Soon, though, it began to feel strange. Uncomfortable, somehow. Her back and her thighs hurt. As fancy as it looked, this thing was useless for sleeping on. It simply couldn’t match up to a nice, rocky ground.
“How do people live like this?” she said.
Feeling sick from the food, her back in knots after merely an hour on the bed, Shadow looked out of the window to the gaggle of townsfolk on the far side of Hogsfeate where, though the flames were smaller, they were still going. Eric certainly knew how to start a fire, nobody could deny that.
She looked out at the town itself and the houses a little further down the hill. Well-made ones, pleasing to the eye if fanciness was your preference. The quality of home declined as steeply as the hill until the vast majority of homes in the town itself were little more than wooden lodges that even Core Jahn would be ashamed of making.
Yes, Dullbright lived up here in his king’s palace, eating his disgustingly rich food, cushioning his rump on his horrible bed. There was little chance that the people below had diets anything like Dullbright’s. Shadow presumed that the poorer you were, the less padded your bed was, the closer you slept to the ground. Many of the people of Hogsfeate would sleep just inches above the cockroaches that scuttled over their wooden floors. Dullbright, on the other hand, needed a grappling hook to get out of his bed in the morning.
She could think of many things cruel jibes to make about Core Beno, she could conjure many criticisms that would rile the others up against him. One thing she could never say was that he acted like Dullbright. Core Beno didn’t seem to care much about status or his possessions or things like that. He didn’t confer advantages to one dungeon mate and not the other. Beno lived in the dungeon just like every one of his creatures.
The dungeon, as much as she had always been annoyed there, was her home. The other kobolds, the fire beetles, Gary, they were all her family. They looked out for one another, and Core Beno at least tried his best. Could the citizens of Hogsfeate say the same about their town and their governor?
“Core Beno will be wondering what has happened,” said Mimic Dullbright.
“We better talk to him, then.”
Three sharp knocks sounded on the bedroom door.
“Sir Dullbright?” said a muffled voice. “The fire is almost under control. We don’t know the damage yet. I expect we won’t know until it’s all cooled completely.”
Shadow nodded at Mimic Dullbright. The mimic spoke in a groaning voice. “Very well. Thank you for the update.”
“Everything okay, sir?”
“I feel unwell, and I am going to take bed rest for a while. See that I am not disturbed. In fact, I want the house cleared of everyone. I need my peace and quiet.”
“You are sure, sir?”
“I think I am safe in my own home. What, do you think someone is going to sneak in here, or something? Give me some peace!”
CHAPTER 15
It surprised me how chaotic Chief Galatee’s chambers were. There were books littered everywhere so that the ground was almost a bed of them. Some were half-open, others had pieces of paper sticking out of various pages at all angles. There were ceramic bowls left in all kinds of odd places, most empty but some covered in different colored fuzz that might one day have resembled food.
I didn’t know why Galatee had sent a messenger to my dungeon asking for me to go to her chambers. I could only presume it was a threat of some kind. That was usually the reason the chiefs wanted to have a chat.
The problem was, I just didn’t have much leverage on Galatee to counter any threats. A part of me wondered if I might deal with her the same way I was dealing with Dullbright. A mimicked Galatee could be very useful.
But no. Galatee wasn’t a bigot like Dullbright. She had told me many times that she valued having a dungeon near Yondersun, and I knew events beyond her control were forcing her into opposition against me.
Besides, Galatee was always seen around town. Checking in with her people, visiting tradesmen, overseeing Jahn’s construction. With poor Dolos gone, I didn’t have any mimics that were a high enough level to stay in Galatee’s form for long enough, and if she suddenly started being absent, it would look suspicious. Whereas with Dullbright, I already knew that the portly governor was work shy, seemed to loathe his people, and often spent days holed up in his palace.
No, whatever threats Galatee was going to lay on me, I’d have to think of a way out of it on the spot. The first thing to do was to act my normal self. My normal, arsey self.
“Been doing lots of reading, Galatee?” I said.
“Is that a quip about the mess? From someone who lives in a dungeon?”
“It doesn’t escape my sight that you live underground too. The rest of the clan have gone to live up top, haven’t they?”
“Most of them. Once Core Jahn built enough houses for everyone, I gave them all the choice. They could either continue to stay in their chambers in our underground cavern, or they could live up top. It seems the novelty of not living under tons of rock has tempted most of my clan. Personally, I can’t stand it. The town is nice, don’t get me wrong, but that bloody sun…”
“It’s an absolute arse, isn’t it? Sitting up there, shining down all day as though it is so special and its rays are the greatest thing in Xynnar. So arrogant.”
“I wasn’t going to go that far. I just burn all too easily if I spend too long in it, despite the ointments that Cynthia makes for me. I noticed that one of your…creatures…is spending a lot of time with her, by the way.”
“Maginhart? He’s Cynthia’s new apprentice.”
“How…uh...lovely of her, to take pity on him.”
“Pity? He isn’t stupid, Galatee. He’s becoming an excellent student.”
“Of course.”
“Why did you want to see me?”
Galatee’s expression made her look like she had just chewed into a rotten apple. “I wanted to…thank you.”
