Something Wild (Child of the Winter Moon Book 1)

35: A Play's the Thing

Priscilla's face lit up upon seeing Juray walk into her room with Geralt.

"Juray!" she cried. "I heard what happened. I'm glad you are unscathed."

"I wasn't unscathed, but we're not here about me."

"Oh?"

"Remember me telling you that Triss had an idea on how to free Jaskier and that we needed to find Dudu in order to do it?"

"Yes, but you never told me this plan."

"Our doppler friend will assume Menge's form, order Jaskier moved to Oxenfurt. We can grab him on the way."

"Brilliant, but how do you aim to find Dudu?"

"You're his friend. Any idea where he might be hiding?"

"I think it would be more as whom than where," Juray said. "I can sense him well enough, but Novigrad isn't small and we haven't the time for me to search the city block by block."

"Juray's right. In the past, facing trouble, he'd disappear, then reappear on the morrow as someone else. But this time...? This time he hasn't returned."

"And for good reason. No doubt he saw what happened to Chapple."

Priscilla nodded.

"We need to convince Dudu to reveal himself," Geralt said. "Any friends we could leave a message with, someone he trusts...?"

"Jaskier, Irina Renard's troupe... that's all, really. I'm not certain he was friendly with anyone else. Spent dawn to dusk with the troupe, on stage or in the crowd..."

"So he liked going to the mummings...?"

"Yes. I'm actually surprised he didn't come to us after it all happened. He certainly could've counted on the foxen's help..."

"So if these mummers are ready to help..."

"We need only mention Dudu. Irina and company are deeply indebted to him."

"So a play's the thing," Juray said. "We can work a message to Dudu into something. Lure him out of hiding that way."

"Not a bad idea, but I doubt a few lines would suffice. Besides, do you really think Dudu whiles away his days attending mummings he knows by heart?"

"Then we need a new play."

"Juray, you are a genius! We must write an entire new play, from scratch. Something grand, something that will grab Dudu's attention. So most importantly, it must have a splendid title. It must be the talk of the town. If you wish, we can start on it right away."

"That would be your job." Juray motioned between herself and Geralt. "We're obviously not gifted in the arts, especially not in the written word."

"Great! Any ideas for the plot?"

"Actually, I was hopin'..." Geralt began.

"The key is to convince Dudu that he can rely on you. And that we wish to free Jaskier. The message must be clear, though naturally woven into the play's dramaturgical essence, meaning we need an appropriate dramatic structure. Following along?"

Geralt had a confused look on his face.

"More or less," Juray responded, seeming to grasp the concept a bit better than her fellow Witcher.