“What if she says that’s not enough?”
“Hell! Turn her back into a coat rack then! It’s not as if the guy can’t be killed. My dad still died with an arrow through his throat, despite his fancy powers. A deathstroke is still a deathstroke. It’s just that delivering it to a guy like that is a lot harder.”
“You really think that’ll be enough?” I said.
He halted and looked at me, frowning.
“She’ll argue, but of course she’ll agree,” he said. “It’ll be a step up in the world. And she’ll want revenge on Mask as much as that piece of her former holdings. But to answer your question, don’t trust her. No matter what she promises, she’ll never be happy with less than she had before. She’ll be scheming. She’ll be a good ally till the job’s done. Then you’ve got to think about protecting yourself against her. Unless…”
“Unless what?”
“Unless I come up with something to sweeten the pot.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know yet. But don’t lift that spell until things are definitely settled between Dalt and me. Okay?”
He resumed walking.
“Wait a minute,” I said “What are you planning?”
“Nothing special,” he answered. “Like I told the queen, I’m just going go play things by ear.”
“I sometimes get the feeling you’re as devious as you make her out to be,” I said.
“I hope so,” he replied. “But there’s a difference. I’m honest.”
“I don’t know that I’d buy a used car from you, Luke.”
“Every deal I make is special,” he said, “and for you it’s always top of the line.”
I glanced at him, saw that he kept his expression under control.
“What else can I say?” he added, indicating the sitting room with a quick gesture.
“Nothing, now,” I answered, and we entered there.
Vialle turned her head in our direction as we came in, hr expression as
unreadable as Luke’s.
“I take it you are properly attired now?” she asked.
“I am indeed,” he answered.
“Then let’s be about this,” she said, raising her left hand, which I saw to contain a Trump. “Come over here, please.”
Luke approached her and I followed him. I could see then that it was Julian’s Trump that she held.
“Place your hand upon my shoulder,” she told him.
“All right.”
He did, and she reached, found Julian and began speaking to him.
Shortly, Luke was party to the conversation, explaining what he intended to do. I overheard Vialle saying that the plan had her approval.
Moments later I saw Luke raise his free hand and extend it. I also saw the shadowy figure of Julian reaching forward, though I was not part of the Trump nexus. This was because I had summoned my Logrus Sight and had become sensitive to such things. I needed it for the timing, not wanting Luke whisked away before I could move.
I let my hand fall upon his shoulder and I moved forward as he did.
“Merlin! What are you doing?” I heard Vialle call.
“I’d like to see what happens,” I said. “I’ll come right home when things are concluded,” and the rainbow gate closed behind me.
We stood within the flickering of oil lamps inside a large tent. From outside, I could hear the wind and the sounds of stirring branches. Julian stood facing us. He let Luke’s hand fall and regarded him without expression.
“So you are Caine’s killer,” he said.
“I am,” Luke replied.
And I was remembering that Caine and Julian had always been particularly close. If Julian were to kill Luke and cry vendetta, I was certain that Random would merely nod and agree. Perhaps he’d even smile. Hard to say. If I were Random, I would greet Luke’s removal with a sight of relief. In fact, that was one of the reasons I’d come along. Supposing this whole deal were a setup? I couldn’t picture Vialle as a part of it, but she could easily have been deceived by Julian and Benedict. Supposing Dalt wasn’t even out there?
Or suppose he were – and that what he’d really asked for was Luke’s head? After all, he had tried to kill Luke fairly recently. I had to admit the possibility now, and I also had to admit that Julian was the most likely candidate to be a willing party to such a design. For the good of Amber.