In The Cards

The Two of Swords often implies deceit, falsehood and people living a lie. When it crosses your path, somebody is usually trying to deceive you. Of course, given the very nature of the card, the person you think is doing that may not be the one who in fact is, or at least not the only one.

Excerpt from ‘The Chaltar Deck of Cards – An Introduction’

There had been bad Readings before, but none of them had left her feeling like this. Once she came out of her trance, Zaerini huddled on the bed in her room, hugging her cat, trying in vain to make the memory of the pain go away. The Devil… She sobbed quietly, trying not to think about it, but in vain. If that happens for real I don't know…I don't know how I'll go on. It can't be real! It mustn't! Shivering, she cradled her familiar closer, trying to draw comfort from the cat's presence. It helped, at least a little bit.

Kitten, Softpaws said, sounding very worried. I think you need to talk to somebody about this.

I can't! He…he hurt me, he made me…he made me…I can't even think about it. How can I take the words in my mouth when I can't even think about it?

You have to! They're your friends, they'll want to help you. You know that.

But what can they do? I don't even know who the Devil is supposed to be. Only what…what he wants. Softy, it pleased him. What he did to me. Sarevok wants me dead, but this…this is so much worse. He wanted me to suffer, and be afraid, and humiliated.

There was the equivalent of a sigh in the cat's mental voice. Oh kitten. There are some people like that, you know. I'll do anything to keep him from harming you, you know that. But remember, it may not be literal. It may mean something else.

I suppose you're right. I hope so.

It was at this moment that Imoen entered the room, with a bright smile on her lips that probably would have fooled most people. Not Rini though. She knew her best friend, and she could tell when Imoen was trying to be brave about something. "Immy?" she cautiously said, hastily wiping the traces of tears away from her own eyes. "How…how did your talk with Adahn go?"

"Oh," Imoen said as she bent down to pull off her boots. "He was very…nice." Her pink hair fell forward to obscure her face, but there was a definite catch in her voice. "Very…very nice about everything."

Rini's heart instantly went out to her friend, and she temporarily forgot about her own worries. "Oh Immy…" she said, as she got off the bed and gave her friend a big hug. "I'm so sorry. Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"He…he…he told me that he was sorry. And that there was somebody else." The young thief sniffed loudly. "I guess I should have known better than to think somebody that cute and clever wouldn't be taken. Rini, I feel so stupid!"

"Of course you're not stupid. I don't think you're stupid. Nobody thinks you're stupid. And if they did, I'd smack them till they were very sorry. There's nothing stupid about falling in love."

"I…I guess." Imoen sighed. "Well, at least he isn't mad at me about That Picture anymore, and we can still be friends. That's something." Then she looked up, only to notice her friend's red and puffy eyes. "Rini? What's wrong?"

Now it was the bard's turn to look away. "It…was my Reading," she said. "Sarevok's diary too, but the Reading most of all. It was bad, Immy. Real bad. I'm sorry, but I just can't talk about it. Not right now."

"I'm sorry, sis," Imoen said, gently touching her friend's cheek. "You know…when you do want to talk about it, I'll always be ready to listen."

Zaerini smiled faintly. "Thanks Immy," she said. "That means more than you'll ever know." Then she paused. "Immy? I know this is a great big room, with great big beds…but I just thought…how about if we do what we used to do in Candlekeep, when one of us had a nightmare or something? I don't think either of us really wants to be alone right now."

"Sure," Imoen said, smiling back. "I think that's a great idea." That settled, both girls undressed and settled into one of the two beds, where they curled up tightly against each other. Nestled against her best friend and with Softpaws purring contentedly right next to her, it wasn't all that long before Zaerini fell asleep. And despite everything, she didn't even have any nightmares that she could remember afterwards.

The next morning the adventurers set out for the Seven Suns trading house, in the south-western part of the city. Rini had given her friends a brief summary of the contents of Sarevok's diary, concentrating on his plans for divinity and leaving out most of the personal details. Maybe her brother was her enemy, but that didn't mean she wanted to let everybody in on all his secrets. Before they could reach the Seven Suns though, a loud and insistent voice sounded behind them.

"Why, as I live and breathe! So good to see you, my friends!" It was Aldeth Sashenstar, the noble they had encountered in the Cloakwood forest and assisted against some Shadow Druids. He was just coming out of a wealthy-looking house across the street, and was beaming brightly at them. "I am so glad to have met you, especially at a time like this. I need to speak with you privately; will you listen to what I have to say?"

