The Dark Half of the Sun (The Young Ancients: Timon) (43 page)

Judith got a wave and a smile from the Prince as Karina tightened her hand, smiling at him a little.

"What did you do? Hear the right people talking? That's a useful thing. Your business is going to be great for that."

Before he could play it off, not wanting to seem like a monster anymore than he had to, Petra spoke, her voice cracking just a little with emotion.

"No... he took the Count and his men, Judy helped too. Then he came and got us all and made them talk. He stood for me, when I couldn't. He made them pay for hurting me. I didn't think it would happen." Tears moved down her face and she sucked her lips in, trying to stop them. "I understood why I couldn't act, why my family was forbidden it, but I thought that I was going to be denied any retribution at all. Then-" Her hands went out as Smythe finished for her, his voice calm and smooth.

"Then everything changed in a few moments. Now, not to take away from the moment, but we have much to do. The Council of Counts is in a week and as it stands we don't even know where the next attack will be coming from. On top of that, I believe that Countier Baker has promised the two guards of Count Rodriguez their freedom in another land? I should see to their questioning then, to make certain we know all that they do before that happens. If I may have the day?" He bowed to Timon, as if he was going anywhere without sleep.

"Of course. Take several. I won't be going anywhere except to pick people up until after Lyn and Dorgal are married." He still needed to get them a wedding gift. Something for the home. That or the bedroom. That was the rule. What they needed he had no clue.

About half of them were released, which was a polite way of asking them to get the heck out of the way, since they weren't needed for the next part at all. The Prince and Princess stayed, but Petra and Judith left with him. So did Lyn, Dorgal and Denno. It wasn't that they weren't welcome, at least on paper, but they weren't needed for the boring part of trying to plan a civil war.

The rest had rooms in the Palace, but Judith was one of his people and Petra came along without it being questioned. She was one of his now too, it seemed. He tried to put them in the second house, but they both insisted on being in with him. There were four beds after all and the space was big enough. They blocked off the light and slept until mid day, which wasn't overly long, all things considered. Five hours. He'd just started to dream of bad things when he heard a knock at the door. It was a useful thing being interrupted just then.

It was a woman in very poor and shabby clothing, her hair stringy, with a bit of an odor problem. She held a letter in her hand, a thing that looked half scribbled.

"Sir... I... come humbly begging. I have not the fee you require, but my sister is dying and I just got this letter. I..." She looked down, her eyes sad and nearly broken.

He handed her an activated Truth amulet.

"Is your story true? Do you mean me or anyone else harm? Were you paid to come here?"

The woman looked confused.

"No! I mean, it's true and I don't hurt people. I was just told that this was the only way I might get there in time. I..." The amulet's field kept glowing, pure cream and goldenrod.

That was good enough for him.

"Where?"

The woman hesitated, as if he were asking what hole she intended for him to use for sex, but after a moment she stammered the answer.

"North Thorgood, sir. Like I said, I can't pay... Not properly. I can do other things for you." That was an actual offer of services, she didn't try to make herself seem worth it at all, as if just being there and female would make it worthwhile.

He nodded, pretending not to get it. He was only twelve, so that was allowable, he thought.

"Cooking and cleaning here? At least a few days per week. Shopping for food and that kind of thing. Some travel at times. Half a gold per week, plus travel, say once a month?"

The woman stood not talking for a long time. Finally she smiled, showing that she was missing about half her teeth. That got him to pull out the healing amulet and hand it over, also activated, taking the Truth amulet back. She gasped, but a few seconds later her eyes lit. It took about five minutes for the teeth to all come back. Lose a leg and be healed without it pressed to the stump and you were without a leg forever. Teeth always came back though. No one knew why that was.

The others both stood, weapons in their large hands, appraising things. Probably figuring the woman wasn't a real threat, Judith vanished into the restroom, coming out a few minutes later, letting Petra have a turn. He took his own and then offered the same to the woman in front of him, who looked a lot younger now than she had before.

While she was taking care of her own needs he set up his Fast Craft and got ready to go. Ten minutes later they were underway, traveling at full speed.

"What's your name?" It was rude of him to have failed to ask before. She was pretty average looking, and a bit thin, but not starving at all. In her late twenties perhaps, rather than the nearly fifty the gray hair had made her seem like. Some people just had hair like that.

"Mona, sir. I... thank you. I promise to cook and clean for you, like you were my own husband. Other...wifely duties as are needed too."

After a few seconds he nodded, realizing that the other two were working really hard to keep their faces straight. He didn't dignify that with actual words. Instead he smiled at the woman who was sitting next to him.

"You have a husband of your own Mona? Children?"

"Oh, yes sir. Millert be my man, a carter by trade. He works the ice hauling most days now. Was there I learned of you. I have two girls, Heidi and Stara. Good girls." She seemed proud enough of her family, but it was clear she also knew that she was getting a very good deal with this emergency flight. It was just the way of common people to try and pay their debts and since she couldn't pay in coin, or work of equal value, she offered
everything
.

There was a strange kind of honor in it.

"Call me Tim. Just cooking and cleaning, I'll give you coin for the shopping."

They flew then, Petra and Judith chatting with the woman, who was clearly in awe of them, barely making eye contact at all. After a few minutes she asked, just as shyly as anyone could, if one of them were with him.

It was bizarre but Judith nodded.

"I am. So you can stop trying to sleep with my man. I understand, since he's so good looking and rich, but he's promised to me and my people hold to the old traditions."

Petra chimed in, her voice slightly tight.

"That's true. Princess Karina
also
has a word in for him. He's underage at the moment. I'm sure that will be a relief to Millert when they meet."

