Page 38 of Ogres Don't Play

His smile was meant to be calming. “Music Master, I think you’ll see that Song’s inhabitants would prefer their own jubilee in the darkness where they don’t have to fear the bite of the sun. You’re putting them in danger, as well as the tourists.” This guy was incredibly stubborn and clever.

The door opened and Driver came in, handed me a note and then turned as if to go. He stopped, sniffed twice, then leaned over the elf in his chair and roared, right in his face.

The elf gasped and sputtered while he wiped his face, trying to get ogre saliva off it, while Driver turned to me, bowed, and then exited the room, leaving me blinking after him, wondering what in the world that had been. Was he going mad? Was this arrogant elf right that I was putting all the tourists in danger?

The elf was up out of his chair, brushing off his suit and face while I sat there, frowning because the note he’d given me was list of groceries we needed to get along with words at the top, “Bones dried good.”

“And you want to expose the world to that?!” the elf burst out, finally shaken.

I straightened up. “Yes. You make an excellent point. In spite of the possible danger, having ogres to maintain crowd control will prove once and for all that Singsong city is indeed a haven for tourists. Seeing the undercity in its most civilized clothing, no one will be able to say that Singsong isn’t entirely noble and great, not in spite of its diversity, but because of it.”

“You can’t say that ogres aren’t the most dangerous of them all!”

“What I’m hearing is that the elves are feeling insecure in their abilities to hold their own against the infernal creatures. Perhaps you should encourage them to practice more and complain less. You may inform your mayor that I plan to set up in the stadium. If he has any further concerns, he’s welcome to personally come and speak to me about them.” I stood up. This interview was over. Apparently, the bones were dried, and it was time to go shopping.

On my first day back from my archangel visitation, I’d spent hours in the kitchen of the music hall with Driver, seasoning bones. It had been mostly a blur, but it had been therapeutic to mix spices while the steam from the boiling bones made my hair curl like crazy. After another week feeling like all of me was insane, running from music emergency to musical disaster, it was time to make dinner for Magr, who was at least a chieftain, but I was putting my money on him being the prince heir, if Gavriel’s intel was any good. First, I had to go shopping.

Driver and Lanise came with me to the dock market outside the city walls, along the riverfront. It wasn’t the nice dock market, if there was one of those. First, it was at night, and there must have been some tunnel into Song, because it was almost entirely populated by undercity occupants. Second, there were small craft pulled up to the dock, with various goods that weren’t necessarily legal.

“Are those lan pods?” I whispered to Driver, as we walked passed a particularly sketchy looking guy who wore a broad straw hat to cover his face even though he was already in the shadows, like he carried them with him.

“Sphinx not allow harder drugs. Lan pods weak.”

I shot Driver a look. “Sphinx?”

“Song’s Law.”

“That’s so comforting to know that Song has law. So, where are the live eels?” In my experience as a travelling musician, lanpods were extremely dangerous, but mostly to the lighter side of the coin. An opportunistic human had tried to drug me with lan pods, but it hadn’t worked as well as he’d expected. Almost like I had ogre blood in my veins. I shook my head and hurried after Driver. I wasn’t thinking about that right now.

The eels were at the end of the cement dock, past a floating boat filled with a variety of parasols that a vampire was trying to buy, after ensuring that they were indeed sunproof. That was an idea that might help some of the undercity residents deal with uncomfortable light levels.

“Pick,” Driver said, nodding down into the boat with its various tanks of freaky looking sea creatures.

“Which ones are eels?” I asked the vendor, who smiled at me, showing fangs. A vampire.

“The ones with teeth like a goblin,” she said with a sharp smile.

“Ah.” I bent down to peer into a large glass box and the creature inside shimmered as bright lines of electric blue went down its back. “Ooh. That’s pretty.”

“Electric eels are more expensive, but it’s worth it for the show. What do you need an eel for?”

“Eel soup.”

“I wouldn’t waste an electric eel if you’re just going to cook it.”

“No, it has to be alive in the soup. It’s for an ogre, not me.” Although who knows? Maybe I’d like live eel soup.

“Ah. In that case, take the electric eel. It will put on a better show, but make sure you serve it in dim light, or the effect will be spoiled.”

“Thanks. How much do I owe you?”

She said a very high sum and took the credit card out of my fingers before I could change my mind. I’d thought she’d requiregold, because this whole setup, the night market, was very nightmare, scary fairytale, but apparently, they still took credit.

“Enjoy,” she said, hefting up the eel box and handing it up to Driver who had spent our exchange watching for signs of danger. He handed the box to Lanise, who took it without comment. I struggled to climb out of the boat and back onto the dock. I was tired. I hadn’t slept well for a week, and it was two in the morning. Finally, Driver grabbed my hand and pulled me up.

“Thanks,” I said, and wrapped my black robe tighter over the elven light armor.

“Now brains.”

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