"How odd," Edwin remarked. "For some strange reason I get the feeling this little chat will involve a request for us to perform some dangerous task for you, getting little or no payment in return. (And in case that's not what you wanted to ask, then the answer is that I do write autographs, but you'll have to pay for one.)"

"Let's give the man a chance, why don't we?" Zaerini said. Then she turned to Aldeth. "All right, I suppose there's no harm in listening to what you have to say. As long as you understand that we've promised nothing else yet."

"Certainly, certainly," the nobleman said. "Please, follow me. This building behind me is the Merchant's League, I'll show you inside to my office. Thank you so much."

The Merchant's League was a certainly richly decorated, Zaerini thought, in mostly various dark shades of red, and with spotless marble floors. Aldeth led them inside his office, offering some refreshments, and then chatting nervously about the weather, the recent rumours of war, and those pesky Shadow Druids.

"We have done as you asked," Jaheira eventually said. "Now I suggest you get to the point."

Aldeth cleared his throat, looking a little embarrassed. "To tell the truth, I don't know exactly what my problem is," he said. "I only know that there is one, and that it's getting worse and worse. You know that I am one of the principal shareholders of the Merchant's Consortium. Well, I share ownership of the company with two others: Irlentree and Zorl Miyar, two very distinguished gentlemen. When I returned from my hunting trip -thanks to you, I might add- I found that my two partners had gone under some profound changes, nothing physical or overt, but something far more sinister."

"Like what?" Imoen asked.

"It's...as if my partners had become wholly different people while I was gone. They almost take an active interest in squandering our company's resources on frivolous and stupid ideas. If they continue on this course the company will be in shambles in but a few weeks. I know you have already helped me once, but I ask for your assistance again. I have no other recourse."

"Different people, eh?" Zaerini said. The images of her Reading were coming back to her. The Two of Swords. That merchant and the doppelganger. And Sarevok's diary spoke of the same thing. Doing this would not only help out Aldeth, it would help muck up my brother's plans as well. "I think I can guess what we may be dealing with here," she said. "Sure, we'll see what we can do."

"Thank you," Aldeth fervently said. "Thank you so much. I'll tell everybody that you're childhood friends of mine, come to visit. That should allay all suspicions."

Rini gave her friends a long look. Two heavily armed half-elves. One friendly looking old dwarf. A pink-haired girl, very much the nobleman's junior. A Red Wizard. And then herself. "I think perhaps," she said, "That it would be better if you were to tell them that we're business associates than childhood friends. No offence meant."

There was something eerie about the Merchant’s Consortium, Rini thought. Something heavy and oppressive in the air, just out of reach. Nothing was out in the open, but she could sense it all the same. A few of the merchants she passed in the halls seemed apprehensive, as if they too knew that something was wrong. Others smiled at her, their faces frank and guileless, and those she didn’t trust at all. I wonder if Durlag sensed something was amiss before the attack, or if it came as a complete surprise.

The adventurers had decided to start at the top floor and work their way down, and there they found a large banquet hall. Several long tables were being set for a grand feast, and an old merchant with a silvery beard was walking along them, overseeing the work of the servants. Once he noticed Zaerini and her friends, he gave them a kindly smile. “Greetings, guests,” he said. “ I must assume that you are the friends that have had Aldeth so excited. I must introduce myself: I am Irlentree, one of Aldeth's partners in business.”

“Hello,” Imoen said. “What’s the occasion?”

The old man smiled again. “The company is celebrating the anniversary of Aldeth’s stay with us. We’re planning a few interesting little surprises. And I’m certain everybody would be happy to have you join in the festivities.”

“Oh, I’m certain you would,” Edwin said. “Would that be as starters or as the main course?”

Irlentree blinked, but there was no trace of surprise on his face. “I’m not sure what you mean to imply, my friend.”

“Really?” Rini said. “Then I’m sure you won’t mind if me and my friend here cast some extra strong divination spells on you, will you? Just to make certain your surprises are nice ones.”

Irlentree’s face twisted with fury, and then it rippled and changed. “You will pay for your interferenssssse!” he hissed. “Brotherssss! Attack!” Then the apparent merchant shifted form completely, into that of a hideous gray-skinned doppelganger, and so did the servants setting the tables. They were neither as strong nor as swift as the ones in Durlag’s Tower however, and they fell relatively easy.

“So it is as we thought,” Jaheira said. “Doppelgangers have been planted here, and Sarevok is certain to be behind this.”

