Vasheron's squad were not the only Deev busy on Arishamal that day. To the south, in Seth-E-Raman, Colonel Taois and the beasts responsible for the attack on the wizards awaited the arrival of their leader. They were enjoying the benefits of freedom from Xenoth in one of the seedier, more boisterous bay-front establishments catering to sailors, traders, and thieves. The Minge warriors sat around a scarred oaken table drinking generous quantities of mead and grog, laughing and recounting their brutal mission in Aolas.

Five of their comrades were not present, having been tasked with guarding the Rubitar which now rested safely within the hold of their ship, the Wind Spirit, in the bustling Dars-E-Raman Bay (meaning 'daughter of the sea').

The harbor was the seed from which Seth-E-Raman grew. Like all the great cities of Arishamal, with the exception of Gleneden, it began as a small town and expanded with time. Located on the tip of a wide peninsula, Seth-E-Raman grew around the egg-shaped deep-water bay quickly.

The harbor was the finest on all of the Island Continent. It was protected on three sides from the ravages of the sea and its main point of access, Aurias Inlet, was just over a mile wide emptying into the Tulis Channel at the outlet of the Uth River which flowed past the great city on its journey from its source at Lake Uth to the north. Tulis Channel separated the mainland from Erim Isle, a sparsely populated land mass boasting one city, Erim, which earned its keep as a center of ship-building and repair.

Seth-E-Raman prospered as a center of trade and as it grew outward from the bay and its population flowered, a government evolved, headed by a Doge whose responsibility was the safety and protection of its merchant and trader classes.

As an increasingly wealthy town, the city coffers grew, and the second Doge, Prasha Dinal, began the enormous undertaking of surrounding the city with a fifty foot high, fifty foot wide wall of quarried stone. The arc-shaped wall stretched nearly forty miles, completely enclosing the city and ending at each side on the channel. The wall was built with three massive entrance gates which provided the sole accesses into the city. With the wall to three sides and the sea to the fourth, Seth-E-Raman was easily defensible and had never been conquered in its long colorful history.

The saloon in which the Deev sat drinking was called The Belly of the Beast and boasted a macabre, though amusing sign, depicting a shark with the leg of a mariner protruding from its maw. The clientele was a mixed lot, a fair number of beasts, but mostly men, all salty and hard.

Bawdy music filled the air. Musicians playing concertinas, flutes, and fiddles, walked through the establishments taking requests, while drunken sailors belted out lyrics inappropriate for all but the most jaded of patrons. Fights broke out with regularity and caused little or no concern to the patrons except for the opportunity to wager on which combatant would emerge victorious. The room smelled of ale, mead, smoke, and blood, slightly more pleasant than the smell of decaying fish and seaweed which permeated the docks near which The Belly of the Beast was located .

Taois was speaking loudly with Captain Mobus.
"The Prince should be arriving soon, he will want to know where the Guild of Assassins is located."

"We should question some locals, they would certainly know, then we can retrieve the book."

"I agree, Captain, but remind the troops not to give themselves away or make a scene of any kind. Be subtle, no one needs to know the Deev are free. I do not want any local authorities to become interested in us."

"Very well, Colonel, I'll see to it first thing tomorrow."

Colonel Taois laughed and slapped Mobus on the back.
"Good. For tonight, let's enjoy this dreadful ale and try not to get sick on this horrid food. At least the music is amusing."

As the Deev became drunker, the door to the pub swung open and a small hedgehog, about two feet tall entered and held the door open. A pushcart, laden with boxes of empty glass flasks entered. It was being pushed by a hedgehog nearly twice the size of the one holding open the door.

From the far side of the room, behind the bar, an apron-clad man called out.
"Hey, Gaffer, good to see you, we're almost out!"

The large hedgehog grinned widely and called out in a deep slow voice.
"I figgered as much, Cully. Fear not, I got plenty of fresh glass for your stale ale." He began to push the cart through the room towards the bar followed by the smaller beast.

As he rolled the cart past the table at which the Deev sat, he did not notice that Captain Mobus' foot was well into the aisle. The cart lurched over the appendage and the Deev squealed in pain. Immediately the hedgehog stopped and looked down at Mobus' foot. To his surprise, rather than an injured foot, a small cloud of brown smoke curled along the floor. He looked up into the angry eyes of the Captain, then back down to the ground. The smoke was gone and the bruised foot was clearly visible.

