Garrett put down the letter, and stared at it thoughtfully. He had heard of Viktoria, an attractive woman who dealt with exotic objects and medicinals. This orientation towards nature had led some to accuse her of being a Pagan, a label that was undesirable to someone who had the ambition she was reputed to have. She had previously been the fence to a City Warden called Raputo, but had left suddenly. Rumour had it that she had forged links with a wealthy new client. Judging from the sum being offered in the letter, this would appear to be true.

He picked up the letter and read it through again. The sum was attractive, and libraries tended to be full of librarians and not guards. Even the Hammerites in this library were likely to be scholars and not warriors. Additionally, he was eager to cultivate contacts to help him in his work, or to pass on news of his work to others who would require his services. Garrett was ambitious, and while not consumed by greed he was determined to live out his life in a reasonable standard of luxury.

That was the reason why, several days later, Garrett found himself outside the library, the chill wind cutting through his skin to his bones, despite the clothes he wore. His cloak was intended only for concealment, and the clothes below were light to allow him to carry the tools of his trade. However, he was not the only one who found the cold unbearable. Outside the library stood two Hammerite guards, dressed in their red and silver clothes. Around their necks were neck-plates to protect the throat, while they each carried their trademark sledgehammer. A large instrument, heavy enough to be only wielded by the warriors of the Hammerite Order, it could inflict devastating blows to unprotected flesh, and dent the expensive armour that nobles wore. Garrett remembered a scene from his youth, where a Hammerite patrol had been prevented from arresting a citizen by a contingent of the City Guard. Facing six swords, the Hammerites had attacked, using their sledgehammers to beat aside the weaker blades and crush the skulls of the Guards. By the time that the sole remaining member had retreated, the two Hammerites had killed the remaining five without a single injury to themselves.

The gate that the Hammerites guarded was typical of their unique architectural style. As if fearing attack from the Pagans or revolting citizens, the Hammerites built their installations like fortresses, with thick, crenelated walls and large towers. The gate was flanked on both sides by thick, squat towers, their tops only slightly higher than the level of the surrounding battlements. The entrance was small, and blocked by a heavy portcullis controlled by the gatehouse above. Through the archer slits in the walls, Garrett could see powered lights that seemed to flash on and off as the archers walked in front of them on their patrols. In a frontal attack, the library would only fall through a siege or total destruction of its defences. However, Garrett was not planning to enter the building through the front gate.

He knelt, his cloak forming a black puddle of cloth on the floor, and reached out his hands to lever back the drain cover inset in the floor. The sewers were normally reached through the district maintenance stations, but certain sections of the City's sewers possessed manholes, to enable the workers to climb down and eliminate problems. Although intended to be locked and bolted, the Department of Public Works assumed that no-one would want to climb down into the sewers, and so did not replace the locks when they rusted away and fell off.

The cover opened with a scream of protesting hinges, and Garrett quickly slipped into the hole beneath to avoid being seen. He closed the cover behind him, and found himself standing on a platform several feet above the main sewage tunnel, with a ladder leading down to the walkways that flanked it.

Garrett dropped down on to the walkway, and looked around. The sewage level in the main channel was low, evidence of the recent shortage of water that the entire region had been experiencing. The small amount of food that was grown in the local area had raised the prices for it enormously, and meant that now only the rich could afford it. As a result the stench was minimal and bearable, and would hopefully not leave a distinctive odour on his clothes. He stepped along the walkway, his footfalls loud against the roughly cut and dressed stone. His hand slipped inside his cloak, and emerged with a sheet of rough parchment. The archives of the Department of Public Works were well guarded to prevent the misuse of its maps in this manner, but Garrett had contacts who could procure the necessary plans - for a price. Most of his working budget went towards purchasing maps for the jobs he was contracted to do. Although expensive, it gave him a valuable lead over his competitors.

