H'tor brought the big man around slowly, dabbing his face and the back
of his neck with a cool, damp cloth.

When Timone was well on his way to regaining consciousness H'tor quit
administering first aid and sat down in the high-backed chair across a
narrow table from where he'd secured the big guard.

When Timone came around he saw the dark-haired dragonrider spinning a
short baton on his fingers' ends.

He lunged, of course, and felt vice-like cables drawing tightly around
his ankles and wrists. However it was the thin rope around his neck that
really got his attention.

Timone forced himself to relax and felt the cables loosen.

"You might want to restrain yourself in the future Timone," the
dragonrider said abstractly as he studied the whirling baton. "My
loop-knots tighten whenever you pull against them. When you stop pulling
they'll relax a little, but not all the way." He set the baton down on
the table. "Eventually you can't relax enough to stop that one around
your throat from cutting off the blood to your brain."

The dragonrider smiled, strangely enough it was a kind smile.

"Do you understand the situation Timone?"

"Yes," he replied sullenly.

"Good," the man said, still smiling. "By the way, my name's H'tor. Now
Timone, do you want to get out of this alive?"

"Yes," Timone replied again. There wasn't anything else to say. Somehow
he knew this man wouldn't respond well to bluster.

"Very good," H'tor said. "You know when I first met you I wasn't too
impressed. But I think you've got real potential. Wounldn't you agree?"

"Yeah sure," Timone said. "Look dragonrider, what's this all about? Lord
Harkon will--"

"Don't speak to me of Lord Harkon!" H'tor shouted at him, his features
going from friendly to furious in the blink of an eye. "That waddling
barrel of pus would be nothing more than ashes if that IDIOT L'gan had
told me about the flamethrowers! What were you two thinking?"

"I don't know--"

"Stop it!" H'tor said. He was almost across the table now. He held up
the baton he'd been playing with moments before. "This is what I hit you
with Timone," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "With this end," he
said, spinning the baton to display a large egg-shaped ball wrapped in
leather. "As long as I don't hit someone too hard they'll wake up." He
smiled, there was no kindness in that smile. "With this end," he
continued, again spinning the baton to display another egg-shaped ball,
only this one was bare lead. "Well, no one wakes up after I hit them
with this end."

The dragonrider took a deep breath and sat back down. He set the the
baton back on the table and closed his eyes.

"Timone," he said after a moment. "You can't lie to me and you can't
intimidate me. The reason you're here is to answer my questions. Is that
perfectly clear?"

"Yes," Timone said immediately.

"Excellent," H'tor said. He studied the hapless guard. It was time for a
little misdirection.

"Now Timone," H'tor said. "How much did L'gan tell you about me?"

"L'gan didn't tell me anything about you," Timone said truthfully.

The dragonrider frowned, but happily for Timone it appeared
self-directed.

"Nothing?" he said after a moment. "But you were my contact...L'gan told
me to only take out Harkon and that woman of his and then after I let
him know I'd done it you were supposed to pay me..."

Timone started to get dizzy. Maybe it was the blow to the head or maybe
it was what this man was telling him. If L'gan had sent this psychopath
to wipe out Harkon and Megandra then tell him when it was done, then
L'gan would have had free rein to ... and with H'tor dead, as he most
certainly would have been at the hands of Harkon's guards if he'd landed
expecting to get paid, then no one would be the wiser ...

Timone's dizziness quickly developed into a pounding headache. He closed
his eyes in a vain effort to ease the pressure and when he opened them
again was not reassured by the dark gaze of the dragonrider.

"I think you'd better tell me where L'gan is Timone," H'tor said very
slowly. "I have to ask him one or two questions before I take him out to
the Wastes and bury him in a shallow grave."

"I don't--"

"You don't what Timone? You don't know? That's a lie and I warned you
about those didn't I?" H'tor's eyes narrowed. "You've been seen together
often enough to draw notice from half a dozen dragons. Don't you know
that they talk to each other constantly about the most trivial thing?
You were seen together tonight in the area of T'grat's chippy's
apartment during the mating flight." H'tor sighed. "I spent the day
being raked over hot coals by the Warrenlady and I'm in no mood to put
up with this. I saw what you geniuses did to that girl's apartment. I
know you've got her." H'tor leaned forward, "Now listen to me very
carefully, I DON'T CARE ABOUT HER TIMONE!" H'tor bellowed. "That little
weasel L'gan set me up to take a fall and he's going to die. Everyone
else better just step aside or thet're going down too. Do you understand
me?"

"I understand," Timone nodded, his mind had been working as quickly as
it could under the circumstances. He'd already written L'gan off. He
didn't doubt that eventually H'tor could track the kid down on his own
so why not salvage the situation?

"Listen H'tor," Timone said. "I had no idea you were a part of this. But
since you're already involved why not come out ahead?" He was encouraged
by the flicker of interest in the man's eyes. "Now listen, L'gan's got
that girl right? I'll let you have the kid and you can bury him, it
sounds like he was playing both of us off one another anyway, but I get
the girl okay? I can still make this pay for all of us, but I need her."

H'tor studied him for several long moments.

"One girl?" he said finally. "I've heard it said she's attractive but
what's the big deal? You need to bring a little more to the table if you
want me, and therefore yourself, to keep playing...let's start with who
is really behind all this effort, surely not either of you two
geniuses."

That's when Timone began to tell H'tor of Lady Magandra, their plans,
and their hold on L'gan. Finally, he told H'tor where L'gan was holed up
with Greta...

When he finished H'tor stood up. "Very well Timone," he said. "I'll go
'question' L'gan, take him out and check on the girl." He swept up the
baton. "You stay here, this won't take long."

"You're just going to leave me like this?"

H'tor paused, thought it over, then drew his serrated knife and cut the
rope around the man's neck.

"That should put your mind a little more at ease," he said. "Don't
struggle to much though or the one's around your wrist'll turn your
hands blue." With that he walked out through the open door, shutting it
behind him.

"I've got all I need to find the Rouge," he said to Naomi. H'tor ignored
Lord Harkon and the man's stone-faced guard captain. "You might have
some more questions for him though."

"I know I do," Lord Harkon growled and started for the door. He was
quickly followed by his man, Naomi and Meena. H'tor was left alone with
Naomi's brother.

S'ran didn't say anything H'tor for several seconds before coming to his
decision. When he spoke his voice was light.

"A very interesting performance H'tor," he said. "Naomi wanted me to
thank you for your efforts and tell you that she'd see to L'gan and
recovering Greta." He was lying blatantly but he figured it was for the
best. S'ran didn't want the tall dragonrider anywhere around when L'gan
was exposed and feeling desperate. "Also, since you know so much about
the situation, Lord Harkon may be embarrassed by your presence so stay
out of sight until he leaves Norwall. You may go."

H'tor studied S'ran for the briefest instant and then left without a
word.

***************

"Keep emphasizing, if possible, that you are both striving for the same
end and that your only difference is one of method and not of purpose."

How to Win Friends and Influence People -- Dale Carnegie

Submitted by Abe Barker < H'tor and Haroc >