“Al right, I'll be over at your house with Bonita then. She came up to stay with Alissa while we're gone.” Burks look was appraising instead of angry when he started speaking, his voice even sounding a little amused.
“So, you've decided that she and I should marry? It would have been nice for you to have mentioned that to me first you know. Oh well, if we manage this next bit alive I said I'd make an honest woman of her.” He held up his right hand quickly.
“Old term, it means “to marry”. I haven't really been with anyone since Mary. I hear you were helping her out recently. Any problems there? I mean with her, you can tell me the rest later, or not. You know, when you explain how County Lairdgren is aiding the Queen and Princesses in supporting the school here?”
Tor thought about it, then decided to dodge the school issue all together if he could. Mary wasn't a problem at all, she was in fact, sharp. Almost every move she'd made worked and once she set someone a task she didn't bug them about it, just let them do their job. This made Burks grin widely.
“Good. I worry about her. She… has her moments. Both good and bad I'm afraid.”
Tor shrugged and got an identical one back.
“I'll meet you at my house in two hours then.” If the wait bothered the older man, well tough. Tor had obligations too, and his wife and friends came before travel plans.
He decided to meet with Ali first, and found her actually reading a school book instead of entertaining someone when he got there. He understood why she had sex with so many people, sort of at least, she was looking to reassure herself that she was loved, but it was always uncomfortable to come to the to find her and some young man or woman scrambling to dress and pretend they weren't doing anything. Even to Tor it was obvious.
Today she looked normal enough, sitting on her bed, a thick book in her hands which turned out to be a complete cookbook. Tor had heard of such things, but he'd never seen one like it before. He sat next to her and they looked at it together for a while, finally she kissed him and worked her way down his body, loosening his clothes and servicing him gently on her bed. When she was done she looked up sadly.
“It's time for you to go and do that thing, isn't it?” She knew about the plan, was even in on it, and had been the whole time, but whatever had happened in life to make her that way, most of it very bad he was sure, his wife knew how to keep secrets. Even alone she wouldn't mention anything more specific than “that thing”.
“Yes, I leave in a few hours, less now. I just wanted to see you first, and Rolph. He was… entertaining Judith Kerry in our room when I last saw him. Hopefully they're done by now, I need to pack.”
Ali smiled at him broadly, a happy thing.
“Good for her! Rolph's a nice boy and everyone likes him, that should get some of the third year harpies to lay off. They'd have taken after me I think except I have you, so they don't really dare. Plus Petra and Trice have been watching out for me. They don't think I get what they’re doing, but I do. Judith doesn't have anyone though.”
“Except us.” Tor said thoughtfully, getting a nod for it.
“Except us.” Ali gave him a strange, considering look and nodded. “Right. I'll see to that then.”
Judith was still in the room when he got there, but had clothes on and was looking a little embarrassed when he walked in. At least she refused to make eye contact and blushed prettily enough.
“Sorry sir. We thought we had more time.” The accent was still there, but just sounded charming now, she was clear and understandable, for the most part.
“Tor, not sir. Really though, you two have as much right to the room as I do. For now though, Judith, could you give us a bit? I have to go away for a while and Rolph is my best friends, so… I hate to be rude.” His face showed the pain he felt at even suggesting it. He didn't want her to feel rejected or anything, as she walked past he gave her a hug and whispered into her ear.
“Thanks for being so understanding.”
Rolph didn't need to be told what was going on, just that Tor was going and that in two weeks the real mission started. What plan there was so far, he knew as well as Tor did. Maybe better, if any updates had come in from his parents. Normally Tor would have expected people to tell him things like that, but in this case it may just be better for him to not know.
For instance, if the plan turned out to be him waiting to be castrated and set to being used by the crazy masses in Austra as Daria Serge had promised as her wedding “gift” to him, then really, it was better not to tell him. Of course she wasn't getting that chance. Tor was going in shielded and armed and if they had a problem with it, they could forget the whole thing. At least shielded, he reconsidered. A weapon might be too much to ask, but even insane people couldn't feel threatened by a shield, not if they were trying to give the illusion that they didn't just want to kill him outright.
The Prince didn't say much, he just looked at him for a long time and then shook his head.
“I'd go with you if I could. Or take your place. Even if it meant dying.”
It was a true statement and for a second tears stung at Tor’s eyes. The idea wafted off of Rolph's field, it sang to Tor so loudly he couldn't ignore it. It was what lay under that sense of desperation and fear for his friend that made Tor draw back mentally.
Rolph loved him.
Not, “hey buddy, let’s go pick up chicks” love, or “hey… don't get yourself killed” even, but the real, “I'd die for you” kind, mixed with “let's share a bed”. It was something that Tor had never noticed before from him.
Or expected.
Tor just nodded, not able to find anything clever or witty to say. Not that he managed either of those all that often. Rolph was funnier and lighter most of the time. He had to say something though. You couldn't leave that kind of statement just resting in the air.
“I know. Never doubted it for a second. Unfortunately you won't fit in my clothing. The rest I think we could manage, but making you look smaller would be really hard.” He smiled, even though it wasn't funny… it was true. Both parts.
Tor needed to be able to disguise himself and soon. The more tricks he had up his sleeve the better. Premier Glost Serge was a nut job from what he'd seen and Lilli, the name that Daria had used while roaming the streets of the Capital, stealing and killing people, personally disliked him for some reason.
That or she thought threats of castration and forcible and repeated sodomy to be foreplay. Tor was kind of hoping for the crazy threat, to tell the truth. Then he wouldn't feel as bad when he had to kill her. He'd never directly killed anyone. Paid for it to be done, once, but to just do it? Never. But he knew that getting Denno Brown free might mean he'd have to. He might have to murder a bunch of people.
He hugged Rolph goodbye. It was troubling and awkward for him, but his friend was still his friend, and if that meant Tor had to deal with complications and issues he really wasn't ready for, then so be it. The hug was long, but had that back pounding “guy hug” feel to it. Good enough. As he left Tor wondered how long his friend had that going on in his head, those kinds of feelings. Days? Weeks?
Years?
Well, something to deal with when he got back. After all, he really could die doing this. What were the odds that the Glost's plan for him involved lavish entertainments and candy? Not very likely. All he could do was ready himself and then go do his best.
The walk to his little house on the edge of the school complex only took a few minutes. It was his, literally, but it felt strange to just walk in. He'd only been inside once, and it looked different now. The front room was tasteful, larger and had a lot more decoration. In fact Bonita Coltress, one of his very good friends, was showing off her ability to decorate it to Count Lairdgren. Her actions and words all but shouted, “I'd be a wonderful wife!” it was cute, but she really was trying too hard, the man had already said yes, and didn't seem inclined to change his mind. Which was good, since then Tor would have to tie him up and deliver him to the wedding that way. The only reason Tor was letting them get married at all was that he couldn't marry Bonita himself.