horse with its white belly stood in place and refused to push Gully out of the way, ignoring the urgings of its own master.
Behind the horse, a round head and red face, graced by an embroidered coif hat, leaned out of the open side of the carriage to see what the obstruction was and shouted, “If the two-legged donkey is too stupid to move, Fervicke, run the knockered fool down! The loss of him will only raise the collective intelligence of the Iisendom and we’ll all be the richer for it!”
The driver on the front of the carriage agreed, “Aye, your Lordship!” He barked at Gully again, “You heard the noblesir! Out me way, offal!” The driver was waving at Gully with a hand missing a finger and yelling with a mouthful of angry, yellowed teeth.
Gully stared stupidly at the driver of the carriage until the Belder horse took a step forward and nudged him lightly in the shoulder with his big nose. The horse snorted and Gully finally pulled himself out of his stupor. He moved off to the side so the horse and enclosed carriage with its impatient passengers could pass. The driver didn’t even look at Gully as he rode by, but still muttered “starless wretch” at him as they passed.
Gully’s eye was drawn to the door of the cart, which carried the ornate gilded livery of the Watch Tower constellation upon it. He nodded in respect to the occupants as the carriage drove by since it was the stars and livery of none other than Noblesir veBasstrolle himself. But in his mind, he was chafing at the fact that the good horse, an animal, had treated him like a person, while the people in the carriage had treated him like an animal.
He was content to leave it at merely chafing, until the Lord’s conveyance passed him, that is. The back of the carriage was packed tight with all kinds of goods, baggages, and trusses. A cream colored wheel with a distinctive black stripe was the main thing that really caught Gully’s eye, and made him think twice about letting the insult go. A Grand Glenoval cheese wheel sat among the Lord’s accoutrements, right there on the back of the cart; it was practically begging to have Gully’s fingers upon it. Such a cheese would make a fitting apology for the Lord’s rude insults, indeed — a sharp cheese to forgive a sharp tongue.
He had half of a mind to run and catch up to the carriage, snatch the fine cheese and make a dash for it, but the carriage had already pulled over in front of a courtly tavern a half block further and the Lord himself was getting out to enter it. Gully’s curiosity grew as he wondered what business the Lord would have in such a tavern, even a fancy one in a wealthy neighborhood. Usually, the noble families forewent mixing with the citizenry, even the rich merchants, and they kept to the grounds of the Folly while visiting the city.
Lord veBasstrolle entered the tavern while his driver stayed outside to keep watch over the cart, which now made it harder for Gully to do as he had intended. As he thought about how to approach his prize, his eye caught on another strange sight. There was a man who had been waiting by a side door of the tavern, around the corner from the carriage. The stranger waited a calculated moment and then entered in after the Lord. What had caught Gully’s attention was something that most others probably wouldn’t have noticed. The man was trying so very hard to be inconspicuous that he was anything but to Gully’s practiced eye. This piqued his interest even more, but he was still more interested in spending time with the cheese wheel than with the Lord or his discreet associate.
Gully thought for a moment more and hesitated since the driver was keeping a close eye all around him now. He’d have to be very careful and very stealthy to get away with it. With sudden inspiration, Gully scratched at his left palm again and thought to himself with a grin, but why be stealthy when brazen gets the job done?
He approached the same side door the
Behind the horse, a round head and red face, graced by an embroidered coif hat, leaned out of the open side of the carriage to see what the obstruction was and shouted, “If the two-legged donkey is too stupid to move, Fervicke, run the knockered fool down! The loss of him will only raise the collective intelligence of the Iisendom and we’ll all be the richer for it!”
The driver on the front of the carriage agreed, “Aye, your Lordship!” He barked at Gully again, “You heard the noblesir! Out me way, offal!” The driver was waving at Gully with a hand missing a finger and yelling with a mouthful of angry, yellowed teeth.
Gully stared stupidly at the driver of the carriage until the Belder horse took a step forward and nudged him lightly in the shoulder with his big nose. The horse snorted and Gully finally pulled himself out of his stupor. He moved off to the side so the horse and enclosed carriage with its impatient passengers could pass. The driver didn’t even look at Gully as he rode by, but still muttered “starless wretch” at him as they passed.
Gully’s eye was drawn to the door of the cart, which carried the ornate gilded livery of the Watch Tower constellation upon it. He nodded in respect to the occupants as the carriage drove by since it was the stars and livery of none other than Noblesir veBasstrolle himself. But in his mind, he was chafing at the fact that the good horse, an animal, had treated him like a person, while the people in the carriage had treated him like an animal.
He was content to leave it at merely chafing, until the Lord’s conveyance passed him, that is. The back of the carriage was packed tight with all kinds of goods, baggages, and trusses. A cream colored wheel with a distinctive black stripe was the main thing that really caught Gully’s eye, and made him think twice about letting the insult go. A Grand Glenoval cheese wheel sat among the Lord’s accoutrements, right there on the back of the cart; it was practically begging to have Gully’s fingers upon it. Such a cheese would make a fitting apology for the Lord’s rude insults, indeed — a sharp cheese to forgive a sharp tongue.
He had half of a mind to run and catch up to the carriage, snatch the fine cheese and make a dash for it, but the carriage had already pulled over in front of a courtly tavern a half block further and the Lord himself was getting out to enter it. Gully’s curiosity grew as he wondered what business the Lord would have in such a tavern, even a fancy one in a wealthy neighborhood. Usually, the noble families forewent mixing with the citizenry, even the rich merchants, and they kept to the grounds of the Folly while visiting the city.
Lord veBasstrolle entered the tavern while his driver stayed outside to keep watch over the cart, which now made it harder for Gully to do as he had intended. As he thought about how to approach his prize, his eye caught on another strange sight. There was a man who had been waiting by a side door of the tavern, around the corner from the carriage. The stranger waited a calculated moment and then entered in after the Lord. What had caught Gully’s attention was something that most others probably wouldn’t have noticed. The man was trying so very hard to be inconspicuous that he was anything but to Gully’s practiced eye. This piqued his interest even more, but he was still more interested in spending time with the cheese wheel than with the Lord or his discreet associate.
Gully thought for a moment more and hesitated since the driver was keeping a close eye all around him now. He’d have to be very careful and very stealthy to get away with it. With sudden inspiration, Gully scratched at his left palm again and thought to himself with a grin, but why be stealthy when brazen gets the job done?
He approached the same side door the
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