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I tilted my head. “Whydidthe archmages want you?”
“My necromancy.”
“Yes, but for what reason?”
He smirked. “That’s confidential.”
“Your breakfast.” The waitress slid two plates between us. “Enjoy!”
I stared at my food: two slices of bread, drenched in egg batter and fried until golden, with a dollop of cream on top.
“French toast!” I said.
“Gesundheit?” Wendel said.
I picked up my fork. “This is what we call French toast in America. I didn’t know that you call it poor knights here.”
“It isn’t really French. I grew up eating it.”
I sliced into the toast with my knife and took a bite. “God, this is delicious.”
“Remind me,” he said. “Weren’t you protecting Rudolf Diesel?”
The toast turned into a hard lump in my throat. I swallowed with difficulty before replying. “That was the idea.”
“What happened?”
I lowered my voice. “I don’t know what you heard already, maybe about how Diesel drank too much on the steamship, then fell overboard and drowned? That’s all lies. I only found out after the fact that this was all staged. They hired some other mercenary to drug Diesel and then smuggle him to a boat. But I still don’t know why.”
Wendel picked up his knife and stabbed his toast decisively. “It all makes perfect sense.”
My jaw dropped. “They toldyouwhat happened to Diesel?”
“Hilarious.” He waved his hand as if brushing away my words. “Do you think they trust me enough for that? But I have been collecting scraps of information here and there while I’m still valuable to them.”
I shook my head. “And how exactly is your necromancy valuable to them?”
“Remember Konstantin’s little project?”
“Project Lazarus? You never told me more.”
“Oh, you couldn’t guess?”
I glared at him. “Wendel. Just tell me. I might be the silent mercenary who stands outside doors, but don’t treat me like I’m stupid.”
“Sorry.” He laid both of his hands flat on the table. “So. Project Lazarus.”
“Like I said, I’m completely in the dark.”
“Konstantin made me swear not to tell a soul.” Wendel smirked. “Naturally, I’m happy to tell you everything.”
Good God, was he always this shameless?
“Project Lazarus,” he said, “started in 1912, when Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and King Joseph of Austria-Hungary convened the German Imperial War Council. Officially, they discussed the Hex in the Ottoman Empire.”
I nodded. I remembered Konstantin returning from the Dodecanese.
“Unofficially,” Wendel continued, “they discussed strengthening their army and developing superior military technology. That’s the aim of Project Lazarus. The Hex was meant to be a diversion and buy them more time.”
