Tom gripped the control wand in his hand, and waited a few moments, watching Eubexa. There was nothing to see, because of the veil. Diavla said the first thing that happened was that she relaxed completely, and Eubexa probably needs that badly. I shouldn't stall, though, so hopefully this is enough to be of some benefit to her. He pressed the first gem on the wand, and concentrated.
< Eubexa, think, speak, and act as you normally would. >
Then he spoke aloud. “Eubexa, how is that? Can you hear me?”
“Yes, Master. That…was interesting.”
Tom might have been imagining it, but he thought Eubexa's voice had started calm and was very rapidly becoming anxious. Best to hurry up and put this away, he thought. “I'm going to turn off your pain now.”
“Master, please, don't!”
Tom froze in confusion, his finger not quite touching the second gem of the wand. “What? Why not?”
“Please reduce the pain. I need to know when I am injuring myself.”
Tom grimaced, then nodded and touched the gem.
< Eubexa, you will only feel half as much pain from now on. >
Eubexa gave a little moan—of relief, hopefully.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes, Master. Thank you.”
“I cut your pain in half. I'm going to cut it in half again, if that is acceptable to you.”
“Yes, please.”
< Eubexa, you will now only feel one-fourth as much pain as you otherwise would. >
The sick elf heaved a sigh, and then started gingerly touching parts of her body. “This is much better.”
“Shall I cut the pain in half one more time?”
Eubexa hesitated. Tom gave her time to think it over. The other elves waited quietly, as well.
Finally, she answered, “No, thank you, Master. I think I would rather get used to this amount of pain. I still need to be aware when I am damaging my body, or if it is giving me warning.”
“All right. The offer is open. Now…” Tom hunted for words, and Eubexa seemed to tense. “It's nothing bad, Eubexa, I'm just trying to figure out security. I don't want this wand to ever get lost. I realize that I don't know whether this collar has the same effect as the others, where I must touch the control at least once every week so that it doesn't kill you. If that wasn't the case, I'd probably leave it in my box in the City Treasury for safekeeping. I welcome your suggestions, but my inclination is to always leave someone here with you, and have them keep the wand, in case of emergency. That way no pickpockets have a chance to steal it.”
“No, please, Master. I would greatly appreciate it if you kept it on your person. I don't want such control over me passed around like…like…”
Tom frowned at his stupidity, and nodded. “Of course. My apologies. I will guard it with my life.” He looked down at himself. “I'll need to figure out how to hide it while I carry it… I'll never need to get at it quickly, at least, so I can make it very hard for a pickpocket to do so, either.” After a moment, he mused, “Maybe I could ask Mrs. Whistler about a special holder.”
They talked for a few more minutes, then Tom said, “I have to go out shortly to the bathhouse, but don't want to take this thing along and risk it getting stolen. Eubexa, you ought to be safe for the moment. May I leave the wand here, just for a short time? It seems safest.”
Eubexa clearly didn't like the idea, but after a few minutes, Tom convinced her. He couldn't stay by her side at all times, and he wanted to escort the other elves to the bathhouse. Tom knew that he could have simply commanded Eubexa not to worry about it, or even not to know the wand was there, but that was exactly the kind of well-intentioned evil deed that could ruin a soul. Tom brooded about that the whole time they were in the baths.
When they returned, Eubexa was busy reading.
“How are you feeling?”
The elf lifted her head and looked in his direction. “Much better, Master. I'm making progress through the book. If I could have something to write notes with, it will be easier for me to find what you need, but if that is difficult, I will manage without.”
“I'll see what I can do. No problems with the collar?”
Eubexa took a deep breath. “None, so far. Master, I am…very grateful for this respite from pain.”
“I'm glad. Could you spare a few minutes to translate a private conversation between me and Diavla?”
“Of course, Master.” Eubexa carefully closed the book and set it on the table.
“Good. I'll be right back.” Tom went out and explained to the others that he would be delayed in taking them to dinner, called Diavla into Eubexa's room, and shut the door, giving the three of them some privacy.
