Chapter 67: Chapter 67: Request Quest

Locked.

Lamant’s study door is seldom locked, but today, the brass keyhole mocks us. Brushing back his hair, Ser Maartenwitz clears his throat several times. “Master?”

Through the antique wooden door, Lamant’s voice reaches us. “I’m not to be disturbed.”

Huh? The tournament is just a few weeks away, and he won’t even see us?

Gussie opens her beak to object, but Ser Maartenitz holds up a pale, skinny hand that reminds me of a skeleton prop for Halloween. Doesn’t he eat? I know he does.

“Master, forgive me, but Gussie is here, and so are the beasts of the household. Gussie has a request for you.”

Taking the cue from Maartenwitz, Gussie flaps loud enough to attract Lamant’s attention. “Request to talk! Request to talk. Request quest.”

She does every communication she can think of, dancing, squawking, and so on, in order to impress her seriousness upon Lamant.

In a pitiable way, she laments, “I miss seeing you, Master.”

Maartenwitz tenses, his ear to the door. He looks like a pole leaning against the door, possibly about to try and break the door down.

Finally, Lamant responds. “I am in the middle of something vital. And Gussie, it’s difficult to concentrate with you saying that you miss me.”

“Awww. So sweet, Master.” Gussie, easily swayed, preens proudly. She adores Lamant. “I want to see you. Just for a moment.”

A long pause. “I wish that I could, Gussie. Later this evening, after the ladies of the house return.”

WHAT?

I growl along with Demos, and Lobo howls. Is it just my imagination, or do the statues and portraits give us the side-eye, silently judging us for our insolence importuning the master?

Gussie squawks, “A message! Urgent message for you! Very important. Life or death.”

We quiet down, our impatience quelled by Gussie’s cleverness. She can come up with good ideas on a wing and a prayer!

Lamant pauses for a long time, and Maartenwitz adds his voice to Gussie. “Yes, the message is of the utmost importance, Master. It would be…unfortunate if you didn’t receive it.”

I sniff at the door to glean some clue as to what Lamant is engaged in. Surely, it must be something big if he’s turning us away and refusing to see Gussie. However, I find nothing beyond the normal elixirs and herbs and Lamant’s own crisp old-fashioned smell.

CLICK.

The door eases open, and Lamant pokes his head out. His eyes fix on Gussie. “What message What news?”

Gussie lifts her wings. “We need to go hunting in the jungle. That is the message.”

For a moment, Lamant’s features, so like Kaline’s and Vedette’s, betray nothing about his thoughts and emotions. Then, at last, he says, “Who says you need to go hunting?”

“It’s for Niall,” Gussie replies.

Frowning, thick eyebrows beetling, Lamant scrutinizes us. “Niall asked that you go hunting? You know you can’t go on your own, not with beast poachers around, and the tournament weeks away. It’s not safe. Will Niall take you? Because I’m otherwise occupied.”

Occupied? What can he be doing in there? On the other hand, why do I care?

“Yes! Niall,” Gussie says innocently. Such a slick lie for someone who can be so innocent.

Maartenwitz looks troubled. “Are you quite sure, Master? Should not their tamers–”

Lamant has that can’t-be-bothered stare. “Niall is trustworthy as a coach and former tamer. End of discussion. Go and find him, and be back by dinner. Good hunting.”

He closes the door while Maartenwitz sputters. “As you wish, Master!”

I can’t believe Lamant fell for that. He’s normally the dad in control. But whatever is occupying him must be important. And maybe he trusts Niall so much that he is willing to let him be responsible for us. After all, Niall helped us detect the curse and free Lobo.

Rallying, Ser Maartenwitz claps his emaciated hands. It sounds like twigs striking each other. “Come, come, then, let’s find Master Widdershins.”

I snort with laughter, because most people barely use Niall’s last name. It’s just “Niall.” That’s because “Widdershins” is a funny word for some reason.

But hang on! Wait! The new beast is supposed to be a surprise for Niall. That is why we wanted Lamant to take us in the first place. We wanted to do something while everyone else is busy. Yes, procuring a beast for Niall is a quest we all share, but more than that, we owe him.

Maartenwitz browbeats us, in a nice way, into looking for Niall. Curses! The need to find Niall a beast is hardly a secret, but the four of us wanted it to be a surprise.

