The World Walkers: Quiar: The Case of the Counterfeit Enchantments (part 5, continued)

[k_a_webb]

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 4, continued
Part 5

“Gather a team together,” Sigurd said to the constable. “Quickly.”

Sigurd looked over at the mouse as the constable left the office, who didn’t look happy that the beginning of the end was in sight. It wasn’t a surprise. When their eyes met, just for a moment, Sigurd knew they shared the same worries. Counterfeit charms weren’t easy to make and it appeared that the majority of them were coming into Sheepshank rather than leaving, which meant that they had to be coming from somewhere. Getting rid of the importer would be good for the town, but if that didn’t mean someone else wouldn’t fill the gap, leaving them in the same place they’d been before.

“What happens after you’ve check it out?” Peric asked, looking down at the map and then back at Sigurd.

“That depends on what we find. If there’s any evidence of your files, the Moonjumper Bureau’s record book, or counterfeit charms we’ll arrest them,” Sigurd replied, purely answering the question based on what he could do. “No evidence means we won’t be able to arrest anyone.”

Peric nodded. “Do you need us here any longer?”

“We don’t need you both here.” Sigurd looked between Peric and the mouse’s raven PA, Bertram. “If there was any work you needed to get done today then feel free to leave, because I’m sure that Bertram would be able to identify the files for us.”

“I’m sure he could too, but I think I’d prefer to stay.” Peric glanced at Bertram before turning his attention back to Sigurd. “If we really are close to a breakthrough then I’d like to be here. Getting to the bottom of who’s been bringing counterfeit into Sheepshank has been my job ever since we realised how bad things were, so it’s important to me.”

“That’s fine.” Sigurd looked at Peric, who was someone he’d always respected, knowing that the mouse didn’t feel the same way after what had happened in the market. “I should have reacted better when I came across a group of horses abusing a Council Moonjumper,” he admitted, hoping to make amends. “It’s just… she was an offworlder and it’s been such a difficult time for Sheepshank that I let my suspicious nature get the better of me. All I really want to do is thank you for reminding me that I should treat all Council Moonjumpers with respect, no matter what my personal feelings, because I really wouldn’t have wanted to anger the Council.”

“You should apologise to Lucille.” Peric’s expression was a little softer than it had been before, so Sigurd hoped he’d was on the right track. “She’s different and I think that having her as a contact with the Council could be good for Sheepshank.”

“I will.” The constable stepped into the office. “Are you ready?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Make yourself comfortable,” Sigurd said to Peric and Bertram. “This shouldn’t take long.”

After taking one last look at the map on the table Sigurd followed the constable out of the office. Three other constables and a sergeant stood in the main office waiting for his orders. He felt the same pride he always felt when they were about to go out to do the job the people of Sheepshank relied on them to do, but this time it was different. This time there were about to, hopefully, arrest someone who’d changed the town into something no one wanted it to be and clear up a mess that it had seemed impossible to fix until Peric had walked into the office with the information they needed.

“We’re looking to arrest a bird in relation to the import of counterfeit enchantments to Sheepshank. Sergeant, you’re with me; I want two constables to make their way around the back of the property, in case anyone tries to escape or destroy evidence; and I’d like one constable at either end of the street, in part to keep away anyone nosey and also to look out for anyone who may want to meet with our suspect. The suspect lives at number 15 on 9th Street.” Sigurd watched as each of the snakes looked at the others, unable to believe what he’d just said, apart from the constable who had helped with the work. “I know. It’s unexpected, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore the evidence. We’re looking for any of the files from the town hall, you should have a list of these, the Moonjumper Bureau’s record book, and any counterfeits.”

Nodding, the first two constables left the office. Whenever they were about to arrest someone they did it in such a way that no one could suspect what might be happening, because the last thing they needed was for someone to give the suspect any warning. The constables always travelled in pairs, for safety and so that there were two pairs of eyes whenever something happened. Sigurd often wandered around Sheepshank with a sergeant, wanting to know everything that was happening in town. It was his job.

