Chapter 13 #2
"Would she have anything buried deep below her home?
" I was suddenly wondering if there might not be a way to solve multiple problems in one go.
Violet's master could very well have some goods that could significantly help our current situation.
I considered it more like collecting a form of inheritance than stealing.
At least that’s how I was going to rationalize it. I had no moral compunction about stealing from a gambling company.
"I mean, probably." She spoke as if she had no interest in any wealth that might have existed. "Though if it exists, it's not mine," Violet said, as though she could suddenly see where my mind was going.
"I didn't mean we were going to take anything." I hesitated and held up my hands. "I thought you might have some things of value there that you'd want to reclaim."
"None more than wanting to restore my master's reputation." Violet snorted, her eyes ablaze. "'The Cowardly Saint.'" She scoffed at the words. "The only cowards were those who ambushed her."
"She was ambushed?" I asked.
"That's the only way they could have killed my master," Violet said with a certainty I didn't quite share. She spoke of her as if her master truly were some sort of god.
***
"How has Brick been?" I asked as soon as we got back to our lodgings.
Lily shrugged while Tiri grimaced. "He understands," Tiri said. "It's just hard for him to accept, even if he understands."
"Not exactly inspiring confidence." I glanced back at her.
"He's sick," Tiri insisted, daring me to challenge otherwise.
"Still. It'd be better if we could get him to do something." I winced, then glanced at Tiri. "Was the mechanic's job a lie?"
She bit her lip, then nodded. "It sounds like it was a hopeful concept.
There was actually a place hiring," she confirmed, "and him being unable to get that job is part of what made him desperate enough to look at Perez’s offer.
" She grimaced. "Honestly, that place is a downright fucking evil cesspit of sentience.
" The uptight merchant cursed more than I thought she was capable of, and it must have shown, because she lifted an eyebrow at me, waiting to see if I would call her on it.
"Just impressed with your vocabulary is all." I caught myself before I said something I'd regret.
Tiri bobbed her head. "Yeah, well, they did this to him, and they're going to fucking pay for it. I went to report this, but apparently, it’s ‘not gambling’; it is ‘prediction markets’. Like it’s more than a fluffing of an already rotting tail." She ground out the words.
"I'm sorry about all of this," I told her.
"And why should you be sorry?" Tiri lifted an eyebrow. "Unless you had something to do with this?" She pursed her lips.
"Of course not. Melgara explained to me why it was such a bad thing, and I immediately wrote it off as something we would never do." I shook my head.
"Sorry, Captain. I'd almost prefer it if I could blame someone. Life's a lot easier if it's someone else's fault." Tiri calmed down.
"And you have no room to grow. This sucks. Brick's condition sucks," I clarified. "But we do need to find a way forward. Any more communication from your ship?"
Tiri checked her tablet. "No. They don't have a JACK drive like you, so I can't stay plugged in the whole time."
"Is there someone you trust coming with them?" I asked, watching her response carefully.
Tiri frowned before it deepened into a full scowl. "No. There's nothing wrong with my people. Yeah, I got caught by bandits, but that doesn't mean it had anything to do with my company. It was just dumb bad luck." She didn’t answer my question but rather the one underneath it.
I stared at her, wondering if she truly believed that, but her posture told me it was at least the truth to her.
"Fine." I held up a hand. "I'm not about to spend what little energy I have left arguing. Instead of worrying about that, is there a chance I could get a favor from you?"
Tiri crossed her arms, looking as though she was annoyed that I'd asked for a favor right after accusing her company. But she didn’t say no, so I continued on.
"We visited Violet's master's estate today, and one of the people there called her master the Cowardly Saint. It upset Violet a fair bit."
Tiri nodded. "A master, especially for someone like Violet, is going to be almost a second mother. If someone's disparaging her, it's no wonder she's upset."
"There were a couple of other moments, too. She got a job with a Madam Chiksai, who seemed marginally concerned with Violet's current situation, yet in the same breath, it felt like she was holding something back. I got the sense that Violet's presence would be a problem."
"So what do you want me to do? Look into her master and this madam?" Tiri asked.
"Please," I asked. “You know the kikai channels better than I do.”
"Of course. For Violet," she said quickly, assuring me it wasn't on my account that she was doing any favors.
"That's good enough for me." I shrugged.
"You shouldn't worry too much about Violet," Tiri cautioned me.
"She's a very capable kikai," I said with a smirk.
Tiri scowled at me. "No, Captain. She's incredibly capable." She said the words with an intensity in her eyes that I didn't fully understand, but I got the sense I was not meant to follow completely.
"Have you seen Lily or Melgara?" I glanced around the room for a change of subject.
I was shocked that Lily hadn't practically tackled me when I returned. She normally attached herself to my hip at any chance she got, so her absence was felt.
"They had some project." Tiri waved a hand. "Don't ask. I have no idea what it was, just that the two of them were as thick as thieves over whatever they are doing together."
I frowned, wondering what it could be, before shrugging.
I was sure I'd find out eventually. On the scale of my current problems, Lily and Melgara getting along didn't make the list. So rather than worry any more, I stretched my arms high over my head and wondered if I couldn't get a little rest before I needed to head back out and look for more work.
“By the way, how much is Violet getting?” Tiri asked, casually flipping through her tablet.
"We finally got a job that's going to pay thirty thousand tails."
The merchant perked up. "Really? What is she doing for that?" She sounded genuinely surprised at the price.
"Saber training, it sounded like."
"Oh." Her eyes shot wide. "Well, in that case, whoever is paying got it cheap."
"Really?" I asked.
"Oh yeah," Tiri said, emphasizing the words. "When it comes to something like that, Violet's instruction is nearly priceless."
Everyone seemed to think that her master, Akari, was some sort of god-level warrior. A part of me wished I could even have enough skill to assess someone like that.
I rubbed my chin and looked at Tiri in a new light. "Do you think I should ask her for lessons?" I had been less useful than I would have liked in the earlier fight, and if Tiri's appraisal of Violet's instruction was anything to go by, I was intrigued.
Tiri barked a laugh. "All training with her is going to net you is the realization that you should stay out of her way and let her fight if it comes to one." She stuck her nose up with pride, which was interesting. She was proud of Violet’s skill.
While we were talking, Violet suddenly reappeared in the main room, still wiping at her face. I caught a subtle sheen now gone.
"Were you wearing makeup?" I asked.
She paused. "Yeah, just something light," she said after a moment of hesitation, continuing to wipe at her face. "It was an important meeting, and I wanted to make sure I looked my best. I put a little something on before we go out every time."
"Oh, okay," I said, not fully understanding but nodding along, nonetheless. I couldn’t really tell the difference between her with and without makeup.