Ambassador tya-4 Page 11

  Tor was calling him a bit feminine after all.

  The man didn't say anything at all, just gave a grin that was slightly playful and lopsided, then pulled him back in front of the mirror. Not exactly in front of it, off to the side a little. The Count moved in front keeping Tor out of view.

  “Now look, in the mirror, what do you see?”

  Tor's reflection looked back at him. Only it wasn't his, it was Lairdgren's.

  Oh.

  In the reflection the face suddenly looked plain and boring, maybe slightly homely. When Tor looked at Burks, it was the same face only much better looking. Just because it wasn't him?

  “We're genetically the same person Tor. We think alike, we look alike, everything. Yes, there are differences in the pattern, the main one being the combat rage, which was a trait of the original Cordes. It must have slipped in from Douglas's genes somehow, or your grandmothers side of the family… No, it has to be from Douglas… I don't have the genes for that at all, no one else in the family does. Other than that we're closer than identical twins would be.”

  Oh.

  Tor had to not think about it, because it scared him a little. Not that he was actually good looking, that was… nice. It would make things easier, wouldn't it? People liked good looking folk better. It was hard not to.

  No it was that he still looked into the mirror and saw… a troll. Not literally, but when it was him, he knew the same face couldn't be more than average at best, even though on someone else it looked… fine. Excellent really. It was a face he could credit someone pretty like Petra actually wanting to spend time with, and not just doing it to be nice. Or even Collette. Or the Queen. The idea shook him more than a little. After all, they only liked him as a friend, right? They were fond of him, which was mainly because they were good people, not having anything to do with him at all…

  The Ancient distracted him by growing older in front of his eyes, it was amazing.

  “You probably can't do it yet, wait till you're about twenty-five or so, if I remember that correctly, and it will suddenly kick in. You'll just wake up one day and know. It won't be hard for you then. This…” He gestured to himself, now looking like he normally did.

  “Is about the limit. I think the doctors that did the initial design were giving an eye towards vanity. Back then being old wasn't a good thing, not in Noram, so they left it out. Some of the others, Black and Red, can look older, and Red was designed to not be half as good looking as the rest of us, part of the program to allow for variety, since no one really knew what would work in the end. She can also shape shift into… well, it's something to see. If you ever get the chance you should ask her about it.” He let his hands go wide and smiled, a thing that touched his eyes and turned into a look that seemed carefully crafted to get attention somehow.

  “I don't bother to hide who or what I am any more. Most people don't concern themselves with it, to tell the truth. You'd think it would be a big deal, but most adjust pretty well. Best to be open and just let people know if they ask. With you it should be even easier. You're the great Wizard Tor, so of course you won't age. Dan had problems with it though and I imagine your mother will. Well, we can just tell people that she's your mother. That could work.”

  Dan, of course looked different than he did. Good looking, but not the same as Burks. They just weren't as similar for some reason.

  “Diversity is wonderful thing isn't it? He has the gene's, but he's just my son. A real, honest, got his mother pregnant, child of mine. Got my hair color too. You're closer to me than that. On the good side I can get you to take my place as Count in a few decades and no one will be the wiser as I go on some adventure or take up farming for a while. Growing things, now there's a good area for you to look into. I know I've always liked it. That's one of the things that never gets old. That's in our pattern too. Our line, mine and Denno Browns, it was originally meant to be a kind of super slave. Tractable without being dull witted. Willing to take on the hardest tasks without being forced into it. That kind of thing. That, isn’t actually genetic. Not for the most part.”

  Taking a deep breath the Count shrugged and looked at Tor closely.

  “I can go into it later, but a lot of these things are due to something else, something that’s been passed to you, but not Dan, not Laurali either, thank goodness. They’ll get to make up their own rules. Yours are more enforced, I’m afraid.”

  It was all almost too much, which Burks seemed to know, so they started talking about other things. Girls and what he had planned for his future.