[What can we do?] I pad through the carpeted and tiled halls, my paws used to the different textures. [This isn’t exactly what we planned.]

[What can Master Riddlehoeven be DOING in that lab?] Gussie frets, forgetting about the trip to the tailor’s for now, although I am sure it will surface again. [He’s always open to us. Always available. What is he working on?]

[Something for the good of us all.] Lobo wags his tail, full of loyalty. [So, we should help this house too! Even if it means a little stealth…]

Demos scrapes the ground with his claws, making tiny rips in the carpet. [The Master being so secretive worries me. What if there is a new threat against this house?]

I want to say it’s a midlife crisis, but that doesn’t fit with the medieval time period. “Midlife crisis” doesn’t exist in a time when human life expectancy is thirty. However, this is a game. On the other hand, the game developers in the human world didn’t get cutesy and use modern slang when they created the world of Tanglewood.

I inject a bit of calm into the discussion. [Maybe he’s just preoccupied with creating his potions and pills. He can do that for hours. We don’t usually notice because we’re often with Mistresses Vedette and Kaline and Minette.]

Demos grunts, not convinced in the least. [We should double back and sneak in.]

Lobo disagrees, snapping at him. [We have our mission.]

Gussie frets still. [What about Maartenwitz? He’s on us like a vulture.]

Demos puffs out his fur. [Him? I could blow on him and he would fall over unconscious.]

[That’s mean.] Gussie pecks at Demos, who barrels ahead. [He is just doing what Master Riddlehoeven commanded.]

Demos bares his teeth. [And don’t you want to see if the Master is well? If he’s eating?]

Gussie flaps around Maartenwitz, circling him as if he’s a tree that she plans to land on.

“Is my Master eating?”

Maartenwitz blinks, his eyes big in his thin face. “Why, of course he is. I supervised the delivery of his meal myself, you know. Mistress Minette would never forgive me otherwise.”

The affection in his voice moves me. Maartenwitz would make a loyal wolf. He knows how to cater to his Alpha, and he adores Minette.

“Oh, just wondering. I am happy he is eating.” Gussie doesn’t quibble with what he says. Good. At least we won’t have to override her about hunting in the jungle with Niall.

Demos falls silent, sensing that he’s outvoted, although I can smell his displeasure. He really wanted to play spy and sneak into Lamant’s study. I suppose I’d want to do the same in his place, but the side quest calls to me with a siren song that I can’t resist.

Pungent smoke filters into the corridor. The smell of burning herbs. Maartenwitz sighs with pleasure. “Ahh. Herbs for clarity and focus. I believe we have located Master Widdershins.”

Emerging from a billowy, lacy cloud of smoke, Niall puffs on a long wooden pipe. The herbal smoke lingers lazily. “MAARTY. How many times must I tell you? Call me Niall. And have a puff, it’ll help your memory.”

He passes Maartenwitz the pipe, and Maartenwitz gingerly indulges, his eyes lighting up. “Ahh, Bacuba Momeri, also known as ’Mother of Memory.’ My mind feels clearer already. Although it seems disrespectful to call you anything but ’Master Widdershins.’”

“Well, you can when that perfect beast comes strolling through these halls.” Niall retrieves the pipe and takes another puff. “Although these four are as close to perfect as I could wish, and they’re following you around. That’s devotion.”

“Yes, well, one has to keep them out of trouble,” Maartenwitz says, looking loose and relaxed.

Niall waves the pipe in his face. “Have a bit more of this. It’s also called ’Truth Serum.’ Then you’ll finally admit how much you love these rascals. You do, don’t you?”

Demos and I rub up against Maartenwitz’s skinny shins. Someone has to warm him up. He loves us, doesn’t he? I know he does.

Gussie squawks, “You love us!” Lobo woofs.

Smoking reflectively, Maartenwitz stares at the lacy puffs, trying to see the answer in them. “This is my life’s work. I hope I live a hundred years serving this house, and the beasts that pass through these doors and distinguish this family. And on that optimistic note, these four beasts wish to hunt in the jungle. They want you to be their chaperone. Everyone else is unavailable, and the family trusts you. Will you take them hunting?”

When he passes back the pipe to Niall, the halfling doesn’t hesitate. “Let’s be off!”

We all make joyful beast and bird noises. Finally! Niall is on board. Now all we need to do is make sure he’s distracted while we hunt and capture his perfect beast!

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