Part 12 (1/2)
But the catboy had been insistent, claiming that this meet would help Kham make up his mind. So now they were waiting in a loft on the Redmond side of Bellevue, their bikes stashed back of a garage downthe street. Kham didn't like leaving his Scorpion that way-anybody could walk into the alley, jump the engine, and ride off-but there hadn't been much choice, not even any local gangers to sell them protection. If Rabo or Ratstomper had come, they could have stayed to watch the bikes, but Kham thought things were still too hot for any of the others to come along topside. That meant n.o.body to watch the bike. There wasn't supposed to be a lot of crime, grand larceny included, in Bellevue, but then there wasn't supposed to be a lot of crime anywhere in Seattle, according to the governor. Just the thought of leaving the big Scorpion unguarded made Kham's bottom itch.
Dodger arrived and there were friendly greetings all around. Kham was surprised that the elf was actually polite. Surprised and suspicious. Maybe Neko hadn't set up the meet. Maybe this was the Dodger's meet, and the catboy was getting Kham involved in more elf drek. But Kham's suspicion eased a bit when the elf melted into one of the chairs and draped a black leather-clad leg over the arm. That was Dodger's casual pose, the one he used when he wanted to show he wasn't really interested in Sally's latest run. If the elf was fixing, he'd be more formal.
Neko cut the prelims, stared straight at the elf, and said, ”You were born before the Awakening.”
The statement caught Kham off guard, but Dodger 160.
didn't even twitch. He just smiled blandly at Neko. ”Preposterous, Sir Cat. Everyone knows that there were no elves before the Awakening.”
”What everyone knows is rarely what is real, and there are certain special histories known to the special few, are there not?”
” 'Twould seem you seek to spin a fairy story of conspiracies and shady doings.” Dodger yawned. ”Pray, Sir Cat, make it brief. I bore so easily, especially when there are real-world deeds to be done.”
”I have not brought you a story, Dodger. Just conclusions. I find you prime evidence for one particular conclusion that seems inescapable.'' ”And what, prithee, is that?” ”That elves are older than the magic.”
”You leap so blithely, Sir Cat. I must admire your agility, though your wisdom escapes my sight. Your mystery is no mystery and your great conclusion erroneous. Elves are simply a magical expression of the genetic code of humanity. In the absence of mana, there are no elves.”
”Yet you were born before 2011.” ”You have obviously a.s.sembled some data to convince yourself of that.'' Dodger turned a bemused face to Kham. ”Have you seen this patented drek, Sir Tusk?”
”Ain't.” And he hadn't, but for the moment he was inclined to play along with Neko's game and follow the catboy's lead. ”But if da catboy says he's got it, I tink he does. Ya gonna come clean, elf?”
”Clean? Clean? What would you know of that, Sir Tusk?”
Kham sucked in air and clenched his fists. He wanted to smash the fancy-talking elf in the face and shove some of those pearly teeth down his throat, but a feather-light touch on his shoulder restrained him.
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Neko waited until Kham let go of the breath before speaking.
”You'll not distract us with taunts and insults, Dodger.” Neko produced a datachip from somewhere about his person and flourished it. ”We know your history.” ”Do you?”
Neko smiled the way his namesake might over a captured mouse. ”Major William Randall and his tragic wife, Angelica. Beverly Park. Zip and the Hooligans. The fire at Everett Community College. Ice Eyes Estios. Teresa.”
Kham furrowed his brow at the list of names. He couldn't make sense of them or see any connections, but the elf obviously did; Dodger's eyes were narrowed into slits and his expression was hard and sour as an unripe fruit.
”Enow!'' Dodger threw himself out of his chair and stalked across the room. He stopped at the wall and, after a moment, glared over his shoulder at Neko. ”You are a most curious cat, Neko-z.”
”No argument,” the catboy said with a grin. ”So satisfy that curiosity and tell us how can an elf be born before any elves are born?''
Dodger returned slowly to his chair and stood looking down at it as if struggling with whether he should sit or not. In the end, he did, though not so casually as when he first arrived. Speaking softly and slowly, he said, ”I am a spike baby, born at a time and in a place where the mana was stronger for a while. Elven genes express when the mana level is high enough. At certain times, and in certain places, the level was high enough for the genes to activate. 'Tis not such a great mystery. There are others like me. The records of such temporary resurgences of magic exist.” ”In dark corners,” Neko said. Dodger shrugged.
