The Haunted Way (Champions of the Crystal Book 5)

Chapter 9.2

Scotty took perverse pleasure in discovering that fidgeting bothered Malvarak as much as it did Tirqwin. Having been forced to discard his entire combat suit, he didn't feel like much of a threat with Malvarak's blaster trained on him, but Malvarak seemed to believe he might launch some brilliant counteroffensive at any moment. Scotty amused himself by coming up with ludicrous scenarios. Death by foot odor! he thought. Hey, I could strangle him with a sock—the fumes might knock him out first. Hm. Promising. I'd have to make up a better story for the history books, though. Some of his early exploits sounded pretty stupid reduced to text, he'd discovered. Still, at least he hadn't been nearly canonized like his sister.

"So," Scotty said after he got tired of kicking his feet together, "how did we meet?"

"I would have thought someone would have enlightened you about that, even if you can't remember for yourself," Malvarak replied.

"Sabrina and Tirqwin can't talk about you without fighting," Scotty replied. "Put a crimp in the educational process."

Malvarak smirked. "I can imagine."

"Reading the incident reports, I got the impression you were just a sore loser. But Mara said you treated her like a child, so she didn't think you were jealous of Tirqwin."

"But I am jealous of Tirqwin," Malvarak said, his smile sharpening. "He still has his Wayship. His little princess destroyed mine."

"Ah," Scotty said. "All this because of that? I mean, what did the rest of the galaxy do to you?"

"Stop pretending to be such a simpleton."

"No, honestly, I don't get it. I can see you wanting revenge on Mara, okay. It wasn't her fault, but we did keep you alive against your will afterward. None of it was Ford's fault, though. And the Reissians may not have figured out yet that they'll be the first against the wall, but I know how spoiled royal people with superpowers behave. What's your grudge against them?"

Malvarak's grey eyes glittered darkly. "You Earthers have a pithy way of putting it: misery loves company."

"Aren't there easier ways to be miserable than galactic conquest?"

"Yes, but not so satisfying."

"Huh. I guess that means you're not planning to let me go once you've lured Mara here."

"Not even you could be so gullible."

"I prefer 'relentlessly optimistic.'"

"I have always thought," Malvarak said, "that half the reason you and your sister have been so successful is that you are blind to the dangers surrounding you. You seem to just assume that things will turn out well for you in the end, even when such an assumption is nothing short of pure lunacy."

"Hey, Earth specializes in lunatics. Didn't you catch the Jerry Springer show while you were there?"

"Alas, no." Malvarak paused, then grinned. "Ah. I believe Her Majesty has finally deigned to join us." He moved behind Scotty's chair and pressed the blaster against his temple.

"If you shoot me," Scotty grumbled, "just make sure you get me on the first shot, okay?"

"Now, what fun would that be?"

"I hope you get brains in your eye."

Malvarak shifted his arm. "I'll be sure to aim downward."

"Bastard."

"At least I'm not about to be a dead one," Malvarak said cheerfully.

They both looked toward the door of the small room, hearing footsteps on the stairs just outside.
"Hey, Mara, you're late," Scotty called out.