Free Faerie Wars 01 - Faerie Wars by Herbie Brennan

greatest plan to glorious fruition, the next his hopes were shattered. Beleth was gone. The boy was gone. All his expensive equipment was broken. It would take him weeks to replace it -- weeks! No matter how much he paid, it would take him weeks! But he still had the book. That was something. And the contract. Although he didn't really like to think about the contract. The contract had a penalty clause.

    'I insist you speak to me! I insist, Silas! I absolutely, positively insist!' Chalkhill stamped a slippered foot in the extremity of his frustration.

    Brimstone sighed. 'They took him away.'

    'Who took him away? Why didn't you stop them?'

    'I didn't stop them because there were four of them and one of me. I didn't stop them because they were the Emperor's Guard. That's why I didn't stop them.'

    Chalkhill blinked. 'The Emperor's Guard? The Purple Emperor's Guard?'

    'What other Emperor is there?' Brimstone snapped. He wished the fat idiot would go away. He needed time to think, to plan. He needed to decide the best thing to do next.

    'What's the Purple Emperor want with that boy?'

    'How should I know? Maybe you should write a letter and ask him.'

    'You're being horrid, Silas. Imagine what a disappointment this has been to me.'

    Brimstone decided on diplomacy. 'To us both, Jasper, to us both. But what was I supposed to do -- defy an order from the Purple Emperor?'

    'They had an order? From the Emperor himself?'

    T don't know if it was from the Emperor himself. Maybe they print out those things by the dozen. All I know is they waved a bit of parchment underneath my nose, then marched him away.'

    'Did you read it?' Chalkhill asked.

    Brimstone stared at him as if he was insane. 'What am I -- a lawyer? These were the Emperor's men!' Actually he was sorry now he hadn't read it. Might have given him some clue to what was so special about this boy. First Beleth wanted him, now the Purple Emperor.

    Brimstone walked across the room and took Chalkhill by the arm. He made a massive effort to put sympathy and reassurance into his voice. 'Look, Jasper, give me time to clean things up in here, then I'll work out some way to get the boy back.'

    'You will?'

    'That boy broke into our premises. He stole several of our cats. Heaven alone knows what other damage he may have caused.' Brimstone nodded soberly. 'He broke the law, Jasper. That may give us prior claim. I don't know why the Emperor wants him, but we may have prior claim. Even His Supreme Majesty is not above the law. What I'd like you to do, Jasper, is give me half an hour to clean things up in here, then send Glanville and Grayling to my office -- '

    'Our lawyers?'

    'Yes,' Brimstone nodded patiently, 'that Glanville and Grayling. I'll have them prepare a petition -- a legal petition.' He stared at Chalkhill for some clue he was following this. 'A petition to the Emperor, you understand. With a little luck, we could have the boy back here within a day.'

    'You really think so, Silas?'

    'I really do, Jasper,' Brimstone lied.

    Brimstone's office was nothing like that of his partner. It was far smaller, more cluttered, gloomy and dusty. Every wall was lined with ancient tomes of sorcery and demonology, books that had taken a lifetime to collect. Brimstone's desk was a sea of parchment texts and the antique wooden floor an obstacle course of bulging folders and files. Brimstone himself was playing with a Hand of Glory when Glanville and Grayling marched in.The lawyers might have been twins. They were both small, pot-bellied men with very little hair. They both wore three-piece suits and highly polished shoes. Both carried elephant-hide briefcases with ornate 'G' monograms embossed in gold leaf on the side. Both wore rimless spectacles and both were trying unsuccessfully to grow moustaches. They looked around vainly for somewhere to sit and sighed together when they didn't find it.

    'Jasper Chalkhill claims you wish to see us,' Glanville said.

    'Alleges you have work for