It was Eight thirty five when the grand doors of the Savoy opened and in walked the well-clad suited figure of one Loki Laufeyson. With regal grace, he walked to the front of house, swinging his cane along with each stride. "A table under the name of Holmes." He said flippantly, leaning against the man's pedastool.

"Right this was sir."

"The rest of my party is already here I presume?"

"It is a table for two sir."

"Yes I- Nevermind."

The man led Loki to their usual table at the edge of the room; secluded enough for private conversation, yet positioned so everyone could both see them and be seen by them.

"Here we are sir." The man held his chair out and bent an arm behind his back in a bow. "Your drinks will be with you shortly." They were regular enough customers that their preferred drinks were well known by all the staff. Loki watched him leave before pulling his chair in and leaning across the table.

"Punctual as always Mr Holmes. Pray, how long did you wait?"

The detective leant closer himself, flipping shut a pocket watch set for nine thirty. "Only five minutes, I know you well enough to predict when you will arrive; that slight twirl of your lips when you will be late, yet you work hard to cover it up if you intend to be more than a full thirty minutes. And then there's the small quirk of your left eyebrow when you intend to be punctual- like you are challenging me to be late."

Loki sat back a bit, astonished. "You mean I have a tell Mr Holmes, and you never told me?"

"I fail to see what benefit there would be on my art in telling you sooner."

"What benefit is there in telling me now?"

"And you know me well enough Mr Laufeyson, to know when I am just showing off. And rest assured, I still keep some secrets to myself."

"I'm glad to hear it, otherwise you would quickly turn incredibly boring."

"You don't believe that Loki."

A waiter came back with a bottle of red and a tumbler of scotch. "Anything else sir?"

Loki shooed him away again. "Mr Holmes." He leant forward again while Holmes poured a glass for his companion. "I believe we came here wish important business to discuss."

"And I believe that business without pleasure leads to failure." The full glass of wine was placed to Loki's right as Holmes began to sip his drink. "Waiter? A bottle of your finest Bourbon please." Someone must have heard because the same waiter as before came with a bottle a moment later.

"The rules Mr Holmes."

"Oh, of course."

"No police. I don't want to be messing round with that Lestrade fellow,"

"Granted."

"No spying. I do not wish to be followed, nor for my conversations with my associates to be compromised."

"Agreed."

"And in return?"

We work alone. I don't want Watson getting dragged back into this, he's married and with children. Living in Brighton I believe."

"I cannot guarantee his safety."

Holmes' eyes narrow. "But we work alone. You leave Moran at home or wherever you keep him. If I'm going solo, then so are you."

"And I take it you cannot guarantee his safety."

"He can look after himself."

"I care little for him anyway."

"You should care more deeply for your pets."

"How's Gladstone?"

"Mildly sedated."

"Not killed him yet?"

"Clinically? Several times."

Loki chuckled fondly. "So… how was Paris?"

"Magnificent. That place if full of crime, and the clever kind too. I came across a curious case about a missing painting. Only, it was only missing, not stolen. It was still in the room and the criminal had thought up an uncommonly clever way of concealing it in the very same room. To think that when the owners were missing it, it had barely moved two meters the whole time. How did you know I was in Paris?"

"And that you only just got back today? And I suspect only moments before you came to visit me. Had you even made it back to Baker Street before you came to visit?"

"No, I had not. How could you tell?"

"When you left the pub, a cab was already waiting for you outside. You were on your way somewhere, otherwise you would have called a new cab and saved paying while you waited for me. And your watch just now-"

"Oh of course, I hadn't changed it back yet."

"And you Mr Holmes. What do you deduce?"

"You have had a fine time since I saw you last. You look well. You have also had a recent increase in fortune. Your land lady scowled at you earlier, you have stopped sleeping with her to excuse you from paying your rent. I also noticed her daughter- very interested in you having a guest. I presume you've started having sexual relations with her instead? And I presume her mother doesn't know- you haven't been kicked out yet. Although I am curious. What do you gain from sleeping with the daughter?"

Loki smirked. "Oh, she's just a it of fun. I have no time for whores, and she's just so convenient. And she has the tightest little hole."

"You never cease to both amuse and disgust me."

"Then I am doing my job correctly Mr Holmes." The starters came; some sort if bisque for Holmes and Oysters for Loki. "I presume you are paying Mr Holmes. I make a point of never paying at the Savoy."

"Now where have I heard that phrase before?"

"From a man after my own heart."

"May I observe that something is amiss- You slipping back into petty crime. Is there something wrong?"

"Petty crime? No that is just a pass time. When you met me I had just had the pleasure of running into some of Rockwood's men. I managed to sink my blade into an orange-haired midget before I made my escape. "

"Still carrying that old silver dagger?"

"Just because you decide not to carry a weapon, it does not mean that others cannot. And besides, it was a gift from my Brother."

"Gift? You took it from him when you found his body."

"Well it would be of little use to him now. Besides, it doesn't matter anyway- the blade is lost. It is embedded by the man's collarbone."

"Do you plan to retrieve it?"

"Naturally I intend to kill whoever is now in possession of it. It is all I have left of my family."

"And you will start with the poor man's grave I presume."

"Hardly. He isn't dead."

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