shifted.”
“Many casualties? Much property damage?” I wasn’t sure what a paradigm was. He didn’t look likely to explain. “Good for you. But what about right here, right now?”
“Let us readjust and reassess. At the moment I have no interest in what Mr. Dotes may be doing with his life. I’m even disinterested in the fell Miss Contague. I am interested in making contact with whoever or whatever was responsible for Mr. Dotes’ condition.”
“Why is that?”
“I am pledged to protect King and Crown. Something out there means to attack both. Your friend may have stumbled into it.”
So. He felt threatened because he wasn’t on top of everything happening in our marvelous city.
We talked, though not about much of consequence. Half an hour later we parted, me thinking that neither of us had profited, till I realized just how far out of trim I was.
He had learned plenty by listening to what I didn’t say. As in not asking what he had learned from Jimmy Two Steps. I must know already, despite being holed up here, seeing no outsider but Belinda.
The runt had peeked through the curtains of my dreams.
Given time, I relaxed enough to realize that Relway had come fishing. He hungered for information on something that troubled him deeply — and I hadn’t helped despite my honesty.
Relway’s crew left Fire and Ice in stages, careful to protect the Director. So Crush said when she brought lunch, once the scary little man was gone. I loathed myself for my idiot response to a girl her age — while aching because a girl her age considered a guy my age a bad joke.
But she could go cow-eyed over Morley Dotes, thinking it somehow wondrous that she had gotten to change the diaper of a bad boy dark elf a whole lot older than me.
Crush was indifferent to Garrett the man. Our basis for interaction was Morley. She admitted that she had no idea who he really was. DeeDee might know him, though. The whiny guy inside asked, “So why are you drooling all over him?”
She rose dramatically in my estimation. She gave my question some thought. “I don’t know. Not when I try to logic it out. Is he a sorcerer?”
“Your guess would be better than mine. You’re female. I’ve never figured it out. Maybe he gives off a smell because he’s a vegetarian.”
“I doubt that. Anyway, with me it’s probably about competition with DeeDee. And he has an exciting reputation. He’s bad, he’s beautiful, and he has been connected with some famous women. Strip everything else away, there’s still bare-naked curiosity. What did those other women find so special?”
I considered Morley sourly. He had told me once that he had worked hard crafting his reputation. By building it and broadcasting it, he guaranteed himself a bottomless pool of ladies wondering what the excitement was all about. He had insisted that there was no trickery involved. He was providing excuses so women could pursue their own wicked desires.
Crush finished her work. She had no excuse for hanging around. She left without an apology, a farewell, or a broken heart.
I shut the door, pushed my cot against it. I lay down for a nap that didn’t last but two or three hours. Then I was wide awake again. I took advantage of the chamber pot, then checked the window.
It was still nailed shut.
On the other hand, it was glass. Glass could be broken.
18
Sound came from the bed. I dropped Jon Salvation’s omnibus of masterpieces. I thought Morley was choking.
He was. On words. His eyes were open. He was trying to talk.
His eyes were wild. He did not want to know where he was or what was happening. His latest memories were of being stabbed. Seeing me did not help. He did not recognize me.
Time was on my side. He wasn’t going anywhere. He had neither the strength nor the will to do so. He was feeling every wound. One try to get up left him clear on how he would spend his next few weeks.
He didn’t quite scream. He wasn’t loud enough to bring on
“Many casualties? Much property damage?” I wasn’t sure what a paradigm was. He didn’t look likely to explain. “Good for you. But what about right here, right now?”
“Let us readjust and reassess. At the moment I have no interest in what Mr. Dotes may be doing with his life. I’m even disinterested in the fell Miss Contague. I am interested in making contact with whoever or whatever was responsible for Mr. Dotes’ condition.”
“Why is that?”
“I am pledged to protect King and Crown. Something out there means to attack both. Your friend may have stumbled into it.”
So. He felt threatened because he wasn’t on top of everything happening in our marvelous city.
We talked, though not about much of consequence. Half an hour later we parted, me thinking that neither of us had profited, till I realized just how far out of trim I was.
He had learned plenty by listening to what I didn’t say. As in not asking what he had learned from Jimmy Two Steps. I must know already, despite being holed up here, seeing no outsider but Belinda.
The runt had peeked through the curtains of my dreams.
Given time, I relaxed enough to realize that Relway had come fishing. He hungered for information on something that troubled him deeply — and I hadn’t helped despite my honesty.
Relway’s crew left Fire and Ice in stages, careful to protect the Director. So Crush said when she brought lunch, once the scary little man was gone. I loathed myself for my idiot response to a girl her age — while aching because a girl her age considered a guy my age a bad joke.
But she could go cow-eyed over Morley Dotes, thinking it somehow wondrous that she had gotten to change the diaper of a bad boy dark elf a whole lot older than me.
Crush was indifferent to Garrett the man. Our basis for interaction was Morley. She admitted that she had no idea who he really was. DeeDee might know him, though. The whiny guy inside asked, “So why are you drooling all over him?”
She rose dramatically in my estimation. She gave my question some thought. “I don’t know. Not when I try to logic it out. Is he a sorcerer?”
“Your guess would be better than mine. You’re female. I’ve never figured it out. Maybe he gives off a smell because he’s a vegetarian.”
“I doubt that. Anyway, with me it’s probably about competition with DeeDee. And he has an exciting reputation. He’s bad, he’s beautiful, and he has been connected with some famous women. Strip everything else away, there’s still bare-naked curiosity. What did those other women find so special?”
I considered Morley sourly. He had told me once that he had worked hard crafting his reputation. By building it and broadcasting it, he guaranteed himself a bottomless pool of ladies wondering what the excitement was all about. He had insisted that there was no trickery involved. He was providing excuses so women could pursue their own wicked desires.
Crush finished her work. She had no excuse for hanging around. She left without an apology, a farewell, or a broken heart.
I shut the door, pushed my cot against it. I lay down for a nap that didn’t last but two or three hours. Then I was wide awake again. I took advantage of the chamber pot, then checked the window.
It was still nailed shut.
On the other hand, it was glass. Glass could be broken.
18
Sound came from the bed. I dropped Jon Salvation’s omnibus of masterpieces. I thought Morley was choking.
He was. On words. His eyes were open. He was trying to talk.
His eyes were wild. He did not want to know where he was or what was happening. His latest memories were of being stabbed. Seeing me did not help. He did not recognize me.
Time was on my side. He wasn’t going anywhere. He had neither the strength nor the will to do so. He was feeling every wound. One try to get up left him clear on how he would spend his next few weeks.
He didn’t quite scream. He wasn’t loud enough to bring on
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