Spice & Wolf IX (DWT)

  “Imagine that you have been deceived and trust both. They might turn out to be true.”

  “..”

  The words of Eve, the wolf of the Roam river, were quite potent. Holo glared at him and swished her tail to show her displeasure. She couldn’t counterattack. It was rare that he had an advantage over her in a debate, and it made him feel better than when he was playing with the tailor’s apprentice. Defeat could reduce even a mighty eagle into a humble chicken. And victory could turn a timid mouse into a fierce wolf. But real wolves were born to be cunning.

  “That is not what I was talking about.”

  She spoke with a lonely expression, seeming a bit angry. Such debates were supposed to be battles of wits and controlling the mood. But Holo’s tactics were never fair. What was she getting at? Watching him as he pondered this, Holo flung the shutters out wider.

  Lawrence had uttered his troublesome line earlier in front of the window, saying that they had to prepare to run. She gazed out of the window, but her ears were still trained on him. She couldn’t even mutter “uh” under her breath to acknowledge a minor defeat. It was stupid of him to think of winning against her.

  “It would be nice if you treated the loser more kindly.”

  He decided to stand up and walk to her before making his appeal. When he sat next to her on the windowsill, she silently sat in his lap.

  “Winners have no time for losers.”

  “Sitting on me and saying that.. that isn’t horrible at all.”

  As she sat on him her ears brushed against his cheeks making them itch. Her arsenal of excuses was endless.

  “Well.. perhaps this time I might be able to place a little trust in you.”

  “In fact, merchants may have an admirable smile, but secretly they also stick out their tongues.”

  He felt the line was rather weak, but Holo was always tough with her replies.

  “Indeed, both beasts and humans will forget their tongues when they give up.”

  “Hmm.”

  He didn’t want to hand her this victory, but because he had no retort he just sighed and leaned his back against the window frame. She laughed and spoke.

  “No matter if it is you or I, we are not alone when we give up.”

  It was a powerful thing to say after a day like this. He gave her a gentle hug before replying.

  “I’ll remember that.”

  “Mhm.”

  She gave a slight nod as her tail gently wagged. The only sound during this quiet moment was the snoring of the boy who Holo had made drunk.

  Remembering that Holo was the Wisewolf was a good way to keep Lawrence from growing short-sighted, but the pros and cons of this had yet to be determined. But it did act as a counterweight to balance the scales.

  Holo seemed to be thinking the same thing as she smiled with her eyes closed. Lawrence bent his arms to hug her small body more tightly, but as he did-

  “Hmm.”

  “Wh-what is it?”

  As he struggled to remain calm, drops of cold sweat formed on his brow. Holo always enjoyed seeing those. Her smile widened and her tail wagged. She then slowly rose while swiveling her ears to and fro. He would soon realize why her face darkened.

  “You must sometimes attest to the accuracy of my sixth sense.”

  “What?”

  He instantly detected that she was talking about something else. They both turned to look out the window together.

  “Do you not see? What was the name of that poor shop owner?”

  “Reynolds, you mean?”

  Lawrence spotted a fat man in a tight coat crossing the road to their inn between the drunkards. The way he walked while trying to keep an eye on everyone was comically unnatural.

  “This is a good chance for you to prove your conviction.”

  Lawrence took no issue with the fact that it was Reynolds that had come. As she turned away, he spoke quietly into her ear.

  “Then feel free to listen in while you ‘sleep’.”

  She was acting like a child, but the malicious smile on her face made it obvious that she was happy from the very bottom of her heart.

  “You mean stick my tongue out?”

  It was her most-loved skill to hide several meanings in each sentence. Lawrence knew he would be trapped no matter how he answered, so he just brushed her tail aside impolitely.

  * * *

  Naturally, confidential information was only meant to be known by a few parties. But for one of those parties to arrive during the night showed just how confidential it was. This was very different from Keeman and Eve’s method of sending others to fetch Lawrence.

  “My apologies for calling on you so late.”