  The Count looked down and took another deep breath, “Ah… Well, um, kids. I know Ricky told you that you may have some problems having children if you married Veronica? Well, it's a little more complicated than that. You can't have them at all until you mature a bit. A few hundred years. About five hundred actually. Then it's hard. Until then… adopt. It's what I did. Still do mainly. On the good side you won't accidentally be dropping kids on women every time you have sex like Marvin Ward is. I'm going to have to have a discussion with him on the topic soon. He's here, right? Maybe I'll do it today or tomorrow. We should talk more too. Probably for a couple of years all told. I don't regret your Two Bends upbringing, but you've missed a lot you’re going to need to know eventually. Still, we have time to get to it. If you have questions, just ask. I won't hide the answers from you.”

  “Oh! I have one then.” This came out sounding a little bitter, but that was OK, he meant it that way.

  “Who all do you have spying on me?” Tor waited for the man to flinch, wince or even laugh at him, but instead he shrugged. It was his shrug. Gah. It was eerie now that he knew to look for it. How did people not see this instantly? Probably the age thing really.

  Burks was just older. So they couldn’t be the same, right?

  “They're all spying for me Tor. Even your mother, though she doesn't think of it that way. Ricky and Connie tell me everything. So all their spies are functionally mine. Probably yours too if you bother to work out how to get at the information. Most of it won't mean much to you, but do give it a go, will you? I'll gladly share responsibilities with you for Noram if you want. I know you don't want it, but I'll probably ask you to anyway. I haven't had a real vacation in about two thousand years you know. Not since Cordes died.” This got an abstract look and after a moment of silence that spoke of old memories.

  “Even during peace time, some Duke is always screwing some barons wife or the wives get worked up because the men are doing each other, or a cow gets loose and crosses a border and gets turned into steak or some such. It's why I finally set up “the rules” you know. So that I didn't have to spend half my life dealing with everyone’s poor dating habits. It's hard to ask royalty not to sleep around. Human nature really, people want to be loved and make contact with others. It only becomes a problem when the social rules prevent that from happening or make people feel guilty about it.”

  Tor snorted at the man, which got a single raised eyebrow. Tor couldn't do it, but then he hadn't really practiced either.

  “You made up the rules? Good, can you get me a copy? I have a book called “manners” but I don't think what's in there is complete. I keep missing things.”

  Laughing they went to lunch in the dining room, filled with more people this time than last. Burks pushed food on him like a nervous granny, but then that wasn't too far from the truth, was it? In public they didn't talk about much at all, the weather and the rebuilding of the wall around the palace. How the Council of Counts wanted to cancel King’s day because of the attack and the King responded by opening the royal coffers to pay for added celebrations. Or more technically was using Tor’s money to do it. Burks had suggested it.

  “I told them to just view it as the Lairdgren county special fund.” The man smirked at him using a look that Tor hoped he never had on his face, but feared was pretty common.

  “Oh? That makes sense I guess. Well, Bonita and I will go over later to coordinate that stuff with t
hem, if I'm paying for it. She's agreed to organize things for me, since I'm on “vacation” and not really allowed to work right now on anything. I… If I can't work for a long time… what will the King say?” It was a serious question, something that had really bugged him, but Burks laughed and patted his shoulder gently.

  “Don't worry about it. Just because you can't go ripping your pattern apart defeating the Austran forces with a thought, that doesn't mean you can't do anything of value. Just no building or copying for a few months, then keep to no more than one or two novel builds per month for a few years. That's still better than most of the top builders put together. Really, I'd like to see you go into greater detail and skill rather than the brute force you've been using. Your things work and I love the energy usage, but you're basically bludgeoning reality into the shape of your will instead of using finesse. Skill and working with what's around you. Just a suggestion, but… remember what we talked about earlier, about attention to detail? That's the path to true mastery in anything. Keep finding ways to improve and never stop.”

