Chapter 8

Jollis kept his hands folded before him and maintained a veneer of calm and civility as he strolled alongside the Overlord across the small bridge. "Most impressive," he stated without meeting Freya's eyes. "Quite worthy of your talents as their Overlord."

Freya smiled, letting her hips swing and her short dress fly about her thighs, flashing an occasional glimpse of her bare sex when the breeze caught it just right. "And those are admittedly not my best. You'll forgive me, of course, if I withhold the best until I see just how much this new market values what I have to offer."

"Ah, a wise move on your part, of course."

"I didn't get where I am today by being played the fool."

Just as they stepped off the bridge on the other side of the little moat around Freya's quarters, she slid in front of him, forcing him to stop. He lifted his steady and carefully neutral gaze to hers, one eyebrow rising almost imperceptively in question.

"And you can assure me of this? That I will not be played for a fool?"

Jollis was proud of his mastery of emotional control, for he perceived everything Freya said as a veiled insult. He maintained a rigid calm, face unmoving save to display more inquisitiveness. "Your pardon, Overlord?"

Freya smiled humorlessly and put her hands on her hips. "I realized just the other day how easy it would have been for you to set up a ruse between you and Gronnus. I would have suspected it from the start had I thought that the oaf actually had two thousand platinum."

"You believe this to be a deception, Overlord?"

Freya paused, eyes intense as if studying the merchant's face for any sign of duplicity. She tossed her head and folded her arms. "Let's just say I'm careful about my investments. There has been much deception among the Overlords lately. I refuse to fall further victim to it."

Jollis inclined his head. "Your concern is noted, Overlord. I will endeavor to bring payment quickly upon transporting your slaves to my client."

"And you still insist I cannot use my own Portal for this?"

"I merely wish to spare you some inconvenience, Overlord. My client is conducting much slave business lately and always has a Portal energized. This will save you money as well."

Warily, Freya nodded. "Hmm. I suppose it will."

"I do have a question for you, Overlord," said Jollis, squaring his shoulders as if feeling a need to adopt a more subtly aggressive stand. "How soon could you provide me with more slaves were my clients to accept your first offering?"

Freya smiled slyly. "First we do the deal. Then we'll talk about more."

Jollis considered pushing the point, but decided it was not worth it. Sparring with her now for gain could mean a greater loss later. His loathing of her brooked no leeway to give any advantage. He would arrange things when the time was right, and on his terms.

He suspected that the Overlord was stalling. Even arranging this initial meeting had proven elusive. It was as if Freya were waiting for something else to happen. A little time would allow the Cohorts to determine Freya's game.

All people like Freya played games like this. All that was different were the rules.

Jollis bowed his head. "As you wish, my Lady. In that case, I will depart and contact you when my client is ready to receive your slaves. It should be no more than a very short span of days. Good day, Overlord."

The merchant moved to the side, intending to turn down the path that cut across the concentric circles of slave quarters towards the main gate. Freya again blocked him.

Jollis' gaze rose. Freya's eyes smoldered. Ruby lips curled and glistened somewhere between predatory and sultry.

"Is there something else I may do for you, Overlord?" Jollis asked.

Freya stepped closer. Her hands alighted on his shoulders, fingertips playing along hard flesh. "Perhaps there is something I can do for you, instead."

"I do not follow you, Overlord."

"We never really talked about how much money this client of yours will pay."

"They will pay what they feel the slaves are worth."

Freya gave a throaty chuckle. "Mmm, I've heard that before." One hand slid from his shoulder. A fingertip traced a sinuous path down the front of his tunic and lingered over the tight muscle underneath. "Perhaps we need to negotiate on this point."

Jollis remained impassive. "That would be for my client to decide, Overlord."

"And you have no influence whatsoever? I find that hard to believe."

Jollis did not reply. He stared into Freya's lustful eyes, unmoved.

Her finger strayed towards his waist. "Perhaps I could give you an incentive to strike a good bargain for me. Perhaps better than the one they granted Gronnus. It would be... quite worth your while."

Freya's finger crossed his waist. His hand flicked out. The Overlord flinched at the viselike iron grip that held her hand immobile a finger's breadth away from Jollis' nether regions.