Diavla sat down somewhat nervously, and Tom leaned against a wall in order to look a little less imposing. He considered how to begin. Eventually, he decided to leave the relationship issues until the end. Instead, he said, “We need to talk about magic.”
Eubexa translated everything, and it didn't take long to get used to the rhythm of speaking a few words at a time and waiting for her to catch up. Conversations still took some patience, but hopefully things would go much more smoothly now that they had someone fluent in both languages.
“Yes, Tom. I am curious about your magic.”
Tom snorted. “Me, too. Nobody ever told me I had any magical ability.”
“Didn't your people test you when you were a boy?”
“No. That only happens for rich people. I grew up in a small farming village. We didn't have any spell casters in town. Honestly, it never even occurred to me to check. I can't do any magic. Gods know that I can't read anything, so I never tried to learn spells from a book. And none of the gods ever gave me a clear-enough sign for me to get the message.”
“Do you speak with the dead?”
Tom stiffened. “Where did you hear that?”
“I overheard you giving Mrs. Whistler a message from her dead husband.”
Tom frowned. “That's…I had a dream. It happens sometimes. I thought…it might help Mrs. Whistler to hear what I heard in my dream, that's all.”
“Have you ever done any other kind of magic?”
“I haven't done any magic,” Tom insisted. “It was just a dream.” Until I hear otherwise, at least. I do need to stop by the Temple again and pray, just in case.
“If you want, I could test you for your Affinities.”
“My what?”
Eubexa and Diavla went back and forth for a bit. Eubexa finally said, “Master, I apologize, but some things do not translate very well. The closest I can come is…‘Which spirits like you.’ ”
“What are ‘spirits’? Are they like demons? Or gods?”
“No, no…” Eubexa gave a little groan of frustration. “We do not look at the world and magic the same way humans do… Closer to gods, but more…pure? Simpler, maybe. A spirit is an Idea. A living, aware form of a thought or concept. There are spirits of Healing, spirits of Fire, spirits of Water, spirits of Curiosity, many kinds.”
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Tom still was wondering if they were like ghosts, or maybe just little bits of magic floating around? He knew so little that he didn't know what to ask. “Well, sure, if she can tell me anything about… me and magic… of course, I'd be curious. But, more to the point,” Tom continued, trying not to get distracted, “what can you do, Diavla? Do you cast spells? Did you study magic?”
Again he had to wait as Diavla and Eubexa talked for a while. “I studied at Temple when I was young. I have a little bit of Affinity with spirits of Fire and Curiosity, and less for some other Ideas.”
Tom furrowed his brow, trying to understand. “So…fire spells, and…what do they call it? I don't know the word. Seeing things far away?”
“No. It's more like…I can diagnose illness, but I don't have much Affinity with spirits of Healing, so I can't actually do any Healing.”
“What else?”
The translations took a lot longer now, partly because Diavla was struggling for words, and partly because Eubexa was. “I can sense magic being used, and sometimes magic in people and things. It's complicated. I don't always get clear information.”
“So, you're a what-do-you-call-it…a diviner? Do you know which gods help you?”
“Ugghhh…” Eubexa moaned.
“Are you in pain?” Tom asked, concerned.
“No, Master, it is just really hard to translate these things. We elves do not follow gods. We ask spirits for help.”
“Maybe it's Dalark, the god of Nature, then? I don't know much about him.”
“No, Master, it's not like that.”
“I don't understand.”
Eubexa lifted her gloved hands, helplessly. “I don't know how to explain. I'm very sorry, Master.”
Tom rubbed his forehead a moment. “It's all right, Eubexa. Let's stick to practicalities.” He gathered his thoughts a moment. “Oh! Diavla, can you tell whether Eubexa's collar is draining magic right now, and whether it needs to be refilled with magic?”
“I can, but it takes several minutes. It is like…prayer,” Eubexa translated. “I cannot throw fireballs like in the stories. If I try for several minutes, I might be able to light a candle. I am not powerful.”
“That little stick says otherwise.”
“We should buy one of those, by the way. It is useful and doesn't take a long time.”
“You're right. We've spent most of our gold, though.”
“What?” Eubexa broke in, sounding alarmed.
