The Piper's Debt - Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten
Chris and Kyros

Crispin pushed his way to the front of the crowd and focused his anger on Kyros. “You said we wouldn't harm them!”

Kyros turned his head to look at Crispin, his eyebrows raising a fraction in a gesture of surprise. “I did?”

“Yes, you did!”

“I don't recall any such words. I believe I said we might not but, if there happened to be reason to, then they would have to be involved.”

“You lied to me!”

“He does that often.” Crispin, Kyros, and the others who had remained to watch the new scene unfolding all turned their heads towards Chris. Crispin didn't know when she had stepped up next to him or how she could have gotten through the crowd that quickly, but there she was, standing beside him with her arms folded. By her feet was a rattlesnake, coiled with its head staring at Kyros' python and its rattle shaking. The python just lazed around its master's feet, completely unconcerned with the smaller reptile.

“Good morning, Christina.” Kyros smiled pleasantly at her. “It's so good to see your lovely face.”

“I saw what just happened with Ginger,” she said.

“We needed this room for some visitors,” he spread one arm wide to indicate the room the musician and his daughter were being settled into. “Ginger and Randall can have their fun elsewhere.”

“You won't interrupt them again for your own pleasure?” She spat out the last few words, her voice turning husky and almost matching the hiss that her snake added to punctuate her anger.

“Always for business, dear Christina. Now if you two will excuse me, I have some business right here that I must attend to.”

Kyros turned and entered the room. He almost had the door closer when Crispin jutted his arm in the way. The door crushed against him and he hissed out the pain as he squeezed the rest of himself inside. Only when he was almost entirely in did Kyros open the door to accommodate him. “Why did you hurt them?” he asked.

Kyros' eyes narrowed and he shut the door, but not before Chris had also found her way in. Crispin immediately felt the tension grow as he realized that he had just undermined Kyros' authority in front of the rest of the guild. It wasn't a huge infraction, but since it had been public he would need to be punished. He could only hope the punishment wouldn't be too hard.

“They are hardly harmed, Crispin,” Kyros answered. He stepped to the side so that Crispin could see them. The other men had placed the musician in a chair and were busily binding his arms and legs to it with ropes. The girl was also being bound, put it was with cloth and not to anything. Her small body was placed on the tiny bed that sat against one wall. The blankets were still in disarray, but instead of straightening them one of the men just bunched them all down at one end of the bed. “As you can see they are resting until they have time to answer a few questions.”

Crispin pointed at the musician. “There's blood all over his face!”

“Oh, yes.” Kyros glanced behind him as if he was just noticing this detail. “The poison didn't work very well on him. Don't you think that's strange?”

“You didn't kill the poor girl's father, did you?” Chris' voice sounded more angry than concerned.

“Of course I didn't, Christina,” Kyros said. “I would hardly need to have him bound if that was the case, though that is awfully motherly of you to think of that.”

Chris made a small growling noise then looked over at the girl. Crispin cast her a sympathetic glance though a part of him felt good at the reminder that he not the only one pushed around by Kyros. When he looked back towards Kyros he asked, “What do you plan to do to them?”

“That man is a Piper.” He gestured to the bound musician. “Isn't that interesting?”

Crispin didn't think it was, after all it was just the man's last name and profession, but Kyros seemed to think it was so he knew saying no was the wrong answer. It was also something Crispin already knew. Fortunately, Chris interjected with a neutral response. “Oh?”

“Yes,” Kyros said. He stepped around to stand behind the chair and rested his hands on the back of it. The musician was slumped forward, his bloodied head lolling forward since the ropes were the only thing holding him in place. “I believe a Piper would be a very useful addition to our guild, don't you?”

Chris snorted and Crispin thought that it was a very unladylike noise. “We already have some amateur musicians,” she said. “I don't think a professional one playing under duress will improve morale.”

Kyros smirked. “I'm not looking to improve morale. I want to know everything that a Piper can do and then have this one do it.”

“You're making no sense, Kyros.” Crispin was very glad that Chris said this and that he didn't.

“Am I the only one who pays attention to legends and stories?” His gray eyes flicked from Crispin to Chris then back. He sighed. “I am. Another reason why I must be the one to bear the burden of being a leader.”

Both Crispin and Chris thought it wise not to say anything to this.

