No News is Good News.

1st Malleus, Rowen, 605 AR.

The party was starting to make a home for itself now in Five Fingers. Gaunt was renting a shop from which he could ply his trade. With the patronage of Mr. Kaydor there was a small if steady stream of merchants and lesser nobles coming in to enquire about his goods and service, for he specialised in unique and delicate items of fine craftsmanship, novelties for the rich one might say. The rent was high but he usually made enough to cover it by selling one or two items while repairing others. The shop was on the fourth floor of a largely residential building, the landlady, like all landladies everywhere, was something of a tyrant. Below there was a tailors while the ground floor was occupied by a café, though its food was sometimes questionable. The protection money was paid every month to a gang belonging to Riordan. Though this irked the party there was little thy could do about it, especially if they wished the continued luxury of living.

Aoima began to acquaint herself with more higher class gentlemen and was often seen on the arm of many a wealthy merchant and young lordling eager to be seen with such an educated and wondrous beauty. She also began to spend increasing amounts of time at the Halfmoon Club, rather taken with its owner Nestor, whom she enjoyed polite conversation and occassional flirting with. Viktor who had continued to work as a watchman for various warehouses soon resigned and one day while talking to Vimes in a wine sink saw Tok, greeting his old friend he enquired as to the others of their party, learning that things were going well he followed Tok back to the shop and was once again reacquainted with all his old comrades.

The Druid continued his lectures in the public gardens of the Nobles District and was attracting quite a following amongst the more educated of the area.

Ogrim regularly attended the Cathedral of Morrow to pay visits to his good friend the Cleric who of course was administering to the needy of the city, as well as having to regularly clean and repair the cathedral and churches of the city from regular Thamarite abuse.

Sam Vimes continued to assist the Shankers and apparead in regular street battles, extortion, racketeering and other criminal activities. He impressed Walter so that he was introduced to Walter’s superior, a one Chester Berk. He struck a cord with Chester and was well liked. He had found his place and was enjoying the lifestyle, often drinking and gambling the days away with his gang mates at the Leaky Bucket.

One evening while sitting about the shop, which had acquired a sign out side informing the general public of Guant’s Emporium and a second sign advertising the headquarters of The Reapers Company, the party was drinking and talking after the close of the trading day. There came a knock at the door. Heading over Thalan opened it. There was a gobber there with a set of harnesses and a big white envelope. He asked if they were the Reapers and then finding that they were handed over the letter in return for a silver piece.

The letter informed the party that they were to meet Kaydor the following evening to discuss a rather urgent matter. The party, ever happy to do business with Kaydor and to earn his continued favour and the wealth it might bring decided to attend the meeting. The following day after concluding any outstanding business the party met up at Kaydor’s mansion, weapons were not permitted as per usual. There also seemed to be several more bodyguards walking about the premises than they had previously seen. The reason for this was soon revealed, the party was soon granted entrance to see Kaydor in his office. He was dressed in a very fine eveningwear outfit. It surely must have cost 500 crowns at least. Turning to them having made use of a mirror to do up his bow-tie, Kaydor informed them in a rather angry mood that the needed to slanderous pamphleteers silenced, and silenced in a discrete way. He informed them that these vile jealous and slanderous dogs were muddying his good name with vile rumours of criminal activity and witchcraft. Not only this but thy cast aspersions to his relationship with the Lady Asenath Sacrrow. The Lady was indeed a friend of his and often a business associate, but nothing more, certainly not the filth that these writers were spreading. He promised them 750 crowns apiece to take care of the matter and persuade the authors of these lies to stop. The party discussed it for a little while, there was concern over having to kill them but if they could be intimidated or injured slightly then they were sure that would do. The took the job. Thanking them greatly he told them that his Butler had all the details in a file and that he would see to the matter for now. Bidding them good evening he accompanied them out. Entering from the front door was a woman, tall and raven haired, an image of beauty and refinement clothed in a scandalously low cut, clinging and lkeg revealing purple and black silk dress. This was the Lady Asenath Scarrow whom Kaydor was accompanying to the Opera that night. Greeting the party she proceeded to thank them for helping Mr Kaydor and mentioned that she had heard much about them over the last week or two. She hoped that she too might find some use for their skills in the future. Guant was pleased by this prospect for she was not only attractive but rich and had connections throughout the city. The party then proceeded to help Thalan put his tongue back in his mouth and lift his jaw from the tiled floor where it had been quite happily resting at the sight of Miss Scarrow. His hear beat for joy at here mere presence, he had seen an image of pure beauty and was forever changed. The Butler handed the file over to the party as they left. It turned out that the printers of the pamphlets were located on Crab Beggar Island, a horrible poor rundown seedy little backwater of the city. Thus an ideal place to set up relatively unnoticed for nobody cared about the place and its inbred locals.

The next day having breakfeasted well, and having to listen to Thalan drone on about the wonderful Asenath Scarrow, the party chartered a boat to take them to Crab Beggar Island. The ships owner was surprised by their choice of destination but it was their money and their time so why not. Vikto had required some convinving to take the job on but after being told the people were evil and doing bad things he quickly gave in.

The arrived on the rather dingy and downtrodden island. The locals much resembeld tgheir surroundings., depressed and rather gray. Paying the boatman and telling him to wait for them the party headed into the rats nest of streets and allyes that criss crossed the poorest of the cities islands. The locals responded to a flas of silver and gold and were quick to inform the party as to the location of the printers. They were located in a basement below a small block of apartments. The stairs lead down to a rather well reinforced metal door. This was qucikly dealt with by Ogrim who delivered a few well placed kicks and blows with his mighty shoulder and iron clad boots. Entering the printing works they at first found what appeared to be an office come living area, desks chairs and cots mingled amongst the vast sheaves of paper with hasitly inscribed notes and broadsheet layout plans. Other than that the room was empty. The party proceeded to the next door, lcated to their left. Thalan, Viktor and Ogrim opened the door with a bit of effort and entered the second room, the other began to leaft through the chests and draws in the office. The second room was filled by a large clockwork contraption, no doubt the printing device itself, and all the other assorted paraphanalia. The entered and began to search, quickly noticng two rather cowardly looking printers hiofing in the corner, billy clubs ready to defend themselves. An almighty boom then filld their ears. Jagged pieces of metal smacked into Gesira and Viktor, knocking them forwards. Looking behinf them they saw that the third printer had hidden on a ledge above the door and hand unloaded a blunderbuss into them, fortunately their greatcoats saved them form any real harm except a few bruises and scratches. Thalan in his hurry fired and missed while Viktor swung up his warhammer ctahcing the fellow in the leg and bringing him to ground level. A few kicks later and he was out of it. The other two printer spurred on by their friend's actions launched at the party but were quickly sundued. Ogrim, Tok and Gaunt quickly got to work on dismantling the press, searching for any useful parts. Thalan continued his investigations into their files. Unbeknonst to them Vikto had taken the blunderbus man outside into the office. Having regained conciousness he bit Viktors leg and made a break for the door. Viktor was fatser and caved in the mans skull, ending his journalistic career. Proceeding to the press room where the others were bound he used mekanics torch to heat up the head of his warhammer, convinently emblazoned with a Menofix. He them proceeded to brand the nefarious types, much to the dismay of the others party members.

Having concluded their work the party left the back up the stairs, where they met an old lady, carrying an umbrella, none felt inclined to tangle with the crone who proceeded to give them a verbal bashing on all the noise they were making. They got back in their boat and returned to the nicer parts of th city. The following day they went to see Mr Kaydor who paid them accordingly, and promised them more work in the future.