"And all of this around me—the books, the reading is this to help you find a way to restore yourself?" There was a logic to this madness that was irresistible, It was all beginning to fall into place in a tight pattern, one she could not easily refute. If one simply assumed that magic power was real... "I take it that Mr. du Mond is no student of languages?"
"Paul is no student of anything," came the dry retort. "He is competent in modern French, English, and Latin, but as you have seen, most of my books are in other tongues, many of them obscure. I am unable by reason of my deformity to read them for myself. Hence... the ruse that brought you here."
She closed her eyes for a moment and digested that, then opened them again and poured herself another cup of coffee. If I had been the meek little bookworm I suspect he wanted, what then? Would I have been kept mind-clouded and in the dark while I prattled his translations away for him? "And if I had told you I would not stay here in the first place?"
A dry chuckle, one with a touch of cruelty. "For myself, there were other candidates besides you. As for you—there are many ways for a penniless woman to make a living in San Francisco, but I do not believe that most of them would have appealed to you."
She felt anger penetrate her bewilderment at that bald statement. "You used me, used my circumstances to put me into a position where I had no choice!"
"I never claimed to be a gentleman, Miss Hawkins," he countered, his voice even and in fact, indifferent. "I am a businessman. You should be aware what that means by now. It is my nature to use people, and I have no responsibility to those people to guide their steps then, or later. It is up to them to make what they can of the situation, to make it mutually beneficial. You are hardly stupid. Can you say honestly that you are not benefiting by being here?"
He has me there. Wages, fine food, beautiful lodgings, lovely clothing—I am certainly worlds better off here. Even if I am at the mercy of a madman. Or a magician. If they're not the same thing. "No," she admitted. "I am much better off than I would have been back in Chicago. But I do not like being used!"
"Then do something about it," he replied, flatly. "Decide to stay or go, decide to be used or decide to use me to get what you want. It is your choice, Miss Hawkins."
She didn't have to decide; she knew already. "I'm staying, of course!" she snapped—and perhaps the wine was to blame for her runaway tongue and temper. "Do you think I am so foolish as to abandon luxurious surroundings and congenial work just because my employer is suffering from the delusion that he is a feudal overlord with wizardly powers?"
That made him laugh, as she flushed again. "It is not a delusion, my dear Miss Hawkins! I am a feudal overlord with wizardly powers. The powers you have seen for yourself, and as for the feudalism, why do you think we are referred to as 'rail barons'? But I am glad that your good sense overcomes any fear you might have, knowing your employer is also dabbling in Magick."
It was her turn to laugh, for once again he had turned the tables on her. But she still had an arrow in her quiver to sting him with. "I am not afraid of your magic; I haven't seen anything but a convenient replacement for gossiping servants. If you were all that powerful, Mr. Cameron, you would not have needed a railway train to bring me here. For that matter, you would not have needed me. Flying dinner-trays are all very well, but you obviously are dependent on normal people for a great deal, or you would not need Paul du Mond, either."
Silence for a moment made her fear she had said too much, and angered him. He could send her away and find someone more tractable.
"She is right, Jason," the Salamander said merrily, making her turn her head so suddenly to look at it that she nearly overset her coffee-cup.
"I know she's right, damn it!" Cameron growled. The Salamander laughed.
Rose smiled triumphantly. "Can I take it then, that this is about to become less a relationship of overlord and serf, and enter a stage of cooperation? Or—at least let it be an arrangement of lord and knight!"
"Only if you are willing to abide by some rules," Cameron countered swiftly. "If you wish to be my knight, you must obey my decrees, true? I did not show you all this only to have you flout my authority in Magick. I am the authority there. If I am occasionally terse with you, it is because I do not have the time or the leisure to be otherwise. If I give you a direct order, I expect it to be obeyed."
She nodded, primly. "Of course. You are still my employer, and these are deep waters. I may have the rudder, but you are both the navigator and the captain."
"Very well." He sounded calmer, more satisfied. "I shall accelerate your Magickal education, and I shall not trouble to hide the activities of my servants from you. In fact, I shall assign one to you to tend to your needs, the same one that has been cleaning and picking up after you. Simply speak what you want aloud if you have any request, and it will tend to the task."
As unnerving as the floating fire-lizards were, she actually was relieved. At least now she could see the presence in her rooms. And now she knew it wasn't du Mond. That was reassuring all by itself.
Is there a grudging admiration in his voice? At least he won't be tempted to take me for granted now.
"I will still be attending to the matters of my business during ordinary office hours, so you will still have your afternoons free," Cameron continued. "However, I must ask you not to discuss any of this with du Mond. I believe that Paul may be jealous of you, and this would only confirm that jealousy. He wishes more from me than he deserves—or than I intend to give him."
Interesting. What is he to du Mond, or du Mond to him? Master and Apprentice? Or prisoner and keeper? On the other hand, she would really rather not discuss anything with Paul du Mond if she could help it.
This entire situation had an air of such unreality that it should have been a dream. That must have been why she felt bold enough to say incredible things.
I will wake up in the morning, and this will never have happened. This is all a dream; I fell asleep over that book by Dee, and I am dreaming all this.
"I would just as soon see as little of Mr. du Mond as possible," she said slowly. "If it is all the same to you."
"That will suit me perfectly," came the reply, which only made her wonder. Was there something that du Mond might tell her that Cameron did not want her to know? But what could it be? Were there still more secrets to be revealed?
"So, I take it that our schedule is still the same?" she said, vaguely aware that she should say something. It was trivial, but at least it was something.
"Exactly the same," Cameron told her, and there was no mistaking the satisfaction in his voice, as if now he had decided that he had accomplished something that he was very pleased with. "The only difference will be that now I will not have to wait for you to be conveniently absent or asleep to send my servants about. And now that you have recalled the schedule, may I assume that you are prepared to resume that schedule?"
"I am not so frail that I am in need of a bottle of smelling salts after all this," she said sharply. She pinched herself sharply. She did not wake up.