“Well.” Tor didn't let it bug him. After all, he had absolutely no context for this at all did he? She'd lied…
Nope.
He'd never asked. Or checked. It wasn’t a normal question to ask when meeting someone, was it?
She'd even asked if she could call him brother, hadn't she? It made sense now at least.
“Let's all have a seat then. So, just to shorthand this, um, Lyn, looking to get married? Dorgal's a good sort, after a fashion. You've met, good enough looking an all that. So, what do you think?” Collette was wide eyed, standing in the door alone still. He waved her in and motioned she should shut the door.
So it was a mess with Lyn after all.
Good to know.
She looked around, like she wanted to run. It was a little skittish if it was just about Dorgal's proposal. Her eyes went still after a minute though and she blew a bit breath out at him and shook her head.
“No… I don't want to be rude, but I'm probably going to be fighting with my family for the next two hundred years over this as it is. Not fair to drag some innocent into this. I would have liked to at least finish learning to be a builder though. It's not covered in the treaty.” She spun and looked at the men behind her, Green Brown and Uncle Dan.
“It's not. I checked. For about a hundred years. I checked. I can do this. Vagus can.” Then she suddenly looked ready to fight her way out of the room.
Even clutching a force lance in her left hand. Tor hadn't noticed it before at all. It had to have come there when he was distracted by her being… Her.
“Calm Lyn. No one’s going to mention anything to anyone outside this room. Right Denno? Burks?” His voice had gone, cheery, Tor noticed. Happy.
That or insane. Either worked.
“For now, let's get a seat and see to dinner. As for the marriage proposal, um Collette, could you send word to the Sorvee's that Lyn has to decline, because…” Tor looked around the room. Nothing came to mind at all.
Gah.
It was Tiera who came up with something.
“Why not tell them she's the Ancient of Austra, and might have to have a fight with her family for a few hundred years? Given this crowd, everyone will believe it and it's not like it's a secret or anything. Most people just don't care here, do they? Though catching an Ancient like that would be a good deal for this man, Dougal?” She looked at Collette.
“Dorgal.” She corrected gently.
“Then he can accept or not, based on that, if you want. Um, Lyn. If you don't want to say no, then just dump the real reasons on him. They’re so crazy he'd have to accept it. Probably without hurt feelings.”
Collette chuckled and put her hands on her hips, something Tor had never seen her do before.
“We haven't gotten a real answer from Lyn Cooper yet. If you want to get married, I need to present things differently than if you don't. Even if you can't for the reasons you said, wanting too is a real point. If you aren't willing, I can just lie and save face for him somehow. Say you have someone else or something.” There was no toe tapping, the pretty blond was too cultured for that, but it was implied. Strongly.
Lyn looked down, then sat when Tor pulled a chair for her. It had a nice dark brown shiny wood look to it, with a soft red cushion. It hadn't a few seconds before, but he changed it when he touched the chair. It got her to laugh.
“Oh… Alright then. Please tell him that I'd love to marry, but as the leader of the largest land on the planet, we may need to relocate back there, at least part time. If he still wants to. I'll understand if he doesn't of course. I know it's a bit of a sudden change.”
Collette's eyes went wide.
“Wonderful! I'll go do that right now then, shall I?” She didn't wait to be excused, just turning and leaving without a pause, strained smile on her lips.
Oh, right, room full of Ancients. That would do it.
“Sit, please, everyone. I think we have enough room. I don't know how we're supposed to get food, but we'll figure something out.” He strode to the top of the table and sat next to his mother.
“Does everyone know everyone else?” He looked around and saw Dan shake his head no, still smiling.
It was his house, so his job.
“OK, Burks Green, who's the Green man of legend,” looking at Weasel and Tiera he shrugged.
“Grandpa to you two and me. Um, he's also me, as you might be able to see. We'll go into that later. Over there we have Dan Green, our Uncle and ma’s brother.”
Tor nodded to Denno, gesturing with a closed hand and giving a seated bow as the man found a seat for himself, near the end of the table. The poison seat again. Poor guy probably thought it was his place or something.
“Denno Brown, the Ancient of Austra, roughly your Uncle. Your Aunt Lyn here you should both know. Tim, I want you to work with her for the next few months on building. She's good. But then you know that don't you. Met already and all that?” He sighed.
“Next to me, is Laurali Green Baker. My mother. Also Gray as you see, but her own person too, I hope. Oh, um Ma?” Tor dropped into home speech.
