The interior of Rook Takes Pawnshop was not what I expected. It’s a big space and most of it is empty. There are a couple cases with jewelry in them and a lot more swords than I was expecting. Who’s pawning all these swords?
Milham walked back to an office that was ridiculously small compared to the size of the building. It was maybe 5 by 8. Maybe. He once again sat down in a battered leather chair and left me standing. There were boxes of junk, including more swords, stacked all along the walls making the room even smaller. I stood in the doorway because if I had actually gone into the room, our knees would have been touching.
I don’t love leaning in a doorway but at least you can keep your hands occupied fiddling against the doorframe.
He said that Eugenia and Cori had stopped by asking about the staff and left once he told them he didn’t know where it was. I asked where they went and he said that he sold them a bunch of guns, so probably they were going somewhere there was a bank to rob. Next came this exasperating exchange.
“Why did they think you knew where the staff was?”
“Because I told them I did.”
“Why did you say that if you didn’t?”
“Because I do.”
“Then why did you tell them you didn’t?”
“Because I didn’t want them to know.”
“Are you trying to piss me off?”
He grinned and I asked him if he was one of those people that enjoys being aggravating. He admitted that he doesn’t mind when a beautiful woman is mad at him. It doesn’t happen often, but I hate when people do that. I’m not an idiot. I know what I look like.
I let that pass and eventually he got to the point. A woman named Laura Wright has the staff and he didn’t tell The NVC about it because he didn’t think they’d ask for it nicely and “Laura doesn’t need to deal with those psychos.”
I said that since he was telling me about it, he must think that I would ask nice. He agreed that he thought I would. Then he said that it wouldn’t matter because I could probably find the staff without his help. He said that he could tell my magic ability was strong for searching. He also commented that bilocation was a rare ability.
I asked how he could tell all that just by looking at me and he said “My skills aren’t what they once were, and I was never the most powerful mage around, but I’ve always had a knack for assensing. You have some good protective wards but you don’t have any for concealing. You shine.”
Rocket Cat 