Journal kept by Quayle, a gardener

Journal entry

 * 21st Day of Service
 * So diddling bored. There’s really sod all to do here. A quick morning round’s enough to water all the plants. Flower bed in front of the embassy doesn’t demand much care, either. And so it goes, day after day. Maybe tonight I'll take a jaunt to San Sebastian. Play a hand of gwent.


 * 22nd Day of Service
 * Bloede gwent. Lost a whole month’s wages. Next month’s, too. Racked up debts with that Graybill Pellegrin. Heard he doesn’t let such things slide. Got to scrounge up a few florens somehow, or this might end badly for me.


 * 24th Day of Service
 * Overheard the ambassador give instructions to his secretary. In the coming days, they'll send a transport carrying wine bought for the imperial court, along with some “unused operational wherewithal.” My guess – they mean a sack stuffed with florens! Information like that could be worth a fortune to a lad from the right part of town...


 * 27th Day of Service
 * Graybill Pellegrin slaughtered the caravan’s guards, snatched all its cargo. Had the gall to deliver a pouch of coin to me at the embassy. Said it was my share. I spit on his coin, but I’m afraid I’ll need it, soon enough… I hid what he gave me in a safe place. Ever since Old Ralph died, no one buys wooden planters anymore, so his workshop’s the perfect hiding spot.


 * 29th Day of Service
 * Graybill told me to keep my ears open at the embassy, find out when they’ll have another caravan to grab. As if as an afterthought, he added the guard commander would be quite shocked to learn about my role in the previous hijacking… I stole the next convoy’s route from the secretary’s office. It’s the price I must pay for my idiot idea of going in cahoots with Graybill Pellegrin.


 * 31st Day of Service
 * The transport’s set off. This time it’s escorted by Arnold aep Bluhm – commander of the embassy guard. Graybill’s men don’t know they’re in for – a fight against elite soldiers. When he finds out… Then it’s time to get out of here. Coin I set aside should be enough to start afresh, somewhere far, far away. Maecht seems like a good direction.