The entire rest of the ceremony, I couldn’t stop staring at Dacus. When did he discover that Cathy was pregnant? Even when I was dragged up to the podium to shake hands with the duke… I still couldn’t stop thinking about it. I was completely baffled. Why didn’t he tell sooner? We were together all of yesterday… and the for several days before that. He could have ntioned it at any point. I suppose he doesn’t often tender information unless necessary. But co on… that’s the kind of thing that you tell people… right?
It felt like forever before we were able to leave. It is nice to be given so credit for what we did… but I hate being stood up in front of people like that. Especially in the centre of town.
I briefly saw Asmodeus stood at the back of the crowd… still wearing his bloody helt. Seriously… even after all of these years, he still refuses to take off his helt… he wasn’t even anywhere near … he was all the way at the other side of the square… just looking at … in that fucking creepy way that he does. He is beyond unsettling. Then again… I did forget about his presence the second Dacus ntioned Cathy’s pregnancy.
The second we were free to leave I ran over to Dacus.
Dwynfel: “Cathy’s pregnant?”
Dacus: “I believe so, yes.”
His response was calm and casual. As if it was a perfectly normal thing to just ntion.
Dwynfel: “This is huge… why didn’t you ntion it?”
Dacus: “It is a recent developnt.”
Dwynfel: “We’ve been together for the last week. You could have ntioned it at any ti.”
Dacus: “She is not far gone. I see no reason to announce it yet. Miscarriages are common during the early stages.”
Well, that’s a disturbingly pragmatic way to think about things.
Dwynfel: “Then why announce it at all?”
Dacus: “There was an opportunity to guarantee the child’s future… as well as Verity’s.”
Dwynfel: “Fair point… but still… hang on… if it is still the early stages, then how do you know.”
Dacus: “Because she is well beyond her usual cycle.”
Dwynfel: “You an her period’s late… couldn’t various things cause that?”
Dacus: “Technically yes… however… Cathy has always been incredibly regular… and when combined with the sickness that she has been experiencing recently… we believe that pregnancy is the likely cause.”
Gods… do I ask? Should I ask? Will he take offense? No… he never takes offence at these kinds of questions.
Dwynfel: “Umm… is… it… yours?”
Dacus: “It is possible. There was consummation on the wedding night. It could also be Agaroth’s. I have not asked this question of Cathy, but I assu that their relationship has reached the point of sexual congress.”
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Mother of rcy… how is he not fazed by his stuff. He could be bringing his own child into the world… or potentially Agaroth’s. Does he not want to know for sure? I’d want to know. Then again… none of my kids are biologically related to … which is a good thing… my gene pool is not a pleasant one.
Chloe: “Oi!”
Chloe ca bounding over to us. Followed by a rather awkward looking Robert. She stood aggressively close to Dacus… with her chest thrust forward in a confrontational manner. I could hear her teeth grinding… which is always an unpleasant noise. Tadwick used to do it in his sleep and honestly… it goes right through .
Chloe: “First of all, congratulations on the pregnancy.”
Dacus: “Appreciated.”
Chloe: “A child is always a blessing.”
Dacus: “Agreed.”
Well, that was unexpectedly convivial.
Chloe: “Second, don’t think I ain’t still pissed at you!”
Dwynfel: “But Chloe. The duke said it was a success. All those slaves freed and opium seized. You said yourself about all of the missing persons you were looking for.”
Chloe: “Exactly, and now everybody is writing off those missing persons as being sold into the slave trade. I haven’t accounted for anywhere near the number of people that have actually gone missing. Hardly any of them were found. But my resources for searching are being cut because everyone just assus that they were involved with all of this shit. If you had listened and we had gone about things more carefully, then we could have taken these people down piece by piece.”
I an… surely the assumption that many of those missing persons were sold into the slave trade by these people is a reasonably logical assumption. I get why she’s pissed, but with no evidence to the contrary, I understand cutting her resources.
Dacus: “They have been taken down, the thods are unimportant.”
Chloe: “To you maybe. Sobody else will just fill the gap. So underling with aspirations will sit in the seat and all that shit will continue.”
Dacus: “And when they do, we kill them, and we kill everyone who proceeds to do so until these people learn.”
Chloe: “Mass murder is not the solution. The network needed to be dismantled slowly and carefully!”
Dacus: “Clearly that was not working. I stand by my actions. Now if you will excuse , I must go to McNulty’s. My wife has a craving for pulled pork.”
He turned his back and walked off. Robert stepped towards Chloe to try to encourage her to move on. But she stamped her foot off the ground and stord off. Robert mouthed “sorry” to before hotfooting it after Chloe.
Smutisha: “She doesn’t seem best pleased, darling.”
I was so focussed and Chloe that I hadn’t noticed Smutisha arrive.
Smutisha: “They both have a point. Makes it difficult to take a side, doesn’t it. Best not think about it, darling. Otherwise, one’s head starts to hurt.”
She certainly speaks the truth on that one. My head hurts on a regular basis. I wish I could shut my brain down.
Dwynfel: “I just hate seeing my friends fight.”
Smutisha: “Don’t we all, darling. Anyway, co with . I have a favour to ask of you.”
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