Rexi and Talon

By Onyx Tao

Jack: Rexi and Talon by Onyx Tao is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://onyx-tao.sofurry.com.

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Author's Note: It has come to my attention that some -- most -- all -- of my Jack stories do not comply with the Pathfinder Community License, and so I am stripping the offending content out of them. I will republish 'clean' copies of all the affected stories, replacing the existing ones, so as to leave comments trails and such intact. I don't expect to be done until 2014. Yes, this is important. If I'd been thinking a little more, or realized I'd end up writing so much about Jack and his exploits, I would have done that from the start. It doesn't relieve me of the obligation, and I intend to make good on it.

Thank you for understanding, Onyx Tao

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13. Rexi

"And ..." said Rexi slowly to Triff, "this ... watcher ..."

"He won't bother us again," Triff said.

"He shouldn't have seen you to begin with," Rexi said finally. "Was he S\\, or an informer?"

"No way to tell," shrugged Triff. "Human. Good equipment, nothing that tags him. Part of the problem is Zack's hard to keep track off. He ..." the other halfling paused for a moment, thinking. "Blends in. Following him is ... really tough."

"Blends ..." Rexi said, and then looked across at him, confused. "Triff, he's nearly three hundred pounds, well over six feet tall, and, lords forgive me, green. What exactly does he blend in with?"

"Look, Boss --"

"Don't call me that," Rexi snapped angrily. "Uncle. Call me Uncle . I can have Harald see if he can't jog your memory."

"No, you don't have ... sorry, Uncle," said Triff. "I know that's important. But that's the truth. He blends in, better than we do, really. Your eye just sort of ... keeps going, passes over him, even when you're watching him. He's got ... skills, ya know?"

"Our kind of skills?"

"Hard to say ... Uncle. Some of them, at least."

"Not ... maybe I shouldn't be too surprised," Rexi said thoughtfully. "All that money, after all ... so, where did he go?"

"Tailor, he dropped the half-elf there, Chapterhouse, Bitters Club -- the coffee-house, not the whorehouse, the Last Act, and the Finale. And then a goldsmith's -- Marmer Vintner. Didn't buy anything that we saw, but, you know, goldsmith. Could have gotten a ring or something, and we wouldn't know. He was smiling, too. He's usually ... so serious. But after the laughing jag, he seemed to be pretty cheerful -- not even dealing with the clangthumpers fazed him. 'Though," Triff added, "he wasn't in there long."

" The Last Act and Finale... those are after hour theatre clubs," Rexi said. "What was he doing there?"

"Singing," said Triff. "At least, we figured it was him. I can't imagine there are two people with that low of..."

"How long?" said Rexi almost instantly.

"Bo -- Uncle? How long what?"

"How long was he singing?"

"Uh ... two, maybe three songs. Opera. Quarter bell, maybe?"

"Total, or in each place?" Rexi asked.

"Each place, why?"

"Because that's where the opera crowd hang out," Rexi said. "If he sang more than one song, he's ... good."

"Well, they really liked him," Triff offered. "They didn't want him to stop, and ... that's why he left The Finale. The Last Act, too."

Rexi blinked. "You're kidding. Tell me you're kidding."

"No ..." said Triff uncertainly. "Why?"

"Because that's where the opera crowd hangs out. They don't listen to just anybo--" Rexi stopped. "Of course. That's why he's here. Part of it, anyway."

"Uncle?"

"He's a performer. And he must be ... really really good."

"I thought he was an unarmed fighter, like the hobs ..."

"No," said Rexi. "I don't think he is. But I think he's ... more dangerous than I thought."

"But ... that won't mess up the plan, will it?"

"Maybe. Or make it better. Is someone keeping an eye on the half-elf?"

"Sassy."

"And the hobs?"

"Chandle and Bissum," Triff said. "But they're easy. All they do is stand watch, and meditate. And train. The. Most. Boring. Job. Ever."

"I'm pulling your team," Rexi said. "Immediately."

"But ... he's loose in C\\ unguarded? It's not safe, Bah -- Uncle."

"I suspect he's safer than we are," Rexi said dryly. "I'm pretty sure he carries a safe place with him, pretty much all the time."

"Like one of them potted holes?"

Rexi blinked in confusion for a moment, before he understood. "Like a swordcane that he knows how to use," Rexi said. "And the word is portable."

"Isn't every sword kinda portable? I mean, even the two-handers, if you're big enough ..."

"Portable hole, it's called a portable hole, not a potted hole," Rexi said with a trace of irritation.

"But even if he does..."

