blueberry yoghurt and fudge ripple
Story: Timeless { backstory | index }
Title: Dinner for Two
Rating: G/PG (language)
Challenge: Blueberry Yoghurt #18: negotiation, Fudge Ripple #12: temptation
Toppings/Extras: none
Wordcount: 727
Summary: Edward Ashdown and Horatio Newson dine together for the first time.
Notes: Just after Ashdown’s arrival in the future, same day as Jetlag. Also: Fudge Ripple now complete!
Ashdown was sat at the foot of a long white table with a large spread of food in front of him. It looked delicious, but he was still feeling a little queasy and the smell of it did not appeal to him in the least-nevertheless, for the sake of politeness, he allowed them to serve him a small amount. Somewhere behind him stood the stoic Isaac Prowse.
At the head of the table was Horatio Newson, leaning back in his seat and looking at him appraisingly. He was a swarthy but handsome man, although there was something shiny about his face that Ashdown found a little intimidating. Of course, he didn’t know much about plastic surgery.
“Well, Lord Ashdown,” he said, sounding very amused-although what at, Ashdown himself could not even begin to fathom. “So nice of you to join us at last.”
“I apologise for the delay,” Ashdown responded tartly. “I had what they called the jetlag.”
Newson guffawed.
“Yeah, nice one,” he said, and finally leaned forwards to eye him more obviously. Behind his seat, the grey-clad Miss Merritt stood, eyes disinterestedly fixed on some little metal block in her hand. Ashdown hadn’t a clue what it was or why she found it so fascinating. “How much do you know about why you’re here, Ashdown?”
“Lord Ashdown,” Ashdown corrected mildly. “From what my abductor told me, you require assistance in dealing with a pirate uprising.”
“I don’t really require it,” Newson said, frowning. “I just thought it’d be... interesting. Do you think you can help? Your nickname is ‘the Hangman’, you know.”
“Yes, I do,” Ashdown said, crinkling his nose daintily. “A little crass, isn’t it? I would much rather have preferred something like-...”
“Yeah, I don’t actually give a shit what nickname you’d prefer,” Newson said, growing sick of the pale, short man at the other end of his dining table almost immediately. He was smiling somewhat, but it was fading fast: smiling at a man like Edward Ashdown was hurting his face. “We have new equipment your ancient little brain couldn’t even imagine. And I have to admit, you do have a pretty impressive track record when it comes to pirate-killing.”
Ashdown’s eyes had narrowed at Newson’s words, but he soon decided on the best way to irritate Newson. He smiled a strange, indulgent smile and tilted his head to one side.
“I cannot help but notice, Mr Newson, how very educated you yourself seem in the face of my, what was it, ‘ancient little brain’. Your vast knowledge and semi-poetic language is enough to make me feel like a philistine. Nevertheless, you are being rather off-putting... yet I will give you another chance to explain this to me. Omne initium est difficile, after all.”
With a glare, Newson spat, “Thank you.”
“May I ask you why you think I would want to help you?”
“To rid the world of those scummy pirate shitbags, of course,” Newson said lightly. “And the amount of money it would save Nutriware Ltd is substantial.”
“Ah... money. The root of all evil, or so I’ve heard.” Ashdown sneered and idly ran his finger around the rim of a glass of water on the table in front of him. The food was cooling and neither of them had touched their plates. “Are you suggesting there will be payment?”
“If you desire it,” Newson replied, and arched an eyebrow. “And you seem the kind who enjoys a challenge, Lord Ashdown.”
”Quite,” Ashdown replied.
Somewhere behind Newson, Adele glanced up from her communicator and noticed that Ashdown’s aide Prowse was looking directly at her-a glare of open distrust, she realised. She narrowed her eyes spitefully in return.
“By the way, Lord Ashdown, this is not a partnership. You will be working for me.” Newson leaned forwards. “I hope you will be able to cope with that.”
“It isn’t a matter of being able to cope with it,” Ashdown replied slickly. “It’s whether you can enforce it.”
“Oh, I certainly can,” Newson smirked. “In ways you can’t imagine.”
“Very well,” Ashdown said, examining his fingernails. His head still felt full of fog, but he personally decided that he had done a rather good job undermining Newson-just a little, of course. Just enough to make his standpoint clear. His gaze flicked up to Newson’s face. “We shall see.”