Jagadev and I sat and looked at each other. Ahead of me the futures flickered between two branches. In one, we continued to sit and look at each other. In the other. . I’d come prepared, but even so I wasn’t sure I would make it out of the room. I expect to be threatened in these sorts of meetings, but Jagadev wasn’t going to make threats. If he started something it would be spectacular.
Gradually the futures of violence began to recede and finally winked out. Jagadev stayed silent for a full minute before speaking. “I hope you have some proof for your assertions.”
“Anne and Variam’s family history isn’t difficult to check,” I said.
“Nor does it prove anything.”
“Not on its own,” I agreed. “Of course, if those two were to suffer mysterious deaths as well you’d suddenly become a very likely suspect.”
“What do you want?” Jagadev said.
“First, no more assassins in the night,” I said. “Second, I want you to cut your ties with Anne and Variam. They go free and clear with no more plots against them.”
“And if I do not?”
“Then I’ll take everything I’ve told you and everything else I’ve found and publish it to every mage in the country,” I said. “Right now there are a lot of mages looking for someone to blame for their missing apprentices. They’d love to have someone to vent their rage on.”
“Again,” Jagadev said. “You have no proof.”
“They won’t care,” I said. “Not for a nonhuman.”
“And you think they will listen to you, Alex Verus?” Jagadev said softly. “To one who betrayed his master, turned against his tradition, and is responsible for the deaths of so many other mages himself? One who holds himself apart from the Light Council and the Dark associations, with mortal enemies amongst both, and whose closest allies are adepts and nonhumans? They will accept your story on nothing but your word? I think not.”
“Jagadev, let me tell you something about diviners,” I said. “You’re right that other mages don’t like us very much. But do you know the real reason they don’t want us around? It’s not because they don’t trust us to find out the truth. It’s because they trust us all too well.”
“Then let me tell you something about myself,” Jagadev said. His voice stayed soft, but something about it sent a chill down my spine. “You are very far indeed from the first mage to threaten me. Do you think I hold this domain at the whim of your Council? I have resources you cannot conceive of. If you bring war to me, then let me assure you that the apprentices whose lives you seem to value so highly will be the first casualties.”
We sat staring at each other for a long moment, then I broke the deadlock, leaning back in my chair. “That is the problem, isn’t it? If you ever really decided to cut loose you could do a lot of damage. On the other hand, by publishing this information I could do you a lot of damage. And if it came to war you’d eventually lose. You know it and I know it. It wouldn’t matter how many you killed. It’d be wolves pulling down a tiger. They’d bring you down by sheer weight of numbers.” I met Jagadev’s eyes. “So I guess what it comes down to is this. Is taking your revenge on two human apprentices more important to you than your own immortal life?”
“And what do you gain from this?” Jagadev asked.
“Does it matter?” I said. “Anne and Variam are a liability to you now. I’m going to be watching them and so will others, and if anything happens to them while they’re supposed to be in your care we’ll know it was you. Even if it wasn’t.”
I could have said more, but stopped. Some instinct told me that trying to persuade Jagadev further wasn’t going to help. Instead I sat and waited, watching the futures whirl ahead of me. The fire crackled in the quiet room, throwing flickering light over Jagadev’s orange-striped face and glinting off his opaque black eyes.
“Anne and Variam are banished from my domain,” Jagadev said at last. “As are you. Should any of you set foot in this place again your lives are forfeit.”
I nodded.
“Go,” Jagadev said.
I did. My muscles were tensed all the way to the door; if Jagadev was going to try anything, now would be the time. Every step I half-expected to hear a sudden rush of movement behind me.
But Jagadev did nothing. I reached the door and took a last look back. The rakshasa was still watching me from the table, lit up in the firelight, the meal untasted before him. I studied him for a moment and then turned and left. The guards let me go.
* * *
It was another clear winter’s day. The temperature had been getting lower and lower until it was close to freezing, and according to the forecasts there might even be snow this weekend. But for today the skies were clear, and we were taking the opportunity to do some moving.
“That the last one?” I said as I came back out into the street and saw the solitary box by the van.
“Yep,” Sonder said. “Is there anything else?”
“It’s fine,” I said. “Go ahead and take the van back. Thanks for the help.”
“It’s okay,” Sonder said. “Uh, you know, I could probably find somewhere they could use. The Council has a few buildings that are pretty much always empty.”
I shook my head. “You’ve done more than enough.”
Sonder hesitated. “Have you told them about. .?”
“What you found out about Jagadev?” I asked. “No. And to be honest, I’m not sure I’m going to.”
Sonder looked startled. “Really?”
I nodded. “But. .” Sonder said. “It’s the truth. I mean, I know it’s not going to be fun for them to hear, but. .”
“You did the research on Anne and Variam’s family history,” I said. “How much of an extended family do they have?”
Sonder thought for a moment. “I don’t think they have much of one. Not in their generation anyway. Variam used to have-”
“Right. How many of those deaths do you think were from natural causes?”
Sonder paused. “Oh.”
“And how do you think Variam in particular is going to react when he finds out?”
“Um. I guess he’s not going to be happy.”
“No,” I said. “He’s not.”
We stood by the van in silence for a moment. “What are you going to do?” Sonder asked.
“Sooner or later they’re going to have to know,” I said. “But. . I think I’m going to wait. At least until things quiet down.”
“I guess,” Sonder said. “Are we still on for dinner?”
“Sure. Drop by whenever you like.”
As Sonder drove the van away I picked up the box and carried it back to the shop. As I did I noticed that a couple of customers were hovering around the front door. “Hi,” one of them said as I fumbled for the handle. “Are you open?”
“Sure,” I said, shouldering the door open. “Come in and-” I stopped as I realised no one was behind the counter.
“Do you work here?” the younger one said.
“Yeah.” I put the box down and headed past the counter for the hall. “Wait just a sec and I’ll find the sales manager.”
I heard the argument from all the way down the stairs. “You are not leaving that crap all over my room,” Luna was saying.
“It’s where I’m staying, all right?” Variam said.
“I don’t care where you stay but you’re not staying here.”
“You said this was a spare room!”
“I told Anne this was a spare room. I didn’t say you could have it.”
“This is such bullshit,” Variam said. “You don’t even live here.”
“Yeah, well, sometimes classes run late and I sleep over, and I don’t want to be picking your dirty clothes off the floor.”
“My clothes aren’t-”
“Hi,” I said, sticking my head through the door of the spare room. “Is there a problem?”
“Variam wants my room,” Luna said with a frown. She was standing in front of the camp bed with her arms folded.