Post by Lorpius Prime on Apr 6, 2008 2:52:40 GMT -5
They were bundled onto the next train without further delay or explanation. The conductor looked annoyed, but didn’t argue with the heavily-armed soldiers shoving Jay and Theodore onto his train. Ultimately, he just rolled his eyes and ushered them into one of the mostly-empty passenger compartments. The two of them took seats near the front of the car as the train’s engines churned their way up to full power again.
Jay watched the field of tents roll out of sight, then turned around to face his companion.
“So, would you mind telling me what just happened?”
Theodore’s face was still the expressionless mask from back in the camp and he still refused to look directly at Jay, “We seem to have been blessed with exceedingly good fortune. Be grateful you are alive.”
Jay set his teeth, “Right. Good fortune.” Theodore didn’t respond so Jay went on, “Just what in bloody hell is going on? I don’t believe I can take any more of this. But I know you’ve got a good idea about what this all is, so let’s have it, already!”
He could see Theodore’s chest rise as the other man took a deep breath, then his head swiveled and his eyes locked with Jay’s own.
“Mr. Blake,” he said, his words quiet but full of ice, “I have allowed you to accompany me thus far because I am not one to allow innocent men to die needlessly, and I took pity upon your predicament. But you are a stranger to me, and on top of that you are British. I am no friend to your country, and I would not have survived so long as I have if my tongue were habitually loose.”
Jay raised an eyebrow, “My country doesn’t seem to be a good friend to me these days, either.”
Theodore looked back towards the front of the train, “Patriotism often survives even the deepest betrayals.”
“Hey,” Jay snapped, his frustration seeping into his voice, “since the day I first took an airship into this godforsaken country of yours people have been trying to kill me. Don’t you think I have a right to know why? All this isn’t just for some century-old conspiracy!”
Theodore’s eyebrows came together and he looked somewhat astonished, “Nor is it about you, Mr. Blake.” He paused for a second or two before continuing, “Now, you have made an enemy of some dangerous people, and I am sorry about that. But you will have to forgive me when I say that I have greater concerns, borne of greater commitments. And those commitments preclude me from satisfying your curiosity, no matter how urgent it may be for you.”
Jay clenched his jaw in anger, and was about to shout something in response, but a conductor walked by and he bit his tongue. He watched the uniformed man pass through the doors to the car in front of them, then sighed.
“So what am I supposed to do, Theodore? Just keep following you around and hope to the good Lord that you know what you’re doing? Because after last night, I’m not so sure I trust your judgment so much.”
Theodore winced, “No, Mr. Blake. Once we reach Munich, we shall part ways. I cannot lead you to your home.”
This time Jay did shout, he really couldn’t help it, “What?!”
Heads turned in their direction. Jay took a few deep breaths, trying to contain his anger and not succeeding. He leaned in closer to Theodore and lowered his voice.
“You can’t just leave me here! I don’t know my way around, I don’t have any money, I don’t know anybody, and these people are trying to kill me!”
Theodore snorted, “And what makes you think that you will not meet the same fate with me?”
“Well you haven’t gotten me killed so far. Not quite, you haven’t.” Jay frowned.
The German shook his head and turned his eyes down towards his feet. He sat silently like that for a moment before speaking again, “Mr. Blake, do you recall when Karl recovered your friend? Before he passed on, Karl’s pet offered him drink, which he refused.”
“Yeah…” Jay furrowed his brow, not sure where this was going, “I don’t really understand what that was about.”
Theodore closed his eyes and shook his head again, “It was well that he did, Mr. Blake.”
Jay waited for him to go on; and, after a deep sigh, he did.
“When I leave you in Munich, your life may very well be in danger, Mr. Blake. But if I were to allow you to accompany me any further, it would be at the risk of considerably more than your life.”
“Oh? And what’s that?” Jay was becoming annoyed again.
“Your soul. Your existence. Your humanity.”
