:14] You haven't even engaged with your guards about discovering any weakness they have.

[00:05:17] And finally...

[00:05:19] There is a lockpick set in one of the drawers in the study.

[00:05:24] The comments hurt, but Raylan didn't want to show it.

[00:05:28] The thieves' guild in Ness is more than just picking locks.

[00:05:32] Oh, I know all about the thieves' guild in Ness.

[00:05:34] Be that as it may, you should know the tools of your guild.

[00:05:38] Pietro was the best lockpick in Ness.

[00:05:41] Did you know that?

[00:05:43] So the woman was not just aware of Pietro.

[00:05:46] She knew details about him.

[00:05:49] Raylan filed that away for a later question.

[00:05:52] His immediate interest was her expressing knowledge of the politics of the thieves' guild in Ness.

[00:05:58] Do you work for Wilhelm?

[00:06:00] I do not, but he is well aware of me.

[00:06:04] Not knowing what to ask, Raylan just tossed out...

[00:06:07] Are you a thief?

[00:06:09] Raylan considered it possible that in one of his visits, Pietro had built a network of thieves in Goutland.

[00:06:16] In fact, the moment he asked the question, he was certain it was true.

[00:06:20] That is a simple question with a very complicated answer.

[00:06:24] She tapped her chin and then smiled.

[00:06:27] It is my turn to ask you a question.

[00:06:29] Are you the heir of Pietro?

[00:06:32] Raylan immediately assumed it was a trick question,

[00:06:35] but not seeing any possible way that his answer could create problems, he answered...

[00:06:40] I am.

[00:06:42] I am the guildmaster thief, and I am the successor to Pietro.

[00:06:47] Indeed you are.

[00:06:49] I am also the heir of Pietro.

[00:06:52] Ah, so he did set up a presence here, perhaps its own thieves' guild, and this woman is the guildmaster thief.

[00:07:00] Raylan stole a glance at the woman's hand, and there it was.

[00:07:04] A simple ring with a blank stone.

[00:07:06] A guild seal identical to the one on his own finger.

[00:07:11] Sitting in bed, Raylan could do little more than nod his head in respect.

[00:07:16] I was not expecting this, but I am glad to hear it.

[00:07:19] I salute you, fellow guildmaster thief.

[00:07:22] The woman looked confused for a moment, and then burst out in laughter.

[00:07:27] I am so sorry.

[00:07:29] I can understand now why you would think that, but I assure you, I am not the guildmaster thief.

[00:07:36] Raylan's confusion must have been obvious.

[00:07:42] I am Pietro's granddaughter.

[00:07:45] I am Pietro's granddaughter.

[00:07:45] I am Pietro's granddaughter.

[00:07:46] Well, the judge is прямо there.

[00:07:46] There's no longer here.