Chapter 15:
"I wish you wouldn't stay cooped up in this room," Roselinen announced. Her son's room was as meticulously clean as the loft he'd slept in above her kitchen in his youth. Jay was his father's son–respectful, honest, and hard-working. He was content with his wife, his child, and a happy little house on the corner of their property. He worked their fields just as his father had worked them. At least he had until the wizard rained fire from the sky and burned all the lands around the Feather River. Roselinen had lost her grandson that day. He'd been out on the back forty shearing cushions to make the family some money. That was the moment that had set Jay on the path to his awful wish.
Now her son seemed broken. He was eating. She was sure he was eating. He wasn't going flat. At the same time, he wasn't healing the way Bonnie seemed to be. He was getting no better, and the older woman knew no way to help that. "I'm fine, mom," Jay murmured. He was laying on his back, staring up at the ceiling. "I wish you would come down and work with this Wolf character," Roselinen remarked. "It's helped your sister and I a lot. I'm... I no longer feel like I'm going to accidentally hurt someone with this thing inside of me." "I don't want his help," Jay muttered.
"Jay," Roselinen snapped. "He's cheating on you. He's an ass, mom. He's..." Roselinen's mouth snapped shut. She wasn't exactly thrilled with the current state of affairs. At the same time, she'd come to see that she was in a pretty dreadful spot. What was she to do? Try to banish over a dozen powerful women? Several of them were wizards! "We're working on it, Jay," she rumbled, though she hardly seemed like she was convinced herself. "Anyways, that's not helped by you sitting in this room. You should get out and get fresh air." Glancing at the clock, she said, "damn, I'm late." Without another word, she rushed out of there, slamming the door behind her.
Jay glared at the ceiling, his mind focused on his rage. The temperature of the room rose precipitously, as a dull, red glow suffused the space. As Roselinen Mertens rushed down the stairs to her appointment to train with Finn's friend, Jay conjured a miniature hell in the small suite he'd been lent, his mind going over and over and over the moment where his son died.
Bonnie was seated, cross-legged, in the garden when Roselinen entered. The Wolf was seated before her. The older woman stepped off to join them, but to her surprise, the faster she walked, the farther away she seemed to grow from the pair. In short order, it almost seemed as though Bonnie was more than a mile distant, even though that was impossible in the enclosed space of Frenchie's garden. Then, just as abruptly as the whole business had started, she suddenly found herself standing beside her daughter.
"You're late," announced the Wolf. Smoothing her skirts, Roselinen settled herself on the ground, replying, "I was trying to bring you another customer." The witch-doctor looked up at her with a frown. "He won't come," Roselinen muttered. The Wolf had been very concerned with Jay's habits. He'd been the first to point out just how dangerous it was for Jay to be closeted up in that room by himself thinking dangerous thoughts. The Wolf wasn't going to be hassling the King's kid, and he gave over, announcing, "let's get started."
Across the square from the palace, Odessa was receiving her new spymaster and henchwoman in her suite. Masia strode in as if she owned the place, exuding confidence. She couldn't be more different from Nieve's friend, and the evil grammy had cause to wonder if the bitch's mother hadn't been fucking around on her father. "You're in quite the mood," Odessa announced. "Been busy," Masia replied, as she stepped around in front of the heavy, wrought-iron seat Odessa had purchased for her visits. Settling into the comforting embrace of 'the chair' as the servants called it, the elemental announced, "you're dealing with five factions, Your Highness." Odessa, who'd known there were others playing for power under Finn's nose, replied, "say on..."
Ticking them off one by one, the curvy young woman announced, "the water-nymphs are very unhappy that Finn's sticking his nose in their business. They tried to marry their daughter to him... sort of slow his roll... Simone got in the way. Not sure why. She's letting him bang a lot of... younger women." The wizard was immortal. She would outlive them all. Odessa motioned for her to move on. Masia declared, "Kim Kil Wan the real-estate magnate is playing games behind the scenes. His faction wants to run Finn's empire into bankruptcy and pick up the pieces for a song. Finn's banging his daughter, so there's personal hatred there."