When the second two constables left Sigurd looked at his Sergeant. “There are no guarantees that we’ve found the right address, so what I want to do is tell the inhabitants that it’s a routine search for counterfeits as part of a new initiative to stop them from being used accidentally. I’ll keep everyone in the living area, while you search the house. If there’s evidence, even a single counterfeit, I want everyone arrested, because this has to be stopped.”

“Yes, sir.” The Sergeant, one Sigurd had worked with before, looked at him. “If you are right…”

“I know.” Sigurd sighed. “That’s not our problem though. We have a job and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

With that Sigurd left the office, the sergeant following. Everything seemed normal, which was what he wanted, but at the same time it was always a little unnerving. He knew what was coming. The people around him, going about their daily business, had no idea what the future may bring, and sometimes he wondered what that would be like. Instead of being the one to change the town he simply watched the changes that happened around him. As he looked at the faces of people passing him he knew he’d made the right choice. He’d never be happy watching something he could be a part of.

The journey to number 15 9th Street was both terrifyingly short and too long at the same time. Sigurd was certain of the address, but that didn’t mean that the dots they’d connected were the right ones. Weird things happening, even weird things happening at night in a normally quite neighbourhood, didn’t mean that there was crime happening. It was just Peric’s evidence matching with the weird that made things different. He couldn’t understand why anyone who was smart enough to get the counterfeits into Sheepshank would be stupid enough to make the mistake of taking files that led straight to them, although even he didn’t know how Peric had found out so much information about the lost files.

Knocking on the door was the easy part. Waiting for someone to answer the door was something Sigurd despised. He kept expecting one of his constable to yell that someone was attempting to escape, but finally the door was opened by a sleepy raven. That was his first sign that something really wasn’t normal about the inhabitants of the house.

“Good afternoon, ma’am,” Sigurd said, keeping the suspicion out of his voice. “I’m sorry to have woken you, but we’ve come to search your house as part of a new initiative to keep anyone from hurting themselves by using a counterfeit charm.”

“May I just get dressed?”

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but I’d rather come straight in. My Sergeant will search your house, as I’d like to ask you some questions.”

Sigurd had a moment’s warning, because he was staring at her intently, that she was about to close the door on them. With an arm he stopped her, even though he knew he’d regret it the next door. “Do you have something to hide?” he asked, still watching her face.

Even though she shook her head Sigurd could see the guilt in her face. “No, I don’t, Inspector, but I do expect to be given the courtesy of being permitted to dress before I allow anyone into my home.”

“I’d be happy to compromise with you, ma’am. If I could come into the room with you I’d be happy to let you get dressed, but in order to make certain that no evidence is tampered with or destroyed I can’t let you go anywhere alone.”

“That isn’t good enough.”

Running his tongue over his dry lips, Sigurd tried his best to keep his impatience to himself. “The longer we spend out here the more I think you have something to hide, ma’am, and I would appreciate it if we could work something out before your neighbours begin wondering what’s happening. This initiative is one we want to keep as quiet as possible, so we don’t alert anyone who knowingly has counterfeits.”

It was the mention of her neighbours that made the raven’s expression change. “Okay, Inspector, but you won’t find anything. All the charms I own are genuine.”

“There’s no way for you to know that,” Sigurd said as he crossed the threshold, the Sergeant close behind him. “Every counterfeit we’ve found has had a magical signature, but none of them have been what they were said to be.”

“Maybe you’re right, Inspector, but that’s what I believe. They were sold to me as genuines so that’s what I believe they are.”

As Sigurd followed the raven into her living space he heard the Sergeant begin the search. “Where have you been purchasing your charms?” he asked.

“The market, where everyone else gets them.”

Nodding, Sigurd smiled. “It’s just I know that there are a couple of local charm makers who actually make personalised charms, but there are expensive. The majority prefer to get more charms for their money rather than buying a single charm.”

“Really? I’d never heard of them before.”

“I guess it’s down to who you know. How many charms do you currently own?”

“Five. They’re currently all inert in my jewellery box, waiting for when I need them.”