  Right.

  Well, if he'd nearly killed himself doing it his current way, his way was wrong. So, more skill and finesse? Uhg. Tor had kind of thought he was getting a handle on that. Then again it was probably naive to think that an eighteen year old boy was approaching real mastery of anything. He nodded and started to think about how to improve, but Burks clapped him on the shoulder to snap him out of the deep state that was descending on him, hard enough that the blow never touched, his shield kicking in. It got his attention though. His grandfathers too.

  “Oh, that's nifty. Turned on by itself? I'd like one of those if you have a spare.”

  Tor did, on him even, so he handed it over, then, as an afterthought went and got him one of everything he had. The man was family after all. Plus, he could make his own copies if he wanted them, for people back in Grenwyn. It was hard to remember, but the man had actually invented the whole system of magic they used.

  They found Bonita sitting in a room with Maria Ward and Trice, sewing, of all things. Cross stitch, from the look of the wooden squares being used. Terlee like it and would sit in the evenings after chores doing almost exactly what they were.

  He'd have to see if she was in town visiting Tovey. They were getting married soon, so it wouldn't be surprising. She might even be pregnant already. She didn't have the Ancient patterns like he did… then his mother certainly didn't have any trouble having children, did she? He'd check. After all, she was spying on him, only fair to spy back. If he didn't she'd probably think he didn't love her any more.

  Bonita shot to her feet and grabbed him as soon as he walked through the door. It was followed by a kiss that was a little awkward, but warm enough. Right, her family was watching. Burks was his family, but he'd known the guy less than a year, even if they did look alike when Burks wanted to bother. Tor took her hand and not letting go went over and kissed Trice just as warmly. Trice was better at kissing, using just the right amount of tongue and artful nibbles.

  He focused on it for a second, trying to get what was being done exactly. Attention to detail. Finally she pulled away and gave him a doe eyed look that he wondered at. Was it real or all part of an act. He didn't dare even try to read her yet, his pattern was just too fragile. Once pointed out he could feel it. Kind of an “oops” moment, not realizing that before.

  The stink of death had faded though, so the day was looking up. The Austran craft were run by complex devices? Amazing. For a second he wondered if that could be built using magic. It would be interesting to try, once he was healthy again.

  “So. I've come to collect my girlfriends up and take them off visiting to the palace. If you want to come? I kind of need Bonita though right now, since she's agreed to help with the celebration plans. We need to coordinate with the palace people, whoever is in charge of that. I know that the Queen would love to catch up with Trice and her cousins would too…” Tor looked at Maria who was hanging her head a little, a humble look that he wasn't used to seeing on her. Was he being rude leaving her out? Probably.

  Did he care?

  Searching his inner self he realized he did.

  Crud. It really made it hard to stay mad if you actually cared about everyone, didn't it? At least now he could blame some old time “scientists” for messing him up. Not that it would help.

  Jerks. Tor had to fight a smile at the thought.

  “Maria? Would you like to come along? Maybe Marvin would like to go as well? I know things are tense there, but if your both willing to knock your heads on the floor and grovel a bit… well, sooner done, the less likely to get me killed later, yes? That's how that saying goes isn't it?” The phrasing was awkward, but she smiled and him and stood.

  “I'll collect the Count. At this rate I'm going to get calluses.” Her delicate hand went to her forehead.

  Tor’s went to his own in sympathy.

  “At least we'll go to the parties with the same decorations then. I've been doing my share of head thumping too, the last few days.”

  The ride over was quick and silent, Tor using his magical carriage, which Burks had him re-color to look like a royal coach in fine golden wood and enameled cream, perfectly smooth and rather stately. It did look classier that way, if not as fun. Next time, Tor decided, he'd take it out in bright pink and purple, just to see if anyone noticed. On the ride over he sat in the very lead seat, being the driver. The Wards took the middle section with Burks sitting between Trice and Bonita, chatting them both up so expertly that Tor wondered if they'd run off with him for the evening.

