insubordination if’n I speak it, and there’s been often enough in my time where I couldn’t see the landscape fer the spot a’ land I was standin on. If’n he’s got a bigger idea than I can reckon, so be it. If’n he don’t, well, I don’t expect he’s gonna win anythin from me that will set me back much. He may fancy hisself a fine sport at ruffs, but there ain’t a trick I haven’t seen a thousand times.”
“Well, I’m not too proud to admit I can be beaten—or cheated,” Meggins admitted as he hauled out a length of rope, a hammer and a rolled leather packet of steel spikes. “Been both enough times to know it.” He pulled out one of the spikes and threaded the end of the rope through an eye punched in it near its blunt end.
“Well don’t ya go accusin no nobleman of cheatin tonight. Even if he is. Just come in with whatever ya think ya can turn, and if’n ya can’t turn it, make sure it ain’t more than ya can walk away from without hurtin ya none. I’ll try to get it back fer ya, by cards or by protest, if’n ya do. And if’n I can’t, when we get back to Hast, I’ll put in a request fer reimbursement, bein as ya been ordered to play.”
Meggins looked up from his work, watching Ilbei, who looked him straight back in the eye and nodded that it was true. “You will?”
“I will, if’n ya don’t play the fool about it,” Ilbei said. “I ain’t got no say-so over a major, but I know the system well enough to make it right when we come round.”
Meggins smiled, nodded and went back to work. “Then maybe I’ll enjoy the game.”
“Just keep to what I said. I can’t promise to get yer stake back.”
“I understand,” Meggins said. He slipped the coiled rope over his head, around his neck and shoulder, and tucked a few extra pitons and the hammer into his belt. Turning to Jasper, he said, “You ready there, wizard?”
“I am,” Jasper said. “Just tell me up or down, closer or farther, softer or harder.”
Meggins frowned. “Softer or harder?”
“Yes. I can adjust it so you are standing on solid ground or something that gives like mud or sand, and even lateral movement as if you are standing on ice.”
“Ah, I got you,” Meggins said. “Okay, well, let’s go, then. And don’t drop me.”
“I won’t.”
Jasper stretched the scroll to its full length and began reading in a language none of them understood. Ilbei watched him, waiting, and eventually wondering how many damned words could possibly be written on a single scroll. And then Meggins was floating in the air.
The wiry warrior rose up smoothly, straight up, until he was standing in the air at chest height to the rest of them, at which point he gave out a whoop. “Holy Hestra and her seven-headed son! Kaige, you seeing me?” He turned, as if fearing somehow he might fall off, and grinned down at everyone.
“I see you, Ferster. I see you.” Kaige looked absolutely delighted, and he turned to the chanting wizard, buoyed by giddiness. “Jasper, Jasper, can I go next?”
“Don’t interrupt him, you fool,” Meggins snapped. “He’ll drop me like a burning rat.”
Kaige looked horrified and apologized.
“All right, get me up there, Jasper,” Meggins said. “Easy now.”
Jasper did not acknowledge the request, but up Meggins went, angling toward the hole midway up the unassailable slope. He flew straight for it as if on a line, and when he got to it, Jasper’s cadence as he read slowed and became a mumbling repetition of a singular set of lines.
Meggins leaned toward the hole where the water spat out, and he peered into the darkness. “I think I can get through,” he called down, “but I’m going to need a light. I should have brought a light. Can you bring me back down for one?”
Just like that, he was descending again, a broad grin on his face. Kaige could hardly contain his jealousy, and he ticked and hawed like an eight-year-old in line for a gryphon ride at the Crown City Royal
“Well, I’m not too proud to admit I can be beaten—or cheated,” Meggins admitted as he hauled out a length of rope, a hammer and a rolled leather packet of steel spikes. “Been both enough times to know it.” He pulled out one of the spikes and threaded the end of the rope through an eye punched in it near its blunt end.
“Well don’t ya go accusin no nobleman of cheatin tonight. Even if he is. Just come in with whatever ya think ya can turn, and if’n ya can’t turn it, make sure it ain’t more than ya can walk away from without hurtin ya none. I’ll try to get it back fer ya, by cards or by protest, if’n ya do. And if’n I can’t, when we get back to Hast, I’ll put in a request fer reimbursement, bein as ya been ordered to play.”
Meggins looked up from his work, watching Ilbei, who looked him straight back in the eye and nodded that it was true. “You will?”
“I will, if’n ya don’t play the fool about it,” Ilbei said. “I ain’t got no say-so over a major, but I know the system well enough to make it right when we come round.”
Meggins smiled, nodded and went back to work. “Then maybe I’ll enjoy the game.”
“Just keep to what I said. I can’t promise to get yer stake back.”
“I understand,” Meggins said. He slipped the coiled rope over his head, around his neck and shoulder, and tucked a few extra pitons and the hammer into his belt. Turning to Jasper, he said, “You ready there, wizard?”
“I am,” Jasper said. “Just tell me up or down, closer or farther, softer or harder.”
Meggins frowned. “Softer or harder?”
“Yes. I can adjust it so you are standing on solid ground or something that gives like mud or sand, and even lateral movement as if you are standing on ice.”
“Ah, I got you,” Meggins said. “Okay, well, let’s go, then. And don’t drop me.”
“I won’t.”
Jasper stretched the scroll to its full length and began reading in a language none of them understood. Ilbei watched him, waiting, and eventually wondering how many damned words could possibly be written on a single scroll. And then Meggins was floating in the air.
The wiry warrior rose up smoothly, straight up, until he was standing in the air at chest height to the rest of them, at which point he gave out a whoop. “Holy Hestra and her seven-headed son! Kaige, you seeing me?” He turned, as if fearing somehow he might fall off, and grinned down at everyone.
“I see you, Ferster. I see you.” Kaige looked absolutely delighted, and he turned to the chanting wizard, buoyed by giddiness. “Jasper, Jasper, can I go next?”
“Don’t interrupt him, you fool,” Meggins snapped. “He’ll drop me like a burning rat.”
Kaige looked horrified and apologized.
“All right, get me up there, Jasper,” Meggins said. “Easy now.”
Jasper did not acknowledge the request, but up Meggins went, angling toward the hole midway up the unassailable slope. He flew straight for it as if on a line, and when he got to it, Jasper’s cadence as he read slowed and became a mumbling repetition of a singular set of lines.
Meggins leaned toward the hole where the water spat out, and he peered into the darkness. “I think I can get through,” he called down, “but I’m going to need a light. I should have brought a light. Can you bring me back down for one?”
Just like that, he was descending again, a broad grin on his face. Kaige could hardly contain his jealousy, and he ticked and hawed like an eight-year-old in line for a gryphon ride at the Crown City Royal
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