Tutor!
Is that all he was now? Tutor, scholar, instructor? A weak man of letters? Tutor! The way she said it, the poison she could lace it with... He paused in the shadows and permitted himself a smile. For all his talents, the effortless way that woman could cut so deeply...
He shook his head and leaned against the wall. Light streamed out of the windows of Giamento's, and debauched, raucus singing erupted from it. The least respectable establishment in the most disreputable and squalid corner of the city. For the second time Dante permitted himself a smile. Pain and death were as frequent as drunkenness and whoring in such areas.
He strode towards the open doorway of the tavern, rebuffing the advances of the girls haunting the entrance. In the past, a man such as he would have brought the tavern to silence by his mere presence. Now? Nobody so much as looked at him. Tutor! The stench of education must cling to his clothes. That was the only explanation.
He pushed his way to the bar, and signalled the tavern master. "Jose. Where is he." The tavern master raised an eyebrow. "Everyone is 'Jose' here." He spat on the floor and turned away. Dante dropped a coin on the bar. Despite the clamour, the tavern master spun round on hearing the coin clatter on the wooden surface. Dante smiled once more. Yes, still a good judge of character. Money would loosen this one's tongue faster than threats. "This particular Jose is an officer, just back from the campaigns."
The tavern master nodded. "Follow me señor. He's just been with one of the girls." They walked to the back of the tavern, through a door that led to the private rooms. At the first such room, the tavern master knocked. "Jose! Visitor."
A voice called back through the doorway. "Not my wife?"
"No - a refined gentleman of learning for you Jose."
The door cautiously swung open, and a haggard face appeared in the crack. "Don't know any gen'lmen - refined or anything. What you want?"
Dante turned to look at the tavern keeper. He didn't speak, but in quarter of a century of keeping order amongst drunks, you recognise the dangerous ones. The tavern keeper turned and walked away hurriedly. Dante smiled once more. This was becoming a habit.
"Sir, I am your son's tutor. Your wife has asked me to..."
"Little brat doesn't want for a tutor, he wants for a thrashing!" Jose spat on the ground. "Tutor! Learning! Look at you, gen'lman indeed. What can you teach that weakling! Pathetic, that's what your sort are, that brat and you, weak in body and in your heads. Go on back to my frigid wife and her bastard, tutor."
Dante's hand shot out and grabbed Jose by the throat. He glared at him, a growl beginning to build in his throat. He would take the insults from her, but not from this drunken wretch. Keeping firm grip of him, choking him, Danted pushed his way into the room. "You and I are going to have a little talk now about your son's future, sir. A future that does not, I am please to say, include you."
Dante smiled once more. He had a feeling that it was going to be a habit this evening.
Is that all he was now? Tutor, scholar, instructor? A weak man of letters? Tutor! The way she said it, the poison she could lace it with... He paused in the shadows and permitted himself a smile. For all his talents, the effortless way that woman could cut so deeply...
He shook his head and leaned against the wall. Light streamed out of the windows of Giamento's, and debauched, raucus singing erupted from it. The least respectable establishment in the most disreputable and squalid corner of the city. For the second time Dante permitted himself a smile. Pain and death were as frequent as drunkenness and whoring in such areas.
He strode towards the open doorway of the tavern, rebuffing the advances of the girls haunting the entrance. In the past, a man such as he would have brought the tavern to silence by his mere presence. Now? Nobody so much as looked at him. Tutor! The stench of education must cling to his clothes. That was the only explanation.
He pushed his way to the bar, and signalled the tavern master. "Jose. Where is he." The tavern master raised an eyebrow. "Everyone is 'Jose' here." He spat on the floor and turned away. Dante dropped a coin on the bar. Despite the clamour, the tavern master spun round on hearing the coin clatter on the wooden surface. Dante smiled once more. Yes, still a good judge of character. Money would loosen this one's tongue faster than threats. "This particular Jose is an officer, just back from the campaigns."
The tavern master nodded. "Follow me señor. He's just been with one of the girls." They walked to the back of the tavern, through a door that led to the private rooms. At the first such room, the tavern master knocked. "Jose! Visitor."
A voice called back through the doorway. "Not my wife?"
"No - a refined gentleman of learning for you Jose."
The door cautiously swung open, and a haggard face appeared in the crack. "Don't know any gen'lmen - refined or anything. What you want?"
Dante turned to look at the tavern keeper. He didn't speak, but in quarter of a century of keeping order amongst drunks, you recognise the dangerous ones. The tavern keeper turned and walked away hurriedly. Dante smiled once more. This was becoming a habit.
"Sir, I am your son's tutor. Your wife has asked me to..."
"Little brat doesn't want for a tutor, he wants for a thrashing!" Jose spat on the ground. "Tutor! Learning! Look at you, gen'lman indeed. What can you teach that weakling! Pathetic, that's what your sort are, that brat and you, weak in body and in your heads. Go on back to my frigid wife and her bastard, tutor."
Dante's hand shot out and grabbed Jose by the throat. He glared at him, a growl beginning to build in his throat. He would take the insults from her, but not from this drunken wretch. Keeping firm grip of him, choking him, Danted pushed his way into the room. "You and I are going to have a little talk now about your son's future, sir. A future that does not, I am please to say, include you."
Dante smiled once more. He had a feeling that it was going to be a habit this evening.
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