Jon Chess sat in the Pig & Whistle at his usual table, with a gnome member of the Kirin Tor called Aristides Gearwhacker and his daughter, Gemstone. "It was good of you to see me on such short notice, Mister Chess," said the gone, his white hair and beard unkempt and wild, sticking up in seemingly random directions. His daughter sat quietly, her eyes cast shyly downward.
"Not at all - when Phredaria told me of your need, I made myself available immediately. She is a dear friend and colleague," Chess replied.
"Yes, well... good of you just the same. Not many Tallards... excuse me, Tall People, are so respectful and responsive to our needs," his client said.
"So... if my understanding is correct," Jon said, steering the conversation to the case at hand, "your daughter's pet has gone missing?"
"That is correct. I was here attending a seminar at Stormwind University, and Gema was in our inn room, playing, and when I came home, the beast was missing!" said Aristides.
"So really, Gemstone here is the client?" Chess aid, speaking gently. "Miss Gemstone, can you describe your pet to me?" Jon took out a sketchpad and a charcoal pencil and waited.
"His name is Topsyturvy, but i call her Topsy for short," the little gnome said hesitantly, unused to having attention focused on her. "Papa made him for me, and he's a squirrel, only bigger... yes, like that, except he has a beaver tail instead of a fluffy one. And he has deer antlers on his head, but smaller because Topsy is smaller. I think he chewed through his cage... he has big beaver teeth, too. Do you think you can find him, Mister Chess?"
Chess shows her the sketch, and her eyes lit up with delight. "That's him, that's perfect!" she exclaimed.
"Well, Miss Gemstone, I can do my best for such a charming client!" Chess exclaimed. Turning to her father, Chess said "Phredaria has taken care of the fees. if I find Topsy, where may I contact you?"
"Oh, just tell Phred -she'll be able to find me. Hopefully, it will be in time for me to sue him as the subject of an anatomy monograph, asIi had planned."
Chess nodded. He noticed that when Aristides mentioned the monograph, his daughter's eyes had started t fill up with tears. "May I see the cage?"
"Of course, of course," said the gnome. "I brought it with me, just in case." The gnome lifted the cage to the table. Jon examined the hole in the cage. The wire mesh appeared to have been chewed apart, the edges bent inward and cleanly cut. Jon nodded once and turned to the gnome child. "Gemstone, i will do my best to see that nothing bad happens to Topsy. Do you believe me?" Gemstone raised her eyes to Chess, and he saw a brief glimmer of understanding and hope dispel her sadness. She nodded once, with conviction. "I think so, Mister Chess."
"I will send you a report soon, then," Jon promised them both.
* * * * *
Jon spoke to the Alison, the innkeeper of the Gilded Rose, where the two of them had been staying. The daughter had indeed been left alone that day, playing in the room. She had entertained a visitor, a local kid named Elliot, the son of Fredrick and Lina Stover, local merchants of gun and boyer equipment. Chess had visited the Stovers, who lived over their shop in theTrade District near the inn. Jon then spent the rest of the day in the sunshine, walking around the Trade and Wizard Districts, questioning people about whether or not they had seen Topsy.
* * * * *
Jon spoke to Phredaria, who had promised to deliver the client report to the Gearwhacker family.
The report read:
To my client, Gemstone Gearwhacker,
I have located your pet Topsyturvy. he had been found by Elliot Stover, who had taken him to the druid Sheldras Moontree, who has promised to take good care of him for the rest of his life. Topsy is being well-taken care of, although the druid was quite angry that someone had created him with magic; druids feel that everything should be allowed it's natural form. However, Topsy is well-loved by the druid and his friends, as they do not blame the animal for what was done to him.
Sheldras as assured me that you would be welcome to visit Topsy any time, as the druid is sure that Tosy loves and misses you. And druids are never wrong!
If your father thinks it might be unwise for him to accompany you, know that I will be happy to take you there for visits.
Sincerely,
Jon Chess
Private Investigator
Allied Detective Service"
Phred smirked at Chess as she read and re-rolled the scroll for delivery. "OK, Jonny... I read your report. Horse dooky. What really happened?"
"Well, it is true, as far as it goes.. Gemstone hated the idea of her father dissecting her pet for his monograph, so she gave the pet to her friend Elliot. Then she cut the hole in the cage herself, and told her father he had escaped," Chess informed his friend. "I knew the cage had not been chewed - the cuts were clean, and the hole was too small for his head, with all those antlers. So I tracked down Elliot, whose parents had been quite angry about such a strange pet. Sheldras has been after me for years to stop poisoning the Old Town rat population, so I made him a deal - I don't poison any more rats, he takes good care of Topsy. Everyone goes home happy, especially after I donated some gold to help defray the costs."
Phredaria smiled at her friend. "Light, Jonny, you are such a sucker!"
"Phred, any gnome girl that cute with that big a heart - also like you, darlin' - deserves to have me eating out of her hand," said Chess.
