Inoadar
Inoadar took note of the name. "Artur..." he said back, nodding with approval. Using the fellow's name would be a good starting tactic to develop exploitable trust. He listened to the man's short account of his stay at the KRI. Right away, he heard something he thought he might be able to put a negative spin on.
"Master?...Gyatt, you say?" he said with a puzzled tone, as though there was something odd about it. "You call him 'Master'. So HE is your owner then?"
He added a scowl to his perplexed look. "Not very smart of him to send you out here where there's such danger. Are you sure he's not trying to get rid of you?" A dramatic pause, as he acted as though some new realization came to him. "Or worse!"
He saw with satisfaction the beginnings of uncertainty in Artur's eyes. Inoadar was not going to play the part of some kindly fellow. He doubted Artur would believe him. But he thought it entirely possible he could drag Artur's estimation of this Gyatt fellow's benevolence down with him. It looked like the Kelvic was about to protest. He cut him off, knowing the Wildleash would make the Kelvic inclined to listen and not interrupt.
"Are you aware of how many deadly poisons there are out here? And how many look and smell very much like herbs that chefs make common use of?" He had no idea if Artur knew anything about cooking, but it was to his advantage that what he was saying was not really a lie.
Ghahinder was giving him a 'where are you going with this?' look, which Inoadar glared down at the same time which he held up a hand to stop another response from Artur. He actually moved closer to Artur, making like a concerned friend. "More importantly, are you aware that 'Lord' Gyatt is the head of a family of assassins that make use of poisons to do their work? Trust me on this. I know much of the skill myself. This is why they tried to recruit me..." then he leaned back, as with independent pride, "AND why they are now trying to kill me for refusing them."
Ghahinder now stifled a grin of understanding. Inoadar now twisted the truth with the truth. "Now, I'm not going to lie to you. I know about poisons. But I guess that's obvious in that I know of the type that disabled you. And I know quite a bit about herbs as well. I strongly believe that you're being used, probably as a means of killing me. It's only luck that I had Wildleash with me. Uhh, that's the name of the poison that does this too you."
Artur still looked doubtful, but he was listening, that much was sure. "Consider...It would not have been difficult for Gyatt to learn I was planning to come out here today. I hired my friend Ghahinder here as bodyguard, and Gyatt could have easily hired someone to sneak a peek at their client schedule. Then he sends YOU, knowing I'm looking for a Kelvic to help with my research. Kelvic blood is a component in many antidotes." He assumed that Artur new nothing about poisons and would like the thought that his part would be beneficial.
He slipped an anguished look across his hidden sneer. "Do you see? He knew you would feel threatened! He probably assumed you would attack before I could defend myself. He may very well have TOLD the doctors to mistreat you that way, so you'd be that much more likely to lose control and kill me outright!"
Now was time for a concession of some kind. "Now, I can see it was foolish of me to pursue you as I did. If you WERE to have turned and attacked, I could hardly have blamed you for it, knowing what I now know." It was important to word it as given fact. It was not as if he wanted a Kelvic slave. Ariella had been a willing assistant. He'd saved her life twice. She'd saved his once.
"Normally I just try to get blood from them and then let them go. But you might be safer coming with me until I can figure out what's going on. I could even give you a job at my shop. You'd be safe there, I could even pay you a wage! All I'd ask in return is some blood now and then."
He watched the man carefully. It would be the better part of a bell before he could act aggressively again, and he and Ghahinder could always snap the collar on him if he refused. The fact that they hadn't put it on him already might figure into the Kelvic's decision to cooperate or not.
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