"I am sorry, Overlord," said Jollis in a stiff voice.

"Unhand me at once," Freya demanded. Her quavering voice undermined her indignation.

Jollis waited until her eyes reflected a little of the fear she had tried unsuccessfully to hide from her voice before he finally let go.

Freya snatched her hand back and rubbed at her wrist. "What was the meaning of..."

"I believe you are under a false impression, Overlord," said the merchant in a cool voice. "That you can influence this deal with something other than the quality of your slaves."

Freya gave him an imperious look. "All men can be influenced."

"Not me. Not in this way. I would advise against trying again. For your own good, my Lady."

Freya's eyes blazed, though she took a step back. "Is that a threat, merchant?"

"Take as you wish, Overlord. I merely state that I wish nothing to complicate the deal."

"Fine. Leave, then. But do not take long to contact me again, or I will reconsider the deal."

Jollis bowed his head once and headed past Freya.

The merchant was not pleased with himself. He had let his emotions affect his judgment again. The best course of action would have been to indulge in Freya's sexual overtures and let her believe it would get her a better deal.

He could not in good conscience, however, soil himself with intimate contact of any kind with this woman. She had reduced her slaves to nothing more than glorified sex toys. The Oceanus slaving traditions had always repulsed him, but Freya represented the worst. She and her Manor thoroughly revolted him.

It was clear that she was doctoring her Draught to achieve much of the effect. Her slaves had no minds of their own. They lived only for sexual pleasure, and their cravings made it an effective and cruel weapon to use against them.

Jollis barely acknowledged the guard at the main gate as he stepped through. He headed into the forest and to the small, shaded clearing where his Cohort waited by two horses.

The Cohort bowed his head at his Master's approach. "Did it go well, Wanderer?"

"As much as it fulfills this phase of the new plan, yes," Jollis said stiffly. "Ask me not further on this matter."

"As you wish."

Jollis sighed and, after a pause, spoke his mind anyway. "It seems, my friend, that we are asked to do ever more distasteful things to accomplish our goals."

"And I am afraid I must ask one more of you today, Wanderer. I have received word from our Cohort in the town of Jassa. There is a problem with a goods exchange."

Jollis frowned as he took the tether to his horse in hand. "The goods we are exchanging for the Overlord's platinum, you mean?"

"Yes. Our client states now that the delivered goods are inadequate. He is demanding to renegotiate."

Jollis pulled himself up and mounted his horse. "There will be no renegotiation. He is getting what he specified, nothing more, nothing less."

"I know, Master, but he is insistent, and will complain to the Guild if you do not at least speak with him."

Jollis frowned. Independent merchants were allowed to operate in lands traditionally served by Guild-affiliated clans, but they must adhere to a strict code of conduct. Any violation of protocol was subject to intense scrutiny. The last thing Jollis needed was more attention. He was already working far more openly than he wished.

Moreover, the merchant had already taken a risk in opening an Inonni Portal to obtain the exotic goods in the first place, but it had been the fastest way to transport them. Every little bit of time he could save was precious to him.

"I suppose he will not accept Farview," said Jollis resignedly as he took the reins in hand.

"No, my Wanderer, I am sorry."

"Jassa will divert me from the main road back to the D'yoran Manor. It will mean an extra two days travel. Inform Overlord Gronnus of my delay. Tell him that negotiations with Freya were successful so he will not pester you."

"Yes, of course."

"Are you in contact with this cohort at Jassa?"

"Yes, I can Farview him."

Jollis nodded. "Do so. Arrange to meet outside of town, near the river, in three days."

"Yes, Wanderer."

Jollis had already snapped the reins and turned the horse towards the road.

Evella stared glumly at the apparatus, her head propped up with one hand, a goblet half-filled with a steaming beverage in the other. She shivered through a slow sigh as a breeze blew in from the window and touched her nude body.

She had let the latest experiment run overnight in hope of a breakthrough. While the golden liquid that dripped from the end of the pipette was still pristine and perfect, what had collected in the flask overnight had already congealed near the bottom. The cloudy rust-colored sludge was already dotted with tarry black.

