Why was approaching House White feeling risky? As a bookie, Gareth obsessed over numbers and chances. Joining the Lady Necromancer had seemed like a sure thing, a way to get away from the life of breaking bones, twisting thumbs, and luring suckers with alluring odds.
In the days since leaving the Ascendant Games, on paper, House White looked great, reinvigorating old dilapidated properties. Forming connections with Hazeldown staples like Blue Faction and the Viridian Gym. Drawing prominent support from businessmen who might make them one of the first new groups with a vote in the city. So, even those who you’d think would be upset by her shaking up the old ways were giving nods and smiles.
“There is something more going on here.” The comment, not directed at anyone, drew a look from one of the staff buzzing around the manor on the far outskirts of the city, and with that glance, Gareth noted how tired the man looked.
It didn’t help the feeling in his gut, and a bookie always trusted the numbers over feelings. Feelings were only there to tell you to look at more numbers, more details, and listen to more rumors. Some of this might be nerves. The scry had focused on showing the audience less of his brains and deals with Lady White, and more on the drama of being unable to swim, costing the team a competition, facing down Eric, how Lady White gave him swimming lessons by dunking him like a drowned rat over and over again, and finally the failure that led to his departure. Who knows if her staff would accept the agreement?
Gareth moved to knock on the door, but it swung open before his fist met the wood.
The beautiful woman with rage painted on her face barged out, nearly running straight over him. Quick reflexes, he’d never had managed prior to the training and experience with the red tribe, managed to swing himself out of the way.
“Chamber maid number three only has five lines and three scenes. I’ve never been so insulted in my life! When Harmony gets back, she’ll see the value I’m bringing to her life, the interviews, dealing with the papers, my star power, and the connections I’ve built!” She yelled back through the open door as a poor imitation of a servant followed her.
He knew her. It was hard not to know Kelly White, the beggar queen of the stage, from all of the playbills and posters with her face painted on them. A timeless beauty only eclipsed by her daughter.
Gareth gave her a quick, sharp bow from the waist. It was an outrage for anyone to treat Hazeldown’s treasure that way. The emotions swirled in his chest as he felt his pulse quicken.
“See, that is how I should be treated. I can’t believe they’re still using my funds on the staff I brought in. It’s not like I’m made of money.” The actress huffed as she walked away.
Gareth found himself in that position as he slowly breathed in.
“You don’t have to stay that way. That hag has a profound effect on people who aren’t accustomed to her passive skills. So, straighten up.”
If the pitch-perfect voice hadn’t been a giveaway with the faint tweeting of birdsong rising up out of place in the midafternoon, the songstress had become nearly as recognizable as Kelly in the recent months. Long golden curls and a smile that held more attitude and passion than most people managed to produce at any point in their lives.
“Oh, um…” Gareth started a bit tongue-tied by the second celebrity he’d run into in the first few minutes since arriving.
“It’s okay, Mr. Brine, follow me. We’ve been needing an unconventional numbers man to check our paperwork. Bates has one set of experience. Our property manager, Manfried, has another, but what we really need is a fresh set of eyes and ideas.”
The touch of unease in Ambrosia’s voice sent alarm bells racing in the bookie’s mind. What kind of horror awaited? He’s seen the horrors of people's paperwork stuffed into clothing boxes, covered in rotting food, and laced with demonic influence that weakened the soul.
“Our records room.” And she turned the knob the way Gareth imagined she would twist a knife.
The door opened to a utilitarian room with clearly labeled filing cabinets, sets of paperwork in triplicate so you could search by expiration date, type of contract, or value. Walking over, Gareth pulled one open; every file was color-tabbed with a key on the inside of the drawer telling exactly what each meant. “And these are accurately organized with the correct information?”
“On my pride, I swear it.“ Ambrosia answered.
Maybe this wouldn’t be too bad?
Two Days Later…
The mess surrounding Gareth consisted mostly of crumbled bits of paper with notes, graphs, and equations. Several books were fetched at his request on topics of contract law, animal husbandry, and city council notes sat haphazardly piled to the side with pages torn out. Several had foodstains, and even burnt marks from spice sticks that he’d requested a day into the project, even though he’d quit a decade ago. The method to the madness had gone out the window hours ago.
Despite the mess, the records were crisp and undamaged, copies were checked against originals and placed back into the well-organized system that had greeted him on arrival. That wasn’t at fault; it was the information contained within them. The organization actually made it easy to read them multiple times and to go back and check things as he’d pulled up a bit of information from the equations he’d written or books he’d requested.
In those two days, he’d yet to leave the room, taking meals while he worked. “I’m ready to talk!” He yelled with a hoarse voice.
The circus keepers to this madness, Ambrosia and the serious-looking Bates stepped in as though they’d been waiting at the door. And considering what he’d been going through, they might have been waiting as a family does for a doctor talking to a sick patient they fear didn’t have long to live.
“What do you think?” Ambrosia asked politely.
“Are you bone-snapping insane! Not only is all of Harmony and Adric's income disappearing into this hole, but you and ten percent of your employees are paying into this. You’re gambling everything on a parlay of astronomically unlikely events, while mortgaging things that shouldn’t exist, while paying people in their hopes and dreams! Gareth took a long, deep breath. “Does Lady White know of this?
Ambrosia wince gave away everything.
“Our Lady is occupied at the moment and trusts our ability to get the most out of our people while finding the right ones,” Bates answered calmly.
“Bleeding, corpse-stealing, star-gazing fools. I should leave right now, but that would leave this mess solely in your hands and… and…” Moving through the water, his body calm and under control. I’m doing it! I’m doing it! Harmony’s laugh held only joy. He would make her the best. “...I can’t have that.”
“She has that effect on people,” Ambrosia notes with a smile.
“Now walk me through some of these employment agreements. This contract has a party for their niece’s next birthday as their primary payment; other than that, they’re investing in House White. I also need to know about the employee listed as livestock, only needing two hours of rest, with a note about repairs needed. If I’m going to help bury myself with you in this hole, I need all the details.”
The more Gareth Brine listened to the responses to his questions, the more he knew he was no longer a bookie, but a gambler taking the long odds. In this situation, Harmony would only say to do one thing. Cheat.
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