by Zeppy Cheng
“You don’t have to remember their names,” says Sebastian, just softly enough so that only I hear.
“Right,” I say to both of them.
A flood of dignitaries, politicians, and philanthropists parade by until all I can hear is a violin playing words with a posh British accent.
After the flood has abated, Crayton approaches. He is smiling with his mouth, not his eyes. “Markus! Glad you could make it. I wasn’t aware you were coming!”
I nod. “Um, yeah. My network arranged for me to be here.”
“Well we’re very lucky, then. This is the place to be if you want to make connections.” Crayton shoots me finger guns. “You Americans are always up to something!”
“Haha…” I say. “I don’t really think me being American has anything to do with my situation.”
Crayton winks. “Like I’ll ever believe that. You were smart, getting a lawyer as prominent as Lacy Stevens. I’m still wondering how you did it. She’s got a really golden track record.” He puts his arm around me and leads me to the center of the room.
A gorgeous high schooler, about my age, stands alone sipping a drink. Her beautiful auburn hair flows around her shoulders. Her light peach dress accents her pale white skin in such a way that it appears to sparkle. Even her ostentatious pearl necklace makes her seem more lovely, rather than being lovely itself. Heterochrome eyes, one blue and one green, take in the world with an intelligence that is equal to the greats of science and discovery.
I never believed in love at first sight, but in this moment, I am proven wrong.
“Alice!” Crayton pats my back. “This is Markus!” He turns to me. “Markus, this is my daughter Alice.”
I am stupefied. I cannot speak. I want to say something but am unable. Tongue-tied only begins to explain my inability to do more than hang my mouth open.
Sebastian leans close to my ear. “Master, do you want me to take over?”
I nod. I don’t trust my voice.
Sebastian bows to Crayton. “My master has informed me that he wishes to dance with you daughter.”
Lightning passes through me. Dance? No, um, I can’t dance! I haven’t ever danced with a girl! I skipped all the proms and school dances I ever had a chance to go to!
But instead of saying something, I leave my face plastered with an idiotic grin.
Sebastian nods with a knowing expression. “Though I must warn you, Mr. Blanche, my master has not had formal training in ballroom dance.”
Crayton laughs. “No matter! It’s normal for a Yankee to bumble around the dance floor!” He gently pushes his daughter forward.
Alice curtsies. “I hope to cultivate a wonderful business relationship.”
Um, business? Relationship? Uh…
“Okay,” I say.
“Extend your hand,” says Sebastian in my ear. He then takes out a small ball of magic and places it in my ear like an earplug. Suddenly I can hear his voice inside my head. I will give you instructions. Please follow them.
I make eye contact with Sebastian. Thanks, I mouth. I hold out my hand. Alice takes it.
Her hand is cold, almost icy. An electric shock goes up my arm. I can’t stop staring into her beautiful multicolored eyes. How does that happen, anyways? I don’t know, but whatever the case is, it makes her twice as beautiful as she would be otherwise.
But even though we’re holding hands, Alice stands still.
Sebastian: She is waiting for you to take the initiative. Lead her to the dance floor.
I gently tug on her hand. She slips her arm between my elbow and shoulder — the same kind of hold I see the other couples using. The pit of my stomach is turning over and doing gymnastics.
Sebastian: Put your right hand around her back and hold her arm up with your left hand.
I do as I am told. It’s the closest I have ever been to a girl. I feel weird about it, but she smells like a million good things. Wow, I am thinking weird thoughts. And I never knew my stomach was such a talented gymnast.
Sebastian: Focus. Step forward slow, quick-quick slow. Weight on your left foot. Forward right-left-right.
That’s too complicated! I take the steps as directed, and somehow I manage to keep it up — it must be because my physical stats were doubled after I absorbed that ring. I would never have been able to do this before.
Sebastian keeps feeding me instructions. I pick up quicker than I thought I was capable of. Thank you, dead balrog.
“My father says you have a valuable ability,” says Alice. “Where did you get it?”
“I, um, helped defeat a big monster, a balrog. Then I absorbed its ring.”
“Wow!” says Alice in a posh British sort of way. Her accent is really getting to me. “I myself am a water spirit. I once absorbed a fifty-year circle, and I hear that is rare among non-Adventurer types.”
“I, well, I think so?” I say.
Sebastian: Be more confident. No verbal fillers.
Okay, okay, I get it.
“My father is interested in you. There are not many people who he respects, especially people our age. My entire life he has been pushing away suitors after my hand, and now he tells me to get close to a boy.” Alice puts on a devilish smile. There is a depth to her dialog that makes me think she operates on the same wavelength as her father. It is obvious she is planning ten steps ahead.
Sebastian: Mention that you think she is beautiful.
Wait, what? How the hell am I supposed to say that without screwing up? I’m not that confident! I’m a bumbling idiot! I frantically make eye contact with Sebastian.
Sebastian: The statement is not to advance your petty infatuation. You need to appear confident and experienced in front of the gentry. Many eyes are on you.
Oh. I gather my strength. “You…” I pause. “You look very beautiful tonight.”
“Why, thank you,” says Alice.
Sebastian: Twirl.
