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Post by The Stranger on Aug 20, 2012 14:13:45 GMT -5
Finn sighed. He reasoned that there was no reason that Joss would have a prepositioned poisoned glass, and obviously the liquid itself had come from the same bottle Joss just drank.
He drank the Longmoss.
"Happy now?" he grumbled.
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Post by The Smith on Aug 20, 2012 14:20:44 GMT -5
"Not yet." Joss replied. Then he grabbed the bottle, and filled both of their glasses, and then he drank his down easy.
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Post by The Stranger on Aug 20, 2012 14:26:17 GMT -5
Finn was losing his patience. "I appreciate your thirst," he said, "But you're aware that someone tried to murder the King, and your father," he asked. "So tell me who I should speak with. Eleshia? Is that the right person?" He continued, dropping the name with less subtly than he would have preferred, but he felt there was a need to break through Joss' calculated indifference. He held the glass in his left hand but did not drink it.
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Post by The Smith on Aug 20, 2012 14:29:19 GMT -5
Joss smiled, and Finn knew he had scored a point, but the Hightower merely said, "Drink, and then we can talk." He refilled his own glass and watched the younger boy.
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Post by The Stranger on Aug 20, 2012 14:34:11 GMT -5
Finn wasn't having any of it, "With your tolerance, you'll still be fine and dandy and I'll be blacked-out in a few more of these," Finn replied, "Which is, let's be honest, what you are counting on, to avoid having to answer my questions. Now I will be glad to drink with you, and wench too, if you'd like, I know a good place, and it'll be my treat," he said, "But now is not a good time."
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Post by The Smith on Aug 20, 2012 14:42:46 GMT -5
Joss shrugged, "It is your choice man. I never make any one do anything." He smiled, and added, "Just that one, and one more and I will answer honestly any question you have."
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Post by The Stranger on Aug 20, 2012 14:47:17 GMT -5
"Look, I'd rather get the answer from you than Lord Mox," Finn replied sternly, "frankly you're a lot more fun. And If he gets involved, who knows what'll turn up..." Finn said suggestively, "should I run some of my names by him?"
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Post by The Smith on Aug 20, 2012 14:52:37 GMT -5
Joss thought a moment, and smiled, "Is that really your plan?"
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Post by The Stranger on Aug 20, 2012 14:57:01 GMT -5
Finn raised an eyebrow, "Look. You can help me, and I can do this cleanly and smoothly, or I can go stomping around and create a lot of problems for your friends, and everybody else. I'd prefer not to do things that way. But I will find out what I want to know, because that is how the Gods made me. I see a rabbit hole, and Others be damned, but I intend to go down it till I reach the bottom."
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Post by The Smith on Aug 20, 2012 15:05:08 GMT -5
Joss smiled, "We are much alike then. Do you think you are invulernable? You are asking me to betray the confidences of friends, and when I make requests you resort to threats. We are fast approaching a stalemate that I think will have dire consequences for the both of us."
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Post by The Stranger on Aug 20, 2012 15:11:41 GMT -5
"That's very unfortunate," Finn replied, rocking back on his heels, and smiling as well, "I think with a little more openness, andwe might be able to skirt these shoals. Shoals? is that right? I'm not good with maritime metaphors." He chuckled and took ever so small a sip from his Longmoss. "I'm happy to respect your confidences, as best I can, but that's difficult since at present I don't even know upon whose toes I'll be stepping. So if you'd please.. enlighten me, we can extricate ourselves from this impasse."
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Post by The Smith on Aug 20, 2012 15:15:06 GMT -5
"I would say you drinking that would crack the impasse." Joss said. "Finish that one, and then we can talk as friends."
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Post by The Stranger on Aug 20, 2012 15:15:59 GMT -5
Finn gulped the thing with a scowl on his face, "Why do you put such stock in alcohol?" He asked.
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Post by The Smith on Aug 20, 2012 15:18:52 GMT -5
"There is a truth in wine. I have seen it in great and small." Joss replied, and drank his own glass, "The whole world could do with a little more truth." He smiled, "Why are you investigating this tragic event?"
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Post by The Stranger on Aug 20, 2012 15:24:43 GMT -5
"I killed one of them... the archers." Finn replied. "Only because I am stupid, and Mariya goaded me into doing something brave. He was clinging to my arm, trying not to fall from the roof top, and I broke his fingers back, and he dropped. Stared right into my eyes while he did it. I watched him all the way to the bottom, and he watched me." Finn shuddered.
"So I'd like to know why he died. Or... I guess, why he came to be in the place where I killed him. I'd like to know who put him there, and why. And what it was all for. To murder the King? Maybe. To kill your father... maybe again. But I'd like to know."
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