‘When does this new Game start?’
‘Next Week. You don’t want to come do you?’
Schmidt gave a bark of laughter. ‘I know this will probably be hard for you to understand, Lex, but that Game is honestly not something I ever want to repeat.’
‘Yes, that’s what Lucius said,’ Lex said looking puzzled. ‘I don’t understand it myself.’
He held up his wrist to show the two familiar Binding Bracelets. ‘That’s why I’m wearing these signs,’ he said as he gestured at the signs Schmidt had commented on earlier. There was one on his back and one on his chest, both displaying the same message in thick, black letters: PLEASE DON’T TOUCH ME — I’M A LEPER. ‘I’ve got to be careful not to touch anyone until I find a companion. Any ideas?’
‘As a matter of fact, yes,’ Schmidt said with a smile. ‘The Wither City has been buzzing with stories about you over the last few months. You did a lot of new things. There’s probably about a hundred people who now check in daily with the Guild of Chroniclers to try and offer their services to you in the hopes that you might go exploring or get called for another Game after the success of the last one. I understand that the previous Head of the Guild retired on the membersip fees they received from people joining in the hope of getting to go on a Game with you.’
A broad grin of pure delight spread across Lex’s face at the lawyer’s words. ‘Well, what can I say? My main goal in life has always been to make other people happy or to enable them to retire. That’s the kind of selfless guy I am. I think I’ll take a little stroll over to the Guild of Chroniclers. You’ll be sorry you didn’t come though,’ Lex said, pulling his hood back up over his head. ‘This time we’re playing against Thaddeus, the enchanters’ God and Kala, Goddess of the Stars. It’ll be a blast. Well, so long, Mr Schmidt. I would shake your hand but… you know,’ Lex gestured at the bracelets on his wrist, ‘it would be much more hassle than it’s worth for the sake of a courtesy.’
He waved and turned away from the monument to weave his way down the steps. When he reached the bottom and started to make his way across the square to the large white building that housed the Chroniclers’ Guild, people on all sides quickly — almost magically — seemed to part for him as soon as they read the signs stuck to his clothes. It’s usually a pretty safe bet that no one wants to become a leper and have their hands and feet drop off.
Lex smiled to himself as he opened the large wooden doors and stepped inside, in search of the Chronicler who would make his name famous — or even more famous — across the provinces. At that moment it very much looked like his grandfather’s wish would soon be fulfilled and that The Chronicles of Lex Trent would indeed one day line library bookshelves, teaching a whole new generation of children that if you really wanted to win you absolutely had to be prepared to cheat.