Allie's War Season Four (101 page)

“...You must understand that we are anxious to determine if this is an alliance from which both of us might benefit,” I said, my voice still low and measured. “If it is not, then frankly, we would rather spend our time in more fruitful negotiations...with friends who are likely to be our friends for longer than a night. While it may not seem so, from inside your very lovely city, there is a war waging outside of these walls, brother. One we could not side-step, even if we wished it.”
 
I hardened my voice when his eyes shifted back to my neckline. “...I would think that the actual terms of our agreement would matter more to you than such a shallow status marker, brother, at any rate...?”

Still massaging Revik’s thigh, I let the thinly-veiled insult hang there.

You just got me
really
fucking hard,
Revik sent softly.

It’s for a good cause...
I reminded him.

You’re supposed to be distracting them, not me...
he sent, even softer.

I exhaled, still looking at Dulgar as I leaned back with a low series of clicks.

Dulgar’s eyes once more focused intently on my hand massaging Revik’s thigh.

“We seek alliance towards the betterment of our race, brother,” I said, taking my hand off Revik’s leg and resting it on the leather sofa. “Is this something that interests you? Or would you rather just offer my husband a flat monetary price, to have more access to my light for an evening...? I doubt he’ll say yes, but it might save us all some time, if that’s the only business arrangement that interests you.”

There was a more loaded silence that time.

Then Dulgar chuckled, smiling indulgently. He glanced briefly at Revik before he gestured an assent, looking directly at me.

“Of course, my lovely sister,” Dulgar said, bowing his head. “...And my apologies. I did not wish to imply that our other areas of discussion did not hold import for the Legion of Fire.”

His voice grew condescending enough that I had to fight to hold my expression.

“...You said your interest right now is seers, is it not?” he queried politely. “Infiltrators, or potential infiltrators, in particular...is that not correct? I seem to recall that your husband mentioned a desire to look at the most recent shipment we obtained. Those we had liberated following the purges in nearby lands once controlled by our human oppressors?”

Pausing, Dulgar looked between us once more, that condescending smile still on his face.

“Should I address you, Illustrious Sword?” he said sweetly. “Or your wife? It would help me to know who is leading this talk from your end...?”

I heard the implied insult there, too, and fought back a smile.

Revik shifted on the leather next to me, giving me a glance that held a faint thread of anger. I could see him behind the look that time, but only just, and only because we’d already talked about using me as a distraction in this way, too.

Damn, he was good at this.

A little too good.

I found myself reacting to him again, and quickly hid it from my light.

Lowering my head in acknowledgement of Revik’s supposed anger at me for interrupting, I leaned back on the white leather sofa, conceding the floor to the men.

It might have been funny, under different circumstances.

Sometimes, these old-school weirdos, human and seer, just made it too easy.

The thing is, from a seer perspective, Revik was still really young. It took me a long time to understand this fully, but older seers had a tendency to underestimate him for that reason alone. They saw him as powerful, sure, but because of his age, they also saw him as lacking judgment, potentially hot-headed, easy to manipulate, inexperienced.

But we
wanted
this jackass to think of Revik as young.

Maybe even a little whipped by his high-status mate.

I found the idea funny, but Balidor, Wreg, Tarsi and Chinja had discussed it pretty seriously around the strategy table before we left.

“Very good, brother,” Dulgar said, bowing to him as well. “...And I surely did not mean to cause offense, by implying otherwise. Or to cause any tension between you and your obviously sharp-witted mate. We are unaccustomed to dealing with intermediaries here...” Smiling that oily smile once more, he added, “I merely wish things to be clear, so there are no misunderstandings in terms of any agreements discussed.”

I heard the condescending lilt in his voice, but that time, it barely annoyed me.

Flushing slightly, where the flicker of embarrassment was only just visible in his light, Revik nodded, making a dismissive gesture with one hand. His expression grew indifferent in the same pause, and if I hadn’t been looking for it, I wouldn’t have seen his eyes flicker towards the bar, a subtle indication that he was looking for witnesses to the exchange.

I knew he’d done that on purpose, too, meaning feigned embarrassment even as he feigned trying to hide that embarrassment, in addition to looking for witnesses to his supposed humiliation by wife.

Did I mention that he’s really good at this stuff?

Revik made a second, more accommodating gesture with one hand.

“I would like to hear from you what you think this alliance can do for the Legion of Fire, brother,” he said, his voice still holding the faintest trace of irritation. “Beyond just the opportunity to spend some time with my mate, that is.”

Dulgar smiled, making an equally polite gesture in return.

“Of course, brother,” he said, bowing his head more deeply that time.

His voice grew businesslike then, and for the first time, a more serious expression touched his round-cheeked face.

“I have no reason to be anything but transparent with you in this regard, so I will be blunt,” Dulgar said, leaning forward and folding his hands. “We have concerns about this being, Shadow, my Illustrious brother. I know you know who I mean, but to be certain there are no more misunderstandings between us, I will be unambiguous. I refer to the aged seer who appears to be running many of the human refugee cities that were set up prior to the dispersal of C2-77, and who has built quite elaborate alliances with the remaining humans in power. I mean the same seer who claims some holy status of his own...as well to be the teacher of the famed
Syrimne d’ Gaos
, our leader during the first war between seer and human.”

