★
‘a bumbling idiot, safe. I like him very much. I think he might be a friend.’
may I have the hamstrings when you are done with them?You can have whatever you pick out of zhe body. I’m not a doctor. I don’t do dissections.
Good, lets just hope you leave them some what intact, and if you fail, I still get a chance to forage the carnage.
“Frankly? Yes. I doubt your ability. But I do not think I want anything further to do with you - boastful, arrogant, unmannered, ugly thing that you are. You may keep your little vial. I should rather not deal with you at all.”
She knew arrogance well, she wore it often enough herself. And the man reeked of it. He claimed entirely too much experience and knowledge for the uneducated rodent he was, and even if he could back some few of his claims - which alone was laughable - he did not strike her as capable of even the most cursory sort of teamwork. Quite who had taken pity on him long enough to hire him was something she’d have to look through his files for.
Sole supplier of pharmaceuticals to Mann Co? And holding down a role as a Demoman full time? Delusional, and not even worth the effort of providing a cautionary death to.
“good, I would have preferred it this way, I am glad you are easily persuaded.”
The insults were expected. he shut his blast box.
… perhaps he wasn’t nearly so bright or worth her while after all.“Team up? Hardly,” she sniffed. “I have skills I’m willing to bet you do not, and vice versa. I can extract and synthesise a perfectly delicious range of toxins, and you can get me the base materials. You get the stable, refined product in exchange, if that’s what you need, or something that my espionage arts can get that your brute force can’t. An occasional exchange of skills between professionals.”
From behind her glasses she looked the scruffy creature up and down. The rush of interest from the initial comparison of methologies had faded, and now she was starting to consider him rather more dispassionately. A man like that was an accessory at best.
“And if you cannot see the benefit in a business arrangement with a Spy and toxic artist, then I think I would be better rid of you anyway.”
“I can make the refined product, I supply mann co with all of their refined pharmaceuticals. Are you suggesting I cannot?”
Rasturn opened his blast box.
“from my stand point You have offered me nothing, words yes. Images of grandeur for yourself. I have no need for the skills of the spy, through my own choices, I leave no loose ends.”
He offered a lopsided smile that failed in being a smile.
“rid of me? pick your words better.”
He offered over a vial of translucent threads.
“I have no need for it, you may have it.”
Mercy was new, was that sarcasm, useless.
“what do you want?”
It was time to be blunt, snakes had been last quarter, this quarter had been jellies, the next one was looking good with some bugs.Well. How uncouth, not even bothering to be polite in his dismissal. She leaned back away from him, to the previous and more professional distance.
“I want your expertise. At my beck and call, if need be. You are not the only poisoner around here, and I think our knowledge could be quite complementary. It would of course be made worth your while.”
“what do I get out of it?”
She wasn’t making a very good case, poisoner sounded to much like prisoner. He ruffled demeanor, was she expecting him to be coaxed into working with her with that terrible offer?
“I’m not new to bargaining, words are fallible. I fail to see what is to be gained by teaming up with you. a single snake is not enough motivation for me.”
“When the opportunity arises yes.”
He didn’t like that look, he’d seen it before.
“the tentacle causes cardiac arrest, though he was practically gutted. If he didn’t die from that I’m sure he enjoyed being burned alive.”
Two cities away was a fresh empty lot from a recent demolitions, that the city got practically for free. No one questioned it, the procedues had been up to snuff, in fact the whole operation had been clean.“What a merciful fellow you are!” Perhaps it was inappropriate to laugh, but the whole scenario sounded most entertaining. She leaned forward just a little, taking care not to be over-familiar just yet. “Now, I understand that I might shortly be coming into possession of a very particular sort of cobra, with a remarkable cytotoxic venom. I don’t suppose that you might be interested in pursuing a line of study with me?”
Mercy was new, was that sarcasm, useless.
“what do you want?”
It was time to be blunt, snakes had been last quarter, this quater had been jellies, the next one was looking good with some bugs.
“then turn it into a gas, just keep heat away. unless you like fire.”
He smile reminded him of Emmerich, annoyed at that thought he closed his eyes slowly.
“perhaps, I once placed a carukia barnesi, tentacle in a pouch that dissolved in the visceral cavity of a man. Though I don’t stay for the screaming.”“Carukia… is that the little Australian beast? I’m surprised he could scream for long. Don’t the victims usually proceed straight to begging for death?”
She regarded the fellow a little more cautiously. Not just a chemist, then, but a connoisseur of most particular interests. A man worth keeping track of, for personal safety as much as hobbyist resources. But if he had access to the delicate box jellyfish, then what a resource he could be!
“Do you still indulge in such pursuits, perchance?”
“When the opportunity arises yes.”
He didn’t like that look, he’d seen it before.
“the tentacle causes cardiac arrest, though he was practically gutted. If he didn’t die from that I’m sure he enjoyed being burned alive.”
Two cities away was a fresh empty lot from a recent demolitions, that the city got practically for free. No one questioned it, the procedues had been up to snuff, in fact the whole operation had been clean.
