Three gatherings

No one had expected the man in charge to actually leave after just a few words.

Partly, he was easily swayed and readily taken in by others' persuasion. Partly, there was nothing wrong with what Kronos had said, and he had more or less understood it.

But the member of the secretarial staff was worried. "Major, surely this won't do? The marquis doesn't like our businesses getting mixed up with shady affairs. Even a temporary compromise is unacceptable."

Kronos sneered. "Compromise? With the likes of him?"

Then he added, "Speed up the acquisition. The owner has effectively set us up, so there's no need to hold back. Drive the price down as hard as you can, then convert the place to my specifications as soon as possible."

This had been a transport company to begin with. It had no factory, but it did have several large, interconnected warehouses. There was no need to tear them down and rebuild; knocking through the walls would be enough to turn them into several production workshops.

With that, Kronos turned and left. He was actually rather dissatisfied with this secretary for making a decision without first investigating things thoroughly.

Inspecting the factory had taken twenty minutes, while the round trip had taken two hours. Kronos felt he had lost out badly.

On the way home, Kronos thought about the Black Skull Gang.

If the Grizzly Bear Bar couldn't help him finish digesting his potion, the Black Skull Gang would be a good alternative. He could storm their doorstep and give them a warning. That would be a genuine fight for his life, so the results should be excellent.

But it would require a great deal of preparation. A gang like that was bound to have guns, and if they also had a Sequence 7 Beyonder, he might not be able to handle them. He would need support from the family then. If necessary, he could bring Marquis Argyle along to keep things under control.

Still, those were options for later. Ideally, he would finish digesting his potion safely at the Grizzly Bear Bar, in which case he could simply have Marquis Argyle issue a warning.

At ten that evening, Kronos arrived at the Grizzly Bear Bar right on time again.

This time, Violent Bear came over to welcome him personally. "Hahaha, Brother Klein, you're here! I've prepared a surprise for you!"

Kronos responded just as warmly. "Brother Violent Bear, I'm looking forward to your surprise."

"Didn't you say last time that you wanted to join some small circles of Beyonders?" Since this involved secrets, Violent Bear lowered his voice considerably.

"I know plenty of circles, but only three are reliable. There's only one I can introduce you to directly. I've asked the organizers of the other two as well."

"One has already agreed, but there hasn't been enough time for the other to reply yet. So I can give you information on two circles today."

Kronos was surprised. Violent Bear really was well connected.

"The first gathering, the one I can introduce you to directly, is fairly low-level. Most of the people there are around Sequence 8 or Sequence 9. Its organizer is Mr. Eye of Wisdom. Although the level is low, it's very safe. You can also ask Mr. Eye of Wisdom to act as a notary, so you're unlikely to get cheated."

"You need to check the Backlund Morning Post every day. When an advertisement for the Ernst Trading Company purchasing goods appears on page five, it means there'll be a gathering at eight the following evening. I'll take you to the location in a bit. The strength and spacing of your knocks depend on the quoted price: the first digit gives the number of hard knocks, the second the soft knocks, the third the long intervals, and the fourth the short intervals. Any digits after that don't matter. Just say Violent Bear sent you."

"The second gathering is much higher-level. It's organized by a Mr. A, who's at least Sequence 6. But its members are a mixed bunch, both good and bad. Your safety is guaranteed during the gathering, but once you leave, that's another matter."

"The address is 37 Green Park Street in the West Borough. Whenever a missing-person notice appears in the Tussock Newspaper offering a reward of 537 pounds and 6 soli, you can go there at eight the following evening. Again, say I sent you."

Kronos truly hadn't expected Violent Bear to introduce him to both of these Backlund gatherings that had appeared in the original novel in one go. It made him even more curious about the third.

"What about the third?"

"The third is the highest-level one, in my opinion." As he spoke, Violent Bear took out a badge. It was only the size of an eyeball, with symbols representing fate and concealment engraved on its front.

"This badge is that circle's emblem. They never call it a gathering or a trading meeting. They simply call it a fencing fair. Before each one, this badge vibrates and sends out a message with the time and place."

"The fencing fair is always held outdoors, out in the wilderness. Everyone can pick a spot and set up a stall to sell things, or just browse other people's stalls. Whether you can tell the real goods from the fakes is up to your own abilities."

The name and style gave Kronos a fairly solid idea of what it was.

This was clearly an organization of the Marauder Pathway, and its organizer wasn't low-Sequence. As it happened, Backlund did have such an organization, called the Hermits of Fate.

