(no subject)

[stevenehrbar]

She smiled at him.  A very I-know-something-you-don't smile.  This irritated him.

"Look, cut that out or I'll have my boys take you in."  That ought to shut her up.

"Now, you really, really don't want to do that," said the Lilim.

"Oh?  Why in the world not?" growled the head of Haagenti's internal police.

"Because soul-death at the hands of your Prince is such an inglorious fate."  The smile became even more mocking.

"Perhaps you should fuckin' cut to the chase, before I decide to have it tortured outta you?"

She decided she'd had enough fun.  "Okay.  Haagenti has the Fangs, more than anything, to keep the other Princes from thinking he's weak, right?  And even if he were to find out that, say, the Fangs had been subverted to serve you, he'd not really be able to do anything, because the chaos caused by sweeping the Fangs clean would make him look weak, too, right?"

"I should start your torture right now for that besmirchment of my character," he said, then nodded slightly and waved his hand for her to continue.

"Trouble is, if some other Prince learned that the Fangs were subverted, and went public, it would make him look weak anyway—and even weaker if he didn't turn around and clean the Fangs out.  You—er, I mean, the guy who perverted the Fangs—would probably need the help of another Prince to avoid Haagenti's wrath, no?"

He grunted.  "And, say, it would be 'specially convenient if the guy went over to the Prince who knows, before the Prince makes it public, since the Prince would get more use outta the Fangs being secretly loyal to him than merely embarassing Haagenti?"

He had to give her credit, she faked the suprise at his suggestion remarkably well. 

Speculatively, she said, "Well, the Prince is a rather unsubtle figure; a public humiliation followed by a second humiliation when the traitor escapes Haagenti's maw would be more his style.  But, you know, I could present the Prince with the idea to consider.  He'd mostly be worried that you would burn him."

Canzonetta considered.  "Tell ya what.  In a coupla days, the H is going to pull something really big.  I'm sure it's no threat to your Boss," he lied (he wasn't about to admit Haagenti had managed to keep it secret from him), "but he'll be distracted, and I'm sure I can get away, make the presentation in person.  Ya dig?"

The Lilim smiled.  He'd not only walked into the trap, he'd got the timing perfect without having to be prodded.  Someone Down There must be smiling on her at this moment.  "Sure.  So, two days."

Canzonetta nodded.

The Lilim nodded.  "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have another deal to make."  She got up from the table, and headed out.  Now, if only that Malakite is as easy to convince.

Two days later, Canzonetta was confused when Belial showed suprise at his showing up to pitch a deal.  The confusion didn't last long; when the reports of a Hardcore-Glutton army reached the throne room, Belial torched Canzonetta on the assumption that Haagenti had sent him to cause trouble.

Haagenti, who had sent Canzonetta, merely regretted that the traitorous spy chief had been burned.  He'd planned to use Canzonetta to cleanse his palate after Belial.

Comments

[archangelbeth]

Hmmmm. This one could use a few more he-said, she-said markers -- it's good to be convoluted, but it's a little too convoluted in who's saying what to whom. I think you have some "person reacting to other person inside first person's paragraph," which adds to the confusion there.

However, once that's straightened out, I'm sure I'd giggle! O:>

[stevenehrbar.livejournal.com]

Revised.