Cambri
"Very well," Lady Evelyn mused, "If there's nothing else..." the tone of her voice said quite clearly that there was to be nothing else. Pushing a Keeper was never a good idea, and under the circumstances, it was more likely to be suicide. But I'd promised. 'Warlock' meant 'oathbreaker', but there was no way that I could go back to the library and tell Krem that I hadn't even tried. Such was the price of reluctant friendship.
"My Lady, there is something. A minor matter with one of the former...test subjects."
"What is it, Librarian?" Her voice was edged with impatience.
"It's the Imp, Krem. He was the only survivor among the Imps that were used, and the only truly sane survivor in all. In fact, the spell seems to have catalyzed a metaphysical reaction, giving him reasoning capabilities beyond most of his species." I wasn't actually sure about that last bit; Krem had always been a little strange. But it was no denying that since the torture, he'd been showing most un-Implike abilities. It was a fascinating situation. That's what had first drawn me into interaction with him, and what I was counting on to hold the Lady's attention and secure Krem's reassignment.
The Chamber was silent, but I could almost hear the Keeper thinking, as eddies of chill air danced and swirled in response to her emotional state. "Are you saying," she said slowly, "that Xyanthros built a better Imp?"
I winced. That interpretation hadn't occurred to me. "Not exactly," I said. "It more seems that he built a *different* kind of Imp. One that is not quite as useful for its traditional duties, but that could find a new niche, if allowed."
"What duties has Krem failed to perform?" Damn, and damn again. I couldn't decide if Lady Evelyn was intentionally twisting my words to make my job as difficult as possible, or if she simply was that unimaginative. Gods of Darkness, I hoped it was the former. If she couldn't see the possibilities here, or if she concentrated on the wrong ones, then Krem and I would be better off just throwing ourselves on the mercy of the Mistresses now.
"None, as such," I hastened to reassure her, "but he is no longer wholly accepted by the other Imps," or any of the other Dungeon dwellers, "and he shows a great interest in the Library." I took a deep breath. "He wishes to learn to read, my Lady."
"He...wishes..." Evelyn breathed all around him. "An Imp wishes? To read, no less? My, this *is* delicious, isn't it?" A soft tapping sound echoed through the Chamber, very much as if someone were clicking a set of manicured nails impatiently against a glass. The sound stopped, and her voice smiled coldly as it said, "It appears that I'll have an opportunity to sample this wonder for myself."
"What?" I said, brilliantly, just as Krem leapt into the room, with Devon in hot pursuit. Seeing me, the little Imp began howling piteously and launched himself at the bottom of my robes. He clung to the hem, babbling in terror. I reacted instinctively, and scooped Krem behind my legs, shielding him from the Dragon.
"Give me that Imp, librarian," Devon snarled. Small, sooty tendrils of smoke were trickling out from between his yellow teeth, and his crimson eyes gleamed with the joy of the hunt. My own eyes narrowed. The Dragons had been baiting me for weeks, and my patience extends only so far.
"What, Devon? Can't you find anyone *willing* to scrub those hard-to-reach places?" I let my lips curl up into a derisive smile, and the aforementioned tail lashed against the wall so violently that the walls trembled.
"Listen to me you white-haired little pissant," Devon began, but a flash of light from the Heart cut his voice dead.
"I have an idea," Lady Evelyn said, in a voice as deadly and sweet as belladonna wine, "why don't both of you pretend that you have some sort of manners, and listen to *me*?"
Devon and I shared what I knew were identical expressions of frozen terror. In dancing the old measures of insult and power-play, we had _forgotten Evelyn was there_. We immediately fell to the floor, which in my case prompted a pained squeal from Krem. That's mistake number two, I thought, and forced the hysterical giggle back down my throat. She's going to kill me. She's really going to kill me. And I probably deserve it.
After everyone who wasn't an all-powerful Keeper had spend a few moments in abject groveling, Evelyn said shortly, "Get up."
We leapt to our feet, except for Krem. He sort of sidled upwards...a move that no one but an Imp could do. I'd begun to think that they had joints the rest of us couldn't imagine, _just for groveling_. "My Lady," Devon began, "This...*Warlock* is interfering in your express orders! In your presence! He must..."
"Do shut up, Devon, there's a good boy." Devon's jaw snapped shut so fast that it made a small, foul breeze, but the outraged expression on his face went a long way towards filling the silence. I felt Evelyn's attention center on me once again, and the weight of it was enough to make me cringe. "Obviously I have been away too long."
