"Now hold steady." Hanlon had been dressing me in a preposterous outfit for far too long, I don't know where he got the clothes that fit me, or why he felt this was entirely neccessary, I just know I was uncomfortable having another man dressing me, even if Hanlon was most likely not a person at all. We had left the train a day before and rode off into the dwindling wilderness to get close to a town that overlooked a cove, Hanlon assured me that the town was mainly fake and there was a cavern below that actually had the ship that needed to be destroyed.
"You aren't going to do my make up or something are you?"
"No." I felt like my skin was on fire all at once, a light singing as it were and then he was done.
"Ok now you are properly disguised, just to warn you, you are now white." I had to overcome a sudden desire to run screaming from the room let me tell you (amongst other emotions of natural revulsion, look I don't mind white people, skin color is just a color whatever, but I've been brown for centuries, swapping colors with some kind of magical whatever is disconcerting ok).
"I'm what?"
"White, try and keep up, look your enemies don't know a lot about you, but they do know you're bald, brown, and stupid, I can't help the bald or stupid parts, but the brown part I can." His comments hurt, truthful but they hurt.
"Well at least I have my sword."
"Oh crap I'm going to need that as well, it'll give you away."
"Hanlon what am I supposed to defend myself with?"
"Bullets, magic, necromancy, fingernails, teeth, wit? Wait not that last one." I know I've mentioned before Hanlon was never intending on being funny, but I swear he would let jokes slip in if only to remind me he wasn't joking. If that makes any sense.
"So I sneak in there, blow up the ship without blowing myself up and then?"
"And then you return to your shop, I'll leave you to that detail on your own."
"You've flesh out so much else why should I be surprised."
"Trezlan your words wound me, just think you're doing a lot for your country."
"That they'll never know, and that I'm really doing for a weapon dealer who was slighted on a deal."
"Details are always so incovenient." Hanlon stepped back seemingly appreciated the work he'd done and then looked to leave.
"Well at least this plan can't go wrong."
"There are several places it can go wrong, most of them have to deal with you, but I'm sure you are well aware of that." And with that he turned around and was gone. I said "plan" but there wasn't much of a plan, it was as simple as "Blow ship up, leave, don't die." Let me tell you thats good for a Lorentino plan, but I expected a bit more from Hanlon.
No comments:
Post a Comment