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Nine Tenths of the Law [P]

Postby Indigo » 10/25/2017 7:01 PM

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It was important to take precautions in business like this. Oh sure, the names attached to the deal were good, but the deal itself was terribly vague, and anyone with a lick of sense knew that it was easy enough to claim to be someone you were not. Wreth had been very careful: she'd chosen a small subject to possess for the task, and one who could escape easily, with good maneuverability. Of course she could not die, but being dispossessed out here in the living realm could see her just as thoroughly destroyed, if in mind rather than body.

Wreth had lived in her catacombs for centuries now, ruling over the dead and the attendants there, borrowing her subjects when she needed to visit the city-above but mainly flitting from skull to skull to give her orders and proclamations. She knew her realm from end to end, and she thrived on the gossip of its inhabitants.

But hundreds of years of near-solitude wore on her. And it was near-solitude she lived in. Her people spoke to her, but they did not know her, nor she them. She had not had a friend in four hundred years, or perhaps she never had; it was hard to remember. And she knew almost nothing of the world above.

She was here because she had dispatched a subject to place a classified ad, and a reputable necromancer, or a fraud hiding behind one's name, had responded. The terms of the offer had been vague. Her supplier had no reason to trust her, either. But they said they could solve her problem, and so she had come.

She felt the cold from four hundred years away, and it did not bother her, but still she shivered a little. If this turned out to be a lie, it would be worse than a thousand deaths.



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Re: Nine Tenths of the Law [P]

Postby Indigo » 10/25/2017 7:28 PM

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A shadow glittering with gold stepped out from behind a tree, and framed against a tall forbidding headstone Wreth saw Naja, the Clean Hand. She was out of the habit of drawing breath, in surprise or otherwise, but she must admit she was startled not to have been lied to, if only to herself.

Something else sparkled, and now Wreth did gasp, softly, because the necromancer was not alone, but was accompanied by Her, the blank-eyed revenant. The undead Riopath did not speak, only lurked behind Her master, but She was an intimidating sight.

"Good evening," said Naja. In another life Wreth might have laughed. Evening was long past.

"I do not have time for pleasantries," Wreth said. "Tell me what you offer."



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Re: Nine Tenths of the Law [P]

Postby Indigo » 10/25/2017 7:37 PM

Wreth thought she heard a laugh, though she could not tell whether it came from Naja or Her. Naja said, "Yes, I suppose you have reason to be suspicious, even meeting me in person. I am known for many things, after all, and most of them are highly unpleasant."

"You cannot harm me physically," Wreth said sharply. "I will simply exit this body and find a new one, and you will have killed an innocent, who was not even aware he was here."

"Oh, don't worry," Naja said. "Just because there are stories about me doesn't mean they are all true. I wouldn't invite a spirit to a place filled with bodies to possess if I intended to destroy her. It would simply be foolish. And besides, you and I have no quarrel, at least not yet." There was that laugh again. It was definitely coming from Her.

Wreth could not possess a corpse in any useful way, of course; she could inhabit and speak through it, and she would be protected from any real harm, but she wouldn't get much else from it. But it seemed unwise to give the Clean Hand this information. Maybe it wouldn't be used against her now, since, as Naja said, they had no quarrel, but the last time Wreth had lived on the surface it had been highly advisable to be cautious, and she couldn't imagine that much had changed.



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Re: Nine Tenths of the Law [P]

Postby Indigo » 10/25/2017 7:55 PM

A glimmer of gold in the moonlight indicated that Naja had folded her arms. "I do many kinds of work, and while much of it does involve raising or creating the dead, there are lesser-known applications of necromancy. Sometimes a person finds that he doesn't much like his life, and he wants to borrow a new one. Or perhaps I should say she, since you do fall into that category."

"Get to the point," Wreth said.

"Of course. Similarly, someone may find himself...alive when he is not supposed to be, and therefore unable to carry on his life as usual. But he still exists, and he must do something with his time, with the life he is not supposed to have. What is he to do but loan it to someone else?"

"The point." Wreth frequently dealt in games herself, and she enjoyed them at times, but this was too important, too precious. She couldn't waste any more time.

Naja waved a hand dismissively at her, prompting another laugh from the revenant. "Fine, fine." She turned to the tree she'd emerged from behind. "Worthy? You can come out, now."



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Re: Nine Tenths of the Law [P]

Postby Indigo » 10/25/2017 8:15 PM

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The Kuhna who appeared had clearly seen better days. He was powerfully disheveled and seemed to have trouble walking in a straight line, something that alarmed Wreth, who was used to seeing well-groomed corpses and careful, precise living staff. He sat on the ground next to Naja and shivered, and Wreth was fairly sure it was from cold.

"This is Mort Worthy," Naja said. "There was an attempt on his life a few weeks ago which went badly wrong, except for him, of course." She looked at him. "Well, it did also go wrong for him, but in a different way. You see, whoever tried to do him in claimed to have succeeded, and Mr. Worthy is now legally dead, which makes his continued life something of a challenge. Not to mention that he may be targeted again, since he might be able to turn in his attackers."

