Word was sent to the wizard's quarters that the banquet table was being set and dinner would be served shortly. Gladis happily related all she knew and exulted in her feeling of service to the maguses.

As the three prepared to adjourn for their meal, a loud knock on the door chimed through the room followed by a familiar voice.
"Allo! Anybody 'ome? Ah got some pals for yah to meet and a couple of welcome presents!" Chumley called out cheerfully."

Gladis chuckled as she went to open the door.
"It is as I foretold, if thou serveth food, Sir Chumley will find thee."

She swung open the door to reveal the garrulous rat and his two hedgehog companions. Herman was pushing his barrow which held the large crate and Chumley carried the large tome which until recently had served as a booster seat for Winnie. They entered.

The hedgehogs stood back while Chumley exchanged heartfelt greetings with his friends. When the salutations were complete, Chumley beckoned the Corkspike brothers forward and introduced them to the group.

Before making any introductions, he handed the book to Vattus.
"Ah believe this maght be the book you were requirin'. Ah can't say for sure, can't read the old script, can ah?"

Vattus took the text and examined it. A smile spread across his face.
"Yes, this is the first Book of Prophecies! Outstanding, Chumley!"

Chumley smiled and put his arm gently on Herman's spiky back.
"This 'ere beast and 'is brother found it," he motioned to Winnie, "this fierce little fella is called Winnie Corkspike and this big fella is Herman...better known as Gadral Neure!"

Robbi's jaw dropped.
"You're the Grandmaster of the Guild of Assassins?"

"I suppose so," Herman said shyly.

"No offense, but you don't look like a killer," Robbi smiled.

Herman chuckled.
"None taken, I ain't but a poor gaffer. The Assassin stuff is kinda complicated."

Vattus smiled.
"You can explain over dinner."

Chumley held up his paw.
"As much as ah loves to eat, there's one more thing we need to show ya, don't we? Said ah had presents, didn't ah?" he motioned to Herman, "Bring that crate 'ere. Would ya?"

Herman wheeled the barrow in front of Vattus.
"What is in the box, Sir Chumley?" Gladis asked.

" 'Ave a look." Chumley smiled.

Robbi removed the lid of the crate to reveal the plugged large glass flask filled with a dark swirling smoke.
"I still don't know what I'm looking at," Robbi admitted.

Vattus' eyes grew wide.
"That isn't what I think it is, is it?" he asked incredulously.

Chumley laughed.
"It's three times what you think it is, mah friend. Our master assassin 'ere caught 'imself a trio of nasty Deev, 'e did. We figured we'd bring 'em along. Didn't want their friends to set them free, did we?"

"There are Deev in there?" Robbi said stepping back from the flask cautiously.

"Yeah. Ah imagine they're a bit peeved."

"Can they get out?" Robbi asked nervously.

"Ah certainly 'ope not." Chumley grinned.

Vattus examined the flask carefully. He tapped it, agitating the smoke.
"They cannot assume their true form while confined in so small a space. As long as the flask remains intact, they cannot escape. How did you manage this, Herman."

Winnie chimed in.
"Hermie is a great inventor, he used his sucker-thing to snatch up those things like they was dirt."

Vattus chuckled.
"Well done, my friend. You have managed to eliminate ten percent of our Deev foe, an incredible accomplishment...even for a master assassin."

"T'weren't nuthin," Herman said softly, "just house-cleanin'. I ain't really an assassin, you know."

Vattus patted the big hedgehog on the back.
"I never thought you were, you seem a gentle beast," he turned to Gladis and Robbi, "come, lets fill our bellies and talk."

"Sounds good to me," Chumley said.

"I as well am pleased with that suggestion." Gladis nodded. The small group left the room and headed to the dining area.

King Sigus was well liked in the Lands of Man. The country flourished and was at peace and while neither situation was directly the result of Sigus' actions, he reaped the rewards of prosperity and whatever eccentricities he harbored, were overlooked.

He was a fair king, whose main vice was a love of good food and wine. This particular propensity was on display in the buffet which had been prepared for his guests. A wide variety of shellfish, crustacean, and fish in exotic sauces filled half the large banquet table. Greens, potatoes, and salads were available in wide array. Finally, the king's own favorite course, desert, was present in an amazing variety of cakes, tortes, puddings, mousses, fruits, and chocolates which filled the air of the room with a mouth-watering aroma.

The six comrades were delighted when they entered the dining room. Gladis wagged her tail-feathers in delight and anticipation. Winnie thought he had gone to heaven as he hungrily eyed the sweets. Even the High Magus, Vattus, found himself smiling in anticipation of the lunchtime feast.

With dishes laden to the brim, the king and his guests sat around a large circular table enjoying the culinary delights. Despite the gravity of their present circumstances, the table was silent except for sounds of chewing, swallowing and small moans of delight.

When everyone was sated and sat back, conversation began once more. Initially, Chumley related all he had learned, including the strange scene in Minga which seemed to indicate a rift between the Deev and the Brotherhood and suggested Vasheron was planning to turn against the monks with a mercenary navy.

When Chumley's briefing was complete, the topic of discussion switched to the gaffer, Herman, and how he came to be called Gadral Neure. Vattus in particular, had been curious about this and asked the amiable hedgehog to explain.

