A Tricky Deal (2) - 24

A Few Weeks Later:

"Ding-a-ling!"

Hearing the chime of my bookstore door being opened once again, I looked up to see a familiar figure walking in.

"Welcome back, Mr. Rietveld."

Hearing this, Kaz, the protagonist of this novel, looked at me in surprise for a second, but the look quickly disappeared, as he once again adopted the cold indifferent look that he was known for.

"I'm surprised that you somehow know my full name. I mean, I haven't told anyone alive in such a long time..."

"Consider it a special treatment I'm giving to you, and only you. After all, you are a very... fat customer."

"Oh, this is a privilege? Then, by all means, please use my real name."

After exchanging these words, we both smiled creepily at each other for a few seconds, trying to get out intents across, before everything became serious again and I asked hime this,

"So, which book would you like to borrow today, Mr. Rietveld?"

He flinched again once I used his real name, but he quickly brushed it off and said,

"Lost in the Abyss, please."

Hearing the "please" that he had neglected to use the last time he had been here, I smiled.

After all, I was pretty sure that he thought of me as someone with connections in high places, and that I was not just a measly information broker anymore in his mind.

"How much?"

"2,000 kruge."

"The information wanted?"

"Jurda parem, any and everything."

"Including information about the Ice Palace?"

"Yes, that too. Would I have to pay more?"

"You don't have to pay anything just yet, just answer a question for me afterwards and follow one of my requests."

Hearing this, he looked at me with an eye that studied my entire body, but I wasn't uncomfortable in the slightest.

"As long as the request isn't detrimental to me in any way and is reasonable for the amount of information you provide. You should know what that means, right?"

"Or course, Mr. Rietveld, I would never cross the boundary with my dear clients."

He nodded when he heard this, and then put all of his attention on what I was about to say next.

"So, first, Jurda Parem, the hottest new drug going around on the market. It's basically a drug that will heighten the abilities of a grisha to the max, which I'm sure you've already experienced, and also, it'll make it so that the grisha's life will depend on daily doses of it after the second dose. Also, any grisha that takes it more than once is destined to die a horrible death, as the drug will eat away at their lifespan, requiring more and more of it to satiate them after each subsequent dose."

"What do you mean by, "after the second dose"?" He interrupted.

"After the first dose, if a grisha's willpower is strong enough, and they aren't subjected to a second dose by another person, then they should be able to overcome the effects of the drug. As for what happens afterwards, you would need to pay more money as that information doesn't affect your current objectives. Only remember that a grisha can survive if they stop after the first dose."

"Alright, I'll keep that on hold for now, now, onto the information about the Ice Palace."

"First, let me get the information straight. You've been hired by a wealthy merchant to kidnap the son of the inventor of Jurda Parem, am I right?"

"Yes, the inventor is already dead and the son is the only one that knows the recipe. He is currently being held in the Ice Palace, the Drüskelle's stronghold in Fjerda."

"And you plan to take a team consisting of 6 people, Inej Ghafa, Nina Zenik, Wylen Van Eck, Matthias Helvar, Jesper Fahey, and yourself to steal this "treasure"?"

"Yes? How do you know this information?" He asked this question, but stayed silent after the next moment, as he knew that I would never disclose my means.

"Anyways, you plan on having Ms. Ghafa as the scout, Nina as the grisha, Mr. Van Eck as the demolitions expert, Mr. Helvar as the brute, Mr. Fahey as the sharpshooter and second grisha, whilst you yourself will be the planner and escapist, am I correct so far?"

"Yes..."

"Then your plan right now is entirely perfect. You will learn more about the Ice Palace once you get there, but it should all be passable, as your plans are already ever able to be changed."

"Okay..."

"Is there any other information you would like to know?"

"Yes, why did you..."

He suddenly cut off his question, as he just looked deep into my eyes with those abyssal eyes of his.

I mean, I already knew what his question was even without him having to speak it.

He has simply wanted to know why I called Nina by her first name, unlike the rest, but I had intentionally let it slip so that he could ponder over it and waste his time, so that he would be more susceptible to my request.

"Then, Mr. Curator, in your opinion, how many people will be alive by the end of this assignment?"

"Taking into the fact the backlash you would receive once you returned to Ketterdam, or just after your heist, meaning, those that make it back to the boat?"

"Both please, increase the payment as you see fit, as this opinion of yours would likely cost a lot."

I smiled as I heard this, knowing that, deep down, beneath his cold exterior, Kaz really did care about his crew members.

"Would you like the percentages for my estimates too?"

"Yes, that would be greatly appreciated."

"Then, there's a 100% chance that all 6 of you make it back to the boat after the heist, along with the "treasure", so, 7 of you. As for after everything has gone down in Ketterdam, there's a 100% chance of one of you dying, so back to 6, and there's a 40% chance of another "crow" dying, making your numbers 5."

"..."

He took a little while to absorb this information.

"How do you know that one of us will surely die?"

"I just know. I know this isn't a suitable response for you, but, if you could only trust me... And even if you don't, just remember, the more preparations that you make against one of your "crow's" inevitable death, only more will die. The 40% chance of the second person dying is only if you don't make preparations against one of your "crow's" death."

Hearing this, he knew all the hidden implications that I had given him, and he quickly thanked me.

"Will that be all now, Mr. Rietveld?"

"Yes, that will be all, so know, what is your request, Mr. Curator?"

"Let me into your team."

That was all I said, as I closely studied him, awaiting his reaction to me words.