Tinker's Justice by J.S. Morin

Author:J.S. Morin [Morin, J. S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Goodreads: 23322223
Publisher: Magical Scrivener Press
Published: 2014-09-20T04:00:00+00:00

“Anyone need a drink?” General Varnus asked. The question landed with a thud in the middle of the room. No one bothered to translate it for the daruu. It had been nearly half an hour since the world-hole had closed. The arguments that had followed in the immediate aftermath had cooled to mere simmering glares across the table. Axterion had not expected Danilaesis to do it. That mistake was on him. The boy was becoming too unstable to account for his actions. It should have been a joyful occasion, giving Danilaesis the weapon he needed against Megrenn. It ought to have occurred to him that the boy wouldn’t wait for diplomacy to put that weapon in his hands in due course.

“They’ll be back any time now,” Axterion said to Zepdaan, the Pillar of Runes, and waited as the daruu translated the assurance in a dull monotone, not even looking at his companions. The daruu sorcerer watched him with a stillness befitting his heritage of stone. Zepdaan had a Source in him—that was certain. Most of the daruu were stout of Source, but few boasted such a formidable presence in the aether. If things went cowflop in the ensuing hours, Axterion was not looking forward to confronting the daruu. It wasn’t that the High Sorcerer was timid, or uncertain of his own powers, but daruu thought differently, and were hardy as bears. Hardier, in fact, since a wounded bear might bleed to death. Daruu blood mortared a wound in seconds. It was one of the recent facts he had unearthed regarding the hermit race. The visitors from beneath the Cloud Wall Mountains had not divulged the peculiarities of their anatomy, but Axterion had dug among the libraries’ vaults until he had found every scrap of information the Kadrin Empire had amassed on the creatures.

A tentative knock might as well have been a smith’s hammer striking the door. A messenger poked his head into the room and beckoned to Axterion. “Excuse me a moment,” the old sorcerer said as he rose.

“What is it?” Axterion asked as soon as the door latched shut behind him.

The messenger beckoned further, and Axterion followed him a short way down the hall. If they were not out of earshot of the meeting room before, they certainly were now. “I bring news from Empress Celia.”

“You great buffoon,” said Axterion. “I was the one who sent you to her, remember? Of course you bring news from Empress Celia.”

The messenger took the verbal abuse in good humor. “She has given you leave to do what you must about the Danilaesis situation.”

“You’ve shot two arrows into the hay bale,” Axterion replied. “How about planting one in the target?”

“If you judge the daruu alliance to be a better choice for the empire than Warlock Danilaesis, you may take any measure you see fit to preserve that alliance.”

“That’s better. Pleasantly blunt,” said Axterion with an insincere smile. “Empress Celia just gave me permission to murder my grandson. How wonderful. I’d like you to take a message back to her.

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