"It's a bit of a strange tale, to be sure," the massive hedgehog began, "my family have always worked the glass, it's in our blood. Now there ain't no glass-makers guild in Seth-e, heck, even if there were, this is The Lands of Man, and the guild-masters here don't take kindly to havin' beasts in their guilds. But this is where we live, and most folks don't care if their glass is guild produced or not, long as it's good and what I will say," he grinned broadly, "is that my glass is the best in Arishamal. I do good business and keep me and Winnie fed.

"Anyways, a while back, when Winnie was little mor'n a berry, I was lookin' for a workshop. I always seen the sugar mill and figgered it'd be perfect. I went up and knocked on the door and a real old codger, Prevus he was called, comes to the door. He was as cranky as a crab with rhuematizy and blind as a bat, didn't even know what kinda beast I was. We got to talkin' and I learn he was livin' there all by his self. I asks him if'n I could rent out the workshop and he surprises me by agreein'.

"He says he would welcome the company, so me and Winnie moves in. As a thank you, I makes him a couple of small lens he can wear over his eyes to see better. Prevus is happy as a clam in a sand bank, it's been ten years since he could read anything and from then on he reads all the time. We become good pals and he treats Winnie as if he were his grandpa..."

"I really liked mister Prevus," Winnie agreed, "he was real nice and told great stories."

Herman continued.
"He tells me that even though his given name is Prevus, he took the name Gadral Neure and that he was a guild-master, so I asks what guild and he tells me it was the Guild of Assassins. I got right scared I did and ole Prevus just laughs and laughs and tells me the guild ain't kilt no one in a hundred years.

"Anyways, time goes by and he gets sick. He calls me to his bedside and tells me how he'd like me and Winnie to keeps the mill for our glass-making. I gets all excited, but he gets real serious and says that the mill belongs to the guild and only the guild can have it. I tells him I understand and was about to leave when he calls me back over to the bed. He asks me how I feels about changin' my name and I says I ain't much thought of it.

"He tells me he's the last of the Assassins and he kin initiate me inta the guild so's I kin keep the mill. I talks to Winnie and he says fine by him so I tells Prevus I'd do it. He crawls outta bed, lights some candles, makes me repeat some words and then he cuts me paw and his own with a knife and mixes our blood.

"That was it, he said, now I'm Gadral Neure, grand-master of the assassins. He writes an affidavit in case some cove don't believe me and that's that. Poor Prevus passed away last fall and Winnie and I buried 'im on the grounds. I made him a swell tombstone made'a green glass. That's me tale, not too excitin', but true."

Vattus smiled.
"So you really don't know much about the Guild or Neure," he chuckled, "other than that you now run the guild and that you are Neure."

Herman turned to the magus.
"Can't say I do...I'm not supposed ta kill no one...am I?" he asked with concern.

Vattus laughed.
"No, my friend, you aren't. I have learned quite a bit about the Guild's history of late. I will be happy to share it with you later, the Guild has had an eventful journey from the first Gadral through time to you."

He turned to the rest of the diners, "My first priority will be to translate the prophecies to see why the Deev are trying to secure them. King Sigus, you acted prudently in sealing the harbor, but may I suggest a more aggressive approach. Is it possible to search all the craft now moored in the harbor? If the Deev become aware that we know they are here, they may seek an alternate escape from your city, so the sooner we find them, the less likely they are to successfully flee."

"There are hundreds of ships and boats, so it will take some time, but it is certainly possible. I will issue the orders first thing tomorrow," King Sigus replied.

"Ah hate to be the voice of reason, not used to it, am ah?" Chumley interjected, "but once you start searchin' the boats, they'll know we're lookin' for 'em, won't they? We'll flush 'em out for sure, but they'll scatter, they will."

"You're right, of course, but at least we'll be driving the direction of events. Chances are, especially when those three Deev you brought don't return to their leader, that they're going to know someone is on to them and seek to leave as soon as possible anyway. At least if we start the search we might get lucky," Vattus answered.

"Yeah, ah see that....speakin' of the Deev, me pal 'Erman 'as put up as Deev marmalade, what do we do with them, ya know, so they don't escape or nuthin'?"

"A good question, the flask is fragile...easily broken... if they get out, we won't be able to contain them," Vattus mused.

Winnie stuck his paw into the air as though he were in grade school.
"Oh...oh...oh, I know...I know," he insisted.

Vattus smiled.
"By all means, young Winnie, tell us."

Winnie stood on his chair.
"We seal Hermie's flask in cement and drops it into the ocean!"

It was Robbi's turn to smile.
"That's a great idea Winnie, except we really don't have to sink them into the sea. They are our prisoners and dangerous, but we are civilized and putting them on the ocean floor is a little...cruel."

Winnie objected.
"They was gonna kill me and Hermie and Chumley, that's pretty cruel too!"

"We're better than they are."

Winnie conceded with a small sigh.
"I guess."

Herman chimed in.
"I'll mix up some cement soon as we're done eatin', those smoke-things'll be secure in a couple o' hours."

"Good," Vattus affirmed, " I'm going to work on the translation with Robbi and our hedgehog friends will seal the flask. King Sigus will arrange for an active search of the harbor in the morning. Chumley and Gladis, could you just wait a few days before returning north?"

Gladis nodded.
"At the bidding of the wizards am I. Sir Chumley and I will anxiously await our instruction before proceeding."

Chumley laughed.
"Yeah, what she said."