“Grand-da didn't tell you, but your natural mother is the leader of Afrak, and still alive. Also an insane man-hating old bat that is, essentially you, like I'm Green, only you two are closer I think. Watch the whole crazy thing will you? I'm not really kidding there or I wouldn't be this blunt. Nearly started a war with weapons master Kolb when we were there.”
Oops, he hadn't meant to do that, talk in ways that others couldn't understand. No one said anything though.
“The charming and intelligent young lady to my right is Tiera Green Baker. Also like we are Ancient genes and all that and this man is Builder Timon Green Baker, know as Weasel. Also as we all are. Only by feel I'd guess he's a son of the gray line. The first I think, if Lara was honest in what she told me. That will have to be checked though. Seems right.”
“What!” Laurali had been a little quiet until then but suddenly she roused, a bit angry seeming.
“Yeah, your mothers alive and really hates all men, beyond reason too. Not kind and considerate like you are at all.” Tor said quickly, knowing that wasn't the topic at all.
“As to the other part, about Tim, well, Burks, Lyn, if you'd check his field? You too Tiera. We'll wait for you to do that.”
The Ancients both walked over to him and touched him, one at a time, then checked each other and then Tim again. Tiera sighed and walked around the table.
“I don't know how to do this…”
Blinking Tor explained it to her. It was probably a little subtle for her if she hadn't been practicing, but he didn't mention that. She tried and then sat back down.
“I think I can tell it's him, but that's about all. He has about five other fields on I think?” She shrugged. Tor checked and nodded.
“That's right. Well we can practice a bit if you want. I know you want to take maths at school, but having an extra skill never hurts. I need to get back to that too. Math I mean. Oddly it keeps kind of coming up as something needed.”
“Now, before we go on, why don't we see about getting some food?”
Without going anywhere it started coming, almost immediately. There literally couldn't be any way for people to listen in the walls, could there? Unless Collette had build in listening holes or something? She was a spy after all.
He'd forgotten that part of things. Oh well.
It did get them good service, no matter how it worked.
They checked for poison but it was a lot more cozy than the palace, everyone just pulling a poison detector and using it openly when the food came. It was a family meal after all. They just didn't know who had access to the food, so they checked.
He let everyone finish before talking about anything. Not even asking Lyn what she was doing in Noram. That was obvious to him, at least in part. She was going to school and learning to be a builder. A freaking great one at that. As far as he was concerned, she was going to keep doing that too. At least until she finished. If Burks had a problem with it, Tor would just build his own school and hire all the Lairdgren personnel away. That or go to Vagus and help her learn himself.
It was Denno that spoke first looking around the table for a while to get everyone’s attention.
“The summit is in a week and we all have to go. All of us. It's very important. I guess we should get you all up to speed first, but we can start that in a day or two. Right now every Austran spy in Noram is on the way here and should begin reporting tomorrow. Tor and his people will check them out and if they aren't insane murderers, send them home. I don't really expect you'll find anything. The most telling thing will be how many don't show up.” He spread his hands, then touched his face, thinking.
“If they don't, that doesn't mean guilt of course, they could be dead, missed their flight or simply hiding, since they fell in love and don't want to go back. Noram… has its charms, after all.”
Like trees, but Tor didn't mention that. Austra was nice.
Except the parts he'd seen of course. But that still left hope for the rest of it.
“Sorry Denno. I can do the part with the Austrans, but I won't let my family go off to some summit of Ancients without knowing what it is and why we should be there.” Tor held up his right hand as the man started to speak.
“OK, I get that I can't stop them either, if they choose to go, but I won't go myself without more information. You've been dodgy about all this to the extreme. First you tried to force this summit and now you want us, some of us literally kids, and the rest, like Mother and Uncle Dan must just about seem like that to someone like you, to go to this thing?” Tor tilted his head and looked around the room, and did a mental count, feeling slow and tired suddenly.
“Heh, you're trying to control a vote, aren't you? Like how they do things in Austra? Do the Ancients vote on stuff Burks? Lyn?” He glanced at them both and got a nod from Lyn at least.
“That's right Tor. I don't know if that's the plan, but we do vote on everything. If you might be able to back up what you want in a few thousand years, you get a vote, so that's everyone at the table. This would be about half the Ancients in the world right now, unless the Blues all come. I… Cindy Blue and I don't get along.”
Denno spread his hands and smiled towards the girl.
“Let by-gones be by-gones? She's bringing her kids too and that will give us a solid voting bloc. This is important…” He leaned in and whispered.