Evella brought the goblet to her lips, only to be startled by the thump of the door of her office. She flinched and yelped as her hot cider splashed and missed her bare skin by several hair's breadths.

"So have you done it yet, or should I just collar you now?" demanded Freya.

The goblet rattled against the table as Evella put it down. She stood and turned to face her Overlord. "I've only had a few days since the new supplies have arrived, my Lady. Please, I need more... ulp!"

Evella's head was wrenched back, the Overlord's fingers curled tightly into her hair.

"Do you want to know what I need, my dear Evella?"

Evella panted and trembled. She stared at Freya, unable to move let alone speak.

Freya pulled down. Evella whimpered, her back bending until her knees gave way. She thumped to the floor before her Overlord. Her eyes were wild with terror. Her hands clenched and unclenched, arms rigid along her sides, as if petrified.

Freya left her like this, listening to her frightened pants, before her other hand reached forward. She lifted her dress and slid her feet apart.

Evella whimpered again and closed her eyes. Freya jerked her head hard. Her eyes shot open, sparks dancing at the edges of her vision. She bit her lip hard as she stared at Freya's bare sex.

Freya pulled the Healer towards her and held it. Evella's breath was hot with panic on her folds.

"Look at it," Freya snarled. "Smell it. Go ahead. Take a big whiff of it. Now."

The vision of Freya's pussy became blurred. She blinked away tears as she forced herself to take a deep breath. She wrinkled her nose at the thick aroma of the Overlord aroused sex. She let out a revolted moan.

"You don't come through for me, Evella, and this will be your world. This will be your only use to me. Do I make myself clear?"

Evella sniffled. "I-I'm trying ... p-please, I really am, I..."

"Answer the question!"

"Y-yes! Yes, I understand! Oh gods..."

Freya let go. Evella fell back on her feet and dropped her face into her hands. Tears dripped from between her fingers to the floor.

"I don't see what is so hard about this!" Freya shouted. "It is a simple formula. It blocks memories and enhances sex drive. It's only limitation is that it has to be given to someone during Portal-shock. Why is that so gods-damned hard to fix?"

Evella cringed. "I d-don't know..."

She truly was at a loss. She was sure that the latest combination of chemicals would do it. Yet still the ingredients refused to interact properly. She knew she was missing something, but she had no idea what.

Freya stared at her Healer and attempted to calm herself. In a more restrained but no less angry voice, she barked, "Get to your feet, you look pathetic."

Evella rose shakily to her feet. She sniffled a few times and wiped at her eyes and nose.

"I have enough problems, Evella, I don't need any more delays in my plans. It is bad enough that I cannot get the other Overlords to stop treating Roquan as a damned messiah. Even with the Urisi negotiations stalled, they will not listen! They refuse to believe anything that will take that infernal Overlord off the pedestal they have placed him upon, and all because of one stupid speech at a Conclave!"

Evella winced as the Overlord's voice rose to a shout again, though she managed not to cringe this time. This was not the first time Freya had vented about her failed dealings.

What the Healer had gleaned was that Freya was attempting to disparage a fellow Overlord for some past indiscretions concerning one of his slaves. She did not understand what the actual issue was, as she did not understand the details of the Oceanus slave trade. She remembered only what had been covered in her general studies classes at the Healer Guild.

"Do not fail me, Evella. The consequences are more far-reaching than your own petty little career."

"I-I'll try my best, my Lady."

Freya's lips curled into an evil smile. "Mistress."

Evella blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"That is your title for me from now on. Mistress."

Evella's eyes became saucers. "B-but ... you said ... you said I had a chance to..."

"You are not my slave. Yet. But I did say I would remove dignities from you if you continued to fail. So you address me as if you were a slave. Is that clear?"

"Yes, M-Mistress."

Freya nodded and started out of the office.

Evella's eyes suddenly widened, and she ran after her Overlord. "Wait! Wait, please!"

Freya stopped and whirled about. "Wait what?"

Evella looked at the Overlord in confusion for a moment. "I-I mean ... please, wait, Mistress."