"Well, then. If a lesson is needed, then so shall it be done. You, Cambri, believe that this Krem," an unseen force reached down and hauled the Imp into the air. He hung there with an expression of ecstasy on his bulbous face. "You believe that he has untapped potential. I assume that you wish to teach him to read, and the Dark Gods alone only know what else?" I could only nod, my heart in my throat. "Well, then. I suppose it's a worthy experiment. Very well, he is under your care...for as long as it pleases me. I expect weekly reports on the Imp's progress, and I will borrow him as needed for my own experiments. This intrigues me.
"And because you've brought this intriguing specimen to my attention, I will kindly refrain from turning you into a small red smear on the floor of this Chamber." Her voice was hard. "And let me assure you, Head Librarian, that is the *only* thing that is sparing your life right now. You have been insolent to those I have set above you and overstepped your bounds. Krem, you may return to Cambri's quarters. Unless I say otherwise, your principle duties are to aid the Head Librarian in his research."
"Yes, oh Divine One!" Krem abased himself on the floor for a moment, then scurried out of the room. Devon looked outraged, and I prevented myself a small, triumphant smile. One smile too many.
"As for *you*, Head Librarian," Lady Evelyn's voice opened a new wound on my forehead, "Devon will escort you to the Torture Chamber. You will amuse my new Mistress and any of her friends that she deems fit for a time. When I can bear the sound of your name, or the sight of your face, I'll call you back and see if you have absorbed the lesson." A low moan escaped my throat as Devon stepped smartly forward, and snagged the back of my robes with his teeth. My knees locked. Not again...not the Chamber...I could feel the blood slide down my nose, and the thought that it would soon be joined by so much more almost broke me, then and there.
"Resist, Cambri," he hissed between his jaws, "*Please* give me a reason. Any reason at all."
No, I thought. I won't give him the satisfaction. I won't leave Krem adrift in ignorance. I won't *fail*. When the Dragon tugged, I walked. It was a halting, mechanical walk, but my head was held high. Thus, I went to meet my fate.
It was almost three days before I was released.
"Very well," Lady Evelyn mused, "If there's nothing else..." the tone of her voice said quite clearly that there was to be nothing else. Pushing a Keeper was never a good idea, and under the circumstances, it was more likely to be suicide. But I'd promised. 'Warlock' meant 'oathbreaker', but there was no way that I could go back to the library and tell Krem that I hadn't even tried. Such was the price of reluctant friendship.
"My Lady, there is something. A minor matter with one of the former...test subjects."
"What is it, Librarian?" Her voice was edged with impatience.
"It's the Imp, Krem. He was the only survivor among the Imps that were used, and the only truly sane survivor in all. In fact, the spell seems to have catalyzed a metaphysical reaction, giving him reasoning capabilities beyond most of his species." I wasn't actually sure about that last bit; Krem had always been a little strange. But it was no denying that since the torture, he'd been showing most un-Implike abilities. It was a fascinating situation. That's what had first drawn me into interaction with him, and what I was counting on to hold the Lady's attention and secure Krem's reassignment.
The Chamber was silent, but I could almost hear the Keeper thinking, as eddies of chill air danced and swirled in response to her emotional state. "Are you saying," she said slowly, "that Xyanthros built a better Imp?"
I winced. That interpretation hadn't occurred to me. "Not exactly," I said. "It more seems that he built a *different* kind of Imp. One that is not quite as useful for its traditional duties, but that could find a new niche, if allowed."
"What duties has Krem failed to perform?" Damn, and damn again. I couldn't decide if Lady Evelyn was intentionally twisting my words to make my job as difficult as possible, or if she simply was that unimaginative. Gods of Darkness, I hoped it was the former. If she couldn't see the possibilities here, or if she concentrated on the wrong ones, then Krem and I would be better off just throwing ourselves on the mercy of the Mistresses now.
"None, as such," I hastened to reassure her, "but he is no longer wholly accepted by the other Imps," or any of the other Dungeon dwellers, "and he shows a great interest in the Library." I took a deep breath. "He wishes to learn to read, my Lady."
