Post by Ser Mehran S'Disraeli on May 22, 2008 15:58:00 GMT -5
Disraeli sat back, sighing contentedly. How she loved stories, especially stories she wasn't meant to hear. She'd been following up on Senon, a an she had blackmailed into her service with whispers of his utopian queen--Lilith. Sidheag didn't like the acquisition. "He's not loyal, Khan. He'll trade you in the first chance he gets."
"Why, then, we'll just have to see to it that we always have information he needs, won't we?" She had laughed off the threat. No one would ever catch the illustrious Mistress of Murderers, and that wasn't the height of her arrogance. "Cocky" was too loose an adjective, really. "Either way," she said, "in all seriousness, I will win his loyalty. Or he will die."
Now she sat on her pillow, sipping her tea. No doubt Senon would be by soon to get more information. She would never admit it, but not having his loyalty bothered her. When loyalty was failing, he could lie to her. She would see through it, in the end, but it would waste much precious time. The only consolation she had was knowing that they both had a vested interest in not getting caught. He knew that if she went to jail or was hanged, he would be back to square one on his quest for Lilith. In short, he needed Disraeli. This pleased her.
And angry voice sounded outside the curtain door. "I don't give a damn about your protocol. Move aside and let me pass." A red-clad eunuch entered, bowing quickly.
"Mistress, Senon is here."
"I'm sure she can tell."
Disraeli sighed and closed her eyes, resting her head in her palm. Her forefinger and thumb briefly massaged her temples before she looked up into the eyes of her malefactor. "Good morning, Senon. How fare you?"
He quirked an eyebrow. "Irritatedly, to be sure. Why people stand on such pomp and circumstance for you, I'll never understand."
Disraeli chuckled, blood boiling. "Well, I suppose it's better to be praised than forgotten," she mused, making bold innuendo at his lost legend.
It worked; he bit. "Praised for being the Whore of whores? Hardly better at all, I think."
A green shadow whirled out of the curtain. Senon was suddenly seated on the rugged ground. "Watch your mouth, Thief," Sidheag snarled.
Senon rose, a black blur. "Keep your hands off me, Skin-walker wretch." His own lips were drawn back in an arrogant sneer.
Disraeli coughed lightly, amply amused. These two had never meshed. Sidheag, a wolf-skin, had loyalty oozing out of her ears, and could not accept that Senon would not show deference to the Khan. Especially since Disraeli had been a factor in getting him the information he so desired. And for so cheap a price! "Now, now, I am certain we can resolve this nicely. Sidheag, rest your hackles. Senon, I'm disappointed. And to think, I had some excellent information for you today."
He halted and glared at her. "So stop playing coy and tell me."
After sighing deeply, she took a long sip of tea. "But I don't think you deserve to know. You've been so very nasty today."
"If your idiots hadn't seen fit to take my daggers, I wouldn't be so angry!"
"Well, I'd say it's a damn good thing they did," she replied calmly.
He snarled. "Are you going to tell me or not?"
"I don't know. Are you going to remember who the Mistress is or not?" she asked, mimicking his tone and words.
"How do I know you're not just saying this to torture me?"
"Because I've never lied to you before."
He seemed to consider these words. "You may be a Mistress, but you are not my Mistress."
She sighed. "Distinctions waste time. All I ask for are a little respect. Given all I've done for you, for next to nothing, I would think that a fair price."
"You took my weapons. Don't talk to me about respect."
"None enter with weapons."
"If you respected me and thought me on your side, you wouldn't be concerned."
Disraeli laughed. "I blackmailed you! You're not on my side!"
Senon paused. "Look, I'm not trying to kill you. You have what I want."
"Then pay me the respect I deserve for helping you. Now stop with this childishness and listen." Senon gave her a baleful glare, which she ignored. "I have it from a reliable source that a woman who greatly resembles your Lilith has been spotted." She didn't say where, for she knew that as soon as he had destination and locale, he would be off. "This specter was witnessed to have a crystal goblet of red liquid assumed to be Bloodwyne, and discord followed her. Cats screeched and ran. Resting babes howled. When she was about, crime reports spiked briefly." She sipped her tea and fingered the fringe of her pillow absently. "I will advise you to proceed with caution. As much a thorn in my side as you can be, I'd still rather not see you hurt." It was a rare admission of affection. "This being was spotted near Suncera City. Near old Horus' place, though not inside."
Senon looked at her, curiosity abounding. Why would she help him so well, and expect nothing in return? For a second, he didn't trust the knowledge. But she had never lied to him before. For a brief moment, he reached for where Ruby, the dagger, would rest. Remembering that he was unarmed, he let the hand fall. Sending her one last, searching glance, he turned and exited the tent, cloak billowing dramatically behind him.
