Last Words of the Vile Scribe | Glowfic Constellation

There is some muttered debate, but no one here has been to Lastwall or really knows for sure what their censorship laws are like. Someone remarks that they should probably find out soon, what with the new law.

Grinning at the knowledge that he's caused one final argument, the young man who was once a Vile Scribe slips away from the group.

It is now fleeing the country time. Those last few pamphlets were probably legal, and the wizard could just scry him and send a team, but there's some countries out there, but still. Better to be in another country with different laws, than staying put and just hoping for the best. Maybe Absalom, take these skills to the center of the world. Or maybe the River Kingdoms, he hears there's a "free city" there where they have permanent freedom of the pen.

Halfway to the river, a sudden realization: the "fleeing the country" pouch of coins is gone, having been spent on frantic last minute printing. Passage on a riverboat is expensive, and that's just to get to a port city. Passage on a ship will be even worse. Time for a less ambitious plan, heading for the nearest gate and making the trek to Andoran. Which is actually possible now, thanks to freedom of map.

The flurry of activity drew attention from some people who are good at having their attention drawn, and who weren't busy like they had been this morning.

Pol was the one who checked, and saw the Scribe's face during the lunch break. So he's the one who goes and tries to tail him an hour later.

Kid's not bad at getting through the streets but he doesn't know how to lose a tail who's actually trying. Even with the changes of direction Pol catches up with him well before he gets to the walls.

He'll sidle up to him suddenly out of a side alley, in the kind of way that makes it pretty clear it could have been an ambush and wasn't.

"Where you headed now, kid?", he'll ask conversationally.

He jumps and makes as if to run, but no. That isn't how this goes. There's already a plan for how this goes, settled on at the start of this whole thing. Something like 'So, you’ve finally found me. But, one question for you… which one are you bringing me in for? Can you explain which part exactly it was...' With the pen-brandishing pose and everything.

Except this really doesn't look like the guard or the pamphleteer eating wizards. So, "Who's asking? Whatsit to you?"

He's maybe a little bit a guard, but he's definitely not the City Guard.

"Relax. I'm not with the law, and if I was this would have been a lot less friendly. I work for the Lady Mayor. She's a fan, obviously."

He's onto whatever trick this is. Everyone knows the new lord mayor is a man. Unimposing, mostly just cared about repairing the bridges, ran off to Absalom or something after the riots. If there was time, his pamphlet would be one about the Pharoj of Osirion hiring an architect to repair a ruin, but getting scared off by his own hired workers. Maybe they chased him away because they thought he was a mummy, because he was in the wrong part of the ruin, that sounds right.

Wait, he means the lady mayor of Kintargo, notable figure in the convention and on the streets. Her pamphlet is an obvious one. Absalomio, mayor of Absalom, shows up to a random city and holds court, settling grievances and sending guards to patrol. Until Simplicio points out that he's in the wrong city. Is that the punchline, or does Absalomio explain that he's actually such a good mayor that he's the mayor of every city he visits.

"Is she now? A fan? I'd send an autographed copy, except I think that's illegal now."

"Maybe when she finds the real first one, she'll ask. Where are you planning on being, when she gets around to it?"

Okay very flattering that someone's information network already caught that little aside in Principles and is actually following up on it. He knew eventually at least one person would get it and follow up, but that was fast. Scary too, actually seeing some results. Poking the movers and shakers enough that they poke back.

"It might be harder to find than I was. I'm planning on being... well the plan was for no one to know the answer to that question."

Another look behind him, checking for escape routes, and whether this noble guard has any friends nearby.

"If you were sensible, the plan was passage on a ship. Since I overheard you holding court in the cafe and then saw you start toward the docks... Well, it doesn't matter, does it. ...Lady Bainilus has a lot of writers on her staff. She says it's the only sensible way to run a city, having clever people say something more real than a proclamation and getting it passed around in bars and cafes."

"The bought pen, illegitimate younger brother of the free pen. Sounds like a sensible tool, useful for sensible people."

"She doesn't think pamphlets are dead for good. Give them a month, and Westcrown will calm down and be ready for interesting things again. You could lay low out in a village for a month, look back in and try again."

He actually pauses to ponder a moment, at that. Then laughs nervously. "Perhaps I was hasty with the dramatic finale and farewell, if that's true. Can't exactly bring the vile scribe back, especially not after a such a good finale."

"The sun sets on the free pen, the curtains begin to close. One final monologue, and then the trapdoor opens and the lead player falls. Really, it'd work better if you were unfriendly, and this was the last of me. But the good thing about a pen name is, I can kill it and keep my own head, see?"

"Hey, I'm not going to knock showing off. Fun even when it's not useful. But if you want to die for a better show I think you've gotten some new form of Shelynite crazy. ...The new Lord Mayor is gonna be. Unfriendly, that is. You don't have to leave town, but you've definitely gotta lay low if you don't."

“Mad, perhaps, but I am no Shelynite. Firm believer in getting away with it. Hence the fleeing the country. Everyone thinking the Vile Scribe died or disappeared, but actually, he is living off his profits in Absalom, there’s an even better ending. Except for the part where I instead spent all my profits on one final print run, the grand finale. Woe, maybe I am a mad Shelynite.”

“What I mean by the pen name has to die is that even if I live, can’t really show my face in Westcrown again. Or it ruins the finale. The Vile Scribe writes his last, shows his hand and reveals the point, disappears… and then comes back a month later? Cringe.”

"...Yeah, I can't argue with that, spoils the joke if you're back. Maybe if you hit a last growth spurt and come back in five years, but no way now. ...I'll skip her ladyship's pitch for you to write new pamphlets next month on her press. If you just want to leave, another city's easier than Andoran. If you want to head to Kintargo, she'll pay your fare. Shensen and the Ravens would like you."

He grins— “I wouldn’t object to being secreted away by a powerful fan, kept hidden in another city until the time is right.”

"Pretty sure you could start writing under a new name the minute you're there. All the good imitation names are taken, though, you'd have to do something else. I don't know, write as Simplicio or some shit."

“I think I could pull that off. A new name, different gimmicks and formats now that I’m done with this one. Do they even have simplicio-fiducia over there, or was that a Westcrown thing?”

"Never seen it before, I think it came from an actual Fiducia writing one taking it seriously. It would be funnier if they did, though."

“Might be. I’ll need to spend a week or two just getting a feel for the pamphlet scene, how different it is from here.”

”Will there be a pamphlet scene in a few weeks? I know the lady mayor is permissive, but I’m not actually clear if the wizards scrying for scribes were Westcrown or just Crown. Or if they even exist at all, anyone can say they have an army of wizards tracking down criminals, just to scare people.”

"Nobody tells me for sure. I'm not sure anyone tells her ladyship either. But my guess is that Westcrown they're worried, because of the convention, and other cities they are not, and ain't bothering. I'm pretty sure I would have heard if there were wizards scrying for illegal pamphlets in Kintargo a month ago, but I also don't remember seeing much that was denouncement lists or other stuff they would have bothered with."

"I'll need some time to decide how careful to play things, in that case. The fact of the matter remains, I still have only one head. Thanks for the answers, and... you did say you were covering the fare to Kintargo? Thanks for that too."