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"In parts of the Vault, Janus is considered the god of the future and the past," Wesley said.
I shrugged. I wasn't going to engage in a conversation about religion. "If it is our future we're seeing, we should keep our eyes out, in case it comes to be. Hades, or Janus, might show us minutes ahead." A kid was certainly not in my immediate future. At least, not that I was aware of.
"Are you sure what you saw wasn't the past?" Kerina asked.
"If I'd met a woman like that, I would remember," Wesley said. He took a gulp of wine as though the idea rattled his nerves and he needed to soothe them.
I nodded. "I don't remember ever seeing a kid like that. Although, just because it's notmypast, doesn't mean it isn't someone else's."
"That's true," Kerina replied. "I'm still not ruling out sprites or pale ones."
Wesley shuddered. "Don't wish the pale ones on us, dear girl. If they can't move on, they eat flesh." He took another gulp of wine.
"Eat flesh?" Kerina echoed. "I thought they just took bodies."
"Let's hope we don't meet either," I said. "Neither of those sound especially awesome."
Wesley vigorously nodded his agreement. "You're right, man, you're right. Sprites are wicked little buggers, but we can deal with them."
"Yeswe," I emphasised the word, "can. Kerina and I. Once the lift descends, we'll be on our way."
"I'm coming with you," Wesley said immediately.
"No, you're not," I said firmly.
"Then I'll follow you," Wesley said, equally firm. "You have no authority to stop me from getting aboard that lift as well."
I did, but that would mean getting the city watch involved and likely slow us down by hours. We may miss the lift and the one after that.
I exhaled through my nose in frustration. "Fine, but if you get yourself into any shit, we won't stop to help you. Our business is urgent."
Wesley responded with another vigorous nod. "Indeed, I hope not to need any assistance. From you or anyone else. I have traveled the Vault, and the outside world, from top to bottom and side to side and I've never found trouble I couldn't talk or play my way out of."
"I don't doubt that for a moment." Bards were known for having all the right words to say, at just the right moment. That's why they were bards and I was not. That and I didn't have a musical bone in my body. I couldn't sing unless I was drunk, and that was bad, according to Dex. No, best to leave the barding to others.
"Excellent, where are we headed?" Wesley rubbed his hands together.
"I'm not telling you where we are going," I replied. At the first chance I got, I would leave the bard behind.
"Then I shall have to guess," Wesley declared. "Are we travelling to the south, to the Watcher? Gossip suggests something is going on there."
"What kind of something?" Kerina asked before I could respond.
Wesley opened his mouth, but closed it again with a click of his teeth. "I'm not sure if I should tell you, unless you're going to be forthcoming with me," he said finally.
"In other words, you don't know," I concluded.
Wesley sniffed. "Indeed I do know."
"We could always ask someone else." Kerina placed her palms on the table and began to stand.
"Wait," Wesley said quickly. "I'll tell you, but you should know it isn't much."
I waved for him to hurry up and speak.
"The word is there are whispers of war with the Keeper."
I cocked my head at the man. "War with Dex? Why?" We had heard that, but had no reason to believe it. Not yet. "There hasn't been trouble between the south and the city for a long time."
