Denno's head would stop his personal plans well enough. Unless he'd made copies of himself too. Tor took a deep breath, which only helped a little and waited on the Queen, who looked shocked. But only for a few seconds. She leaned into him and whispered softly that they could meet in the water garden later for a “walk”, at one in the morning.
That would do. It was just past eleven thirty then, and Tor had to get everything ready first. Talk to Burks and make ready for whatever plan was offered, just in case it actually required something from him.
On the way out his grandfather raised a hand and waved him into a side room, then stood facing him, that way it would be nearly impossible to read his lips from anywhere else in the room. Tor silenced the conversation for them and shook his head before speaking.
“Really, that was the best you could do? I'm surprised everyone in the room wasn't laughing at it. A green sigil? I know it's your color… but still, it’s a bit obvious isn’t it? Also, it's cream and golden yellow, it matches Smythe's favorite robes, not white and pure stark yellow. More of a golden rod. Don't tell me that you just scrambled it up last night either, it was the wrong color of focus stone to be from here. That was something you've had. Probably faked up to pass any tests you had to take using one. Not trying to act all superior, but you can do a better job than that. Little kids can do better than that. If you don't believe me, let's quick make a wager and send the idea to the school. If we don't get three that are better, I'll make one for you myself.” Tor didn't smile, it was serious enough. It was one thing to make a copy of his work, or even change it to make it better. That had to be welcomed no matter who did it.
But making something so bad… and just so you could keep lying?
Who did that?
A liar did, that's who.
“All of that and what you take away that I made a poor duplicate of one of your pieces? Please tell me you picked up some of the rest…”
Tor didn't roll his eyes, but he did snort and started reciting what he'd gotten.
“Then when he let slip the bit about another Ancient being in on it with him, well, I didn't know what to think, but I figured that was why you wanted me to pretend to apologize, that or you just want to keep the peace. Hard to do if someone wants you dead though, or at least out of the way. Did you get who it is?” Is it you?
Tor really wanted to ask, but couldn't. What if it was the truth? Then they'd have to fight and really, Tor couldn't win. He'd do it, but it would just end with his own death if it ever came to that.
Burks was still dressed in green, except for his black shoes, the jacket was heavy and so were the trousers, which spoke of strength, but the buttons were wood, polished black and no belt was visible. He froze for an instant, almost too short to notice and swallowed.
“I didn't catch that much even. I feared it. That, however, isn't the same as knowing. Not at all. People sometimes confuse the two things. Its common even. That's why accusation must never be assumed to be fact. But you aren't accusing, just saying what you perceived.” He looked at Tor seriously.
“I'd prefer you not tell anyone about this yet.” The tone was serious, but it was a simple statement, not a request.
Tilting his head to the right, Tor replied.
“I'd prefer to not have to deal with stupid shit all the time. Crazy Austrans killing people. Crazy Ancients that can't even run a single land properly trying to take over the globe, or whatever the hell his plan is… I know that he thinks someone is threatening him, that’s why he’s doing it, whatever the heck he’s up too. I'm a simple school boy. Or I should be at least. At most I should be plotting some complicated device right now for my next build. You know what I'd prefer? That when I go to tell Connie about what happened, you'd come along and make sure she and Rich know you aren't working with Denno, aren't betraying anyone at all.” Even if you are. The thought when unsaid, but it must have passed across his face.
Sighing Burks did nothing for a long while and Tor just stared at him, until finally he nodded.
“Alright. When and where.” It came out blankly, calmly and sounded so reasonable that Tor just told him about the meeting, glad that Burks was going to be reasonable about the whole thing. After all, if they both went and told what they'd found, the King would probably back the Ancient’s plan, whatever that was. Rich really respected the man after all.
He didn't even think about it being a bad idea until the jolt ran through him, Burks holding a small object in his hand that didn't seem to do anything but make things go dark. At first he thought it was stealing his energy somehow, but in the end he just fell, not getting up again for a long while.
The prison was small when he woke, feeling around he found the wall almost in reach and the others after barley moving. He felt a ledge as he sat on the ground, the black space too dark to see in at all. Patting his chest he kind of expected his amulets to all be gone, but they were there, so using the glow of the various little sigils, he found the hand light and tapped it, which brightened the space considerably. It was just a supply closet not a real cell at all. Unfinished wooden shelves held clothes and rags for cleaning, soaps of various kinds and brushes, as well as rack for broom and mops, even a shovel, though Tor didn't know why that would be needed indoors. He found the sigil that would let him walk through a solid object, it glowed deep red and just has a line with a single arrow passing through it. Starting to hit it Tor stopped and tried the brass knob instead on a whim first. It was unlocked. So… not a prisoner at all?
It was also morning, meaning he'd been out for a good while. Ten hours or so at a guess.
The light through the large window gave it away. It was even the same room that Burks had pulled him into. God… Connie! He'd told Burks about the meeting… Tor ran, not knowing at all where he was going or who to talk to at all.
“Um, help? Help? Someone? Royal Guards? Emergency… It's… It's urgent!” That last word had four liveried people running into the room with weapons drawn. Embarrassed and not knowing what could be happening Tor explained everything. Before he'd finished the part about waking up in a broom closet, one of the guards yelled.
“Secure the building! Secure the building! Arrest Count Lairdgren and Master Tor! Secure the family!”
Arrest him? Well, that wasn't going to end well if they tried. He'd had bad experiences with going peacefully before, so no one was taking his weapons or shield now and if they thought they were…
The man in purple and black just shrugged.
“Sorry Tor, but he can look like you…”
Oh, right. That. Well, if they had to arrest the other him, that was fine then.
He did point out he was the short one, just in case it came up, which made the guard in front of him nod. They knew that already, but still, it could be hard to tell without both there for comparison.
It was tense for a while, Connie came rushing in with the rest of the royal family, all sputtering and sleepy, asking why he was being arrested and if he was why hadn't someone tried yet? Karina hugged him and had Ali on her arm, so no one had been harmed at least. Starting from the beginning he covered everything, Denno, Burks wanting him to be silent on the matter, the whole bit. Even the meeting with the Queen that he didn't show up at, where he planned to tell her all this.
“Oh? I'd hoped for more, silly of me I guess… At least you had a good reason for standing me up. I was about to be cross with you over it.” She pouted a little, which got her a slightly annoyed glance from Tor.
“Alright.” Tor walked forward and kissed her hard. She blinked at him still puffy and face lined with marks from her pillow.
“There. Now focus please, my grandfather is… I don't know what he's doing, to be honest. Is Denno gone?”
They both were, and so was one of Tor’s fast magical carriages. With a ten hour head start they could be anywhere by now. Almost anywhere on the planet, literally.
“Why?” Tor said far more calmly than he felt.
Everyone looked at him, but Rolph shrugged and spoke quickly, “Well, my guess is that he had a plan and you were about to ruin it. Now that plan could have been anything, but I'm guessing it wasn't about world conquest or Count Lairdgren would have just told us about it and presented his reasons. If they were good enough to make it worth doing, we'd probably back him. He's the Green man after all. If they weren't good enough, he probably wouldn't bother with it himself.”
Richard nodded, and Karina snorted loudly, giving them all a morose look.
“It can't be too bad, he ran away, but he didn't kill Tor, or even hurt him, just put him to sleep for a while.
