Chapter Five:
"Nothing is impossible. Anything can be accomplished with proper preparation and planning."
- PONCE DE LEON
IT was roughly twelve hours later, the start of a new day. We were still in Jahk. I was still protesting. At the very least, I was sure this latest madcap project was not in line with Aahz's instructions to stay out of trouble.
Tananda, on the other hand, insisted that it would not be any trouble-or it might not be any trouble. We wouldn't know for sure until we saw what kind of security the locals had on the statue. In the meantime, why assume the worst?
I took her advice. I assumed the best. I assumed the security would be impenetrable and that we'd give the whole idea up as a lost cause.
So it was, with different but equally high hopes, we set out in search of the statue.
The town was deathly still in the early morning light. Apparently everyone was sleeping off the prior night's festivities-which seemed a reasonable pastime, all things considered.
We did manage to find one open restaurant, however. The owner was wearily shoveling out the rubble left by the celebrating crowds, and grudgingly agreed to serve us breakfast.
I had insisted on this before setting out. I mean, worried or not. it takes more than one solid meal to counterbalance the effects of a three-day stretch without food.
"So," I declared once we were settled at the table. "How do we go about locating the statue?"
"Easy," Tananda winked. "I'll ask our host a few subtle questions when he serves our food."
As if summoned by her words, the owner appeared with two steaming plates of food, which he plopped on the table in front of us with an unceremonious klunk.
"Thanks," I nodded, and was answered with an unenthusiastic grunt.
"Say, could we ask you a couple questions?" Tananda purred.
"Such as?" the man responded listlessly.
"Such as where do they keep the statue?" she asked bluntly.
I choked on my food. Tananda's idea of interrogation is about as subtle as a flogging. I keep forgetting she's a long standing drinking partner of Aahz's.
"The statue?" our host frowned.
"The one that was being carried up and down the streets yesterday," Tananda clarified easily.
"Oh! You mean the Trophy," the man laughed. "Statue. Hey, that's a good one. You two must be new in town."
"You might say that," I confirmed dryly. I had never been that fond of being laughed at-particularly early in the morning.
"Statue, trophy, what's the difference," Tananda shrugged. "Where is it kept?"
"It's on public display in the Trophy Building, of course," the owner informed us. "If you want to see it, you'd best get started early. After five years, everyone in the city's going to be showing up for a look-see."
"How far is it to-" Tananda began, but I interrupted her.
"You have a whole building for trophies?" I asked with forced casualness. "How many trophies are there?"
"Just the one," our host announced. "We put up a building especially for it. You two must really be new not to know that."
"Just got in yesterday," I confirmed. "Just to show you how new we are, we don't even know what the trophy's for."
"For?" the man gaped. "Why, it's for winning the Big Game, of course."
"What big game?"
The question slipped out before I thought. It burst upon the conversation like a bombshell, and our host actually gave ground a step in astonishment. Tananda nudged my foot warningly under the table, but I had already realized I had made a major blunder.
"I can see we have a lot to learn about your city, friend," I acknowledged smoothly. "If you have the time, we'd appreciate your joining us in a glass of wine. I'd like to hear more about this Big Game."
"Say, that's nice of you," our host declared, brightening noticeably. "Wait right here. I'll fetch the wine."
"What was that all about?" Tananda hissed as soon as he had moved out of earshot.
"I'm after some information," I retorted. "Specifically, about the Trophy."
"I know that," she snapped. "The question is ‘Why?' "
"As a thief," I explained loftily, "I feel I should know as much as possible about what I'm trying to steal."
"Who ever told you that?" Tananda frowned. "All you want to know about a target item is how big it is, how heavy it is, and what it will sell for. Then you study the security protecting it. Learning a lot about the item itself is a handicap, not an advantage."
"How do you figure that?" I asked, my curiosity aroused in spite of myself.
My companion rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"Because it'll make you feel guilty," she explained. "When you find out how emotionally attached the current owner is to the item, or that he'll be bankrupt without it, or that he'll be killed if it's stolen, then you'll be reluctant to take it. When you actually make your move, guilt can make you hesitate, and hesitant thieves either end up in jail or dead."
I was going to pursue the subject further, but our host chose that moment to rejoin us. Balancing a bottle and three glasses in his hands, he hooked an extra chair over to our table with his foot.
"Here we go," he announced, depositing his load in front of us. "The best in the house-or the best that's left after the celebrations. You know how that is. No matter how much you stock in advance, it's never enough."
"No, we don't know," I corrected. "I was hoping you could tell us."
"That's right," he nodded, filling the glasses. "You know I still can't believe how little you know about politics."
"Politics?" I blinked. "What does the Big Game have to do with politics?"
"It has everything to do with politics," our host proclaimed mightily. "That's the point. Don't you see?"
"No," I admitted bluntly.
The man sighed.
"Look," he said, "this land has two potential capitals. One is Veygus, and this one, as you know, is Ta-hoe."
I hadn't known it, but it seemed unwise to admit my ignorance. I'm slow, but not dumb.
"Since there can only be one capital at any given time," our host continued, "the two cities compete for the privilege each year. The winner is the capital and gets to be the center of government for the next year. The Trophy is the symbol of that power, and Veygus has had it for the last five years. Yesterday we finally won it back."
"You mean the Big Game decides who's going to run the land?" I exclaimed, realization dawning at last. "Excuse my asking, but isn't that a bit silly?"
"No sillier than any other means of selecting governmental leadership," the man countered, shrugging his bony shoulders. "It sure beats going to war. Do you think it's a coincidence that we've been playing the game for five hundred years and there hasn't been a civil war in that entire time?"
"But if the Big Game has replaced civil war, then what-" I began, but Tananda interrupted.
"I hate to interrupt," she interrupted, "but if we're going to beat the crowds, we'd better get going. Where did you say the Trophy Building was, again?"
"One block up and six blocks to the left," our host supplied. "You'll know it by the crowds. I'll set the rest of the bottle aside and we can finish it after you've seen the Trophy."
"We'd appreciate that," Tananda smiled, paying him for our meal.
Apparently she had succeeded in using the right currency, for the owner accepted it without batting an eye and waved a fond farewell as we started off.
"I was hoping to find out more about this Big Game," I grumbled as we passed out of earshot.
"No, you weren't," my guide corrected.
"I wasn't? "I frowned.