The entire rest of the ceremony, I couldn’t stop staring at Damecus. When did he discover that Cathy was pregnant? Even when I was dragged up to the podium to shake hands with the duke… I still couldn’t stop thinking about it. I was completely baffled. Why didn’t he tell me sooner? We were together all of yesterday… and the for several days before that. He could have mentioned it at any point. I suppose he doesn’t often tender information unless necessary. But come on… that’s the kind of thing that you tell people… right?

  It felt like forever before we were able to leave. It is nice to be given some credit for what we did… but I hate being stood up in front of people like that. Especially in the centre of town.

  I briefly saw Asmodeus stood at the back of the crowd… still wearing his bloody helmet. Seriously… even after all of these years, he still refuses to take off his helmet… he wasn’t even anywhere near me… he was all the way at the other side of the square… just looking at me… in that fucking creepy way that he does. He is beyond unsettling. Then again… I did forget about his presence the second Damecus mentioned Cathy’s pregnancy.

  The second we were free to leave I ran over to Damecus.

  Dwynfel: “Cathy’s pregnant?”

  Damecus: “I believe so, yes.”

  His response was calm and casual. As if it was a perfectly normal thing to just mention.

  Dwynfel: “This is huge… why didn’t you mention it?”

  Damecus: “It is a recent development.”

  Dwynfel: “We’ve been together for the last week. You could have mentioned it at any time.”

  Damecus: “She is not far gone. I see no reason to announce it yet. Miscarriages are common during the early stages.”

  Well, that’s a disturbingly pragmatic way to think about things.

  Dwynfel: “Then why announce it at all?”

  Damecus: “There was an opportunity to guarantee the child’s future… as well as Verity’s.”

  Dwynfel: “Fair point… but still… hang on… if it is still the early stages, then how do you know.”

  Damecus: “Because she is well beyond her usual cycle.”

  Dwynfel: “You mean her period’s late… couldn’t various things cause that?”

  Damecus: “Technically yes… however… Cathy has always been incredibly regular… and when combined with the sickness that she has been experiencing recently… we believe that pregnancy is the likely cause.”

  Gods… do I ask? Should I ask? Will he take offense? No… he never takes offence at these kinds of questions.

  Dwynfel: “Umm… is… it… yours?”

  Damecus: “It is possible. There was consummation on the wedding night. It could also be Agaroth’s. I have not asked this question of Cathy, but I assume that their relationship has reached the point of sexual congress.”

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  Mother of Mercy… how is he not fazed by his stuff. He could be bringing his own child into the world… or potentially Agaroth’s. Does he not want to know for sure? I’d want to know. Then again… none of my kids are biologically related to me… which is a good thing… my gene pool is not a pleasant one.

  Chloe: “Oi!”

  Chloe came bounding over to us. Followed by a rather awkward looking Robert. She stood aggressively close to Damecus… with her chest thrust forward in a confrontational manner. I could hear her teeth grinding… which is always an unpleasant noise. Tadwick used to do it in his sleep and honestly… it goes right through me.

  Chloe: “First of all, congratulations on the pregnancy.”

  Damecus: “Appreciated.”

  Chloe: “A child is always a blessing.”

  Damecus: “Agreed.”

  Well, that was unexpectedly convivial.

  Chloe: “Second, don’t think I ain’t still pissed at you!”

  Dwynfel: “But Chloe. The duke said it was a success. All those slaves freed and opium seized. You said yourself about all of the missing persons you were looking for.”

  Chloe: “Exactly, and now everybody is writing off those missing persons as being sold into the slave trade. I haven’t accounted for anywhere near the number of people that have actually gone missing. Hardly any of them were found. But my resources for searching are being cut because everyone just assumes that they were involved with all of this shit. If you had listened and we had gone about things more carefully, then we could have taken these people down piece by piece.”

  I mean… surely the assumption that many of those missing persons were sold into the slave trade by these people is a reasonably logical assumption. I get why she’s pissed, but with no evidence to the contrary, I understand cutting her resources.

  Damecus: “They have been taken down, the methods are unimportant.”

  Chloe: “To you maybe. Somebody else will just fill the gap. Some underling with aspirations will sit in the seat and all that shit will continue.”

  Damecus: “And when they do, we kill them, and we kill everyone who proceeds to do so until these people learn.”

  Chloe: “Mass murder is not the solution. The network needed to be dismantled slowly and carefully!”

  Damecus: “Clearly that was not working. I stand by my actions. Now if you will excuse me, I must go to McNulty’s. My wife has a craving for pulled pork.”

  He turned his back and walked off. Robert stepped towards Chloe to try to encourage her to move on. But she stamped her foot off the ground and stormed off. Robert mouthed “sorry” to me before hotfooting it after Chloe.

  Smutisha: “She doesn’t seem best pleased, darling.”

  I was so focussed and Chloe that I hadn’t noticed Smutisha arrive.

  Smutisha: “They both have a point. Makes it difficult to take a side, doesn’t it. Best not think about it, darling. Otherwise, one’s head starts to hurt.”

  She certainly speaks the truth on that one. My head hurts on a regular basis. I wish I could shut my brain down.

  Dwynfel: “I just hate seeing my friends fight.”

  Smutisha: “Don’t we all, darling. Anyway, come with me. I have a favour to ask of you.”