Chapter 240: Head Counsel

Chapter 240: Head Counsel

I didnt trust Peter and I didnt trust Queen Zarigold. Peter was a slippery slimeball and what kind of name was Zarigold?

Being told they were working together wasnt all that surprising. I imagined it was one of those partnerships where you combine your resources to attain a common goal, and as soon as that goal is achieved, you both run around in circles to see who can stab the other in the back first.

The bigger question was why they were working together, and how did they plan to shaft me?

The spike Id been given caught the light like a shard of mirror in my hand. I could see my elongated face in it, scowling. Peter had his hand held out.

You want this? I asked him.

Peter smiled, his teeth all perfect white and his slicked-back hair glistening with oil or wax or whatever old men used to mould their hair into shape like a Lego hairpiece.

Its isnt a matter of want, kiddo. I need it to make sure we dont lose our lives to the elf threat.

The elf threat. He made it sound like they were creeping across the border to steal our jobs and women.

What kind of threat?

The kind that kills half of us and enslaves the rest. We have to fight, and we have to win. The elf has to die.

There was a warmth against my thigh and a distant muttering. I placed my hand in my pocket, a very casual, relaxed move considering the situation, and muffled Evand.

And how will this stop the elf? I waved the spike about a bit.

Peter lowered his hand. Its complicated.

I waited.

The elf is more than a big monster who might stamp on a few houses. She is a being of immense power who requires power. The spires are her way of feeding. We can eliminate that food source using that rod youve got there.

He paused and looked at the king who put his arm around Laney.

What Peter says is true, said the King. We must stop the elf before she reaches her full strength. We managed to keep her at bay for as long as we could, but

Then why did you release her? I asked.

We didnt, said Peter. The venting pipe you have there will help release the charge building up in the core without having to fire the spires. Ive been having to do that more and more recently. He shook his head like it was a great burden on him.

What happens if you dont? I asked him.

He sucked in a sharp intake of breath and pursed his lips. What happens is what you saw at Requbar. The discharge was automatic. The target, I believe, no accident. I can only think one of her agents arranged it, somehow. I dont know. It shouldnt have been possible.

Wait, said Maurice, notebook at the ready. Youre saying you only fire the spires to discharge the build up of energy?

Thats right, said Peter. We cant let the spires get to full power. Unfortunately, its been getting quicker and quicker these last few days. Some sort of disturbance under the crust.

Thats not much of a skill, is it? I said, getting annoyed. Why did everyone assume I had shitty powers? I still have to come up with an idea and make it work. I dont magically get a pass, advance to go, collect $200. I cant walk through walls like Biadet.

Peter grimaced at the mention of the name, the first crack in his genial mask. Its not a special ability in that sense, no. But it is a gift in its own way.

I didnt agree and I didnt appreciate the backhanded compliment. Sure, I got things done, but not through my own efforts, it was magic.

What it was, was bullshit. I used the same approach to problems I always had. Back home, good ideas failed because people did their best to make sure they did. Some have a very strong need to not let others succeed, even if its beneficial to the majority, if it doesnt suit them personally.

Invent an engine that runs on water and provides cheap, plentiful energy and what will happen? We all know the answer and why. Being a good idea isnt enough.

In this world, they hadnt got to that advanced level of organised thuggery. I could get away with stuff here because it took them longer to notice and longer to do something about it. And I didnt stick around to deal with complaints.

No phone, no cars, no banks. It was a blaggers paradise. If that was my special ability, that was everyones special ability. They just didnt bother using it.

We are surrounded by enemy agents, said Peter. They could be stood right next to us, for all we know.

He glanced around the room and everyone did likewise.

We have had many setbacks because we didnt know who to trust, he continued, dropping his voice to a more ominous, deeper tone. That venting pipe in your hand is the third thats been sent from Dargot but only the first to arrive. Doesnt that tell you Im right about you?

I looked at the spike. Number three. I wondered who had made it. The Cool Kids? They had been playing around with using metals to kill monsters, it would seem reasonable to assume this was their handiwork, too. How many experiments on living things had it taken to make three of these?

Peter coughed lightly to attract my attention. Thats why you should be the one to lead our combined forces.

There it was. A generous and well-intentioned shove in the back at the top of a cliff.

I was, of course, more than prepared to give the offer short shrift, but its all very well leaving others in charge of the ship if you can get in a lifeboat and paddle off in the opposite direction. Its another thing entirely if you hand over control of the steering wheel and have to remain on board for the rest of the trip.

I need to think this over. I put the spike in my belt. Concerned looks burrowed into me from various directions. What? You just said Im the guy with the good ideas. If I say I need to think it over, shouldnt that make you feel relieved? I might magically come up with an even better solution to our elf problem.

If they wanted to pronounce me the kid with the mystery success rate, I was happy to use my powers against them.

Have something to eat and get some rest, I said, like I was the one in charge. I need a quiet place to think.

Do you want me to come with you? said Jenny.

No, I said. You need to stay here.

She looked surprised. Did she know I suspected her of being one of those agents Peter had spoken about? Could she sense my lack of trust and general belief that she was capable of turning on me? And if she could, was it any different to what she sensed from me on a daily basis?

The elf queen had the ability to cast spells, but they didnt work on Visitors. Jenny had been under the control of another mind, but it neednt have been the Queen herself. It could have been a gem like the one in my pocket. Evand had taken over Nyxs body and then the little dragons. Each time, the gem had been ejected.

Jenny hadnt pooped any precious stones. She might still be under the influence of a being similar to Evand. If the urges of the host could be shared, why not the memories. This Jenny could be faking it, or maybe didnt even know she was being manipulated. And if the gem had to be swallowed willingly, why would she have agreed to do it in the first place?

Lots of questions, and one obvious person to ask. My hand tightened around the stone in my pocket. What I also needed was a strong threat to get him to talk. A pointy thing that drained gems of their power sounded ideal. Peter may have needed the spike to save the world, but I had better uses for it.