Ви Корс - The Mist and the Lightning. Part III

Chapter 1

New Allocation

The servant whose eyes started tearing from Orel's flick rushed to the door. Orel didn't stop him, and the man happily slid out of the room. Nikto laughed; Orel looked at him questioningly, then laughed, too.

"You are laughing at the flick I gave him?" he asked shaking his dark head. "Aren't you?"

"Yeah." Nikto sat down on the edge of the bed, lacing his vest put on his nude body.

"Nik, it's cold outside," Orel poured some coffee and lit a cigarette.

"Are you afraid that I'll freeze?"

"Yes, I wouldn't want you to."

"My leather coat has thick fur."

"Thick fur," Orel repeated smirking and shook his head. "Do you want some coffee?"

"Yeah, give me some." Nikto got onto the bed with his legs and sniffed. Orel poured a cup of coffee for him.

"Be careful, it's hot." He took Nikto's wrist and put Nikto's forefinger between the cup and its handle. "Hold it? I'm letting go."

"Yes."

Orel took his hand away. Nikto drank coffee in a few gulps and put the cup on the tray by touch.

"Come on, eyes, come on," he drawled in exasperation.

"Do you want more?"

"You're kidding!"

"You don't understand anything."

"Fine with me."

Orel yawned, narrowing his eyes like a cat, then smiled slyly, quietly stretched his hand to the right and suddenly slammed his fist against the wooden back of the bed. Nikto flinched, turned around – his reaction was instant. He threw his hand forward and managed to grab Orel at the last moment. Orel hissed in pain. Nikto yanked him closer, twisting his wrist. Orel fell on his side, nearly overturning the tray. Nikto leaned towards him, blinking and touching his face with his free hand.

"Why did you do it?"

"Nik, let me go, I'm holding a cigarette!"

Nikto passed his hand over Orel's long dark hair.

"So soft," he said. "Soft and smooth."

"Ni-ik, let me go! I can't stand it…"

Nikto let his hand go and Orel pressed it to his chest.

"In the candlelight it shines and glitters when you shake your head turning up your nose. I've never seen such hair – fine, soft and thick at the same time. It's probably a sign of your breed." Nikto paused. "You were very beautiful until you mixed up with the Lower world."

"That's it. The Black mixed up with some shit and lost themselves," Orel agreed getting up and shaking his hand. "You are crazy, you cannot take a joke at all."

"Do you think so? I wonder if you'd find it funny in my place."

Orel laughed.

"Do you really think I'm handsome?"

"Too handsome for me to leave you like that."

"Aaah, but Nik! Why did you heal my eye then?"

"You had problems with fighting, I didn't want you to get killed."

Orel tensed.

"Was it very noticeable?"

"No, no, you're very strong and you managed but it really wasn't for you."

"Yeah, right." Orel lit another cigarette from the previous one. "By the way, you don't need to envy my hair, yours is great, too. You know, Dony said her new horse's mane is just like your hair, only cleaner."

Nikto laughed and pushed Orel in his face with an open palm. Orel, who didn't expect it, lost his balance and fell from the bed on the floor. He laughed getting up.

"You're just pretending you don’t see anything!"

"I start seeing."

"Nik, tell me what you think," Orel sat down on the bed. "Enriki is a dead man, isn't he?"

Nikto kept silent, musing.

"No," he said at last. "I don't think so."

"Care to explain why?"

"He is cautious and now Squint-Eye will never let anyone kill him. If Squint-Eye stays paired with him and keeps standing by him, that is."

"Do you think Squint-Eye can do it? He is also crippled."

"Squint-Eye is not crippled. His eye and your eye are totally different things, for him it is as natural as for me being lame. He didn't know anything else and he isn't bothered with it. He'd rather be troubled if he suddenly started seeing normally. But I don't envy Enriki, he will be assaulted badly."

"I'm afraid he won't handle it."

Nikto shrugged.

"You're sure he'll be wounded in the first serious fight, aren't you?"

"Yes," Nikto looked up at Orel. "You know it yourself. Edin Ol is a dangerous enemy, he knows about Enriki's wound and his weak spots and he'll be pressing to the end. Wouldn't you do the same thing?"

"I did. Hundred times."

"Right."

"What should I do? Maybe, replace Squint-Eye?"

"It is your choice whether to discard Enriki or to cover up for him. If you replace Squint-Eye with Vil, Enriki is a dead man. Vil cannot fight in a pair, he thinks only for himself, he fights alone – and one is always weaker than two. If you keep Squint-Eye there, there is no guarantee he won't be wounded, two of them will have to handle all the pressure. Squint-Eye will be in trouble, he might save Enriki but get wounded too."

"And I'll have two very useful warriors wounded. I don't like it at all! Is there a variant when Enriki is wounded or killed but Squint-Eye is safe?"

"Think about it: Squint-Eye feels guilty, he will do his best to make up for it. He will risk."

"Shi-it, you're right, and taking into account his mood… they both might get killed!" Orel bit his lip. "But Enriki… I need Enriki for the Upper City!"

"You can go to the Upper City yourself, he managed to arrange it for you."

"I'm a zero in it! Without him all our privileges and amnesties will go down, like a house of cards."

"Aren't you depending on him too much?"

"I am! Every one of my men is irreplaceable for me! Without Enriki you, Lis and Squint-Eye will go to prison for sure."

"Without Lis's strategy there will be no victories in the Lower City. Without Squint-Eye no one will fear you. And you? Can't you do anything?"

"You, Nik – how can I replace you with anyone?"