“Of our shares, Eubexa. The group still has…over a hundred gold, I think. Don't worry, we're not broke.”
“Shares?”
Tom started to explain how he was dividing all their gold up evenly between them, but caught himself before revealing that he was dividing the total nine ways instead of five. He wasn't sure what the other elves had told Eubexa yet. He could certainly order Eubexa not to reveal secrets, but that would be a breach of trust and Tom refused to do that.
“So…you spent most of your share of the gold on this collar? And buying me? And the care at the Temple?” Eubexa paused. “Master…why!?”
“Because I could afford it, and you're worth it, that's why.” Tom really wished he could see Eubexa's expressions. Then he had a thought. “Eubexa, are you more comfortable with your veil on or off?”
“On, Master.” Eubexa's reply was immediate.
“Even when you're alone? Or do you take it off, then? I wouldn't want to surprise or upset you if I accidentally barged in.”
Eubexa paused. “I…do take it off when I am alone.”
“Then, if Diavla is also all right with it, I would like you to remove your veil when it is just us.”
“Master, I am hideous.”
Tom looked at her, hiding behind her veil. He thought about how to approach this, and decided to take a gamble. “Eubexa, your face is horribly scarred, but it is your face. I'll be honest—the first few times I see your face, I'm likely going to be very disturbed. But I want not to be, and the only way to do that is to practice.”
“But, Master, you need never see my face—”
“But I want to.” Tom gave her a moment, then continued. “I care how you feel, Eubexa, and I can't see your expression when you're wearing that veil. Besides…” He hesitated. He wanted to tell her that she had beautiful blue eyes, but some instinct warned him not to. She won't believe me, he realized. Or, she'll take it as pity. Or…yeah, better not. I should talk that over with someone else, first.
“Master, please…I don't want to, please…”
Tom sucked in a breath and waved his hands. “All right, all right! I'm sorry!” Eubexa flinched, and he forced himself to speak more quietly. “I'm sorry,” he repeated, much more softly. “You don't have to. It was…it was just a thought.” Tom put a hand over his eyes a moment, trying not to make things any worse. How can I make her feel better?
“Eubexa, you are concerned about your expenses, yes?”
“Yes, Master.”
“And you don't seem to realize just how valuable you are as a translator. Would numbers help?”
“How do you mean, Master?”
“I mean…” Tom considered. “I think four silver per day would be a fair rate for hiring a translator. If you consider that you're saving me four silver per day, does that help?”
“I…”
When she didn't answer, Tom pressed, “That's one gold every three weeks. That's how much you're earning.”
“Master, that's…very generous…”
“How many people in this city are fluent in both Elvish and Western, Eubexa? Two? Three, maybe? You have a rare and useful skill.”
“Thank you, Master.”
Tom really couldn't tell how she was taking it. Between the veil and her neutral tone, she could be thrilled, or upset, or anything in between. Not knowing made him dissatisfied, but he had to set it aside for the moment. “All right. I have a couple more questions for Diavla about magic, if you please.”
“Of course!”
“Diavla, can you refill magic items?”
“…Yes.”
“How long does it take?”
“…I refilled the rock light we're using, last night. It took me about half an hour.”
“How many times a day can you do that?”
“…It depends on the magic item, but I could probably do four or five in a day. It would be pretty tiring, though.”
Tom nodded. “Good to know. Do you still have the amulet I gave you?”
“Yes. What is it?”
“Apparently, it is a charm to prevent demonic possession.”
“What?” Eubexa asked, sounding surprised.
Tom nodded. “It's old. It's been sitting in a box since the last demon war. I got eight of them, and I assume that they all need to be refilled. Can you do that while we travel?”
“…Certainly,” Diavla answered after a minute of translation.
“But if Eubexa's collar needs refilling, that is the most important thing. Do that first.”
“Understood.”
“Thank you, Diavla, I really appreciate it.”
“Of course, Master.”
Tom raised an eyebrow. “Eubexa, I heard her. Diavla said ‘Tom’, not ‘Master’.”
“My apologies.”
