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Posted on June 7, 2013 at 08:13:15 PM by a r t h u r
 Arthur could not remember handing over the goblet. One moment he had been rolling it distractedly over the tabletop and the next it was firmly in Mallos’ hand. He was drawn from his trance by the Spaniard’s question, and it took him a moment or two to formulate a response. It was as if he had been underwater and had just resurfaced, only he could not recall ever actually having sunk beneath the water in the first place. “Magic,” Arthur said grimly, pulling the goblet back towards him and setting it down beside the jug by his elbow. “It was much easier when few had it, and the strongest of those that did was on your side.” There was a strange kind of comfort to be found however, in the simple fact that the sensation he had just experienced was a new one. It was, Arthur thought, a wonderful example of clouds having a silver lining...or in this case, perhaps pewter was more apt. As difficult as trust was, as inherent with danger as it could be, it was more or less impossible to run a country without it. It came in different forms, of course, a trust that other men would do their jobs, a trust that they, at the very least, shared some inherent belief. Trust on a personal level was perhaps less crucial. The appearance of it could be feigned well enough by a skilled actor, and what was a courtier if not an actor? What was a court without its leading man? Arthur had had men take advantage of his trust, and he had had them betray it – it was a danger of the job. You could only ask a man to think of the greater good for so long. All men were selfish in the end. It could however, mercifully, be tempered. Mallos was proof of that. Arthur listened to the options that the deity lay out before him, his face set in a thoughtful expression and his hands clasped lightly together. The first, Mallos was right, was impractical and would probably do more harm than good. The second was an improvement, although, from the way in which the Spaniard described the pitfalls, it was not without its faults. The King was not experienced enough to know what could be achieved with lower level hypnosis, and therefore found it difficult to decide how pressing a problem it would pose. He inferred from Mallos’ tone however that it was not an insignificant threat, and that then, inevitably, lead them to the final option. The King’s expression altered little but it triggered a current of questions. Arthur had spent time in Mallos’ company when the Spaniard was fully endowed with magic, on numerous occasions. Had he been tempted before? Arthur almost wanted to ask, but he held back as a larger part of him realised that he was happier not knowing. A negative response would have been comforting and affirming, but a positive would have lead to more wondering and a box of worms that the King had little interest in opening. Arthur knew too, that for his part, he had no desire to venture into the mind of his friend, but perhaps Mallos already knew that. It seemed more than likely. “I had such a connection with Aura,” he explained, shifting a little in his seat. Arthur was aware that the subject of Shaman’s founder was likely to still be a sore one, and hoped that her presence in the conversation would not sour it. He ensured not to change his tone of voice, nor his expression as he continued, “neither one of us used it very much. I believe the only time I employed it was to ascertain her location in Gwythr’s castle.” It was a less direct way of saying what he had wished to, and Arthur felt more comfortable dealing with implications than with anything more obviously direct. “I think it would be most prudent,” he concluded, “to employ the third option, but Mallos, only do so if you are comfortable with the implications. If not, then we shall use the second suggestion. Thank you for your help, my friend.”  |
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- él se fue con el invierno. - By mallos June 8, 2013 at 00:43:25 AM
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