"Some of the old things will still work," I muttered. I couldn't take my eyes off him, for some reason.
"Too late," he grinned, making me catch my breath. His smile would turn any woman's head, I think. "I dumped that junk yesterday," he said, continuing to smile at me. "If we leave now, you might get enough to do dinner tonight," he added.
"Call me Teeg," he said later as we wandered down aisles in an exclusive shop that sold high-end pots, pans and dishes. I watched him walk—he was unconsciously graceful, moving fluidly, like a jungle cat might while stalking prey. "And money is no object." He was grinning at me again. I almost forgot that I was to behave like a nineteen-year-old boy. His smile was melting something that was better left frozen.
"This," I stopped at the stainless-steel cookware. One of the brands available was manufactured on Tulgalan and considered one of the best. I was used to working with it. We pulled everything I needed off high shelves with help from the sales staff. We also got two cast-iron skillets in different sizes, cooking utensils, two sets of dishes and glassware, fine crystal wineglasses, drinks glasses and a multitude of aprons, kitchen towels and supplies. The total was staggering when we were done.
"Only the best for Master Arvil," Teeg grinned at me again. I couldn't help it—I smiled back at him. "That's better," he said. The store was delivering our purchases, so we went to find something to cook at a nearby grocery. I think I will always remember that day with Teeg—the top of my head came midway on his upper arm and he smiled at me often, his white teeth flashing in a grin at times as he asked me about this thing or that.
He was dressed nicely, too, in a charcoal knit shirt and black slacks with matching boots. The fingers on his hands were long, well-shaped and accustomed to hard work, I could tell. His dark hair curled slightly and was cut and styled very well. It made me worry about my own makeshift haircut that had left barely a finger's width of white hair on my head. Perhaps I'd find a barber, just as Delvin urged me to do.
"I'll come by to speak with Master Arvil about what else needs to be done," Teeg said after we dropped the food purchases in the kitchen. "You want a work island, don't you?"
"Of course I want an island," I muttered, lowering my eyes. No need to show him my disappointment that he was leaving.
"I found some natural stone that would go well on top of your island," he was smiling when I looked up at him again. "There's enough of it to do the countertops too." I nodded mutely at his suggestion. He walked with silent grace out of Arvil's kitchen. I think I stared at his back the entire time he walked away, disappearing through the kitchen door after a few ticks. The same thought kept racing through my brain as I watched him disappear from view. How was he here on such an outpost of criminal activity? How?
"Re can have what he wants within reason, including an assistant," Arvil was happy with his veal dish. He and his wizards ate with good appetite as Arvil spoke with Teeg. "Xiri has already asked to spend some time over here."
"What do you want, Re, besides an island and new countertops?" Teeg was grinning at me as I poured more wine for Arvil.
"An assistant to prepare breakfast would be nice," I said. "That way I won't be spending all day every day cooking."
"Then ask for a day off," Teeg suggested. That stopped me cold.
"You may have eight-day off—I have dinner with my casino managers on that night," Arvil said. "And only worry about dinner unless I ask for something else the day before. This veal is excellent. Is there any more?" Arvil got more veal. Teeg left after a while, leaving Arvil and his wizards to finish their dessert.
If I'd thought Arvil San Gerxon was a benign autocrat who liked his meals, I was shown something different the following day.
"You let it slip, didn't you?" Arvil's assistant was standing in the kitchen and cringing as Arvil shouted at him. The cruel-mouthed wizard and Delvin were also there as I worked out a menu for the following week. The cabinetmakers faded from the kitchen quickly. I started to leave but Arvil barked for me to stay. "You need to learn, boy, just how things are around here," he snarled. Arvil nodded to cruel-mouth, who lifted his hands.
Even I didn't expect the assistant to scream as he burned alive. I think I dropped to the floor in the corner where I stood while the poor man screamed out his last and died on the kitchen floor. "Clean up the mess," Arvil shouted at Delvin afterward. I stared at Delvin in shock. He'd willingly given himself to this, and dragged me along with him. He didn't even look at me as he and cruel-mouth dragged Arvil's charred, former assistant away. I hadn't even learned what it was the man supposedly did to earn a death such as this.
No, the wizard blasted him with flames and he burned to death, I sent to Lendill later when I could breathe normally again. I don't know what he did.
We raided Birimera yesterday and burned a hundred drakus seed fields, Lendill returned. That made me swallow uncomfortably. If Arvil remembered that he'd said that within my hearing, I could be next. Reah, that wizard can't harm you with his power, Lendill reminded me.
I don't have protection against a physical attack—you told me not to turn, I reminded him.
Reah, we said you could leave if they are about to harm you. Make sure it is real harm—you've given us good information so far. I wanted to ask what he meant by real harm. Had his and Director Keef's little escapade that caused my convulsions been classified as something other than real harm? I was too afraid to ask.
I have to go to work, I said instead, cutting off the mental communication.
"We can't salvage this," Teeg said later as he examined the cracked and burned tiles. "You don't have to tell me what happened," he muttered softly. I'd knelt beside him so he could show me the damage. My new assistant had cleaned what was left of the floor after the body had been carried away.
"I didn't even know his name. Will his family be notified?" I asked, focusing on Teeg's dark eyes.
"Re, people who work here generally don't have families," Teeg stood and lifted me by grasping my arm in his fingers. "Eight-day is tomorrow. Why don't you come by? I've been thinking about going up the mountain for some fresh air."
The mountain was an artificial ski slope north of Campiaa City. "Here's my address," Teeg flipped a card in his fingers before handing it to me. "Come early."
I was at Teeg's apartment shortly after breakfast. Thinking of him had kept me awake the night before, and that hadn't happened to me often. I considered sending mindspeech to Tory and Aurelius, but then Teeg thought I was a boy. He wasn't one to be attracted to young boys or men—I don't know how I knew that about him, but I did.