“Balthus?” asked Gallina. “Wears gray, real pale? Somebody already saved her the trouble.” She drew a finger across her neck and stuck her tongue out. “He ain’t breathin’ anymore.”
“Dead?” asked Satchel—hopefully, Viv thought. “I don’t doubt she sent a thrall to apprehend him.”
“Oh, whatever it was apprehended thehellsout of him,” said Gallina.
Something nagged at Viv. “You’ve seen us before, haven’t you?”
“I have, m’lady. I did not imagine I would again.”
“Youmust have let the guy—Balthus—out of the cell. This explains a hells of a lot,” she mused aloud. “Still, why was he here in the first place?”
“Fleeing the Lady. Hiding. He spoke of the sea,” replied the homunculus.
“He should’ve been quicker about catching a ship, then. If he hadn’t wasted time browsing bookstores, he might still be breathing. Feels off.”
Satchel remained mum.
Viv shook her head. “Here’s what we really need to find out,though. She sent someone after Balthus. Does Varine know whereyouare? Is she coming here?”
Satchel raised both hands in a distinctly human gesture of helplessness. “I cannot say, m’lady.”
She frowned. “You don’t know… or you can’t say?”
“I cannot say,” he repeated miserably. “I must keep the Lady’s secrets.”
“Did she bind you in some way?” whispered Fern.
His skull turned to regard her. The glow of the hurricane lamp turned it the color of ruined cream. “Fear is binding enough,” he replied.
After that, Viv wanted to speak more privately with her friends. “So… can you go back to sleep, then? Just for now?” she asked Satchel. “I promise, we’ll wake you again later.”
“At your command, m’lady,” he replied resignedly. He carefully placed his skull into the bag before a waterfall of bones followed. The sides of the satchel didn’t even bulge at the skeletal inrush.
Viv couldn’t convince herself he wasn’t listening. She folded the flap over and latched the bag shut, then handed it to Fern. “Maybe tuck this away in the back? Just in case?”
Fern opened the door in the rear to do so, and Potroast burst from his confinement, paws scrabbling on the bare wood as he snuffled and hooted around the room while Gallina and Viv put the chairs and carpet in their original positions.
Viv leaned against a bookshelf while the other two took the chairs. They sat quietly while rain chattered against the east-facing window. The entire building creaked in the breath of the storm.
“Well,” said Fern, breaking the silence. “What now?”
“Whatcanwe do?” asked Viv. “You heard him. He serves Varine and keeps her secrets. We don’t know anything about him or what he might do. It’s a risk to have him out and about. Maybe even to have him here at all.”
“So we justleavehim?” Fern was aghast.
Gallina chewed her lip. “I dunno. I feelbadfor him.”
Viv tossed up her hands in exasperation. “I guess I do, too. He’s like aslave. It’s terrible. But also, he’s somethingshecreated. How much can we trust him? How much is he like us, really?”
“Enough to be frightened,” Fern said sharply.
That was hard to argue with, so Viv didn’t even try. “Okay, you’re probably right, but still. Do we want to chance him running to Varine in the night? Or sending her a message or… I don’t know.” She made a vague gesture. “Doing something… untoward?”
“Could hand him over to Iridia,” mumbled Gallina. When they both looked at her, she shrugged uncomfortably. “Maybe heshouldbe her problem?”
Viv was surprised at how vehemently she rejected the notion. But not as strongly as Fern, apparently.
“We will fuckingnot.” The rattkin’s voice was firm. “You don’t pass people around like… like luggage. Even if they’reinsideluggage.”
