“What?”The question completely surprised him.“Evenly, I thought.”
“I’mtalking mechanics.You know, physical split.We gonna count it by hand?Drawstraws for the goblets and such?”
“Oh.Um...no.I’ll do a survey, and I’ll bring it back with my main report to theDiet collegium.When they send an expedition team,they’ll bring minting officials to appraise the horde, carry it back tocivilization, convert it to modern currency, and hold it in trust for us, likea bank.”
“Soundsperfect,” she said.
“It isa well-regulated process.”
“Idon’t mean that in a good way, love.To me, perfect is suspicious.”
“Suspicious?”
“Aye,”she said.“For example, your robed ledger keepers’ll just give it all to anoutlaw, like myself?Won’t pull some wordy legalnonsense to steal it, will they?”
“It’srightful discovery.Anyway, I’ll make sure to—”
“Isuppose,” she continued, interrupting, “you’ll have me sign a bunch ofcontracts, which I can’t read, to get the coin back, won’t I?”
“Well,yes, but—”
“Nochance all your magic men just burn me to cinders, neither?”
“Hey,no—”
“You realize,”Zaria said, “that we still gotta get back to your wizarding world, in the firstplace.Soren weren’t the end of my pursuit.Half the ships of the desert willbe combin’ for me.The second I walk from this place, I’m a target again.”
“I haveto walk back, too,” Isaac said.“We can go together.I can ...protect you,with my magic.You’ve seen how I handled—”
“Andyou’ll still honor our deal, despite you already gettin’ your father out ofit?”
“Well ...yes?”
“Youthinkhewill honor our deal?”
“...why wouldn’t he?”
“Isaac,”Zaria said, “I’ve been cheated all my life.Had my father sell me for coin.Hadmy pirate mates taking everything I couldn’t steal myself.Had more cunts than I can count betray a deal just ‘cause it wascheaper to do so.”Her cold nose rested on his pectoral.“Suffice to say that Iwouldn’t trust an innkeep to toss me an ale that wasn’t watered down, and, now,here you are, telling me that you’re gonna go out your way to split an ancienttreasure, barely a day after I was threatening your life for it.”
In thesilence, a fire crackled and danced.
“I’mnot sure,” Isaac said, “how I can convince you otherwise.”
“Don’thave to,” Zaria replied.“Not a doubt in my mind that you don’t mean whatyou’re saying.”
“...really?”
“Aye.Ihear it in your voice.The fact that you clearly hadn’t considered any of thisjust seals it further.And that’s the first thing I like, because I don’t trustmany others, as you’ve seen.”
Hedidn’t answer.
“Speakingof threatening your life,” she continued.“First time I saw you, you were dyingof thirst, barely able to stand.You had no chance against me, and you stillwent down swinging.In the chapel, with my dagger at your neck, you had thisfire of defiance in your eye.I’ve had a blade to my throat more than once, andI was never that strong about it.I mean, fuck me, we just had a dragon comescreaming out the earth in front of us, and your first instinct was to runforward and scream right back.”
“It’swhat I was trained for.”
“Oh,aye, speaking of that, too—you’ve got a rather cutting edge to your words, sirmage.Some half-decent wit, if I can be the judge.”
“I useit to hide my massive cock.”