It was a truly unfortunate organization, made up of descendants of the Jacob Family and the Zoroast Family, along with other Beyonders of the Error Pathway. Perhaps they had initially intended to fight Amon, but after taking enough brutal beatings from reality, their aim had become avoiding him instead.

It had been mentioned several times in the original novel. The Tarot Club's Mr. Star, Leonard Mitchell, could participate because he was hosting a parasite-Pallez Zoroaster, an angel of the Error Pathway.

This fencing fair was probably a lower-level gathering affiliated with the Hermits of Fate. Kronos was quite interested in it, since Beyonder items of the Marauder Pathway were hard to find, while the fencing fair or the Hermits of Fate were certain to have some.

So Kronos asked, "When might this fencing fair give us an answer?"

"That's hard to say. They don't hold them often, usually just once every two or three months. The last one was two months ago. If they agree, I'll hold on to the badge for you and give it to you when I see you." Violent Bear understood the rules well and didn't ask where Kronos lived.

"Sure, no problem." Someone who understood boundaries like that was pleasant to deal with.

Having finished discussing the gatherings, the two began chatting. "Brother Klein, do you want another fight today? Shall I arrange one for you?"

Rather than answering directly, Kronos asked, "How many Beyonders are usually in the bar?"

Violent Bear thought for a moment, then said, "Among the staff, there's me and two of my brothers. As for customers, usually three or four. Plenty more have visited, but most only came once."

"I'd like to spar with all the Beyonders. Just sparring, stopping short of any real harm. I can also pay them to spar with me. Could you help get in touch with them and discuss it, Brother Violent Bear?" Kronos explained what he wanted.

Violent Bear was rather surprised. In all his years running the bar, he had never encountered a request like this.

"No problem. Everyone here, myself included, is willing. I'll have to talk to the others. I also know a few friends who are official Beyonders. If you don't mind, I can contact them too."

Kronos hadn't expected Violent Bear to agree so readily. "Of course I don't mind. The more, the better. The price doesn't matter. You can decide."

Violent Bear was now utterly certain that this "Klein" was a man with no shortage of money. "It doesn't need to be much. Fifty pounds a fight-no one would turn that down."

"That's nothing. But please contact them as soon as possible. I'll be leaving Backlund for a while in May, so ideally, you'll have contacted everyone before then."

"No problem. So, do you want to fight today? There are several choices in the bar right now," Violent Bear asked directly.

Without a word, Kronos took out his wallet, pulled out a stack of notes worth at least two hundred pounds, and pressed it into Violent Bear's hand. Then he gestured for him to go ahead.

"What a rich man," Violent Bear muttered as he left his seat to make the arrangements for Kronos.

Generally, Beyonder fights came last, so Violent Bear was in no hurry. He started with some polite conversation before getting down to business.

Violent Bear returned when it was nearly midnight.

"I've spoken with everyone here. You can have one fight today, and you should be able to get a fight each time you visit after this, since these people are regulars. Even if no one else is here that day, there are still the three of us from the bar. As for my other friends, I'll contact them tomorrow and arrange times."

Kronos smiled. "You really are reliable. I'll do my best to come every day. If I can't make it, I'll send someone to let you know in advance. If that means I miss an appointment with anyone, give them some compensation for me and arrange another time."

"As for the money, this is all the cash I brought today. I imagine you're not fond of checks and the like, so I'll bring you more tomorrow. If it's not enough, just tell me. If there's any left over, keep it at the bar to cover my drinks."

It wasn't just Kronos's money. Violent Bear also appreciated his generous, straightforward way of handling things.

"No problem. I'll make sure everything is properly arranged. You'd better get ready for your fight. You can work out your opponent's pathway and Sequence for yourself."

With that, Violent Bear smiled and headed toward the back of the bar.

Before long, once the boxing match in the ring had ended, Kronos stepped into it of his own accord, though he still had no idea who his opponent would be.

He didn't need to ask. A small, skinny man stepped into the ring. Judging by his clothes, he was probably of modest means, and his build ruled out several pathways.

The man had no intention of introducing himself. He attacked decisively, moving so fast that he was almost upon Kronos before Kronos could react.

Kronos hurriedly responded, but only just managed to evade his opponent's attack. His opponent followed with several more strikes in quick succession, leaving Kronos scrambling desperately.

Against such overwhelming speed, the little hand-to-hand combat training Kronos had received was utterly useless.