"He...wishes..." Evelyn breathed all around him. "An Imp wishes? To read, no less? My, this *is* delicious, isn't it?" A soft tapping sound echoed through the Chamber, very much as if someone were clicking a set of manicured nails impatiently against a glass. The sound stopped, and her voice smiled coldly as it said, "It appears that I'll have an opportunity to sample this wonder for myself."
"What?" I said, brilliantly, just as Krem leapt into the room, with Devon in hot pursuit. Seeing me, the little Imp began howling piteously and launched himself at the bottom of my robes. He clung to the hem, babbling in terror. I reacted instinctively, and scooped Krem behind my legs, shielding him from the Dragon.
"Give me that Imp, librarian," Devon snarled. Small, sooty tendrils of smoke were trickling out from between his yellow teeth, and his crimson eyes gleamed with the joy of the hunt. My own eyes narrowed. The Dragons had been baiting me for weeks, and my patience extends only so far.
"What, Devon? Can't you find anyone *willing* to scrub those hard-to-reach places?" I let my lips curl up into a derisive smile, and the aforementioned tail lashed against the wall so violently that the walls trembled.
"Listen to me you white-haired little pissant," Devon began, but a flash of light from the Heart cut his voice dead.
"I have an idea," Lady Evelyn said, in a voice as deadly and sweet as belladonna wine, "why don't both of you pretend that you have some sort of manners, and listen to *me*?"
Devon and I shared what I knew were identical expressions of frozen terror. In dancing the old measures of insult and power-play, we had _forgotten Evelyn was there_. We immediately fell to the floor, which in my case prompted a pained squeal from Krem. That's mistake number two, I thought, and forced the hysterical giggle back down my throat. She's going to kill me. She's really going to kill me. And I probably deserve it.
After everyone who wasn't an all-powerful Keeper had spend a few moments in abject groveling, Evelyn said shortly, "Get up."
We leapt to our feet, except for Krem. He sort of sidled upwards...a move that no one but an Imp could do. I'd begun to think that they had joints the rest of us couldn't imagine, _just for groveling_. "My Lady," Devon began, "This...*Warlock* is interfering in your express orders! In your presence! He must..."
"Do shut up, Devon, there's a good boy." Devon's jaw snapped shut so fast that it made a small, foul breeze, but the outraged expression on his face went a long way towards filling the silence. I felt Evelyn's attention center on me once again, and the weight of it was enough to make me cringe. "Obviously I have been away too long."
"Well, then. If a lesson is needed, then so shall it be done. You, Cambri, believe that this Krem," an unseen force reached down and hauled the Imp into the air. He hung there with an expression of ecstasy on his bulbous face. "You believe that he has untapped potential. I assume that you wish to teach him to read, and the Dark Gods alone only know what else?" I could only nod, my heart in my throat. "Well, then. I suppose it's a worthy experiment. Very well, he is under your care...for as long as it pleases me. I expect weekly reports on the Imp's progress, and I will borrow him as needed for my own experiments. This intrigues me.
"And because you've brought this intriguing specimen to my attention, I will kindly refrain from turning you into a small red smear on the floor of this Chamber." Her voice was hard. "And let me assure you, Head Librarian, that is the *only* thing that is sparing your life right now. You have been insolent to those I have set above you and overstepped your bounds. Krem, you may return to Cambri's quarters. Unless I say otherwise, your principle duties are to aid the Head Librarian in his research."
"Yes, oh Divine One!" Krem abased himself on the floor for a moment, then scurried out of the room. Devon looked outraged, and I prevented myself a small, triumphant smile. One smile too many.
"As for *you*, Head Librarian," Lady Evelyn's voice opened a new wound on my forehead, "Devon will escort you to the Torture Chamber. You will amuse my new Mistress and any of her friends that she deems fit for a time. When I can bear the sound of your name, or the sight of your face, I'll call you back and see if you have absorbed the lesson." A low moan escaped my throat as Devon stepped smartly forward, and snagged the back of my robes with his teeth. My knees locked. Not again...not the Chamber...I could feel the blood slide down my nose, and the thought that it would soon be joined by so much more almost broke me, then and there.
"Resist, Cambri," he hissed between his jaws, "*Please* give me a reason. Any reason at all."
No, I thought. I won't give him the satisfaction. I won't leave Krem adrift in ignorance. I won't *fail*. When the Dragon tugged, I walked. It was a halting, mechanical walk, but my head was held high. Thus, I went to meet my fate.
It was almost three days before I was released.