Chapter 5

As Tor came up he decided to look up Anna.

"Anna, could we talk?"

Ann smiled. Talk? The dreamy way Tor got when looking at her made her wonder at times.

"No Tor, there is no sister."

Now Tor stared. He knew he had wanted to ask her, but how did she knew?

"No Anna, it wasn't that, but thanks all the same. A daughter then?"

Anna almost flared up hearing him. Of all presumptuous egoistically acting males. But then she saw the small twinkle in his eyes as he asked and started to laugh.

"I will have a talk with the captain." She promised. "But don't you think you'll be a little to old then?"

"A Viking is never to old my dear, at least not if you ask him."

Then he became serious again.

"Now, that wasn't the reason I came to talk with you Anna. I wanted to ask you about your man. Don't take this wrong Anna, but I trust you to keep this confidential. I'm in a quandary here."

Anna studied his grave appearance, seeing his almost shamed expression she relented.

"As long as it doesn't involve anything making me lie to my husband Tor."

Tor smiled at her again, this wasn't the first time he wished he had meet her before Anwar.

"It does not Anna. And if you find it does I will release you from it too."

As they sat down around the table Tor started to explain.

"Anna, we know that you are chartered by our enemies. There are two stories to why we call them enemies. One that I'm sure you already heard, involving us reaping the land holding towns hostage for loot, the other more complicated."

"Go on."

"Our clan have never been that involved in those reaping's Sara. We lay inland and are more of a rural community, not that we haven't sent youngsters to learn, and grow up to become men. As the chief councilors of our coalition we have urged the other clans to find better ways of trade a long time now. But recently there have been a lot of disturbances happening. Unknown raiders attacking village's, killing all."

He seemed to weight his words carefully as he continued

"As we started to look into it we found them having raider's commissions, letters of mark and reprisal from the Kingdome you serve. But the strangest thing, and why we so badly need to get back, was that the weasel clan, who is of our own, is the instigators of the commotion."

Anna studied him, trying to understand.

"Do you mean that the Crown and the Weasel clan both want a war? That doesn't make sense?"

"No Anna, that is not what we think. We think that there must be traitors in both our lands, some unholy alliance wanting us to spend men and resources fighting, just wanting to walk in when we are spent."

"And?"

"Me and Lars have an idea, I would like to run it by you first."

"Why not with my man?"

"One of the things we need to know is just what your captains commitment is, also I would like your help with presenting it."

Anna had found the men they had saved both honorable and trustworthy, so far. She waited for him to develop his ideas as Tor studied her thoughtfully.

"I know that you are bound by promises, what I would like to know is your interpretation of them. But first, Anwar. Would he be open to propositions Anna?"

"Depends, as you say we are limited by our agreement with the townsfolk of Tarmi."

As Tor kept on explaining she started to see why he had hesitated in presenting his ideas directly to Anwar. It wasn't as much as they would be treacherous, but the interpretation of their responsibility would indeed become wider, as well as more dangerous for them and their ships. As he finished she nodded curtly.

"I will try Tor. I can see your ideas, but I'm not sure if Anwar will see it the same. There is also the question of the added risqué to us and our ships."

Then she smiled. "But that first idea of yours is long overdue."

"First?"

"A child Tor, a child." She nodded resolutely again, smiling up at him.

Tor laughed a little surprised.

"Yes, I agree Anna. A pity you didn't take care of that sixteen years ago."

"Ah, oldster. You would still be too old for her, and I would have been to young."

She watched Tor's chest swelling up with offended pride, reminding her not a little of a peacock's strutting, as he smiled back at her.

"Don't be to sure little one."

First she almost felt offended at his suggestion, but thinking of it she realized that he meant himself, not her. Then neither of them could hold their laughter any longer.

Stanislaw sat on his throne, taking care of his needs. This was just another one of those human inventions hell had adapted to. Dating from the seventeen hundreds it made it possible to enjoy most anything, without having to move. In France where it once came from it had made it possible to have banquets going on for days without needing to leave the table.

"Prrfff."

"You called mein Fuhrer."

"No, I shat." Answered Stanislaw. "But as you're here, wipe."

As the man got about his new duty Stanislaw decide to give Sir Geimol a call. As his small mirror materialized before him he gave the instructions and seeing sir Geimol again he bared his fangs in a friendly, if somewhat predatory smile.

"So good to see you Sire." He said studying The Demon's newest victim hang upside down before the mirror.

"Could you move the carcass?"

As Sir Geimol moved it he could hear him muttering. "A man's work is never finished. Off you go."

Letting the man fall down on the spiked floor of the shaft from where he had gotten him.

"I'm reading a new tome." He explained as the man fell screaming down the shaft. "It's fairly ancient and recommends the use of spikes as a matter of reaching good health and long life."

"Ah, another human invention mayhap?" asked Stanislaw as the scream abruptly stopped.

"Yes, but so far it hasn't worked at all? As soon as I drop them they die?"

"Well, it is a bother, having to reanimate them." Admitted Stanislaw.

"No matter Sire, what gives me the honor of your call?" asked Sire Geimol, becoming all businesslike again.

"This apprentice of yours, Magmaliaa. I'm sorely disappointed in her Sire. Although placing my trust in here she have stopped communicating. There wouldn't be any way to get her into my fold again, would it?"

Sire Geimol rubbed his horns as he pondered Sir Stanislaw's request. She wasn't his problem anymore, and as far as he was concerned she had been fully trained. That the chairman didn't have his accomplishment in dealing with succubae came as a little of a surprise. But there was one thing that might help him although he wasn't sure.

"Sire, as you may know she came to us through 'The Diversion'."

"Yes? And no, I didn't know." 'The Diversion' was a referral to that time when those most mighty had been thrown out, so long ago, to take their residence in what later became known as hell.

"Well, she did. As I bought her I got her pedigree too. It seems that this female form wasn't her first. And as I questioned her about it I found her surprisingly reluctant to discuss the matter."

"And?"

"Well, as I said, reluctant, or more to the point, refusing to tell me anything at all."

"Obstinate you say?"

"Quite so Sire. It seemed a weakness in her, but as she was shaping up so well otherwise I found it unnecessary to probe it any further, at that point."

"And?"

"Well, as a metagurge of the seventh order I do have a burning curiosity Sire. Due to my further research I at last found out what might be a reason."

"Well, tell me then Sire." Said Stanislaw, getting tired of the old fools prattling.

Sir Geimol seemed to think it over for some time before he continued.

"Mundane's as we know, since their invention, have been seen to abide by two genders. To my surprise Sire, as I furthered my knowledge, I found that not to be true anymore."

He harrumphed, looking as if he was preparing to import something of the utmost importance.

"After 'The Apple' they seems to have splintered into a lot of new genders. Although having the appearance of only two, they nowadays have a number of definitions for themselves. Some of them little accepted by a majority of their faiths too, clinging to what they deem as the ideals of their origin."

Stanislaw shook his head impatiently. "Come to the point Sire, the point I say."

"Well Sire, There is little known about them, is there not. We don't know where Adam resides any more. As for Eve, well, the same can be said too, is that not so Sir?"

As Stanislaw started to realize what Sir Geimol was hinting at he couldn't help himself becoming interested in the insufferable old fools meandering's.

"And you're implying?"

"Sire, let me put it this way. If what I now suspect is correct we at last could put the rectangularity of heaven to shame. To my everlasting regrets though, I must admit that this further research of mine only materialized after I'd reassigned her to your tender care."

Stanislaw licked the pointy arrow of his tail, thoughtfully cleaning it of his defecation, looking accusingly at his servant, as he considered the new relevance of Magma's bloodline.