The price of a scribe

Throne Room

The cold, black marble walls, combined with the lack of exterior illumination, give this dark, dank room a sense of evil and fear. The room is large, however it is not highly furnished. In the center of the far wall stands a menacing throne on a small raised step, its twisted dark marble almost appears to rise from the floor. Nearby sits a small table with a surprisingly large candelabra atop it. The flickering lights from the candles cast menacing shadows. Simple figures, like the marble demons protuding from the walls, become terrifying as if they were alive and lurking in the dark room. Running along the floor from the archway to the throne is a dark black strip of carpeting, with two chairs on either side for audiences with Lord Talan.

Obvious exits:

Wooden Door and Archway

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[+TIME] Middle-earth time is:

Daytime on Sunday, Day 2 of October.

Execute the +TIMEFRAME command for year information.

Real time is: 04:06:43 MDT on Thu Apr 23 2009.

IC year: 3046

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[Uzay(#22125)]

At the present time, the environs of Black Tower are alive with all manner of activity, chiefly in connection with the rebuilding that is taking place in the wake of recent battles. Central to this hive of goings-on is the new Steward of the Toward, Uzay, who, surrounded by various memebrs of staff, is in the midst of briefings, discussion and an exchange of orders.

It is amidst all the comings and goings that a new arrival graces the room - or rather, two arrivals, for the slight youth known as Barzhil is escorted by a more burly guard. The young man glances around him nervously, a fluttering bird in the serpent\'s nest, and swallows so that his adam\'s apple bobs up and down. Here in this place of darkness his sand-hued robes appear tinted a dull leaden grey.

The guard waits until Uzay has dismissed one man, clears his throat importantly. \"Steward, the twitchy feller\'s here to see you. Claims you was askin\' for a scribe. What d\'you want done with him?\"

[Uzay(#22125)]

\"Ah, welcome!\" exclaims Uzay, visibly glad to have a distraction from his present order of business. \"Come, join me for tea and a chat, yes? In the meanwhile, tell me your name and credentials - I have an important job for a worthy scribe.\" The Steward crosses the short distance to the throne, where a table has been prepared with seats and other such accouterments surrounding it, included a tea pot and a number of cups. Soon, an attendant has poured a cup for them both, and Uzay eagerly awaits the younger man\'s response.

The guard looks rather disappointed, but pushes Barzhil in Uzay\'s direction with a grunt, before going on his way.

The young scribe swallows again, but manages to arrange his features into a polite smile as he inclines his head to the man before him. \"The Steward is very kind.\" He steeples his fingers, not yet touching his cup, then continues, \"I am Barzhil bin Hilam,\" the latter name being, for one familiar with Umbar and its folk, a minor merchant of Farside. \"As to credentials, I have served as scribe and book-keeper in my father\'s merchant business for several years, as well as carrying out work for a number of other clients. If you wish, I am sure that references could be arranged?\" His thin lips curve upward. \"I would be interested to know something of the nature of the work being offered?\"

[Uzay(#22125)]

\"Yes, naturally. It is a manner of clandestine research - let us call it a combination of esoteric investigation and undercover spy work. Accordingly, in order to accept the job I offer, I must have some assurance of a commitment to confidentiality on your part, even if you choose to refuse the opportunity. With such an assurance, I can divulge more details.\" Uzay smiles, and adds, \"Do not misunderstand - it not an assassin\'s job or anything of the like, but let us say, a manner of work I do not want certain members of Umbar\'s upper echelons to know about.\"

An expression of shocked hurt settles on the young scribe\'s features. \"Naturally, I understand the need for confidentiality, and assure you that I would not divulge private information to others. Several of my previous employers have required me to handle information that, in the wrong hands, could bring down a business. They remain entirely satisfied with my discretion. Is that assurance enough for you?\"

He folds his hands neatly in his lap, then adds in afterthought, \"As to the assassin\'s role, I have always found the pen a weapon more to my liking than the scimitar.\"

[Uzay(#22125)]

\"Very well, I will take you at your word, having no reason to doubt you, though I will warn you nonetheless that I have a number of trained warriors at my disposal who are more than capable of ending your life in any one of the most miserable ways that you can possibly conceive. They are called the Black Paladins, and Jugartha, a most ruthless and unflinching man, is their leader. Furthermore, while this is ultimately a small matter to me, to betray me is no less to a wager with your life.\" Uzay pauses for a moment and pierces the young man with a fierce glance, but soon dismisses these manners for some more civilized. \"Please, enjoy a cup of tea.\"

\"Now, the matter I wish to have researched in one of Umbar\'s past, especially those times during which these lands were under the control of men from Numenor. It is even said that there was a time when our Common Lord Soveriegn and Master did not live in Middle Earth, but all of that is common folklore and of little interest to me. Rest assured, it is no silly fairytale I wish to have you look into, but a matter of the most serious and important of scholarship.\"

