Page 38 of Leviathan's Song
I sank back into the oversized chair a bit when her focus landed on me again. “He said you were from the council that Adonci… that the sprite, referenced in her letter.” I tried not to fidget, but I just couldn’t get comfortable in a chair sized for an orc.
“Ah, yes. His spectral included a copy of that. That’s a bit of an oversimplification, actually. I’m the Liaison for the Alliance of Oceanic Nation-States that have a presence here in Whitewave. The council is part of that, headed up mostly by mer.” Her eyes flickered to Levi before returning to me. “But I’m not specifically a part of that.”
I couldn’t tell if she was uncomfortable discussing mer in front of Levi or suspicious of him, but her reactions to him put me on edge.
“The sprites have been protesting in front of the council building, and the sparks are showing signs of taking up their cause. Both the fairies and the council are petitioning the Alliance to try to straighten things out, but we’re focused on trying to cope with the influx of refugees from The Deep and coordinating defensive measures between the sprites and a number of aquatic races and—” She took a deep breath and eyed her overflowing desk despondently. “Everything’s just a big mess right now.”
I nodded to show her that I understood, even though I categoricallydid not. It seemed like the polite thing to do, but she waved me off, probably tipped off by my expression.
“Don’t worry about it. I pulled what I could find on record about you yesterday—I hope you don’t mind—when I was notified that the sprite, Adonci, had passed in the Void and been returned to the Boundlands by you. Curiosity on my part, wanting to know why she entered the Void in the first place. It seems she knew she would never make it as far from the ocean as your home in Golden Laurel, so she decided to try her chances in the Void.” Muriel slouched as she discussed Adonci’s end, taking a moment to stare blankly at her file. But then she slapped on a tight smile and met my eyes again.
“I noticed that your focuses during your university studies were on amulet artifices and golemancy.” It was impossible not to notice the excitement building in her voice, and dread began pooling in my gut.
“That’s correct.” I felt Levi’s gaze on the side of my head. A quick glance told me he was fighting a grin for some reason.
Muriel lifted a file from the same stack and pulled out another sheet of paper, scanning a few lines near the top. “You received very high marks and several awards,” she murmured. “Do you still trade in golems? I can only find records of a few golem sales right after your schooling was completed.”
She set the paper down and focused her gaze on me. “I ask because the Alliance could use some golems to add to their defense capabilities, and with your skill level, and relationship to your father, who has a very impressive resumé, you might be a prime candidate. Is that something you or your father would be interested in? I haven’t been able to find a way to get in contact with him.”
I sighed—I couldn’t help it—and squeezed my eyes shut briefly. My first reaction was to say ‘no, thanks’ and dust my hands of it. I didn’t want to be involved because of the ethical issues with trading heartstones and because the last thing I wanted was for my creations to end up becoming war machines. This lady was plainly asking me to make this Alliance a weapon of war.
But wasn’t that what Adonci had been after when she stepped into the Void?Would I have told her no to her face if she’d explained her situation and asked for my help? I wasn’t sure anymore.
I decided to start with the easiest question, not that I’d actually remembered all of her rapid-fire inquiries. “My father is under private contract with the elven parliament and has signed a non-compete agreement with them, which remains in effect for… well, at least the next two years, last time he mentioned it.”
Muriel frowned slightly. “More’s the pity.”
“For myself, I’ve taken a step back from golemancy in recent years because there are a number of ethical issues in building them that make me uncomfortable.” I made an effort not to touch the wasp nestled in my jacket pocket. “I’m not saying I absolutely wouldn’t be interested, but I’ve turned down a number of these requests in the past, and accepting one now would make things much more difficult for me in dealing with people I’ve previously said no to.”
Her brow furrowed as I spoke until she appeared completely perplexed when I finished. “Ethical issues? I don’t… I’m sorry, I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean. How is it any different than creating an amulet or any other magical object?”
In my peripheral vision, I saw Levi sit forward and brace his elbows on his knees, but I focused on Muriel. “I’ve encountered problems in the past with fairies asking for things as heartstone payment that were highly illegal and morally repugnant. Now I insist on customers providing certified documents that trace a heartstone to its origins, which can be hard to come by. That’s not even getting into a construct’s final purpose. Will I be creating something that bears no purpose other than violence, in the end? If I create something that causes suffering or ends a life, am I as much to blame for that suffering as the person wielding the object? I have zero desire to add to the arsenal of a conquering nation. What assurances do I have that my constructs won’t find their way into such hands someday, even long after I’ve passed on?”
I made myself stop. I could continue this train of thought for a very long time, as it was something I’d expended a lot of mental energy on. To her credit, Muriel appeared contemplative instead of irritated as I’d expected.
“And unfortunately, I turned the heartstone Adonci provided over to Enforcement, and Officer Balcorte informed me this afternoon that it’s been locked away until further notice.”
She waved a hand dismissively. “I could submit a request for release, but the Alliance has several much larger heartstones readily available. I can tell you, from sitting in on hours upon hours’ worth of meetings with Alliance groups bickering and arguing with one another, that no one intends to use golems to conquer anyone else’s territory. These would be used strictly for defense, and defense is desperately needed for The Deep right now. My only real concern is how territorial the Alliance is being about the heartstones. I may have to convince them you’re a mer,” she joked, and then darted another glance at Levi.
“So how can I allay your other fears?” She visibly wilted as she cast her gaze around the paperwork overflowing her desk. “And how quickly can I do it?”
When I looked over at Levi, his eyes were intense, betraying some emotion I had a hard time reading. He studied me as if he found me fascinating but didn’t know what to make of me. He looked as conflicted as I felt, and his eyes lingered on me for a long moment before turning to address Muriel.
“Do you mind if she takes some time to think? Maybe have some lunch and come back? She’s had a long couple of days, and I know she hasn’t eaten yet.”
He was using his most persuasive voice again, his lure front and center, and I couldn’t find it in me to feel anything but grateful. I hadn’t realized how run down I was feeling and some time to regroup sounded really good. Plus, I regretted not having Sidney with me to talk this through with. She was usually my sounding board at times like this.
I looked to Muriel for her response, and she gave a sharp nod. “Of course. I will see if I can find out anything about the heartstones we have available and get in contact with some Alliance members who might be able to speak to your other concerns.”
I thanked her and rose, turning toward the door, only to hesitate at the last second. “Do you happen to know where Adonci’s remaining child is?” I asked Muriel before we left. “If he’s being cared for?”
Muriel pasted on a sad smile. “I don’t have that information unfortunately, but even if I did, I wouldn’t be able to divulge anything about him.”
I nodded. “I would like to speak to some of the sprite members of the Alliance.” Muriel gave her assent before Levi wrapped a loose arm around my waist and guided me to the door, releasing me immediately once I complied.
He led me to a little out-of-the-way eatery a few streets down that specialized in all kinds of different seafood skewers wrapped in seaweed. We stood at the counter, and I chose the scallops. He frowned at me when I dug out my wallet and shook his head, looking mildly offended.
“This is one of my favorite little hole-in-the-wall joints in Whitewave,” he said when we took our seats at a table in a lonely corner. “If the selkie can’t get you in touch with the sprites, I have some connections who can.”