She waited until he was fully gone and dropped her chin to her chest, sighing. "Well, perhaps we're one step closer, Khaleesi," she mused softly.
"We shall see, Disraeli." Sidheag gestured concern. "I hope you're making a good decision here."
"Why, then, we'll just have to see to it that we always have information he needs, won't we?" She had laughed off the threat. No one would ever catch the illustrious Mistress of Murderers, and that wasn't the height of her arrogance. "Cocky" was too loose an adjective, really. "Either way," she said, "in all seriousness, I will win his loyalty. Or he will die."
Now she sat on her pillow, sipping her tea. No doubt Senon would be by soon to get more information. She would never admit it, but not having his loyalty bothered her. When loyalty was failing, he could lie to her. She would see through it, in the end, but it would waste much precious time. The only consolation she had was knowing that they both had a vested interest in not getting caught. He knew that if she went to jail or was hanged, he would be back to square one on his quest for Lilith. In short, he needed Disraeli. This pleased her.
And angry voice sounded outside the curtain door. "I don't give a damn about your protocol. Move aside and let me pass." A red-clad eunuch entered, bowing quickly.
"Mistress, Senon is here."
"I'm sure she can tell."
Disraeli sighed and closed her eyes, resting her head in her palm. Her forefinger and thumb briefly massaged her temples before she looked up into the eyes of her malefactor. "Good morning, Senon. How fare you?"
He quirked an eyebrow. "Irritatedly, to be sure. Why people stand on such pomp and circumstance for you, I'll never understand."
Disraeli chuckled, blood boiling. "Well, I suppose it's better to be praised than forgotten," she mused, making bold innuendo at his lost legend.
It worked; he bit. "Praised for being the Whore of whores? Hardly better at all, I think."
A green shadow whirled out of the curtain. Senon was suddenly seated on the rugged ground. "Watch your mouth, Thief," Sidheag snarled.
Senon rose, a black blur. "Keep your hands off me, Skin-walker wretch." His own lips were drawn back in an arrogant sneer.
Disraeli coughed lightly, amply amused. These two had never meshed. Sidheag, a wolf-skin, had loyalty oozing out of her ears, and could not accept that Senon would not show deference to the Khan. Especially since Disraeli had been a factor in getting him the information he so desired. And for so cheap a price! "Now, now, I am certain we can resolve this nicely. Sidheag, rest your hackles. Senon, I'm disappointed. And to think, I had some excellent information for you today."
He halted and glared at her. "So stop playing coy and tell me."
After sighing deeply, she took a long sip of tea. "But I don't think you deserve to know. You've been so very nasty today."
"If your idiots hadn't seen fit to take my daggers, I wouldn't be so angry!"
"Well, I'd say it's a damn good thing they did," she replied calmly.
He snarled. "Are you going to tell me or not?"
"I don't know. Are you going to remember who the Mistress is or not?" she asked, mimicking his tone and words.
"How do I know you're not just saying this to torture me?"
"Because I've never lied to you before."
He seemed to consider these words. "You may be a Mistress, but you are not my Mistress."
She sighed. "Distinctions waste time. All I ask for are a little respect. Given all I've done for you, for next to nothing, I would think that a fair price."
"You took my weapons. Don't talk to me about respect."
"None enter with weapons."
"If you respected me and thought me on your side, you wouldn't be concerned."
Disraeli laughed. "I blackmailed you! You're not on my side!"
Senon paused. "Look, I'm not trying to kill you. You have what I want."
"Then pay me the respect I deserve for helping you. Now stop with this childishness and listen." Senon gave her a baleful glare, which she ignored. "I have it from a reliable source that a woman who greatly resembles your Lilith has been spotted." She didn't say where, for she knew that as soon as he had destination and locale, he would be off. "This specter was witnessed to have a crystal goblet of red liquid assumed to be Bloodwyne, and discord followed her. Cats screeched and ran. Resting babes howled. When she was about, crime reports spiked briefly." She sipped her tea and fingered the fringe of her pillow absently. "I will advise you to proceed with caution. As much a thorn in my side as you can be, I'd still rather not see you hurt." It was a rare admission of affection. "This being was spotted near Suncera City. Near old Horus' place, though not inside."
Senon looked at her, curiosity abounding. Why would she help him so well, and expect nothing in return? For a second, he didn't trust the knowledge. But she had never lied to him before. For a brief moment, he reached for where Ruby, the dagger, would rest. Remembering that he was unarmed, he let the hand fall. Sending her one last, searching glance, he turned and exited the tent, cloak billowing dramatically behind him.
She waited until he was fully gone and dropped her chin to her chest, sighing. "Well, perhaps we're one step closer, Khaleesi," she mused softly.
"We shall see, Disraeli." Sidheag gestured concern. "I hope you're making a good decision here."