Naveen stood with arms clasped behind his back as he waited out the man's indignation. There was the faintest trace of boredom in the Crow's expression as he watched Renatus stopper and seal the vial.
"I have all the time in the world," he drawled as soon as he found sufficient pause in the flow of the thus-far one-sided conversation. "My master, however, does not. Majestically wroth, he was, once balked by the lack of any prompt response. Not even so much as a refusal, eh? More's the pity."
The Crow approached the desk and stooped, dropping down onto his haunches to peer at the package.
"Adin would have used you without so much as a thought. Rotunda would have seen you maneuvered into precisely the position he needed you, regardless of your obstinance. But Tengri... though he has pressed for decision and for action, he's demanded bugger-all from you. Paid you respect. Paid your choices respect. That's how it's known, eh? That when Tengri Geneq calls for aid, and notes his urgency... he means it."
Naveen reached out and poked the package with a single finger.
"A pity, then, that the one man he trusts in all the realm won't take him at his word. A pity that Sarangerel has been taken. A pity that the woman who bears his child must languish in captivity for want of an intermediary to negotiate her release. A pity that her best friend isn't available. More's the pity."
The midlander's hands clamped down on the edge of the desk and he pushed himself upright with a sneer.
"I'll go and tell my boss that you were too busy brewing potions, eh? Ought to put him in a better mood, knowing you had important business to tend to that could not wait."
"I have all the time in the world," he drawled as soon as he found sufficient pause in the flow of the thus-far one-sided conversation. "My master, however, does not. Majestically wroth, he was, once balked by the lack of any prompt response. Not even so much as a refusal, eh? More's the pity."
The Crow approached the desk and stooped, dropping down onto his haunches to peer at the package.
"Adin would have used you without so much as a thought. Rotunda would have seen you maneuvered into precisely the position he needed you, regardless of your obstinance. But Tengri... though he has pressed for decision and for action, he's demanded bugger-all from you. Paid you respect. Paid your choices respect. That's how it's known, eh? That when Tengri Geneq calls for aid, and notes his urgency... he means it."
Naveen reached out and poked the package with a single finger.
"A pity, then, that the one man he trusts in all the realm won't take him at his word. A pity that Sarangerel has been taken. A pity that the woman who bears his child must languish in captivity for want of an intermediary to negotiate her release. A pity that her best friend isn't available. More's the pity."
The midlander's hands clamped down on the edge of the desk and he pushed himself upright with a sneer.
"I'll go and tell my boss that you were too busy brewing potions, eh? Ought to put him in a better mood, knowing you had important business to tend to that could not wait."
![[Image: 1qVSsTp.png]](http://i.imgur.com/1qVSsTp.png)
