The Dream Thief, Kari Kilgore [reading well TXT] 📗

evening," Bess said. "From your voice I gather you're expecting unpleasant company."

"The most unpleasant kind, Bess," Loretta said. "If Rhysto shows up, do not hesitate to solve the problem. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am. Unless he has an army with him, you won't be bothered."

Chapter 38

Loretta swept out of her steaming kitchen, with the clear intention of ending the conversation. Karl decided he was up to her challenge. He followed her into the dining room.

"No, Karl, that's out of the question."

"You're not thinking clearly," he said. "From what you and Mr. Norwood said, Rhysto leads most of the shaw pilots. He pretty much does have a bloody army. I know Bess is loyal and strong, but you're crazy to risk yourself and Gemma like this."

Loretta slammed the bowl of greens she was carrying down and headed back to the kitchen.

"Keep your voice down," she said. "She's just in the bath."

"Then listen to me," Karl said. "At some point he will catch you gone, and I have to leave tonight. I can't afford to lose my job, even for all this wonderful adventure with you. Just for a little while, Loretta. I'm not talking forever."

She pushed by him. "I can't move myself and my grandmother out to Joffrey Columns, Karl. I'm not that crazy, no matter what you seem to think."

"Just hang on! I know that. I'm not asking you to check yourselves in. I have a friend who knows where all the empty rooms are. He's the same one who helped us before. This gets you and Gemma and even your guards out of Rhysto's path until we can figure out what to do about him. You said if he's bold enough now to walk into the Ministry to threaten Mr. Norwood, he's gotten even more out of control."

She whirled around, and Karl drew back from the look in her eyes. She didn't seem angry, not exactly. Loretta seemed like she was about to agree with him.

Somehow that made him more anxious.

"All right Karl, I'll promise to at least think about it, on one condition. Gemma's almost finished with my gyro-compass. Delays between visits are what got Mr. Norwood into this. I've had nothing but delays since you broke the first one. You said yourself that the Dragon calmed one patient down. Let me Build while I'm there."

"What? Now you are talking crazy!" he said. "Letting the two of you hide out for a little while is one thing, but you can't be roaming the grounds experimenting on the patients. They'll lock both of us up, and well they should!"

"Then what did you want your own Dragon for, Karl? Tell me. You said it was so you could figure out how to help them, right? Was that just a lie? I suddenly have potential business partners coming out of the bloody woodwork when I never wanted the first damned one."

Karl stared at her, his own eyes narrowing. That was what he'd said, yes. It was even partly what he really did want to do. But his own temptation, his desire to have the limitless power of Building, hadn't lessened in the slightest. Admitting that to Loretta right now seemed like one of his worst bad ideas.

"Yes, that's what I wanted it for," he said. "I have no idea if it will ever get approved, but I believe it will work. That has nothing to do with getting you and Gemma out of Rhysto's path."

Loretta crossed her arms, turning her head to the right, then the left.

"That's the condition," she said. "You tell me which ones. Go with me if you want. I'll even split the profits with you if this works out. But I'm not even willing to think about this if you expect me to sit and stare at the walls. If I do that, I will go insane."

Karl scrubbed his face with both hands, certain he was getting into trouble he couldn't foresee.

"Fine," he said. "Only the ones I say, and only when I say. I don't want a scrap of your profits. Put them away for Gemma."

"Gemma will be well cared for as long as I'm alive. You never have to doubt that. I'll consider your offer, Karl. I will."

She walked back into the dining room, and Karl heard her greeting her grandmother as if nothing else had happened. He stood with his head down, hoping he wouldn't regret his latest grand idea.

Chapter 39

The imposing stone wall and brick towers of Joffrey Columns looked even stranger to Karl than Waldron's Gate had. He might have been gone for ten years rather than living here that long. His eyes cringed away from the worn and drab corridors; his nose recoiled from antiseptic and illness. He couldn't imagine how he'd ever found his life here acceptable, much less felt like he was at home.

Karl jumped at George's voice, nearly dropping the keys to his apartment.

"Well, if it isn't Mr. Karl Gilmore, returned from mysterious family illness leave."

"Yeah, I'm back, Georgie. Not exactly back to normal, but back. Come on inside."

Karl wondered if his apartment had always smelled this musty and stale and he'd never noticed. He opened the bedroom window as wide as it would go. He pulled a heavy paper-wrapped package out of his bag, then tucked the whole thing onto the top shelf of the wardrobe. He'd forgotten to get rid of that damned revolver Loretta had yet to teach him to use.

George stood in the living room, his grin even broader when Karl handed him a full bottle of Northlands whiskey.

"What's this for?"

"Advance payment," Karl said. "I'm going to need your help for a little bit, more than I usually do. A lot more."

By the time Karl explained his plan to move Loretta and Gemma out to the Columns, they'd consumed several shots of the whiskey. And George was getting more incredulous by the second.

"Karl, I've heard of guys going to just about any length to get a steady supply of the fairer sex out