Chapter 4: All that Glitters!
-----An hour or so later, Kazel returns to the warehouse. Calron stands just inside the door peering out into the streets. He nods and smiles at her as she enters the dark building.
-----Inside, she finds Seth and Gimplefwick waiting on her. They both sit atop the wagon, which by this time is fully loaded with boxes and barrels for the next morning’s trip.
-----Gimplefwick nods at Kazel in greeting, "Shiver me timbers, now that yer both back, I'll tell ye what I did while ye were gone." Gimplefwick continues in a low whisper, "I found that crate of 'spices' in the northeast corner of the warehouse and went ahead and opened it up. There were several pots o' some sort of golden liquid. I don't be knowin' what it is, but I figgered it must be valuable, so I hid the lot of 'em in another box and filled the original crate with some chunks o' iron so it'll seem more or less untampered with."
-----Gimplefwick peers at the other two thieves, "Now what I be proposin' is that we find out what that liquid is and what it's cost might be. If neither of ye knows what it is, maybe Seth's limpwristed merchant friend can identify it fer us. Once we find out what it is, then we can approach those people who were goin to buy it and offer 'em a new deal fer their product. Or we can just take it to Lut and see if the fence there will buy it from us. Actually, I be preferin' that idea. That way nobody knows in town about our liberation of the golden goo and we get to keep all the profits from the goo ourselves rather than splittin' em with the guild. What say the both of ye?"
-----Seth smiles at the dread pirate, "That is excellent Dread Gimplefwick, I think you have an excellent idea about the fence in Lut. Anyway we can always bury it somewhere until we do find out what it is, if the fence only offers a few coppers for it. No need to short change ourselves. We can always look in the library to find out what it is."
-----Seth turns to The Dread Pirate with a concerned look on his face, "Um, Dread, you said you got the box from the northeast corner right? If I remember rightly Calron pointed at the east wall, not at the corner. . MMmm."
-----Seth reaches for his harp and quietly moves his fingers over the strings without making a noise while he thinks.
-----Kazel is somewhat startled by Gimplefwick's words. "Well you surprise us again, Dread Pirate. But what of Calron's fate when those people find out their gold's missing? We'd also be among the few he can identify as having been in the warehouse tonight." Her expression is one mixed with both appreciation and concern.
-----"Anyhow, I know a jeweler who might be able to tell what that goo is. He's an old friend whom I trust as much as Brad." She looks at the others. "Shall we take a sample and ask him?"
-----Gimplefwick ponders Seth's and Kazel's words for a few minutes, "Arrr, well first of all, the goo was in a box marked 'spices'. It was along the eastern wall, towards the north side. I be pretty confident that this be the stuff of which they were speakin’. As for the sample, let's take it to yer friend right now, Kazel. I'm not fer knowin if this stuff might spoil or rot or go bad. Or even if Calron might be findin’ it later on. As far as his getting’ in trouble, I'm sure he can handle himself. Or at least leave town. Anyway, lets get the stuff checked out first and see if it's worth our bother. If it isn't then we'll just put it back where we found it and we won't have to worryin about Calron." Gimplefwick heads towards where he buried the trunk to get a sample of the goo.
-----Kazel peers around to make sure Calron isn't looking, then follows Gimplefwick to the hidden goods.
-----The Dread Pirate leads them toward a narrow "space way" between some stacks of boxes and crates toward the northeast corner of the building. Over by the far wall in the shadows are a few wooden boxes piled up in a haphazard fashion. Gimplefwick carefully moves them aside revealing an old beaten up trunk.
-----Just then, the three thieves hear Calron open up the front doors. Another wagon begins backing in to unload some goods it picked up at the docks.
-----Gimplefwick sighs and says, "Arrr, let's just be takin’ this trunk outta here. If there's a back way or a side door let's use it. We can inspect the goods once we get outta here. It'll be a lot safer for us to look at without Calron bumbling about." Flexing his massive halfling muscles, Gimplefwick stoops over and hoists one end of the trunk then looks expectantly at the others to grab the other end. "Whoever doesn't grab the other end can run reconaissance fer us and clear the way of anybody in our path, or at least warn us before we get to them. If Kazel doesn't mind, we can run this over to Brad's and find a quiet corner to examine it."
-----Seth nods "Ok Dread pirate" and grabs the other end of the trunk.
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