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Radzig Kobyla needed a new horse. He heard that the best animals far and wide were in Merhojed and so he went there.
"I heard you have an excellent charger for sale. I would like to buy it. How much does it cost?"
Johann, the owner of the stable, rubbed his hands nervously. "Sir, I had a stallion like that, it was really an outstanding animal."
"Do I hear a past tense?"
"Just yesterday, a young man bought it. He paid fair and square. The whole two thousand groschen! And he left me his old horse. It's old and ugly, but who knows, someone might buy it, eventually."
Radzig looked at the dapple gray gelding and his growing suspicion turned to certainty. He would know the horse anywhere.
"The young man introduced himself to you as Henry of Skalitz, didn't he?"
"So he did, sir. I'm so sorry. If only I knew you were interested, I certainly wouldn't sell it! But business is business and he paid for everything right away, so…" Johann threw up his hands helplessly. "But look, sir, do you see the white stallion there? That is Binky, also an excellent animal. Only eighteen hundred groschen," he added hopefully.
Radzig just raised an eyebrow. "My good man, you don't expect me to settle for something second-rate, do you? Both Neuhof and Uzhitz also have chargers to buy. I'll look there. Besides, the dignity of a nobleman would suffer greatly if he called his horse ‘Binky’." He preferred to remain silent about the name of his previous horse. Another thing bothered him: Where in the world did his son get so much money?
When he returned to Rattay, he ordered Janek and Jaroslav to send Henry to him as soon as he appears at the castle. Before he could finish, there was a clatter of hooves and Henry, covered in dust, rode into the courtyard on a white stallion. Radzig felt a sharp sting of envy, but quickly suppressed it.
"Henry!" he called sternly, "as soon as you wash and change clothes, I am awaiting you in my room!" He did not wait for an answer, instead he turned and headed inside to refresh himself after his journey.
He barely had time to finish. The moment he sat down and poured himself a glass of wine, he heard a faint knock. Then Henry entered the room dressed only in his trousers and shirt, his hair still wet. He most likely just pluged his head into the tub in the courtyard, as he was want to do. Radzig left his son standing and measured him seriously. Henry returned his gaze somewhat uncertainly, he probably had no idea why he was standing here.
"Nice horse, Hal," began Radzig, "new, isn't it? I haven't seen you with it yet."
Henry visibly relaxed. "Yes, I only bought him yesterday. You wouldn't believe how fast he is! I left Sir Capon biting the dust and won our bet." His son laughed happily. "Cost me a huge pile of groschen too! But I don't regret it at all. Pebbles is like a lame goat compared to him. Even though, I went through a lot with that old nag, that's true…" An absent expression appeared on Henry's face, as if he was remembering something.
Radzig cleared his throat meaningfully. "I'd like to stop here, Henry. I heard it was really a great sum and I am quite interested in where and how you got such money?"
"Heard it where?" asked his son tensely. "What is it to anybody with what I buy my horses," he muttered, barely audible.
"How I discovered it is not important. However, the origin of that money needs to be clarified."
Henry frowned for a moment, running his hands through his hair and looking everywhere but at him. Then, suddenly, he looked him straight in the eye with a frightened expression. "You think I stole the money, don't you?" he blurted out. "It's not like that at all, I swear!"
"All right, son, I believe you. But then there is no reason for not telling me everything, is there?" Radzig pointed to a chair next to him and motioned for Henry to sit down. The young man collapsed carelessly into it (Radzig just rolled his eyes at his son's manners and decided he had to give him some lessons in the near future) and then, with his eyes fixed on Rack's right ear, he started talking:
"Do you remember how captain Bernard had problems with the bandits?" Radzig nodded. "So, he asked me if I could help him. And then there were the Cuman camps where I went for Sir Robard. And somehow the custodian from the Sasau monastery heard about it and also sent me to a few places. All three paid me for, um, trophies and proofs that I got rid of the bandits."
"Well, I understand that. It was very brave of you and, might I add, also terribly stupid that you handled all the bandits yourself. But you can't earn two thousand groschen just for the ears of some outlaws."