"You great clumsy oaf! I'll cut your ears off!" Mobus screamed.

"Beggin' your pardon, sir," the hedgehog said sincerely.

The smaller hog stepped up to the Deev.
"Hermie ain't no oaf. You're just a big sissy," he said angrily.

Mobus was livid. He stood and made to slap the smaller hedgehog. Herman moved quickly for his size, stepping between the Deev and his little companion and turning away from Mobus as though he were about to speak to the small hog. The Deev captain didn't have time to pull up his slap and struck Herman's spike-covered back with a great deal of force. He let out another sharp scream. Herman smiled slightly at the small hog and winked. The little hog stifled a giggle.

Before Mobus could escalate the encounter to a violent confrontation, Taois stood and spoke sternly into his ear.
"Do not draw attention to us! Suffer your injuries like a warrior!"

Mobus sat down in a silent huff as Taois addressed Herman.
"Forgive my friends rudeness, a bit too much ale, your apology is accepted."

"Thank you good sir. I am a bit clumsy though."

Cully, the bar owner, had made his way to the Deev's table to avoid any trouble. He addressed the Deev.
"Gaffer meant no harm, I'll send over some more ale...on the house. We can't have you hurting him, we need his glass for our beverages, clients keep breaking it."

"Thank Targas for that" the big hedgehog chuckled, "Bar fights and broken glass keep money in my pockets."

Mobus extended his paw and Herman took it.
"I am called Mobus...and you are Gaffer?"
Herman chuckled.

"On no, it's a nickname, it's what I do, I'm a glass-blower, they calls us gaffers. My name is Herman. This liddle fella...," he patted the smaller hedgehog on the head, "is me younger brother Winnie."

"Looks more like your son than brother."

Herman laughed.
"Yeah, me mum was too young when she had me and too old when she had him, but between us we're just the right age."

"Well Herman, as a gesture of friendship, I was wondering if you'd let us buy you a flask of ale."

"The friendly thing'd be to keep me from drinkin' that swill," he grinned.

"It's not that bad!" Cully insisted.

"Compared to what?" the hedgehog laughed, then turned to the Deev, "I appreciate your offer, but I don't drink none."

"Well at least sit with us. We are new to this city and are looking for some help in locating landmarks."

"Why?" Winnie asked.

Taois looked down in annoyance and answered with a forced smile.
"We are interested in history."

"A fine interest, sir. I'll be glad to stop by your table on my way out and answer as best I can, but I got business to attend to with Cully first."

"That will be fine," Taois answered.

Herman walked to the bar with his cart. He deposited the crates of glass and accepted his payment. After counting his money he turned to Winnie.
"I don't want you talkin' to those beasts, there's sumpthin' odd about them. I don't trust 'em"

"I don't like 'em either," Winnie said loudly, "why don't you?"

"Sumpthin' happened when I ran over that beast's foot."

"What?"

"Never you mind, just get on home, I won't be long."

"All right, Hermie." The little hedgehog left the pub, but not before sticking his tongue out at a still furious Mobus.

As Herman was about to walk back to the Deev table, Cully stopped him. He smiled broadly.
"You cost me a round of ale, how about a song in payment?"

Herman loved singing and readily agreed. He called over the pipe and concertina players.
"Do ya know I Am a Young Sailor? I got me own words to it."

They did and the large hedgehog began to sing in a loud sonorous voice.

"Oh, I'm just a poor gaffer,
That's all that I be,
'Cause I loves me the hot glass,
It's heaven to me.

I huffs and I puffs
And the air starts to flow,
And the glass that I breath to
Commences to grow.

It gets,
Big,
Big,
Better,
Big, big, better it grows
'Cause I loves me the hot glass
Like bees love the rose.

Oh, I've been a poor gaffer
For many a year,
A workin' the hot glass,
Bright orange and clear.

I blows it and molds it
And shapes it real good,
I probably loves that stuff
More than I should.

It gets,
Big,
Big,
Better,
Big, big, better it grows,
'Cause I loves me the hot glass
Like bees love the rooooose."

