A long, awkward silence followed, and finally Grundoon took a deep breath, and said, “Alright, let’s get this going. Hilde, bring in this attorney. Oskar, do me a favor and go get my wife. Tell her to join us, please.” As Hilde got up from her chair, she made a mental note of how far … Continue reading An Applewood Gallows; Chapter 12

Rackerby von Slothjem’s carriage made splendid time, thanks partly to the crest prominently displayed, and partly to the coordination that Polk had fostered to have fresh horses available at regular intervals. The occupants of the coach spilled out at equally regular intervals; for relief, stretching, and eating. The longest stops were to change the horses, … Continue reading An Applewood Gallows; Chapter 11

Before going to grab a few essential items, Oskar and Hilde made a detour to Army High Command. Belynda went with Trangdor to the inn to get ready, and Rackerby and Dellila were similarly tasked. But for the two siblings, they had an important arrangement to make. Oskar led the way to the Inspector General’s … Continue reading An Applewood Gallows; Chapter 10

There wasn’t much more for the conspirators to discuss, so they bid each other good evening, and went their separate ways. Hilde, Trangdor, and Belynda headed back to their room at the inn. Rackerby walked his secretary to her home, and then headed for his own. Polk still had some work to do and wanted … Continue reading An Applewood Gallows; Chapter 9

Hilde and her crew had very little to do today, while Oskar was taking care of his arrangements and Polk was doing whatever it is that Polk was doing today. Belynda tended to her mistress’ hair, and then they all decided to go out and do some shopping. Trangdor was keen to go along as … Continue reading An Applewood Gallows; Chapter 8

Oskar plotted his moves carefully for the morning as he drifted off to sleep. He would have to choose his words carefully, but he was his father’s son when it came to cautious wordplay. A lifetime of military service and total immersion in the politics of the army hierarchy had readied him for this. It … Continue reading An Applewood Gallows; Chapter 7

A murmur of agreement ran around the table. Sebastien Deckler was the weak link in the chain. Oskar and Hilde were not comfortable confronting their father with mere suspicion, but if they could get solid information from Major Deckler, then they would have something that they could ask their father about. Getting a straight answer … Continue reading An Applewood Gallows; Chapter 6

The sinister quartet arrived at Oskar’s apartment, and were grateful to be out of the cloud-induced chill that was settling in across Jordrakenschloss. Oskar had left his windows closed, and his cat was eager to escape into the night to engage in feline festivities. After meowling plaintively for a few minutes and getting at least … Continue reading An Applewood Gallows; Chapter 5

The outer waiting area of this office was a mirror image to the one next door, but instead of a high little desk with a kobold serving as receptionist, there was a large, low desk with a smiling, middle-aged human female. There were other people waiting here, too, and they seemed to represent a wide … Continue reading An Applewood Gallows; Chapter 4

The sun began intruding into the windows of the Harpy Nest and found the occupants of room 304 still fast asleep. Trangdor was the first to awaken, and he dressed quietly while the women still snoozed. He patted Cinder on the head on his way out the door, and with his newly finished book under … Continue reading An Applewood Gallows; Chapter 3