Revik only nodded, his face impassive. “Go on. There is no ambiguity there.”

Dulgar sat up straighter, frowning perceptibly as his words grew more precise. He crossed his legs, once again laying a hand on his own thigh.

“If you are wondering, yes, we have already surmised that it was likely him behind this human-killing disease,” Dulgar continued. “We have seen indications that it was so, in addition to the ‘convenience’ of his rise to power in the aftermath...and despite his attempts to lay the blame for this on you and your mate.”

Giving me a sharper look that time, Dulgar looked back at Revik, his mouth firming.

“We have been made...uncomfortable, shall we say...by his seeming willingness to provoke dangerous wars between the human and seer races,” he added. “As well as his apparent interest in stoking factional wars between the remaining political units among the humans themselves. We feel his...agenda...is incompatible with the longer-term goals of the Legion of Fire. Even more so now, meaning in this new world in which we find ourselves, following the dispersal of C2-77 and the significant restrictions under which our businesses must operate.”

Making a more diplomatic gesture with one hand, not dissimilar to the one I made earlier, Dulgar leaned back on his leather seat, copying Revik’s pose by draping an arm over the sofa’s back. I noticed only then that he’d picked up his drink again, and rested the base of the long-stemmed glass on one knee.

“We find this situation...untenable, brother,” Dulgar said. “It has come to my ears of late that there is even some talk of nuclear retaliation for the C2-77 strikes. I have heard different parts of Asia mentioned as targets for this...along with several in the new world...and even Russia. Some of those targets would potentially damage our business to an unacceptable level, brother...even beyond the harm it would do to our more long-term interests in the region, as well as the seer race more generally. We find such a strategy...unacceptable...whatever his motives, and whatever element of the race for which he claims to speak. As you likely can imagine.”

Dulgar smiled wryly, raising the glass to his lips.

Revik adjusted his back in the couch, acknowledging the other’s words with a fluid gesture of his own. “Go on, brother,” he said politely. “And how do you think we can help you with this problem of yours?”

“It is quite simple,” Dulgar said, setting his glass down firmly on the table. “We have no interest whatsoever in whatever political or ideological wars this being wishes to conduct on his own time...and with his own humans...as long as these wars do not endanger us, or curtail our business in a measurable way. If I can be entirely candid, Illustrious Sword...we also have no interest in whatever wars might be waged between the two of
you
...meaning you and this being, Shadow...whatever the origins of those complaints, or the wider ideological and religious issues underlying those disagreements.”

Revik gave a single nod to the head.

“Understandable, brother,” he said diplomatically.

“And yet...” Dulgar made another of those elegant gestures with a manicured hand. “This being, Shadow...he does not seem willing to allow us to conduct our mutual businesses in peace. He will not honor our desire to remain out of these ideological struggles. To be blunt, we have found spies here, brother, on more than one occasion. We have traced these spies back to this same seer, Shadow, as well as to those who do his bidding...including the same rebel forces that I am told you, yourself, once led, brother Syrimne.”

Revik acknowledged those words with a short gesture, too.

He didn’t confirm or deny the implied question, however.

“Further,” Dulgar said, letting out a series of clicks that functioned more as a sigh. “We find that Shadow and his people are...uncompromising, shall we say...when it comes to total control over particular territories.”

“You mean Hong Kong?” Revik said.

Dulgar smiled, inclining his head without answering the question directly.

Reaching down, he once more picked up his glass, and took a drink of the glowing blue liquid. Shrugging again, he lowered the base of the stem down to the polished black table, without lifting his eyes.

“Of course,” he said, wiping his lip with one finger. “...Hong Kong is of particular concern to us, since we share waters with the people living there.” Leaning back on the white leather, he tilted his hand in a seer’s shrug, focusing more shrewdly on Revik’s face. “More generally, however, we do not like that they are attempting to control the trade in this part of the world, brother...and to limit our access to certain types of resources.”

I bit my lip, fighting to keep my expression still.

I didn’t look over, but felt Revik nod to this, too.

“You mean trafficking humans?” he said neutrally. “...Or did you mean seers, my brother?”

“Both, my Illustrious brother,” Dulgar said, smiling unapologetically. “And I thank you for being direct. We are businesspeople, you see, first and foremost. And while it may be distasteful for one such as you, who must adhere in spirit and word to the old ways, at least wherever such a thing is possible...certain appetites will always need sating, I have found. That is even more true now, in this new world in which we find ourselves. We find it much more practical to aid in that end, to ensure a nonviolent and fair exchange for those services, than to fight the proclivities of either species when it comes to those appetites...”

Letting his words hang for a beat, Dulgar shrugged again.

“Further,” he added, his tone growing slightly more vehement. “This is not a time to be timid in establishing our mutual territories, brother Syrimne. If I may be so bold as to say it...this is a time for expansion. This is felt by you, surely, that the shape of things to come will largely be determined in the next few years? Those of the Legion of Fire have no wish to fall under the control of an ideological zealot during that time. Whether through design or through apathy...and no matter which side of the Barrier for which he claims to speak. We believe in maintaining autonomy, first and foremost. In the face of one who seems to wish to control all of us, and to use religious blackmail and the manipulation of weak minds to do so, I would think your people and mine could be natural allies to that end...?”