\"You see, some time ago I had a conversation with our good Lord Alphros, and he gave me to understand during the course of that discussion that he is aware of some manner of power, I presume in the form of some knowledge contained in a tome or scroll or some other manner of inscription, which has desceded to us from our already mentioned forebears, and which, most distressingly, leads him to conclude that he need not concern himself with our Master in Mordor. I do not doubt that you realize that the existence of such a knowledge, even if it exists only in the mind of Lord Alphros, is of the utmost interest to the Priesthood, and so also myself, being a man most loyal to our Highest Lord, blessings and praise upon Him.\"

\"The substance of my task for you is to somehow work your way into Farside Tower, or anywhere else that is frequented by our Lord Alphros, in order to identify this source of knowledge and determine its essence so as to relay that same information to me, namely, as to whether it is legitimate or merely some invention of the Farside Lord - alas, I can only guess what this might be, given the imprecise manner in which he spoke about it. Mind you, I do not expect you to go creeping about in shadows or to steal anything. I want you to form some manner of ruse and work your way into Alphros\' confidence, at least enough to gain access, if only in secret, to his private offices and libraries. Also, I impose no restriction as to time or methodology, I will trust you to make good on this matter in ways that seem best to you as opportunities present themselves.\"

\"If you accept, I will give you five florins now, and a further fifteen at such a time as when you have borne some fruit as concerns this matter. Do you find this arrangement acceptable?\"

The young scribe manages to remain unflinching under Uzay\'s baleful glare, though his adam\'s apple does bob up and down a couple of times. At the mention of tea, he murmurs politely, \"Of course,\" and dips his head to regard his cup. Soon it is lifted to his lips, and he apparently takes a sip.

The mention of the past seems to pique his interest, for the cup is lowered virtually untouched. He listens in silence, head tilted slightly, until the mention of the Master of Mordor. \"That is sacrilege!\" he bursts out, dark eyes narrowed. \"The Eye requires that unbelievers be struck down.\" He takes several deep breaths to calm himself, then adds, in a tight hiss, \"Rest assured that if my pen and my eyes are the instruments by which this is achieved, it would give me great pleasure. If some arcane knowledge indeed exists, I do not doubt that it has been twisted. The Eye is all-powerful, and no man, be he the king of ancient Numenor itself, tampers with Its will.\"

He glances down to his cup again, swirling the contents thoughtfully, and states evenly, \"What you ask will take time, and there is an element of risk involved. But ... in this I serve the Eye, rather than mere man. The terms are acceptable.\"

[Uzay(#22125)]

Uzay claps his hands and calls to an attendant, \"Yezid! I have found a scribe, please bring the items that I requested for this occasion!\" The Steward is visibly well pleased with the younger man\'s response. \"Only our Master knows if you are sincere, but judging by your expression, I do not have it in my heart to doubt you any more.\"

\"I must tell you a few more details about this matter. The discussion in question, which I had with Lord Alphros, took place on the day I met him, which followed nearly a month during which time I was a guest in his Tower, having only just arrived from my tribal lands in Khand. During this time, I met with a number of Gondorian visitors who stay there under his protection, and also with various members of his household, who filled me on the nature of his claim to the throne of Gondor. Now, during this course of this initial meeting, aside from introducing myself and making an effort to form the basis of a worthy relationship, I made it clear, because he asked me, that my allegiance is to our Common Lord and Master, and to no other. I also, having come to know something through what was related to me by his people, warned him that his success of late owes only to the blessing of that same omnipotent power, who rules Middle Earth. Upon hearing this, he proceeded to brush the matter aside and assure me that he has sufficient power of his own accord and, while he did not say so outright, he believes that there can be no obstacle to his agenda.\"

\"At first, I assumed that this was only a matter of arrogance. However, he mentioned that he is, as he described it, \'willing to work with the Dark Citadel\', and has formed a \'good working relationship with them\'. This seemed most irreverent to me, and I need not remind you that our saintly High Preistess, (health and peace upon her for her journey,) is away at this time, and Lord Alphros presently holds more power than anyone else in Harad, I dare say. So, whatever his agenda may be, the time is ripe for him to pursue it, and so we must act quickly to intervene before some terrible thing happens!

\"Anyhow, this lead me to question him about the nature of his endeavor to claim the throne of Gondor, and it is at this time that he proceeded to explain to me that he has possession of some esoteric knowledge, descended to us from Numenor in the way I have already described. When I further questioned him as to the nature of this knowlege, he simply dismissed me, saying that I was not prepared for such a revelation, and that he, by some birthright, (Lord Alphros of course being of strong Numenorean blood himself,) can know far more of it that we lessser Southrons ever can.\"

\"What concerns me most of all, is that this Lord Alprhos, being a Numenorean himself by lineage, and a person, perhaps, in possession of some powerful knowledge, even if it is only some madness of his own, has something of an obsession with Gondor, who clearly are the enemy of Harad and our Master. Worse still, while our High Priestess is away, there is no one present in this city to contest his will, and I worry that he may spend everything this kingdom has in some fool errand of the sort that ruined the island of Numenor in the first place, if we take the legends to be true - but indeed, the danger this matter presents to Umbar is no mere tale! I suggest to you, Barzhil that he means to use his power in Harad as a stepping stone to power in Gondor, for private and selfish reasons of own, which can in no way correspond to those of the rightful Lord of Middle Earth! Not the least of my worries is that our poor and hapless brethren will somehow be caught up in the punishment that will no doubt be meted out to Alphros by our Master when the villanous treachery of his plots have finally come to light.\"

