he expected.
Hal’s disposition slid from welcoming to grave. “I am aware.”
Ras turned and pointed to the door Dayus had exited. “He said you could do something.”
“Straight to business. I can appreciate that,” Hal said with a nod.
Ras studied Hal’s response. Whomever sat in front of him definitely resembled the pictures of Hal Napier from the history books. “Dayus,” Ras said as though trying out the name, “also mentioned there was a way to save Verdant .”
“That’s an entirely different type of saving, but we’ll get to that, don’t you worry.” He leaned over to a side table and picked up a newspaper with a photo of Ras on the courthouse steps with the words “I’M SO SORRY” in dark, bold print, as if Ras needed a reminder. “I am told you are neighbors with the Tourbillons. How are they?”
Ras shot up from his chair. “Sir, with all due respect, people are dying out there and you’re trying to make small talk.”
“The talk I make is never small,” Hal said. “Now, please, sit. I’ve already put in a call to The Collective to put a stop to it.”
“You can do that?” Ras asked, his frustration allayed for the moment. The Collective’s absence from The Bowl made him wonder how long it would take for them to arrive, and how much damage Verdant would suffer in the meantime.
“Indirectly.” A shallow grin crept across his lips. “ Verdant is not without its defenses either. She will survive this.” He waited for Ras to sit before he continued. “Now, the Tourbillons.”
“They’re on Verdant , how good can they be right now?” Ras shrugged. “How do you know them?”
Hal rose from his chair and began walking toward one of his book displays. “Would you care to wager a guess as to why I’m in Verdant ?”
Ras thought for a moment. “Because The Kingfisher has a scoop engine and got stuck after I killed the last source of Energy in the area?”
Hal laughed. “That’s a good guess, but no. Let me simply say that I’m always looking for a good man, and you’ve captured my attention.”
“What specifically are you looking for?”
“Redemption,” he said, then after a pause, “for you.” He picked up a book from the shelf, idly flipped through its brittle pages, then tossed it back onto a desk. “For me, I’m looking for a properly motivated wind merchant with enough grit to retrieve what I need. For a great reward.”
Ras cocked an eyebrow.
“You should probably hear what I need before you fill your head with possibilities.” His voice darkened, yet remained kind. “Erasmus, have you ever traveled outside of The Bowl?”
“Once when I was little.”
“Then you should well understand that there is a big world out there with many things that defy one’s understanding; that can challenge a way one believes the world to run.”
“Like magic?” Ras asked.
“No, not like magic. Well, yes, like magic, in that you don’t understand it, but not magic. If you’d like, you may now ask the obvious question you’ve been holding in,” Hal said casually.
“How are you still alive?”
“ How are you still alive ? An excellent question and one that should indeed be asked. The short answer is that The Kingfisher keeps me alive.” He paused. “Well, that’s not entirely true. It helps, though.” Hal appeared to lose himself in thought for a moment. “I was born one-hundred and sixty-four years ago, if that sets the stage.”
Ras let out an inadvertent laugh. “I’m sorry, I just have a hard time believing that.”
“Your belief does not determine the truth of me,” Hal said, stifling any pithy response from Ras. “Your father also had difficulty believing everything, but he believed in what I offered.”
“Which was?”
“A solution,” Hal said. “Very similar to the solution you are after for your problem. Out of curiosity, how did you destroy the Convergence?”
“I collected it with my ship,” Ras said.
“Simple
Hal’s disposition slid from welcoming to grave. “I am aware.”
Ras turned and pointed to the door Dayus had exited. “He said you could do something.”
“Straight to business. I can appreciate that,” Hal said with a nod.
Ras studied Hal’s response. Whomever sat in front of him definitely resembled the pictures of Hal Napier from the history books. “Dayus,” Ras said as though trying out the name, “also mentioned there was a way to save Verdant .”
“That’s an entirely different type of saving, but we’ll get to that, don’t you worry.” He leaned over to a side table and picked up a newspaper with a photo of Ras on the courthouse steps with the words “I’M SO SORRY” in dark, bold print, as if Ras needed a reminder. “I am told you are neighbors with the Tourbillons. How are they?”
Ras shot up from his chair. “Sir, with all due respect, people are dying out there and you’re trying to make small talk.”
“The talk I make is never small,” Hal said. “Now, please, sit. I’ve already put in a call to The Collective to put a stop to it.”
“You can do that?” Ras asked, his frustration allayed for the moment. The Collective’s absence from The Bowl made him wonder how long it would take for them to arrive, and how much damage Verdant would suffer in the meantime.
“Indirectly.” A shallow grin crept across his lips. “ Verdant is not without its defenses either. She will survive this.” He waited for Ras to sit before he continued. “Now, the Tourbillons.”
“They’re on Verdant , how good can they be right now?” Ras shrugged. “How do you know them?”
Hal rose from his chair and began walking toward one of his book displays. “Would you care to wager a guess as to why I’m in Verdant ?”
Ras thought for a moment. “Because The Kingfisher has a scoop engine and got stuck after I killed the last source of Energy in the area?”
Hal laughed. “That’s a good guess, but no. Let me simply say that I’m always looking for a good man, and you’ve captured my attention.”
“What specifically are you looking for?”
“Redemption,” he said, then after a pause, “for you.” He picked up a book from the shelf, idly flipped through its brittle pages, then tossed it back onto a desk. “For me, I’m looking for a properly motivated wind merchant with enough grit to retrieve what I need. For a great reward.”
Ras cocked an eyebrow.
“You should probably hear what I need before you fill your head with possibilities.” His voice darkened, yet remained kind. “Erasmus, have you ever traveled outside of The Bowl?”
“Once when I was little.”
“Then you should well understand that there is a big world out there with many things that defy one’s understanding; that can challenge a way one believes the world to run.”
“Like magic?” Ras asked.
“No, not like magic. Well, yes, like magic, in that you don’t understand it, but not magic. If you’d like, you may now ask the obvious question you’ve been holding in,” Hal said casually.
“How are you still alive?”
“ How are you still alive ? An excellent question and one that should indeed be asked. The short answer is that The Kingfisher keeps me alive.” He paused. “Well, that’s not entirely true. It helps, though.” Hal appeared to lose himself in thought for a moment. “I was born one-hundred and sixty-four years ago, if that sets the stage.”
Ras let out an inadvertent laugh. “I’m sorry, I just have a hard time believing that.”
“Your belief does not determine the truth of me,” Hal said, stifling any pithy response from Ras. “Your father also had difficulty believing everything, but he believed in what I offered.”
“Which was?”
“A solution,” Hal said. “Very similar to the solution you are after for your problem. Out of curiosity, how did you destroy the Convergence?”
“I collected it with my ship,” Ras said.
“Simple
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