Even his two friends seemed deflated after spending a time drinking at the place. “These women have no life in them,” Channos observed at large.
“Shall I start a fight?” big Elo asked, a smile lighting his face.
“No,” Gord said, grabbing the bigger man and steering him toward the exit. “Come on, Channos. The three of us have some thinking to do.”
Hardly a fortnight later Gord rode away from the Attloi encampment in the vast prairies where the gypsies spent the summer raising, training, and selling horses. With him went his two friends, Channos and Elo. All three were heading northward to see if perhaps they couldn’t find excitement and riches in a kingdom none of them had ever been to before.
Elsewhere, some distance away, a very important man was concerning himself with the young thief. “How closely can you monitor him?” the one-eyed man asked.
Three hooded figures, unbleached linen cowls shadowing their faces, sat in tall-backed chairs. The central one spoke in reply to the one-eyed man’s query. “He seems to be unwatched by any others… at this time, at least, so we are able to follow him closely, Lord Gellor. We watch now, and will do so later too. You are needed.”
“There is trouble, then?”
“Always, constantly. This young man Gord is a difficult subject!”
“Show me, please, the course you have foreseen. I will do my utmost to serve as you direct. Enlightened Ones.”
The air shimmered as the three figures made small gestures in unison. A transparent set of images appeared in the air, as if the one-eyed Gellor were viewing a faint mirage or a ghostly vision. He knew it was neither, but rather what he saw before him was a projection of the future of the youth, a series of scenes that flashed past rapidly, an hour’s time but a minute, with sudden blurs where the trio of Enlightened Ones caused the events to go by even faster. At one point Gellor called “stop” without thinking. The three made the images halt and didn’t go on again until the one-eyed man politely, and rather sheepishly, asked them to.
Suddenly the vivid images faded into shadows, and the scene vanished. “What’s this?” Gellor gasped.
The three figures rose jerkily, crying out together.
Gellor was shocked. “Have I done something?”
“No, faithful agent, it is not you who has caused this distress,” one of the three said as all of them sat down again. The one-eyed man was surprised to note it was the leftmost figure, not the central one, who had spoken.
“It is some agency, a force to be reckoned with, which so discommoded us,” the rightmost of the trio continued to explain.
“Yet we suffered no real harm,” the central figure noted. “It was a demand for personal privacy, perhaps, but not an attack. The youth himself could never do such a thing, so we must conclude that he has other… friends.”
Gellor wanted more of an explanation, but did not press for it. He supposed that more than privacy could be involved, much more, and the force displayed could be either good or ill. Then he was drawn from his introspection by a question from the central figure. What did Gellor intend to do?
“Alert the local lord to the fact that there are bandits in his hunting preserve,” the one-eyed man replied. “The danger to Gord there is mortal unless some agency intervenes, I think,” he explained, recalling what he had seen. “That change leaves but a single likely course open, so thereafter I’m off for the realms of brigandry. I’ll position myself so as to encounter Gord there and keep my most watchful eye on him.”
Did a slight rocking on the part of the Enlightened Ones indicate they appreciated his little joke? After a couple of moments, the central figure spoke again.
“We will not scry any more now, nor will we employ any agent whose power is such as to attract notice. A black wind has just swept through the aether-it came from the void and sends eddies even here. Go swiftly. Lord Gellor. We will contact you again as needed.”
“Thank you, Enlightened Ones. I will serve as instructed and await further instructions as I proceed,” the one-eyed man said with a slight bow. Then Gellor turned and strode from the chamber and away into the night. He didn’t bother to look behind, for he knew that the place he had been in was no longer there. That was the way of the Enlightened Ones.
He had much to do, many affairs to attend to in a short time. Several crowned heads employed him as an agent, and he served them well and faithfully, to the limit prescribed by his greater duty to the Balance. That gave him perfect cover, of course. When Gellor departed at first light on the morrow it would be on business of state. Elsewhere Gellor would be recognized too, and accepted as a member in good standing of groups and organizations of less savory sort. Being a spy and agent was like that, and in truth the one-eyed man enjoyed his duty.
Several weeks later, in a dirty little town in the heart of the Bandit Kingdoms, Gellor finally met Gord. It was the beginning of a long and adventure-filled friendship.
Chapter 16
“I never thought to see you here!”
The exclamation of the young thief was filled with joy, for before him stood his friend and sometimes mentor, Gellor. “How did you find me here? No, never mind that. Come In! You can tell me everything after you’ve had a chance to sit comfortably.”
The one-eyed man smiled and clasped Gord’s arm in greeting. “It is good to meet again, eh?” As his young host led the way, he entered the suite of rooms and took a seat on a divan while Gord busied himself getting wine and goblets. The place was well and comfortably furnished but showed no trace of riches. On the contrary, it showed ample means of only average sort. The young fellow was no fool. Gellor knew that Gord could well have taken a villa and filled it with lavish trappings, lived luxuriously, and reveled. But that would have attracted attention and brought certain downfall.
“What are you doing here in Greyhawk? I thought you’d be roaming the east, doing important things at the behest of dukes and kings!”
His face betraying nothing, Gellor replied, “Perhaps I’m doing just that, Master Gord… Or perhaps there are greater lords than that directing me.”
“You are here on some affair of state or another, then?”
“Let’s just say I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d pay my respects to an old friend,” Gellor said with a warm smile. Before Gord could ask more questions, his comrade hastened on. “Since you left the east, things there have settled down into a boring state of mundane sort. During such a lull I deemed it possible to enjoy a bit of holiday, so here I am in Greyhawk.”
“I don’t believe a word of that,” Gord countered, pouring them both brimming goblets of wine. He handed one to Gellor and after both men had drunk, the young man went on. “Has it to do with the demon we slew? The evil relic called the Middle Key? Some war about to break out hereabouts? Come on, you one-eyed fox, tell me!”
“No, and yes. Possibly, and absolutely not… I am not being frivolous, Gord. Who of us can say? Neither you nor I are capable of ordering events or determining fate.” Gellor looked at his young friend, and it was evident from the expression on his face that the man’s explanation would never do. Gellor sighed and took another drink of wine. It was excellent stuff, a prime vintage of golden Keoish, and he savored it, allowing it to lave his tongue, roll on his palate, and slowly make its way on down so as to enable him to enjoy the full aftertaste as well.
Appreciating his guest’s savoring of the refreshment, Gord remained silent while Gellor relaxed and enjoyed, but he never took his eyes from the man. He was clearly waiting for more of an explanation, and would not waver until he got it, and Gellor was aware of both of those facts.