“For what?”
“It doesn’t take a great mind to conclude that the papers distributed around town, ones full of well-written propaganda, were the work of a scribe. There is only one scribe staying in Yondersun that I am aware of, and he happens to be your best friend. Now, since you clearly were never going to get along with the No-Cores, it doesn’t take a great leap to connect recent events to you.”
“You do me too much credit. Sounds like a rather elaborate scheme for a dumb stone like me.”
“Modesty is only a virtue in those silly adventure books that you are so obsessed with, Beno. A leader should own their merits and accept their praises while shrugging off any criticism. This was all your work. As it happens, you might have rid yourself of a group of opposing voices, but you have also done Reginal and I a good turn.”
“With the removal of Boothe Stramper, I take it?”
“The man was a thug. His reputation would put the scummiest outlaw to shame, but our mantra since our town’s naming day was that Yondersun would be open to all comers who can contribute in some way. Boothe paid the town levies, and thus he was allowed to stay. To force him out would have been to break our laws. You gave us a reason to get rid of a man who would certainly have become a problem. I mean, he was plotting to destroy the memorial and blame it in you. Can you imagine? Luckily, Gulliver’s leaflets, as well as some reports from the more astute of our citizens, alerted us to the menace.”
“I’m glad to be serving the community.”
“Good work does not go by without notice. Reginal has spoken to me about allowing you on the council. When he first told me of his proposal, I would have preferred to have a drunken rock troll attend our meetings. I have changed my mind. Henceforth, we would like you and Core Jahn on our council in an advisory capacity.”
“I look forward to it.”
“Good, good,” said Galatee.
It didn’t escape my notice that while Galatee usually ended meetings by either storming out of my dungeon or strongly hinting that my presence was
no longer required, she wasn’t making any sign of our conversation being over.
“Is there something else?” I said.
“Can I speak to you about a sensitive subject?”
“I’m surprised that you’d trust me with one.”
“It seems that I have misjudged you, Beno. To my mind, you were a bloodthirsty piece of stone, brought back from death in an ungodly fashion and trained solely for the purpose of killing. An emotionless, demonic object that if we’re honest, has no place existing in a civilized world.”
“Stop, Galatee. If cores could blush, I’d be as red as a beetroot.”
“I also misjudged your intentions toward our town, and for that, I apologize. I can see that in your own way you usually act to protect the town, and you do in fact possess some selfless qualities.”
I thought about the No-Cores, the propaganda, framing Boothe for his plot to destroy the memorial. I thought about how, if the No-Cores were protesting something other than myself, I most likely wouldn’t have given them another thought.
“Well, I try to act in everyone’s interests from time to time. We’re neighbors, after all. We have to look out for one another.”
“Speaking of that, Beno. As I said, I need to talk to you about a delicate matter. I would normally bring such things up with Reginal, since I find that certain matters can only be spoken about chief to chief. But Reginal is the subject of my concerns, and you are the only other leader, of sorts, around…”
“You need to talk to me about Reginal? Is there trouble with the newly-weds?” I said.
“Newlyweds,…” said Galatee, her face paling. “How do you know?”
“I was joking about how close the pair of you seem. But it looks like I’ve touched on something.”
“It is true, Reginal and I have discussed marriage.”
“What??”
“Is there something wrong with that, Beno? There are plenty of gnome-goblin marriages.”
“That isn’t what bothers me. I’m just surprised, is all. I knew you were together, Galatee. Everyone with eyes and ears can tell, but most are too scared to speak about it plainly. But marriage…”
“It would make sense, no? Two clans merging under the banner of one town. Two chiefs forming a union. Of course, we are too young to produce heirs, but Devry is a smashing lad. A goblin I would be proud to call my son.”
I hadn’t expected this at all. The stronger the relationship between the chiefs was, the less I could play them off against each other. It meant that I couldn’t use one chief against the other. Evidently, Reginal hadn’t told Galatee of our deal with Devry’s orbs, but why? Was he perhaps ashamed to admit to anyone that he had to rely on a dungeon core to source the ingredients needed for Devry’s condition?
Questions, questions, questions. I liked to deal in facts, and where facts weren’t present, I had to use caution. Unless I knew otherwise, I would have to assume that from now on, everything I said to Galatee also found its way to Reginal’s ears.
And that meant something else.
I recalled conversations that I had a while ago with Reginal and Galatee, where each of them had asked something of me concerning the Silkers guild. I was being tested, I realized.
“There’s something we need to discuss,” I said.
“First, let me ask you something. Have you noticed anything strange about Reginal?” asked Galatee.
“Beyond the usual?”
“I’m serious. Does he seem stressed to you?”
“Leading people is hard. Even I get frustrated, and such emotions are supposed to be beyond me.”
Galatee stood up and began pacing, knocking over a pile of books. One of the books, I saw, was titled ‘Becoming a Stepmother: A Gnome’s Guide to Reluctant Parenthood.’
