While they waited for VenDell to finish his report to Harmony, Wax talked about meeting the airship — and the new ambassador. She felt Allik grow tense at the description.
“This is Daal the Primary,” he explained to the rest of them. “He … is very well respected by the Hosts.”
“I could tell he was important politically,” Wax said.
“No, Wax,” Marasi said. “Respected by the Hosts means he was successful in war.”
“So his arrival is a threat,” Steris said, nestled against Wax with her notebook out, shoes off, her stockinged feet up to the side in a posture that actually seemed relaxed.
She’s changed so much, Marasi thought. She could remember a time when Steris wouldn’t have dared take her shoes off in company. She’d have sat with perfect posture, trying to ensure she was holding her tea and saucer level.
Marasi had always loved her sister, even when resentment or forced distance had interfered, but she’d never considered Steris pleasant. Not until these recent years. Part of that had been Steris changing, but another part had been realizing that she and Steris had always felt the same burdens — that sense of entrapment.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a threat, Steris,” Allik said. “Not specifically. But if it is true, and the Consortium has finally been achieved — the five nations agreeing to put a common face northward — then this is … a symbol? They send you their best. They want you to know it.”
“Their best,” Wax said, “and most stern, I assume? He is certainly more unyielding than his predecessor.”
“Yes, Adjective Waxillium,” Allik said, nodding. “They want you to know that they will not be bullied.”
“He said,” Wax told them, “that one of his goals was to bring the Bands of Mourning back to his people. Is that still a sore issue?”
“You have no idea,” Allik said. “Us agreeing to leave the Bands here, it’s like … like we left you with the body of our dead father, yah? A body that is also a powerful weapon. Nobody liked that decision.
“Sending him here, having him say he’ll get the Bands back … this is a symbol, yah? A statement? They have been too lax with your people, and wish to indicate this laxness will end.” He shifted in place, then lifted his mask. “Sorry.”
“You didn’t choose this, Allik.”
“No,” he said. “But I didn’t not choose it.”
“Dear, yes you did.” Marasi squeezed his arm. “You don’t have to take responsibility for everything.”
He smiled at her, then put his mask down. Footsteps announced what she thought was VenDell returning, but then Wayne burst into the sitting room instead.
“Hey!” he said. “You all got blowed up, and you didn’t wait for me?”
“Waxillium got blowed up,” Steris said. “The rest of us merely witnessed it. I think he did it on purpose to annoy you.”
“I’m rusting sure,” Wayne said, narrowing his eyes at Wax. “You okay, mate?”
“My ears are ringing,” Wax said, “and I’ve been reminded — quite profoundly — that I’m at least two decades past prime exploding age. But I should be fine.”
“Glad you’re back, Wayne,” Marasi said, leaning forward. “Because we need to plan.”
“Yup, glad to be back,” he muttered. “Bein’ the fifth in a room is what every feller wants, yes indeed.” He stomped over to the small serving table and poured a cup of tea — then left the cup on the table and settled down in an easy chair with the entire teapot. “What?” he said to everyone’s stares. “It’s almost gone, an’ I like the spigot part. Fun to drink outta.”
He demonstrated, which made Steris put her hand to her face. Marasi sighed, but didn’t say anything. If he was sitting then he was less likely to steal something. She did check her pocketbook just in case.
“All right,” she said to the group. “I have the bones of a plan — imitating the Cycle to lead a local gang with a delivery scheduled to Bilming.”
Wax leaned forward. “Are we sure that interrogating the current captives won’t be enough?”
“They seemed like local flunkies,” Marasi said.
“Who will barely know anything,” Wax agreed. “So you’ll want some constables on your sting, ready to capture any Metalborn.”
“I keep telling Reddi we need a specialist team,” Marasi said. “A squad just for dealing with Metalborn. He keeps resisting. I think … he considers us that squad.”
As those words hung in the air, VenDell finally strode in, shaking his head. “I have,” he said, “been re-ordered to avail myself to you, with much urgency, in your current plans.”
“What did he say?” Marasi asked. “Does he know anything about the explosion?”
“Harmony is … worried.” VenDell paused. “Trellium has a repulsing effect on other forms of Investiture. Merely touching it to harmonium is dangerous — but doing as you did, heating and stretching the harmonium first, created what he called ‘an Invested matter-energy transference.’ That’s … very bad.”
“Did the news surprise him?” Wax asked. “Did Harmony seem shocked we were able to do this? Or did he expect it?”
“I couldn’t tell,” VenDell said. “He only said what I’ve relayed. More than that … well, Harmony can be difficult to read. I suppose I don’t need to tell you that. Did he send you a note, Lord Waxillium?”
“Yes,” Wax said. “I think he implied that I should make an earring out of trellium.”
“Whatever for?” Marasi said, frowning.
“I don’t know,” Wax replied. “I think he’s trying to get me interested, since I’ve ignored his last couple of invitations to commune with him.”
“This time it’s different, Waxillium,” VenDell said softly. “This time … Harmony is frightened.”
The room fell silent, aside from Wayne slurping his tea through the nozzle of the teapot. Marasi thought she saw him adding something from his flask to it, and she tried not to let that make her nauseous. Who spiked tea?
He’s hurting, she thought. The breakup is final. Rusts, despite everything else going on, she decided to find time to take him out to that noodle place he loved. Bring along a few of the other constables that he liked; remind him he had friends.
“My sting needs to happen soon,” she said to the room. “The book says the next shipment to Bilming is to go out in three days, and I want to be ready.”
“It’s a good plan, Marasi,” Wax said. “Steris and I have something we can work on while you’re planning.”
“Talking to Harmony?” she asked.
“Maybe,” he said, seeming distant. “I haven’t decided if I’m going to respond to him yet.”
Curiously, he didn’t indicate he wanted to be part of her mission. She’d have let him in, but she couldn’t quite get a handle on Wax these days. The way he’d hung those Roughs coats in the entryway had an air of finality, like a shrine to his old life. That said, when his deputized status had come up for renewal last year, he’d asked Reddi to maintain his position.
Wax glanced at Steris, who was leaning against him as she scribbled notes. “We thought of something earlier,” he said to Marasi. “It’s vital that we know if the Set has discovered the explosive potential of mixing harmonium and trellium. We’re going to do research to see what we can find.”
“Sounds good,” Marasi said, nodding.
Well, that confirmed it. A few years ago, she might have been happy to hear he was staying out of her investigation, but she’d quashed that feeling. She was proud of not letting his shadow — long though it was — blot out her accomplishments. Besides, she’d had her chance to become the hero in Wax’s place — she’d held the Bands of Mourning herself before turning them over to Wax. That simply wasn’t who she was.