How the hell am I supposed to do that? Holding my breath, I lift my hand. Alice twirls. It is the most natural thing I have felt all evening. I hear some chattering flow across the room. Everyone really is watching me.
“My father has told me that, as a high schooler, you are already a millionaire.” Alice’s eyes are glinting.
“Er, yeah,” I say.
Sebastian: Mention your donation to the Foundation For Endangered Species.
Uh… What? Donation… Donation?! How much? I clear my throat. “Yes, well, I have donated much of my, um, finances to various, uh—”
Sebastian: Confidence!
“I like to spread my money around to places that need it,” I say.
“Like what?” Her eyes gleam more brightly.
“The Foundation For Endangered Species, for one,” I say.
Alice’s eyes show surprise for a split second. Then her face is back to its pretty mask. “My. And why did you pick that particular foundation?”
Sebastian: Because you care for pandas.
What? Um… I take the leap. “Because I like pandas and don’t want them to die off.”
This can’t be right. I must look like a buffoon right now.
But Alice’s eyes light up, and she appears to be considerably happier than she was when we first started dancing. “Oh, pandas?” Her eyes soften. She giggles with a British accent, covering her mouth with one hand.
Cute, cute, cute!
Before we resume dancing, another man, aged maybe twenty, taps me on the back.
Sebastian: He’s cutting in. Disengage.
I let go of Alice, although I don’t want to.
She curtsies. “It was nice dancing with you.” She then takes the other man’s hand.
Wow. As my world twirls around me, I sit down in a plush chair at the edge of the ballroom.
This, I imagine, is going to get very interesting.
18 Opposing Council
Sebastian walks up to where I am sitting and offers me a glass of some sort of bubbly liquid in a fluted chalice.
“Um, I
don’t think I can—”
“It’s non-alcoholic. Hold it like this.” Sebastian demonstrates how to hold the glass.
I take it from him and hold it in the correct way, and then I bring it up to my lips. It’s a fruity beverage that sparkles like soda. “Thanks.”
Sebastian bows. “Anything for you, master.”
Crayton slopes up and sits beside me. He is holding a Champagne glass. It’s a part of his persona. “How did you like my daughter? She is very handsome. Many men are after her. Not just for her beauty, but for her dowry as well. She can sew, play the piano, and is a master flower arranger. Everything one would want in a wife.”
“Um. Am I seriously being considered as… a suitor?”
“You are a hero and have enough financial backing to make a marriage work. You are also very valuable to my company.” Crayton’s voice turns darker. “But there are more things that are special about you.” He sips and savors the Champagne, popping bubbles against his teeth. “It all depends on how the negotiations tomorrow pan out. I trust you realize what is riding on this deal?”
All too well. “Yes.”
Sebastian shifts from behind me to beside me, giving off a menacing aura that I am happy to have backing me up. At the same time, I can’t help considering Crayton’s offer. Basically, if I make a sweet deal with Crayton, I’ll get to marry a beautiful woman?
Wait. There’s something wrong here. Something in me senses danger. It’s a too-good-to-be-true kind of situation. “Sebastian, do you mind accompanying me to the restroom?”
Sebastian bows. “As you wish.” I can tell from his expression that he knows what I am up to.
I bow to Crayton. “Thank you for allowing me to dance with your daughter.” I then lead Sebastian across the ballroom and back into the beautifully decorated bathroom. At the moment there is no one here.
“This is a trap, isn’t it?” I say to Sebastian.
Sebastian appears satisfied. “You are much savvier than our previous estimation if you were able to deduce that.”
“What does Crayton want?” I ask.
“Your alloy,” says Sebastian. “As well as any other recipes that you create in the future.”
“That’s obvious. Why is he using his daughter as a pawn?”
“I’m sure Alice is much more than a simple pawn,” says Sebastian. “If that were the case, he would have married her off a year ago when she came of age.”
“How old is she?”
“Seventeen.”
“So, one year older than me. Wait, I should stop thinking along those lines.” I scratch my head furiously. “Ah! I don’t know what to do!”
“Shall I offer you advice? Go along with whatever Crayton proposes, but stay away from any talk of marriage until you are in a better political position. My fellow devils are working on a large-scale project that could immensely improve your leverage.”
“Okay,” I say. “About the negotiations tomorrow. Will you be there to assist me?”
Sebastian bows. “If you wish. Though I make no promises.”
“Okay,” I repeat. “I’m not going to be able to work this if I don’t have backup.”
“Your lawyer is plenty of backup, I believe.”
I sigh. “Can you at least tell me what to expect?”
“Negotiations like these normally take place in boardrooms. You will be before a panel of board members and various important people. Naturally, both sides will have lawyers. Your lawyer will do most of the speaking for you.”
“Great. I think I’m better now.” I won’t have to say much and can let other, more knowledgeable people handle things. Sounds good. “Let’s go back to the party.”
We leave the bathroom after Sebastian makes sure that my suit isn’t dirty or rumpled. Back in the ballroom, he follows me around in silence. I spend the rest of the night socializing with rich, powerful men and women dressed in a stunning variety of expensive jewelry.
When I get back to my room, it is almost two in the morning. I collapse onto my bed and go to sleep in less than a minute.