"Call them off," Rexi repeated flatly. "I'm not worried about him wandering around C\."

"What about the hobs?" asked Triff.

"They haven't left the estate," Rexi said. "Just ... taken it upon themselves to watch from the walls. Why ... ah. I'll ask them if having some of us to watch, as well, would provide a better perimeter."

"We're already ..."

"Yes," said Rexi, patiently, "of course we are. But then we won't have to stay out of their way, and who knows? They might have some good ideas on doing it."

"Oh," said Triff, and then a moment later, "Oh! I get it!"

Rexi nodded. "Good. So ... vanish, Triff. I expect he'll come looking for me any moment."

"But he just got home ..."

"Yes, and he's expecting clangthumpers in a bell. He's in a bath right now, but as soon as he gets out and dressed, he's going to want ..." Rexi's head turned as another of his family came in. "Sassy?"

"He's in the bath with Talon," Sassy said with a sniff.

"Sassy," Rexi started warningly, but she just laughed.

"No," she said. "I know. He's charmingly careful with his toy, I'll grant that. But he's going to be out soon, and ..."

"Thank you," said Rexi, and he turned to Triff. "Go hide in the music-room. You know where we put the blind?"

"Sure, by the piano."

"I want a full report."

"Yes, Uncle," Triff said.

"Sassy ... go find something useful to do. Or go to bed. You've been up ..."

"And Triff hasn't?"

"He's ..."

"And Harald needs to talk to you. He says it's important."

Rexi's eyes narrowed. "Hmmm." Maybe Harald had found what 'Master Zackton Silvercane' had been so clearly looking for, after all.

A few minutes later, he was in Master Zackton's room, and paused. The half-orc's clothes were already laid out on the bed ... a sober black tunic with polished black glass buttons and matching trousers, with set of dark, almost black green ties, and they were scrupulously clean. A half-cape in the same midnight green silk was trimmed with black velvet, and had a subdued varnished iron clasp. Rexi peered at the clasp for a moment; that sort of varnish would wear off, allowing the iron to rust, and that -- in turn -- would leave stains on the expensive cloth.

But although the varnish showed some wear, it was nowhere near needing a revarnish. And given that Rexi had never seen Zackton in this cape before, it might be much, much longer. The design was ... something was ... Rexi peered more closely at it. A hand, sufficiently stylized that it was simply a hand, of no discernible race, but something ... was off. Six fingers, Rexi realized. The hand had ... six fingers on it. And the hand was held ... not open, not shut, but reaching ... Odd.

But Zackton ... no, his hands were normal. How ... Rexi made a mental note of it, and turned back to the bathing-chamber door. It might be significant. It might not. He'd just have to keep his eyes open for any more six-fingered hands.

The half-orc came barrelling out of the chamber, toweling himself as he came, completely uncaring about his nudity. Well, almost nudity; Zackton wore an odd iron amulet on a thin iron chain around his neck. Rings on both fingers, as well, and ... there was something glinting under his hair. The half-orc stopped when he saw Rexi.

"I came to lay your clothes, out, Master," Rexi said.

"I believe that is the function of a valet, not steward," Zackton said in that flowing deep voice with his perfect enunciation. How, Rexi thought, could I not have noticed? I did notice. I just didn't think what it might mean. And then, almost unbidden, _ I wonder if he can mesmerize with his voice alone._ And then ... oh, yes. When he'd been bargaining with the slavers. Of course he could. Of course. And so smoothly that even Rexi hadn't noticed ... Rexi began to wonder just what else he hadn't yet realized about his new and surprisingly dangerous master.

"Since you haven't chosen a valet yet ..." started Rexi.

"I am not yet so feeble that I cannot lay my own clothes out," Zack said. "And in any case, my thought is to train Talon to that task." He unselfconciously put the towel across a chair, and strapped on his undergarments. Along with a number of daggers, that slid into rather cunning cloth loops.

"Wouldn't it be difficult to reach those, Master?"

"If the tunic is cut correctly -- no," Zackton said. "Conveniently, this tunic is cut just right for this to work."

Rexi offered a desultory hand, but Zackton clearly needed very little aid dressing himself. Except ... "They show, Master."

"They're supposed to, in this tunic," Zackton said. "I'd hardly wear all this useless cutlery if it weren't for show."

"Useless?"

"Against armored knights?" said Zackton, sounding surprised. "I'd have more luck with a can-opener."

"Ha," laughed Rexi.

Zackton drew his brows -- well, brow, though Rexi -- a little closer. "By can-opener, I mean a greatsword or greataxe. It takes a lot of force to sheer through that stuff, even if it's not magiced. I doubt I could even wedge one of these spine-ticklers through a joint."