  He even had Nita laughing loudly, her hand going over her mouth for about half the ride. Well… The idea of losing the girl's company wasn't fun, but if she was going to be happier spending time with Burks, he could only encourage it. She deserved to be happy.

  At the gate, the guard bowed to Count Lairdgren, Bonita, Trice, then did a double take, eyes going wide and did the same for the Wards. Looking at Tor the young guard gave a half wave.

  “Hey Tor.” He said casually.

  “Hi, Chet.” He replied with his own wave, happy that he remembered the guys name at all. He still mainly remembered him threatening to break his legs when he'd been sent away nearly a year ago to the day. One or two more days, he realized.

  They still had to wait for someone to come out and vouch for them, which the Wards bristled at but Tor openly supported, given the latest attack.

  “Any good looking tall people could claim to be the Wards. And any pale short guys could claim to be us. Trice is supposed to have one arm and I don't know how often Bonita has been here at all. I don't think I'd let us all in without swearing to who we were with truth devices on.” Which he had one of on him. To his surprise so did Trice.

  “What? I went into your box of stuff and got extra. You always said too if we needed or wanted anything. If you changed the rules, that isn't my fault. Dead useful and since I have my own groveling to do as soon as I work up the nerve, I'll need it.” She glowed cream and gold the whole time, smiling.

  Tor shrugged. “Good. I hope you got whatever else you needed? It's a pain, always handing things out. I should just put a box out in the foyer and leave a note. Would that work? I hate making people feel like they're obligated to me. It's off-putting. That way people could just take what they need and we could all avoid that annoying part where they “borrow” things without telling me about it. I think I'll do that.”

  No answer came because Varley floated over using her Not-flyer. Before she could speak, before even moving past the safety of the gate, or out of public view, Count Ward climbed out, a little stiffly, then lowered himself to the ground. Not kneeling, not just bowing, laying flat on his stomach, dark suit on stone drive, head turned to the left, face on the drive, hands straight out to the front. Then he began to apologize as abjectly as Tor had ever heard anyone manage. If it wasn't genuine he didn't know what was.

  Trice gave a wicked little grin and reached out dro
pping her Truth amulet on his back. It stayed pure the whole time.

  Tor blinked.

  As the Count listed how he'd failed and wronged the Princess it never even flickered. Ouch. That had to cost his ego more than a bit. Varley stared, crossed her arms and finally sighed dramatically.

  “Guess I should call off that kill squad then.” She looked at the Royal Guard and gestured at them all. “I recognize everyone except for this lady…” The look she gave Nita was curious.

  Tor slipped the brown hemp string of his own truth device over her head and asked her to affirm who she was, her intent, and if she had any ulterior motives in coming. It was soft, mumbled and forced Varley to strain to hear, but her word, with the device on, was accepted as proof.

  Chet looked at the devices and simply asked if it was possible to get some for the palace given everything, “It would certainly make things safer, don't you think, Tor?”

  It was a good idea, but Tor didn't want to lose his right now, or Trice's, in case the Wards needed them later, or they did. Trice pulled off two more and handed them to the man. Tor promised he'd send a full batch over later, so that all the gates would have them. The guard bowed to Trice again and winked at Tor knowingly. What he knew, that was beyond what Tor could fathom, but he seemed pleased and satisfied, so he let them through. Bowing the whole time.

  Maria hmphed as they passed, getting Trice to ask her what was wrong.

  “Patricia! Didn't you see that guard? He treated Tor like… I don't know, just some servant or delivery person! No bowing at all, just a wave and using his name like they were millers together or something. I… Tor saved us all! He protected the whole city and it hurt him to do it. Marvin told me how he had to carry him in after the attack and how he looked half dead. Plus he's a Countier and a Master Builder. We should report him and have him removed for insubordination. Or… or lashed!” She sounded serious.