His map in hand, Garrett navigated his way towards his objective, using the faint light of the infrequent torches and his own hand to guide him. Eventually he reached the side tunnel, a smaller sewer with no walkways or lamps that branched out from the main sewer. It was blocked by a metal grate, its bars rusted and old. It was a work of moments to use his sword to smash open the padlock that held it shut, and then to push the grate open so as to allow him to access it. Thankfully the tunnel's floor was curved in such a way that Garrett could walk along it without dirtying his feet. Although he was not fastidious by nature, he was reluctant to dirty his feet in a way that would leave distinctive footmarks and make him easy to smell.

Eventually Garrett reached the end of the tunnel, and found himself inside the privy of the library. While not the most elegant way to enter such an institution of learning, he had decided that it would promote longevity to avoid taking on the guards at the entrance to the it. He took out his short-bow, and reached into his quiver to draw out his sole rope arrow. He had been relying on the Hammerites using wood as their ceiling - although he had planned how to get in if the ceiling was stone, he was reluctant to go to such extremes to enter. The rope arrow impacted in the roof, and the line extended downwards through the hole to Garrett. Sending up a mental prayer to the Watchman that no-one walk in, he climbed on the rope and hauled his way up. Gradually his head, and then his shoulders, emerged through the hole, allowing him to see that the place was unoccupied and lit by a flickering torch that could be extinguished if the need arose. The room itself was remarkable only in its ordinarity, with a flagstone floor, stone walls and a wooden roof. The walls were bare stone, undecorated with either carvings or tapestries, while the only furniture was the wooden board with the hole in it through which Garrett had come.

He crept over to the door of the room and listened. Faintly he heard the sound of footsteps on stone floor, footsteps that decreased in volume as the guard presumably walked away. Garrett opened the door, and peered out into the corridor. It was similar in construction to the room he was in presently, but the floor had carpet runners, and wooden panels covered the walls above waist height. Torch lights flickered in inset holders. At the moment all was quiet, but Garrett knew that he would have to move quickly, for Hammerites were patrolling the corridors.

Mentally recalling his map of the place, he slipped out of the door, shut it behind him, and then made his way down the corridor. He had decided that the most likely place it would be in the 'Ancient History' section of the library - the most obvious section, 'Pagans', was no longer in existence, and its books had been re-distributed among the many remaining sections. However, the quickest route to the necessary section required passing through the 'Technology' section of the library. While the bookcases would provide good cover, Garrett would have much preferred to take the longer, but safer route through the reading rooms and the scribe's quarters. However, speed was of the essence, due to the fact that he wanted to be far away from the library before the Hammerites became aware of the book's absence.

He walked down the corridor, finally finding the correct door. In the background he could hear muted footsteps of a guard, footsteps that increased in volume as the guard drew nearer and nearer. Garrett never made it his practice to walk into rooms without listening at the door first, but the need to disappear before the guard arrived made him ignore his instincts, open the door, and slip in. Thankfully the area on the other side of the door was deeply shaded, and he quietly walked into it, shutting the door behind him to avoid arousing suspicion. The door to 'Ancient History' was on the other side of the room, and Garrett began to move towards it, taking care to stay in the shadows as much as possible. He had just moved out of them when he heard the sound of footsteps that drew nearer and louder, until they finally stopped just on the other side of the bookcase. Garrett froze with fear, hardly daring to breathe. Then two voices began to speak, and he realised with horror that there were two Hammerites on the other side of the bookcase, having a conversation just feet away from him;

"So, Brother Karras, dost thy work on thine new security cameras proceed well?"

"Indeed, Brother Dovetail. Master Forger Garacon hath expressed great satisfaction on the functioning of them. I have even heard that mine work hast been chosen to be installed in Cragscleft!"

"Truly this is news! Thou hast solved the problems thou didst experience with them?"

"Aye, the cameras do now function as the Builder intended. Indeed, I do want to make further improvements to them, but the accursed Master Forger Masonson hast prohibited me from it!"

"Why, Brother Karras?"

"Oh, he didst say that mine ideas are too unconventional, that the Master Builder hast given us the technology and that it is not our purpose to improve on it. His lack of vision infuriates me. The Builder didst give us hands to work with, and didst give us the brains to improve the machines that were His gift to us. Are we to be like the Pagans, who use not their brains and so still build their houses of wood?!"

