Arthur had to give it to Mel. She knew when to keep quiet, when to hold back. She did so, until they were back in the inn, when she let loose.
"Are you insane?" she snapped, waving a finger at Arthur. "You just offered a technique and the leadership of this floor to someone you barely know!"
"I know. I was there," Arthur said, unable to help himself sassing her.
"Then why would you do that?" Mel said. "Without asking me?"
"Didn't have time," Arthur said. "You might have noticed they were willing to throw down. Also, could you pull your finger out of my face?"
Mel growled but she slowly lowered her finger. "And going in there! I told you it was a bad idea. That you couldn't just negotiate your friends out."
"Except, I did, didn't I?" Then, before she blew up. "It was a little rougher than I expected, but no worst than talking to a group of grumpy dock workers who've been waiting two hours for their food."
"And what were you going to do, if they did decide to fight? Watch us die?"
"Maybe." Arthur smiled grimly. "If that's what it took to get my seniors out. And to teach them we aren't to be fucked with."
"So we're not as important as your seniors, are we?" A flicker of hurt, of pain as she stepped back. "I guess you're going to change one of them to be your second in command now? Maybe make one of them a bodyguard too?"
"No." Arthur stopped, noted how weak he had sounded and firmed his voice. "No. Nothing like that. I trust you guys too, but I can't leave them in their power." He shook his head. "If they knew - know - they're my seniors, you think they'd ever let them go? Willingly? They'd figure out how to draw them in further, keep them close. Make them a weapon.
"We had to wn. One way or the other."
"And the girl?" Mel said.
"She's smart. Strong. Able to keep cool. And we've got something she wants." Arthur said, noting her temper had cooled a little. He waved her to the bed, saw the glare she shot him and shrugged as he went over and flopped down. Not as though they had much space to talk in here. Mel moved to the opposite side, to lean against the table. "And we'll have someone to watch over her."
"Someone?" Wry twist of the lips. "You mean, someone you want me to find."
"If there's a Thorned Lotus here, yeah." He rubbed his face. "Preferably someone not from the previous floors, eh?"
Mel grimaced, rubbing at her side absently. She'd only arrived a day before, limping badly from a bad fall. She'd taken a little longer due to a bad fall on another platform like section, though hers at least hadn't meant immediate death if she fell. In the end, she'd been able to make it through, with a lot more stones than Arthur, but was still feeling the effects of her trip.
"You..." Mel shook her head. "If you're wrong..."
"I'm wrong." He opened his hands sideways. "What does she get? A movement technique in place of what she knows? Access to this floor perhaps?" He shrugged. "The Suey Tong are a gang, not a full triad. They break up and come together more, and leaving might have her with seperate loyalties, but that can work in our favour too."
"Why?"
"Because we can't keep fighting them. And they're strong on this floor, if you hadn't realised it." He grimaced. "So long as we don't get too deep in with them, we could use them to help protect our interest. Maybe even make overtures to settle things better." He paused, then added. "It's a risk, but we're moving too fast to build anything for sure. Everything's a risk."
"And what if they decide to slip their people in? Try to take over that way?"
"Then, they do. Better than them attacking our Clan on this floor, killing everyone and putting an end to our people before they can move ahead." He waved a hand around. "This is the perfect place to create a chokepoint."
"The polis..." Mel started, though even she sounded doubtful.
"Are useless. They'll stop them at the portal but outside?" Arthur shook his head. "Better to see if we can get them to work for us."
"So you try for the girl?"
"So I try for the girl and get her on my side, fully."
"We'll need someone we can trust to watch her. Send messages up." She considered. "Create a code."
"Should have one already."
"Yeah..."
Silence, then. Mel pushed upwards after a moment, staring directly at Arthur. "I don't like it. You should have asked, checked in with me. But I'll do my best to find you someone worthwhile. Just..."
"Yeah, we work with what we have." Arthur watched as she turned and headed out, speaking out just before she left. "Hey." When she turned around, he added. "I do trust you guys. And I'm grateful. For everything. Really."
She didn't turn around as she pulled the door open, only stopping as she was about to exit to add. "Then show it."
Then the door closed, leaving Arthur to stare at the blank door after she had gone.
***
When trouble came, it did so in droves. Later that night, Lam appeared, interrupting Arthur's latest cultivation session. Tired and grumpy and just wanting a few more hours alone, Arthur threw the door open forcefully.
"What?"
"Ms. Chin is waiting. We're ready," Lam Kor said. He stepped clear to allow Arthur to come out, only to blink as Arthur stepped inwards. "Eh?"
"Tell the others. We might as well move in tonight," Arthur said as he started packing up.
"I..."
"Go on." Arthur said, stomping a little on the floor. "This place is expensive. No reason to pay more." He hesitated, then added. "Also, I've been reminded that this place is a little more dangerous than I expected. And bodyguards would be good."
Lam disappeared soon after, knocking on doors as he searched for the group, figuring they were all located to one another. A pretty good estimation, outside of Mel whose own room was a floor upwards as well as Rick's. Not his problem. He'd figure it out soon enough.
In the meantime, Arthur threw his stuff together. Being on the move all the time meant that he had little enough to put together. After all, other than buying replacement straps and finding some new clothing, he'd lost little enough at the last platform run. A couple of replacement items, the extra set of clothing, some emergency rations and water bottles and a new bar of soap and toothbrush and toothpaste and he was good to go.
After that, he just had to help Lam find the rest of the group, ignore the grumbles for those woken up by the big man and leave notes for Rick and Mel, neither of which were in their rooms. He assumed they'd know where to find them anyway, even if he didn't have the notes, but better to be certain. Even if they all got a tiny sense of where the Clan building was, it wasn't as though it hurt to double-check.
Ten minutes and they were moving, and Arthur kept a close for trouble. His seniors were still stuck with the Suey Tong, staying in the rented out ramshackle room they'd rented until they were released. It worked for Arthur, since it'd give them a chance to suss out further recruits or potential problems. At least, he hoped.
"Cassie," Arthur greeted the woman as he arrived at the administrative building, the tiny square in front pretty empty. Considering it was close to evening, he was a little surprised by that, having expected a steady stream of returnees finishing up quests. Not really his problem, he guessed. Once she nodded back to him, he also turned to the side and nodded to her cousin. "Damian."
"You get one building. And not a good one," Damian said, not even bothering with formalities. "We talked, and there are two you can choose from."
"Two?" Arthur opened his mouth, then shut it with a click. He could tell the other man was trying to get a rise. "Show me and we'll get out of your hair."
"You won't because..."
"Damian." Cassie cut him off with a warning voice, stepping forwards. "I'll deal with it."
"You better." Then, pulling out a folded map, he showed it to Arthur, pointing to two locations. One in the north, one in the east, judging from the central teleportation platform and the maps own guide.
After that, assigning the building was a simple matter. Thankfully, the buildings were built up enough that the Tower considered them actual things they could be taken, unlike many of the ramshackle additions around. At some point, Arthur swore, he'd get around to upgrading all these places.
Sometime. Maybe the next Tower.
When it was done, Damian stomped out and left Cassie and Arthur alone - well, except for everyone else in the Administrative hall.
"So, I guess you guys got it sorted out?" Arthur said, though he had suspicions there was more to it than that.
"I did. But, well, there's something I have to talk to you about," Cassie said.
"Talk to me on the way," he said, with a resigned sigh. Sometimes, Arthur really hated that he was right all the time.
It was a damn burden, being so handsome and good.