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“I’m going to kill him.”
“Yes.”
“Him first. Then you. I’ll give you…three seconds head start.”
“Three whole seconds, Attano? How generous.”
“Maybe two.”
*****
“How long do you think he’s going to leave us floating like this?”
…
“Well? Thoughts?”
“You’ve had his mark longer.”
“I thought – you’re the favorite.”
…
“Fine.”
*****
“How do you recruit them?”
“What?”
“Your men. How do you… ask people if they want terrifying black magic powers?”
“I usually walk up to them and say ‘hello, would you like some terrifying black magic powers?’”
…
“I don’t force them, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“And if they say no?”
…
“Thought so.”
*****
“…Is it true that you can only transverse to places you can see –?”
“Shut up.”
*****
“What part of Serkonos are you from?”
“…You read my journal?”
“It was there.”
“I… Nowhere you’ve been. Trust me.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I’m from a part where they teach that it’s not alright to read people’s private journals.”
“Not a part where they teach it’s not alright to murder empresses?”
“You’re a dick, Attano.”
*****
“So you and the Empress –”
“I swear if you say one more word I’m gift-wrapping you and leaving you in the middle of Holger Square.”
*****
“I saw… a man. A weeper. In an apartment on Kaldwin’s Bridge. I…”
“Is there a point to this?”
“I was wondering.”
…
“He was raving about runes.”
…
“About… I’m not sure… blessing them with blood and, ah –”
“You can stop there.”
“So you -?”
“No.”
…
“Look, I’ve heard about it –”
“I just thought that since you – know more about the Outsider than I do, maybe –”
…
“It’s not… normal is it?”
“No.”
“He doesn’t expect us to –”
“No.”
…
“If you did – do that – to a rune I wouldn’t judge –”
…
“I’ll just shut up now.”
“Damn right you will.”
*****
“So how the fuck did you get past the men I had outside the shutter?”
“I’ve met Bottle Street thugs who are more observant.”
…
“I’m not giving you tips.”
*****
“Did Burrows beg, when you killed him?”
“A bit.”
“Good.”
“…What?”
“Nothing.”
*****
“How much did he pay you?”
“What?”
“Burrows. How much did she –”
“...Can’t say ‘cost,’ can you? Turns her into a thing, doesn’t it? That’s what you have to think of them as. Things.”
…
“Not enough.”
*****
“You haven’t asked about Coldridge.”
“You actually expected me to ask about Coldridge?”
“I –”
“It’s prison. It’s nothing to ask about.”
…
“I’m not giving you another reason to hate me.”
*****
“…Honestly, you really can’t transverse to a place unless you can see it? Because that’s an awfully shitty little excuse of a –”
“SHUT UP.”
*****
“That clockwork heart of yours –”
“Gift wrap, center of Holger Square, giant bow on your head, I swear to the Void.”
“…Alright, then.”
*****
“Afterward –”
“Fuck.”
“What did you do?”
“Went home, wrote an angry letter to Burrows about how you weren’t supposed to be there, gave the men the evening off, sat and stared at the wall for a while.”
…
“Did you think I went and got drunk or something? Celebrated?”
“You pulled off an impossible job. You deserved to.”
“Well then. Yes. I went and got drunk and patted myself on the back while they started working on you with hot irons. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
…
“Don’t use me to make you feel better about yourself.”
“Likewise.”
*****
“Did you really have to throw all of my gear into the sewer?”
“Do you really have to carry ten springrazors in your pockets?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I’m not giving you tips!”
*****
“Do you think the Outsider wants us to… come to an agreement or something?”
“Either that, or he wants me to throw you over the side of this boat.”
“I don’t think we can die here.”
“Dammit.”
…
“Is he always this annoying with you, too, or -?”
“Yes.”
*****
“How long do you think it’s been? Five hours?”
“Six.”
“Five.”
“You get really good at counting time in prison. Six.”
…
“I’m throwing all my springrazors at him when he finally shows up. Especially if he laughs.”
“Good. Just give me time to duck.”
“…Fine.”
“Jackass.”
“...Wait. Was that about the Outsider or me?”
*****
“What’d you do with the money from…her?”
“Nothing.”
…
“There’s a vineyard up for sale near Cullero. I was thinking…”
…
“It’s a stupid idea.”
*****
“If this wasn’t the Void, I’d expect my men to show up and rescue us about now.”
“…It’s been seven hours.”
“Maybe they’d need a little more time.”
*****
“Maybe –”
“Yes?”
“Maybe I’ll give you a five second window to get away. When he lets us go. Five seconds.”
“Maybe I’ll actually use it."
"...You were going to let me -?"
"Yeah, well. Maybe I'll transverse away."
…
“…To someplace I can’t see.”
“SHUT UP.”