"It isn't your hand I want you to eat out of..." Phred mumbled to herself.
"What"" Chess asked.
"Nothing..." Phredaria said, smiling.
"Not at all - when Phredaria told me of your need, I made myself available immediately. She is a dear friend and colleague," Chess replied.
"Yes, well... good of you just the same. Not many Tallards... excuse me, Tall People, are so respectful and responsive to our needs," his client said.
"So... if my understanding is correct," Jon said, steering the conversation to the case at hand, "your daughter's pet has gone missing?"
"That is correct. I was here attending a seminar at Stormwind University, and Gema was in our inn room, playing, and when I came home, the beast was missing!" said Aristides.
"So really, Gemstone here is the client?" Chess aid, speaking gently. "Miss Gemstone, can you describe your pet to me?" Jon took out a sketchpad and a charcoal pencil and waited.
"His name is Topsyturvy, but i call her Topsy for short," the little gnome said hesitantly, unused to having attention focused on her. "Papa made him for me, and he's a squirrel, only bigger... yes, like that, except he has a beaver tail instead of a fluffy one. And he has deer antlers on his head, but smaller because Topsy is smaller. I think he chewed through his cage... he has big beaver teeth, too. Do you think you can find him, Mister Chess?"
Chess shows her the sketch, and her eyes lit up with delight. "That's him, that's perfect!" she exclaimed.
"Well, Miss Gemstone, I can do my best for such a charming client!" Chess exclaimed. Turning to her father, Chess said "Phredaria has taken care of the fees. if I find Topsy, where may I contact you?"
"Oh, just tell Phred -she'll be able to find me. Hopefully, it will be in time for me to sue him as the subject of an anatomy monograph, asIi had planned."
Chess nodded. He noticed that when Aristides mentioned the monograph, his daughter's eyes had started t fill up with tears. "May I see the cage?"
"Of course, of course," said the gnome. "I brought it with me, just in case." The gnome lifted the cage to the table. Jon examined the hole in the cage. The wire mesh appeared to have been chewed apart, the edges bent inward and cleanly cut. Jon nodded once and turned to the gnome child. "Gemstone, i will do my best to see that nothing bad happens to Topsy. Do you believe me?" Gemstone raised her eyes to Chess, and he saw a brief glimmer of understanding and hope dispel her sadness. She nodded once, with conviction. "I think so, Mister Chess."
"I will send you a report soon, then," Jon promised them both.
* * * * *
Jon spoke to the Alison, the innkeeper of the Gilded Rose, where the two of them had been staying. The daughter had indeed been left alone that day, playing in the room. She had entertained a visitor, a local kid named Elliot, the son of Fredrick and Lina Stover, local merchants of gun and boyer equipment. Chess had visited the Stovers, who lived over their shop in theTrade District near the inn. Jon then spent the rest of the day in the sunshine, walking around the Trade and Wizard Districts, questioning people about whether or not they had seen Topsy.
* * * * *
Jon spoke to Phredaria, who had promised to deliver the client report to the Gearwhacker family.
The report read:
To my client, Gemstone Gearwhacker,
I have located your pet Topsyturvy. he had been found by Elliot Stover, who had taken him to the druid Sheldras Moontree, who has promised to take good care of him for the rest of his life. Topsy is being well-taken care of, although the druid was quite angry that someone had created him with magic; druids feel that everything should be allowed it's natural form. However, Topsy is well-loved by the druid and his friends, as they do not blame the animal for what was done to him.
Sheldras as assured me that you would be welcome to visit Topsy any time, as the druid is sure that Tosy loves and misses you. And druids are never wrong!
If your father thinks it might be unwise for him to accompany you, know that I will be happy to take you there for visits.
Sincerely,
Jon Chess
Private Investigator
Allied Detective Service"
Phred smirked at Chess as she read and re-rolled the scroll for delivery. "OK, Jonny... I read your report. Horse dooky. What really happened?"
"Well, it is true, as far as it goes.. Gemstone hated the idea of her father dissecting her pet for his monograph, so she gave the pet to her friend Elliot. Then she cut the hole in the cage herself, and told her father he had escaped," Chess informed his friend. "I knew the cage had not been chewed - the cuts were clean, and the hole was too small for his head, with all those antlers. So I tracked down Elliot, whose parents had been quite angry about such a strange pet. Sheldras has been after me for years to stop poisoning the Old Town rat population, so I made him a deal - I don't poison any more rats, he takes good care of Topsy. Everyone goes home happy, especially after I donated some gold to help defray the costs."
Phredaria smiled at her friend. "Light, Jonny, you are such a sucker!"
"Phred, any gnome girl that cute with that big a heart - also like you, darlin' - deserves to have me eating out of her hand," said Chess.
"It isn't your hand I want you to eat out of..." Phred mumbled to herself.
"What"" Chess asked.
"Nothing..." Phredaria said, smiling.
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