“What are they?”

“I have a luck charm, a glamoury charm, a happiness charm, a silencing charm, and a wellness charm.”

“Sir?” The worried voice of the Sergeant drifted into the room. “There’s something you need to see.”

With those words the raven’s face changed, but Sigurd would never have noticed if he hadn’t been looking for it, so he knew whatever his Sergeant had found was important. “I’ll be back in a moment, ma’am. Please stay here.”

Nodding, she did her best to exude confidence. It was too much, giving away how she was really feeling instead of how she wanted Sigurd to believe she was feeling. He made his way to where the Sergeant was standing, looking into what had once been a fire in the kitchen fireplace, and could see the remains of what looked like Peric’s files.

“Take them out as carefully as you can. Any part might be enough for Peric to identify them, especially if they have his handwriting on.”

Kneeling, Sigurd watched the Sergeant start with the painstaking job, before heading back to the living area where he believed his suspect should still be. When he saw the door was open he smiled. The raven had acted exactly the way he’d expected to her too and he didn’t doubt one of the constables would have arrested her, so he turned his attention to searching the living area for any more evidence that she had, at least in some way, been involved with the import of counterfeit enchantments.

 ***

Peric sipped the tea Bertram had made him, trying to be patient. He knew that it would take time for the cornsnake to do his job, but that didn’t make it any easier to sit around waiting, even with Bertram there doing his best to keep him calm. Sighing, he looked at the map once again. Could they be wrong? The neighbourhood wasn’t known to have much crime, which could be why it became home to the importer of counterfeit charms. It did make sense. At the same time the thought of anyone from there doing something so utterly wrong made him feel like he didn’t know Sheepshank any longer.

Noises from outside the office caught Peric off guard, but once he focused he could hear the cornsnake’s voice, feel his relief, and feel the emotions of someone who really wasn’t happy. “I’ll tell you everything I know,” a female voice pleaded, which made it obvious that the importer had been caught, “in return for a shorter sentence.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, because the wait was finally over, Peric made his way into the main office just as the cornsnake, followed by a larger group, led in a raven. From behind him he could feel Bertram’s embarrassment that a raven had been the importer, but it wasn’t the time to console the PA. Instead Peric focused on what he needed to do.

“It’s not up to the guards what happens to you,” Peric said, surprised at how emotionless his voice was. “If you give them all the information you know then maybe your honesty will lead to a shorter sentence, but they can’t guarantee it.”

The raven nodded, before recognition lit up her eyes. “I was forced into it, sir,” she said, her voice full of emotions she wasn’t actually feeling. “I got into the wrong crowd when I was younger and when I tried to get away they… well, they gave me an ultimatum. Either I helped them get counterfeit charms into Sheepshank or they’d kill me.”

Nodding, Peric tried to act as though he was taking her at face value, but every word she said felt like a lie. “Who was your supplier?” he asked, wanting to get the information out of her as quickly as possible.
“I don’t know his name, but I do know his codename. He was introduced to me as Snow Cloud and I was Water Fisher. If you find him you should be able to find out more about the organisation. All I know is that counterfeit charms are being sold everywhere, because the organisation I work for has people everywhere.” She sighed. “It’s too easy to get involved and then once you are…” She shook her head. “It’s impossible to get out.”

“Did you take the record book from the Moonjumper’s Bureau?”

She nodded. “It was wanted. They’d heard about a Council Moonjumper visiting Quiar before and told me to get the record book if she ever came here. As far as I know it’s already on its way to the head of the organisation.”

“Okay,” Peric said. He looked at the cornsnake. “Keep her safe.”

The cornsnake stared back at him. “I will, but you’re going to need to work quickly. If there really is a large organisation she might be in danger.”

“I know.”

Peric walked to the door. “Wait,” the raven called. “If you see that Moonjumper warn her that this isn’t just about Quiar. The organisation wants operatives on other worlds.”

