Tillam's Thoughts 1

10-2-1758VR

Tillam, sat in atrium and sipped his drink. It was raw outside but the alcohol helped to warm him. It also helped keep his head clear and he had a lot to think about. It had been a rough few days. He began to sort through the events. First there was the damage to repair to his house. But at least the trap worked, it is a shame when a security man cannot discuss or show the success of his traps. But still it works and helped even the odds. Well as much as the odds could have been evened. That “man” if he can be called that was strong and fast. He gave me a good drubbing. All because of something my father stole? I wonder if it has to do with the “Punchline” affair. That had the SPQV on my doorstep that morning and early as well. The two things almost have to be connected. Dad wasn’t a thief. I am, but he could barely run a business let alone become a privateer and take a ship.

He sighed, took another sip and began to organize himself and his thoughts better. There is a lot to work out and the new job with Alexi and the Tiapetra’s. No, I can’t get distracted. First things first look at the past sort it out so I can deal with the future.

Last night a tall and incredibly strong “man”. named Maliekas. picked my masterful lock. He came in with 2 thugs. I don’t know why he hired the thugs they were completely unnecessary. They proved it by falling for the trap. One died and the other broke a leg. I suppose that’s why. To a “man” like Maliekas hiring thugs to trigger a trap instead of him was worth it. He was certainly looking for me, but I don’t know what his intentions were. Who holds up a man by the neck and then interrogates him? How did he expect me talk? Then with the pummeling. I’m just glad he missed me once in the dark. Probably means he can’t see in it. After the miss I got him talking. He wanted to know where my father was. I was starting to get some information from him until Aunt Fiora came bursting out her room like crazy bat she is. What did she think she was doing? She could have impaled me. All while I was getting the situation under control. Clearly, Fiora wasn’t thinking I’ll have to try and have a talk with her. Things are getting dangerous.

Back to events though, I got him talking about why he was there. He wanted information on Dad’s where abouts. I couldn’t give him anything because the old codger took off 19 months ago. I thought it was to find a quiet place to die. Apparently not! So Maliekas having revealed that information and easily dodging Fiora’s wild charge knocks here out and tells me ominously we will meet again to discuss the retrieval of what my father stole.

Tillam mulls those events over, then drinks a little more. After he took off, I began inspecting the carnage. The cantilever works dropping 120lbs of pain onto the would be thugs. One was crushed to other lamed. I learned Maliekas’name from him and that Maliekas either is or was once a priest. The lame duck also told me they got paid half in advance. I didn’t want to deal with the consequence or disposal of 2 dead bodies so I made him think he was getting off with a good bargain keeping his gold and crawling away. Maybe one day if I need a cheap thug that owes me the rest of his life I’ll try to collect that debt. But what to do with the body? I got lucky there. Xan “Sausage Fingers” was around sniffing at what might be scavenged from my shop. Seeing as I was still alive he seemed a touch disappointed. But I was able to convince him to come by at the start of his rat catching duties to pick-up some free rat bait. So at least the body wasn’t hard to get rid of. And he had some things on him. Hopefully the fillings and 5 of dinar can repair the damage to the stairs and banister.

That morning was almost as scary though. I open the shop to find an SPQV at the door. Don’t know if he saw anything interesting there. But he was looking for me. He wanted to know if I knew about my father’s location. Since I wasn’t much help he attempted to ply me with information to see if I’d let anything slip. It seems dad may or may not have had some correspondence dealing with a ship called the “Punchline” it was very unclear if he helped privateer the ship or if he had other dealings with it. But the SPQV wanted what information I could get. I asked Auntie to see if there were any notes in the old books. She kept them so hopefully she’ll know and find them within the next 3 days before SQPV Wren comes back.

My day went rather smoothly after that, until a very awkward thug, Giovani Benecheck, strong-armed me into being a security man on a job. His leverage was, the last of dad’s old debts, I got the ballooned interest cut down. At least it seems unlikely they’d kill me after the job is done. The deal wasn’t too good. After the job I’ll still have the principal balance to pay off. But it is something. Giovani told me to await a tall unkempt gutter Bruthalese named Alexi. The job could be interesting lots of new construction so the countermeasures are new but also likely untried. It will be a test my skills and probably everyone else’s as well.

Finishing his glass, Tillam, looks sadly at it. Then smiles, Alexi Patrovovich, is what I was told to expect. He’s trying to hard to not be a street kid. But the details of the job are very unclear. He’s still putting together the team. What I know is this: The house belongs to a man named Ferante. It is a villa in Stabientia and has canal access. The building is a guarded compound and we need to get in to find a vault inside to retrieve a box that belongs to Ferante’s son Septimo. It seems unlikely Ferante made this money as the barge pilot he claims to be. I’ve advised Alexi to find some muscle and get more information on the man. I also got Xan hired on to get us into the building he know the sewers of Stabientia and with luck will help us avoid notice getting in. I think we should have at least 2 exits one of them being a boat on the canal the other going back into the sewers. If we rabbit onto the streets the odds are in Ferante’s favor because I don’t doubt a man that owns a compound also own some of the men and buildings around.

With one last look at his empty glass, Tillam stands, straightens himself out. He claps warmth back into his hands. He has a meeting to go to and call him many things but never late for dinner.