“Even so,” Lenamare stated, “how could it do that? That would only be possible if we got the binding on the ring completely wrong, or the demon was really a lot more powerful than we thought. I can’t believe either.” Jehenna was shaking her head in agreement.
“I don’t understand it either, I am sure I spelled the name correctly on the ring. Tomasedwardperkinje just like it sounds.” Edwyrd wasn’t sure how she was spelling it, but her pronunciation wasn’t quite right, she said it strangely as if it were one word, and his first name wasn’t spelled just like it sounded. Jehenna looked at Jenn, “So why didn’t it crush you next?”
“I... I’m not really sure, I’ve been trying to figure that one out.” Jenn stammered. Obviously, the girl was a bit intimidated by these two. If Edwyrd didn’t already consider the two wizards to be a couple of egomaniac assholes, he might have been tempted to feel the same way.
“Do you expect us to believe that? Demons don’t just NOT destroy things for no reason. It must have had an ulterior motive.” Jehenna said. Gastropé looked Edwyrd in the eye, reminding him of the conversation with Damien this afternoon.
“So then you say-it guarded you part-way on your trip?” Lenamare asked. “Why did it do that, and then why did it leave you?”
“Because we asked it to.” Rupert spoke up. Edwyrd decided the kid had to be brave to be willing to enter this battle.
“You what?” Jehenna glared at Rupert in annoyance.
“We spoke to him and asked him to come with us. Since it was a reasonable request, he did so.” Lenamare and Jehenna both were looking at Rupert as if he were a dog who had suddenly started to speak English.
“Child, you have no clue as to what you’re babbling about. Demons do not work that way, and someday you’ll learn that. At least if you ever want to be a live wizard, you’ll learn that.” Jehenna told Rupert, turning her attention back to Jenn.
“You said it left you after a point?” Lenamare asked. “Why did it do that?”
“Again, I’m not sure...”
“You’re not sure? How can you not be sure? You were running around with it. Didn’t it say something? Give you any clues as to its plans.” Jehenna demanded.
At this point Maelen spoke up. He hadn’t said a word all through dinner. “May I ask,” the two wizards turned their cold stares on him, “how you expect a young wizard of Jenn’s years and experience, to determine the motives of a greater demon, when you yourselves are unable to do so? These creatures are not exactly the most openhanded beings in the planes of existence. Surely if individuals of such obvious learning and knowledge, as yourselves, have difficulties, a young girl such as Jenn would have even more. I think asking her such questions is rather pointless. Don’t you?”
If possible, the stares of the two wizards got even chillier. Maelen didn’t so much as blink, he simply stared Lenamare in the eyes until he got a response. Lenamare coughed. “You are, probably, correct. Jehenna and I have spent many a night trying to understand the machinations of this fourth order demon. While we have had many insights, I must admit they have not been easily achieved, or for that matter, terribly useful.” Jehenna frowned at this point. “This nightmare of the Abyss is obviously up to something more than it first appeared. What that is, is unclear. Almost certainly, however, it revolves around the book. Of that there can be no question.”
“Why no question?” Edwyrd asked, meeting Lenamare’s stare head on. “What exactly is in that book that a greater demon ‘obviously’ wants and that an archdemon would march on Freehold for? And for that matter, that Exador would waste the majority of his army on to have?”
“That,” Jehenna said with a trace more than her usual coldness, “is none of your business. Leave that to your betters.”
Edwyrd was mad now. Not that it particularly took much from either of these two beings to make him mad, but if their grilling Jenn hadn’t, this had. Thus, he was a little more forceful and blunt than he would have been under calmer circumstance. “I have yet,” he said equally coldly, “to see proof that you are my betters. Until such is shown, I would suggest you keep such derogatory comments to yourself. Where I come from, a certain amount of respect is given to people whom you’ve only recently met. Not to mention one’s assistants and employees. I treat others that way, and I expect you to as well.”
Everyone at the table was staring at Edwyrd as if he’d just stood up and pissed in the wine bottle. Gastropé and Jenn were looking on in open-mouthed shock. Maelen was startled but not upset. Rupert was grinning. Lenamare and Jehenna looked incredibly affronted by his nerve.
“Young man. Do you have any idea to whom you are speaking?” Lenamare asked.
