Why should I trust you?
If there was a bit of anger mixed in, well, Tor still felt more than a little betrayed, didn't he? Sure, eventually he'd let it go, but who lied to a person that was essentially themselves? Not that Tor didn't understand… But, well, he didn't, did he? His nature pushed for him to forgive and forget, but the Count had betrayed the crown and worse, annoyed his grandson.
They took their time getting into the palace complex, moving so slowly over the city that even the Royal Guard was happy with it. When they got on the ground they didn't all boil out like angry hornets, choosing to move slowly and carefully first, letting George and Wensa get out and summon support, then build a wall of death outside the hatch, letting the royal kids and Ali off first, then half the guards, with Tor coming out last, weapon at the ready.
Sure, it wasn't needed, but it made for a good show, didn't it? Neither of the Ancients was going to take him as a real threat, they probably couldn't. Tor nodded softly at the realization; after all, he wasn't one. Not to the likes of either of them. So he'd have to cheat, and bring weapons they couldn't beat yet and try to stay ready. It wouldn't be enough if the men moved on them for real, Tor guessed, but all they could do was try.
So far, out of all the palace visits, this one was, surprisingly, both the most tense and the easiest for Tor. For once no one seemed to blame him for anything and the reports mainly came from George. He summed the whole thing up pretty quickly and then fell silent, the King not having any questions yet. Instead Richard raised his eyebrows and stared at Burks a little.
“Well?” The monarch asked pointedly. Nothing else, just that one word.
Burks sighed and shook his head gently.
“It's just a misunderstanding. Yes, I took Denno, but that was needed. Once Tor decided to act and inform you both, I had to act myself and didn't have a lot of time to think up a plan. The sleep device was all I had. If Tor had his current shield weapon I'd probably be locked up in prison right now. As it was, I managed to set up Denno with Cynthia Blue down in the Antarctic, so that he'll have enough resources to retake Austra before Serge can bring the new Larval army to bear.”
Tor got a few bits and pieces, but in the main his mind was left no more informed as to the original question than before. The King seemed to accept it though.
“Wait.” Tor shook his head again and replayed the words in his mind. Lots of information, some sounded useful, but it didn't answer one question, which was kind of the important one.
“If Brown is planning to take over the world, why release him to do it? We don't need him to take out the Larvals. I can do it, or better, one of the Royal Guard or elite military could do it, since they're less likely to flinch at the end than I would be. Point being, we could do it in about twenty hours. Or if you don't want anyone else harmed, less than a week. Why did you really release him?” That Tor sounded baffled and young didn't matter as much as the question did. Burks sighed and stared at him, as if blaming him for having asked at all.
“Tor… Some things are kind of private. Maybe if we discussed this later, without so many ears around?” The Ancient tried to send him another thought, basically just telling him “not now” or something so close that it came across that way.
Tor shook his head.
“Sorry, but I don't think we can afford the time. Out with it and don't lie. What's going on and who's in on it. First, we need to know where Denno is. I don't know that I can read you perfectly all the time, but I definitely got that he isn't with anyone named Cynthia Blue. Where did you really hide him?”
Now of course, Tor was truly bluffing. Burks had locked himself down so well during that part of his speech that nothing had leaked out at all. Tor stared as if it had and glanced at his own face above the green military uniform. A reminder that he was a sitting Count for the royals? It didn't have a lot of effect on him personally. Not right now. Maybe later it would, if his grandfather ever got free to yell at him for a while.
Burks sent out a tendril of annoyance.
“Alright Tor, I hid him in the last place anyone would think to look for him. Obviously. I need to buy time in order to clear him and find out who's been using him for their own plan. Is that enough for you?” The voice was more than a little peeved now and the eyes glared and searched his as if in warning. Tor got that he wasn't supposed to ask more, but then, he didn't need to, did he?
Richard and Connie both looked baffled.
“You think that one of the Ancients was manipulated into trying to take over the world? That's… Isn't that a little advanced? Who could do that? Another Ancient of course, but which one?” The King tilted his big head to one side and frowned, then he continued, clearly thinking out loud.
“More to the point, why? Do any of the Ancients truly covet power so much? They all have their own continent to play with, isn't that enough? We live in balance for the most part and wars are rare, the main aggressor in the world being Austra. I guess I could see them being used as the weapon of conquest, but again, who and why?”
That, it turned out was the big question. The Ancients didn't seem to know at all. After a bit the Count shrugged.
“Honestly? It could be any of us. There are a few who truly excel at manipulation, but Denno is one of them, which makes him a harder target, but we're all still people. One thing I know for certain, Denno Brown has an even harder time killing than I do. He could build a larval army, but deploying it would be hard for him. Someone else has to be pulling the strings. That or he's gone insane.”
Black chuckled, “Right, but the Green baby here certainly isn't following the rules is he? He's you, but for some reason he's able to work around that. Do you doubt that Brown couldn't figure it out too?”
Tor took a step forward and hit Black in the back of the head as hard as he could. The man dodged easily and grinned, pointing with his index finger directly at Tor, but not attacking. He apparently didn’t see Tor as a real threat at the moment, for some reason.
“See? You'd have never done that. Not in three thousand years, not just over words. He may be you Green, but young Tor here is also his own being. My point stands though. Denno could find a way around what he is if he needed to. Maybe use a computer to set the orders or something. I think we need to not only look for who, but to see if there might be a reason behind it as well.”
Stepping back Tor glared at Black and waited to see if an attack would come. It had been a clear goad aim directly at him, but that didn't mean the fellow wasn't waiting to get a bit of payback for the knocked out teeth and being tied up naked thing. No one would blame him, but Tor didn't want to take the brunt of that either. Instead he just hoped that everyone could manage being friends, rocky start or not.
Everyone agreed and the rustling from the walls didn't get any louder, so whatever was waiting there hadn't decided to act at least. Not yet. If a real fight broke out Tor expected that both the Ancients would die, even now.
The King sighed and called Burks forward. What was said Tor didn't hear and no one explained, but both Black and Lairdgren were untied and invited into the back room to talk with the King and Queen. Tor wasn't invited, nor was Prince Alphonse. That got a raised eyebrow from his large friend, but he didn't question it out loud. Tor looked at him and sighed hugely. It got a nod, because they both knew what this would mean.
The count would say something in secret, some bit of a plan or part of an old song or whatever he thought would work, Rich would then roll over and show his belly, if in a dignified and royal fashion, and let Lairdgren tickle it for a bit. Connie would Oooohh and ahh like it was a fireworks display and in a bit they'd all come out and order something that, even if it was actually brilliant, would seem stupid and probably nonsensical to the rest of them. Karina walked over smoothly and pulled Ali with her, waving her brother over in a fairly commanding gesture, but the Prince didn't balk.