"He has a lot of money," Odessa mused. And money could buy a lot of power and influence if spent in just the right ways. That bore looking into. "There's Princess Bubblegum's mad relation, Gumbald," Masia said. "He's still out there. Nobody's sure how he's managed to stay free with that nasty wood-nymph hunting him across all the kingdoms." Star Mertens had been rousting out every two-coin hostel and empty house looking for the man with no luck. "Somebody's helping him," Odessa replied. "Has to be. We'll have to figure out who that is. Could be another faction." Masia frowned. She hadn't thought of that. "Go on, girl," said Odessa. She didn't need the prideful wench going into a sulk.
"There's a cabal of nobles who're lined up against Finn," Masia declared. "Most are from the same kingdoms that lost the last two wars. Some are from Peanut Kingdom. There's a pack out of Elbow Kingdom. There's even a few working out of Warrior Kingdom and Purple Kingdom." "And the last faction," Odessa asked? "There's a few of Finn's wives who appear to be a little disgruntled at their place in the pecking order," Masia replied. She could scarcely imagine how those women put up with all that philandering in the first place. It stood to reason that some of them would get irritated. "Princess Strudel is one of the more outspoken of that number, but there's rumblings of trouble with the stranger, Roselinen. Apparently, she made a big scene in the Suncoast." "Excellent, my girl," said Odessa. "I'm pleased."
"What's our plan," Masia asked? "We know the players, but there's an awful lot of them." Cryptically, Odessa responded, "we need to redirect their energy, Masia. What's going on with your sister?" "I think she's planning to sneak out of here somehow and get over the western sea to where King's Island lies," the young elemental replied. Odessa frowned. William had gone over the sea. That was dangerous. "Flesh-creature homes are very flammable," Masia remarked. It was out of the blue. "I don't need you burning down the Candy Palace," Odessa chuckled. "I need to be rid of Nieve, not every mophead in the court, nor do I think it's as easy as you believe." Masia shrugged.
Sitting back in her chair, the curvy princess announced, "I had your salary deposited in your account, dear. Go out and have some fun for a bit, but I need you back in a few days. I want to start zeroing in on the members of the noble faction. They'll be our biggest problem." Nodding, Marysia rose to her feet and offered her boss a bow. Wearing a sunny smile, the treacherous teen headed for the door. As she approached the exit, Odessa announced, "if you see your sister, keep me posted on what she's up to." "I will," the teen replied. As her hand touched the door, Masia said, "she's very loyal, Your Highness. She wouldn't leave your granddaughter behind... That is... if you're determined not to let her get on that airship." "Thanks, Masia," Odessa murmured. "I'll bear that in mind."
The Dowager Princess spent much of the day head-down and occupied with the business of her kingdom. Some of the time got spent making phone calls to contacts and allies to confirm things Masia had told her–couldn't be too careful, after all–and to line up her own schemes to thwart some of what the other factions were doing. As the clock on the wall struck five, she got up and headed into the shower to wash before gathering on her finery to head across the square to the Candy Palace. Finn was back in town, and it was time to see what she could do there.
The palace was lively once more as it had been when Finn still made his home there. The courtyard was full of carriages and cars, and there were people out walking about chatting as Odessa strolled through. There were bankers and business-moguls about, somewhat confirming what Masia had been telling her. The rich were definitely taking their own stance instead of following the play of whatever overlord ruled their homeland. She'd be having a talk with some of hers. Some heads might have to be crushed to prove the point. They belonged to her, and she wasn't going to tolerate free-lancing.
Arriving in the palace's ballroom, the curvy woman glanced around her, finding a knot of people over near the garden entrance with some familiar faces among them. Was the Ice Queen back? That could be a problem. She wasn't quite sure what to make of Simone. The wizard was far more devious than she let on. Nothing for it, but to go see, thought Odessa. The hot-grandma turned and headed in that direction.
