Alcingeria Volume Three

Chapter Sixteen: The MacGuire Play

Chapter Sixteen The MacGuire Play:

Friday June 22nd 1724

Patrick and Elzabit got into Treigner's Point that afternoon. They parted ways at the train station, a happy, mischievous glint in Elzabit's eyes as she thought of the night before where they had kissed again. They had an agreement to not do anything like that in public. Not yet, at least.

Patrick made his way to the legation, where his father would undoubtedly be expecting him. Sure enough, before he was even visible in the doorframe his father was beckoning him in.

"Shut the door lad, shut the door."

He did as he was told, too anxious to sit down.

"Any developments since your letter?"

"No, father."

Monty looked him up and down. Patrick wasn't sure if he was angry, concerned, about to explode, or all three. To his surprise, he found it was only the second one.

"Ye've got yourself into quite a pickle lad, but I don't think ye'd be needin' me to tell you that."

"No kidding," the young man sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "What should I do, father?"

"If ye break off all contact, Monty's men will come asking questions, and the town's nae that big. In fact, he might have someone watching ye already."

Patrick's heart jumped at this, glad that his father had the foresight to close the shutters.

"I don't think it'd be anyone in the legation," he gulped. "Everyone who's allowed in here is someone trusted by the governor."

"Ye might be right, but with Tanner-Marley ye never can tell."

"So what should I do?"

"Don't worry lad, I've got a plan. Dangerous as it may be for both of us-not to mention our company- I think Mathus may have given us the noose we'll hang him with once and for all, and secure New Horizons a near monopoly on southwest trade."

"Really?" Patrick asked incredulously.

"Aye, but it won't be easy. We'll both be in a lot of danger, but it's nae like we've got much of a choice. Mathus has put us in check, but all it takes is a simple repositioning of our pieces and we can turn the tide of this game."

"I think I understand, but what's your plan?"

"First we have to get him to trust ye, more than he may or may not already. We get ye to feed him bits of information- small and inconsequential at first, but it'll be good information. That's how he'll know you're legit. We can leave him a trail of bait, and when the time is right, we slip the noose around his neck and we hang him high, taking his company with him."

Patrick stood in awe of his father. It was a simple enough plan in theory, but the execution, timing, acting, and the dozens of other things that would go into it would require a lot time, effort, and thought in order to get right.

Patrick didn't know exactly what to do before he got on the train to Taq R'lal, but his father had taken a dismal and bleak situation and turned it to their advantage.

Will I need to learn how to do that when I become head of New Horizons? Will I be able to do everything my father does? He asked himself these questions, not really knowing the answers.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked, feeling his knees start to shake a little.

"Aye, and so are ye. Ye just don't know it yet." He motioned to Harry's shotgun on a rifle holster on his back. "That belonged to Harry?"