“Sh-should we tell Aldeth r-right now?” Khalid asked.

Zaerini shook her head. “Let’s check out Zorl first, and see if we can find any evidence pointing at Sarevok. Anything we can present against him will be bound to be helpful.”

“Lass?” Yeslick said, sounding a little confused. “I be wonderin’ about something.”

“Yes?”

“Well, neither ye nor the wizard are really diviners, are ye?”

The bard grinned. “Nope. But the doppelganger didn’t know that. And if he’d accepted, then we’d have known he was innocent.”

There was a private bar on the second floor, where several merchants sat quietly discussing business. Zorl was among them, middle-aged and somewhat rotund man, with sharp and intelligent eyes. “He used to come here all the time,” the bartender complained. “But now he hardly ever drinks anything. You’d think he didn’t trust my wares anymore.” Rini gave the merchant a long look. He was sitting deeply sunk into an armchair, seemingly deep in thought. Behind him was a passage leading deeper into the building. “What’s back there?” she asked the bartender, giving him her best smile. “Extra beer?”

“No, no,” the man said, smiling back. “Just master Zorl’s private office, that’s all.”

“Oh dear. How disappointing.”

Once the friends had acquired this information it was decided that their best course of action would be for Imoen to try to get into Zorl’s office unnoticed and search it. The thief readily agreed to this, and some time later she returned, grinning triumphantly. “He’d hidden them in a secret compartment in his desk”; she said and held up three letters. “Check them out. Looks like somebody has been keeping busy.”

Rini read the letters through, not particularly surprised by their contents.

Shalak,

I am glad to hear that you were successful in disposing of Zorl. With his identity you should be able to infiltrate more of your kindred into the Merchant's League. Kill Irlentree as soon as possible and then that fop Aldeth.

Your Friend

---

Shalak,

As long as Aldeth lives he is a great threat to all of us. He is friends with the mercenaries who have been stirring up so much trouble in the south. If he were to confide his fears with them, it could be disastrous. Kill him, soon!

Your Friend

---

Shalak,

It pleases me that you now count Irlentree among your number, but you must kill Aldeth Sashenstar. He is a foppish dilettante, with no skill and little intellect. It confuses me that you have not killed him yet; have your skills withered? Write back soon - when you have killed Aldeth.

Your Friend.

“So that’s the way of it,” Edwin said. “Aldeth ought to be interested in hearing this.”

Rini nodded. “Oh yes,” she said. “And Big Brother appears to be getting impatient. I vote we try our best to really annoy him now.”

“We should bring this letter to Aldeth immediately,” Jaheira said. “Once he gets a few loyal guards here this matter should be easily dealt with.”

The bard smiled, her eyes glittering with mischief. “Sure it would,” she said. “But that wouldn’t be nearly as much fun.” She walked up to ‘Zorl’. “Hello there,” she said. “May I ask you a question, in the name of science?”

“What?”

“Well, I was just wondering…if a doppelganger should die while in another form, will it turn back to its own shape after death or not?”

The pretend-merchant started rising from his chair. “Who are…” And that was as far as he got before a Flame Arrow hit him in the throat, instantly killing him. What do you know, Zaerini thought as she watched the gray creature slumped at her feet. Looks like they do shift back after all. Just as I thought I remembered it from Gorion’s stories. Then she got very busy as the rest of the merchants in the room dropped their pretense of humanity as well and attacked.

“Are you insane?” Jaheira said once it was all over. “What was the point of that?”

Rini shrugged. “We knew what he was, didn’t we? Why waste a lot of time dragging guards into this when we could handle it ourselves?”

“But you did not even pause before slaying him!”

“So? We needed him dead, and we needed to find out how many other merchants were fake ones. And we did. Mission accomplished and Aldeth will be as pleased as Sarevok will be aggravated. Why would I give ‘Zorl’ a chance to retaliate? I would have tried to get him from across the room if I hadn’t wanted him to get up so I could aim better.”

Edwin nodded. “You have the right of that,” he said, giving her an approving look. “If you have an advantage, you should always use it. Chivalry is a fairly useless trait when it comes to survival, but a very valuable one in an enemy. (Before he has finished presenting you with a formal challenge you will already have killed him, plundered him of his valuables and chopped his bleeding heart up for spell components.)”

Rini sighed. “This was the easy part though. This is only a minor trading house, and the doppelgangers here won’t be the most powerful ones my brother has at his disposal. I have a feeling there’ll be many more false faces in our immediate future, and not all of them as easily seen through as these ones.”