Indeed, the gathered Royals were in the process of pressing the flesh and meeting Finn's wife. The pack of them were surrounding Roselinen, with Bonnie doing her best to keep them at bay. It was a terrifying reprise of the day that caused her to snatch her mom out of this place and run off to the coast. And her father? He was nowhere in sight. He'd brought them here and then slipped away. She wanted to be angry, but that really wasn't going to help. He couldn't be at their side all the time, or he wouldn't get anything done at all. He was doing just what he'd always done. He'd tried to give his family the skills and wherewithal to do what needed to get done, and then he left them to do their piece of things. So do your piece, Bonnie, the half-breed thought.
"I'm sorry," she interrupted the impertinent banker. "It's not my mother's place to endorse your project, Mr...?" The banker frowned at her. He'd thought they had an agreement last he'd been here! "My daughter's right," Roselinen agreed. "I can, in principal, see your point, but you'd ask me to sign my husband's name to your idea. I won't do that until we've had a moment to talk." She hadn't done that when they were sharing a three room farmhouse, and she wasn't going to start doing it now. "Write it down," Bonnie admonished the stranger. "We'll talk about it with my father and get you an answer."
Those words had Astartes in a state of near-panic. Apparently these two had figured out that they were being gamed, and the window for obtaining their signatures was closing fast. Her idiot employers had decamped to the Suncoast, chasing after these two, and they hadn't come back. She'd been left here with the Matriarch's worthless daughter who spent most of the nights partying and her days sleeping late. She'd been gone out the door when Astartes reached her suite earlier in the evening, and the wizard had been calling her. Relentlessly. A tap on the shoulder had the plump wizard-woman turning to face one of the servants. "You're wanted," said the manservant. He cocked his head towards the far side of the room. Finally, Astartes thought. Hopefully Tallulah was there. She could get the little idiot squared away and get her out here to do her job.
The butler led her across the room to the open door and stood aside for her to go in. Astartes stepped through with an admonishment for her employer's idiot kid quick on her lips. Only, instead of the younger nymph, she found the King of Ooo seated behind a table with a chess-set before him. The nymph stopped stock still in the doorway, her eyes scanning the room around him. No, there was no Tallulah here. She turned slightly towards the door, which was just now closing behind her, and for a moment she felt a surge of panic as her fight-or-flight reflex kicked in. Taking a breath, the curvy little woman strode forward, drew out the chair, and sat herself before the King of Ooo.
"I'm Finn," the big man announced, as if they'd never met before. As she thought about it, she realized that really they hadn't met. As she settled herself before the King, the curvy woman announced, "it's Astartes." "Pretty," Finn murmured, causing a flush to suffuse the older woman's fine features. "Do you play," he asked, as he indicated the chess set? He'd given her the white–the color of advantage. He was supposed to be a bit of a dunce, which made the idea even more incongruous. Taking a breath, the nymph reached out and placed the first pawn.
For several moments, they played chess, with the nymph finding that the big man wasn't the ignorant fool most believed him to be. He was quite the challenging opponent. A the same time, he talked of irrelevant things, asking where she was born and where she lived. The wizard humored him, chatting about the same nothings–asking after his wives and children. It was an eerie conversation, and her stomach churned in fear. He'd killed... many wizards over the years of his life. He'd just run them through even when they thought they had the upper hand. And she didn't think her femininity would be much of a defense in spite of the stories.
As they traded moves, and the pieces on the board dwindled, the conversation became more pointed, with the big man talking about the things that her employers had asked of his wife and the mystery of her sudden reversion to youth and vigor. That was something only a wizard could have done, and the King said so. Astartes swallowed, her mind thinking of how she could talk her way out of that. She hadn't made the magic dust. But you helped them use it, she thought. She'd helped them find the dust and use it. He would see through the ruse immediately, and she knew it.