  Despite the cold, Reynold’s girth was such that he arrived not shivering but sweating.. either that or he was panicking. He spoke quite softly, but it wasn’t likely out of fear that he would disturb Holo and Cole’s slumber.

  “Shall we talk outside?”

  At Lawrence’s suggestion, Reynolds briefly looked back at the door, but soon turned back and shook his head. He was a proper city merchant; it was more for him dangerous to talk outside. Unlike for a traveling merchant, where confidential discussions were safer in fields than indoors, who knew what ears were listening in on the other side of the walls?

  “Wine?”

  Reynolds had accepted Lawrence’s offer of a seat, but when offered wine he shook his head at first. But he quickly changed his mind.

  “Well, maybe a little. At least you aren’t drunk.. I see I wasn’t wasting my time.”

  A traveling merchant’s room wasn’t luxurious enough to cater to a sudden guest. Lawrence poured some wine into the cup Cole had used earlier. Reynolds wore a sheepish smile.

  “It’s about the Narwhale, isn’t it?”

  Given that Reynolds came at this hour, it stood to reason that he felt Lawrence was already informed of the situation. He had already read Eve’s introductory letter, and anyone bearing such a letter should have no trouble learning of the situation in Gerube.. that much could be inferred.

  Lawrence didn’t bother asking how Reynolds learned of his address. Even Keeman, who lived on the other side of town, knew that already. To a city merchant, Lawrence was just another fly on the spider’s web. Lawrence sat down with these thoughts in his mind.

  Reynolds nodded, continuing to act subserviently.

  “I’m at a total loss. I was hoping that you, Mr. Lawrence, might have learned something.”

  Lawrence remembered hearing a drunken merchant say that women looked different in the sunlight and candlelight.. that was true enough, and it also applied to merchants. Reynolds was acting every bit like the trapped owner of a doomed little shop. But if that was true, he wouldn’t be here at such a late hour. Reynolds was hiding much between his words.

  “I’m sorry, I know no more than you do.”

  “You’ve been to the Lidon inn, haven’t you?”

  If he was already cutting to the chase, his time was probably limited.. although there was always the chance this was just the way he dealt with other merchants. Lawrence looked away slowly, then slowly turned back to face him.

  “The Lidon inn?”

  His ability to keep such a straight face and calm mind was probably a testament not just to himself, but also to Holo’s ability to fool others. The expression on Reynold’s face froze, probably shocked that Lawrence wasn’t betraying any embarrassment at such a lie.

  “Lying now won’t benefit either of us. I know you’ve been there.”

  Reynolds set his cup down and extended his palms to Lawrence. It was a common gesture for requesting honesty, but was meaningless between merchants. Lawrence was deep in thought. Reynolds knew he was sent to Eve, but not the purpose of his visit.. he could keep that much hidden.

  “Mr. Reynolds, I’m sure you won’t buy that I was just visiting a friend.”

  He sighed as if he was giving up. It was an act that even Holo, who could detect any lie, would have trouble spotti
ng. This was a world where half-truths were as dangerous as lies. Lawrence continued.

  “Ms. Eve informed me of the situation in town. Of course my response was: ’so in this suspicious situation, I am being called to a suspicious place by suspicious means’.”

  Lawrence heard the rustling of clothes on the bed. Holo had probably turned over, likely to hide the grin on her face.

  “She seems to be in quite an odd situation. Her face was calm despite clearly thinking over a number of things.. but in the end she didn’t feel it was worth sharing those with me.”

  “Really?”

  Reynold’s eyes opened wide as he responded. It was a far more fitting expression than his subservience.

  “Yes.”

  The more plain and direct he was, the more convincing it would be. Reynolds stared at him for a time before sighing and relaxing.

  “Forgive my impoliteness.”

  “That’s alright.. you’re clearly nervous. This matters that much to you?”

  Changing the tone of a conversation like this was a commonly-used trick, so even if Reynolds seemed more relaxed, Lawrence couldn’t drop his guard.

