"Ignore him," Corrival grumbled, "he's just being himself." The eels were back in full-force, and nearly all of them were snapping at Ravel for messing this up. The rest just seemed to be indignant for general reasons, although, interestingly, they were snapping at each other. "He thinks that he'll get away with not being nominated for anything if he acts the fool."
"Acts it?" Solomon asked, and a few people in the crowd tittered. Some of the eels snapped at him. Solomon resisted the childish urge to poke them.
"Before we talk about anything else," Geoffrey Scrutinous said, "I think we need to talk about the other Sanctuaries, and Davina Marr." Solomon followed the sound of his voice, but he couldn't quite pick where the man was. He could guess, though, and if he had to guess he would say Scrutinous was the one with the soul that looked something like a mirror.
"Someone is already on that, aren't they?" demanded someone demanded.
"Skulduggery's investigating, of course," said Corrival a trifle impatiently. "As for the other Sanctuaries, that is why we're here. That little stunt yesterday--" The sound of clearing throats, snorts and chuckles was almost universal. Corrival raised his voice. "--is what made the other nations decide we needed another leader and fast. The Americans have backed down since we pointed out that Davina Marr was their national, not ours, and a number of the European Sanctuaries have taken up that suspicion. We have some time to figure things out as long as attention is divided between us and the US, but it won't last forever. After the last four years, we need some stability. I vote it not be me."
The last was a grumble, too quiet for anyone except the people in Corrival's immediate vicinity to hear.
"What about that American cowboy you've signed on as a temporary detective?" the same man challenged. Solomon thought it might have been Amity, one of the Five Elementals. "That didn't strike you as suspicious?"
"Just a consummate and impulsive actor who will probably decide to be Jamaican next," Corrival answered without hesitation. "The American liaison had never heard of him. He's not affiliated with any Sanctuary. After the Marr fiasco, I was very thorough with the background-check. You might remember how thorough I am with background checks, Amity." His tone was almost bland, and to stave off a reaction--what sort of reaction it might be, he wasn't sure--Solomon turned to Valkyrie.
"Little stunt?" the ex-Necromancer murmured. He recalled hearing something about some prank, but neither she nor Fletcher had specified what had been done. Most of his time had been spent sleeping or trying not to walk into things while he got used to his Sight this morning.
"All of which means that we need a new Grand Mage, and all the better if we can get Elders out of this meeting too," Scrutinous said. "After the last two years, it's pretty clear Elders are needed as well as a Grand Mage. Some of us have been talking among ourselves, and we'd like to suggest Corrival Deuce as a candidate."
Corrival sighed. His eels drooped. Solomon hid a smile behind his hand.
"He's practically already there," Scrutinous continued. "He was present at Guild's arrest, and has been handling daily affairs since then. He's also the one who handled the ambassadors from the other Sanctuaries."
"If by handling," Corrival said, "you mean accusing the American Sanctuary of deliberately trying to plant a spy in our midst, certainly."
"Be that as it may, some would say you've been more effective in the last three days than Guild has been in two years," someone else spoke up.
"I'd like to know who those people were and ask them how much they've been drinking. Are there any other nominations? Please?" There was an almost plaintive note in Deuce's voice, and yet the general tenor of his soul was resignation. Maybe it was the way the eels drooped, wisped into nothingness, and gathered close into his centre where they segued into the steadiness of the rest of him. They looked almost hangdog.
There was a moment of expectant silence; the others may have been unsure, but Solomon knew who else was likely to volunteer.
no subject
"Acts it?" Solomon asked, and a few people in the crowd tittered. Some of the eels snapped at him. Solomon resisted the childish urge to poke them.
"Before we talk about anything else," Geoffrey Scrutinous said, "I think we need to talk about the other Sanctuaries, and Davina Marr." Solomon followed the sound of his voice, but he couldn't quite pick where the man was. He could guess, though, and if he had to guess he would say Scrutinous was the one with the soul that looked something like a mirror.
"Someone is already on that, aren't they?" demanded someone demanded.
"Skulduggery's investigating, of course," said Corrival a trifle impatiently. "As for the other Sanctuaries, that is why we're here. That little stunt yesterday--" The sound of clearing throats, snorts and chuckles was almost universal. Corrival raised his voice. "--is what made the other nations decide we needed another leader and fast. The Americans have backed down since we pointed out that Davina Marr was their national, not ours, and a number of the European Sanctuaries have taken up that suspicion. We have some time to figure things out as long as attention is divided between us and the US, but it won't last forever. After the last four years, we need some stability. I vote it not be me."
The last was a grumble, too quiet for anyone except the people in Corrival's immediate vicinity to hear.
"What about that American cowboy you've signed on as a temporary detective?" the same man challenged. Solomon thought it might have been Amity, one of the Five Elementals. "That didn't strike you as suspicious?"
"Just a consummate and impulsive actor who will probably decide to be Jamaican next," Corrival answered without hesitation. "The American liaison had never heard of him. He's not affiliated with any Sanctuary. After the Marr fiasco, I was very thorough with the background-check. You might remember how thorough I am with background checks, Amity." His tone was almost bland, and to stave off a reaction--what sort of reaction it might be, he wasn't sure--Solomon turned to Valkyrie.
"Little stunt?" the ex-Necromancer murmured. He recalled hearing something about some prank, but neither she nor Fletcher had specified what had been done. Most of his time had been spent sleeping or trying not to walk into things while he got used to his Sight this morning.
"All of which means that we need a new Grand Mage, and all the better if we can get Elders out of this meeting too," Scrutinous said. "After the last two years, it's pretty clear Elders are needed as well as a Grand Mage. Some of us have been talking among ourselves, and we'd like to suggest Corrival Deuce as a candidate."
Corrival sighed. His eels drooped. Solomon hid a smile behind his hand.
"He's practically already there," Scrutinous continued. "He was present at Guild's arrest, and has been handling daily affairs since then. He's also the one who handled the ambassadors from the other Sanctuaries."
"If by handling," Corrival said, "you mean accusing the American Sanctuary of deliberately trying to plant a spy in our midst, certainly."
"Be that as it may, some would say you've been more effective in the last three days than Guild has been in two years," someone else spoke up.
"I'd like to know who those people were and ask them how much they've been drinking. Are there any other nominations? Please?" There was an almost plaintive note in Deuce's voice, and yet the general tenor of his soul was resignation. Maybe it was the way the eels drooped, wisped into nothingness, and gathered close into his centre where they segued into the steadiness of the rest of him. They looked almost hangdog.
There was a moment of expectant silence; the others may have been unsure, but Solomon knew who else was likely to volunteer.