Henry shuffled his feet. "Yes, well, you can't. There was one more thing."
Radzig straightened and listened intently. He felt they had finally gotten to the heart of the matter.
"When I killed everyone in the very first camp, I noticed that some of them had quite nice things – clothes and weapons and such. Better than I did, anyway. And so I thought they wouldn't need it anymore and I took some of it. And then I was at the tailor's in Rattay, getting some clothes fixed, and I noticed what he was selling and for how much and something occurred to me."
With growing amazement, Radzig listened to his son's tale about how he gradually penetrated the secrets of finances, trading, and bargaining. After a moment he interrupted him:
"Good God, Hal, how much have you sold like that?"
"Well, just a few pieces at first. But then, when everyone got used to it, they wanted to buy more and more from me. So in the end, I always took everything I could and loaded Pebbles until he bent under the weight" replied Henry, blushing slightly.
Radzig just shook his head. "And what did you do with things they didn't want here?"
"I took them to the mill and stored them in a barn. Peshek have always been furious that I was taking up his space. And when he started threatening to throw it all away or sell it himself, I borrowed a cart from Theresa, loaded everything and went to Sasau with it. I took the long way through Merhojed and Samopesh. You'd be surprised what people bought. In Sasau they almost brawled over some things." Henry shrugged. "In the end, everyone was happy."
"I do not deny that. But you had to sell it very cheaply. Who would buy such used things for more than a few groschen?"
"I didn't go only once, you know," said Henry, looking down and studying his shoes.
Radzig rubbed his face, then, suddenly, he laughed. "All right, let's give it a rest! Everything seems to have gone fairly… more or less."
Hearing Radzig's laughter, Henry raised his head and dared to ask: "May I ask how you found out how much the horse cost?"
"You may now. Today, I went to Merhojed with the intention of getting the best horse in the region and I found out that someone have beaten me to it," replied Radzig, still smiling. Henry's story actually amused him a lot and inwardly he praised his son for his resourcefulness.
"Father, if I knew you have wanted him, I would have never taken him from you! If you want him, he's yours." Henry jumped out of his chair.
"No, no, sit down," Radzig reassured him. "You have earned the money for him honestly and he rightfully belongs to you. Should I really want him, I would have to buy him from you. And I am not really sure if I would pay such a huge sum. Two thousand groschen! You know, after they burned down my castle and town and looted the mines, I got a little impoverished." He sighed. "I should be more thrifty. Actually, it is a shame you sold Pebbles. I will probably have to go to Merhojed again. I would say Johann would pay me a good price just to get rid of him." By the end, Radzig laughed again. "Now go. I bet Sir Capon is waiting for you…?"
Henry also laughed and nodded: "I have to collect my winnings."
"I am not going to ask what it will be. Just keep in mind, both of you, what is right and proper."
"Don't worry, father, you know how we are like," replied Henry cheekily, then ran away with a slight bow before Radzig could add anything.
"Scamp," growled Radzig to himself, but there was only love for his son in his tone.
He didn't see Henry at all for the next few days and he was quite worried about him. When his son made himself known again, it was, as usual, in a rather spectacular way. He was having lunch with Hanush in the upper castle and they were enjoying a glass of wine when a guard entered the hall, saying that Henry was waiting downstairs in the courtyard, begging him to go out. Radzig got up and went to the gallery with curious Hanush on his heels. His son sat there on his white stallion, smiling broadly. Next to him stood a second saddled stallion, no less impressive than the first.
"Father," called Henry, smiling. "What do you think? Isn't he great?" Then he grinned even more, and before Radzig could answer, he shouted, "He's called Al-buraq, and he's yours! Aren't you going to try him? I'll wait for you at the coaching inn!" With that, he threw the reins to the groom nearby, spurred his own horse and disappeared through the gate.
Radzig was speachless and just stared at the magnificent animal below.
"What are you waiting for, Radzig," said Hanush and slapped him cheerfully on the back, "you aren't going to pass this, are you?!"
Radzig awoke from his stupor, nodded to Hanush, and headed for the courtyard. And as he ran down the stairs, he wondered how much, for God's sake, Henry had actually earned.