Even though they knew that it was coming, the good ponies at Ponyville Trust and Loan were sort of in shock. In spite of that, they handled the count up and stowing of my money in their vault very professionally.
It was another two days of routine buisness, the sort that continues to make me a cynic. It was ponies seeking advantages, injury, illness and general bad fortune for other ponies. All prepaid by ponies seeking ill for other ponies.
I trotted down the path from my cave to Ponyville early on the appointed day for my next shipment of coin. In Ponyville, I paused to buy the latest edition of the Prancer.
The headline was a jolt! It screamed in huge type, “SPECIAL TRAIN BRINGING PONYVILLE GOLD!” Under that in only slightly smaller type was “OVER 1,000,000 IN GOLD DESTINED FOR EQUESTRIAN NATIONAL BANK!” Below that was “TRAIN ARRIVES 2:35!” The story under it might as well have been pure fiction. It claimed that the money was coming to EQNB at Celestia’s direct order after spending a week determining that the Ponyville branch was worthy to be the new EQNB Headquarters Branch.
The byline was H. Jackin.
It was still early, so I headed for Caramel Treat’s place. I found Romaine sitting there already.
She waived cheerfully, “Hi, Grumpy! I figured that you would come here! What is that? Yesterday’s paper?”
“Nope, Romaine. Today’s. Someone put out a Special Edition!” I hoofed it over to her.
Before Peanut Brittle, Caramel’s waitress could get to our table, Romaine had the paper and was sprinting for the store’s Magic Net mirror! I overheard, “This is Romaine! Get me Truetype at once! We have an emergency!”
While she was desperately explaining all that was wrong with the special, a chubby blue-gray pony with an ugly brown mane and tail sauntered up. He saw where Romaine was and charged over, shoving her away from the mirror!
He crowed, “Yer too late! I done scooped ya!”
She snarled, “You idiot! You have violated both Royal and R.I.S. sealed information! We have to pull the whole edition because nearly all of it is dead wrong!”
He blinked and returned an angry, “Bull! I knows the train is gonna be a special at 2:35! I had to dig to get that about the amount of gold! Truetype was in a meetin’ with Celestia herself this morning so’s I had to get the Special out myself!
“Put the pieces together! Celestia been auditing the Bank for a solid week! She meetin’ with Truetype! Where else could that much gold be goin’, huh?”
It was at that moment that our merry little clown convention suddenly grew a true Ring Master. I recognized the elderly donkey from last shipment! He was accompanied by two husky unicorns and a black pegasus with a white mane and tail.
I inquired, “R.I.S.? The pony that blew this story is the blue-gray with brown mane and tail. Goes by the name of H. Jackin. Bet that the H is for Hi, as in Hi Jackin, which I heard him braging about to Romaine. Said that he scooped her and put out the edition without Truetype knowing about it.”
The donkey nodded, “Thank you, Grumpeter. You may have to give testimony under the Royal Wing.”
He pointed, “Bring the blue-gray in irons. Escort the green mare here politely. Thank you.”
The black pegasus grinned and held both forehooves about an inch apart. From between them, a sort of fuzzy blue white glare hit Jackin with what looked for all the world like that very rare thing called ball lightning! It faded with a soft BAM! He was reduced to a twitching pile of shuddering pony!
The pegasus queitly pleaded, “Once we have him away from Caramel’s can I kill him? Pretty please? I will buy you one of their Far Northern Dales batter fried oatmeal treats with your pick of ice cream on it!”
He looked up sadly as he refused, “Tempting indeed, but no. Both Princesses are clear that they want him alive for trial. Go and escort the train. If there is an ambush, feel free to play your way.”
While she was flying off, her face in a huge and sharp fanged grin, one of the unicorns put Jackin into manacles and floated him out to the old donkey.
The other one spoke politely to Romaine, “Ma'am, you are not presently in any trouble but you must come with me. This is an order of the Royal Intelligence Service. We appreciate that you were trying to fix this little disaster.” Romaine came out quietly, following the nondescript sort of orange unicorn.
She was led to our table where she waited quietly, but making notes. The R.I.S. agent was on a Magic Net call using a portable mirror of his own. Shortly the old donkey looked up and addressed the still twitching Jackin. “Hiram Jackin, at the present moment you are being held by the Royal Intelligence Service for their Highnesses, Celestia and Luna.