"I understand that you're an employee," Finn murmured, as he set his rook in the checkmate position. "I was an employee too. I'd appreciate it if you would leave my wife out of your master's games. Roselinen has lost a lot already." Rising, the big man thanked the wizard for her time, as he strode for the door. He left the plump woman staring at his back. She stayed there in that space for a long five minutes, her eyes going back to the seat and the chess-board again and again. Was she dismissed? He'd have killed you, if he'd wanted that, she decided. Why he hadn't wasn't clear, but it was now perfectly clear that he was aware of the schemes around his new/old wife, and that made the game a lot more dangerous.
Outside, Finn strode into the gathering around his wife and stepped up to Roselinen's side. Before all and sundry, the big man gathered her into his arms, announcing, "we can chat later. I'd like to spend some time with my wife." And without a further word, he led the plush pillow towards the dance floor. Bonnie goggled at the sight, and then, what was she complaining about? Her father was making moves to straighten things out. With her mother no longer in jeopardy, the curvy half-breed turned and started looking for her friend. She wanted to catch up with Frenchie and see what had been going on while they were gone.
Out on the dance floor, Finn said, "I'm sorry you had to go through that." "I understand," Roselinen murmured. Shaking her head, she said, "it's... it's like that peddler that kept coming by when you were out trying to sell us those lousy pot-metal shears." Only this wasn't the pocket-lint in the jar over the sink. This was insane amounts of money. "What are we going to do, Finn," she asked? "I see the game, but I don't know how to play." "Just like we always played it, babe," Finn murmured. "We talk about things before we act, ok?" Roselinen nodded.
Moving on, she said, "ok... I... The lessons are going well, Finn. I've learned a lot about this thing that's inside me." The King nodded. That was, more or less the point. A sword was a dangerous thing if you didn't know what you were doing. He'd met an old swordsman who'd lost a finger on his left hand because he'd slipped up when practicing with his razor-edged blade. "And Jay is still holding that sword," Roselinen remarked. "I want you to talk to him. He doesn't want to learn. He doesn't want to train with this thing, and I'm afraid of what's going on with him. Talk to him, Finn." "Ok," the King replied.
Far to the east, in the wilds near the Truth Kingdom, Gumbald walked into the space he shared with his wife to find her sitting up in bed, reading. "What kept you," she asked? "Preparations," the evil genius replied. He wanted to make sure their new subjects were working diligently on the tasks he'd set them. Lolly frowned up at him. "You're taking a trip," she surmised. "There are creatures across the ocean," Gumbald said. "They're willing to discuss an alliance. They have access to money and resources that we can use." Lolly snorted, "I don't trust that Gordon Wells, dear. He's using us." "Of course he is," Gumbald chuckled. "As I am using him. We'll dispense with him when I have managed to take control of his organization." Gordon would find himself screwing bolts into one of their automatons after inhaling a whiff of dum-dum juice.
The following day in Tequila Kingdom, Billy the Human stepped out of his hotel into the bright afternoon of a typical fall day in the kingdom by the sea. He was bound for the town's rough pleasure-district to hunt up the Pirate Princess. He'd seen the Black Naga riding at anchor in the harbor the day before, so he knew the pirate-lord was in town. He just hoped she was in a mood to listen to what he had to say.
He'd hunted up his father's friend, Javier, to help him with his goal, and the older man had given him a list of exclusive establishments that favored the Brethren when they were in town under Tequila Princess's good graces. Now he quickened his steps, his mind on just how he was going to approach this thing. He hoped that he'd earned some measure of Morgana's respect and forbearance. Failing that, he hoped the price she would ask wouldn't be too dear.
The town around him bustled with people going about their business as he strode through the streets and byways. Carts carried strange spiny plants that made tequila through the streets to the many distilleries. It was hard to believe that something so strange made liquor that was strong enough to burn the inside of your guts out. The weather was pleasant, and he thought they could maybe ship some of New York's people here temporarily. It was a question for his meeting with Ramona later in the week.