“It goes beyond frustration. This whole thing, the pressures of leadership, it is getting to poor Reginal. He is becoming ill with it. He tells me that he gets headaches. Sometimes, I can almost see the veins on his temple throbbing, like they are ready to explode. On certain days - and you must repeat this to nobody - the man can barely get out of bed. He has a bad heart, you know. His healer has told him that again and again that a warrior’s body can only fight so long. He tries to act strong, and he still is, but his body needs the rest that he has denied it for the last fifty years.”
“Perhaps you need to send for a different healer from Hogsfeate if his current healer can’t get through to him. This whole thing is beyond my knowledge. I have already died, after all, so I’m not one to ask about staying healthy.”
“Sometimes, Beno, I just think it would be easier if someone was to take the burden of leadership away from Reginal. Perhaps cede smaller controls to him, ones that wouldn’t stress him, while lifting the burden of everything else. He always talks fondly of his battles over the years. Of leading his warriors in times of war…even if that war was against my own clan. Part of me thinks he might feel better if someone took the weight of leadership away.”
“And you think that perhaps his wife could ease his troubles?” I said.
Galatee stopped. Her eyes lit up. “Hmm. You might have a point, Beno. Maybe when we are wed, I could lift his troubles from him. Yes, hmm. Something to consider.”
I watched Galatee sit down now, all the while thinking about how I felt like I had just been strummed like a bard’s lute.
“Thank you for our talk, Beno. Your idea might work out best for all of us. Now, what did you want to say to me?”
“Recently,” I said, “Both you and Reginal have visited me to discuss something. Each of you has asked for my support in a matter of the Silkers’ merchant guild having a guild house in town.”
“Oh really?”
“Yes, really. I can see by your face you are utterly flabbergasted at this turn of events. Reginal asked for my support in refusing the Silkers, while you asked me to back up your acceptance of their offer. I realize now, of course, that you and Reginal were testing both my loyalties and my honesty.”
“I really did misjudge you, Beno. I wagered Reginal that you would try to play us off against one another.”
“Would I be so two-faced?”
“A core has many faces, I am beginning to learn. But since you have told me about this, I see that one of your faces is an honest one. Thank you, Beno. I don’t like to lose a bet, but I feel better knowing that Reginal and I can trust you.”
“And I you, Galatee. It’s good for neighbors to get along with each other.”
CHAPTER 16
“Dark Lord?” said a voice.
It wasn’t spoken out loud but in my head, projected to me from another point in the wasteland where shards of my core self were hopefully in Dullbright’s home. Frustratingly, my core level wasn’t high enough for my shards to project pictures from so vast a distance, so I would have to make do with just sound.
“Shadow?” I answered using my core voice, while doing my best to rein in my excitement and act with a little more decorum.
Oh, to hells with decorum.
“How did it go? Is he dead? Come on, Shadow! Lift my spirits a little.”
Silence.
Yet more silence.
Just as I was about to speak, I heard Shadow’s voice again.
“Sorry, Dark Lord. I thought someone was coming up the stairs.”
“Is Dullbright worm food yet?”
“I’m not sure what creatures he’ll be feeding in his current state, I suppose that depends on Eric’s favored method of disposing of bodies. But he’s dead all the same.”
“Excellent! I knew you would do it, Shadow! How did it go? Tell me every little detail. I won’t lie; I am a little jealous that I didn’t get to take a bigger part in the slaughter.”
Shadow told me everything, from Eric starting a fire to her sneaking through Hogsfeate and killing the governor and three guards by herself. She even explained why it had taken so long for her to contact me. Straight after the kill, she had spent hours scrubbing the room clean of blood b
efore the guards came back.
It sounded like she had done a better job than I could have imagined. Though I had missed out on the murder, I felt happy that choosing to put faith in my most rebellious creature had more than paid off.
“What now, Dark Lord? How long do you want me to stay here?”
“Your job’s almost done, don’t worry. I’m sure you’re desperate to get back here.”
“You sound sarcastic, Dark Lord, but I actually am keen to return.”
“Really? Did…uh…you take any blows to the head during the assassination, Shadow?”
“I would like to thank you for your faith in me,” said Shadow. “I understand the trust involved in assigning this job to me, even if you lacked other options.”
“Thank you, Shadow. Really.”
“I also want to apologize for the incident in the Remembrance chamber. I realize it wasn’t the way to go about things, Dark Lord.”
“We’ll just have to work out a system of getting your grievances across, Shadow. But for now, we have more important things. Is the mimic with you?”
“Here, Dark Lord,” said Dullbright’s voice.
Ugh. Hearing that pompous bigot’s voice coming through my core senses made me want to slaughter things. That was the problem with mimics, I supposed. Sometimes they were entirely too good at what they did.
“You are to feign illness for a while,” I said. “Communicate via letter and hold brief meetings inside the governor’s home. Don’t risk going into town in Dullbright’s form until you have leveled up enough.”
“That may look suspicious,” said Shadow.
“That’s where the illness comes into it. Tell people you have a stomach condition that flares up from time to time. For the first person who pries too closely, go into detail about some kind of toilet-related troubles. People will soon learn to stop asking.”
“As you wish,” said Mimic Dullbright.
“Besides, this will play into Dullbright’s pomposity. If we need to do any governing, we summon people to the governor’s house. It seems like something the self-important oaf would do.”
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