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Yeah. It was sometimes easy to forget, since they were all so strong and proud, but he had a responsibility to them, too. They were his guests. They were his friends. And they’d all been through hell. The absolute last thing he wanted was to bring more problems their way.

He couldn’t be timid here. The play wasn’t to trick this guy into leaving. The play was to face him head on.

Terms. That was Caster’s question. What other terms did Hector have for him?

The biggest concern, at the moment, was this dude’s loyalty. He may have been with the Freemen Fellowship, but he was still part of Abolish. Going against Morgunov was obviously going to be an important point. So what could Hector ask for to help alleviate some of that concern?

“...I also want information on the Mad Demon,” said Hector. “Everything you know about him.”

“Ah. Everything, eh?”

“Is that a problem?”

“Not at all. But I have been in Abolish for quite a long time now. There is much to share. More than can be covered in a single conversation, certainly.”

“That’s fine. I want it all in writing, anyway.”

Caster snickered. “You want me to write a report for you? You truly are demanding.”

“And not just on Morgunov, either. Every piece of intel you can provide on any influential members of Abolish, I want.”

“Hmm. Quite greedy. Giving all of that away certainly won’t help the Fellowship’s already-strained relationship with the other sects.”

“I need proof that this alliance is the real deal. If you can’t provide genuine, actionable intel that compromises Abolish’s position, then I can’t be sure that this isn’t just some ploy.”

“Of course, of course. You want assurances. Very well. I shall begin drafting some dossiers for you. But this will take time, you understand. And I will want to consult with some other Freemen, first. Better to keep them in the loop. You are familiar with one, are you not? A Ravi Zaman?”

“I am.”

“Might you to be able to put me in touch with him?”

Hector cocked an eyebrow. “I can. But why do you need me to do that for you? Don’t you have your own channels you can go through?”

“I do, but I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting him. With you as our go-between, we will immediately gain a certain... understanding of one another.”

“I don’t know how high-ranking of a member he is within the Fellowship. He might not have much influence.”

Caster’s smile seemed to morph into a knowing one. “That will not be a problem.”