Chapter Five
The tavern's kitchen was warm and spacious. Gynni set them up at one of the tables, placing a bowl of stew and a half loaf of bread in front of him. When he looked as if too ignore it she shook her head. "You need to eat. We don't know how long it will take to hear from my father or Maluk. Besides if Marcus has taken her to D'sai then you will be glad of the food in your belly."
"D'sai?" O'Connell asked.
"His Territory. Large estate. Probably one of the biggest. Murdered two other Territory holders to secure it." She poured them both some wine. "Wasn't all that upset about it at the time. Hated the guys he killed. Thought they were worse than he was. Appears I was wrong."
O'Connell raised an eyebrow.
Gynni shrugged. "Neither of them would have dared conduct business in my place. Or break any of the Unwritten Laws." She pushed her stew around the bowl, cooling it. Tearing off a hunk of bread she bit off a piece, chewing thoughtfully. "Doesn't make any sense though. So he has her, you chase her, he gets you. Then he has you both. So?" Her eyes wandered over his body making him feel uncomfortable. It felt as if she were assessing him, seeing deep into his soul; if he thought for one minute he actually had one.
"You're not worth more than I think you are, are ya handsome?" she asked, her grin wicked.
He shook his head. "I swear! I'm not worth anything to anyone!"
She laughed. "Well I doubt that. Still…what did happen to set him off?"
O'Connell shrugged and gave her a run down on the events at Mirium's.
When he was done, she sighed. "Oh dear. Poor Larianna." She stopped chewing; feeling the lashes the girl must have received. "Again though… hardly seems worth breaking an Unwritten Law. Marcus must know my father will be furious. And the council! Well… that goes without saying."
"What the hell are these unwritten laws you keep talking about?" O'Connell smashed a hunk of bread into his stew, annoyed. He hated this planet, he hated this city, and he really hated this man. 'But this stew is really, really good,' he admitted grudgingly.
"The Unwritten Laws," she said the names reverently, "are agreements, contracts agreed upon by the elders centuries ago. They are binding, sacrosanct and to break just one is to bring death upon yourself."
O'Connell sighed. "OOoww… scary!" he mocked. "Maybe he's not afraid of death or your dad?"
Gynni shook her head. "Impossible."
"He's that much of a badass? Your dad?"
Gynni laughed. "Ha! He would love to hear you say that. No, it's not that he is a bad ass. He is the Altro. The protector if you will. The Living Law."
Taking a large swig of wine, O'Connell shrugged. "Still sounds like he's not afraid of the consequences. Taking Ashe and luring me into a trap… I don't see the value of it unless he just doesn't fear the end result."
"Fear it?" Gynni sipped her wine. "Oh no. He fears it. But for some reason you and your friend became worth the risk. The question is, why?" She stared at him again, and again he felt as if he was being taken apart, molecule by molecule. Evaluated, tested, and then reassembled.
Maluk burst into the kitchen, a blonde haired whirlwind. "Got him G! Found Jer'a!" He panted, seemingly out of breath. O'Connell took it for an act.
"Sit child. Tell me what you found out and I will get you some cake." Maluk plopped himself next to her on the bench and grinned.
O'Connell glared at him. He really didn't like this kid. "Well? Spill it!" he growled.
The anticipation of cake made Maluk unflappable. "'e told! Jer'a told. 'e's gonna get whipped."
"Speed it up, kid. When, where, how. All the details."
"Oh," Maluk paused, saddened as he imagined it, "well, probably tomorrow. At the Tossa. 'e'll probably get the whip, but maybe… they'll be nice and just…"
Gynni laid her hand on the boy's shoulder, placing a large slice of chocolate cake in front of him. "I think he means who did Jer'a talk to, when did he talked to them and where was he when he did."
"Oh!" Maluk grabbed a fork and began to shove cake in his mouth.
O'Connell reached out and grabbed the cake away. "Listen kid. Tell me what you know now or I will feed this cake to you through your ass."
Gynni shook her head and tried to suppress a laugh.
Maluk glared at O'Connell. "She's my friend too." When O'Connell made to stand Maluk raised his hands in submission. "Ok! Ok. Jer'a said one a K'rier's guys was asking around about an off-worlder. Tall guy, black leather, red stripe, looks like the back end of a Teufler."
O'Connell didn't know what a Teufler was, but he could tell from Maluk's expression it was not a compliment. He decided to ignore the insult. Another first for him.
"And?"
"And Jer'a told him 'e knew the guy. Was actually followin' him for a client."
"And the little twerp told them who the client was?"
"Eat Mulosk dung!" Maluk defended his friend. "Jer'a'd never rat out a client!" Then he paused and looked away. "Well, not until they beat the crap out of 'im. Then maybe, 'e told 'em what 'e knew."
O'Connell looked as if to dispute the beating.
"How bad, Maluk?" Gynni sat on the bench, her expression concerned.
Maluk shook his head, staring into the fireplace. "'e aint walkin' nowhere too soon." The boy appeared to brush something off his cheek and O'Connell rolled his eyes. Damn the kid was good.
O'Connell tossed the boy's plate back to him. "So where's your father?" he growled at Gynni.
She stood and moved toward one of the back cabinets. "He will be here shortly." She opened the cupboard and pulled out a dark canvas bag. Rifling through its contents she pulled out two dark vials and a small roll of bandages. "Maluk. Jer'a was brought to the L'aini, yes?" When he nodded between mouthfuls, she continued, "Bring these to Sister Keli. She will know what to do with them. Then come right back. You hear me?"
Maluk turned from his contemplation of the fire and glanced longingly at the cake. "Oh here, silly boy." Gynni placed the vials and bandage into a pouch and scrapped the cake onto a cloth. "There you can eat it as you go!"
