Chapter ONE - Weebly

“James, would you be so kind as to fetch Mister Kaille
an ale? Then you and Peter can join us at the table.”
Adams faced Ethan again. “This way,” he said.
Ethan followed the man to a table by the fireplace
and sat, his back to the far wall. Adams took the seat
across from him and lifted his tankard to his lips with a
trembling hand. Seeing that Ethan had noticed his
tremor, he smiled once more, faintly this time.
“Palsy,” he said. “I’ve been plagued by it all my life,
mild though it is.”
Ethan nodded, not knowing what to say.
A moment later, they were joined by two men. One
of them, a portly man with a broad, heavy face, thin
lips, and somewhat protuberant eyes, carried an extra
ale, which he placed in front of Ethan before sitting
beside him. The other man was as handsome as his
companion was odd-looking. His face was square; his
eyes were brown. He wore his hair long and in a plait,
and he powdered it white.
“Allow me to introduce my friends,” Adams said.
He indicated the portly man with an open hand. “This is
James Otis.” Gesturing toward the other man, he said,