Eugene “Hog” Porter stood in his office overlooking one of his factories. The unusually wide man didn’t turn to face the unwanted guest, instead choosing to look over the activities below.
“Eugene, the council strongly feels that these ‘devices’ are beneath you and your lineage,” remarked the visitor.
“I say, I say, and by that, son, you of course mean they are beneath you. Aaand by that, ya mean "they" are beneath you!” retorted the perpetually rosy checked Eugene as he gestured to the workers below. ““Wilhelm, ya shouldn't be so quick to look down on 'em. While we been squabblin', they've been buildin' magnificent things. All I'm doin' is givin' 'em a little magic, that's all!” He flourished his hands for emphasis, straining the seams of his three-piece suit.
“They don't deserve magic!” hissed Wilhelm, the thin, pale man who look liked he was being swallowed by his robes. “Our people worked for centuries and sacrificed their lives to tame these forces, and now you've turned them into… into playthings for these commoners!”
“Now, remember what the relic says 'bout arrogance, we’ve only got this power 'cause of the abundance their societies done created.”
“DO NOT talk to me about the relic. Your interpretations already border on heresy. The relic says they are made to be controlled.”
“It says we should guide 'em, not control 'em.”
“Again, with your heresy!” Wilhelm took a breath to calm himself. “But discussions of theology are for another time. For now, the council wants you to stop this.”
“They only want me to stop 'cause it's makin' me richer than them!” chuckled Eugene.
“They want you to stop because it is sacrilege and threatens to disrupt our plans.”
“Of course, the plan! How could I be so foolish, foolish I say, as to forget the plan?”
“Yes, the plan. To that end, they acknowledge that you probably won't stop, so as a compromise, they want your word that you will not contrive to use these devices to harm or interfere with any of our kin.”
“I say, surely the word-binding already guarantees that!”
“They want your word on this specifically.”
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Eugene sighed and thought for a moment before responding, “You have my word that I will not use these devices to harm any of the Latores Veritatis.” As soon as he finished speaking, pain radiated from the binding mark on his chest. The center of the mark spiraled outward with ornate geometric patterns. Numerous tendrils snaked over Eugene's body, each one representing words he was bound to. This latest one appeared as an angular, jagged vine that reached up his neck, peeking out from the left side of his shirt collar.
“Well, that's just, I say, that's just great! Now I gotta figure out how to keep that covered!” Eugene remarked, examining the new mark in the reflection of his office windows. “As much as I enjoy our chit-chats, Wilhelm, I have other matters to attend to. Mrs. Lawrence will show you out.”
“We are not finished, Eugene.”
The large man turned to face Wilhelm with a look of hostility and strode over to the robed man. He stood close enough that Wilhelm had to crane his neck to look up at him.
“I say…I say… we most certainly are done.”
Despite the training and trials he had undergone, Wilhelm found himself unable to control his fear. The sound of his heartbeat was deafening as he moved for the door and slipped out, not taking his eyes off Eugene until he had closed the door and begun hustling out of the building.
Eugene straightened his suit and took a breath to center himself. “You can come in now, Thomas,” he called, knowing the guest he actually wanted to see was listening.
The hinges creaked as the bookshelf swung open, revealing a hidden passage. Through the secret doorway stepped one of the few people Eugene trusted. Thomas “The Thug” Gardener, a disgraced prize-fighter turned criminal enforcer until Eugene hired him to handle the murkier elements of his business. His crooked nose, cauliflower ears, and missing teeth spoke of a brutal past that contrasted sharply with his current lavish lifestyle. He was often described as looking like a gorilla in a suit, a comment on both his appearance and an assumption about his intelligence. A perception Thomas was happy to encourage as he had turned it to his advantage time and again.
“I got, I say, I got two very important jobs for ya,” Eugene said as he returned to his desk and pulled out two folders. “All the information ya need is right here. The long and short of it is, I need ya to accompany Mr. Liu to Blackwater. And when ya get there, I need ya to capture a very particular animal and deliver it to Mr. Liu. Now, I can't stress enough, this has to be kept completely secret. As you just heard, the council's gettin' ornery, and there'll be hell to pay if they catch wind of this plan.”
Thomas grunted in acknowledgment before taking the folders.
“A couple more things,” Eugene continued. “You should expect a delivery of crystal from Oscar not long after ya get there. I’ve placed a man in the post office to make sure it reaches ya. And please, above all else, ensure Mr. Liu’s safety. I can't, I say, I can't overstate how important he is to all of this.”
Thomas grunted again before turning to leave. With his orders received, he left the factory silently and climbed into the carriage waiting outside. The fastidious engineer, Mr. Liu, was already seated in the carriage. He nodded briefly at Thomas before returning to his notes. The two reserved men settled into a silence that would endure for the majority of their journey and see them become good friends.