Antioch 1293
King Jan was back in the library. It was late and near closing time. The robed figure was off around a corner at a table. Far enough to not be noticed but close enough to hear the King talk to Gunther about the legislation he was planning for the next Diet.
"It looks like things are looking good for this CA! I've got the Kaiser's blessing. Arnold is very much for it. Lothar approves of it. I haven't told Ansehelm yet but he is open to talking about it once I get it more polished up which is much more than I expected from him. Since this so obviously favors the Dukes, I just need to get them on board. They'll hopefully make their own people support it. Outremer will become the responsibility of the whole Reich. The Dukes will become real partners in the project. As it should be. Without them, its just a matter of time before people call for us to end this experiment and come home."
The robed figure grew more alarmed at what he was hearing. He thought to himself, I knew my boss was a fool to ignore my warnings about King Jan. If the Dukes are truly this close to getting on board with his plan, our plans are in peril. I need to report in at once! The man got up to leave. As he rounded the corner, he ran straight into Max who stood squarely in his way.
"Ah, our friend took the bait", the robed figure heard behind him. He turned and saw the King standing there with Gunther at his side. He was trapped. The King looked at him and said, "its time you and I had a little chat." The three men led the robed figure around the library and down into the basement. They all arrived in a small room with a table and two chairs. The King sat in one chair and motioned for the robed man to sit in the other. Gunther stood by the door and leaned against it. Max stood behind the King.
"First off, whats your name son?", the King started off.
"R-R-r-robert!", the spy rambled off. He was new and inexperienced. He was caught off-guard with the turn of events.
"Ok, Robert. Here is what is going to happen. I'm going to explain what I know. Then your going to fill me in on what I don't know. Then, your going to leave here alive. Clear?", the King said evenly and with confidence.
"Um...I don't know anything. I was just sitting at the table reading. You must have me mixed up with someone else.", Robert stammered off.
"I'm disappointed in you Robert. Larisa implied you guys were incompetent but I didn't think they would send someone so inexperienced to trail me. It was probably because I am not considered to be much of a threat. Elberhard and Matthias probably have the experienced spies trailing them. Its nice to be underestimated... ," said Jan as he watched carefully for Robert's reaction.
"I don't know anyone named Larisa," shot back Robert but his face had quickly betrayed surprise at the mention of a name he recognized.
"Yes, Larisa. Her and I had a little talk. She told me much about your group. She told me that King Salier was poisoned and your group had a role in it. She knew because she worked for you. She also told me that your group had targeted Hans next but she tipped him off. Since she told me, I have been digging into things. I have researched into Salier's last battle and he behaved quite strangely as a general before he fell. I had Salier's body exhumed in order to look for poison but I couldn't find a trace. I was however able to start noticing that I have been followed where ever I go. So, here we are." The King concluded the story and did not add the rest. But he thought to himself, At the end of that meeting Larisa offered to whore herself to me but got a pistol pointed at her for her troubles. She was partly responsible for Salier's death and I should have killed her then and there. But, that would have been no way to honor Salier's name. Maybe by using her information to catch his killers, I can bring some good out of her evil past.
Through all of this, Robert was silent. "I don't know what your talking about," he said indignantly.
Jan sighed and reached into his cloak. He pulled out a box and set it on the table. He opened the box and Robert saw a bramble of twigs that formed a circle. Being Catholic, Robert knew what he was looking at. "Are you a religious man?", the King asked.
"Um...I haven't been to church in years," stammered Robert as Jan handed the Crown of Thorns off to Max.
"God remembers you," Jan said as Max walked over to Robert. "This belonged to my predecessor. Salier was a good and decent man. I believe you know something about his murder. Salier was also a very holy man. He was better than you or I. But, we get chances in life to atone. To repent our sins. Jesus died for our sins.", with that, Max set the Crown upon Robert's head. Robert just sat there as still as a statue.
