Jhereg - Chapters Fifteen and Sixteen

[kalinara]

So last time, Vlad thinks he's figured out Mellar's motivation, and apparently civil war is a feature rather than a bug. This is understandably a problem.



So Vlad's back at Castle Black. Apparently, he had Kragar go investigate his suspicions about Mellar's parentage. And Kragar was able to confirm: Mellar's dad was the assassin who'd set off the second Dragon-Jhereg war. (This was something Kragar had never heard of either, but with the chaos of the Interregnum, it's not that surprising.)

Vlad still has no idea what to do about it though.

He's also curious about something else: why did Mellar bother to bring bodyguards if he's not going to save his own life. Vlad realizes this probably isn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but he doesn't want to overlook anything.

We see the bodyguards through Vlad's eyes:

I moved as close to them as I figured was safe and looked at them. Yes, they were both fighters. They had that way of moving, of standing, that indicated physical power. Both were large men, with big, capable hands, and they were both skilled in observing a crowd without seeming to.

Vlad studies them for a while then makes to leave, only for Loiosh to warn him of incoming tough guy. And indeed:

I turned in time to see one of them coming up to me. I waited for him. He stopped about one foot in front of me, which is what I call “intimidation range.” I wasn’t intimidated. Well, maybe just a little. He didn’t waste any time with preliminaries.

“One warning, whiskers,” he said. “Don’t try it.”

“Try what?” I asked innocently, although I felt my heart drop a few inches. I ignored the insult; the last time I’d let the term bother me, I hadn’t had any. But the implications of the statement were, let us say, not pleasing.

“Anything,” was his answer. He looked at me for a few seconds more, then he turned and walked away.

Vlad puzzles it over and after a bit realizes that Mellar must be play-acting. He's figured out that Vlad is after him, but doesn't know how clued in Vlad actually is. It's still a pretty bad thing that Mellar knows where the threat is coming from though. And it makes it less likely that he can succeed by trickery.

Vlad makes contact with Aliera, asking if she'd mind a visit because he has some information that she won't want to hear. Aliera can hardly wait. As Vlad heads that way, he meets up with Morrolan, who beckons him into the library.

Morrolan has been pretty flat-footed for most of this book, but he's not an idiot. He's realizing that Vlad is planning to move on Mellar soon.

He began ticking off points. “Aliera is rather upset about this whole matter and doesn’t know quite what to do. You were acting the same way, as of yesterday. Today, I am informed that you have been, if I may put it so, snooping around Mellar. I see Aliera and she is just as pleased with life as you can imagine. Then I see you walking up the stairs, I assume to see my cousin, and you appear to know what you’re doing all of a sudden. Now, would you mind telling me exactly what it is you two are planning?”

I was silent for a while; then I said, slowly and carefully, “If I’m acting any different today than yesterday, it’s because we just solved the mystery—not the problem. I still don’t have any idea of what I’m going to do about it. I will say, however, that I have no intention of doing anything that will, in any way, compromise you, your oath, or your House. I believe I stated that yesterday, and I have no reason to change my mind. Is that sufficient?”

Morrolan accepts that. Vlad does clarify that he's not sure what Aliera has in mind and gets Morrolan to confirm that Mellar's bodyguards are sorcerers. And then he realizes why Mellar has the bodyguards at all: they're to ensure that Mellar isn't killed by a non-Jhereg (i.e. Aliera).

So Vlad goes to Aliera who is stroking a cat, that I THINK has some later series plot significance. But anyway, Vlad fills Aliera in on what's they've figured out. She's pretty upset about that and intends to get some of her own back, but, Vlad points out, that puts Morrolan in a rough situation. He'll be forced to kill her.

There's also the time factor. They've got maybe two days before all out war. Aliera notes that she might enjoy that (Vlad's response of a smile and "You might at that" shows us again how close this unlikely duo actually is), but it wouldn't be good for the House.

If Aliera kills Mellar, then there won't be a war. The only group humiliated will be the Dzur, but it means Morrolan and Aliera will have to fight to the death (or humiliation worse than death) which Vlad really wants to avoid too.

I appreciate that Vlad puts his friends' well-being on the same level of "Oh hell no" as a civil war. Sethra, we're told, has gone back to Dzur Mountain to prepare for war. And then, Vlad pulls the big card out:

“One final thing, Aliera,” I said.

Her eyes narrowed; I guess she picked up something from the tone of my voice. “And that is . . . ?”

“I still work for Morrolan. He pays me, and I therefore owe him a certain amount of loyalty. What you propose doing is in direct violation of his wishes. I won’t let you do it.”

And, just like that, even as I finished speaking, Pathfinder was in her hand, its point level with my chest. She measured me coolly with her eyes. “Do you think you can stop me, Jhereg?”

Pathfinder is a Great Weapon, a MORGANTI weapon. So Vlad's not really in a great position here. He remembers a similar confrontation with Morrolan (We'll see that in book 4, I think) and starts planning his own strike. Best he can do is a simultaneous death, and she'll be revivable. He won't. (And that's not getting into the issues with Morrolan...).