  “No, I’m actually nervous because I’m being totally left out of things.”

  He sighed and shifted his body on the chair. Lawrence recalled how the D’Jean Company was being exploited by the Gerube landlords. Sometimes a company like that might be helped, but more often than not they would be left out to dry as soon as things turned sour.

  When things took a turn for the worse, friendships crumbled. That was the just way things were. Merchants were commonly involved in life-threatening situations, so that harsh reality often bore down on them.

  Furthermore, Reynolds already had a bad reputation, conducting profitable business in the poorer north end of town, and without the capital necessary to gain support. It was obvious that when things got tough he would be left on his own.

  “And you should already know that much. But I still have a good relationship with the powerful figures in town.”

  It would have been better if he meant it to dress up his authority. But Reynold’s words were very important. He expected that Lawrence had learned much from Eve. Moreover, for the sake of the Narwhale, he was secretly visiting Lawrence this late at night. Lawrence was beginning to see Reynold’s thoughts.

  He figured Eve would be in an important position during this Narwhale mess, at least important enough to gather information about it. And indeed, earlier that day Eve had casually revealed many things to Lawrence that were proving to be true.

  “But I thought you were in the copper business, so why..”

  Reynolds smiled at Lawrence’s indirectness and scratched his nose. He stared off into the distance, whether he was scheming or at a complete loss. Lawrence sipped on some wine and waited for him to continue. He soon raised his head.

  “It’s the same as when you came to inquire about the wolf-god’s bones. I thought this incident could help me turn the tables.”

  He rubbed his smooth face. The smile he wore bore no guile, which was rather unusual for a merchant. It threw Lawrence off.. it wasn’t easy to take it at face value. D’Jean’s certainly was in a bind, and Reynolds wanted to escape the grasp of the northern landowners.

  “I came with a sliver of hope that I could get a connection with the ‘wolf of the Roam’.. but, haha.. it seems I’m only causing problems for you. I’m sorry.”

  He smiled pathetically and relaxed his face. Speechless, Lawrence could only smile along with him. A silence then followed, which Holo finally broke by grumbling in her sleep.

  “Ah.. it’s so late now. Sorry again.”

  Reynolds rose to his feet. It seemed his late visit could be explained as a last-ditch effort. He was afraid of being discovered, and could only ask someone who didn’t live in Gerube for help. Lawrence couldn’t help but feel bad for him.

  “No, I’m sorry that I can’t be of any help to you.”

  “And I’m sorry I can’t give you a proper answer for your problem.”

  They smiled at each other to lighten the mood, which became a bitter smile as silence swept over them once again. They finally shook hands.

  “If you see the wolf again, please tell her that Reynolds is complaining about her.”

  “Heh.. alright, got it.”

  Lawrence flashed him another smile.

  “Again, sorry for pestering you at this hour.”

  Reynolds made his final apology as Lawrence walked him to the door. He then walked away heavily, quite a contrast from how he had walked when he arrived. Lawrence politely said goodbye, which Reynolds returned with a chuckle before disappearing down the stairs.

  Even with the connections he had in the city, and his monopoly over the copper business (which could keep himself wealthy his entire life), watching his back was like watching an abandoned dog. The feeling of loneliness was palpable.

  Lawrence returned to his room, sighing and sitting back down on his chair. He sipped some more wine while replaying their conversation in his mind. He was feeling the weight of the entire situation bearing down on him once more. Even Reynolds, a merchant with a certain amount of power, was after the Narwhale. No, he wasn’t just after it.. he was desperate for it.

  * * *

  “Well, time for bed.”

  After whispering to himself, Lawrence blew out the candle and made his way to his bed. He shuffled his way past the bed with Holo and Cole and lay down in his own. Wrapping himself in his blanket, he sighed. His eyes weren’t yet accustomed to the dark, so he only barely noticed Holo’s open eyes.

  “It seems he has finally gone.”

