Of Kings and Killers (Elder Empire Sea #3) - WIll Wight Page 0,51
by the Great Ones themselves.
She found Tommison in the back, carefully wrapping ceramic cylinders in cushioning layers of cloth. He settled them into padded boxes, which were stuffed with more clothes to prevent the alchemical explosives from jostling in transport.
Jerri stopped when she saw what he was doing. He nodded to her, acknowledging her presence, but did not take his eyes from his task. He had finally removed his hat and jacket, rolling up his sleeves to the elbow, but a thin sheen of sweat still showed on his forehead.
She could relate. If these munitions were properly made, then it wasn’t quite as dangerous as a single wrong gesture sending them all up in a pillar of fire, but who knew what might set off a batch of alchemical explosives?
When he finally finished, delicately closing the box, he let out a heavy breath and settled against one wall. “I apologize; I have never been comfortable around alchemicals. Now, did you have some business with me, Miss…Tessella, was it?”
Jerri gave him a flat look and traced a circle around her left eye. “You signaled me, and you did it with the subtlety of a baboon.”
“I expected your entire crew to be loyal,” Tommison said, keeping a careful eye on the doorway. There were no doors remaining here, so they had to keep their voices down. “I didn’t think my message would reach only one of you.”
“Well, you reached me. Now, how did you mangle things so badly that you ended up in this…situation?”
Tommison looked steadily behind her, keeping his eyes fixed on the hallway and his voice low. Even so, he said nothing that would be unduly incriminating if they were overheard. “We docked with this island as an agreed rendezvous point, but there were other parties interested in the cargo. We were provided with a…breeding pair…for just such an eventuality, but we were not apprised of the dangers. We released them into the jungle, but they overwhelmed us in days.”
Jerri closed her eyes and fought against the rage that echoed between her and her Soulbound Vessel.
Burn down the island and him with it, her earring suggested. It was a tempting vision.
“I’m trying to imagine how someone could be so monumentally stupid,” she said. “I’m having trouble picturing it.”
Based on his earlier persona, Jerri expected Tommison to fly into a defensive tirade, but instead he responded quietly. “We were supposed to be provided a quick exit from this tower, but when we tried to bring the cargo through, our passageway collapsed. We have been out of contact since.”
That, at least, clarified the picture for Jerri.
Tommison had expected to deliver the crown by void transmission to the Sleepless cabal, but the Emperor’s powerful Intent remaining in the object had destroyed the portal. Leaving them stuck with the mindless spawn of Othaghor and waiting for assistance.
Also, she was beginning to realize that Tommison was not as much of a fool as he appeared.
“Where were you to deliver the package?”
“To the head office,” he said, meaning the head cabal of the Sleepless. “They were to donate it to a private collection.”
Kelarac.
There were those who said that anything thrown into the Aion Sea went into Kelarac’s collection—even Calder believed that. In reality, it depended on which of the Great Ones’ influence was stronger in the area. Here, if they tossed the crown into the water, it would more than likely end up in Othaghor’s claws.
And that was something no one wanted. Least of all the Sleepless. They could learn from Othaghor—he clearly understood the mechanics of life better than any human ever could—but he saw humanity as no more important than frogs or spiders.
There was no civilized discussion with the Hordefather. Whatever swarms he designed to inherit the earth, they would leave no room for humanity except perhaps as food.
“The situation has changed,” Jerri told him. “We have a new purpose for the cargo.”
Carefully shielding the view of the hallway with her body, she cupped her hand in front of her and ignited one quick, green spark.
Tommison’s eyebrows lifted, but he gave no other response. Some Imperial citizens would have been impressed or terrified at the prospect of being in the same room as a Soulbound, but all Navigator captains were bound to their ships. He had personally interacted with more Soulbound than most people would have ever heard of.
“I’ll still have to refuse,” he said. “Orders. You can take it up with the head office yourself if you’d like.”