“Three groups are coming Lyn. Three. One is clearly Four-ten. The others aren't… anything I've seen before. Blue either. We need to work together and we… We need to put the treaty in abeyance. Austra can't stop them, not alone. Cynthia promised to do everything she could, but…” The good looking man shook his head, making his now short hair shake a little.
“Fuck Brown… I'll need to see the specs of course. I… Vagus can't help. We don't have anything, thanks to Blue, unless you want to fight them on horseback. If we have to fight.”
Lairdgren shrugged, “you know the math as well as I do. Most groups willing to travel across the void are going to be hostile if they find a resource rich planet on the other side and have to have planned for it. We know for a fact that the Four-ten were designed to do just that. They shouldn't be here.”
Tor had to tilt his head and then raised his right hand again.
“Um, three what? From which void? The one at the bottom of the universe? What is the Forten?” He waited then, Denno sighing, as if Tor was stupid but telling him that would be bad. That was true of course, especially if the man wanted his vote on something.
“Space fleets. We don't know if they're coming to invade or not, um, from the sky?” He glanced around the table as if they wouldn't get it until both Tiera and Laurali snorted derisively.
“We know what space is, continue.” Laurie showed pretty good restraint for her, not yelling at the man at all. Not that she yelled a lot, but Lara Gray probably would have. It was a real point. Something was different there, but they were the same person? Maybe…
Tor just didn’t know, the instructions, the built in ones, must be different somehow. Not totally?
Denno explained.
“The Four-ten were the fleet we sent out to colonize other worlds, just in case we didn't make it here. That seemed… More possible than not back then to tell the truth. We don't know who the others are. It could be anything. Aliens even. That… Might even be likely. The technologies used are all different at least. We don't even have a real space program any more. Blue has a tiny one, just enough to service the moon base and Austra launches satellites, but that's about it.”
Goody.
Tor raised an eyebrow. A single one. Something he’d never managed before.
“Well, at least that's more interesting than just wanting to take over the world, but why not tell us this before? Why a Larval army? What the heck is with that?”
Denno looked down and blushed. Tor doubted it was real.
“Would you believe me if I said we needed the troops just in case we have to fight? The Larval aren't perfect, but they're the best we have. One Larval is, or at least was, about equal to one of the Four-ten. Except they may be coming back with centuries of changes to their system. They were an adaptive group. Huge, violent and able to survive almost anything.”
Ah.
“I see, and we have how long before they get here?” Tor couldn't build anything yet. Lyn could, and the Lairdgren group. He glanced at his brother and sister. Come to that, there were others that could be called in. His mind raced so fast he nearly missed what Denno said.
“Inside nineteen years. We need to hurry.” He sounded scared.
Right. Ancients lived for ever. Nineteen years was probably like a few weeks to him practically. It was the length of his whole life so far though. Tor nodded anyway. At least they had a little time to try and figure things out. If nothing else, they could just fly out to meet them and do battle there. When he said that out loud Denno had to smother a laugh. Burks just looked sad and Lyn…
Agreed with him.
“We can do that. It's a bigger project than it sounds like Tor, but given time, I think we can. We need space capable vehicles and the speeds have to be improved a lot. Tens of thousands of times minimum. The speed of light or better. Using an organic model, like the fast craft you made, will that work?” She asked this as if he'd know.
Silly.
“Possibly. We can try, that's for certain. I need to learn more though.” He wanted to shrug.
More to the point he wanted to go climb into bed and sleep for a week. This was all crazy talk, wasn't it? Who had aliens coming to chat and possibly take their stuff? Some of them weren't even aliens though were they. Maybe none of them. For all he knew Denno was just lying about the whole thing. Burks could be too, but if it was just a trick, getting the whole group together for a summit seemed a little spotty.
Sigh. Well, Tor could only do what he could. That's why they had all those Ancients around anyway, to make sure things got done correctly, right? It worked for Tor at least, though the others all seemed more than a little scared. Except Weasel. He just grinned like a fool. Then he was an eleven year old boy. It probably seemed like a grand adventure to him.
Brilliant. Tor stuck his tongue out at the boy and shook his head.
“Right then. I'll go myself, but Denno…” Tor went silent and just looked at the man who was suddenly smiling as if he'd just been given a present. “Thousands of years old or not. Might of a whole land behind you or not, if this is a trick to harm us, know that I won't be… pleased.”
As threats went is wasn't much of one, but the man just nodded.
“It's just a meeting. The worst that will probably happen is a heated discussion or two. Unless Black and Orange get into it. Those two almost always get into a fight. It's conflicting mind sets and biology’s. They almost can't help it.”