And that's when Vlad hits on an idea. Aliera has a Great Weapon. One that's irrevocably linked to her soul. And thus the chapter ends with a really cryptic gameplan: Aliera won't kill Mellar. Mellar will kill HER.

With this unenlightening statement, the chapter ends.

--

But you know, that was pretty short. Let's move onto the next, penultimate chapter.

So Vlad's got a plan now. Unfortunately, this means a lot of teleporting. He touches base with Kragar: the rumor mill is heating up. They won't be able to keep the heist quiet much longer, and the Demon's getting heavy handed with the secret keeping.

And Vlad's also on the clean up list. But there's hope that the Demon will back off if they handle the Mellar matter. More high stakes. Vlad has an idea though, so he gets Loiosh to summon Daymar, and wants to send a message to Kiera. And a others. It's time to confab.

Daymar arrives first, blithely barging through the teleport wards to scare everyone. Vlad brings up the question: is he good at casting illusions? Yes.

Vlad also psychically calls Cawti and Aliera, inviting them in. Aliera is a bit snarky about the office, saying that it "looks quite functional." They really do have a sibling vibe, despite their vast differences in age, power and race. She also tries to snark at Daymar, but the latter is cheerfully oblivious.

Cawti and Aliera greet each other warmly. They've become friends, per Vlad, partially due to a mutual friendship with Cawti's old partner, the Dragonlord Norathar. (Aliera had, we're told, been instrumental in getting Norathar's rank reinstated after disgrace. That's a story we'll hear in Yendi, book two of the series.)

Kiera appears and greets Aliera too. Fortunately, the women know each other. Also fortunately, they are also friends.

I appreciate that while all of these characters are being brought together because of their friendship with Vlad, they're not defined by that relationship solely. They have ties to each other that don't involve him at all.

So Vlad starts off with a speech. I'm not excerpting it, but it's suitably dramatic. The Dragaerans seem to like it. He lays out the various problems, namely the time limit and the unwillingness to compromise Morrolan's position as host of Castle Black. He demonstrates his solution by having Kragar draw his weapon at him. (We're noted that it's a lot heavier and longer than Vlad's, which makes some sense given their disparate sizes. Dragaerans are much taller than Easterners, and while they're known for willowy elvish builds, Vlad's described as fairly slight as well. Probably more halfling than dwarf, if we're talking fantasy races.)

They mime a fight, and Kragar does the usual Jhereg thing by miming the use of a hidden dagger. Vlad asks where he got it from: forearm sheath. He asks if there are any other places where Kragar might have chosen for that strike instead. One other. Cawti, another knife fighter, concurs.

So Vlad wants Kragar to get two Morganti daggers, sized for Mellar's particular armaments. And he wants Kiera, expert thief, to switch them for Mellar's weapons. (There's some really good analytical bits as the characters try to figure out if Mellar's likely to have a spring sheath, based on his fighting style, but I'm leaving them out. If you like characters analyzing things, as I do, you'll like it.) There's a fun bit where Kiera demonstrates.

So Aliera's tasked with using the same strike that Vlad used, while Cawti is asked to do a takedown of Mellar's bodyguard. She can kill him, fair game, because the bodyguard wasn't an invited guest. The catch is, they don't know which she'll target. It should be the one on the left.

Daymar is asked to throw an illusion at Vlad for five seconds. Then we fade to black, so to speak, as Vlad explains the plan. God damnit.

--

We skip ahead. Kragar likes the plan "up to the teleport". Apparently, that leaves Vlad in a really rough spot. I really do like how much these characters genuinely care about each other, even if they're kind of objectively terrible people.

We start getting an idea of what's happening though: it's going to be a hoax that freaks Mellar out into teleporting out of the Castle. Vlad's got to go after him, so that Mellar can't immediately teleport BACK to the safety of the Castle.

It's also cryptically noted that Aliera's position is genuinely pretty dangerous for her. Vlad's scheme SHOULD work. But if they're wrong, her soul might be at risk of destruction. She's willing though. She thinks she's got a good chance of surviving and with Morrolan's honor intact. Any other way would put both in a rotten position.

Kragar's still trying to figure out a way that he can go with Vlad, or someone else can, and it really is honestly sweet. But nope. There are more hints to what's happening: Vlad might be difficult to find afterward. Though if Aliera recovers, she can use Pathfinder. (Vlad doesn't say the "if" part out loud.)

Cawti is worried too, asking if there's a way to find him themselves. Vlad will appreciate the attempt, but doesn't think it will work. Cawti points out another problem: Vlad's not in this guy's league as a fighter. But Vlad fights Eastern-style and his intention is to strike VERY fast, before he realizes Vlad isn't who he's supposed to be.

OH, I see: Cawti takes out the left bodyguard so Vlad can slide in, Daymar's illusion will make him look like the right man just long enough to teleport away with Mellar, then, ideally, shank!

The plan intact, it's time to get ready. Loiosh doesn't like it because his role as "distraction" means he can't go along with Vlad. He doesn't like it. Neither does Vlad, but the chapter and planning ends here.