Rinaldo Dagonius's page

"Now now, Lucio," Rinaldo said clapping the man on the shoulder, "there's no harm in listening to what another man needs to say. Besides, the Princess has plenty of guards. If folks get rowdy at a fancy place you show them out, simple as that."

"Given the chance though," he nodded reassuringly, "I reckon there's at least as many cool heads among the Zucks as there are in this here room."

"Princess," Baron Dagonius began, puffing his chest out as he tug on his lapels, "I like the way that dwarf thinks. Why I was just saying to my friends here that if you want a boy to become a man then you need to trust him with responsibilities! Now I'm not saying to go handing out keys to the treasury, but a man can be responsible for the well-being of his people, his teammates. Those Zuck boys have a fine warrior tradition, I reckon given the right motivation they'd make just fine soldiers."

"Extinction?" Rinaldo's eyebrow popped so high that his monocle took a tumble, dangling from his pocket by its cord. "Can't say I know what to think about such a notion..."

"Hrm." The middle-aged gentleman propped his elbow on the table as he looked out at the steam rising up from the boar's false entrails, that fist supporting his chin, the other resting on his hip. In a low, thoughtful tone, he murmured, "Be a mighty sad fate to be a hunter with no game left to trail..."

"Hmm," the husky gentleman ran two fingers back and forth along his jawline. "Not quite sure I'd put it like that, mind you. Don't think the Dafari were exactly what I'd call deep sea whalers you know."

Chuckling a bit, he winked at Angrem and continued, "My dear Carlina, a man passes on what he knows to his son so the boy can grow up to make a living for himself some day. Why I've gone on more than a few hunting and fishing trips in the back country to tell you that's as true among the tribes of the Zuktol as it is with stonemasons and shipwrights. Might not be as big a part of your business as mine, but even some of your livestock is raised for slaughter."

"Now, now," the whaling baron waved a finger, "hunting's a fine tradition and a way of life for some folks. Dressing a gazelle is one thing but a man has to be careful with a kill as big as a whale. That's a job for a whole team of men and they've all got a responsibility to one another, it's dangerous work, but work that's got to be done just the same!"

"Hoo boy!" Following Alis' speech, Rindaldo patted his forehead with a handkerchief. "That young lady certainly knows how to read a man the riot act!"

"Now call me crazy, but the way I see it, you want to teach a boy to be a man," he thumped the heel of his fist on the table, "you've got to give him responsibilities! Just no sense in one man doing all the work and giving hand-outs to another able-bodied lad. Too much charity is just coddling, it robs a man of his dignity."

"Haha!" The whaling baron followed suit and put his hands together in great earnest. Nodding to the dwarf, he said, "Hard not to admire a lady with a fiery spirit!"

"Well the Princess is pretty as a peach, and sure knows how to sing, I'll give her that. As for cats," he chuckled and winked at Amhranai, "trick is not to handle them without a glove!"

Rinaldo raised an eyebrow at the assertion. "Holistic is it? How do you figure?"

"You're right, there is no harm in admiring; however, what Iole does is much more than admire. And if the rumors are true, the only contact he has with his wife has nothing to do with love. Curious, the amount of make up Melianna uses. And the way she cringes when she hears his voice."

"Curious indeed," Rinaldo nodded thoughtful, "pretty girl like that and still so demure. Why do you reckon that is, Angrem?"

Lord Dagonius wagged a finger and replied, "Now now, at the end of the day it's a man's wife that he goes home to. There's no harm in admiring a pretty lady from a distance, wouldn't you agree, Angrem?"

"Ha ha!" The stocky whaling baron slapped his thigh and shook his head as he turned to Angrem and Carlina, "Why I do believe those boys have bitten off more than they can chew! Now then, my dear Carlina, why don't we keep that shy little elf friend of yours company, shall we? Poor thing looks as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs!"

"Hrmm..." the barrel-chested man mumbled to himself, still looking at his own palm as he tried to work out how the suave elf had managed that trick. "Yes, yes indeed. Mighty fine horses too if I do say so. Oh and I do believe you already met our good land baron, young Bonati. Why his father and I used to be great hunting partners, gods rest his soul, not had the chance yet with Iole, but I reckon he stays busy what with overseeing the plantation and all..."

"My, my, my," the stout gentleman commented, fanning his monocle in the air as if to cool it down, "beautiful dresses and lovely ladies... why it's like they were made for one another!"

There was a raucous outburst of laughter, deep from the belly, and a meaty hand clapped Iole on the shoulder just where Amhranai's nails had dug in mere moments before. "Now, now, my boy, looks like we both need to get out more. Allow me the honor of introducing you to the fiery and tenacious Miss Amhranai. Why she's a guest of the Princess herself what with helping to save the city and all!"

"Now then, how's that pretty young wife of yours? Should we be expecting any young Bonati's," he winked and nudged the younger man in the ribs, oblivious to the withering look Iole gave him as he lowered his voice, "or are you two still just practicing?"

"HA-HA!" Dagonius gave a loud whoop of approval and clapped Lord Gallo on the back hard enough to make the man nearly jump out of his skin. "Now that right there is a fine display of riding and an impressive bit of craftsmanship! Lucio, you ever ride one of Angrem's phaetons?"

The irritable noble gave him a look like he was mad. "No? Well you should buy one, we can race sometime — tell me all about those boilers if you can keep up."

"Anyhow," he turned towards the now empty carriage, "we were just about to head in so why don't you..."

As the hearty old whaling baron listened, his lower lip jutted out in approval, Lucio's condescending manner completely lost on him. At what he took for a compliment to the lovely Baroness, he nodded enthusiastically, his monocle popping free in the process. "Oh yes indeed! Why Miss Carlina could teach class to a stevedore sure as she can rear an ornery filly up into a fine mare!"

With wink he shook his eye-piece at the cloaked woman and confided in a lower tone, "Oh and don't you worry none about my wharfs getting burned up, ugly things needed a renovation anyhow."

Giving her a good-natured elbow, he stood up to his full height, fists on his hips and said, "Well now, why don't we all head on in and see what the good Governor's got cooking! My dear Carlina, might I have the honor?"

"Oh! Why that about gave me a start there!" With a laugh, the older man clapped a hand on his thigh. "For a moment, Carlina, I thought your servant had gotten the better of you what with making off like that and all."

Ahead of the carriage in which Amhranai and the Baroness now rode, a barrel-chested gentleman with tawny mutton-chops and greying hair had just exited his own burgundy phaeton. There, hands gripping the lapels of his high-collared jacket, the middle-aged man stood talking in boisterous tones with a somewhat younger man who wore a decidedly sour expression on his heavy-set face.

"...and that, my boy, is how I pulled five men out of that heap of burning rubble! Why any other man of my years would– Oh, I say! I do believe that my goodly neighbor has arrived!"