Jim Armstrong and the Goblet's Curse

Chapter 22: Deadly Drops Are Dangerous

After the pair had left the room, we quickly entered it, got safely suited up (James read Davis' mind to know how to get into the suits), and quickly made a plan. The whole time we were getting ready, Cecy was humming a tune under her breath. I vaguely recognized it, probably since she'd hummed it before.

Once were in the bright red suits, we converged to the middle of the room to talk strategy. Seeing as we would be venturing out 356 metres from the ground, and things could possible get messy, we wanted to have a general idea of what we would be facing. From the way Shea and James had described him, we already that this Ronnie Kyle wasn't someone on our side, and seeing as he was conversing with Davis, Davis may or may not be on our side either. Anything could happen out there. We stowed our pockets with varnish syringes, just in case.

We made our way up to the Edge Walk, which wasn't easy because of all the people. Even if we were Illusioned, the Illusions wouldn't stop people from seeing doors opening, or from feeling us if we walked in to them. It was a task to get to the Edge Walk, but when we finally did I kind of wish we hadn't had to gone up there.

We were standing on ledge about 1.5 metres long that encircled the top of the Tower's main pod, and I could see the hundreds of meters below us. It was scary, and I had to fight the urge to repeatedly look down, knowing it would only make me feel worse. Not to mention that it was really cold. We were up high, and the wind had a biting chill to it. It was mid-December which meant that the winter was at its height.

I didn't see Davis or Kyle, so I assumed they were around the other side of the Tower. James must've thought so too, because he gestured for us to follow him. We inched around the tower, sticking close to walls so Davis and Kyle wouldn't see us. I put my hand in the pocket of my suit and closed it around Lumière, just to feel safer.

I heard the two men speaking before I saw them. They were conversing in low tones, but the wind carried their words, letting us hear their conversation. From what they were saying, it sounded as if they were in the middle of negotiating about something.

"Davis, come on, those aren't very reasonable terms."

"Unreasonable to you, very reasonable to me, Kyle."

"Davis-

"Do remember what you are asking for, Kyle. Access to the Silver Sand is no small request, which doesn't deserve a small payment."

"I understand that, Davis, but I'm on a tight schedule, Amour is on a tight schedule."

"There's the other thing, my friend. I'm not entirely convinced that this is an errand for Amour."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you really expect me to openly accept that Amour has been alive and well for all these years and has not struck anywhere? Blasphemy, I say."

"You dare oppose Amour? Do you really wish to have the wrath of Amour fall upon you once he is ready to rise again?"

"But how do I know that he will indeed rise again?"

"You are just going to have to trust me on this. You don't know that he will rise again. You may think this is a sham, and refuse me the Sand. But what if this isn't a sham, and you refused me the Sand? Amour will hunt you. And find you. And kill you."

There was silence for a little while, and i could imagine Davis contemplating this. He spoke again, if a little reluctantly.

"Fine. I will-