“You will be tried under the Royal Wing. At present, the charges include inciting a riot, spreading false information regarding shipments of gold, subverting the property of the Ponyville Prancer to publish and distribute a false edition without the knowledge or consent of Truetype, the owner and senior editor.
“At present the number and severity of the riot casualties is unknown, except that there are some. When they are known, those will be added to the charges laid against you. There may be other charges as well. If there are, you will be formally notified.”
The Ponyville Police arrived, pulling a tumbrel. They had Jackin loaded and hauled away in short order.
Romaine made more careful notes and took pictures of Jackin being loaded and carted off. As she so often did, she submitted her notes and a listing of her images to the old donkey, as the one with authority over the events of her story.
After looking it over, he nodded and suggested, “The train was ambushed at Colter’s Crossing. Two of the crew were injured, neither one seriously. All five of the attackers were killed outright. One had the unauthorized Prancer edition on him. The riot at the station is sufficiently under control that you could profitably spend time getting that for your report.”
Adding quietly to her notes, Romaine left.
I suggested, “Sir, if you do not need me, I should probably go down to the station and meet the train. They can’t really unload it until I sign for it.”
He smiled a tight bit of a smile and agreed, “True enough. Go and see to your gold.”
I was turning to go when Fangrin emerged from Caramel Treat’s Sweets. Smiling around his mouthful of huge fangs, he offered, “Let me accompany you, Grumpy. I suspect that being in the presence of one of the biggest Everfree Ridgeback Wolves in Equestria may give any would be robbers serious pause.”
Being quite sure that Fangrin was right, I agreed instantly! “Please come with me, my friend! Our trip should be interesting at least.”
It was interesting in the sense of that ancient curse, “May you live in interesting times.” I had hoped to never see the aftermath of mob violence again. Some shops near to the station had been broken into and looted. At least one had been burned.
A vanilla white mare with a chocolate colored mane and tail sat in the ruin weeping her heart out.
I stepped behind Fangrin and altered my glamor. A distinguished looking but small pony in proper business attire stepped around him. I whispered to Fangrin, “I am Mister Wholeheart. You are bodyguarding for me. I am going to offer her help.”
He nodded, “I think that you are right, Mister Wholeheart. It looks like she might need some help.” With a tongue lolling werewolf grin, he watched the efforts that I would go to to do good without it being known.
I stepped gingerly through the rubble to the mare. “Your pardon, Mam. Are you the owner of this business?”
“Was. Ain’t much left now.” Her eyes shut in pain at the sight of charred ruin around her, she added, “Won’t even be able to make the payment on the land, now. They’ll foreclose my contract. Ten years of saving. All I had. Some idiot threw a torch and I’ve lost everything. I stayed in the back. I haven’t even got a place to stay.”
I offered, “I am Mister Wholeheart. If you will allow it, I will help you. I too have been the victim of senseless violence. First, take this card to Mister Greenbriar at Ponyville Trust and Loan. Tell him everything about your loss. He will see to getting your land and transferring it to you in fee simple. That means it won’t cost anything to you. He will also give you a living allowance and a sum to replace clothes and furnishings.
“Go to Reverend Smallflower at the Assembly of the Twins. He will help you to find a place to stay while your shop is being fully rebuilt. As long as it stays on this lot, Houser, the architect and builder, will put up whatever you want for your new shop. You may get whatever equipment and supplies you need or want as part of that.
“Before you ask, I do have a price for all of this help. Have you seen the sign at Caramel Treat’s Sweets?”
She was looking at me very puzzled but with some real hope. “Yes, I’ve seen it. Most every pony around has.”
“Good. My price is this. Run your business the same way that the sign says. Any customer gets treated the same, regardless of race, species, belief or any other thing. That is the price of my help.”
Hooves shaking, she reached out her lips and took the card, putting it with care into her shoulder pouch. Finally letting a smile show, she said, “Thanks, Mr. Wholeheart. I am Windy Cream, of Windy’s Ice Creamery. Can’t mope about here no more. Got a pony to see at the Trust and Loan.”