Ten Arrows

Chapter 12

It was a solid plan, really; stick me in jail, create a situation where I'd want to get out, remove most of my little tricks, and booby-trap one of them. With that setup, all he'd have to do is be elsewhere when the trap was triggered, and poof . . . he was in the clear. When my death was investigated, the most believable explanation would be that I'd accidentally blown myself up with my own bag of tricks while attempting to escape my cell.

"Great," I said, slowly lowering my hand. "So, now I'm trapped in here with some unknown thing that might poison, explode, or otherwise kill me."

"Kill us, you mean," said Connor.

"I suppose. Hey, how is it you even knew to find me here, or figure out that I'd been taken in the first place? I've barely even seen you around lately!"

"That was kind of the whole point. There's something I want to know, so I've been practicing some of the stuff you've been teaching me. You know, subtlety? Spying on people, listening in on conversations, all that. I've actually been in Tucat Keep practically the entire time, watching you and some of the staff. Found out some interesting stuff, too." Connor frowned. "Today, when I noticed two knights I didn't recognize, I kept an eye on them. Then I saw them knock you out and carry you out the back way to a waiting carriage. I figured I couldn't stop them by myself, so I decided I should follow them, find out where they were taking you."

"You . . . followed them into the palace jail? Unnoticed?!" I asked, unable to hide my surprise.

"Wasn't that hard," Connor said with a shrug. "The trickiest part was near the end - dousing the torch on this side of the room from the outside hall without being seen." He gestured at the nearby wall-mounted torch that I'd noticed was unlit. "I needed less light on this side, or I would have stood out pretty badly sitting in the corner here. Some old guy spent nearly ten minutes not two feet away from me, trying to get it lit again. That was a bit exciting."

"Well, that sounds like quite a story, and you'll have to tell me all about it. In the meantime Connor, please tell me you have something that can get me out of here."

"Yeah, I can get you out."

"Thank the gods!" I breathed. "Okay, we've got to hurry! He may have been trying to kill me, but there's also a very good chance he wasn't lying about Talia, so I've got to get to her quick!."

Connor folded his arms and regarded me. "I have a question I'd like answered first."

I blinked at him.

"What?" I asked.

"I have a question. Answer it, and I'll let you out."

I stood there for several long moments, mouth half-open, staring at him.

"Connor, this is so not the time!"

"Oh, I'm no expert when it comes to spotting opportunities like these, as you've pointed out several times. However, this strikes me as the perfect time." He unfolded his arms and gestured meaningfully at the bars between us.

"Connor, Talia's in-"

"Danger. I know, I heard. I think I already told you I was here the whole time. And right now you want out of this place pretty badly." He raised an eyebrow at me. "This is what you've been trying to teach me, isn't it? You know something I want to know . . . you need something from me. You called it 'leverage', right?"

"Not . . . the . . . time!"

Connor crossed his arms and set his jaw. "I have a question."

"Listen, Connor-"

"No, you listen to me for a second! You're trying to teach me things, and expressing frustration that I'm not learning, or applying them. You yourself said once - there are two principle ways of gaining useful, specific information. There's stealth, and then there's leverage. Overhearing people sharing information, or forcing the information from people who need something you have. Well, I tried the one already. I even exercised patience! You want to know how patient I was? A bloody month and a half of listening, hiding, and waiting!" he half-yelled, his frustration becoming evident in his tone. "Well, patience didn't work! And now, here we are . . . and you suddenly need me for something."