[Earendil Halfelven]

He had just left the Council building after yet another meeting of the council members. The old fools, he thought. The rediculous legislation they propose to pass against the corsair population was the just the thing he needed.
Let them pass those restrictions. They'll have no problem from me.

His carriage was waiting as he stepped outside. He inhaled the deep sea air as it wafted over from the harbor. How he longed to return to the sea, with the waves around him, the sails full of wind, the ship cruising through the surf to unkown destinations. He yearned to hear the call from the crow's nest of "Ship off the port bow!" He would then give the order to "raise the black flag-prepare to board" as his men drew their swords and notched their bows with arrows. But, unfortunately, he was stuck within Umbar; stuck on dry land.

At least it is for a good cause-the welfare of his people and their freedom from Gondor. Hopefully, he would see the ocean before his time had ended.

He stepped aboard his carriage, which was driven by his personal driver, a trusted corsair. The driver stepped off and handed him a note, which was sealed and not addressed to anyone, nor did it say who it was from. As the carriage started for home, he opened it and read-

It failed.

Jythralo frowned. How could those fools fail to kidnap the boy? Could they not do something as simple as kidnapping someone? Apparently not. His mind went deep into thought as he slowly tore the note into tiny shreds. When its message was no longer discernible, he dropped the shreds outside the window into the breeze. A new plan began to formulate inside his mind...

When they arrived at his home, he stepped outside. He looked up at the driver and said,"Bring me Acacia."
____________________________________________

He was waiting in his office, as usual, when there was a light knock at the door.
"Enter," he said and in stepped Acacia.

Without a word, she sat down in the chair opposite him. He began-
"As you know, Jurex and Adgar failed."

Acacia opened her mouth to say something, but Jythralo held up his hand. "I know what your going to say. That's why I'm giving you this assignment instead of them."

Jythralo smiled as he continued. "As you know, you have, shall I say, exceptional, looks." Acacia smiled and nodded. "I know," she said.
"You have looks men would do anything for, perhaps die for." He paused. Acacia raised an eyebrow. She was definately interested.

"Pick an inn, any inn. Take two men with you. Use the advantage you have, and make a Gondorian die for those looks."

"What are the two men for?" she asked.

"They will help the Gondorian die for you. I do not want you in the fight that follows. I want you to stay the innocent bystander. Do not get involved and make sure the two men, whomever you choose, act as if they don't know you and that they know that they need to escape afterwards. Also, the witnesses of the fight need to know that the two men are corsairs. That is the most important detail. Understand?"

"Fully," Acacia answered.

"Go."

Acacia quietly shut the door and left Jythralo to his own thoughts. Was she thinking why he wanted two corsairs to kill a Gondorian? Wouldn't that just make the council members more anti-corsair? Of course it would...and that is what he wanted.

He smiled to himself. It didn't really bother him that some innocent man was going to die. A few lives was a small price to pay. Well, now that he thought about it, several lives was a small price to pay.
Jythralo grabbed a few sheets of paper and began preparing a few words for the emergency council meeting that would be called in result of the murder.

There was another knock at the door and in entered a servant.
"Can I get you anything, sir?"

"Yes. How about a...a big mug of ale. That would do just fine. And, get me Jurex and Adgar." As an afterthought, he added,"And get yourself an ale also. You look like you could use one."

[ November 05, 2003: Message edited by: Earendil Halfelven ]