"Then ..."

"Why wear them so obviously?"

"Yes," said Rexi, because that's what a faithful steward who knew very little of deception would say. But the answer was obvious: because you wanted the marks to underestimate you. Show them what they expected to see, and they'd stop looking. It was a classic tactic that had served every halfling since time began.

"A good question," said Zackton.

Except, of course, when they didn't stop looking. Like Zackton was very specifically telling him that he, Zackton, hadn't stopped looking. Some part of Rexi admired the finesse with which Zackton had ... let the point develop, while the more serious side of him was screaming the family is in danger. Except the only way to get rid of the danger was to get rid of Zackton but those fucking knights would be stomping in just a few minutes expecting to see him and what if that was just a trick to get the knights into the house before they could get away ... there had to be some way to fix this, some way to avoid ...

"Rexi!" Zackton's voiced snapped him out of his sudden panic.

"Sorry, Master," the halfling said, "Sorry, I ..."

"I think we need a clearer understanding," Zackton said, interrupting him. "And I think we both have the same ideas about words like trust, respect, and faith. So ... if you or your family ever choose your self-interest at the cost of mine, that will be ... fatal to any arrangement we have."

"I ..."

"Is that clear?"

"Yes, of course, but ..."

"Then that is the base of our arrangement, whatever that arrangement turns out to be. And, because I am a generous, magnanimous, and thoroughly fine gentlemen, I will respect your family's interests, even over the cost of mine. Of course, at that point, you and I will be having another long discussion ..."

"Yes," said Rexi.

"And if ... you want ... reexamine the first part ... I would invite you to bring the matter to my attention. I am pretty fucking certain that what I want and what you want are so different that there's not going to be ... competition."

"I ... that sounds pretty ... attractive, actually," said Rexi. "If ..."

"If you can bring yourself to believe it," said Zackton.

"That's a good way of putting it," Rexi said. "I mean, I'd like to believe that. It's a pretty thing to believe, but ... I don't have any reasons to believe it, you know?"

"I disagree" said Zackton. "You have a number of ..." and then he stopped, as Talon walked out of the bathroom, in soft greens and blues. "There are number of reasons, right in front of you. May we continue this conversation after the knights leave?"

"Yes," said Rexi. "We'd better do that. Thank you, Master Zackton."

The half-orc nodded courteously. "Talon, go down to the music room. I'll be down in a minute."

"Yes, Master."

Zackton waited until the half-elf's steps had faded before speaking further. "Rexi, I do have one urgent question. I admit I don't know much about ... your family. Do you consider Harald a threat to you, either personally, or to your position?"

Rexi blinked. That was urgent? And then Sassy's reminder that Harald had been trying to talk with him came back. Huh. What could it mean? Well, it meant that Harald and presumably Zackton knew ... something that he didn't. And something that could be ... used against him, Rexi, somehow, even if Rexi couldn't think what that could be. This sort of thing always gave Rexi a headache. Harald knew something. Zackton knew it, also. He, Rexi, did not know it. Zackton knew Harald knew it. But Zackton couldn't know if Rexi knew it, or if Harald had told him. Likewise, Rexi couldn't know if Harald knew that Zackton knew. But, reasonably, Harald did know that Rexi didn't know. As to whether Harald knew about Zackton's knowledge ... also unknown. Rexi did his best to fix that in mind.

Next, came the other part of Zack's question -- was Harald a threat to him. Of course, all of his family could be a threat, and Harald was Rexi's best underboss. Not next in line to take over, Harald really didn't have the personal skills, that would have to be Sassy or Brunne, but Sassy or Brunne with Harald could ... But why would they? They were happy, reasonably. They knew there were still in a delicate position -- although they couldn't possibly know just how much more delicate it had become, Rexi realized he needed to let them know -- and, ah, this was the way. Harald knew he'd need one of them, Brunne or Sassy. None of the others world do; Brunne would accept Sassy, Sassy might accept Brunne, but neither would accept anyone else. So ...

Rexi thought back over the work arrangements. Harald had not been with Brunne or Sassy tonight. They'd been in different areas. So, he couldn't have arranged anything with them suddenly --

"No," Rexi said finally. "I don't think he is." Although that assessment might change once Rexi knew whatever it was that Harald and Zackton knew and he didn't.

Zackton nodded. "Very well. Let's go. Our guest should be here soon."

"And the sooner they're here, the sooner they leave?" Rexi dared.

"Another thing we agree on," Zackton said. "Entirely."