Good morning one and all. I don’t know about you but I actually slept well last night and am ready to hit the ground running. I’m sur with a cup or two of coffee I can conquer the world. Or at least my day’s work load. So without further delay, let’s get started. Ready? Good. Let’s go.
I sort of like this. I am not sure if it is the information passed in the dark or the character of Talbot that I want to work with, but I think I’ll come back to this at some point.
Thursday, December 2nd: In the end it is what you do with the knowledge that matters more.
“In the end it is what you do with the knowledge that matters more.”
Talbot looked at the old man and lifted an eyebrow in speculation. “And you think no one is going to ask how I came by this knowledge?” he asked.
The older man shrugged. “It may occur to them to ask,” he admitted.
“And are you protected against such inquiries?” Talbot asked. He kept his tone light, curious instead of demanding.
The old man smiled. The lines on his face deepened turning his face into a series of small mountain ranges with curved and twisted valleys. He let his amusement shine through his sternness and for a moment his green eyes almost twinkled. Talbot could see why the old man held his position. He had the stern and commanding air about him and could no doubt enforce discipline when necessary, but he also could soften and look like a caring elder if the need arose. Talbot was certain it made him good at his job.
He wondered which aspect was real, or if both held equal weight. He had a life time’s worth of combative relationships with not just his temple but with every temple in the district so trusting the façade was not something that came naturally to him. The temples too often played politics for his liking. While he understood the need, lately it seemed less like they were playing politics to protect their followers and more to increase their own power and wealth.
He understood the desire. It was one that ruled his own family for generations and indeed the one that brought him here on this cold, wet night. But even though he often disliked the secular politics it seemed cleaner somehow. Even if deeds were done in the dark, everyone either knew or suspected that the aristocratic families were playing with political fire.
The temples cloaked their political wrangling as much as the nobles, but they hid it behind a veil of piety, using the saving of souls to cover their quest for power. To Talbot that always seemed…seedier somehow.
“Are you worried about us then?” the old man asked. There was no mocking in his tone, which made Talbot suspect he was a better actor than expected. While he didn’t know the old man’s name, would never know the old man’s name and would in all likelihood never see him again, Talbot knew he was known to the temples and that information would have been funneled down to whoever they sent to deal with him.
“You are useless to me if you can no longer pass information,” Talbot said. He let the words slip out with a trace of boredom tinting the edges. The truth was, he was concerned somewhat for the old man. While the Temples dabbled, this was more than mere dabbling. The information he now held could cause crown heads to roll from the executioner’s block. In particular the Prince and heir to the throne. If suspicion fell this way, the old man and those who served the temples would be in danger.
While Talbot didn’t like them, they were unarmed and often housed equally helpless citizens within their walls. An armed force sent to silence them would be a slaughter.
“Ah,” the man replied accepting his words. “You needn’t concern yourself then. After this transaction is complete, we shall deal no more with you. This is a one time affair.”
Ten til Midnight 