The Alabaster Staff - Edward Bolme [45]
"That's what you said last time," offered Kehrsyn.
"Pah! Speak not of things beyond your comprehension, young lady!" bellowed Eileph. "I did not say this was a necromancer's staff-well, I did, of course, but that was last time-I said that this might be the Staff of the Necromancer, a relic forged by the archwizard Hodkamset, favored of the God of Death, of which all other such staves are hackneyed imitations!
"It is said to be carved from the spine bones of a dragon," he continued in a disgruntled voice. "I'd always imagined it would be bigger. Nonetheless, I could spend a lifetime studying this-" He turned back to Kehrsyn, clutching the staff to his barrel chest-"and I will," he said, waggling his eyebrows, "as soon as this war is brought to a successful conclusion. You haven't forgotten that part of the deal, right, wee little thief?"
"Uh, no, of course not," said Kehrsyn, forcing a smile.
Eileph giggled malevolently. "That is wise. It does not do well to anger the Red Wizards." He stopped abruptly and straightened up as much as his misshapen body allowed. "Humph. Listen to me, I sound just like one of the zulkirs." He sucked in his lips and drummed the fingers of one hand on the table. "Must be the excitement of the moment. Calm, now, old boy, you have work to do."
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled. It would almost have been a sigh, were it not so violent and lustful.
When he opened his eyes again, he was much closer to the almost-personable Eileph that Kehrsyn had met in the plaza.
"Let's see what we have here, shall we?" he said.
He sat at the table and pulled the chain down toward him, links clinking on the tabletop as he drew the light closer. He laid the Staff of the Necromancer down on a cloth, and with his other hand he absently peeled the toad from his head. It tried to hold on, pulling at his skin, but Eileph prevailed and tossed it to the side. The ugly beast landed on the table on its back, and its legs flailed in the air as it tried to roll its bulk over.
"Hmm," said Eileph, as Kehrsyn timidly drew closer.
She noticed that he studied only one side, the side that had not been illustrated in his drawing. Kehrsyn's eyes kept getting pulled back to the periodic flailings of the toad, and eventually she used the scabbard of her dagger to nudge the hapless beast back onto its bloated stomach. Despite its earlier demonstrations of intellect, it did not acknowledge her assistance.
As Kehrsyn used the scrap of cut cloth to wipe the toad's slime from her scabbard, Eileph finally spoke up.
"The color is good," he said, "and the stone I can handle, but I wasn't counting on the gold inlay. Humph. That'll take some extra time." He drummed his fingers on the table again and smacked his lips. "I can have it for you by noon tomorrow. Shall I deliver it, or will you send someone to pick it up?"
"Um, you'd probably better… deliver it," answered Kehrsyn.
"I understand," said Eileph. "If I'd just stolen this, I wouldn't want to carry it around, either. I tell you," he added through gritted teeth, "if someone stole this from me, I'd be testing some creative new ideas I've-"
"I'd just as soon not know," Kehrsyn interrupted.
Eileph laughed, then glanced at Kehrsyn with an intense look and asked, "Still at sixteen ’Wright's?"
"Yes," said Kehrsyn, after a mere heartbeat's pause.
"Begone, then. I have work to do."
Kehrsyn stood, picked up her bag, and headed for the door.
"Be careful," Eileph said as she was closing the door behind her. "It's slippery out there."
"Thanks," said Kehrsyn.
Once the door was shut, she leaned against it for a few moments.
"It's also cold," she whispered to the darkness.
Kehrsyn pulled her cloak around her and paused. Eileph's suite was at the end