Slave Line (The Young Ancients) (15 page)

Because she had a lot in common with her. It was a way of making herself into the hero of the story after a fashion, showing that someone like her, just a normal person, could affect change that helped others. He'd never thought of it that way before, just thinking the girl had been confused or something, but it might not have been that at all.

Collette nodded happily enough and moved to sit next to Bonita. Ali got up and moved in on her other side, holding her hand. She was good about comforting people that way. One of the reasons that everyone liked her.

"Don't worry Nita. Tor and Count Lairdgren will handle this, along with the rest of us. We'll all help. I don't know this women, but I won't let her get away with this."

That got a general murmur of agreement from the table. Glaren was the only one that didn't seem to think it was good enough. She didn't say anything, but she looked ready to kill over it. Nita had probably meant it when she said she'd challenge her step-mother to a duel, but it was a momentary thing, said in anger. The same was probably true of Collette, though she might actually do it if it turned out to be the best option. There was just a difference in temperament. Bonita was nice and sweet all the time. Collette was too, but she could turn it off if needed. It was part of her training as one of the King's spies no doubt. Technically she was probably spying on Tor, but he'd already told Richard not to bother. It wasn't like he had secrets to keep. Not from the King. Just from Baroness Carol Coltress.

Nita's mother shook her head slowly though as he stared at her.

"That conniving bitch nearly made my daughter kill herself. Master Tor... This cannot stand." She didn't scream the words or cry she didn't even say them loud enough for most of the table to hear, but there was a deadly air to her. The kind of thing that Tor hadn't seen in women a lot. It wasn't even real anger, just a certainty that this person that had harmed her little girl would die.

"I know Glaren. But give us this chance first? We aren't stopping with a few wrinkles here. This is going to be something deep enough that Carol might just reconsider her own way of life before it's all over. If it doesn't, if we have to kill her... then it will be done. It really can't support that yet, if we can help it."

The woman didn't seem happy with that answer, but then why should she be? Nobles almost always got away with whatever they wanted, didn't they? As long as they outranked the person they wronged, almost anything went. The only reason this plan wasn't an act of war was that no one was actually being physically harmed. Even then it would probably have repercussions. Tor just couldn't stomach the idea of that harpy living in his head for any length of time.

The woman was pretty, perhaps one of the best looking he'd ever seen that wasn't an Ancient, but it wasn't enough to hide her personality. Even her own daughters hated her. Not just the step kids either, but children that had come from her body.

That didn't say good things about her.

They chatted about what to do for hours after that, longer than Tor had thought possible for such a clear cut issue. They had a plan, but almost everyone had an idea they wanted to try out, including hiring actors to act horrified by Carol and children to run screaming from her in horror. That seemed a little over the top to Tor. Not wrong... just like it would make things too obvious. The woman had made certain the Bonita didn't know who was taunting her all those years. Shouldn't they be at least as subtle?

Of course the second that she changed appearance everyone would have to suspect him or Burks. No one else would care enough to bother, would they? The device they were using wasn't even on the market yet and would have cost more golds than having the woman killed would have. Who just used magic like that in the Kingdom? It was pretty much just him. Even Burks was more careful than that, not building all that much at all, even though he could have. For a few seconds Tor wondered why that was. The Green man didn't hide who he was, though almost no one knew it anyway, but he was the inventor of their magical system. Even if, as Lyn had hinted, Tor was better at building than he was, the guy was still really good. That and he'd had thousands of years to make stuff. Why didn't the people have a lot more of what he made?

It was almost like he was keeping it back from them on purpose.

That didn't make sense though did it? Unless... Was it about preventing people from doing too much to the environment? There was clear damage done to the land in Austra for instance, and Tor didn't want that to happen to his homeland either. He didn't see that as possible directly, but what if he was missing something? He'd have to ask about it. Maybe there was a good reason to not just build a new world like he was tempted to?

Tor loved the process of magic and the fact that it let him be good at something that almost no one else bothered even trying, but if it was going to be a bad plan in the long run, well, maybe he could do something else? Learn to be a fisherman or a farmer maybe? Burks wanted him to take over his duties as Count eventually, in about fifty years or so, but Tor already knew enough about leadership to understand that would be a chore, not something to be sought out. Only a fool would want to lead other people.

Oh, the basic allure was there, the drive to be important and loved...

But people didn't love you just because you were known. In fact a lot of them would hate you for it, even after you helped them over and over again. They might not spit on you in the street, but that didn't mean that just being in charge would make you feel better about yourself as a person. It probably shouldn't. Anyone hanging around the palace for a while should have picked up on that. It seemed like a good thing, being powerful, on the surface, but when the day was done Richard and Connie both looked tired and worn as often as not. Like their spirits were being ground down by the burdens they were forced to carry.

That was something Tor could happily avoid.

So, fishing. he liked fishing. At least the easy kind where you sat by a stream and dangled a line in the water. The kind done on the ocean was different. Harder and holding less of a margin of error. Technically he owned a few fishing fleets, renting out the magical boats used. Not that he could have done it himself. He didn't know enough about the process for that. Maybe if he worked for someone else though? Hauling nets and cleaning the decks, that kind of thing?

Everyone else got up to leave finally, so he passed out hugs and made sure those going with him stayed the night, so that they wouldn't be forgotten in the morning. They were going to be leaving in about three or four hours anyway. Tor was exhausted, but it wouldn't help to wait too long, since the more time they had around people, the greater the chance of something bad happening. Sighing he moved to the communications room and tapped the Warden sigil on the plate that was mounted on a low table.

It was a nice wooden looking thing that fit the room.