Up ahead at his destination, Morgana was at the bar, buying the first round of the day for her lovelies. It had been a pretty profitable year, in spite of the travails of chasing Bandit Princess and acting as a glorified ferry for the boy-prince. She'd cashed the crew out the day they landed, and they'd been soaking up the sun and running the streets in their fancies since. A lot of her girls would be coming back onboard variously with empty purses, swollen heads, and maybe even a dose of the clap if they weren't careful, but that was the pirate's life.
For once, Nina was in a good mood too. Her moody daughter had been out of sorts to the point of being cunty across the last few months, and she never would say why. Now she was at the keyboard, banging out a rockin' tune, having kicked its owner to the curb at gunpoint, and the rowdy pirate crew was laughing and singing. The Pirate-Princess was delighted. They were having a grand time. Naturally somebody tried to spoil it by bumping her at the bar. Downing her drink in one gulp, the curvy woman slammed the shot glass on the table.
"Ay boy, don't spill my drink," she shouted. Pointing her fingers at the rough looking fellow in an unmistakable motion, the pirate-lord shouted, "ba-lip!" And more than one of the Naga's crew drew back a silky blouse to reveal a dagger or pistol tucked into her skirt. The rowdy pirate's demeanor changed immediately as he realized he was outnumbered, with most of his mates long gone. Chuckling, Morgana shouted, "now listen everybody report to the bloodclaat dance floor!" As she jumped up on the bar, her girls shouted, "ay, ay, ay, ay!"
Pounding the keys, Nina shouted, "All hands on deck! Yo, momma, talk to me bloodclaat!" Morgana retorted, "boy you know what it is!" As the bar's patrons watched, the curvy pirate queen began to dance, belting out a song in her sultry voice...
I'm a real pirate, homie, tote six figures on me
Got a pistol you don't want it, boy, you know what it is
Ay, I'm way flyer, my pay's way higher
If they ever mention sire, boy, you know what it is
I'm 'bout that drama, you don't want no problems
I'll up that llama, boy; you know what it is
Ay, I get money; all I count is big money
Snatch is all he get from me, boy; you know what is
Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, boy, you know what it is...
Nina, shouted, "momma, let them little boys know how you livin..."
The wait is over; here we go again, I'm back into play
Gon' steal another couple mil' and take it back to the A
Gon' take that other couple mil' and put it back in the safe
Five cash for the crib on the back of the lake
I'm up in Crucial, two-steppin with the gat in the waist
Morgana ain't on the sea no mo', fo'-fo', is that what they say?
Don't even try her when you see her boy you have to be great
Cause this pistol hit you in your face, your teeth they'll have to replace
That's if you lucky bitch; just trust me, it don't hurt me to take
A hundred-thousand to Wax Hustlers; you'll be murdered today!
Clapping from the back of the room interrupted the pirate-lord's capering and antics up on the bar. Morgana's face whipped around to find the pretty-boy standing there in the entrance all alone, looking like a dream in the afternoon sun.
Far to the north, Maja took a heavy glass jar off of the burner in her laboratory, announcing, "you can stop heating." Shoko stopped pouring energy into the bottom of the burner. The Sky Witch took the jar over to the fume hood and as the elemental watched, carefully poured the contents of the jar into a second container. "Where does that go," Shoko burbled? As far as she knew, Maja's extra-dimensional space existed outside of the reality the rest of the castle rested in. There should be no way for the fumes to leave. "Somewhere over the wastelands near Truth Kingdom," Maja announced. Those people had shit on her and chased her out of their lands, so fuck them.
Shoko's eyes got big as plates, but Maja was already moving on. "What did you want, dearie," she asked? Her dark eyes burned into Shoko's neon-blue eyes. The elemental flushed to her flaming-yellow hair. "You wanted something, or you wouldn't be here buttering me up," said the witch. "Out with it. I haven't got all day." Eyes downcast, the elemental said, "I have to move ten thousand people over a thousand miles, and I have to do it in between one and three trips total." It was a seriously heavy lift, and Maja whistled. Patting the elemental on the cheek, she said, "well, you're a sharp girl. I'm sure you'll figure it out." "I have," muttered Shoko, as the witch turned back to her experiment.
