never heard of a god who has manners, let
alone one who treats mortals with respect.”
Shadow touched his face. It wasn’t one of the shadows that
infested the place, it was a shadow from within, a shadow of anger.
“Would you prefer to be treated the way you
expect?”
I am, I thought. “Actually, I’d rather not be
treated at all. I ignore you, you ignore me, we’re no problem
to one another.”
“But you are a problem. Of the worst sort. You threaten
our existence. You cannot possibly expect us to overlook
that.”
I swallowed about three times. The guy in the chair projected a
furious temper, restrained only with great effort. I must have some
power in the situation, though I couldn’t catch a whiff.
“How am I a threat?”
“You have been enlisted by the Godoroth to find the Temple
Key. That simple name doesn’t tell you that the group who
fails to take possession of it will perish.”
“I think you got the wrong guy. I don’t know
anything about any Temple Key.”
A whispering filled the air. Ice formed on my tailbone and
crawled northward.
“Curious, Mr. Garrett. Torbit says you are only partially
lying. But.” He rambled through an eyewitness review of my
visit with the Godoroth. Maybe he was Imar in a good mood.
I searched the crowd, trying to get a good picture of faces. The
Dead Man would want every detail—if ever we met again.
I said, “You got all the details, then you know I
didn’t agree to do anything. I just slid on out of
there.”
“There was an implication. You did not
refuse.”
“Won’t stand up in court. Duress and
coercion.” Which got me a blank look. Duress and coercion?
Wasn’t that what being a god was all about? You could make
people do what you wanted? Weren’t mortals toys?
He took it his own way. “Granted, you did not swear
allegiance to the Godoroth. That is good. But why, then, were you
on the Street of the Gods asking questions? Why were you visiting
temples?”
“I was pretty sure it was a con of some kind. Those
Godoroth characters didn’t convince me that they were real
gods. They just told me that they were. They hadn’t shown me
anything a clever conjurer couldn’t manage.” If you
overlooked my magic rope. “I figured somebody wanted to set
me up.”
My audience stirred. Most probably didn’t understand me.
The guy in the chair had to mull it over before he got it. Give him
that. He could step out of his own viewpoint. Not that he credited
the mortal viewpoint with much value.
That chill whisper filled the air momentarily.
“It appears that, once again, you are telling most of the
truth. Very well. I believe you understand the situation. Foreign
gods have come to TunFaire. They have been awarded a place on the
Street of the Gods. This means great inconvenience and dislocation
for many gods, but for us and the Godoroth it means one group or
the other has to go. For my part, I do not care to fall into
oblivion.”
“Me neither.”
“You still believe you are being hoodwinked?”
“It’s starting to look like the real
thing.”
“I want that key, Mr. Garrett.”
“I’ll say a prayer for you.”
Teensy thunderbolts crackled at his temples. Maybe it was
something I said. He regained control. “You fled from my
friends. If you are not in the service of the Godoroth, why
run?”
“Give them an eye, chief. Most of them look like
nightmares come true.”
More teensy thunderbolts flickered. I wasn’t doing too
good here. I looked around. Things moving in and out of the light
might
have lurked under my bed when I was a kid. This was
a much bigger crowd than the Godoroth. And not real friendly. Bad
cess to the infidel, I guess.
“Where will you look for the key?”
“I’m not interested in any key. I just don’t
want to be between gangs of divine sociopaths who have no interest
whatsoever in my welfare.”
Crackly whisper in the air. Stir in the crowd, which seemed
larger every time I checked. They were not all nightmares,
alone one who treats mortals with respect.”
Shadow touched his face. It wasn’t one of the shadows that
infested the place, it was a shadow from within, a shadow of anger.
“Would you prefer to be treated the way you
expect?”
I am, I thought. “Actually, I’d rather not be
treated at all. I ignore you, you ignore me, we’re no problem
to one another.”
“But you are a problem. Of the worst sort. You threaten
our existence. You cannot possibly expect us to overlook
that.”
I swallowed about three times. The guy in the chair projected a
furious temper, restrained only with great effort. I must have some
power in the situation, though I couldn’t catch a whiff.
“How am I a threat?”
“You have been enlisted by the Godoroth to find the Temple
Key. That simple name doesn’t tell you that the group who
fails to take possession of it will perish.”
“I think you got the wrong guy. I don’t know
anything about any Temple Key.”
A whispering filled the air. Ice formed on my tailbone and
crawled northward.
“Curious, Mr. Garrett. Torbit says you are only partially
lying. But.” He rambled through an eyewitness review of my
visit with the Godoroth. Maybe he was Imar in a good mood.
I searched the crowd, trying to get a good picture of faces. The
Dead Man would want every detail—if ever we met again.
I said, “You got all the details, then you know I
didn’t agree to do anything. I just slid on out of
there.”
“There was an implication. You did not
refuse.”
“Won’t stand up in court. Duress and
coercion.” Which got me a blank look. Duress and coercion?
Wasn’t that what being a god was all about? You could make
people do what you wanted? Weren’t mortals toys?
He took it his own way. “Granted, you did not swear
allegiance to the Godoroth. That is good. But why, then, were you
on the Street of the Gods asking questions? Why were you visiting
temples?”
“I was pretty sure it was a con of some kind. Those
Godoroth characters didn’t convince me that they were real
gods. They just told me that they were. They hadn’t shown me
anything a clever conjurer couldn’t manage.” If you
overlooked my magic rope. “I figured somebody wanted to set
me up.”
My audience stirred. Most probably didn’t understand me.
The guy in the chair had to mull it over before he got it. Give him
that. He could step out of his own viewpoint. Not that he credited
the mortal viewpoint with much value.
That chill whisper filled the air momentarily.
“It appears that, once again, you are telling most of the
truth. Very well. I believe you understand the situation. Foreign
gods have come to TunFaire. They have been awarded a place on the
Street of the Gods. This means great inconvenience and dislocation
for many gods, but for us and the Godoroth it means one group or
the other has to go. For my part, I do not care to fall into
oblivion.”
“Me neither.”
“You still believe you are being hoodwinked?”
“It’s starting to look like the real
thing.”
“I want that key, Mr. Garrett.”
“I’ll say a prayer for you.”
Teensy thunderbolts crackled at his temples. Maybe it was
something I said. He regained control. “You fled from my
friends. If you are not in the service of the Godoroth, why
run?”
“Give them an eye, chief. Most of them look like
nightmares come true.”
More teensy thunderbolts flickered. I wasn’t doing too
good here. I looked around. Things moving in and out of the light
might
have lurked under my bed when I was a kid. This was
a much bigger crowd than the Godoroth. And not real friendly. Bad
cess to the infidel, I guess.
“Where will you look for the key?”
“I’m not interested in any key. I just don’t
want to be between gangs of divine sociopaths who have no interest
whatsoever in my welfare.”
Crackly whisper in the air. Stir in the crowd, which seemed
larger every time I checked. They were not all nightmares,
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