Ah. Doesn't everyone get into fights with Black though? Tor didn't say it, just feeling too tired for some reason. Then everyone wanted to ask questions and chat about what all this meant for hours, but Tor had to beg off after a bit and just go to bed. It was rude, he knew, but his eyes just weren't going to stay open any longer, were they? Finally he mentioned it and smothered a yawn.
“Sorry everyone. I'm just…” He did it again and smiled. “Exhausted for some reason. Plus, you know, the whole world reeks right now. I'm off to go have nightmares about Baron Rochester now.” He waved his hand a little and stood slowly, his body stiff and aching to a point that he almost didn't make it all the way up.
Burks let his eyes go wide.
“I… didn't hear about this. What happened?” His words were dark and slightly angry suddenly.
Probably because it was bad to go around killing people.
No duh. Tor felt the same way, but just waved a hand again and didn't explain. Lyn spoke softly and in a foreign language, which got not just Burks, but Denno to go wide eyed. Whatever was said it let him get out of the room and up to bed, so Tor took it. He could be scolded later for his failings. He deserved it no doubt.
No one was in bed when he settled, but after a few hours two warm figures settled around him. It was Ali and Trice, he knew. He could feel the patterns he realized.
Then he dreamed.
None of them were good, but it was mainly Daria Serge mocking him, teasing him for about being so slow and stupid.
“Seriously Tor, you can't see it? Austrans here in your capital, people dying and the names going to my agents? Who do you know that knew me? Wouldn't it make sense to check there first? Moron.” She giggled when she said it, which was maddening.
Worse, she kept trying to get him to have sex with her, one blue eye and one brown staring at him, trying to be seductive. Petra's brown eye.
Ah. Right, he'd healed her in Debbie's shop. That was back before Box had come to work for her there.
And started dating Daria. Lilli.
No. That couldn't be right could it? The facts were there, but Box was a good guy. Always hard working and friendly. He was a friend.
One that lived very close to the Coltress family home.
Tor didn't like the thought and decided to go and clear the man as soon as he and Trice picked up Smythe in the morning. It was a heinous thought and he'd probably hate Tor from then on, just for asking. Still, he had dated Lilli, which meant someone should ask about that, right? Maybe Smythe already had? That would be better. Tor decided to just ask him and hope that was the case.
By morning he was pretty well convinced that he was wrong and that internal Daria Serge was just as bitchy and unhelpful and the real one had been. Trying to make him go around acting all mean and stuff. That made sense. The stupid, evil, dead girl was just screwing with him.
It was a fight to get out of bed, Tor had to wake up both girls to help him up, his body had nearly frozen in pain, locking up completely. It wouldn't have been so bad, but he'd left his Not-flyer off. Ali looked worried, almost scared, but Trice just shook her head, brown and light blond fuzz flying a little, still looking sleepy headed like a little kid. Sober though. Neither girl had gone to their cups the night before, even in celebration of the war ending. That was a good thing. Especially since Trice had to work.
She gave him a long suffering look and shook her head at him.
“You know, you could call in sick. If you can't move out of bed alone, no one expects you to go and save the kingdom. It's a rule.”
He shook his head, which ached at the base of his skull.
“What and have Smythe think I'm easy prey? No thanks. I'll just soak in a hot tub for a while and stretch for a bit. I'll be fine.” He grinned himself and winked at Ali.
“Just, you know, could you hand me that amulet there on the night stand?”
It was three whole feet away after all. Three long and pain filled feet. Trice climbed over him and got it for him, even putting in place. But only after turning her own arm on. She mainly slept with it off for some reason.
The whole morning took a lot longer than Tor had thought it would, first near two hours to warm up and get ready for the day himself, then, after flying his nice purple carriage into the palace complex, nearly two hours to find Smythe. He was sober of course, the man didn't drink at all, but he was in a side room, questioning Austrans already. Tor hobbled in, then decided to float, hoping it would look more impressive to the foreign agents. He half expected to find the older man torturing someone, but instead they were just eating a late breakfast and sitting at a table, in the guest house.
“Lord Baker! Baronetta Morgan. Sorry to have missed our meeting place, but these individuals came to me early this morning. Apparently they're our first batch of Austran agents? In this case the ones that worked here in the palace, so they came to me instead of going to your dwelling as ordered. It seems they didn't think they'd survive that for some reason?” He sounded amused by that at least.
Tor settled in next to the table and looked at who all was there, nodding. Yeah, he could see them being a little scared. For instance, though he didn't know the name, one of the men was a familiar servant from the kitchens, a baker to be exact. The man wasn't huge by noble standards, but was of a look to fit there, about six foot tall, with short cut brown hair and just enough extra weight that he didn't look like a warrior or soldier. Nearly perfect for the role he was playing.
