“Follow me.”
He led them through the room’s only door and down a short hall. The outline of several murder holes gleamed in the dim light. “I’d hate to fight my way in here,” Xander said.
Kraven stopped in front of the door at the end of the hall. “You noticed the murder holes, good, I hoped you would. No one has ever tried to force their way through these tunnels, but the guild master thought it wise to be prepared.”
“A sound philosophy, I look forward to meeting him,” Xander said.
“You won’t meet the master, at least not right away. He seldom visits the hall. The day boss and the night boss run things along with me and another lieutenant.”
Xander nodded and glanced at Kaylin who looked bored. She must have known all this stuff from her old guild. Kraven opened the door and they stepped through into what looked like the lobby of an inn. A heavyset bald man without a shirt sat behind a counter with a ledger on it. Kraven cleared his throat and the man looked up.
“Ah, Kraven, back already.” He looked past Kraven at Xander and Kaylin. “What have we here?”
“Sir, I’m afraid Hakim, as usual, provided us with bad information.” Kraven summarized what happened in the alley.
When he finished the man behind the desk, the day boss Xander assumed given Kraven’s deferential behavior, groaned. “Remind me again why we let that fool do any thinking? His brain is clearly defective. Why did the night boss insist we give him a third chance to screw up?”
“I believe Hakim and the night boss are cousins, sir.”
“Oh, well if that’s the case have the idiot assigned to night duty. At least I won’t have to deal with him. As for you two.” He waved Xander and Kaylin closer. “We don’t have many rules but they are rigorously enforced. Pay attention as I don’t want to repeat myself. First you can’t harm another guild member. Second you can’t conduct any business without guild approval and upon completion you will surrender all proceeds from which you will receive your cut. Third—” The day boss paused his bored recital to look closer at Xander. “Did you really best three of my enforcers?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Remarkable, you hardly look up to the task. Where was I?”
“Rule three,” Kaylin said.
“Right, rule three, all members are equal save the master, bosses, and lieutenants, they are to be obeyed at all times. Day shift members report at midmorning and night shift members report at midnight. Since I’m three men down you’ll both be assigned to the day shift. Questions?”
They shook their heads.
“All right, do you have rooms in the city or will you be staying at the hall?”
“We have a room in the city,” Xander said.
“Fine, you can get a meal in the dining hall after you hand over whatever you nicked this morning.”
Kaylin grudgingly handed over the three purses she cut that morning. The day boss counted it then handed her back a single purse. “Not a bad haul. What else can you do?”
“I can pick locks and sneak around. Most anything a burglar might need to do I can manage,” Kaylin said.
The day boss nodded and turned to Xander. “What about you?”
“I can pick a simple lock, but mostly I fight.”
The boss waved a hand at his lack of traditional skills. “Never fear, my boy. We always have need of men with your skills. In fact as you’ve already defeated several of the enforcers I considered the most skilled I think your talents are more needed than I first thought.”
Xander bowed at the compliment. “I hope I can be of service.”
“I’m sure you can. There’s a job for you right now if you’re ready.”
“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” Xander’s stomach did a summersault. Now he had a chance to prove himself. He couldn’t blow it
“Good.” The boss eyed him. “Let me see that weapon.”
Xander handed over his blunt, rusty sword. The day boss looked at the cheap iron and clucked his tongue. “This won’t do
He led them through the room’s only door and down a short hall. The outline of several murder holes gleamed in the dim light. “I’d hate to fight my way in here,” Xander said.
Kraven stopped in front of the door at the end of the hall. “You noticed the murder holes, good, I hoped you would. No one has ever tried to force their way through these tunnels, but the guild master thought it wise to be prepared.”
“A sound philosophy, I look forward to meeting him,” Xander said.
“You won’t meet the master, at least not right away. He seldom visits the hall. The day boss and the night boss run things along with me and another lieutenant.”
Xander nodded and glanced at Kaylin who looked bored. She must have known all this stuff from her old guild. Kraven opened the door and they stepped through into what looked like the lobby of an inn. A heavyset bald man without a shirt sat behind a counter with a ledger on it. Kraven cleared his throat and the man looked up.
“Ah, Kraven, back already.” He looked past Kraven at Xander and Kaylin. “What have we here?”
“Sir, I’m afraid Hakim, as usual, provided us with bad information.” Kraven summarized what happened in the alley.
When he finished the man behind the desk, the day boss Xander assumed given Kraven’s deferential behavior, groaned. “Remind me again why we let that fool do any thinking? His brain is clearly defective. Why did the night boss insist we give him a third chance to screw up?”
“I believe Hakim and the night boss are cousins, sir.”
“Oh, well if that’s the case have the idiot assigned to night duty. At least I won’t have to deal with him. As for you two.” He waved Xander and Kaylin closer. “We don’t have many rules but they are rigorously enforced. Pay attention as I don’t want to repeat myself. First you can’t harm another guild member. Second you can’t conduct any business without guild approval and upon completion you will surrender all proceeds from which you will receive your cut. Third—” The day boss paused his bored recital to look closer at Xander. “Did you really best three of my enforcers?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Remarkable, you hardly look up to the task. Where was I?”
“Rule three,” Kaylin said.
“Right, rule three, all members are equal save the master, bosses, and lieutenants, they are to be obeyed at all times. Day shift members report at midmorning and night shift members report at midnight. Since I’m three men down you’ll both be assigned to the day shift. Questions?”
They shook their heads.
“All right, do you have rooms in the city or will you be staying at the hall?”
“We have a room in the city,” Xander said.
“Fine, you can get a meal in the dining hall after you hand over whatever you nicked this morning.”
Kaylin grudgingly handed over the three purses she cut that morning. The day boss counted it then handed her back a single purse. “Not a bad haul. What else can you do?”
“I can pick locks and sneak around. Most anything a burglar might need to do I can manage,” Kaylin said.
The day boss nodded and turned to Xander. “What about you?”
“I can pick a simple lock, but mostly I fight.”
The boss waved a hand at his lack of traditional skills. “Never fear, my boy. We always have need of men with your skills. In fact as you’ve already defeated several of the enforcers I considered the most skilled I think your talents are more needed than I first thought.”
Xander bowed at the compliment. “I hope I can be of service.”
“I’m sure you can. There’s a job for you right now if you’re ready.”
“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” Xander’s stomach did a summersault. Now he had a chance to prove himself. He couldn’t blow it
“Good.” The boss eyed him. “Let me see that weapon.”
Xander handed over his blunt, rusty sword. The day boss looked at the cheap iron and clucked his tongue. “This won’t do
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