”Perhaps 'tis as you say. I did 162.
nothing to hide such facts. What matter is it? Those events are decades old; spike babies are a phenomena of no import, for we live in the Sixth World and elves are common now, their existence notable but not noteworthy. You act as if you hold some dark and terrible secret over me. Pray, what is the point of this tiresome exercise? Surely this is no bout of unbridled and pointless curiosity.”
Kham snorted. ”Might be. Ya never know with the catboy.”
”Poor bluff, Sir Tusk. I have seen from your face that you are innocent of much of your companion's doings, yet you have come with him. Hitherto you have always sought your own interests before those of others, and I have had no indication that your inclinations have altered. Thus, you are aligned with him in this invasion of privacy.
”We have run the shadows together, Sir Tusk. I turn to you to sidestep the inscrutability of your companion. What would you have of me? For the sake of our former fellows.h.i.+p, have done with this fencing. Strike home and be done!”
Kham wasn't sure how much of the elf's theatrical speech was real and how much show, but something in the appeal touched him as honest. The elf was really uncomfortable about the topic. Kham liked that. It was nice to see the elf squirming for a change.
”So, how old are ya?”
”I remember the broadcast about the fall of the Empire State Building in the New York City earthquake,”
Dodger said quietly.
”Drek! Dat was nearly fifty years ago. Ya look like a teenager.”
” 'Tis the way elves are made.” ”Ya ever gonna get old?”
”Each day I grow older.”
”Drek, ya weaselly elf! Ya know what I mean.”
.,~,,M-I+I. ix>_>k>i /AII ELF 163 ”Ease off, Kham,” Neko said softly. ”We have no need to insult Dodger, no matter how evasive he is.
You understand that one cannot always speak plainly, don't you?” He turned to Dodger. ”You are under constraints in this matter, are you not?'' ”Believe as you must,” the elf replied. ”Oh, I shall,” Neko a.s.sured him. ”Laverty is an elf like you.”
”In truth, you have seen him. You know he is.” ”I meant something more specific,” Neko said coolly. ”Laverty is older than you. Is he another spike baby?”
Dodger inclined his head in a sign of affirmation.
Neko poked again. ”Surely the mana spikes would have been noticed if they had occurred before the general return of magic.”
”If they had been common,” Dodger agreed. ”But they are, or I should say, were not. Spikes are transient phenomena, short-lived. They come into existence as the mana rises, and vanish as it falls. At those times magical effects certainly occurred. Some things not generally possible until the dawn of this new age did happen. Not often, and certainly not everywhere. And, indeed, 'tis true that some spike-resultant phenomena were noticed, and reported, but the events and beings were dismissed as the fantasies of tabloid journalism.”
”Such a casual discussion of history suggests an intimate knowledge.”
”Or merely an interest in older matters,” Dodger remarked offhandedly.
”Perhaps. But your easy acceptance of mana spikes compels my belief in them and I think I would have no trouble confirming the previous existence of spikes. I find the concept fascinating. Their existence requires a flow of magic, because each spike would, perforce, 164.
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have a rising and falling component. Each an up and a down that has happened more than once.” ”I said nothing of repet.i.tive spikes.” ”No, but you did say there were many spikes. They need not occur in the same place or over some definite period of time to suggest a repet.i.tive nature to the overall phenomenon of spikes. Tides rise and fall but reach different levels, and tides are very cyclic. Your description of spikes makes me think of tides, of a repet.i.tive element to the presence of mana. Cycles, perhaps. Have you heard of Ehran the Scribe's cycle theory?” Without a pause, Dodger said, ”I have said nothing of cycles.”
”You have referred to a return of magic and a resurgence of mana. More than once. Those words refer to repet.i.tion, and strongly imply a waxing and a waning.”
Dodger turned away to stare out the window. ”I am no expert on magic.”
”But you know one,” Neko said, smiling at the elfs back.
”I am not conversant with cycles or magic, but I do know enough to warn you that digging into this matter is unhealthy.” Dodger faced them. ”Leave it alone.” ”A threat?”
”A warning. Such activity will bring you to the attention of certain persons. ...” ”Elves?”
”Persons, Sir Cat. Persons who will take your curiosity ill. The proverbs, even in your country, tell of the results of undue curiosity.''