Robert thought all about what Jan had just said to him. All about his life. All about what sat on his head. His head itched yet he dared not move. Robert silently started to cry. Tears ran down his cheeks. Jan nodded to Max who carefully took the Crown off of Roberts head and put it back in the box. Robert told the King everything he knew which wasn't much. But, he did give the King the address and details of the den that he reported to.
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A few days later
Jan walked down the streets of Antioch with Max, Gunther, and a company of Teutonic Knights. Jan didn't know how much the criminal gang had infiltrated Imperial bureaucracy and didn't want to tip them off by calling up army units. Jan and the Teutonic Knights in this area had a long past and they gladly formed up when Max went to the Order House in Aleppo with the King's request.
The large burly man guarding the door to the gang's den heard the knocks come in the right place in the right order. He opened the door and was knocked aside by large Teutonic Knights.
The same older man from before was sitting in the den counting stacks of money per usual. He heard the knocks and thought that Robert had finally come to report in. Good, I was wondering when he would finally show up. He's late and I think I'll dock him some pay.
In the den, at least a dozen men were sitting at tables drinking and smoking hashish. As they heard the commotion up front, they all clambered up from their tables. The knights ran down the hallway and entered the den. The front rank kneeled and put their shields out as the second rank leveled crossbows over their shoulders. Bolts shot out and found their marks. Five of the criminals fell instantly. As the second rank reloaded, the front rank got up and moved forward as one, slicing through their adversaries. Through the commotion, the older man ran to the secret exit as his men bought him a few precious seconds. He opened the spot in the wall that was really a door and came face to face with the King of Outremer. After taking heavy losses and seeing they were surrounded, the rest of the criminals dropped their weapons. The King looked at the older man and said, "please have a seat. We are going to have a little chat."
The older man gave up. Gunther and Max appeared from behind the King and expertly frisked the older gentleman. After being frisked, he turned around and sat at the table. The King took a seat across from him with Max and Gunther standing behind him. The knights gathered their prisoners and marched them out leaving the four men alone to talk.
"Whats your name?", asked the King. He was met with silence. "Are you a religious man?", the King asked as he took out the box from his cloak.
Finally the older man spoke. "Save your piety for someone who gives a damn Jan. You have my attention. What do you want?"
Jan looked at the man sizing him up. "Well, the Lord cares about you regardless of how you feel. But, your right, lets get to the point. I want information on your group's involvement with the murder of King Salier. You might not care about what God thinks. And you might be gambling that I won't kill you since you undoubtedly know my reputation. But, I imagine that you don't want to spend your remaining years in a cell. If you tell me what you know, and leave Outremer for good, you will walk out of here. If you don't, I will see that you rot in prison for the rest of your life for your crimes. Don't test me on this. Salier was like a father to me."
The older man sat and thought for a moment. "Very well, it seems you have me in a tight spot my King. We're a cell. There are many of us and we're set up to be independent of the other cells. We deal in criminal rackets and what-not. We were tapped to provide support in Antioch for whatever the higher-ups have planned. Having you followed was one example. We also followed Salier. We helped trail him and set up logistical support for a couple of attempts on his life. But, both attacks on him occurred outside of Antioch so we had nothing to do with it beyond what information we gathered here. In the meantime, we busy ourselves with the usual criminal enterprises."
The King sat back as he took everything in. "So, if your all cells, who is coordinating all of this?"
The older man shrugged. "I don't know. Thats why they use cells. The Holy Roman Empire has many enemies. Take your pick. Sure, I know some rumors here and there but I don't really know what is going on."
Jan replied, "Like what rumors? Surely you report your information to someone."
"We use dead-drops. I don't know who acts on our information. I've only heard a name. Supposedly he is one of the people coordinating things in Outremer but I don't think he is in charge. He used to be on Kaiser Henry's staff and they had a falling out," said the older man calmly.
The King stared right at the older man and said with a deadly seriousness, "give me the name."
The older man replied, "Dusan."
Re: Stories thread - King of the Romans PBM
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