  She seemed to disappear for a moment, probably because she looked away elsewhere. Lawrence closed his eyes.

  “Thanks for your hard work.”

  “It was good that you did not speak with me immediately.”

  She sat up in bed and replied cheerfully. As he had suspected, Reynolds had probably returned to spy on them and overhear Lawrence telling Holo and Cole to keep the truth hidden.

  “As expected, he is a tough one.”

  Lawrence smiled back.

  “Then I guess I did alright.”

  “Well.. he was acting so depressed that even I nearly fell for it. I did not think him so wily.”

  “A merchant has room for things both hot and cold in their wallet. Those may be his true feelings, even if he was acting far too discouraged.”

  “Merchants can be quite resilient, can they not?”

  “Indeed.”

  His smile widened as he continued.

  “That being said.. what do you figure his goal was?”

  He asked Holo despite knowing the answer, and got an immediate response.

  “He wishes to speak with that fox, and is doing everything he can to do so.”

  “As I thought..”

  “Then why did you ask?”

  She pushed herself off the bed with one hand to lean forward with a mischievous smile. She was also asking a question despite knowing the answer.

  “No real reason. I was just interested.”

  She smiled and wiggled her ears, obviously seeing through his façade. Merchant’s wallets really did have room for things both hot and cold. He groaned and stretched, placing his hands behind his head.

  His nervousness was why he was asking for her opinion, though he could only hide it behind a line like “I was just interested.” He knew he was an open book to her, but he was still a man.. he needed to save at least a little face.

  But she also took great delight in such things. She sat on her bed, smiling brightly. If he lost his composure now, she would be overjoyed. The only way to hide his nervousness was hiding it behind curiosity. She could easily crumble that mask with her paws, but it would be too terrible to destroy this atmosphere.

  “I’m going to sleep.”

  With that, he turned his back to Holo. If he was being too stupid, his back would feel it any second now. But all he heard was her tai
l rustling.

  “Good night.”

  She purposely made a noisy show of burying herself under her covers. It seemed she didn’t want to chew her toy to pieces. In that moment, Lawrence made his choice: he loved seeing her happy, so he would continue being a toy strong enough for her enjoyment.

  * * *

  Despite not being Holo, Lawrence had anticipated what happened the next morning. It happened just as Holo ate their largest piece of cheese with her rye bread (using the excuse of finishing up the leftovers from their river-journey).

  Even Cole smiled bitterly as she wolfed down the bread, until she suddenly withdrew her grin and put on a serious expression. At first Lawrence suspected she had bitten her tongue, but thankfully the truth was revealed before he ventured to ask.

  Their innkeeper, who should have been downstairs serving breakfast or tending to departing patrons, was paying them a visit. But if that was all then she would only have put on her robes, not signaled to him with her eyes as Cole opened the door. The innkeeper was with someone else.

  “Good morning, Mr. Lawrence.”

  It was a crisp, powerful voice with matching confidence. It belonged to Keeman, who was dressed like noblity.

  “..good morning.”

  By the time Lawrence replied, the innkeeper had already received a few silver coins from Keeman and curried away. It must have been an imposition on the innkeeper at this time, but Keeman acted as if it was nothing. He was showing off to Lawrence, although he made it seem quite natural.

  “Oh, you’re in the middle of breakfast. My apologies for calling on you so impolitely.”

  His tone didn’t match his words, it was as if he meant to say “you are but a traveling merchant, yet here you eat breakfast as though you were a noble.” Lawrence was aware that the residents of Gerube didn’t eat breakfast; they considered it unnatural to eat so early after waking up.

  “Not at all. We were almost done. How may I be of service?”

  There weren’t many reasons that Keeman would visit him after sending his letter. It was clear that since Lawrence hadn’t fled, he would be cooperative. As far as Keeman was concerned, this was an enemy lair and filled with temptations of betrayal, so it was obvious he had come to bring Lawrence to the south. He wasn’t at all polite as he surveyed the room. He replied like a child happily giving a smart answer.