"Better. What is it?"

"You ... you said something before. About the Draught blocking memories."

Freya sighed impatiently. "Yes, what about it?"

"I thought the Draught erased memories, not blocked them."

"Blocked, erased, what difference does it make, Evella? It gets rid of them, that's all I know. Now, do you have anything else, or are you through wasting my time?"

"No, Mistress, that's all."

Freya glared and left.

Evella stood in thought. She looked back to the apparatus.

That couldn't be it, could it? She was told the Draught erased memories from the mind. But what if it blocked them instead? That was a completely different mechanism. If it were true, it meant that a whole slew of mind-altering herbs worked in a manner that was totally different from what accepted wisdom dictated.

And it would mean that her approach had indeed been completely wrong from the start.

Evella rushed back to her apparatus. She shut off all the valves and began the task of emptying and cleaning it. She had a new experiment to start.

Q'ixanna shot out of his seat. "Absolutely not!"

Q'yros sighed. Arguing his case before the Guildmaster had been as pointless an exercise as he had feared. He placed his tired hands over the top of his staff. "May I ask your reasoning behind denying my request, Guildmaster?" said the Mage with exaggerated politeness.

"You know very well the reason why. You hope to warn the Overlords!"

"Now, why would I want do a silly thing like that?"

"Do not play games with me, Q'yros."

"Then do not act the fool with me! I have shown you the Mage Oath and the seal upon the parchment! You have sensed the magic yourself. I cannot do even the tiniest action or speak a single word that would be construed as purposely undermining your position."

Inspired, the Guildmaster shot an accusing finger at the Mage. "Yes, that's it! Purposely! That is what has been bothering me about this Oath of yours!"

Q'yros stared at Q'ixanna as if truly believing the man to be mad.

"That is your loophole, Q'yros. You have tied it to your intentions. You have said nothing about unintentional actions."

Q'yros' look changed to one of confusion.

The Guildmaster made an impatient noise. "And now you play dumb. Fine, I will play along with this. Now, you claim you need to measure the residual energies of this new Portal that has opened. How do you intend to get there?"

"By one of our own Portals, of course. How else do you intend for me to get there in time to make a reading before the energies fade?"

The Guildmaster waved his hand dismissively. Q'yros fell silent, but gripped the staff like a vise. "And just how do you expect to target it?" Q'ixanna demanded.

"What does this have to do with anything, Guildmaster?"

"Answer my question! How will you target it?"

"As I have told you -- several times -- the Portal has occurred outside the Manor of Overlord Gronnus D'yoran. I need only have him agree to allow me to use his Portal device as a focus for..."

"Ah-ha!"

Q'yros stared, perplexed.

"Do you expect me to believe that the presence of a Mage from the Guild claiming to need an energy reading from a spent Portal would not be viewed with some suspicion by..."

Q'yros grunted and thumped his staff hard once. "Now who is taking who for a fool, Guildmaster? I have no intention of telling him about the Portal. I will simply make a vague claim about a magical anomaly. Gronnus is not one of your brighter Overlords, he will not question it further. Really, Guildmaster, your concern for secrecy is bordering on paranoia. I have no intention of letting any information slip. Do you really think I wish to initiate a panic among the others?"

Q'yros did not really think this would happen. He had better faith in the Overlords and the Noble Lords than that. But he knew that Q'ixanna didn't, so he hoped that it played well against the Guildmaster's prejudices.

Q'ixanna slowly sat down. "When we know the whole story, Q'yros, we will tell them," he said in a lower voice. "Not a moment sooner."

This was the first time the Guildmaster had conceded to cracking the secrecy at all. Q'yros nodded emphatically. "Yes, yes, of course. Once we have an answer, and know the exact threat..."

"And how to counter it!"

The Mage paused but nodded again. "And how to counter it," he said in a strained voice. He was not at all convinced that they could ever counter something like this.

The Guildmaster looked up. "And until then, we cannot afford even the least risk that anything about this leaks out."

Q'yros' shoulders slumped. "So your answer is still 'no, '" he said tonelessly.

"It will have to be for now. If, perhaps, another Portal opens in a more auspicious place..."

