The Heir Of Dreams And Curses

Where I save everyone from the biggest threat (not including me)

"Well," Jeff commented finally. "I, for one, believe you."

He didn't sound too sure, but I appreciated the effort.

I was sure I hadn't imagined it. I stopped Turiau on the way out.

"You see, Royal Highness, if you allow me to say the truth..." he told me.

"I do."

"Then I won't be punished for saying what I really thought, whatever it is," Turiau explained. "It's customary. Well, when I made that comment, about people having to know their places, I wasn't talking about your servant. I was talking about you. You see, I was under the impression that such a pompous little brat like yourself could never amount to anything interesting if he hadn't had a little help in his previous quest, in the other world."

All the little colour I had in my cheeks left my face immediately.

"You're part of the rebels," I couldn't help but say. "We have already arrested their leader. What could a merchant like yourself possibly have in common with such low lives as the rebels we've met? You don't know the ways of our world. You surely aren't acquainted with Thomas Johnston."

Turiau raised an eyebrow. "I know you must have had your share of doubts regarding the leader of the Senate, otherwise you're more stupid than you look."

"I could arrest you in this very moment. I could call my personal guard. You know I can read minds and send mental messages."

"If you want her alive, you better not call her here," Turiau replied. "Nobody will leave this room alive."

As it could be expected, many people started screaming. I felt sickly pleased at how this could damage Turiau's ears, with his super hearing. The situation already sounded bad with my hearing, and I'd never had keen ears.

Or perhaps I simply couldn't pay a lot of attention to what people said. In that moment, however, I couldn't help but pay attention to every little detail, and my mind connected all the dots.

"Ever since I arrived here, people have tried to make my life a living hell, like the waiter who made me drink that tea that transported me to another dimension," I said.

"But," I added. "They were part of you. A coalition much bigger than those rebels we've seen. Those were the ones you unleashed upon us to distract us from the bigger picture, which is why you did it the day Jono Mitchell faked his death. You are helping Thomas Johnston achieving his plan against us, so we have to leave and I cannot stay here to rule. But I'll let you in on a secret --- I never intended to stay here."

"I think we're stupid for paying a private detective, when we have one here," Raegan commented.

Jeff blinked. "Wait. Are we paying her?"

Raegan never replied, which put me in a bad mood since I wanted to hear the answer too. Turiau started clapping his hands.

"Bravo," he said. "You figured everything out. You're still missing a few details, but I couldn't expect too much from you. With all that you've got going on, who was to know you'd already go that far in your understanding of the situation? I was told from Jake other people were far less lucid than you when they were in your conditions."

Jeff and Raegan looked at me worriedly. 

"And now," I added, savouring the looks of everybody in the room. "You will try to kill us with a grenade, as an act of war, you decided to import here a human item, the species that shed the most blood, that is used for warfare. Celine, Turiau's daughter, has one, and she will use it in a matter of minutes. What I don't understand is, if you don't find a way to escape, are you really happy to die for the cause?"