Jay rolled his eyes, “I’m getting fed up with the mystic circumlocution. Would you just—“
He stopped mid-sentence, jaw still hanging open. Theodore was holding a large knife. Really it was a dagger, or even a short sword, with a simple leather-wrapped hilt and a deep-red almost black stone in the pommel. Jay’s eyes bulged a little as the other man turned it end-over-end in his hands.
“They are terrible things to lose.”
“Where did you get that?” Jay demanded, recovering. “They searched head to toe! And without a shred of respect for decency, I should say—“
“It is mine. Mine alone by right,” the muscles in Theodore’s arms tensed. “A man could no more take it from me than I could give it away.”
Jay just stared at him. He didn’t know what to say or what to do. Theodore’s rambling was making him rather nervous. Jay wondered if the man was insane, or at least unstable. The calm half-joking manner from the previous days was gone. And considering the way he’d assaulted a soldier last night, Jay really might be better off going his own way after all. The thought threatened to make him ill, though; he really had no idea what he would do.
Somewhat abruptly, Theodore put the dagger away, letting it disappear somewhere inside his traveling cloak. Then he punched the back of the empty seat in front of them.
“Forgive me,” he said with a sigh. “I have been allowing my own demons to choose my words and to get in the way of my better sense.”
“Um…” Jay felt himself backing away, very slowly, towards the window of the train and away from Theodore.
Theodore leaned back heavily against his seat, tilting his head up towards the ceiling.
“You may continue to accompany, Mr. Blake, if you wish. I am afraid I cannot answer your questions. But I do sympathize with your plight, and you may yet prove even more useful. I would bring you to some more of my associates, and they may decide what can be done about you.”
Jay could feel the tension in his gut relaxing at Theodore’s words. He had not abandoned his doubts about the man, but he was still relieved that he wouldn’t be fending for his life alone in a strange country just yet. Even so, Jay decided he would have to be more wary of Theodore now.
“Um, thanks, I suppose,” he said. “So, where do we meet these ‘associates’?”
“If you are willing to risk their judgment, then you will join me in attending the Opera.”
Book One, Chapter:
-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21-
-22-23-24-25-26-27-28-29-30-31-32-33-34-35-36-37-38-39-40-41-42-
-43-44-45-46-47-48-49-50-51-52-53-54-55-56-57-58-59-60-61-62-
Appendix: -A-B-C-
Jay watched the field of tents roll out of sight, then turned around to face his companion.
“So, would you mind telling me what just happened?”
Theodore’s face was still the expressionless mask from back in the camp and he still refused to look directly at Jay, “We seem to have been blessed with exceedingly good fortune. Be grateful you are alive.”
Jay set his teeth, “Right. Good fortune.” Theodore didn’t respond so Jay went on, “Just what in bloody hell is going on? I don’t believe I can take any more of this. But I know you’ve got a good idea about what this all is, so let’s have it, already!”
He could see Theodore’s chest rise as the other man took a deep breath, then his head swiveled and his eyes locked with Jay’s own.
“Mr. Blake,” he said, his words quiet but full of ice, “I have allowed you to accompany me thus far because I am not one to allow innocent men to die needlessly, and I took pity upon your predicament. But you are a stranger to me, and on top of that you are British. I am no friend to your country, and I would not have survived so long as I have if my tongue were habitually loose.”
Jay raised an eyebrow, “My country doesn’t seem to be a good friend to me these days, either.”
Theodore looked back towards the front of the train, “Patriotism often survives even the deepest betrayals.”
“Hey,” Jay snapped, his frustration seeping into his voice, “since the day I first took an airship into this godforsaken country of yours people have been trying to kill me. Don’t you think I have a right to know why? All this isn’t just for some century-old conspiracy!”
Theodore’s eyebrows came together and he looked somewhat astonished, “Nor is it about you, Mr. Blake.” He paused for a second or two before continuing, “Now, you have made an enemy of some dangerous people, and I am sorry about that. But you will have to forgive me when I say that I have greater concerns, borne of greater commitments. And those commitments preclude me from satisfying your curiosity, no matter how urgent it may be for you.”