Next to him sat a boy so young that Tor nearly didn't recognize him at all. Kenner Thorgood? The boy winced when Tor stared at him for a minute but didn't speak.
The last man was the one that would have caused problems though. Tor nearly killed him on the spot without even thinking about it.
Quavel.
The Queen’s butler. Trice didn't recognize him at first, but Tor did.
“Seriously?” Was all he said, his voice nearly silent.
The man had served for decades in the palace. He'd touched almost every plate of food that the Queen had eaten for years himself. He'd stood behind her at every function in the palace the whole time and…
He touched her.
Not just once or twice but thousands, millions, of times. Possibly more than the King himself. It was his job. That an agent of anyone had gotten that close was… Impossible. Or it should have been at least.
The man had gray hair, shot with isolated bits of black, and was old. Not elderly, but in his fifties at least, and not the young looking fifty of a noble, but the hard lived one of a servant. He wore his normal uniform, black and green in a light material that looked comfortable enough. Tor nodded slowly at all of them.
“I… see. Well.” He turned to Smythe. “Have they been cleared of the murders?”
“Indeed, first thing I did. I also checked to make certain no other Austran agents were within the walls here. If there are, these three don't know about it. Really, I was just debating smuggling them out of the kingdom to tell you the truth. I suppose we could forgive the boy, he's older than he looks but still only fifteen. The others are a bit close however. I'm not certain how the King will react. We did promise their safety, but who knew…” The man shrugged and Trice fingered her pocket menacingly.
“No freaking doubt. Still, it's not our call, is it?” She glanced at the men hard, like they might die at any moment.
Tor tilted his head.
“Wait, Ken, you're fifteen? You look maybe ten. Some kind of treatment? Medical?”
“Nano injection sir. Permanently stunts the growth though, I was probably a year or two from being recalled anyway. It becomes kind of obvious without specific medical procedures to hold the bone structure in place. It pays well though and that's the important thing.” He grinned charmingly, his accent going to a thick Austran one instead of the fake thing he'd used every other time they'd spoken.
Tor shook his head, and figured he'd be doing that a lot for a while. Maybe forever.
Finally he turned to Trice and Smythe and sighed.
“Trice arrange transport for them? To my house first. Counselor Smythe… not to be heavy handed, but their safety is mine to see too. I promised Brown. That said, we need to see the King and Queen. Hopefully this won't require us to go back to war.” He spun on Quavel and nearly punched the man, who luckily was out of arms reach, so he just growled instead.
“You may have done your job too well.”
Stupid spies.
It took a while to get things set up but an hour later the royals, all of them, were sitting in throne like chairs in the King’s main meeting hall, with the spies standing in front of them. Kenner waved at Varley, who was holding a small child in her arms.
“You had the baby?” Tor jogged over to her, painfully, forgetting decorum for a minute. “Boy or girl?” He said sweetly, then made little cooing noises which got everyone else to chuckle after a moment.
“Girl. We named her Alison Anne. I was going to name her after you, but “Torrentia” was just too much of a mouthful. Hope you don't mind?” She grinned tiredly when she said it, no doubt at his antics and little noises made at the baby.
“Good plan. That's a horrible name.”
Stepping back Tor forced a bow, which hurt, towards each of the seated people. Then he gestured at the spies and sighed.
“We can't kill them. It's part of the deal. But I think Quavel here at least wants to say something.” It was a mean thing to do, but if the man couldn't get himself out of this, he deserved to be locked up, or beaten, whatever Connie could come up with.
The man just smiled and bowed smoothly, as if the whole thing were planned.
“I just wanted to say that, spy or not, it has been my honor to serve mum. You are a truly worthy person and a good soul.”
Connie at least didn't look too angry, instead she just looked, slightly sad.
“Ah. It saddens me to see you leave.” Her tone was even polite.
Tor blinked.
Well, that was more gentle than he'd expected, wasn't it? It was the others turn then and each of them surprised him a bit too. Karina got a wink from the baker, who said nothing and Kenner bowed slowly and walked over to Varley, making the Royal guard arrayed through the room go stiff.
He smiled at the baby.
“She's beautiful. Thank you for being so kind to me. It was all an act, on my part, but it wasn't lost on me how often you took time for a little orphan all alone in the world. No one back home would have bothered.” He bowed too.
“Keep that goodness, for as long as you can.”
Varley shook her head but didn't say anything, just looking sad.