“I really hope you start to call me Tom eventually, Eubexa, but I won't push it. Just, please don't encourage others to call me Master.”
“…I understand.”
Tom hesitated. That wasn't actually a ‘yes’. Well, I won't press unless it gets to be a bigger problem. Diavla spoke up with a question of her own.
“Tom, may I test your Affinities tonight?”
Tom didn't know what that involved, but didn't want to drag the talk on any longer while the others were waiting for them so they could get dinner. “Fine. Yes.”
Diavla spoke for a minute with Eubexa. Tom waited. Eventually, Diavla said, “I apologize for my poor Western earlier, Tom. I said, I love you, and what I meant by that is, I very, very, very like you. I did not mean to upset you.” Tom waited until Eubexa had carefully repeated all of that fully in Western.
He took a breath. “That's…what I thought. Good to know. Thank you. Um, no, I'm not upset. I mean…” Tom realized that might sound bad, and tried again. “I mean, I very, very, very like you, too, Diavla. I am happy that you feel the same way.”
“Master? This is one of the points where I need to do my best to translate something vague. I apologize if I make a mistake. I will do my very best not to. May I ask a personal question or two? I won't necessarily translate everything you say. I just don't want to give her wrong ideas.”
Tom was wary, but couldn't think of a reason to say no. “Go ahead.”
“You are fond of Diavla, yes?”
“Yes.”
“If Diavla were not a slave, would you like to be friends with her?”
“Yes, absolutely!”
“If Diavla were not a slave, would you…like to try courting her? Have a private evening together with dinner, or a walk, or things like that? A date?”
“…Yes, I would.”
“So, you would like her to know that if the situation changes in the future, and Diavla is no longer a slave, you are interested in courting her, at least a little?”
“Yes.”
“Would you be interested in having sex with Diavla?”
Tom's eyes widened and he could feel his face heat. Diavla was sitting right there. “I…”
“Master, I have been a sex slave. You can talk about anything with me. I want to know so that I can communicate the right amount to Diavla, so that she knows how you feel.”
“I don't want to pressure her at all.”
“Respectfully, I think we are all aware of that, Master. I will be careful in how much I say. Do you find Diavla physically attractive?”
“…Definitely.”
“So, if you both are amenable, you would like to bed her? Circumstances permitting at some point in the future, I mean?”
Tom swallowed. “Is it…rude to answer that?”
“Not to elves, Master. It can only help. Am I correct in thinking that your answer is yes?”
Tom took a deep breath. “Yes. Very much so.”
“Is there more to your feelings than that?”
“What? Of course! Diavla's amazing. I love how smart she is, and how kind she is to me, and…um…” Tom stopped, feeling embarrassed. “Well, I could say lots of things like that.” He glanced her way, nervously. Diavla was listening with rapt attention and smiling at him.
“Master, my last two questions are close, but not the same. Please listen carefully. And it is fine if you don't know the answers yet.”
“All right.”
“Do you love Diavla? And, are you in love with Diavla?” Eubexa shifted slightly. “Do you understand the distinction?”
“I …think so. I'm…not ready to say.”
“I won't translate, then. But knowing would help me choose the right Elvish words for the part I will discuss with her.”
Tom took a deep breath. “I…um…” He paused, and Eubexa said nothing, simply waiting for his answer. He thought about it. “I think…I do love Diavla. And…I think I could easily fall in love with her. But we haven't known each other very long and I would need time together with her to get to know her better. I just…I haven't had time to fall in love with her, yet. I mean, we haven't been able to talk enough, yet.”
“But you can see it happening?”
“…Yeah. Yeah, I really could.”
“Thank you, Master. I will translate very carefully and not tell her more than she needs to know right now. When you want to tell her more, I will be happy to translate. Is that what you would like, Master?”
Tom let out a sigh of relief that the interrogation was over. “Yes. Thank you very much, Eubexa.”
“Master, I am happy to be of service. This is another way I can be useful to you. This will take me a little while. I will tell her a little now, and more after dinner, if that is all right.”
“Great. Thank you. I'll…go wait with the others.”
Tom got up and left, feeling nervous, embarrassed, relieved, and…hopeful.