Steelhands - Jaida Jones [160]
“That is precisely why I am leaving now,” Royston explained, “before we come to a decision and I’m locked into whatever mad course of action two students and two airmen can dream up. An interesting alliance, I must say. Bastion help me, I honestly don’t know which is worse—if you drag me along with you, or if you don’t. I have a few things at home to set in order, no matter what happens. Besides that, I think I can convince someone to throw her lot in with us. Trust me; if things are heading south as quickly as they seem to be, we’ll need her on our side. I have to get to her before she formulates her own plan and does something rash, however.”
“The way you talk, it sounds like everyone you know’s a complete idiot,” Laure said. At her side, Toverre continued polishing away. I was worried for the spoon in his hand, and for his fingers.
“There is a very good reason for that,” Royston said.
“Like attracts like, huh?” Laure asked.
“If your friendship with Owen wasn’t proof enough of that …” Royston began.
“Then I suppose we’ll be here,” I said, flexing my hands anxiously. One of the metal knuckles cracked loudly, and everyone looked in my direction. It was obvious—to me, at least—that I couldn’t return to my apartment. I didn’t know why anyone would want to bring the Esar’s men to my shabby little room beneath the elephants; it certainly wouldn’t be for them to get a decent night’s sleep.
My not knowing why someone wanted to arrest me, however, wouldn’t make much of a difference when they did.
Dear Thom, I began in my head. It would seem that I am writing to you from prison …
“We will set this to rights,” Royston said, glancing in Laure’s direction. “I don’t make a habit of promising things I can’t deliver, but Owen’s tough, as I’m sure you know. He’s weathered worse than this before.”
“Just don’t be gone so long this time,” Laure said, pressing her lips together tightly after she’d spoken.
Toverre looked up as though he wanted to say something, then stopped himself.
“I’m going to find out who has been taken, and why,” Royston concluded. “And it is going to be enlightening, I’m sure. Then I will—bastion help me—return to you lot and give you what information I’ve managed to gather. That is, unless I am arrested first.”
“Sounds like a solid plan,” Laure said. I couldn’t tell if she was joking or not, because her face was so grim.
“I don’t suppose this is a very good introduction to Thremedon,” I said.
“Nonsense,” Royston said, heading in the direction of the back door. He’d left his newly purchased hat behind, but then I supposed he was coming back for it later. “The only time Thremedon is truly herself is when she’s boiling over with political scandal. The two of you are getting the authentic experience. If you live through this, then you can take anything she’ll throw at you.”
“And if we don’t live through it?” Laure asked.
“It will make an excellent story,” Royston replied.
He took the rear exit, not braving the public side of the shop, and though his words were glib, I sensed he was worried.
For a man who’d already been on the wrong side of the Esar’s graces to be so shaken, it was clear everyone else had good reason to watch their backs.
And for a man like Adamo to be arrested, it was clear the whole city had been turned upside down.
ADAMO
There was one thing I was grateful for, and that was: I hadn’t been arrested in front of my students.
It would’ve made their little lives to see the cruel taskmaster, burdening them with questions that couldn’t be answered and battles that couldn’t be won, punished for all his injustices, just like they’d always dreamed of. It’d give ’em a skewed view of the world, too—one in which somebody actually got his just deserts in as grand and embarrassing a way as possible.
The second thing I thought was, didn’t I merit being taken in by Dmitri himself and not some green little squadron?
Then I realized these weren’t the Provost’s Wolves at all.