\"This is why I am so glad that you are a champion of our Most High Lord in Mordor - I believe it is by his providence that you have answered my call. In time, trusting in Him, we shall root out every detail of this diabolical plot and bring it to an end, before some dire consequence befalls our people. Alas, the men of Numenor have always been the enemy of our Master, and now we have allowed one of their descendents to claim the throne of his own loyal kingdom, and do not be fooled by what Alphros will claim to the contrary! So you see, my friend, this is no small matter of folklore that we are dealing with.\"

Barzhil listens quietly to Uzay\'s long speech. At the mention of Gondorians a pinched expression of distaste crosses his features, though he says naught of it. \"Treachery to the Eye is a matter of great concern to me,\" the young man says finally. \"Our present cordial relations with persons of Gondor known to be enemies of the Eye causes me no small discomfort.\" The final claim regarding numenor brings a furrow to his smooth brow - did not some, at least, among that haughty folk work to the Eye\'s purpose? - but it is swiftly gone. \"What I can do, I will,\" he assures Uzay, his tenor clear and confident.

He returns his gaze to his teacup and drinks a little more, grimacing at the taste of the now-cooled liquid, then asks briskly, \"So. What is the best means for me to contact you in this? Discretion will be required for both of us.\"

[Uzay(#22125)]

Yezid returns with a scroll, pen and ink, which Uzay uses to write something as he replies to the scribe\'s question. \"It seems to me that the best course of action is to act as if nothing is amiss - treating the matter as a secret will only lead others to snoop. With that in mind, I ask that you meet with me openly. If the question arises, you can simply say that I have hired you to work as my accountant, and in the future claim that we are working on a translation together, or some other manner of scholarly work. As to gaining access to Lord Alprhos\' Tower, I suggest that you begin by requesting to meet with his Gondorian visitors - this will no doubt prove useful in other ways. Once he is accustomed to your presence, you can avail yourself of such opportunities as arise to pursue our true aim in this.\" The Steward presents a note, which he seals with the sigil of his ring, a symbol of the Lidless Eye, adding, \"This will give you access to my Tower and my quarters, and also to the Dark Citadel, should you need to make use of their resources, or otherwise need a place of refuge. Here,\" he counts out five heavy golden coins, \"is the first part of your payment.\"

Barzhil nods his head slowly to Uzay\'s first words. As the Steward continues, however, he has some information of his own to add. \"The Gondorians are gone,\" he states, pursing his lips. \"The entire matter was shrouded in secrecy, but as far as I can ascertain they were simply ... released. Save for one young woman, who appears little more than a witless child.\" Scorn creeps into his tone, notwithstanding his own tender years. \"But I shall meet with Alphros or his sister, and offer my services. Should the Gondorian woman no longer present an opportunity, an offer to carry out a little scholarly research will surely not go amiss.\" He manages a thin-lipped smile.

The parchment, and the coins, are taken with a dip of the head and a murmured thanks, and stowed away somewhere beneath the sand-hued robe. \"I may, of course, have to offer to reveal some information about the situation within Black - perhaps you could provide me with some suitable details you would like others to believe?\"

[Uzay(#22125)]

\"Have they gone? Make use of this then: I have requested of Lord Alphros permission to teach Nelladel, the girl you describe as a witless child, Haradaic. It is my hope to teach her the ways of the true Master of Middle Earth, and in time, when she has grown to responsible age, she may be able to serve as a missionary to her people. Go to Farside under the pretense that you are being sent to teach her, and see what comes of it, but of course this will require that you truly teach her something. In any case, her naivete will work to our advantage. As to your dealings with me, I am presently engaged in the repair and restoration of Black Tower, so can claim to be a financial advisor and accountant - I doubt that anyone will question this. If anyone does come to be too suspicious, you have simply to inform me and I will have them disposed of.\" Uzay smiles and, at last, drinks some of his own cup.

\"Ah.\" For a moment a thoughtful frown graces Barzhil\'s sharp features, then he smooths it away. \"The Eye works in mysterious ways. Perhaps in time this Nelladel,\" he pronounces the Gondorian name with downturned lips, as though he had bitten on something sour, \"may come to know the truth. Very well, I will teach her something of our tongue and our ways. No doubt many others will share in the teaching. But I trust that, in the end, the Eye will prevail. One way or another she will serve - as do we all.\"

He looks down at the half-full cup of tea, then at his hands, now folded neatly before him. \"Now that our business is concluded, I am eager to begin the task in hand. .. I believe a visit to the Citadel might first be in order, the Eye\'s blessing. Will you excuse me, Steward?\" His birdlike gaze darts up to meet Uzay\'s.

[Uzay(#22125)]

\"Certainly. Yezid will see you out. Do not hesitate to send me a message, should the need arise.\" Uzay rises and bows, before promptly rejoining the group of men with whom he had been talking before.

Barzhil responds with a bow of his own, rather deeper as befits one of lesser rank, then turns to Yezid and obediently follows him back out of the maze that is Black Tower.