Rolph looked around the room and grinned happily enough, apparently not concerned at all with the fact that so many people that lived with him were Austran agents.
“Let it be noted, none of them are women that I slept with.” He said softly, getting a nod from everyone else.
Tor shrugged at him.
“Not yet. We need to see all of them first though, don't we. I really hate all this stuff. Well, if no one wants to kick Quavel's butt, I need to make sure they get home safe now. They'll be at my house as… guests.” He turned to the King and Queen and bowed.
“I mean that too. Though I suggest they get their rooms and stay there until they leave, I won't lock them in. If they were going to make more problems they just wouldn't have come forward, right? No need to punish them now.” Unless there was, which was his point, but no one said anything.
The King released them with a word and a regal nod, and without asking if it was all right, Rolph and Karina both hopped up and followed them out of the room. Well, these men probably weren't a threat, were they? If they were, all the royal family would probably already be dead.
It wasn't until they all piled in to the Tor's Carriage that Rolph asked the question.
“So… which of you stole Tor's King’s day invitations?” The words were calm and even, but certain, as if he already knew.
Quavel chuckled darkly.
“I did. The little midget would have thrown off the seating arrangements at the table. It wouldn't have been so bad if Connie would have set him a ways down, but no, Tor had to be right at her side all the time. That's fine at normal functions, it just looks like a child sitting by her, but at the King’s celebration we sit grand procession style, so it would have looked horrible. I don't think he would have been seen over the table and putting blocks or a stand in place would make it too hard for everyone else to walk out to the ball after.”
Oh. Well, that made sense then. Tor just nodded gently, but Kenner snorted.
“Really? You got him snubbed just because it would throw of the look of a table seating pattern? That's pretty low. Couldn't you have, I don't know, just gotten him to float higher or something? Or maybe just sit someplace else? I'm sure if you mentioned it to him he'd have done it. Even begged the Queen for it.” The boy said an odd word, something Tor didn't know but suspected wasn't very nice. It seemed directed at Quavel.
Or whatever his real name was.
“When I had to walk the communications plate in after the L attack down south? He said that if I was to be beaten for it, he'd take it for me personally. No one ever mentioned it, any kind of punishment for it at all, but Sally, the house mistress in charge of me? She told me later that she'd gotten orders from the King for it. Anyone willing to take a spanking for a little kid can't be all bad.”
The older man sighed.
“Well, I'm sure he'll get in this next year. Really though Tor, make sure you aren't at the cross table, will you? It's just… wrong. Or at least build a higher float like you've been using.” The strange thing was that the man actually sounded worried about it.
“I'll take it under advisement.” That, for some reason got a laugh from the back seat, where Smythe and three Royal Guards sat. It was Wensa, Veren and Kara, the dark haired woman with a hawk like nose.
They all laughed though.
Was it funny? Maybe. They laughed harder when Quavel said, “very good sir.”
Luckily Trice was flying, since Tor kept twinging and aching enough that it would have distracted him. As it was he kept feeling like he'd forgotten something. Something big. It niggled at him the whole trip, all three minutes of it, and didn't go away when he walked into his house, to find seven Austran agents sitting in a meeting room waiting for them to get in. The staff had served refreshments.
Well, that was better than handing out beatings at least. Kind of set the tone for this not being a dangerous punishment or something like that.
Tor passed out Truth amulets and worked out that none of the people in the room was a deranged killer and got Trice to take notes as to any other contacts they knew of in kingdom. The numbers kept growing, more agents coming through the day, but no one knew anything, until a woman of about twenty-five came in.
“I work as the Cartwright’s helper. The one by the south wall?” She said when asked. Tor actually knew where that was, it being on the way to Debbie's bakery. Three buildings down, a kind of large place with a fenced area for the carts to pull in.
That reminded him of his dream. Box. Right. Sighing Tor shook his head, figuring that it would be totally wrong anyway, but needing to ask. After all, it was an investigation.
“Hey, um, did you ever get any information from the new baker at Debbie's?” He made his tone light, and carefree. It was a bit leading, but the truth amulet didn't waiver at all.
“Oh, sure. He told me about lots of things. Daria Serge introduced us. Kind of ad him working for her she said? Names of girls that no one would think twice about and that. Very friendly man. Little creepy though.”
“That's true.” Karina said softly. “I offered to, you know, service him, at the shop and he never wanted too, which I figured was just because his sister was right there, but he always watched me. It was strange. That's why I didn't go to visit, even when I got lonely. There's just something off about him.”