Maluk grinned. "On my way," he said as jumped off the bench.
"And Maluk. Tell Sister Keli I will make my way there as soon as possible." He nodded and raced out the door, trying to shove the entire piece of cake into his mouth.
O'Connell watched him rush off and then followed Gynni as she settled herself back onto the bench. "You are someone important, aren't you?"
Gynni grinned. "Aren't we all?"
O'Connell let out a short harsh laugh. "Ok. Yeah. That sounded bad. But you know what I mean."
Gynni nodded. "I do. I am called the Vigatorus. The… Healer if you will. Which is why Marcus's crime is so unthinkable."
"Why? 'Cause you heal people?" O'Connell snorted. "I've seen men kill a doc 'cause he wouldn't give them a vita shot." O'Connell was surprised at her naivete.
"No… I am fully aware that off-world healers are, well, as you say, just as likely to be killed as anyone. But here, on Veronus 3 the Unwritten Laws protect the Vigatorus. The Vigatorus and all who dwell under her roof. That is why…"
"That's the law he broke?" O'Connell interrupted her. "By taking Ashe from under your roof he broke the law? But anywhere else it would have been ok?" he asked angrily.
"No. No!" Gynni protested vehemently. "It would have been against the law, somewhere else. Necessitating pursuit, capture, a trial and punishment. But here, in my home, it is against the Unwritten Laws."
O'Connell stared at her. "This place is messed up," was all he could say.
The kitchen door burst open and a man, draped completely in black entered. He stood taller than O'Connell. Taller even, O'Connell dared to bet, than Guun. The only visible part of his body was his eyes and he used those to take the room apart in a steady intense gaze that passed over Gynni and ended on himself. O'Connell felt once again as if he were being taken apart and analyzed. 'What the hell is it with this place?' he thought.
'Gotta be dad, shit he's impressive!' he admitted. 'Gotta be a family thing.' Standing, he nodded to the man in black. "Names O'Connell. It seems we have a mutual enemy."
A low laugh issued from Gynni and he glanced at her.
"What?" he asked, annoyed.
She stood and went to the man's side. "Karl." She bowed her head in greeting "Where is my…" she was interrupted by the arrival of a considerably smaller man. He stood no higher than O'Connell's waist. He wore what appeared to be hastily donned pants and a white silken shirt that hung untucked down to his knees. His hair was as black a Gynni's and he sported a dark goatee.
Gynni knelt when he entered, her head bowed. If O'Connell still held any doubts as to who the diminutive man was, the icy blue eyes he turned on him crushed the last of his hopes. "Holy crap," was all he could think to say.
"I agree," Gynni's father replied. He stared at O'Connell with that same piercing, molecular assessing gaze that Gynni and the giant had given him. O'Connell began to grow irritated.
"What is it with this planet?" he growled.
The man turned his attention back to his daughter. "Gynni. Clarify."
She stood and went over the events of the evening as they moved to the kitchen table. O'Connell was surprised to find the man moved with determined grace. As he sat upon the bench and Gynni handed him a glass of the wine, O'Connell had to admit even as small as he was, the man exuded authority. He motioned to O'Connell to sit and O'Connell was surprised to find he was still standing.
"And you are O'Connell." It was not a question. "I am Garulus, the Altro." He nodded to O'Connell. His voice echoed with power, as if it resonated in a deep canyon before it hit O'Connell's ears. "I am sorry a denizen of our world has brought this sorrow upon you."
O'Connell clenched his fists as he fought off his fears. "Where is she? What will he do to her? I need to find her… now!" He leaned forward in his impatience and Gynni reached out and laid her hand on one of his clenched fists.
"You will, O'Connell. Soon. But let us prepare first. My father will have a plan."
O'Connell felt the weight of his fears recede once again. He felt calm, patient even. Willing to listen to the man before him, hopeful that there was a plan to save Ashe. O'Connell yanked his hands out from under Gynni's. 'In fact,' he thought, 'I don't feel anything like myself at all when she touches me. I don't think I like that.'
Gynni gave him an apologetic smile. "We must keep level heads."
"I do have a plan. Karl." Garulus motioned and the giant crossed the space between them in one stride. He pulled a large parchment from somewhere out of his black garment and handed it to the Altro. He then stepped back to the kitchen door, his eyes returning to their constant scanning of the room.
Garulus unrolled the scroll, a detailed map of the city and its surrounding territories evident. "We are here. Here is D'sai."
"All of the outlined blue parts?" O'Connell asked, impressed. K'rier wasn't kidding; he really was a Territory Holder. It seemed he held most of the damn planet.
"Yes." Garulus paused, turning his attention to O'Connell. "I have to ask young man, what is your intent?"
"My intent?" O'Connell repeated.
"Yes…" Garulus appeared annoyed, "Your purpose. Your mission. Your desire if you will."
"I know what the word means!" O'Connell grumbled. "Just don't know what you mean by it!"
"Fair enough." Garulus sighed. "What do you intend to do? What is the extent of your desire? Do you wish to simply rescue your friend? Punish those who may have injured her? Kill Marcus? At what point will you feel your 'mission' has been successful and you may leave this planet?"
O'Connell stepped back, disconcerted. With both pairs of icy blue eyes on him he took a moment to contemplate his response. 'Damn it!' he grumbled. 'I never contemplate!' He leaned forward his expression set. "I want Ashe back. And when I have that, if I find out he has hurt her in any way…" he stressed the last part with a growl, "well… I am not a forgiving man."
Garulus nodded, a smile playing with his lips. "That is excellent for neither am I."
O'Connell returned his grin, deciding he liked this guy. "So what the hell's your plan then?"