“Cooperation?” Lilliana repeated. “You can’t gas us so you want us to cooperate with you?”
“Actually, the Bastard doesn’t have a half bad idea, there,” Regan said. “Death traps on the honor system… I mean to say, it’s usually the bad ones who’re puttin’ the good ones in ‘em, like, so why shouldn’t they appeal to man’s better nature?”
“I hate to interrupt her highness the prince,” Fortunato said, “but I’ve gone through considerable trouble to bring you here…”
“By that, of course, he means that he took the trouble to fail at blowing us up, and that brought us here,” Leo said.
“It worked, didn’t it?” Fortunato asked. “I knew my Lilliana would discover the switched fuel bar, and I knew she’d suspect my involvement, and…”
“You knew nothing,” Lilliana said. “It was an unpredictable fluke that led us to find the bomb, and even getting rid of it damn near killed us. You can’t have counted on any of that happening.”
“Lilliana, my darling, if there’s anything that I can count on when things involve you, it’s things being unpredictable.”
“But knowing that things are going to be unpredictable in no way lets one guess exactly which unpredictable thing is going to happen,” Lilliana said. “That would be predictable.”
“‘Predictable’, ‘unpredictable’… aren’t they just two sides of the same coin? Like love and hate, in a way.”
“Yes, in the way that they are opposites meaning completely different things,” Lilliana said. “You went through considerable trouble to have us steal a painting, then have us blown up along with it.”
“Now why in space would I do that?” Fortunato asked, his voice low and smooth. “Why would I engage your services to acquire a priceless work of art only to destroy it? Why would I be stupid enough to keep betting on Roquelaire, of all people, against you?”
“Because nobody else is stupid enough to keep going up against me for you,” Lilliana said.
Fortunato laughed, long and hard, his voice echoing around the confines of the small room.
“Maybe he’s watchin’ somethin’ really funny on a screen, like,” Regan said.
“Oh, I’m sure he finds the show hilarious,” Lilliana said. “Because whether he engineered it or not, we’re stuck here.”
“That’s correct,” Fortunato said. “I’m glad you’ve grasped the essential nature of your situation.”
“Oh, I’ve grasped plenty,” Lilliana said. “For instance, I’ve grasped the fact that you’re not in control here… we can’t get out for the moment, but you can’t get to us, either. The Finger’s operations have grown quite a bit since the last time I was here. You’re not in charge anymore, are you?”
“A temporary state of affairs.”
“But while it lingers, your options are limited,” Lilliana said. “If the goons you paid off don’t win the current pissing contest, we’re out of here. Fifty-fifty odds.”
“And naturally if you lose you’re going to enact your cunning contingency plan to turn things back to your advantage,” Fortunato said. “Oh, wait, you don’t have one… you’re locked in a tiny little room. I must have been thinking of myself.”
“So you win no matter what?” Lilliana said. “I’d believe that if you hadn’t just asked for our cooperation.”
“You haven’t asked me what that’s about.”
“I don’t care,” Lilliana said.
“You should,” Fortunato said. “Because it’s the only sure way for us to both get what we want.”
“Let me guess, a suicide pact?” Leo asked.
« « 69: Emission Control 71: Story Time » »Note: I'm trying out a new comment system. It's new and subject to jiggerypokery. It's moderated. Detailed guidelines to come but follow the general rule: be excellent to each other.
If you enjoy reading, please consider a financial contribution.
« « 69: Emission Control 71: Story Time » »