Page 27 of Ogres Don't Play

“Yes. I should have made the announcement at once, to show that we’re not afraid of them, and also use their guilt and personal fear of getting goblin bombed before they had the chance to languish back into comfortable apathy. Also, the Jubilee is coming soon and we need to get it organized.”

“We could put up posters. I noticed that you’re not moving very quickly, almost like you suffered an injury.”

I stared at him and he stared back.

“I probably pulled my back,” I said.

He nodded, rubbing his narrow chin. “Some might consider that you could have been responsible for hiring a goblin assassin to take out a guild member.”

“Where would I get the money? Do you know how much goblin assassinations cost?”

His eyes narrowed. “I do not. Peculiar that you do.”

I brushed him off and headed towards the back door. “I don’t know anything other than that it’s obscenely expensive. That’s all I need to know. Are you leading classes this morning, or do you have time to come with me?”

“To recruit Song musicians for the festival? I have classes. Pity. When will Rook the Luthier come by?”

I froze as a memory of waking in his arms hit me incredibly hard, filling me with this keening, anxious yearning. I had to see him again. Soon. To find out why he was willing to repair my hall for the cost of keeping Lanise in my hall, naturally, not because I personally wanted to see him.

“Ah… That is, I’ll have to schedule a time for him to come. He’s very busy.”

He nodded soberly. “Indeed. I wait in rapt expectation.” He peered at me skeptically through his monocle while I beamed at him and then hurried to the back hall.

I had time to rummage in the storage closets and find the travel platform I’d banged my shins on at least three times, trying to get chairs out. I was trying to haul it out with a large scraping sound that hopefully didn’t break it, when Lanise came, chewing on something, a plate for me in her hands.

“You’re here! Lanise, can you please carry this for me? It might be too…”

She picked the travel platform up with one hand, still holding the plate. I stared at her. Ogres were strong, naturally, but it was so shocking to see one of them lift something normal instead of a cannon ball to hurl across the battlefield.

“What this?”

I beamed at her. “So glad you asked. It’s a travel platform, to be used for performances on the go. Since you’re part of the music hall now, it’s time for your first concert.”

She stared at me, eyes narrowing with suspicion. “Not time.”

“If you’re too shy to publicly perform a solo, don’t worry. I’ll be right there beside you.”

“Pub lick?” She pronounced them as two distinct words.

“Oh, you got me some sausage rolls! Thank you so much.” I took the plate and led her towards the doors, opened both of them, while chewing on the roll while she frowned at me, not moving, just holding the travel platform. “Come on, Lanise! Daylight is wasting.” Not that we’d need it, because we’d be in Song, where it was always dark, except where the street lamps shone bright.

She slowly came after me when she saw that I was getting away from her. “Pub lick? Why?”

“Money and music, Lanise. Money and music. That’s the why of everything.”

Chapter

Eleven

Imoved quickly through Song, my heart beating rapidly as I got deeper and deeper in the dark, twisting area known as the maze. The cavern was lower here, so it felt like we were in underground tunnels. It was the least civilized part of an extremely uncivilized world. But I was wearing elven armor, and I had an ogre with me, as well as my harp, my trusty friend that Rook had made better than new.

I was past the court of burning, where the car-sized ball of fire, infernal flames of darkest red to black, licked swirling around the heavenly fire in orange-gold to white. I couldn’t help staring at the impossible sight before shaking my head and continuing on. I wasn’t here to gawk at the local sights, however creepily fascinating they were. It did make you think, though, about mortality, death, good and evil, and how much of that played inside your own soul. Was I acting according to the dictates of my conscience, or was I really only motivated by money and music?

I shook my head and continued walking faster. I had no time for doubt if I was going to use the goblin attack to my advantage. Heavens knows I’d paid for it with enough pain, and even worse itching.

I stopped in front of a low building that looked small, nondescript, and it was, because the actual structure was buried beneath street level and went on for miles into the rock wall behind it. The former music master had made very detailed maps of Song, and if I’d learned anything from my father, it was to know the terrain before you attacked.

“Here?” Lanise looked at me like I’d gone insane. This was on the very edge of Song and looked as lifeless and desolate as a place could. It was too quiet, too empty to possibly be a good place to have a concert.

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