Part I

Ogilvy Icarus, clever and bold,

Stepped from the crowd with a smirk that told,

Not of his name or humble descent,

But of the games his quick wits had spent.

 

Through parlours of gentry, grand halls and din,

He courted the trust of each next-of-kin;

With glances and nods, a master at play,

He’d empty their coffers and slink away.

 

To him, the world was a field for a trade,

Riches in reach if the right moves were made.

Each whispered deceit, each twisted plan,

Brought him a step closer to wealthy span.

 

Eyes gleamed as he rose by elaborate feints,

Cheating the merchants, nobles, and saints;

In dusty ledgers, false figures grew,

While Ogilvy reaped from illusions he drew.

 

The crowds who watched in awestruck delight,

Praised his bravado, his uncommon sight.

They saw him as one who could not fail,

A brilliant star with a silk-lined trail.

 

But deeper yet, beneath brightened cheers,

Was a shadowy layer spun from fears;

If one uncoiled a strand from his web,

Would all of his glories falter and ebb?

                                                                                               ...to be continued...