Chapter 238: Beneath Walls of Stone
Damien
Month 9, Day 11, Saturday 11:15 a.m.
Damien picked up a paper from a scruffy-looking boy hawking at the corner, but refused the follow up attempt to sell him “high quality” foreign cigars. Damien didn’t consider himself an athlete or a prospective professional duelist, but he still didn’t fancy having his lung capacity reduced or having to take a lung-clearing potion to strip away tar buildup.
He frowned at the headline as he flagged a carriage. Osham’s premier was insisting that Lenore pay restitution for that attack a couple of weeks ago. And, of course, he wanted that done in the form of celerium and rare components.
Damien wondered how the Thirteen Crowns would respond. No one wanted to make an enemy of Osham, but at the same time, conceding to their demands would not only be admitting that they were behind the attack, but also showing that they could be threatened into concessions. Only a weak nation could actually pay them. The High Crown would either have to refuse outright or find some other, indirect way to appease Osham’s premier.
If Damien were the High Crown, he would try some kind of joint project to strengthen ties between their two nations, or an exchange program, or something. But Damien was not the High Crown, nor even the leader of his Family, which meant there was little use worrying about it.
There was construction near the restaurant that he was meeting Sebastien and Ana, causing a traffic jam. Damien hopped out of the carriage to walk the rest of the way, leaving the newspaper behind. The sidewalk was packed with other pedestrians, the flow of people moving slower than Damien would have preferred.
In front of him, two women were walking with their heads tilted close together. The taller one said, “He came by the house again. I saw him through the window this morning, before I turned on the lamp. He was standing out on the street just…watching.”
The shorter one hooked her friend’s arm in her own and pulled her closer. “That’s not okay.”