Tor expected to have to wait to talk to anyone and then just leave a message with a slightly annoyed servant. It was about four in the morning there after all, so he didn't expect anyone to be up for hours. If no one answered he'd just give up and try again before they left.

"This is Count Ward, to whom am I speaking please?" The voice was deep and rumbled, but didn't boom. Probably because it was so early and he didn't want to wake everyone else in his place up.

"Hi Marvin, it's Tor here. Sorry about doing this so late, but we're planning on invading you in the morning with a bunch of Austran spies, so I figured I should check in and make sure the ship was ready. Oh, and I wanted to get some prostitutes for the trip, maybe dancing girls, and some musicians, if anyone wants to go on short notice? I'll pay... Um, tell them that I'll pay everyone that goes a gold per day, with a minimum of ten golds, no matter how short the trip is. Any entertainers are welcome, though we'll have to check them first to make sure they aren't agents for anyone else. Could that be put around do you think? Should I pay more? I know it's short notice."

There was a low rumble that wasn't exactly a laugh from the other end of the device.

"Tor... At those rates I think you might find that your ship couldn't hold them all. What do you need? Ten people in all? Constant entertainment or..."

He didn't know.

"Um, Yes, ten to fifteen, depending on what they do. If they have more than one skill that would be good. Is this too much of an imposition? We'll be there in a few hours, probably about six or so." He probably shouldn't have mentioned it at all. The man was a Count, not someone to send on personal errands.

"Nonsense Tor. This is the Kingdom's business, which makes it mine. I'll have something for you. Of course I'll need you to vouch for me with Maria that my early morning trip to the whore house wasn't all for fun. I don't want her to think I'm losing my standards after all."

Tor didn't know if he was supposed to laugh or not, though the voice sounded playful. He decided to take it seriously for now. It would be funny and besides, it was true, so he would back the man at need.

"I'll do that of course. Thank you. Is everything alright there?" He meant with Debbie, since the Wards were watching out for her, but that didn't mean the man would have done more than get her set up with a place to stay and possibly a store front. She used to run a bakery and magical items shop in the Capital, both of them successfully, but had left all that. She still had her inventory though. No one had raided the shop or burnt her home down before they cleared it all out.

"It's... Well, as expected probably. Debbie is sad to near death about what had happened with her brother, she's in with Maria now, which is why I'm awake at this hour. Hopefully we can get her to sleep soon. Not... I don't want you to think I'm complaining. She needs us and I don't begrudge that. Even at the loss of my own sleep. It's just that she has to be exhausted by now. I don't think she's slept in three days. I... fear for her Tor." There was genuine worry in the words, which surprised Tor a little.

Marvin Ward was known for his good looks and habit of getting women pregnant, along with a reputation for not being overly bright all the time, but his concern for Debbie was just bizarre. Or it would have been, if Tor forgot to incorporate the fact that the man was still a human being. Tor had asked the Wards to care for his friend, to keep her safe from harm over what her brother had done, but he hadn't expected them to take it as seriously as they appeared to be doing.

He'd underestimated them. Again.

"I'll be there as soon as possible. Thank you for all your help. Tell Maria that too, if you see her to speak with."

They got off the line and Tor decided to see if two and a half hours of sleep was better than none at all. As it was he hoped that someone that knew how to fly was going to be around in the morning to take them all. He had a few spare Fast Carriages, they'd need them, since each one would only comfortably hold about twelve people at full size and they had nearly forty, now that the Royal guard was coming along, his family too. Part of it.

He found his bed, with Ali already in it fast asleep. Tor laid next to her, listening to her breathe for a few minutes before he settled into sleep himself. It was comforting. He really didn't want to lose her. Not due to neglect or being a bad husband. That was the last thing he thought before the yelling started.

Ali was sitting up in bed next to him, eyes huge at the sound as Tor stood on the bed and jumped over the foot, his shield taking the brunt of the fall, even if it was only three feet. He started to stumble, still mainly asleep as he lifted himself into the air, hoping no one was being killed. He used the Not-flyer to get down the stairs, which was faster than running, and changed his clothing as he moved, into black leather combat gear. He'd slept with his multi-weapon in his pocket, so it came out before he got to the bottom of the stairs to find two women pulling each other's hair.

Inexpertly too.

Glaren was hitting the woman occasionally, taking one or two blows herself. It wasn't done very well, but left Tor not knowing what to do. It wasn't a battle to the death, clearly. He put his own weapon away and floated over, not recognizing the other woman at all. She wasn't great looking, about forty, with a slightly mannish face and muddy brown hair. The eyes were a drab brown and from what Tor could see she was missing a tooth. Since that was on the floor next to her it probably explained the blood, didn't it?

"I'll... Kill you bitch. I know this is... you're doing."

What that was about Tor didn't know at all, but no one got to assault his staff unchallenged. It was a rule. One he just made up, but something so common sense he didn't really have to think about it. He grabbed the new woman and pulled her off, his shield being kicked as he did, making the whole thing a little harder. Things got a bit slippery when you tried to handle them with a shield on. He managed though, finally moving the woman away, throwing her to the floor with a thump that caused her to cry out.

"OK, what the heck is this? People are... were, trying to sleep." He looked at the clock standing against the wall and shrugged. It was nearly time to leave anyway, but still not the way he wanted to be woken up.

"Glaren... should be in the kitchen. What's this about? Are you..." Tor came up blank. He just didn't recognize the woman at all. Her clothing was drab and had a "town peasant" look to it, meaning it was clearly bought at a store, but inexpensive and meant to be worked in. It wasn't filthy, but it had enough wear to show it wasn't new either. Something this woman had around for a while no doubt.