The woman didn't keep after him then, which was a relief to him.

They landed a few hours later and the woman they were visiting was very sick, a deep set pneumonia. No one expected her to survive long.

She was back on her feet after about ten minutes of holding the healing amulet. Then they had to put up with half an hour of crying and grateful family members trying to bow to them. The sick woman's children held his hands and jumped up and down, their grubby faces tear streaked, but drying.

Mona went back with them, even though he'd offered to leave her for a few days and come back for her.

"No need to stay and sit a death vigil now, is there? Thank you again sir. Tim. I... Well, I don't want the giant girl to beat me, but you'll have the cleanest cottage in the world, I promise you that."

Judith nodded, her eyes slightly suspicious, which got a little chuckle from Petra, as if her actions were real. It was a decent ploy. She wasn't that old, only about four years his senior. Too tall by far for him, but having her around wouldn't hurt his recovery. He needed to face tall women, so that the harm done to him by Countess Alan wouldn't set in forever. Timon didn't want to, but it had to be done if he didn't want to move to Soam and hide from tall people with Julie.

The rest of the day was running around for him, and a late dinner at the Palace, since he apparently got invited to things like that now. It was lovely and reminded him to get more food to the restaurant in Austra the next day. Or at least get funds for it to Mark.

They'd placed him above the center of the space, on the left side, sitting near Karina. She didn't try to hold his hand, but her right leg bumped against his left more than once, which he didn't doubt was on purpose. It was just her being friendly he knew. Setting her hooks in for marriage early, so she didn't miss out later. Hopefully by then he'd be something worth having grasped hold of.

At the moment he didn't feel like that was true at all. That was the damage done though. Even what he'd done to himself. You couldn't torture people, causing them the kind of pain he had and not have it change you. Worse, he knew on some level that he'd liked doing it. Not real pleasure, but it had felt right to him. Like they deserved to suffer as they had.

That was pretty close to evil, wasn't it? His heart didn't feel heavy for having done it either. Not like a normal person's would. He made himself smile over at the Princess who was commenting on the weather. He nodded until she switched topics, sounding very nearly off hand.

"Kincaid's prettier than me, don't you think?" It was a simple statement not her fishing for compliments. That was a good thing, since that was a pain to deal with.

"No. She looks different than you do, but you're actually a bit prettier. Not much, but that's not faint praise. She's very good looking too, that's all." He wasn't trying to flirt with her but the Princess touched his arm and left that contact linger long enough for a few other people around them to notice.

"You really think so?"

He nearly snapped at her then, because
now
she was fishing, but he let it slide, knowing he wasn't in the best mood ever.

"I
do
. Really, I doubt that anyone would doubt that overly. A few people, because loveliness is subjective, but... yes, you're prettier than she is." It was true, but she blushed and acted like he was flirting with her.

After the meal several people were called to the back room for a meeting. It was a place he'd been before, so he wasn't surprised by the look of it at all. It was pure artistry in the making, the walls carved into delicate dark wood patterns. The chairs didn't match this time, since there were nearly twenty people in the room. It included the Wards, his sister and her Count, Smythe and a half dozen others in military garb. One of those was Baron Kolbrin. He was in disguise, using an amulet for it most likely, but the frame and bearing were right. He didn't speak much, but the few phrases he used confirmed it to Tim with a decent level of certainty.

It was surprising that not everyone got it, but no one else seemed to. Except the King. Richard knew, that was clear. His gaze kept straying toward the man a lot more often than it should have if he wanted to keep anything a secret. The Prince wasn't invited in, nor was Karina. That was telling too. The Prince was always involved in the secret meetings, so that he could know what was happening in case the duty of rule suddenly fell to him. That meant there was danger. This way, if the King died, his heir would be available to replace him.

As the King started speaking Timon reached into his side pocket and pulled out a force lance. Terlee went wide eyed as he did it and looked scared. It was a subtle thing, but she let her own hand move toward her bag then. It occurred to Tim that his sister was probably there for two reasons. The first was just to make this look like it wasn't an attack. A bit of subtle diplomacy, since she was small and attractive, therefore not likely to be thought of as a threat to the big military men.

The other reason was that she didn't go anywhere at all without a very good shield and, or so it seemed, weapons. Even he was probably there for a similar reason. Political distraction.

"We've uncovered plots within plots in the last few days. Two of which are most troubling to me. The treason of several of our own nobles, none of which are in this room, lest any of you feel like you are about to be unfairly accused." He smiled a little grimly as Count Peterson, having been making eyes at Tamerlane, saw that she was going for a weapon and did the same himself.

Tim oriented on the military men, no one paying any attention to him at all. The King kept speaking, his voice dark and foreboding. At least Tim thought it sounded that way. No one else responded that he could tell.

"There is also a portion of our military that has betrayed us, throwing in with them. That saddens me greatly-" Then the room exploded in violence. The kind that modern shield warfare insisted on eventually. Loud, violent... and essentially useless.

They
all
had good protection, so while five of the military men were clearly trying to kill the King and Queen, they weren't harmed at all. The walls were in danger of collapsing, since they were using explosive weapons and immolators, but so far no one was being damaged.

Kolb started grappling with the men, throwing off the aim of some of them, as he could, moving fast for such a large person. The wild looking Count Peterson did the same, realizing as it happened, what was working.

Timon... pointed his force lance at one of the men and focused like he had with his sister, turning off all the man's amulets and magics all at once. Then he hit him with a single blast, which threw him hard into the buckling far wall. Then he re-aimed and did it again, another man in black going down.