There was a time when Tor would have blushed at hearing a woman openly talk about servicing a man like that, but then, in this case it was him that had told her to do it. Oh, he'd been teasing, but still, it was a little strange the guy hadn't taken her up on it. If not at the shop, then later. Tor would have. Box had never struck him as the shy type overly at least. The first time they'd met he'd asked “Kari” to bed, hadn't he? Tor thought about it for a second, trying to remember.
Yes, he begged her pardon for being a bit vulgar, suggesting King’s week was a good time to get laid, then asked if she was interested… So refusing her later was a little odd.
Hmmm.
Tor decided to go and check on the man a little later, still not wanting to believe that it would turn out to be anything at all. He hoped not. But… The Cartwright’s helper had said that Box had openly given her names.
Of dead girls.
Before anyone even knew the murders were going on? Yeah, that was pretty telling. Even the woman being told had found it odd, but Daria had set it all up, before she left Noram. As an agent she had to just do her job, didn't she? Her part wasn’t asking questions of her boss and the information was good.
So, in a way, that meant Box had been working with the foreign girl and knew it too.
Freaking heck.
He needed to go and pay a visit, didn't he? Tor felt like crying instead, but didn't, just getting word to Kolb that he might be needed. After all, some of his people actually kind of knew Box and Debbie. If someone had to take them in, it might as well be their friends.
The ride over was slow and had four vehicles in all, working through the streets, fighting through the crowd. Tor got it, there was no good landing places by the bakery and it was likely to be full of holiday traffic, being mid-afternoon. Tor went in first, to find a harried Debbie scrambling to run between the bakery, and then dash to the little store to the side, where she sold devices that Tor made. If he could recognize the metal plates from across the room, she was also carrying some other works now. Guide-fires and Sam-mills. Lyn had some things in too, by feel, though Tor couldn't see the devices, being round the corner.
“Tor! Help! Box didn't come in today, probably off sleeping off the celebration. I can't blame him, given the end of the war, but it's a pain.” She was wiping her hands on a rag, and trying to ring up a sale at the same time. She stopped and stared at all the people with them, Royal Guards and huge fighters, but the pause didn't last long. She was busy after all.
“Debbie, we need to talk. Um…” Looking around Tor tried to arrange who would work best where for now, and found he only really had two choices to work with, as funny as it would sound to everyone.
“Rolph, could you handle sales in the device shop? Kari, the bakery? It smells like there's product in the oven, so watch for that.” It came out as a command, but no one, not even Smythe, bristled at it. The royal kids were already working by the time Debbie finished up with the costumer she was serving hand pies to and turned around to give him a hug.
Tor stood back and slipped a Truth amulet over her head, starting the device with a flick, making her glow suddenly with a soft cream and golden yellow striped aura.
“Debbie, are you now, or have you ever been a spy?” He asked without pause.
“What? I'm a baker… I mean no, but…” She looked honestly confused at least.
Tor nodded since it was just the truth. That was reassuring.
“Did you have anything to do with the death of the girls in the Capital?”
“No… what’s this about?”
“Do you know if Box did?” The words were soft and not happy sounding at all.
She winced, her good looking face pinched a little. For a long time she didn't say anything, Smythe started to re-ask the question, but Tor put out a hand and touched his arm gently, getting him to stop. Finally, after nearly three minutes she spoke.
“I… Don't… honestly know. But… he's never been right, has he? When he was a child he'd kill animals if you didn't watch them closely. He just showed up here in the Capital last year during King’s week and said it would be fine for him to stay on, since I needed the help, but later I got a note from home and no-one knew where he was. He said he'd just forgotten to say where he'd gone, but Tammy Mills left at the same time from the Copperton. Everyone thought they must have run off together… He wouldn't say.”
Tor gave her a hug, more relieved than he'd thought he'd be on hearing that it wasn't her. That his friend was innocent at least. This one.
“Do you know where he is? Or might be?”
Debbie didn't hedge, giving the name of every place she could think of, every person she thought might know where he'd be. Trice took notes. Finally Smythe took over and patted Tor on the back.
“I have this now. Let's secure this location and set up here in case he comes back. Sir Kolbrin, if you'd see to that for us?”
The giant bald man just nodded darkly.
Debbie started crying. Which made sense didn't it? It was her brother and he might be involved in some fashion with some very dark things. He probably was. It made Tor’s heart ache to consider, so he didn't.
Instead he got Rolph and Karina packed in to a carriage with Wensa flying, Veren in the back seat. Debbie with them, because she needed some familiar faces and comfort. Tor hugged her again before they all left, lifting straight up from between the close packed buildings.
