I'm taking it a little easy this morning as it's been quite a long month (I'm having trouble believing most of November has slipped by) and next week is a conference week, then there's only two weeks of work to get from people before Christmas gets in the way... it never stops.
Faltered There was momentary indecision about whether Tomasz should fly back to the village with the stolen Byakhee or if they should all continue on together, resolved, to the surprise of the other two, by Lord Derby's words. "You'll both need to come with me," he said. "If either of you leaves then you'll start to suspect that the other might have been somehow influenced or infected by whatever has happened to me, through me." Tomasz's nod was a swift jerk of the head, his eyes not meeting either Samual's or Lord Derby's. Samual's mouth twisted as though he wanted to speak, but he kept silent. His hands washed one another constantly until he noticed, and put them sharply behind his back. "What are we doing now?" he asked after they'd started walking. "The village will kill you when they realise," said Tomasz, his voice flat and his stare looking towards to the horizon. "We will stop outside the village," said Lord Derby. "I need to know about the demons, I think. After that, we leave." Tomasz snorted. "No-one leaves," he said. "The only way out was the way Dignity attempted. Unless you propose to try that yourself?" "We brought a means of return with us," said Lord Derby. Tomasz's footsteps faltered, and then he halted, turning and blocking the other two from continuing. "You can leave? Now?" He looked at Samual: "Is he telling the truth?" "We have a token," said Samual. "It opens a gate back to London." "For when we are finished here," said Lord Derby. "I am no mage, and nor is Samual, so we had to either bring one with us, or something that could do the job." "How many people can pass through this gate? There are fewer than thirty of us." "I don't remember asking that question. Though whoever goes through first can certainly request that the gate be held open, or a new one instantiated." "Milord!" Both men looked at Samual, who swallowed and took a step back. "Milord, while what you say is certainly true, the Lords Martial would have things to say about the arrival of thirty... non-Englishmen through a magical gate." He swallowed again. "Tomasz, I'm sorry, but you would be treated as prisoners of war upon arrival and interned until more was learned about you." Tomasz shrugged. "Fine," he said. Samual's eyes bulged a little. "Interned in England versus trapped in Carcosa. No-one here would have difficulty making that choice." "I might," said an unpleasantly familiar voice behind them.
Greg - I'm very happy to hear you take it easy. I hope you managed to recharge and refresh!
Ah, what the hot damn! Who just snuck up on our heroes? Dang it, Greg. Hooks upon hooks within hooks. I'm going to start dreaming about this story if I'm not careful.
Also: have to admit to being a little relieved to discover that they do in fact have a plan to get back home.
2 comments:
I'm taking it a little easy this morning as it's been quite a long month (I'm having trouble believing most of November has slipped by) and next week is a conference week, then there's only two weeks of work to get from people before Christmas gets in the way... it never stops.
Faltered
There was momentary indecision about whether Tomasz should fly back to the village with the stolen Byakhee or if they should all continue on together, resolved, to the surprise of the other two, by Lord Derby's words.
"You'll both need to come with me," he said. "If either of you leaves then you'll start to suspect that the other might have been somehow influenced or infected by whatever has happened to me, through me."
Tomasz's nod was a swift jerk of the head, his eyes not meeting either Samual's or Lord Derby's. Samual's mouth twisted as though he wanted to speak, but he kept silent. His hands washed one another constantly until he noticed, and put them sharply behind his back.
"What are we doing now?" he asked after they'd started walking.
"The village will kill you when they realise," said Tomasz, his voice flat and his stare looking towards to the horizon.
"We will stop outside the village," said Lord Derby. "I need to know about the demons, I think. After that, we leave."
Tomasz snorted. "No-one leaves," he said. "The only way out was the way Dignity attempted. Unless you propose to try that yourself?"
"We brought a means of return with us," said Lord Derby.
Tomasz's footsteps faltered, and then he halted, turning and blocking the other two from continuing. "You can leave? Now?" He looked at Samual: "Is he telling the truth?"
"We have a token," said Samual. "It opens a gate back to London."
"For when we are finished here," said Lord Derby. "I am no mage, and nor is Samual, so we had to either bring one with us, or something that could do the job."
"How many people can pass through this gate? There are fewer than thirty of us."
"I don't remember asking that question. Though whoever goes through first can certainly request that the gate be held open, or a new one instantiated."
"Milord!"
Both men looked at Samual, who swallowed and took a step back. "Milord, while what you say is certainly true, the Lords Martial would have things to say about the arrival of thirty... non-Englishmen through a magical gate." He swallowed again. "Tomasz, I'm sorry, but you would be treated as prisoners of war upon arrival and interned until more was learned about you."
Tomasz shrugged. "Fine," he said.
Samual's eyes bulged a little.
"Interned in England versus trapped in Carcosa. No-one here would have difficulty making that choice."
"I might," said an unpleasantly familiar voice behind them.
Greg - I'm very happy to hear you take it easy. I hope you managed to recharge and refresh!
Ah, what the hot damn! Who just snuck up on our heroes? Dang it, Greg. Hooks upon hooks within hooks. I'm going to start dreaming about this story if I'm not careful.
Also: have to admit to being a little relieved to discover that they do in fact have a plan to get back home.
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