Rise Of The Godking

Then… he burst out laughing, and he laughed and laughed and laughed until it seemed that he might choke on it if he didn"t stop.

Tears of mirth even came from his eyes, flowing down his cheeks to where he caught them with his hands and flicked them away.

By the time it finally subsided, Daneel was annoyed despite the peril of the situation.

At first, when he had come here, he had never even thought of trying to get into a position under this man. All he had wanted to do was find some information so that he could go back and plan, but just like always, the world had put him in a situation where he had to either sink, or swim.

His decision to say something so sacrilegious had been based on two things. One, he was a teenager, and there was a high probability that it might be taken as just the naïveté of one at his age.

And, two… he was betting on the hate that the man had shown before for the uncontested ruler of this region for as long as anyone remembered.

If he was right on both of these matters, he would be presenting himself as the perfect p.a.w.n to be used against his father. But… the risk was that he might also become a sacrifice to be used to further the Lord"s plans, but it was one he was willing to take.

He didn"t need the man"s trust. All he wanted was a chance… and he knew for sure that if he obtained it, somehow, it would help him immensely toward the goal that he wanted to reach.

He maintained a stern face despite being laughed at so much. He needed to look as if he was very serious about the entire thing, but after a few moments, he did let a little bit of the irritation show, as, after all, he was supposed to be acting on impulse.

When the Lord finally spoke, it was directed to a door to the right.

"Get some wine over here!"

The door opened so quickly that Daneel wondered whether someone had been standing behind it all this while, waiting to be summoned with their ear to the wood. It revealed a butler dressed in a neat purple suit, and with a bow, the man went inside.

Lord Burrow resumed his study of Daneel while they waited. In a few moments, the man returned holding a tray. Setting down its contents on the table, he bowed and left.

The Lord bent forward to serve the wine, himself. He sloshed around the red liquid in the bottle, and breathed in deep after opening the wooden stopper. He poured it into the two gla.s.ses that had been brought, and picking his up, he motioned to Daneel to do the same and took a long swig.

Daneel just tasted a sip, and he was tempted to drink more, but he stopped. The wine was rich, far richer than anything he had tasted down below. He needed his senses about him, so even though the taste was so good that he sloshed it around his mouth for a few moments before reluctantly gulping it down, he set down the gla.s.s and waited for his gracious host to speak.

Lord Burrow took his time. It was only after he emptied his gla.s.s that he finally opened his mouth to speak.

"Interesting. Definitely… interesting. I must say that the idea of using Harold"s son to get back at him is appealing… but I must think on it. I"ve made my fortune by thinking about things instead of diving into them headlong. You can go, now. Jezaro, show him out."

A different door burst open as soon as the man said those last few words. Daneel had barely glanced in its direction… before he found a hand closing around his neck.

He was lifted from the chair which fell back, and his eyes came upon a grotesque face.

It looked like… it had been cut, in half, and the two halved had been joined together haphazardly. Hence, the eyes weren"t level, the nose was lopsided, and the bottom part of half his lip met the top part of the other, making it seem impossible that he might ever be able to speak. A red gash ran down the spot where the two halves met, and the skin was swollen, as if it healed after being burnt.

Daneel looked down, terror filling his mind slowly, but surely. It sped up when he saw just how far away he was from the ground. His legs dangled a solid 5 feet from where he had been sitting until now, putting the newcomer"s height at a whopping 12 feet.

"Pardon him. Or don"t; he really doesn"t care. This is how I always send away anyone whose fate I haven"t decided, yet. If you speak even a word of what happened here outside… I will know, and he will visit you. When I reach my decision, you will be brought here. Until then…Goodbye!"

Getting up, the Lord made his way to the far end of the house where they were two large doors. He knew it to be the main bedroom, but he didn"t see it open as the one who had been called "Jezaro" moved, making the entire world turn into a blur.

In barely a second, he was at the door. He was right on the verge of losing consciousness… but then, he found himself flying, and after landing painfully on the tiled path outside, he took in great gulps of air.

The brute stood at the door, framed by the light falling on him from behind. His shadow was long, and it fell over Daneel. As Daneel"s eyes ran over his body that was covered in black leather, he smiled, and it was definitely one of the most horrifying sights in the world. Only the corners of his lips rose; it looked like the fake smile of a clown, painted on for effect. Then, only the right half of his lips opened and a rasping sound came out before he turned around and disappeared.

Daneel was so shaken up by the whole thing that he wasn"t able to think much as he made his way outside. The enforcers were waiting to escort him back, and they didn"t speak a word even though he knew that their minds must be filled with questions.

They scurried away without even looking at him after they arrived in the Refinery. Daneel made his way to the old man"s house by himself. The layout of the place was so simple that even a child would not be lost, so he had no trouble in going back.

He kept replaying what had just happened on the way, trying to look for clues regarding what lay for him in the future. Yet, when he reached the door and stepped inside….everything went out of his mind when he found a guest waiting for him.

Middle-aged Madeira was sitting on the dining table, holding a gla.s.s of water in both her hands which were shaking as if she couldn"t even support its weight. He saw now just how much damage the man had done to her; even her hair was grey, with no similarity whatsoever to the lush, red mane that she had sported before.

She looked up when he came in, and even though Daneel had been worried about retaliation before… he was convinced, now, that he was in no danger.

"Sit."

Even her voice was reedy and weak. Daneel obliged her, and took a seat on the table.

She took a sip while looking at him with sunken eyes. He had expected anger, but all he saw was so, so much weariness. She looked as if she was weary of life, itself, and when she spoke, the words spilled out of her mouth as if it was something she had wanted to tell someone in a long time.

"I don"t know what your game is. You"re definitely in over your head, and honestly, I don"t care what happens to you. Still… out of the respect I have for those who outsmart me, I will give you a piece of advice. Run. Run as far away as you can from that man, and even all the cruel, heartless demons on the surface. Just forget everything and live in the Pit. For centuries, this is how it has always been. Down there, I at least ask for the permission of the slaves to take what I need. They all know what they"re giving up when they come to me. It is a transaction, and I keep my end. Up here…these demons take and take and take from me. I have no choice. I either keep them alive, or join the slaves. Nothing good has ever come out of those below interacting with those who live above. I"m not saying this to justify myself. I just… don"t like being judged. Do what you will with what I"ve told up."

She got up and looked at him for one last time, her eyes showing a bit of confusion, as if she, herself, couldn"t understand the reason behind her doing this. She then left, and as Daneel followed her with his eyes, a sigh reached his lips, and he leaned back, all sorts of emotions filling his mind.