Chapter 469 Putting the ducks in a row (1/2)

Granin Lazus looked around the room with thinly veiled contempt. He didn't recognise most of the Cult members who were present. The new blood had flooded this outpost, filling it to the brim until the entire place stank of impatience, ignorance and disregard for tried and tested methods. All these Golgari, some of them with their true skin barely set, looked so excited to be there. Huddled together in their triads their excited whispered fill the room.

”Boss, how's our man looking? Ready to go?”

The insistent whisper of Corun Nium, second of Granin's triad probably drew more attention to them than talking in a regular voice would have done. The sibilant hiss cut through the hubbub around them and drew more than a few curious eyes. Granin just shrugged at them and tried to insinuate through gestures that his second was suffering from a mental ailment and his medication had run out.

”Boss. Hey. Boss!” Like being prodded directly in the ear with a knife, the hissing voice seemed to stab directly into his brain.

”Dammit Nium! Shut up would you!” Granin bellowed.

All sound in the chamber cut off as everyone turned to look at the cause of the disturbance. All they saw was a fuming Granin, a very slightly abashed Corun and Torrina Laksham, third of the triad, trying to shrink out of sight. Far from wanting to hide, Granin openly glared back at everyone who met his eyes until he was satisfied they had registered his anger. Gradually the sound picked up again as the various groups resumed their chatter, only then did he turn back to his second.

”Your d.a.m.ned stage whisper is the least effective possible way of hiding what you want to talk about. Just speak like a normal person.”

”Sorry, Boss. I'm just worried. The Cult has never done anything like this before, have they?”

”They haven't” Torrina broke in quietly from the side, ”at least according to all the records that I can access.”

”That's what I'm saying. Is Anthony going to be alright? How's he feeling? I can't imagine he's in a good place right now.”

He did look genuinely concerned and Granin couldn't help but wonder again at how quickly the cursed insect had managed to win over the members of his triad. His own conversations with the creature were irritating more than anything else.

”He's fine,” he grunted, ”I wouldn't say that he's happy about the situation. Far from it. But he's managed to wrap his head around what's going to happen to him.”

”Did you find time to talk to him about strategy? About his build? What sort of Skills are we working with?” Torrina asked, her voice quiet but intense.

Granin snorted.

”First off, he wouldn't let me look at his core. d.a.m.ned ingrate.”

The other two members of the triad shared a glance.