by Glenn » Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:10 am
He'd never heard Agnieszka speak so many words at one time in his entire life. Tired, ragged, broken, battered. His Agony and so full of words. To be honest, he was proud. She had put together such an amazing puzzle. She had pierced together such disparate pieces. Of course, there were things unsaid, so many things unsaid, but Glenn Burnie was no fool. He knew them well.
She had not taken the book to him. This was not because of emotion or some desire to protect him. This is because she didn't trust him with power. This is because that damned Lamai and her tainting words. Because Agnieszka was not just religious but doubly so after her time in Razasan and she did not trust her governor, her friend, one of the only people in this whole world that could possibly care for a woman as positively wretched as her. She thought him soulless and that he would take that power for himself, would use it to fight his enemies and solidify his hold over her people, THEIR people. Was he hurt? No, his love for her was unconditional. It wasn't her fault that she was who she was. Not really. Not here in Myrken, not after what she's been through.
"It was a book." Simple. Plain. Straightforward. "A book. If someone is sick, you take them to the remedium. If there is a book, you take it to me." Aleksei was going to kill her? No, he was going kill Aleksei. Agnie was Agnie. Aleksei should have known better.
Glenn Burnie was usually full of words, but now, he had let Agnie talk. Now his sentences were quick and simple. "Agnieskza, your feelings are your strength. Tempered. That's why I made a committee. That's why I would work WITH you." She didn't seem overly possessed, overly tainted. No she was INTROSPECTIVE. That was good. If he had gotten her soul back just for her to give it to some demons, then he would be the one to kill her, not Aleksei. He'd enjoy it too. Flaying. Flaying sounded right.
That he could picture flaying her, who he loved unconditionally, and still meet her gaze with his own crystal clear eyes might have been unnerving. "Was she drunk or not? It matters little. Your note told me enough. I sent Giuseppe after her. He'll get the truth. That's what he does." Speaking of flaying. "If she's a traitor, she'll never reach Thessilane alive." Cold, simple facts. He may have been doubting some elements of her story, but he still trusted her and her judgment enough to act directly.
She talks and she talks and then she calls herself a whore, and he lets it happen. It's so damn impressive, her linking all these things together, her, little Agnie Kaczmarek, the girl with the kitchen knife, the bully with a badge, the murderess who freed her family, the dead woman, the soul-trapped king's own, the prodigal daughter returned... coming up with that. And furthermore, how did she even know what a viol was? If she was a whore, she really was a fetching whore in this light, as the dawn's sun was beginning to rise. Really, it was all he could do to not beam at her with pride. That insane smile of months past threatened to come back over his face. But for her sake, he fought it off.
For her sake, he found that bit of his soul that was still attached. She was armoring up, and his hand would suddenly be reaching for her cheek, tender, warm given the weather around them, as if he was about to kiss her. His face closed in and maybe he was, but instead, finally, he let his words flow. "It's too much. So much of what happened was due to chance and outside influence. Kerrak's insanity due to the drow. His death. Karolinger hunted through the woods. Burel not being outright attacked by the crown. The dragon assaulting Cristoph. Lamai. Everything fits Agnie, but only if you ignore everything else. Too much chance. Otherwise, Kerrak wouldn't have stayed quiet for as long as he did, for instance. There's a thousand things like that. I'm not saying that there isn't a conspiracy at play here, but I would discount both Burel and Kerrak's involvement. Vanidor would have smelled this on Aeryn when he was at the enclave. It doesn't go that far back, Agnie. I know you want to blame yourself, but if it went that far back, there would have been so many better opportunities to capitalize on our weakness. We'll squeeze the truth out of this and we'll destroy these demons, carefully and on our terms and without sending Myrken to a war we can't win unless it's absolutely necessary. We'll destroy them. And Jons too. And probably Aeryn." He was so close to her still, and if she hadn't run in the midst of his words, his arm would go around her waist, drawing her in further, until their faces were inches apart, noses almost touching. "and I'm sorry for that. You just tried to do this without me, Agnieszka Kaczmarek. And that means that whatever comes next, you have to do it with me."