Kolb looked out the front door and a few seconds later three people ran over. Karen and Davie along with the huge Baron Haver. He shrugged.
“Tor, you know the situation best. Where do you want people?”
He stopped for a second. If they kept the shop open it would look most normal, until people got inside at least. But Haver and Karen were both nearly strangers. Davie would look normal enough, having worked for a week with the man once, and Tor could do the same back in the bakery. He nodded then.
“Haver and Karen outside. The roof of surround buildings, if you can find a good location? Not to put too fine a point on it, but if I saw you two standing around out there, I wouldn't come in and I know you. Little intimidating.” He smiled at them, knowing it was a little sad, but not able to do better.
“David, you run the bakery section. I'll tell you what to do and try to help as I can. Kara, would you run the shop next door please?”
The Royal Guard had stayed for some reason, but just gave a single nod and walked into the next room, clothing shifting into nearly an exact replica of the light blue velvet dress that Debbie had been wearing. It was good work, especially on the fly like that. Impressive really. Tor wasn't sure he could have done the same thing. The guard was taller than Debbie and past the dark hair didn't look like her at all. But she did look like a wealthy merchant suddenly, instead of a kick-ass combat instructor.
Tor blinked as he realized that she actually had been. A combat instructor at Lairdgren. The one that had beaten the back of his right arm into near uselessness once. Tor rubbed at his arm in memory. That had been a few years before though and in the moment, everything hurt and that wasn't her fault at all.
They worked for hours, dark falling and the evening wearing on. The bakery did brisk business and after a while the device shop started to as well, when Tor popped his head in he started to understand why. Kara wasn't haggling well at all. Letting things go for about half of what they normally would. Word was getting around. That would work, as long as they looked busy, wouldn't it?
It wasn't until later, near ten in the evening, that a familiar dark head popped into the bakery side through the outside door.
Box.
The man smiled and gave a wave when he saw Davie, “hey! How’s it going Dave?”
The large Countier turned with a tray full of hand pies to go in the racks for display.
“Hi Box. Not too bad. Little bit of bad news, but other than that, everything's all right. Debbie had to go off to the palace with Kari and her brother for a bit. We've got some people in to cover though, so no business is being lost. You remember Tor?” To his credit the very tall, hard looking boy kept working the whole time, as if it really was no big deal. Even Tor bought it and he knew better.
“Hello Box.” He grinned and gave a pained half wave. It was bad enough he'd had to just run the cash box all night. David couldn't do a lot of baking though, not on his own yet, but he followed directions perfectly, nobleman or not. definitely his favorite Countier.
He explained this to Box carefully, getting a solid nod in return.
“Sorry I was out all day, bit of a bender last night, celebrating the end of the war and all that. Just woke up an hour ago, passed out in some Inn. What's the emergency? Is everything all right? Need a baker at the palace or something?” He sounded confident as if it just made sense that, if there was a baking emergency, of course his sister would be called in to cover it.
“Actually, yes. One of the baking staff turned out to be an Austran agent of all things. Horrible really, right there by the food all that time. Thank goodness he was actually working for a friend of mine, not someone evil. Really messed up situation. All the agents are leaving now though, part of the peace treaty.” Tor stretched and pretended he was just a little sore, instead of the truth, that he was incredibly so.
Kara walked out of the other shop area smiling, which got Box to do the same.
“Hey, I don't think we've met?” The man's voice was a little smooth and oily, but polite enough really. His field didn't react to her though. Not at all. Not like a man, true, but not like a person either.
Tor noticed the difference right off. It was like the man didn't really see her at all practically. It was bizarre. He noticed Tor and Davie all right. And he spoke to her… but it was just an act.
Tor moved forward as if he was going to give Kara a hug or make an introduction, as she started to speak.
“Oh, no, I work at the palace, just in to help out here for the day.” She smiled, a little seductively. “I get off about now, would you like to go get a drink? My treat?” She sounded happy enough. Festive.
A wave of disgust flowed off the man in front of him, mingled with lust. It was shockingly strong too. Tor hit him in the back of the head, shield kicking in making the otherwise feeble blow more worthwhile. The man didn't go down though.
Kara, bless her, got the second blow faster than Tor would have thought possible after his own, and that did the trick. Box dropped to the floor with a thump.
“Everyone not working here get out.” Tor said firmly then. “This is the King’s business. Move. David, Kara, secure him. I'll get the others. We need to question him.”
Tor went to the door, a quiet rage inside him as he signaled out front and called softly, letting people by as he did.
“We got him.”