Dem Bones, Dem Bones
Copyright© 2012 by normist
Chapter 5: A simple denouement
Five minutes later, we joined Sir Randolph outside the tent as the men shuffled around nearby. Sir Randolph addressed them.
"I think I may have misled you somewhat earlier. Sir Robert came here at my request for help after I returned to find our bones had disappeared. You may be interested to know, he is the personal investigator of the Governor-General of New England. He is also a Master of The Magicians Institute,"
The assembled men suddenly looked somewhat sheepish. I turned to Sir Randolph and said, "Would you be so kind as to show me where the bones were stored?"
"Of course!" and he led me to a spot about forty yards away from the dig site excavation.
Apart from a slight scuffing of the surface sand, there was no trace to show how the area had been used. I withdrew my wand and tested the area for traces of magic. There were none. We then returned past the excavation to where the spoil was stored. I noticed one man walking alongside of Sarah, and decided to use my increasing psychic connection to her to hear their conversation.
"What's goin' to 'appen to us, m'lady?"
"That depends largely on whether the bones are recovered. It also depends upon who is to blame for their disappearance."
"They're all 'ere!" he said "And as for blame, it's Sir Randolph! He's to blame for all this."
"How do you mean?" asked Sarah.
"It's like this m'lady." He said, "Sir Randolph's to blame for this. It was 'im what said them bones were beyond price.
I lost the connection as we approached the spoil. The other workers were displaying apprehension in varying degrees. The worker with the least worried face was the foreman, Todd.
As we reached the spoil, I said in a loud voice, so that all could hear. "I know now who is to blame for the disappearance of your beast."
"Who?" asked Sir Randolph, almost explosively?
"Why you are responsible for the disappearance, Sir!" I replied struggling hard not to grin as I told him. "What value did you put upon the bones?"
I could see the wheels revolving slowly in his head as he tried to recall what he had said.
He muttered, "I think I said that the bones were beyond price."
"And what did you mean by the phrase 'beyond price'?" I said plainly, so all could hear.
"What? Why I meant just that. and no more."