Two Cats

Chapter 13

“Uhm ... what?” I finally managed to say.

“His feet, Vince! Teuring's a sleeper! His feet, Vince!” he said a little too loudly, wobbling the tiniest bit.

This conversation was rapidly making even less sense than his first sentence had. How long had he spent directly above those assorted fellows in the tower? Had the smoke affected him?

“You spoke with Lord Teuring about his feet?” I asked, incredulous.

“No, I didn't get to talk to him at all, actually,” he scowled, eyes narrowing slightly.

“Didn't get to talk-” I was flabbergasted.

“No, but that hardly matters at this point. Vincent, he-”

“So you learned nothing,” I said bitterly. “That's great. Well done. Tell me, were you only down there to shut me up, or did you accidently sleep in this morning?”

Theodore fixed me with a dark look before answering.

“Well, it's good to know that you believe I would treat our friendship so lightly. Very gratifying. Additionally, I'll thank you not to put words in my mouth. I haven't learned 'nothing', as you've so generously put it.”

“You said-”

“I said,” he interrupted, drawing himself up and squinting at me, “that I didn't speak with him. This despite the fact that I was there since sunrise. This despite having made every effort I could think of to get within ten feet of him. I'd say that I learned rather a lot. Now, would you like to hear what I did learn, or do you want to perform a childish tantrum of some sort? I can wait...”

Still looking rather unsteady, he wobbled for a few steps and made a production of drunkenly leaning against the nearby pillar, combing his fingers through his beard and looking at me with a tired, unfeigned annoyance.

“Look, can you-” I began, and then stopped. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again.

Theo was now standing expectantly with his side to me, inspecting the fingernails of his uninjured hand speculatively, whistling softly to himself.

My shoulders were so tense that it was a miracle they hadn't started cramping. I made a conscious effort to relax them, rolling my neck a few times to loosen them up.

I took another deep, relaxing breath.

He was right. I was being an idiot.

“Theo, I'm sorry. I'm being an ass, I know. I just ... I left an upsetting conversation that got me all wound up. I don't mean to take it out on you. But I was angry! That piss-drinking, know-nothing young son of-”

“I know, I know...” he said, a hint of sympathy creeping into his voice. “I was there, I heard it. Little wanker. Myself, I would have done more than just drawn on him.”

“Well, I only have to wait until tomorrow, at which point I can do more than simply draw on him,” I said, feeling myself calm down as I spoke. “Substantially more than simply draw on him. Still, I feel terrible that I wasted your time, Theo. Say, do you want to sit down and relax a bit while I work off some of this anger, loosen up? I swear, the muscles in my shoulders feel tougher than a twenty-copper whore.”

“Vincent, I need you to listen very carefully to me,” he said, seriously.

I stopped in mid-stretch, then shook out my arms casually in front of me, feeling my muscles begin to loosen.

“Okay. I'm listening.”

He took a breath and pursed his lips before speaking.

“Vince, I think he's better than you.”