"I couldn't identify them if I tried," Worthy muttered, "but they don't know that."

"I don't understand what you're offering," Wreth said, though she had a feeling she did. She wanted to hear it explained, to make sure she knew what she was getting into.



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Re: Nine Tenths of the Law [P]

Postby Indigo » 10/30/2017 7:59 PM

"I'm offering you a free ride," Naja said.

That laugh from Her again. Wreth was beginning to wish she'd borrowed a stronger subject, so she could show Her what she really thought of Her sense of humor. But it would have been fruitless anyway, and Naja would likely have reneged on their deal, so she remained silent.

"Not free," Naja amended. "I do charge for my services. But for my entirely reasonable fee you get a body to walk around and live in, parts of a life to take for yourself and build into a life of your own. Isn't that what you want?"

"There must be a catch," Wreth said.

"There is." This came from Worthy. There was something hollow in his expression. It felt familiar to her, somehow, and she had a moment of sympathy, though she knew not for what. How strange to feel such a thing for someone who did not belong to her.



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Re: Nine Tenths of the Law [P]

Postby Indigo » 10/30/2017 8:02 PM

"You might call it a catch," Naja said. "It's...complicated. You will primarily have control of the body, of course, and you will retain your essential self, or as much of it as you can fit in there." She glanced at her revenant, and Wreth wondered what that meant. "But Worthy stays too. You'll share. Part of the contract is that you, Wreth, will have primary control, because he can't make use of his life too directly anyway. But you will be able to hear him, and to cede control temporarily if you wish."

Wreth could not imagine ever wishing to do such a thing. "That is quite a catch, Clean Hand. When you said parts of a life you really did mean it. How am I meant to live as myself, if I have this voice talking away in my head?" She gestured at Worthy, who looked at the ground. Her sympathy had evaporated quick as dew.



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Re: Nine Tenths of the Law [P]

Postby Indigo » 10/30/2017 8:07 PM

"I'll keep quiet, believe me," Worthy said, but Naja was already talking over him.

"I fail to see how this is so different from the life you already live, in that respect," Naja said. She raised her arm as if to underscore the point. "You flit through the catacombs observing your subjects and attending to their needs. Perhaps they do not speak directly into your mind, but speak to you they do nonetheless, and you ignore or attend to them as you see fit. The only difference between that and this is that you will not have to return your limbs when you are through with them. You will be embodied for good, or for as long as you can manage."

"There's another reason this may interest you," She said, unexpectedly. There was an uncomfortable resonance to Her voice. "Don't think your occasional forays into the world above have gone unnoticed. There's value in a being such as you, and you're much safer under an assumed, specific appearance with an attached name. If you construct a life with what we give you, people will notice if you go missing."



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Re: Nine Tenths of the Law [P]

Postby Indigo » 10/30/2017 8:12 PM

Wreth knew she was known, of course; she was no fool. But it had not occurred to her that personal associations might protect her. It was altogether a tempting offer, but she had one last card to play before she made a decision.

"Tell me," she said, "why I should accept your offer, rather than seeking out another."

Now it was Naja herself who laughed, and somehow that was far more disquieting. "I very much doubt you will find another offer that gives you as much freedom as this one, Wreth. Other brokers of this service do exist, but many are lower quality, and will provide you abused or criminal bodies which will break down or draw unwanted attention. It is very difficult to verify such a service. You know my reputation. You know I can be trusted, to a degree."

This was true, inarguable, and so Wreth did not attempt to refute it. "Very well. The fee will be wired to you discreetly when the banks open." She had not brought it with her for fear it would weigh down her fleet form, and she knew well that the Clean Hand preferred to separate transaction from payment. Naja nodded, as expected, and Worthy came forward. Proximity was essential for her to move.



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Re: Nine Tenths of the Law [P]

Postby Indigo » 10/30/2017 8:17 PM

She placed a claw lightly on Worthy's paw, and leapt, a sensation that was not a sensation, that she'd felt far too many times to think about enough to describe.

Wreth had never experienced a Kuhna before. Very few of them made their way into her catacombs, for reasons she could not name. After a few moments of adjustment, she decided it was delightful. Such a light, bouncy feeling, such fluid motion and luxurious fur. And the tails—two of them!—such versatility this body offered. She turned in a circle, admiring herself in her new night vision, heedless of the revenant's laugh in the background. This moment belonged to her.

"Ah."

...and Worthy. Of course.

"This doesn't feel how I thought it would," said Worthy's voice. It seemed to be coming from somewhere above her right ear. "I think I might like it."

As long as he didn't get in her way, that was just fine with her.

She watched her Matches subject fly away into the night, home to the catacombs. Perhaps she would never see him again. But that was not her concern just yet. She had a life to make.



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