"All of the ways I have available to me cost more money than daddy can afford," Shoko admitted. Maja nodded. She didn't understand why Finn was so averse to just raising taxes. He had an army to back him up. "You managed to conjure up two massive monsters who could knock down whole castles," Shoko remarked. Maja froze where she was, her brow furrowing. "Should you really be in here doing this while you're pregnant," the elemental murmured? "That's what the fume hood is for, Shoko," the witch growled. "The fumes can't reach me. Do you understand how difficult it is to construct a monster like the Sleeper?" It would have taken every one of Finn's allies in the Arts to construct another Sleeper, and they would have had to sacrifice somebody's soul to do it. She doubted the man who refused to raise taxes would be up for sacrificing souls just yet.
"I don't need a monster," Shoko murmured. "I need something capable of carrying a platform." Reaching into her purse, the elemental brought out the schematic she'd drafted up on silica threads. It was nothing like the schematics her momma typically worked up. For one, it was vague and more like a sketch than anything. For another, the words 'insert Maja here' were emblazoned in several places. Maja frowned at the young girl. "I'll... I'd do something in exchange," Shoko burbled. The witch's frown deepened. Chin jutting, Shoko said, "a fair exchange. Value for value. I'm willing to deal. Are you?"
The witch strode towards her, and Shoko found herself backing up. Maja backed her straight up to the wall, and the younger woman might well have clawed her way backwards through that wall to get away. She was trembling, as the witch studied her. She was shaking like a leaf. "This would require a soul to power, Shoko," Maja rumbled. "That's off limits." "Or an elemental," Shoko burbled. Maja's eyebrow climbed a notch. The young princess announced, "I'd... I could power it..." "It would kill you, and I wouldn't get my favor," Maja retorted. Stubborn, the younger woman said, "then I'll get some friends to help me." She was pushing this. Blowing out a breath, Maja said, "ok, ok... Give me a few days to study this. But you will owe me, kid. You're going to owe me big for this."
As Shoko headed out, Billy sat down with Morgana and Nina in a corner of the bar. Nina's lips were already curled in a frown. Leaning back in her chair, the curvy pirate demanded, "watcha' need, big man? Ride t'Coca Kingdom? Cruise wit y'er honey?" He'd expected hostility. Billy replied, "actually, I came to pay respects to the Brethren and arrange the tithe for some ships I need to cross your domain." It was calm and polite, and it left Nina staring. But Nina wasn't the power here.
"I'm sending ten-thousand people to Coca Kingdom for a project there," Billy declared. "I may also need to ship some stone... some cement..." Leaning back in her chair, Morgana rumbled, "and y'er pappy... He ain't orderin' me..." "My father respects his vassals, Morgana," Billy responded. "My father's respect leads to fewer problems for you with your vassals, if you take my meaning. Morgana stays on her throne. We have somebody reliable to work with." Nina bust out laughing at that last. Reliable. Morgana elbowed her kid sharply. Billy motioned for the waiter to come over. Dodging the fast hands of the pirates, the young man arrived with a bottle of the local flavor and three glasses. At Billy's direction, he set the bottle in the center of the table with the three glasses clustered tight around it. "You been studyin'," Nina burbled. "I respect your mother, Nina," Billy replied. "Let's discuss the toll." Wrinkling his nose, he said, "but my dad expects a fair price." Morgana laughed, "alright, boy. Let's deal."
Things are getting better with Roselinen and Bonnie, though Jay is becoming a little worrying. Billy is finding his feet as the King's Hand, taking care of problems and getting things worked out. Wonder where Gumwad is going? It's sure to be trouble for the Finn Crew.