The Mage's jaw tightened. He lifted his staff to avoid the temptation of slamming it against the floor once more, this time with enough force to crack the floor and possibly some of the walls as well. "Yes, of course, I am sure that will happen in no time at all."

Despite the intense struggle to keep sarcasm out of his voice, the Mage found himself subjected to Q'ixanna's icy stare. Q'yros did not flinch, casting his own steady gaze back.

"Is there anything else?" It was more a challenge than a question.

"Nothing. Good day." Q'yros marched out.

In the hall, Uroddus adjusted his spectacles. "No luck, Master Q'yros?"

The Mage shook his head, not trusting himself to avoid blurting an expletive about the Guildmaster.

"Pity. Even the long-range observations showed some promise."

Q'yros made a face. "You cannot tell me that you actually spotted something in those vague readings."

"Where the human senses cannot find a pattern, the application of mathematics can."

Q'yros snorted in derision, but gave the Journeyman a look of mild interest.

Unperturbed, Uroddus plodded onward. "Patterns can be hidden in the noise. Mathematics can act as a mask, allowing us to mute the noise and see the pattern. It is similar to what I discovered with the artifacts: more psychic energy than can be accounted for by mere traversal of the Portal."

"And it is of human thought?"

"That, unfortunately, I cannot tell. The threshold of that knowledge is beyond the degree of mathematical precision we can achieve at the moment."

"Then we wait longer for one that is more ... palatable to the Guildmaster."

Uroddus nodded once. He glanced at the door to the Guildmaster's office. "Forgive me for saying so, Master Q'yros, but I do not think much of our present Guild leadership."

Q'yros merely draped his hands over the end of his staff.

Uroddus looked back at the Mage. "If you do not mind me saying so, Master, but many say you would be a better Guildmaster than he."

The Mage shook his head. "I am not interested."

"Surely you don't agree with his policies, either."

Q'yros's fingers curled. His jaw barely moved as he spoke. "I fully support the Guildmaster."

Uroddus raised an eyebrow, but appeared to accept it and nodded once. "Very well, Master, I shall return to my studies. Good day."

"Good day, Uroddus."

The two parted company.

Mandas left his quarters, earning the steely gaze of at least two guards. He gave them a tired and disinterested look. It was a far cry from the imperious mannerisms he had used on them at the start, an attitude that had been honed and perfected over the years to instill an innate sense of either inferiority or indignation upon those against whom it was wielded.

He had grown weary of it. Just as the continued scrutiny of guard after guard as he trudged through the corridor seemed to weigh down his shoulders into an undignified slump. He understood perfectly now how they managed to keep order. Over time, the never-ending surveillance simply wore a person down.

Mandas considered skipping a morning meal. He had little appetite. This assignment was the most stressful of his career. He had negotiated in conditions of open war that were less nerve-wracking than this. But it was the only time he could enjoy (in a relative sense) a bit of solace without the Emperor.

Z'haas was hounding him to agree to the treaty. He would not budge on the merchant issue. Mandas had tried to stall by arguing over petty details in other parts of the treaty, but the Emperor was reaching the end of his patience.

Mandas entered the cafe and retreated to a small table in the corner. Several guards locked their eyes on him and would not turn away. He ordered some tea and a confection. That would have to tide him over, as the Emperor had called him into audience that morning. Mandas had the feeling that Z'haas was going to give him an ultimatum. He was not looking forward to that, or to the reaction of the High Minister.

Mandas turned his seat so he would not have to see the guards. A shadow passed by to the side. He assumed it was the server and simply gestured at a spot on the table.

When nothing happened, the Ambassador looked up and tried not to react in surprise when Nehmat dropped into the seat opposite him. "Ah ... good day to you again, Mandas. Nice ... nice to see you once more before your assignment here is over."

At that moment, the server did arrive, and Mandas used the excuse to look at the guards. As he suspected, at least one had moved closer so he could overhear.

"Yes, Nehmat, I would hate to have to leave without seeing you again," said Mandas smoothly. He smiled faintly. "Naturally, I wonder now if you know something I don't."