Page 52 of The Empire and the Wolf King

“This is...” He scowled. “I do not know.”

“Where was he goin’?”

He scowled even more.

I said, “We are just havin’ a conversation, since we hae a long ride ahead of us. I winna tell anyone. Tell me.”

He said, “He mentioned New York, then he will go to England, please, sire, let us speak of something else.”

“Nae.” I thought over my list of places tae visit tae try tae assassinate Asgall. “Dost ye ken where he will be staying in New York?”

His eyes darted tae the saddlebag on his horse.

I needed the information he held there.

For fun, I asked, “Och, did ye hear that?”

“What…?” He swept the torch around.

I let him suffer for a couple of minutes then said, “Twas nothing, sorry, thought twas something over there.”

Then I asked, “If ye’re so important, why did he let ye leave without a guard?”

He remained quiet.

I said, “I bet ye’re carryin’ papers and plans for him…”

“I do not like this line of inquiry…”

“...And they are likely important, we established it already, as the secretary tae the emperor, who is actually a king, about tae meet with a king.”

“What are you saying, sire?”

“It seems Asgall’s left ye unprotected and here I am, wantin’ the papers ye are carryin'.”

I drew my sword and pointed it at his back. “Hand me the torch and dismount yer horse. Did he ever give ye a vessel?”

He shook his head. “He will not let me touch it, sire, I do not know anything about it!”

His hands shook as he passed me the torch. His horse began to stomp and stamp as Greyson climbed down. “Sire, why are you…?”

I dismounted and grabbed his horse’s reins. “Can ye tell me the advice ye were givin’ Asgall just now?”

“Who are you?”

I dropped the torch tae the ground, and raised my sword tae his chest. “Tell me the advice ye were givin’ Asgall.Now.”

“I was advising him to take the throne from the Scottish King, Mag Mòr — do you know him?”

“Aye, I am his son. I just spent ten angry years deciding how I was goin’ tae kill the men who took him away.”

He took a step back. “You do not need to kill me, I will tell you anything you want to know?—”

“Really? Did ye advise him that he ought tae kill the members of Mag Mòr’s family? Did ye tell him tae take Mag Mòr from his children?”

He shook his head, lookin’ completely frantic. “No never, what do you want me to tell you?”

“Ye are saying that ye will tell me anythin’ I ask just tae keep on livin’?”

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