you’d know if you’d had time to check me out.”
“Actually,” said Vala, “that reputation is exactly why we came looking for you at the Gryphon’s Head, Jack Aral.”
I blinked several times then, and Triss jerked sharply, but only a few tiny fractions of an inch. If the Dyad noticed either gesture of surprise, neither of her faces betrayed it.
“That’s an interesting statement,” I said after a slightly too long silence. “If you were at the Gryphon looking for me, why didn’t you say so in the first place?”
“Say that we were of three minds about it,” the Meld said from both sides of me, “and you will hit close enough to the mark.”
“I didn’t like the idea,” said Stel.
“I wasn’t thrilled with it either,” agreed Vala, “though I thought it worth investigating.”
“But I …felt we needed some sort of help,” said the Meld.
I noted the choice of “felt” as opposed to “knew” or “believed,” and could tell there was something interesting going on there, if not what. “It sounds like there’s some major significance to the way you phrased that. Or am I mishearing?”
“You have a good ear,” replied the Meld. “I …or in this case,
we
had not reached a formal decision about whether to consult with you in your professional capacity. We had hoped to spend some time observing you in your naturalsurrounds before doing anything more. Several days, perhaps. But circumstances got away from us and now we are come to the choice prematurely.”
“I don’t know. In many ways you’ve had a better look at what I’m capable of than most of my clients ever get. I don’t normally let on that I’m up to dealing with Elite problems, if you know what I mean.” Nor would I have allowed that information to get out this time, if I’d had much in the way of a choice about it. “In fact, I generally flat refuse any job that would bring me in close contact with the king’s personal bonebreakers.”
“That’s only made the decision harder,” said the Meld, speaking through Stel. “Before, we thought you no more than a common jack. Now, you are revealed to be much more than we expected. But exactly how much more and in what ways is still a dangerous mystery. So, Aral, what are you?”
“Funnily enough, that’s a question I’ve been asking myself a lot lately.”
Anger flashed in Stel’s eyes and Vala stiffened. “We didn’t come here to play verbal games!” said the Meld.
“No, you came here because you need me.” I jumped to my feet and walked toward Stel, keeping her firmly in my shadow. “I offered you the best hope of a temporary refuge and redress for your problems. You made that choice after checking me out as much as you could from a distance and then you kept me in the dark about your intent until now. If I’ve got doubts about the arrangement, they’re no less valid than your own, so let’s not get all high-horse about things, shall we?”
Behind me I heard Vala quietly shifting to the side, presumably so that she could blast me without putting Stel at risk if she had to.
Without turning, I continued, “For starters, that means that your Vala mote stops pointing those wands at my back, Dyad, and you start trusting me at least a little bit. That or you take your best shot and only one of us walks away. Which is it going to be?”
6
I tried not to let my tension show in any way as I waited to find out whether I was going to have to kill the Dyad. I had no doubt that I could, even if she decided to attack first. I just might not live through the experience.
“Well, I’m going to have to vote for shooting you in the back,” said Stel, her voice perfectly calm. “No offense, but there are a lot of jacks in this city. We can find another, one who doesn’t present so many unknowns and risks. And, I don’t see any way that we can lose the fight. Vala?”
“I’m leaning that way as well. But I am wondering why our jack friend here isn’t acting
“Actually,” said Vala, “that reputation is exactly why we came looking for you at the Gryphon’s Head, Jack Aral.”
I blinked several times then, and Triss jerked sharply, but only a few tiny fractions of an inch. If the Dyad noticed either gesture of surprise, neither of her faces betrayed it.
“That’s an interesting statement,” I said after a slightly too long silence. “If you were at the Gryphon looking for me, why didn’t you say so in the first place?”
“Say that we were of three minds about it,” the Meld said from both sides of me, “and you will hit close enough to the mark.”
“I didn’t like the idea,” said Stel.
“I wasn’t thrilled with it either,” agreed Vala, “though I thought it worth investigating.”
“But I …felt we needed some sort of help,” said the Meld.
I noted the choice of “felt” as opposed to “knew” or “believed,” and could tell there was something interesting going on there, if not what. “It sounds like there’s some major significance to the way you phrased that. Or am I mishearing?”
“You have a good ear,” replied the Meld. “I …or in this case,
we
had not reached a formal decision about whether to consult with you in your professional capacity. We had hoped to spend some time observing you in your naturalsurrounds before doing anything more. Several days, perhaps. But circumstances got away from us and now we are come to the choice prematurely.”
“I don’t know. In many ways you’ve had a better look at what I’m capable of than most of my clients ever get. I don’t normally let on that I’m up to dealing with Elite problems, if you know what I mean.” Nor would I have allowed that information to get out this time, if I’d had much in the way of a choice about it. “In fact, I generally flat refuse any job that would bring me in close contact with the king’s personal bonebreakers.”
“That’s only made the decision harder,” said the Meld, speaking through Stel. “Before, we thought you no more than a common jack. Now, you are revealed to be much more than we expected. But exactly how much more and in what ways is still a dangerous mystery. So, Aral, what are you?”
“Funnily enough, that’s a question I’ve been asking myself a lot lately.”
Anger flashed in Stel’s eyes and Vala stiffened. “We didn’t come here to play verbal games!” said the Meld.
“No, you came here because you need me.” I jumped to my feet and walked toward Stel, keeping her firmly in my shadow. “I offered you the best hope of a temporary refuge and redress for your problems. You made that choice after checking me out as much as you could from a distance and then you kept me in the dark about your intent until now. If I’ve got doubts about the arrangement, they’re no less valid than your own, so let’s not get all high-horse about things, shall we?”
Behind me I heard Vala quietly shifting to the side, presumably so that she could blast me without putting Stel at risk if she had to.
Without turning, I continued, “For starters, that means that your Vala mote stops pointing those wands at my back, Dyad, and you start trusting me at least a little bit. That or you take your best shot and only one of us walks away. Which is it going to be?”
6
I tried not to let my tension show in any way as I waited to find out whether I was going to have to kill the Dyad. I had no doubt that I could, even if she decided to attack first. I just might not live through the experience.
“Well, I’m going to have to vote for shooting you in the back,” said Stel, her voice perfectly calm. “No offense, but there are a lot of jacks in this city. We can find another, one who doesn’t present so many unknowns and risks. And, I don’t see any way that we can lose the fight. Vala?”
“I’m leaning that way as well. But I am wondering why our jack friend here isn’t acting
Similar Books