Jay clenched his jaw in anger, and was about to shout something in response, but a conductor walked by and he bit his tongue. He watched the uniformed man pass through the doors to the car in front of them, then sighed.
“So what am I supposed to do, Theodore? Just keep following you around and hope to the good Lord that you know what you’re doing? Because after last night, I’m not so sure I trust your judgment so much.”
Theodore winced, “No, Mr. Blake. Once we reach Munich, we shall part ways. I cannot lead you to your home.”
This time Jay did shout, he really couldn’t help it, “What?!”
Heads turned in their direction. Jay took a few deep breaths, trying to contain his anger and not succeeding. He leaned in closer to Theodore and lowered his voice.
“You can’t just leave me here! I don’t know my way around, I don’t have any money, I don’t know anybody, and these people are trying to kill me!”
Theodore snorted, “And what makes you think that you will not meet the same fate with me?”
“Well you haven’t gotten me killed so far. Not quite, you haven’t.” Jay frowned.
The German shook his head and turned his eyes down towards his feet. He sat silently like that for a moment before speaking again, “Mr. Blake, do you recall when Karl recovered your friend? Before he passed on, Karl’s pet offered him drink, which he refused.”
“Yeah…” Jay furrowed his brow, not sure where this was going, “I don’t really understand what that was about.”
Theodore closed his eyes and shook his head again, “It was well that he did, Mr. Blake.”
Jay waited for him to go on; and, after a deep sigh, he did.
“When I leave you in Munich, your life may very well be in danger, Mr. Blake. But if I were to allow you to accompany me any further, it would be at the risk of considerably more than your life.”
“Oh? And what’s that?” Jay was becoming annoyed again.
“Your soul. Your existence. Your humanity.”
Jay rolled his eyes, “I’m getting fed up with the mystic circumlocution. Would you just—“
He stopped mid-sentence, jaw still hanging open. Theodore was holding a large knife. Really it was a dagger, or even a short sword, with a simple leather-wrapped hilt and a deep-red almost black stone in the pommel. Jay’s eyes bulged a little as the other man turned it end-over-end in his hands.
“They are terrible things to lose.”
“Where did you get that?” Jay demanded, recovering. “They searched head to toe! And without a shred of respect for decency, I should say—“
“It is mine. Mine alone by right,” the muscles in Theodore’s arms tensed. “A man could no more take it from me than I could give it away.”
Jay just stared at him. He didn’t know what to say or what to do. Theodore’s rambling was making him rather nervous. Jay wondered if the man was insane, or at least unstable. The calm half-joking manner from the previous days was gone. And considering the way he’d assaulted a soldier last night, Jay really might be better off going his own way after all. The thought threatened to make him ill, though; he really had no idea what he would do.
Somewhat abruptly, Theodore put the dagger away, letting it disappear somewhere inside his traveling cloak. Then he punched the back of the empty seat in front of them.
“Forgive me,” he said with a sigh. “I have been allowing my own demons to choose my words and to get in the way of my better sense.”
“Um…” Jay felt himself backing away, very slowly, towards the window of the train and away from Theodore.
Theodore leaned back heavily against his seat, tilting his head up towards the ceiling.
“You may continue to accompany, Mr. Blake, if you wish. I am afraid I cannot answer your questions. But I do sympathize with your plight, and you may yet prove even more useful. I would bring you to some more of my associates, and they may decide what can be done about you.”
Jay could feel the tension in his gut relaxing at Theodore’s words. He had not abandoned his doubts about the man, but he was still relieved that he wouldn’t be fending for his life alone in a strange country just yet. Even so, Jay decided he would have to be more wary of Theodore now.
“Um, thanks, I suppose,” he said. “So, where do we meet these ‘associates’?”
“If you are willing to risk their judgment, then you will join me in attending the Opera.”
Book One, Chapter:
-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21-
-22-23-24-25-26-27-28-29-30-31-32-33-34-35-36-37-38-39-40-41-42-
-43-44-45-46-47-48-49-50-51-52-53-54-55-56-57-58-59-60-61-62-
Appendix: -A-B-C-