‘Apparently one does.’ Rin slipped into the water beside him, clearly unimpressed. Tsen gestured to the white stone of the cavern, glowing as it always did.
‘Even my enchanters cannot mark this stone. It is impenetrable to them in some way.’ He shrugged apologetically. ‘It has forced many compromises into my design.’ Ha! And there's a thing you probably didn't know when you came here and I probably shouldn't have told you at all, but there you go and now I have. Startling enough to merit a word with your lord and a small panic at Hingwal Taktse, I should have thought. I'll tell Chay Liang to expect some guests shortly, shall I? Little moments like this came between them rarely. He made sure to savour it. He could see Rin thinking, trying to decide whether he was lying. I wonder how you would take it if I told you how impenetrable my stone is to certain others too, eh? Elemental others, but I think I'll continue to keep that little jewel to myself.
‘Will your usual slave not join us?’
Yes, and thank you for that little needle-nod to my weakness. ‘Kalaiya? Do you think she should?’ Of course not, not when we're here to discuss the future of both our lords, or do you already know that I'll tell her everything anyway?
‘Perhaps not.’
Tsen nodded. ‘It is a place, after all, to be alone. For words to be spoken that will not spread.’
More slaves brought food from the abandoned feast. He told them to take the rest and to share what was left among everyone, slaves too. No reason not to be generous sometimes. The two of them ate and talked of old times. They chewed over how things were when they'd been younger men, of how things had changed over the years. Vey Rin talked for a while about his family and his many sons and daughters. Tsen stayed quiet for that, listening with little to say of his own. I envy you, in a way. All that love if only you can find the time for it and choose not to waste it. All that life. Just never what I wanted. At least Rin knew him well enough not to pry. They both knew he had his Kalaiya, that he loved her more than he loved his own lord and that he'd never taken her to his bed, not once. A mystery to everyone, even to Tsen himself.
They ate and talked until the apple wine came and the doors closed and they were alone again. Rin smiled into his glass. ‘How are you managing, Tsen? Well, I hope?’ Which could have meant almost anything, but there was the slightest change in his posture which said, Business now, and so Tsen knew exactly what he was talking about: Quai'Shu’s fleets and the money to keep them going.
‘Adequately, under the circumstances.’ Of which you are probably even more aware than I.
‘Good.’ Liar. ‘If there is any help you wish from your friends in Vespinarr, you have but to ask.’ Rin eased back into the bath, letting the water lap at his chin.
In exchange for a piece of my dragon? Tsen smiled. ‘I am ever grateful. I'm sure there is something.’ Yes, we both know there's no avoiding this, given how much I owe you. Yes, you can have a piece, and no, not as much as you want. He leaned forward. ‘The Great Sea Council's concerns regarding Aria interest me greatly. The dragon is a powerful weapon. It can be taken across the storm-dark, that much we already know.’ And push me hard enough and I might just try and go on without you, and we can both imagine how painful that would be for everyone.
‘Perhaps we should consider a cooperative proposal?’ No, I won't push you that hard. Too risky. Too uncertain.
‘Perhaps we should.’
‘The council will need to understand what else will be required.’ I want to see what your dragon can really do so we both know how much it might be worth.
‘Yes.’ Well, it's not like I didn't see that coming. ‘I was thinking of a demonstration. Bom Tark.’ And that look of shock you should be wearing on your face right now. . Except there was no such look. If anything Rin looked disappointed.
‘Bom Tark? Why?’
Tsen frowned. Rin didn't like this idea at all. Tsen had expected surprise, perhaps a little admiration for such audacity but not this, not disapproval. Was he frightened? But that wasn't the Rin who'd gone slave hunting across the dunes thirty years ago, and it left Tsen thinking he'd missed something. Enough sparring then. ‘Where else, Rin? The dragon is a monster. A weapon. Bom Tark is a city of slaves, of outlaws and renegades ruled by no one, commanded by none and outside our law. It's been a thorn in the Great Sea Council's side for a century. How many times have we contemplated getting rid of them? But each time it's just not important enough for anyone to take the risk that they'll lose more than they gain. I have nothing to lose and a great deal to gain. Bom Tark. One dragon. Even Shonda would have to pay attention.’
‘He would.’ Rin nodded. ‘But Bom Tark is. . useful. Sometimes.’
‘And now it can be useful to me. By burning. If the dragon can do it there then it can do it in Aria. One terrible beast. Let it ravage half their empire and let them wonder where it came from. We won't destroy them completely. Just enough to cripple them for another generation and pull the Ice Witch out to where the Elemental Men can finish her.’ The look on Vey Rin's face was still all wrong though. This wasn't him being appalled that Bom Tark was a city of ten thousand slaves and refugees and Tsen was talking about burning it. It wasn't about all the little uses the sea lords found for them either, the things that had kept them from being scorched off the map of Takei'Tarr in swathes of lightning long ago. For a moment Tsen was lost. What are you thinking, old friend?
‘Bom Tark would serve as a demonstration for the council, I suppose. But. .’ But? Something. . bigger? I thought to take you aback with the scope of my ambition and now you tell me that yes, you're taken aback, but by the lack of it?
Tsen raised his hands in defeat. ‘You'll have to be a little more clear, Rin. You have something on your mind but I don't see it.’
Rin leaned forward and bared his teeth. ‘There is one thing. Something that would wipe our slate clean. No debt, and Vespinarr will claim no part of your dragon or your eyrie or anything else. Your debts to others are another matter but I'm sure they're quite manageable.’
Yes. As you well know, since you've quietly bought most of them. Tsen could barely think. The enormity of what Rin was offering was staggering. All our debts? No part of my dragons? So it cannot be anything but a trap. ‘I struggle to imagine, my friend, what could be worth so much.’ He tried to laugh. ‘You've beaten me. Enough. What share of this eyrie and these monsters do you want? Let us haggle and be done with it.’
Rin shuffled around the bath until they were sitting beside one another. ‘Do Bom Tark for the council if you like, but I'm not interested. You know what I want to see scorched? Think about it.’ His fingers drew a shape in the air. An unmistakable outline of two islands. With a flourish he put a little bridge between them and shuffled away back to his side, smiled and raised his glass. Tsen was too stunned to move. ‘Where is your other little pet anyway? What do you call him? LaLa? You must like to live with danger, my friend. I wonder: why is your lord so driven to collect such weapons?’
‘Quai'Shu keeps his own counsel there.’ Although I suppose we could ask him if he wasn't demented. His head was full. You want me to burn where?