Steven Brust - Dragon

I repeated this name and shrugged.

"Godslayer," said Morrolan.

"If you wish," said the Serioli.

"What has this to do with my chain?"

"Everything," said the Serioli. "Or nothing."

"Do you know, I get tired of people speaking in riddles."

Our host made his laughing sound again. I wrapped Spellbreaker around my wrist. "Fine," I said. "How do I find this weapon?"

"Uh … Boss? Why do you want to?"

"I'm not certain I do, but—"

"To find it, you must first find—" He clicked some more.

I looked at Morrolan. "Artifact in sword form that searches for the true path." He looked at the Serioli to see if the translation was approved.

"Not far off. But I am uncertain if 'true path' would be precisely the way to say it. I might suggest 'an object of desire when the path is true.' The form of 'path' is made abstract by the final 'tsu.' "

"I see," said Morrolan. "Thank you."

I wondered if Morrolan had any idea what he was talking about. Probably, since he spoke the language. I said, "Would you like to tell me more?"

"The two artifacts were, or are to be, created together—"

"Excuse me, but is there a simple explanation for this 'were or are to be' thing?"

"No."

"I didn't think so. All right." I dropped it. Whenever anyone starts talking about the odd things time can do, I think about the Paths of the Dead, and I didn't care to think about that just then.

"Some of our people," he continued, "desired divinity and crafted artifacts to find and then destroy those who sit on the Thrones of Judgment. One of these became something other than what it had been designed to be; it became a device for the finding of—well, for the finding of whatever the wielder wished to find, based on the principle that all of life, including the desire of will, is part of—"

"If you please," said Morrolan. "The other?"

"The other was taken by the Gods, and an attempt was made to destroy it."

"I can imagine," I said under my breath.

"Both are now lost; when one is found, the other is likely to turn up."

"And what I have—"

"What you have," he said, staring at me with an expression I couldn't read, "is a gold chain that is useful for interrupting the flow of energies from—" He concluded the sentence with another word or phrase in his own language. I looked at Morrolan for a translation, but the Dragonlord was chewing his lip, frowning, and seemed to be busy with thoughts of his own. That was all right; I could make a pretty good guess.

I said, "Well, that's certainly something to think about. But I believe Morrolan brought us here to ask you something."

Morrolan blinked and looked at me. "Pardon?"

"I was suggesting that you ask our friend whatever it is you wanted to ask him about."

"Oh. I already have."

"You—all right."

"Loiosh, did you catch any psychic communication?"

"No, Boss. But I might have missed it. This character is weird."

"You think?"

Whatever information Morrolan had been after, he'd clearly gotten it. He made a few courtesies, which I did my best to mimic, then, bowing, he led the way back out of the cave. As we walked, I said, "I forgot to ask why the place smelled of brimstone."

He didn't answer.

Once we were back outside, I said, "So, how do you make the window reappear?"

He didn't answer that, either, but made a few nonchalant gestures in the air, and it occurred to me that there was no reason to make the window appear; he could simply teleport us to Castle Black. I'd have suggested that I preferred the other method of travel, but he didn't seem to be in a mood to listen.

My bowels twisted and the mountains vanished, and we were back in the room which we'd first left, and without so much as a pause Morrolan said, "Thank you, Vlad, I am glad to have had you along."

"Mind if I sit for a moment?" I managed. It wasn't just the aftereffects of the teleport, it was the realization that I'd have to teleport again when I left.

"Not at all."

He drew a curtain over the window we'd lately walked through. I looked around the room again, just to kill time. For the center of power for a powerful sorcerer, there wasn't a whole lot there: the table, two chests. And the windows. I counted nine of them. Then I counted eight of them. Then I counted nine again, then I counted ten. By then my stomach had settled down so I quit counting and stood up.

"Feeling better?"

I looked for traces of a sneer and didn't notice any. "Yes, thanks. Lead on."

He brought us back down the narrow metal stairway and through the labyrinth of Castle Black—a labyrinth I was beginning to learn, thanks to Fentor and the work I was doing on Morrolan's security (which I know I haven't mentioned much, but it doesn't really come into this story; there was a fair bit of work involved, and some interesting things happened, but I don't want to take the time to go into it right now).

"So," I said. "Would you care to tell me what you learned?"

"Of course not," he said. "Would you care for a drink?"

"No, thanks. I'm teleporting."

"Ah, yes, certainly." He reached into his cloak and removed a small purse.

"No, no," I said. "This one's gratis."

"Indeed?"

"Yes. I learned enough to pay for the experience."

"Oh? And … " He decided not to ask what I'd learned because he knew very well how I'd answer.

Loiosh said, "Did I miss something? What did you learn?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to give Morrolan something to think about."

"I hope it was worth whatever he was going to pay you."

Morrolan said, "Are you still determined upon the course of action to which you previously referred?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"I said—"

"No, never mind. I think I got part of that. Yeah, I'm still willing to do what I can to mess up this guy's program, if you think it'll help."

"Good. We will begin the muster tomorrow. The following day you may, if you are still willing, of course, report to your unit, Cropper Company, at noon. It will be assembling on the lea below Castle Black, north of the stone wall. Look for a green banner with a black horn upon it."

I opened and shut my mouth a few times, then said, "So soon;

"If you can give me a good reason to delay, I'll consider the matter."

"I'll think about it and get back to you. But can't I just teleport to someplace where I'll do some good, instead of joining a company?"

"What makes you think the enemy will allow teleports anywhere in the area? Or, for that matter, that I will?"

"Will you?"

"No."

"I see. Well, what about your window?"

"I won't be here, I'll be with the army."

"Oh."

"Any other questions?"

"Uh … Why that company?"

"Is there another you'd prefer?"

"I haven't a clue, Morrolan. I just wondered what it is about them—"

"They'll be in the van during the first stage, which makes it most convenient for your activities, and Cropper, the Captain, is easier to work with than some. Anything else?"

"Yeah. How do I get home? I don't feel like doing my own teleport."

"Where are you going?"

"My office."

"I'll bring you."

"You mean you'll send me?"

"I was thinking of bringing you. I'd like to see where work."

"Heh. That'll shake up the staff," I said. "Sure."

"Then open your mind and think of your office."

I had him bring us to the street outside, pointed out some sights to him while I recovered, and noticed that he was attracting a certain a mount of attention: Dragonlords aren't often seen in the company of Easterners. On the other hand, no one wanted to stare too blatantly; people mind their own business in my neighborhood.

I led him through the various fronts and up into the suite of rooms I worked out of. Melestav looked up when I came in, then saw who was behind me and nearly sprang to his feet.