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Message: <blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 4613078" data-attributes="member: 3285">Hidden Greed: Part 5b – Face OffKham sat down once again in Pallas’ abode.  Once again, he was served tea in a mismatched cup.“So, you saw it for your own eyes then?” Pallas asked eagerly. “What those damn lizards are capable of?”“Yes,” Kham said slowly.  He hadn’t touched his tea.  “I saw them.  I spoke with them.  Pallas, if there’s something you’re not telling me, it’s not too late for me to help you.”Pallas paused.  “What do you mean?”“I mean that the ss’ressen are saying you were leading negotiations for Saeber.  They kept asking for peace and you kept rebuffing them.”“That’s preposterous!” Pallas put down his tea.  “I expected better of you, Kham. The lizards are lying through their forked tongues and you, of all people, are buying into their deception?”Kham shook his head.  “I didn’t say I was.  But you don’t seem too concerned about keeping the peace here.  Milandir can’t afford another war, not after the Nierite invasion from Canceri.”“You don’t afford wars, Kham.  They happen because you run out of choices.  And I’m telling you right now, this whole idea that ss’ressen should be able to resettle in human lands was a mistake from the beginning.  The Duke’s a fool if he thought the Black Talon tribe would be peaceful.”  Pallas stood up and began pacing.  “You don’t know what I’ve seen, Kham. They’re murdering cannibals. I’ve watched lizards rip babies from wombs and eat them.  There’s no decency in those things…no shred of compassion.  I’m doing Milandir a favor by calling them on their lies now, rather than later when Ssethregore strikes and Altheria ends up flanked by lizards on both sides!”Kham looked sadly at his cousin.  “Look, I don’t trust the lizards either.  But I know one of them, and he tried to save a little boy…a HUMAN child.  That’s not the same monsters you’re talking about.  The ss’ressen aren’t all like that.”“Aren’t they?” Pallas’ features twisted with indignation.  “I didn’t figure you for a lizard-lover.”Kham sighed.  He was getting nowhere.  “Where are the eggs?”Pallas’ brow furrowed.  “What are you accusing me of?”“Look, I understand.  Altheria’s on the brink of war.  And sometimes we all have to make choices for the greater good.  But stealing another village’s children is not the answer.”Pallas barked a bitter laugh.  “Is that what you think I’m doing?  I’m kidnapping babies now?  Oh, those lizards have gotten to you, haven’t they?” He shook his head.  “How do you think we’re going to wage a war against these damn things?  With sticks and rocks?  Althares’ gift is black powder, but His will works in mysterious ways.”“I thought that’s why you were sent here?  To mine more phosphorous?”“We’re running out, Kham.” Pallas walked over to the fireplace. “The black powder’s running low.  And if we run out, we’ll be overrun by those things.  While you’ve been out touring the world, I’ve been waging a war.  And we do what it takes to procure more phosphorous.”A horrible thought crept over Kham.  “What do you mean?”“It’s in the eggs! The eggs have phosphorous in them! I’ve lost a lot of men running missions into the Kraldjur Morass.  But when I found out that there were ss’ressen here, I hired mercenaries to retrieve their eggs. And that’s exactly what they did, with a little help from Altherian ingenuity.”“That’s crazy,” said Kham.  “There can’t possibly be enough phosphorous in the eggs to risk…this.”“You don’t believe me?” Pallas pushed on one of the bricks in the fireplace.  A compartment slid open, revealing a clutch of ss’ressen eggs.  “Smell them!”Kham slowly rose to his feet and walked over.  Pallas picked up an egg with two hands and thrust it towards Kham.  “Here, smell it!  You’ll know what I say is true.”Kham took the egg.  He took a deep whiff. It reminded him of Emric. Pallas was manic behind him, eyes wide.  “You’ve fought them, Kham.  You’ve killed them.  They killed your father.  You know in your heart that this is the only way.  Sacrifices have to be made.  And this town is a small sacrifice to make. You, on the other hand…”There was the telltale sound of two Altherian flintlock pistols cocked at the back of Kham’s head.  He froze.“You’re a much bigger sacrifice than I anticipated.  I thought you, of all people, would understand. You and I, we’re a lot alike Kham.  We do what we must to survive.”“We’re not alike as you think, Pallas.” Kham placed the egg back in the fireplace and pressed the brick, concealing them again.  “I can see the future!”And suddenly, Vlad was standing where Kham stood, just in time to take the full force of two pistol blasts.</blockquote>

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