Turning, Peric looked at her. He couldn’t tell for certain if she was telling the truth or not, but the possibility was terrifying enough. Glancing at Bertram and the cornsnake told him that they both knew how bad it would be for Quiar if a crime syndicate did spread through the web, so Peric knew he had to see Lucille and tell her about the possibility. Hopefully, if anything did happen, she’d speak for Quiar.

 ***

Lucille sat on her bed, grateful for Bertram recommendation. His aunt had been lovely to her, once she’d mentioned Bertram, and she was looking forward to having her first meal at the Darkest Moon. The knock on her door made her jump, but she knew at once who it would be. Biting hard on her lip, trying to keep all her emotions in check, she went to the door, opening it to find Peric and Bertram standing there with furrowed brows.

“It’s not good news,” she said.

Peric shook his head as she stepped back to let them in. “We caught the raven who was in charge if importing the counterfeits into Sheepshank, but she told us she’d part of a bigger organisation that’s looking to expand…” He sighed, looking like he didn’t want to finish the sentence. “Lucille, they want to expand to other worlds and if that happens.”

The tremor of fear that went down Lucille’s back was soon replaced by Walker logic. “We won’t let it happen.” Her voice was sure, even though she wasn’t. “Warning me is the best thing you could have done, because I can pass the information onto the Council and then we can put a stop to it all.”

“The problem is we don’t know enough. Our operative is low down in the organisation, so she can only tell us of possibilities. To stop something like this… surely you’d need to know more.”

Nodding, Lucille sighed. “You are right. The more information we have the more we can do.” She shrugged. “I’m here for a few more weeks. Maybe that will give me time to find out more.”

“We’ll do everything we can to help.” Peric looked at her. “There is more. The Moonjumper Bureau’s record book has, apparently, been sent to the leader of the organisation, so…”

“Great. Another problem.” Lucille, unexpectedly, smiled. “At least I picked a useful time to come to Sheepshank.”

 ***

As Peric and Bertram walked through the market on their way back to the town hall Peric watched as a group of seagulls, looking uncomfortable, made their way into the market. “It’s good to see you,” one of the sheep called, smiling at one the seagulls. “Do you need anything?”

The seagull looked at its friends, confusion filling its face, before it turned its attention back to the sheep. “We were after some pastries.”

“Free pastries for the gulls,” the sheep replied, sending the message up to one of the pastry booths. “It’s our way of apologising. We should have waited until we had proof before we treated you the way we did.”

“Thank you,” the first seagull replied, echoed by every other seagull in the group. “It’s appreciated.”

Peric smiled at Bertram, who still looked unhappy. “There’s bad in every race, Bertram.”

He nodded. “I know, but it’s just… Look at those gulls. They were treated like outsiders because of something a raven did and I hate it.”

“Then we do the only thing we can. We make certain that it never happens again.”

Mirrored from K. A. Jones Writing.

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[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

>> “What happens after you’ve check it out?” <<

That should say "checked" above.

>>This time there were about to<<

That should say "they" instead of "there" above.

>> in a normally quite neighbourhood<<

I think you mean "quiet" but it could be "quite safe" instead.

>>He kept expecting one of his constable to <<

That should say "constables" above.

>>“It’s just I know that there are a couple of local charm makers who actually make personalised charms, but there are expensive. >>

I think that should say "they are" or "those are" instead of "there are" above.

>>grateful for Bertram recommendation.<<

That should say "Bertram's" above.

>>who was in charge if importing the counterfeits into Sheepshank,<<

That should say "in charge of" above.

>>but she told us she’d part of a bigger organisation that’s looking to expand…” <<

That should say "she's" or "she'd been" above.

>>“Lucille, they want to expand to other worlds and if that happens.”<<

I think that should say "that happens..." above.

>>I can pass the information onto the Council<<

That should say "on to" above.


I love this story so much! You did a wonderful job of weaving the different storylines together, laying groundwork for things to come, and still giving this episode a sense of accomplishment. It's really exciting. Thanks everso for writing this out.

I'd say now is a good time to list this story on Web Fiction Guide, since you've got a complete section. That should help it do well in a staff review, and of course I'll be happy to review it myself.