Jason shifted uncomfortably. “You’re warning me that my quest probably ends with the Maumet.”
“I want you to appreciate what you’re up against. You will have to succeed where multitudes have failed. You’ll have to accomplish something that the mightiest wizard in the history of Lyrian didn’t dare to attempt. You’ve pulled off some shocking upsets in the past, but only a fool would bet on you this time. So I will.” Ferrin detached an ear and held it out to Jason.
“You’re betting an ear?”
“I’m betting that not only will you find a way past the Maumet, but that you will locate Darian the Pyromancer and need to offer us crucial information from a great distance. If you perish, I’ll just have to get used to life with one eye and one ear.”
“Farfalee is bringing messenger eagles,” Jason reminded him.
“I know, and they will serve as an important redundancy, but nothing beats sure, instantaneous communication.”
Jason accepted the ear. It represented a great deal of trust. Too much trust, maybe? Could Ferrin have other motives? They had spoken frankly about his allegiance issues on other occasions. “What if you betray us?”
Ferrin flashed a crooked smile. “The oracle had the same concern.”
“She did?”
“In our private conversation. She told me that I could be either a vital asset or a crippling traitor. She assured me that Maldor would never accept me, that any treachery would end in my ruin, things I already know. Things she needed me to believe.”
Jason held up the ear. “This is your attempt to help us?”
“Part of it,” Ferrin said. “If we mount an attack on Felrook, I have a lot of information that could prove advantageous. Assuming Galloran can muster his army, and you can accomplish your role, I’ll help see this through.”
“Are you sure?” Jason asked. “Are you really on our side? Totally?”
Ferrin raised his eyebrows. “It’s possible that you would learn a vital secret, speak it to my ear, and I would take the information straight to Maldor in search of forgiveness. Such an act of betrayal could enable the emperor to counter whatever secret tactic Darian might suggest, even if the messenger eagles still deliver the information to Galloran.”
Jason resisted an impulse to fling the ear into the jungle. “I know you think like that. Do you have to be so open about it?”
“Would you prefer I kept those thoughts private?”
“I wish you’d quit having those thoughts at all. It’s a scary sort of honesty when you openly admit you might betray us.”
Ferrin lifted his hands apologetically. “I’ve plotted like this my entire life. I like you enough that I try to be candid.”
“It’s not just that you have those urges. I know you’re capable of carrying them out.”
Ferrin laughed darkly. “Makes me a lousy teammate. But the oracle indicated that we need to stand together or else none of this will work. Doesn’t that mean you have to rely on me?”
“I want to count on you. You’ve picked us over Maldor before.”
Ferrin held up a finger. “Back before I really knew the stakes, I picked you over the chance of upsetting Maldor if I got caught. Then the situation spiraled out of control. But I see what you mean. If I wanted to ruin your cause, I could have already done so.”
“True,” Jason said, “but that gives us no guarantee about what you might do tomorrow. I’d feel better if you promised me you won’t turn on us.”
“Haven’t you heard? The word of a displacer is worthless. There is a whole family of jokes on the subject.”
“I can’t judge the other displacers,” Jason said. “I’ve barely known any. You’re the only one I really know. Ever since Whitelake, you’ve been really honest with me. Even when you turned in me and Rachel, you were open about it. You’ve stuck your neck out for me. Your word means something to me.”
Turning to gaze out at the horizon, Ferrin gave a slight nod. “Very well, Jason. I swear that I will continue to support this rebellion. I gave part of my carotid artery to Galloran in token of my sincerity, and part of my brachial artery to you. With that ear, I’m running out of body parts to spare.”
Jason pocketed the ear. He would put it in the same pouch as the artery. “The ear will be good to have. Imagine if something happened to the eagles!”
“The possibility had crossed my mind.”
“This will be one-way communication,” Jason realized. “I won’t be able to hear from you. How will I know you’re listening?”
“I’ll be listening,” Ferrin assured him. “Unless I die, in which case the cross-dimensional connection will be severed, and the ear will leak blood and grow cold. It would be hard to miss.”
“Right. Hey, speaking of broken connections, I have a displacerly question.”
“Then I probably have an answer.”
“Two displacers gave Galloran their eyes,” Jason established.
“Yes.”
“What if they die? Would his eyes rot?”
“A fair question,” Ferrin said. “Can Galloran see out of those eyes?”
“Of course.”
“And the displacers can too, which means he has a shared grafting. In a shared grafting, the mutual body part is simultaneously supported by both organisms. If Galloran dies, the eyes can draw from the displacers to remain alive and functional. If the displacers die, the eyes will lose their cross-dimensional connection and become the sole property of Galloran. They should remain healthy and serviceable. Displacers have been hunted and killed so a person could become the sole owner of a grafting. It makes our kind think twice before we share a body part.”
“That’s good to know,” Jason said. “I was kind of worried about him.”
“There are plenty of reasons to worry about Galloran,” Ferrin replied. “Rotten eyeballs is not one of them.”
“Thanks for the info.” Jason realized that this might be the last time he spoke to Ferrin in private before parting ways. “Take care of yourself.”
“I always do.” Ferrin placed a hand on Jason’s shoulder and looked him in the eye. “Jason, I wasn’t joking that I’m betting on you. I’m wagering everything. This will be tough all around. Find a way to get your part done. I believe in you.”
Jason swallowed. He didn’t want to ask the question, but he couldn’t resist. “Why?”