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are not opposed to protecting criminals, since ours is not to question or care what our master does, all applicants must
meet certain protocols. The first mistake he made was contacting us without someone to recommend him."
"I'd imagine it only went downhill from there," Luther said.
Kasumi nodded. "Yes. While we occasionally permit such exceptions& he began to make demands, and try to tell us who
should protect him. We did not like that he knew so much, and further investigations led us to see he was an unsavory
character indeed. At the very same time we were considering Master Minoru's request for a protector. In the end, we
rejected Jun and told him never to trouble us again. I was contracted to Master Minoru, and have been with him ever since."
"Let me guess - you were the one Jun wanted protecting him. Why?"
"I was," Kasumi said.
"Yes, but why?" Luther pressed. "You're avoiding the question."
"I am one of the highest ranking bodyguards in the clan. Only two are above me, and even they concede it is more a matter
of experience. Until I erred and was kidnapped by you, I probably was the best. This, obviously, has demoted me."
Unbearable. It was bad enough he was not good enough to take the role which should have been his birthright& to fail now
at the only thing he was good at&
Luther rolled the map back up and stowed it. "You are not saying much of anything, are you?"
"You know more about me than I know about you," Kasumi snapped. "Do not think I'm so stupid I don't notice you extract
information without giving it."
"That's because I'm boring," Luther replied lightly. "There are dozens of me scattered about every coastline. Orphan
shunted about from home to home, workplace to workplace. I was working a ship when it was taken by pirates. As there was
no one who would pay a ransom for me, the Captain had intended to kill me. I persuaded him to give me a chance. I have
been a pirate ever since."
Kasumi said nothing.
"Told you it was boring," Luther replied. "Not even a scandal, me. I always wanted to be the runaway son of a Duke. That
makes for a much more interesting pirate's tale. Maybe a lost love for whom I still pine. A bit of tragedy would make for a
much grander story, don't you think?"
"I think you're an idiot," Kasumi replied. Honestly. The more time he spent with this man, the more he wondered how much
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AmaSour Fiction
of that bumbling scholar he'd portrayed had been mere artifice.
Luther laughed.
A knock at the door prevented Kasumi's next scathing remark, and he strode irritably across the cabin to open it. The cabin
boy entered bearing a heavily-laden tray, setting it down on the table before sketching a bow and vanishing - sneaking a
lingering glance at Kasumi.
"I suspect," Luther said with another chuckle, "that if you ask that boy for something, he will give it gladly. Though honestly, I
think you have the entire ship under some sort of spell."
Kasumi balled his hands into fists. "I cannot help my looks," he snarled. "I wish you would stop mocking me."
Luther quirked a brow and moved toward him, neatly catching the hands that came up to warn him off. "Mocking? Hardly.
Do you not understand just how breathtaking you are? If I believed in magic, I would believe your looks to be the result of
witchcraft indeed."
"They are," Kasumi snapped. "A little piece of family history I was unfortunately inflicted with, and I will thank you to stop
rubbing it in my face."
Damn it, he just wanted his mask. Angrily turning away, he sat down at the table and helped himself to the food and ale set
out, eating neatly and rapidly. Nearby Luther ate at a more leisurely pace, and Kasumi knew eating quickly was
unnecessary, but the habits of a lifetime made it impossible to slow down.
Finished, he shoved away from the table and prowled the cabin, ending up at the maps again. "What are these symbols?"
"Sea runes, they're called," Luther said, standing up and joining him. "The language was common years and years ago.
Wars change things, including language, but here on the sea some of the old language lingers." He pointed to the first mark
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