Dreams of the Oracle

Chapter 19

"Funny way of treating your friends," replied Abdiel sitting back.

"If you are referring to my overeager protégé," began the Protector taking a sip from a tall wine glass, "the Modus is the Modus and you of all people should understand that one can't be too careful."

"That was not what I was referring to," replied Abdiel icily, "and you may also want to consider changing your system of passwords,"Hades" has been used before. Not to mention that your man at the café said it loud enough to announce it to half the city."

The Protector wiped his mouth with a white cloth. His deep-set dark eyes appraised the man in front of him.

"You seem even more testy than I remember. Has retirement not been to your liking?"

"I was enjoying it just fine until Jack Linch showed up at my doorstep," said Abdiel.

"Ah," said the Protector taking another sip from his glass.

"I think," continued Abdiel, "that you had better start filling in some gaps for me Cessair, because right now I'm ready to kill you just on principle."

Cessair set his glass on the table and set up in his chair,

"There's no need for violence here, Abdiel. Jack Linch escaped from Calchas a short time ago. Entirely unprecedented."

"How many men did you have watching him?" asked Abdiel.

"It is a prison, dozens were watching him," said Cessair.

"Your men," said Abdiel. "How many?"

Cessair leaned back. "The warden,"

Abdiel stared at the man incredulously. "And?"

"And that was our contact on the inside. Good man."

"You only had one man inside? One man?" said Abdiel, incredulous.

"There was nothing we could have done," said Cessair taking another sip of wine.

"You promised. You swore that that monster would be under guard from agents of the Order!" said Abdiel slowly rising from his seat, "You gave me your word."

"He was smuggled a ruby from the outside!" cut in Cessair, also rising to his feet. "Once he had that stone it was over. You know that better than anyone. There was no way we could have prevented it."

Abdiel pounded the table. "If you had had agents inside you could have prevented it! If you had killed him ten years ago you could have prevented it!"

"How many agents do you think I have? The prison was quiet for ten years. People don't even remember his name anymore. He was in the deepest bowls of the strongest prison on the continent!" retorted Cessair heatedly, "and as for killing him, I'm not going over that again. It was never my decision to make, nor was it yours."

Abdiel sat back down in his chair, but rage still burned behind his eyes.

"How long have you known that he was out?" he asked, his voice calmer but dangerous.

"The warden informed us the same day," replied Cessair watching Abdiel warily as he slowly retook his seat as well. "The maniac burned a hole through ten feet of solid rock."

"And there wasn't any reason to warn me?" asked Abdiel.

"I don't answer to you, Abdiel," replied Cessair, "We're hunting him as we speak."

"You knew that he was coming for me as soon as he got out."

"We had no reason to suspect–" began Cessair.