whole tavern to know that I have returned," scowled the dark prince. "How did you know it was me?"
"The day was fair when I came in," shrugged Tabansi. "Who else would wear a hood in such a case? Besides, I am low on funds and was just wondering when you would return."
"I have paid you a great deal of gold," frowned Prince Zinan. "How is it that you are out of money? Gold seems to run through your hands like sand through a sieve."
"It is the gambling," scowled the spy. "I think they are cheating me just to get my gold. It could not possibly be my bad luck. Nobody has luck that bad."
"Perhaps you should report those who are stealing from you to the authorities?" the dark prince suggested to see what Tabansi's reaction would be.
"That would hardly do any good," Tabansi shook his head. "Who do you think runs the games? I would love to take revenge on them, but they hold the power."
"Perhaps that will change," smirked Chike. "I have a task for you. Several tasks as a matter of fact."
"Excellent," grinned the spy. "I am anxious for some more gold."
"Do you know an officer named Belon?" asked the Borundan.
"Aye," nodded Tabansi. "I know him well. He runs an elite group of soldiers whose main duty is protection of the royal family. He also uses those soldiers as enforcers for the men who run the games. He has threatened my life more than once, but if you want him killed, I am not the man to do it. I like your gold, Chike, but I want to live long enough to spend it. Belon's men obey him without question. If he told them to kill me, not a one of them would ask why, and each of them would revenge Belon's death. I am not quite ready to die yet."
"I don't want Belon killed," replied Prince Zinan. "I want to meet with him alone, but on my terms."
"What are your terms?" The spy's eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"Does he ever spend the night outside the palace walls?" Chike asked.
"Once a week," nodded the spy. "He has a woman that his wife does not know about."
"That is what I had heard," nodded the dark prince. "Do you know where and when?"
"That is only a secret from his wife," laughed Tabansi. "Everyone else knows. Surely, that is not the only reason you came to see me?"
"Hardly," Chike shook his head as he placed a small pouch on the table, "but that information is vital to my plans, and I will pay you well for it."
"His tryst is tonight, as the fates would have it," Tabansi grinned as he picked up the pouch of gold. "I will take you there myself later. What else do you need?"
"I have a long list of assignments for you," declared Chike. "By this time next week, you will be a very wealthy man, or a powerful one."
"Powerful?" Tabansi's eyebrows rose. "That would mean more than gold to me. How can you make me powerful?"
"That depends," Chike replied cautiously. "What is your loyalty to the Crown?"
"My loyalty is to me and those who pay me," smirked the spy. "I care nothing for the pampered rulers who run this country. Tell me how I can have power."
"I have a number of things to accomplish in a short period of time," proposed the dark prince. "If you can accomplish everything on this list, I will guarantee that you become a man of great importance in Laborg."
Tabansi accepted the list and began to read it. His brow creased with confusion.
"Some of this makes no sense," he said. "You want me to protect the bridge over the Vine River, but no one in Vineland would attempt to destroy it. Everyone's prosperity requires trade, and that bridge is vital to the city."
"If no one attempted to destroy it," smiled Chike, "then your task would be easy, but that will not be the case. An attempt will be made to destroy the bridge. Soldiers will be the ones to destroy it. Are you enough of a leader to gather people to defend the bridge?"
"Citizens against soldiers?" balked Tabansi.
"Yes," nodded Chike. "You want to have power, don't you? First you must be able to lead in order to get it. Are you capable?"
Tabansi sat quietly for a
"The day was fair when I came in," shrugged Tabansi. "Who else would wear a hood in such a case? Besides, I am low on funds and was just wondering when you would return."
"I have paid you a great deal of gold," frowned Prince Zinan. "How is it that you are out of money? Gold seems to run through your hands like sand through a sieve."
"It is the gambling," scowled the spy. "I think they are cheating me just to get my gold. It could not possibly be my bad luck. Nobody has luck that bad."
"Perhaps you should report those who are stealing from you to the authorities?" the dark prince suggested to see what Tabansi's reaction would be.
"That would hardly do any good," Tabansi shook his head. "Who do you think runs the games? I would love to take revenge on them, but they hold the power."
"Perhaps that will change," smirked Chike. "I have a task for you. Several tasks as a matter of fact."
"Excellent," grinned the spy. "I am anxious for some more gold."
"Do you know an officer named Belon?" asked the Borundan.
"Aye," nodded Tabansi. "I know him well. He runs an elite group of soldiers whose main duty is protection of the royal family. He also uses those soldiers as enforcers for the men who run the games. He has threatened my life more than once, but if you want him killed, I am not the man to do it. I like your gold, Chike, but I want to live long enough to spend it. Belon's men obey him without question. If he told them to kill me, not a one of them would ask why, and each of them would revenge Belon's death. I am not quite ready to die yet."
"I don't want Belon killed," replied Prince Zinan. "I want to meet with him alone, but on my terms."
"What are your terms?" The spy's eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"Does he ever spend the night outside the palace walls?" Chike asked.
"Once a week," nodded the spy. "He has a woman that his wife does not know about."
"That is what I had heard," nodded the dark prince. "Do you know where and when?"
"That is only a secret from his wife," laughed Tabansi. "Everyone else knows. Surely, that is not the only reason you came to see me?"
"Hardly," Chike shook his head as he placed a small pouch on the table, "but that information is vital to my plans, and I will pay you well for it."
"His tryst is tonight, as the fates would have it," Tabansi grinned as he picked up the pouch of gold. "I will take you there myself later. What else do you need?"
"I have a long list of assignments for you," declared Chike. "By this time next week, you will be a very wealthy man, or a powerful one."
"Powerful?" Tabansi's eyebrows rose. "That would mean more than gold to me. How can you make me powerful?"
"That depends," Chike replied cautiously. "What is your loyalty to the Crown?"
"My loyalty is to me and those who pay me," smirked the spy. "I care nothing for the pampered rulers who run this country. Tell me how I can have power."
"I have a number of things to accomplish in a short period of time," proposed the dark prince. "If you can accomplish everything on this list, I will guarantee that you become a man of great importance in Laborg."
Tabansi accepted the list and began to read it. His brow creased with confusion.
"Some of this makes no sense," he said. "You want me to protect the bridge over the Vine River, but no one in Vineland would attempt to destroy it. Everyone's prosperity requires trade, and that bridge is vital to the city."
"If no one attempted to destroy it," smiled Chike, "then your task would be easy, but that will not be the case. An attempt will be made to destroy the bridge. Soldiers will be the ones to destroy it. Are you enough of a leader to gather people to defend the bridge?"
"Citizens against soldiers?" balked Tabansi.
"Yes," nodded Chike. "You want to have power, don't you? First you must be able to lead in order to get it. Are you capable?"
Tabansi sat quietly for a
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