Scene 15

“I take it you are the man claiming to be Lord Swill’s nephew?” I said to the man at the door.

“A necessary ruse,” he said to me, “in order to establish myself to the townspeople.”

“And why did you need to do that, to take over the town?”

“I have no interest in this town,” he answered. “As soon as I am done here, I will leave it to its fate.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Why, to eliminate you. It is all part of the Emperor’s plan to conquer this world. I was told to wait for one calling himself Dove and eliminate him.” He paused and examined me closely. “It’s amazing. You look so much like the King’s champion, yet you are obviously not him.”

“What makes you think I am not him?”

He laughed at my question. “Because although you look much like Sir David, the Guardian Dove, you do not act like him at all.”

Sir David must be my counterpart on this world, I thought to myself. “Why are you looking for me?” I asked.

“The Emperor received a warning from one of his advisors that you would try to stop his plans. He placed me here to intercept you and any allies you may have.”

“That’s why you imprisoned me,” Steven said.

“Yes indeed, Wizard,” our captor replied. “Imagine my surprise when my guards told me that a man had arrived looking for a Mr. Dove. I knew that it was only a matter of time before the one called Dove would arrive. Your asking questions in the town only served as bait to lure him to the tower.”

“I’m sorry, David,” Steven said to me. “I should have thought of that.”

“You had no way to know Steven. What happens now?” I asked our captor.

“You spend the night here and in the morning you will be executed.” He stepped aside and suddenly a plate slid under the door. The plate contained scraps of stale bread. Our captor again looked through the window. “Enjoy your meal gentlemen. It will be your last.”