returning tomorrow to perform the repairs. May I expect that you will behave and allow him to repair your teeth in peace?"
Sygillis reached up and felt her teeth. She winced. "You fix them," she said. "I will allow you to repair them."
"I do not know how to repair teeth. He will repair them tomorrow. I shall sit nearby if you wish."
Davage smiled. "Do you realize that we have been talking for several minutes now, and you have yet to threaten to kill me?"
She carefully felt her mouth with her hand. "Oh, I am going to kill you, Captain, make no mistake, at the first convenient moment that I get. I simply haven't decided how, that is all. I haven't decided what will be … fitting for a man such as yourself. I have, however, determined that you have earned a good death, one that will be talked about and remembered in both Xaphan and League Society. You appear to have courage and a bit of wit. I feel you have earned that honor. Rest assured, in any event, my final judgment for you will be spectacular."
Davage puzzled over what she had just said. "Lady Sygillis, was that a compliment of some sort?"
"Yes, the highest I can offer you," she said as if it should have been clear.
"Why should you choose to compliment me?"
Sygillis thought for a moment. "I suppose … because you faced me like a man."
"Has nobody ever looked you square in the eye?"
"No … nobody."
"Then why do you wish to kill me?"
"Because it's my duty. You are the League. You call yourself Elder, and you must die. I have to kill you." She looked up at the ceiling for a moment. "I have to kill you."
"Fine," Davage said. "I'll have something to look forward to then. Why don't you try using the Dora? Just slip them on my feet, and a few days later I'll be dead. Or if you wish it to be quicker, you could just beat me with them and—"
Sygillis, the Black Hat, made a noise, a soft snorting sound that she quickly suppressed. Davage paused, wondering what the sound was.
It was a laugh.
Sygillis had just laughed. Just a tiny, short giggle, but still, a League Elder had just made a Xaphan—a Black Hat for that matter—laugh.
Davage was astonished.
Sygillis sat there in bed and also seemed astonished.
Slowly, his thoughts racing, he headed to the door. "I'll leave you to your sinister contemplations."
Sygillis watched him walk to the door. "Captain?" she said.
He stopped. "Yes?"
"You had mentioned previously that, should I desire anything in particular from the galley, you will have it prepared for me. Correct?"
Davage was intrigued. He stepped away from the door and approached her.
"I did, I did indeed. Is there something that you have in mind?"
"Ooust, I want a bowl of Ooust. With coffee to drink and possibly some pastries for desert. I will require your assistance in properly preparing the coffee."
He sat back down in the chair next to her. He didn't bother to point out that she, a Xaphan, has just asked him, a League, for something— yet another first.
"Hmmm, Ooust—I'm afraid that I don't know that particular dish. However, Lord Ottoman, my chief chef, has a vast knowledge of dishes." He looked up at the ceiling.
"Com," he said.
"Com here, Captain."
"Get me Lord Ottoman right away please."
"Aye, sir."
After a moment, a jolly, beefy voice filtered down through the com. "I'm here, Captain, what can I do for you?"
"Ottoman, my friend, I've just had a special request for a bowl of Ooust. Can you make such a thing?"
"Ooust? That's a new one on me, and that cannot stand. I won't have a dish floating around out there that I don't know. If you give me the recipe, I'll be happy to make a batch. I'll call in the whole staff if I have to. I must prepare this dish, this Ooust, or I shall not sleep tonight. It's a scandal."
Davage turned to Sygillis. "Can you assist Lord Ottoman with the ingredients? He appears most distressed. I am asking for your help."
Sygillis thought a moment. "Well, I believe it has …"
"Speak up a bit, please, so that
Sygillis reached up and felt her teeth. She winced. "You fix them," she said. "I will allow you to repair them."
"I do not know how to repair teeth. He will repair them tomorrow. I shall sit nearby if you wish."
Davage smiled. "Do you realize that we have been talking for several minutes now, and you have yet to threaten to kill me?"
She carefully felt her mouth with her hand. "Oh, I am going to kill you, Captain, make no mistake, at the first convenient moment that I get. I simply haven't decided how, that is all. I haven't decided what will be … fitting for a man such as yourself. I have, however, determined that you have earned a good death, one that will be talked about and remembered in both Xaphan and League Society. You appear to have courage and a bit of wit. I feel you have earned that honor. Rest assured, in any event, my final judgment for you will be spectacular."
Davage puzzled over what she had just said. "Lady Sygillis, was that a compliment of some sort?"
"Yes, the highest I can offer you," she said as if it should have been clear.
"Why should you choose to compliment me?"
Sygillis thought for a moment. "I suppose … because you faced me like a man."
"Has nobody ever looked you square in the eye?"
"No … nobody."
"Then why do you wish to kill me?"
"Because it's my duty. You are the League. You call yourself Elder, and you must die. I have to kill you." She looked up at the ceiling for a moment. "I have to kill you."
"Fine," Davage said. "I'll have something to look forward to then. Why don't you try using the Dora? Just slip them on my feet, and a few days later I'll be dead. Or if you wish it to be quicker, you could just beat me with them and—"
Sygillis, the Black Hat, made a noise, a soft snorting sound that she quickly suppressed. Davage paused, wondering what the sound was.
It was a laugh.
Sygillis had just laughed. Just a tiny, short giggle, but still, a League Elder had just made a Xaphan—a Black Hat for that matter—laugh.
Davage was astonished.
Sygillis sat there in bed and also seemed astonished.
Slowly, his thoughts racing, he headed to the door. "I'll leave you to your sinister contemplations."
Sygillis watched him walk to the door. "Captain?" she said.
He stopped. "Yes?"
"You had mentioned previously that, should I desire anything in particular from the galley, you will have it prepared for me. Correct?"
Davage was intrigued. He stepped away from the door and approached her.
"I did, I did indeed. Is there something that you have in mind?"
"Ooust, I want a bowl of Ooust. With coffee to drink and possibly some pastries for desert. I will require your assistance in properly preparing the coffee."
He sat back down in the chair next to her. He didn't bother to point out that she, a Xaphan, has just asked him, a League, for something— yet another first.
"Hmmm, Ooust—I'm afraid that I don't know that particular dish. However, Lord Ottoman, my chief chef, has a vast knowledge of dishes." He looked up at the ceiling.
"Com," he said.
"Com here, Captain."
"Get me Lord Ottoman right away please."
"Aye, sir."
After a moment, a jolly, beefy voice filtered down through the com. "I'm here, Captain, what can I do for you?"
"Ottoman, my friend, I've just had a special request for a bowl of Ooust. Can you make such a thing?"
"Ooust? That's a new one on me, and that cannot stand. I won't have a dish floating around out there that I don't know. If you give me the recipe, I'll be happy to make a batch. I'll call in the whole staff if I have to. I must prepare this dish, this Ooust, or I shall not sleep tonight. It's a scandal."
Davage turned to Sygillis. "Can you assist Lord Ottoman with the ingredients? He appears most distressed. I am asking for your help."
Sygillis thought a moment. "Well, I believe it has …"
"Speak up a bit, please, so that
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