Then I’m in the video game town of my dreams. Jirgrar stands before me with his hands behind his back. A stunningly beautiful female devil is beside him.
“We shall now teach you etiquette,” says Jirgrar. “I assume you have realized its importance?”
I nod.
“Good. Then stand before Aahlia here and do as I tell you.”
Over what feels like several hours, Jirgrar explains British etiquette. My head is chock-full of information by the time I am allowed to slip into a deeper sleep. I have no idea how long I actually sleep, but it feels worth it. No one will ever have a smug social advantage over me again.
I awake to Brandon shaking me. “Hey! The team is ready to leave. Are you going to be okay here alone?”
I get up, rubbing my bleary eyes. “Yes, I think so.”
Brandon nods. He is carrying his suitcase, while mine is still spread out on the floor. “Is there anything you need?”
I shake my head.
“Great. I’ll be seeing you when your internship is over. Good luck.” He hesitates, and then he leaves the hotel room.
Silence floats above the twin beds. I lay back on my pillow and stare up at the ceiling. Man, Alice is beautiful. I can’t stop thinking about her. Her eyes float around in my mind, staring at me.
But I have to inform my guild and Ixtham that I am staying in London. I pull out my phone and dial — it’s around ten in the morning, which means it’s five in the morning in NYC. I decide to wait for a while so that they’ll at least be awake on the other end.
After breakfast, I dial my guild first.
“Hello? You’ve reached the office of the Riding Valkyries.” It’s Mary.
“Hey, Mary, it’s Markus. I’ve got an internship at Esmex in London and I won’t be coming back for the summer.”
“All right. I’ll inform Andrew.” She pauses. “Looks like your paperwork is already filed. Good luck out there.”
I hang up. That was easy. Of course, I have my “network” to thank. Next, I dial Dr. Barrimore.
“Markus!” says Dr. Barrimore. “I heard you won part of the competition! When will you be back?”
“That’s the thing. I’ll be staying in London for a while. I have an internship with Esmex London as a conjurer.”
“Well, that’s great!” says Dr. Barrimore. “I’ll inform the dean! Is there anything else you want to talk about?”
“How has your research been going?”
“As well as can be expected. The hype around you has been a lot smaller than I thought it would. It’s almost as if there’s some sort of government cover-up. Do you know anything about this?”
“No,” I lie. Of course I know who it is.
“Well, then. Is there anything else?”
“That’s it,” I say.
“Then I’ll see you when you get back!”
We hang up.
Staring at the ceiling again, I sigh. I reach into my pocket and pull out the piece of paper given to me by May. Apparently it’s from the government. They want me to be at a certain address at three PM. Hopefully today’s negotiations will be over by then.
My phone gets a text. I check it; it’s Lacy. I’ll be at the hotel to pick you up in fifteen minutes. Please be ready.
I see a suit folded next to my bed.
It is not the same one I wore last night — it’s a tan blazer with a bright orange tie. The tie, conveniently, is clip-on. I manage to put everything together without needing help.
When I open the door, Sebastian is standing beside it. He bows to me butler-style.
“I will not be able to accompany you for the negotiations,” he says. “We, your servants, have made some compromises to get you in a better position. Ms. Stevens will be able to guide you through this process without our help.”
I sigh. “All right. You said you could make no promises, so I’m ready for this.” Or at least I tell myself I’m ready f
or this, while I kill ten minutes downstairs in the lounge area.
When Lacy arrives in a black sedan, she’s wearing a black business suit and sunglasses. She lifts them, looking me over with an inscrutable expression. “You’re dressed for the occasion. Good.”
I walk to the car’s front seat.
“Other side,” says Lacy.
Oh. This is England. I walk around the car and step in through the passenger side door.
Lacy drives out of the hotel driveway and onto the street. “I assume your butler has briefed you on what is going to happen today.”
“Not really enough,” I say.
Lacy sighs. “Well, then. We have ten minutes before we get to the place where we are holding our negotiations.” She shifts into a different gear — the car is manual. “First. Don’t say anything stupid, or for that matter, anything at all unless you absolutely must. I’ve had clients lose huge deals because they couldn’t keep their traps shut. Second. Stay professional. Don’t pick your nose or do something else that a Londoner would consider uncouth.” She shifts again. “Third. I have studied your case in depth and know a lot more about your position than I did last night. I am being paid a lot for this, and I aim to make that cost worth it to you.” She taps the steering wheel. “I need to ask you some questions.” She seems to be waiting for me to respond.
“Okay,” I say. “Ask.”
“Do you have any other conjuration recipes that you have created that you think will be worth something?” Lacy pauses. “And do you think you might be able to come up with more?”
I nod. “I think so. It wasn’t that hard to create Rearden metal.”
“For you. I want to let you know now that you should not, under any circumstances, reveal that fact to Esmex or its CEO.” Lacy frowns, thinking. “In fact, let’s tell a little white lie. We’re going to say that you spent two years developing the material along with Professor… Barrimore? Was it?”
“I haven’t known Dr. Barrimore for two years,” I say.
“Well, then, make it so that you started working on the material the instant you met him.”