“Piper's can control minds,” he went on. “Not just the minds of animals as we can do. They can control both rodents and people. If we could figure out how to bridge that gap think of the power we would have!”

Crispin didn't think Kyros needed that extra power. He was already drunk on what he had. Crispin also didn't think that the musician was the sort of man who would use that kind of power. He seemed more like the protective fatherly sort. “I don't think he'll tell you,” Crispin said.

“Won't he?” Kyros reached down to pull up the musician's head by his hair. “I think that once he sees his poor little daughter's predicament he'll change his mind rather fast, don't you?”

Crispin looked over at the girl. Musae. She was wearing a pink nightgown made out of what appeared to be silk. They had probably stolen her right out of her bed as she slept. What would she think when she woke up and saw all of this? “Can't you keep her sleeping through all this? And when you get what you want to know maybe you can just let them go home.”

“Keep her sleeping?” Kyros made a clicking sound with his tongue. “Come now, Crispin. You know that forcing her to inhale the poison for too long isn't safe, especially for one so little.”

“You could at least put her in another room so that she doesn't have to see what you're doing to her father,” Chris suggested.

“Dear Christina, you know how impractical that is. It is so very much more effective if we let them see the terror in each other's eyes. It will make things go much more quickly.”

“You're sick, Kyros.” Crispin wondered how much they slept together to prevent Kyros from growing angry at Chris saying such a thing. He figured it had to at least be several times a week.

“You've done things just as bad, Christina,” Kyros smiled at her. “Don't suddenly act like you're better now. The same goes for you, Crispin. Need I list each of your little transgressions?”

Both of them remained silent. The other men in the room grinned.

“Very good,” Kyros said. “Now, let's all remember why we do this. We fund shelters and take in poor lost children that no one else will help. We save those who broke the law only to provide nourishment for themselves or their families. If the government wasn't so bad than we wouldn't have to be. We're here to fix it. Isn't that right?”

Crispin found himself nodding. “Yes, sir,” he mumbled. It was the same speech once again. He was being selfish for thinking that he could be better than anyone else here. They were all doing the best they could, and yes, maybe Kyros' methods were questionable but they did produce results. What else could be done?

“You won't hurt the girl, Kyros,” Chris said.

“Of course not. I wouldn't dream of such a thing so long as he father cooperates.”

Chris frowned. “And if he doesn't?”

“Than I do just enough to make him change his mind. I wouldn't worry about it though. He panicked a great deal at just thinking that someone was in the room with her. He didn't even have to see a thing. He should crack very quickly.”

“And if he doesn't?” she asked.

“Then we will be here a very long time.”

“We already have too many little girls being held down here.”

Crispin blinked and turned his head to study Chris. She was still frowning at Kyros, her face a mask of disapproval. What other girl was she talking about? The underground took up most of the underneath of the city. There was always far more going on down there than any one person could be aware of, though it seemed that Kyros somehow managed.

“I'm sorry to hear about your reservations, but you know it is all for the greater good. The ends will justify the means.”

“They're children, Kyros.”

“If it bothers you so much than if this one must stay for very long you and Crispin here can take care of her. And he can help you with the other one if you wish, but you know why we must do this. Get off your high horse, Chris.”

His tone had hardened and he had used her shorter name. Even Crispin realized that this was significant. Chris' face hardened and after a pause of silence she jerked her head into a nod. “Yes, I know the reasons. I'll play along even though I don't like the path one bit.”

“That's a good girl. Crispin? Will you be a nice little boy?”

Crispin flushed. He didn't care if Kyros was older; he wasn't a little kid anymore. But that wasn't an argument to have at this moment. It probably wasn't an argument he should pursue at any time at all. “Yes, sir,” he answered. “I understand.”

“I doubt it. I'll probably need to remind you yet again within a day or so. You are so forgetful.” The musician suddenly groaned though he didn't open his eyes or move at all. Kyros stepped back from the chair and twisted down to look at his captive's face. “You see, dear, he certainly isn't dead yet. Everyone, clear the room. Except Crispin and Chris. Since they are so very worried they can stay and be of help.”

The other four men filed out of the room. Chris crossed the room and took a seat on the bed beside the girl. She reached one hand up to brush back the girl's hair in a very motherly gesture. Crispin remained exactly where he was, wishing that he could also leave and that he had just gone to sleep instead of looking for entertainment. He did not want to be here when Kyros began, though now it was too late to do anything else.