"Hush, Brother! Thine passion for our Order does indicate the depths of thine faith, but is't that thou is thinking of defying the wishes of the Master Forgers, even the High Priest? Aye, the Master Builder gave us His machines and His blessing, but thou cans't seriously be so radical as to rebel against our superiors. For 'tis their task to interpret the Builder's word, and ours to follow it. If thou dost continue with thine attitude, thou willst find thyself closer to thine security cameras than thou dost wish to. Cragscleft is the only destination for those who choose to doubt the Builder's commands, or those whom He has chosen as our leaders!"

"I know, Brother Dovetail, I know. Yet, I cannot rid myself of these thoughts. I even have plans for a greater security measure, with great cameras of copper and brass that move by themselves and can do more actions than just raise the alarm. Our theology does not allow for such radical machines, but I feel..."

"Brother Karras, if thou art to continue this diatribe against our theology I will have no choice but to speak of thee to the Master Forger. As the Master Builder says, 'When thou dost consort with thieves thou dost become one in the eyes of those who see'. I have no wish to end up in the cell beside thee. I bid thee good night, and warn thee that if thine attitude persists thou may be meeting the Master Builder earlier than thou dost hope for!"

Abruptly the conversation ended, with the sound of a single set of footsteps wandering away. The other priest remained behind. From the lisping voice Garrett decided that it was Brother Karras, for that was how the voice had been addressed by the other priest. He was preparing to move on towards the door when suddenly the one behind him opened. He spun round quickly, to see a Hammerite guard walking through the door. In his hand was a sledgehammer. Aware that he only had moments to act, Garrett drew his sword its scabbard inside his cloak, and ran at the man. The Hammerite was quick to see him, and let out a call for help that must have alerted the entire compound. Garrett feinted with the sword, and thrust at the man, but the Hammerite was proficient with his weapon and responded with a parry that blocked the attack. With his sword pushed away the thief's flank was open, and the Hammerite took advantage of this. He thrust his sledgehammer towards Garrett's head with a roar. The thief tried to avoid him, but the heavy metal head caught him just above the ear, and knocked him to the ground. Garrett landed heavily, and felt the world grow black as the Hammerite loomed over him.

When Garrett came to he found himself in a cell. The walls were stained white with water, the floor brown with mud, and the ceiling black with soot. The bars of the cell were rusted but strong, and deeply inset into the stone of the floor and ceiling. He was lying on a mound of earth covered with straw. A small pit in the corner stank abominably, while the floor was stained with ominous patches of dried, crusted blood.

Suddenly, there was movement in the cell next over. A groan came from it, and Garrett looked over to see a pale man emerge from beneath the straw of the bed. He was dark-haired and medium in size, with soft hands that were stained with ink. His clothes were those of a clerk, but were ripped and torn, probably from when the Hammerites had taken him into custody. His eyelids gradually flickered open, and he lay for a long time looking at the ceiling, breathing shallowly. Then, with a curse, he rolled over and saw Garrett for the first time. The man was ill, that was plain, but seemed to be strong enough to talk.

Garrett normally kept to himself, but the man had no such inhibitions. He said that his name was Giry, and that he had formerly had a job tending the ticket counter at the City's opera house. Fired after Lady Valerius had taken over the job of managing the opera house from her rival Raoul, he had been forced to live on the streets. However, the Hammerites had arrested him after a failed attempt to earn a living as a pickpocket. He needed money to bribe a worker for a key to a Department of Public Works sewer maintenance building. Like the Downwinders, Giry had found a secret passage below it that would be perfect to live in.

Giry's conversation was cut short by the arrival of a Hammerite guard. Gloating, the guard came and stood by the cells, just out of reach.

"So," he said. "You are to be the newest arrivals at Cragscleft. I canst see that mine brethren will be very busy for a time - most probably a short time".

Chapter 4 / Chapter 6 / Go back to Fanworks