"I'm not talking about myself! If Enriki means so much for you, lock him up in the castle, make him deal with papers and that's all."

"I cannot do it! If I lock him up, it will mean he isn't a warrior any more! He won't do anything then."

"If he cares for you, he will."

"Would you?"

"Any time, I'm fed up with this war."

"You speak like Squint-Eye, are you serious?"

"Yes. I envy Lis – I won't live long enough to get this old."

"But you don’t know how old you are."

"I thought about it and tried to recall. I think I'm twenty-three, yes, I'm sure."

"Ooh."

"What, don't I look like that?"

"No-o. But Lis told me that."

"Told what?"

"He said you're barely over twenty, and I didn't believe him."

"Fucking shit, Lis knows more about me than I do!"

Orel laughed.

"He said: 'Nikto is at least seven years younger than me." Orel tossed a sly look at Nikto. "Fine, you're tired of fighting – quit it."

"What? Are you permitting me?"

"No! Of course, not! But Enriki won't quit, he want to prove he still can fight. Do you know what I think? I'll replace Squint-Eye and put Vil there."

"Enriki will understand that you give up on him. Put me there, I'll manage to defend him."

"And what about me?!"

"Your eyes are okay and you'll have Squint-Eye, like before."

"No. Never."

"If Enriki is with Vil and you're with me, where will you put Squint-Eye?"

"With Asa."

"What an allocation! He'll kill her himself not to meddle."

"What should I do then?"

"Replace everyone. Enriki-Vil. Lis-Squint-Eye. Asa-Tol."

"They will be mad! Though…" Orel mused. "There is something in it. No, Lis and Squint-Eye is a shitty pair… very shitty. Wait, Nik, you want to set up Lis? You're cunning!"

"Is it 'setting up'? Squint-Eye fights much better than Tol."

"Yes, but Squint-Eye doesn't like Lis."

"If you put him to stand by Lis, Lis will find a way to make Squint-Eye love him, believe me."

"It stinks, Nik."

"With this allocation there will be one wounded. Vil won't let himself be wounded and he won't risk. With the present allocation you'll have two wounded."

"So, in the first case there will be two wounded, and one of them not important, but that way we'll have two important warriors wounded. What should I do? Enriki will take Squint-Eye down with him, that's for sure!"

"The pair Enriki-Squint-Eye fucked up once. I ask you again, put me with Enriki."

"No!" Orel nearly screamed. "You're right, there shouldn't be irreplaceable men. Apart from me, everyone is replaceable in my team. Let Enriki show what he can do. I'm giving up on him – I hope he won't get killed, and if he gets wounded, he'll calm down for a while and will handle my affairs. I'll take Dick Nedwill in his place as a warrior. He and Vil will make a good pair."

"And now try to explain it to the others."

"Let's go downstairs." Orel got up. "I can even vote for it. You and Vil will be for me, Enriki, I'm sure, will not vote against it either. Four against three. Shit, Vil is convenient, after all, I can always be sure he'll vote just like me. Am I right?"

"Yes," Nikto smirked.

"Just don't express your wish to pair with Enriki, okay? Otherwise everyone will seize this opportunity and there will be no changes, and we need them."

"You said 'no', I got it. But it will be a difficult conversation."

"It is my problem, just keep silent."

"I always keep silent," Nikto said.

* * *

"Wait, there is one more thing before we have dinner."

They looked at him questioningly, silently, waiting what he'd say.

"My order is," Orel started slowly, lowering his head slightly. He saw them tense. "…I'm changing pairs," he said at last.

Everyone froze as if not quite understanding what he said. Lis was the first to regain composure.

"Who are you going to replace?"

"Everyone," Orel said. "I'm going to change ALL the pairs."

"And yours, too?" Lis's voice stayed calm but it was a pretense.

"No. I'm staying with Nikto."

"Ah," Lis said knowingly.

"Arel, changing pairs before an important fight is unreasonable," Squint-Eye interfered.

"Which way do you want to change the pairs?" Tol asked anxiously.

"Squint-Eye will stand by Lis, Vil by Enriki, you by Asa."

Tol really started back; he tried to say something but managed only a few hoarse sounds.

"Fuck you! You're completely insane!" Squint-Eye yelled. "It's nonsense!"

"Arel, why are you doing it? Why?" Lis asked tiredly.

"No objections!" Orel shouted. "That's it! I have decided, and it will be this way!"

"But can you at least explain us why?"

"It will be better this way. Is it enough for an explanation?"

"No, it is not enough." Squint-Eye nervously pushed his hair away from his face. "Changing pairs before a fight! Do you want to kill us? Do you want to ruin everything? At the very last moment? We fucked with this Bey for so long! We nearly lost everything! And now, when we have a real chance to end it, when we finally have a really good plan, you start fooling around! Arel, the fights will be hard, won't it be better to keep us the way we are used to, at least for a while? After that you can replace us, you can put me with Asa, can put Vil with Lis – whatever you want but after the fight!"

"No. Now," Orel said firmly.

Squint-Eye waved his hand hopelessly.

"No one changes pairs before a fight," Tol interfered. "I remember it from school."

"Shit! You were going to school?!" Orel yelled, unable to stand it any longer. Tol decided it was safer to keep silent. "I'm tired of your displeasure," Orel continued, and by his voice they felt they had got to him. "You always dislike everything! Whatever I do! Whatever I suggest! In reply I always hear: 'Arel, it's stupid! Arel, it's dangerous! Arel, it's wrong!' I'm not sure any more if you need me at all! Maybe you'll lock me in the dungeon and go on with your business as you feel like?!"