“I don’t imagine your intervention was required to get that boy to treat his people badly.”
“But expand that out,” Jason said. “Choices have consequences, and I’m making life and death choices now. How many fathers did I kill today? How many brothers, how many sons?”
Farrah pushed herself out of the chair and sat next to Jason on the couch.
“I think that as long as you keep asking yourself those questions,” she said, “then you’re going to be alright.”
They heard laughter coming from outside the room, and the door opened to let in Rufus and Vincent, the Adventure Society official with the enormous moustache. They were both slightly unsteady, and Rufus had a bottle of wine in hand.
“Jason,” Rufus said with the happiness of drink. “How did the job go?”
“Well enough.”
“That’s good,” Rufus said. He wandered over to the door to the balcony and went outside, Vincent in tow. Both men were normally more formal, so it was easy to spot the easy intimacy in their body language.
“When did that happen?” Jason asked.
“A while ago,” Farrah said. “You’ve been keeping yourself busy.”
“I guess I have,” Jason said.
“Coming to this city has been good for him,” Farrah said. “He’s more relaxed; there aren’t as many eyes on him. It’s hard to do better when everyone is watching your mistakes.”
“Good for him,” Jason said. “You know, I might go call on Cassandra. I could use a night out.”
83
It Makes No Difference to the Ant
Jason spotted Phoebe Geller as he was walking through the grounds of the Adventure Society campus. She gave him a wave and approached.
“There’s an expedition being set up to go after that sand barge,” she told him after they exchanged greetings. “We’re going to find out what the Ustei tribe is doing this far south and stop them from raiding any more spirit coin shipments. It’s a big group, with a silver rank in charge. Want me to get you on the list?”
“Absolutely.”
She flashed him a pretty smile.
“I’ll give Humphrey the details; he’ll find you.”
“I don’t doubt it.”
They parted ways and Jason entered the administration building. Albert was on the front desk, directing Jason to a part of the building he’d never been in before. He arrived at what looked like an outer office, with an official seated behind a desk, next to a door that led further on. The woman at the desk was reading a book, glancing up as Jason came in. She glanced down at a sheet of paper.
“Mr Asano?” she asked, with a friendly smile.
“That’s me.”
“It shouldn’t be long,” she said. “Please take a seat.”
“Thanks.”
She gestured to a pair of chairs against the wall, one of which was occupied by an attractive young elf woman. Her appearance was quite different from Anisa, who looked like Nazis had grown her in a lab. This elf had the same willowy figure, but tawny skin and vibrant green eyes. Chestnut hair spilled down over her shoulders. Her clothes were in the loose-fit, local style. Jason had been around enough now to spot the quality make and materials, but they were simple and didn’t flaunt their undoubtedly expensive price.
She was looking him over in turn and gave him a smile as he sat down next to her. He had met enough elves by this point to recognise her age at eighteen or nineteen, which meshed with her iron rank aura.
“Jason Asano,” he said as he sat down. He offered his hand to the elf, who shook it.
“I know,” she said. “I’ve seen the recording of you taking Rick Geller’s team apart.”
Jason groaned.
“I’m not as good as that recording makes out,” Jason said. “That situation was weighted very heavily in my favour. Also, I don’t have evil powers.”
She laughed.
“You went one against five with a Geller family team,” she said. “Some would argue that no situation could be weighted heavily enough.”
“The circumstances always matter,” Jason said. “We have a saying where I come from: better lucky than good. Luck has saved my life more than once.”
“Sounds like an exciting life,” she said. “I'm Beth Cavendish, by the way.”
“The excitement is a new development,” Jason said. “Are you related to Mose Cavendish?”
“My cousin,” she said, nodding at the door next to the desk. “I’m waiting for him now. He says good things about you, by the way.”
“That’s very nice of him,” Jason said. “I was really impressed by that crazy vortex power of his.”
“He mentioned you were a bit odd. Something about being from another world, and also, cannibals.”
“That would be the exciting new development I mentioned.”
“Is that how you became involved with Rufus Remore?”
“It was,” Jason said. “You know Rufus?”
“He conducted my field assessment.”
“He didn’t fail you, did he?”
“No,” she said, with a confident smile. “He passed my whole team.”
“Your whole team? He only gave six people a pass, right?”
“Four of which were my team,” she said. “The others were those two who follow Thadwick Mercer around. Such a waste of talent.”
“Rufus said the same thing,” Jason said. “Is Mose on your team?”
“No,” Beth said. “Mose is a little inconsistent to pass a Rufus Remore assessment. He’s great when everything is going right, but needs a little help when things get sticky.”
The door next to the woman at the desk opened to admit Mose Cavendish into the room, looking rather flustered. Jason and Beth both stood up.
“Jason?” Mose said.
“G’day, Mose.”
“You can go in now, Mr Asano,” the woman behind the desk said.
“No worries,” Jason told her, nodding to Beth.
“Lovely to meet you, Beth Cavendish,” he said. “Always a pleasure, Mose.”
They made quick farewells and Jason went through the door. On the other side was a chamber that looked similar to a nearly empty courtroom. There was a long, high judge’s bench, but all the seating for lawyers, prosecutors, plaintiffs and gallery were replaced with a solitary chair in the centre of the room.
Three people were already sitting behind the bench. In the middle was the director of the Adventure Society, the elf, Elspeth Arella. Jason had only spoken with her the once, although he had spotted her from time to time at social events. To her left was Vincent, who Jason had last seen doing the walk of shame from the suite across the hall. To her right was another elf, an elderly woman. All three of them were looking at him with blank expressions.
Jason looked around, then plopped down in the chair.
“We didn’t say you could sit,” the elderly elf said.
Jason gave her a casual nod of acknowledgement.
“You’re forgiven,” he said, her lips thinning as she heard his response.
“I have found that people in your position tend to show us respect,” the woman said.
“And I find people in your position,” Jason countered, “tend to confuse respect with obedience. Would you rather I come in here acting the way I think you want me to act?”
He gestured to himself.
“What you see is what you get. Do you think dishonesty is more respectful than the truth?”
Vincent was rolling his eyes, while Elspeth Arella’s eyes twinkled with amusement. The woman asking the questions remained stony-faced.
“How would you rate your performance in the group contract you undertook two days ago?” the woman asked, the others still silent.