A hearty round of applause greeted the conclusion of the hedgehog's song. Holding his head down in cheerful embarrassment, Herman shuffled to the tables occupied by the Deev. Eight of them sat at two adjoining tables. All wore black silk jonpur pants tucked under calf-length black boots. Their shirts were a dull brown with puffy sleeves. Mobus sported two silver stripes on his left sleeve and Taois, four.
Herman maintained his careless grin, purposely acting a little bit like a simpleton, but remained alert and cautious. He sat next to Taois and addressed them.

"Are you soldiers?" he asked.

"We are a Prince's royal guard. We are awaiting his arrival. That is why we want some information about Seth-E-Raman. It is the Prince who enjoys historical buildings and we wish to find out where a particular property is, since he expressed interest in it," Taois explained.

Herman paused and chuckled.
"Well that's just marvelous, to be interested in different cultures and all...," he looked Taois in the eye, "why did you say the Prince was coming?"

"I didn't, but.." the colonel paused, thinking, "he is here to sign a trade treaty with your king."

"Trade is good...we don't see many weasels around here."

Mobus became indignant.
"We are mink, Minge, not weasels!"

Taois gave the Captain a severe look, then turned to Herman.
"An easy mistake, my friend."

"I'm just not real educated, sorry for any offense. I just don't see that many beasts here."

Taois was genuinely curious.
"Doesn't it bother you, living among men instead of your own kind?"

Herman chuckled.
"Don't matter much. Some men I like, some I don't. Some hedgehogs I like, some I don't and I imagine some minks I would like and some I wouldn't. Depends on the creature, don't it?"

"Well answered. So how about it, sir, will you help us?"

"I'll try, ask your question."

Taois spoke very deliberately.
"We would like to locate the dwelling occupied by the Guild of Assassins, have you heard of them?"

"I reckon everyone has heard of them. They ain't been around since before I was born, my pa told me about them though," Herman nodded.

"Do you know where the were centered?"

"Somewhere around these parts. They was sponsored by the king, so I reckon t'would be easiest to ask him."

"Ask the king?" Mobus spat out.

"Yeah, when you sign that there treaty. I'm sure he'll be glad to help." Herman got up, "Sorry I weren't more help, but I got to get back to my glass."

The Deev were silent as Herman departed.

Mobus was fuming.
"Well that was a waste of time. Ask the King! What a bumpkin, it's a wonder that beast can remember to breath."

Colonel Taois remained calm.
"No major problem, I will search the city archive in the morning, the records should be there," he said with conviction.

What the Deev didn't see was the wide grin on Herman's face as he exited the pub.

When Herman arrived back at his studio, he was delighted to find his furnace blazing brightly. He looked to the corner and saw Winnie merrily hopping up and down on the enormous bellows which forced the air into the glowing hot brick structure in which the hedgehog produced his glass.

"What kind are we making, me liddle pal?"

Winnie continued pumping as Herman answered.
"I put sand, soda, lime, a bunch of cullet, a pinch of salt, and that glowing stuff you got from the desert."

"Sounds delicious. The glowing stuff, you say? You was careful, I hope?"

"Sure thing. You said you wanted to work on the lens and you said that glass needed the glowing stuff."

"It does, it sparklifies the glass, makes a real good lens. Keep pumpin', liddle brother. We'll see how good a cook you are."

As the smaller hog kept pumping, he asked his older brother about the incident at The Belly of the Beast.

Keeping his eye on the glass melting in the furnace, Herman answered thoughtfully,
"They were strange beasts, hidin' sumpthin. Didn't tell me a single word what were true. Strangest of all, when I run my cart over that one beast's toes," he chuckled despite himself, "I swear on me aunt Tilley, that his foot turned to smoke."

"Magic?" Winnie said in awe.

"Could be. Another thing...," he prodded the large lump of glass beginning to glow in the furnace, "that one beast said he was Minge, now I ain't no historian or nuthin', but as I recollect, that clan ain't been around in over a hundred years."

"What are you going to do?" the small hog asked.

"Do? It ain't any of my concern, I'm gonna mind my own business," Herman looked sternly at Winnie, "just like your gonna mind yours."

Winnie laughed.
"I don't have any business to mind. I'm just your slave."

Herman grinned broadly.
"And don't you be forgettin' that."