Hi Everyone, First off, thanks for reading! Updates on the blog may be only once a week for the next bit. I have a lot of work on my plate and I'm hoping to have the rough draft complete in the upcoming months so I can begin with edits. Hope you enjoy!
-S
“I can’t do anything without an express order from Inspector Visconti.” Prospero didn’t sound pleased about it. “She’s the last officer still able to give orders in the Armoury.”
“There must be something, the chain of command is there so things don’t grind to a halt. We needed the SWAT and SMAT teams geared up two hours ago.” She knew she was unloading on Prospero, and she already knew his answer, but she couldn’t help it.
“I’m aware.”
“Then…”
“I don’t have the authority. There is still an officer able to give commands, even if she isn’t. We’re in the middle of a crisis, the only thing that will happen if I start handing out orders that I know won’t be followed is that I’ll be undermining my own limited authority.”
“I know, I know,” said Aleph massaging her eyes. “It’s just frustrating. Our window for being able to pull this out of the fire is closing.”
“Our hands are going to be burned,” said Prospero. “Now it’s just a question of how badly.”
She and Prospero were making their way past booking and up the wide flight of stairs to the inspector’s offices with Miranda, Sam, and Dimitri trailing behind them.
“What about Penhold? Is there anything new?”
“No. We can’t find anything wrong with him and none of the usual reagents show any sign of poisons, tricked or otherwise. It’s like he just fell over and went to sleep.”
She took a breath before she asked, “Have you spoken to Williams of the Black?”
“What reason would I have for doing so?” There was an edge to Prospero’s voice.
Aleph paused on the stairs and moved in close so only Prospero could hear. “Because if nobody is here to take charge soon, we might as well go ahead and slit the throats of everyone here ourselves.”
“We aren’t at that point yet, and he’s made his wishes on Panacea clear. He won’t have it.”
“Even if people die because of his decision? He has a responsibility to his people. Sometimes it means doing things he finds distasteful.”
“And we have a responsibility to uphold his wishes.” He turned away and continued up the stairs. “We have other paths open to us before we decide on that one. Inspector Visconti for one.”
Aleph flexed her black nails. “I’ll bring Visconti around. She’s not Penhold, but she’s a good officer, she just needs her backbone stiffened. In the meanwhile, if I could make a suggestion, it might be wise for you get everyone in a uniform back here as fast as you can.”
Prospero stopped on the landing and the others stopped with him. Aleph could tell what was coming. It was his turn to make unreasonable demands now.
“Sergeant Major, this is going to become tiresome if you insist on suggesting everything. Take charge. The staff respect you, they are familiar with you. We need experienced leaders, not professional suggesters.”
She did her best to keep her voice steady. “I’ll do what I can, but I can’t take on a position of command.”
“But if you would only…”
“No,” she said using the same tone of the last nail being struck into a coffin.”
Prospero searched her face her for a long beat with his empty glass lenses before her nodded in grudging agreement. “Your suggestion to get the members back here is a good one,” he said, “but let Aristarchus do it. He’ll have better results than if the order came from me.”
“Whatever you think is best. Knox has had two hours to bring his drones in from Vancouver. He isn’t going to wait for us to get our shit together. Whatever we do, we should do it quickly.”
“Agreed.”
Prospero turned to Miranda. “Please find Sergeant Dane for me as quickly as you can and bring him to me in my office.”
Miranda gave a quick nod and sped off back down the stairs. Aleph watched Sam’s eyes track Miranda as she left. Interesting.
Prospero began climbing the next flight of stairs and turned back to Aleph. “Sergeant Major, I know you are limited in what you are able to do, but would your followers be able to keep an eye on events in the city?” He was being more formal than usual, she must have really irritated him.
“It’ll spread us thin, but I think we can keep an eye on things.”
“Thank you,” he said gravely.
“Um, I’ve got a question,” Sam spoke up. “What’s going to happen when Nigel comes around? Won’t he just take over again?”
“The Assistant Commissioner won’t be with us for some time I’m afraid” Prospero answered, arriving at the top of the stairs. “On top of that blow to the head, his peanut allergy has mysteriously flared up. He’s swollen up from head to toe. They’ve had to put a breathing tube down his throat as a precautionary measure. Sadly, this means that when he does finally come around communication is likely to be difficult.”
“That’s so sad,” said Dimitri.
“Absolutely heartbreaking,” Aleph agreed.
“If only he knew Semaphore,” said Sam with a grin.
Prospero made a sound from his nose that was part leaky bellows and part harmonica. “We all hope that the Assistant Commissioner enjoys a speedy recovery.”
They moved down a long panelled hallway with thick carpet that smelled strongly of lemon wood polish. Prospero stopped at an unremarkable wooden door and made an ‘after you’ motion to Aleph.
“This is Inspector Viscount’s office?”
Prospero nodded and took a step back, putting his body out of any potential line of fire.
Aleph raised an eyebrow but followed his lead to stand on the opposite side of the doorjamb.
“I need to attend to the business below, will you be alright here, Ma’am?”
“I should be fine.”
Prospero nodded and began to make his way quickly back down the hallway.
Aleph turned back to her task and knocked gently on the door. “Inspector Visconti?” There was no reply.
“Inspector Visconti, can you please speak with me? It’s Sergeant Major Queen. We have a situation that you need to attend to.”
“Don’t come in here!” came the slightly muffled voice from the other side of the door. I’m armed.”
“Yes, I’ve heard. Inspector, we need to speak to you. We have a situation.”
“I’m not coming out!”
“I’m not sure how to put this gently, but at the moment you’re the highest-ranking member of the Duke’s Own in the Armoury. You need to take command until someone of higher rank arrives. It’s sort of important.”
“If I’m the highest rank, that means everyone above me has been killed. That’s not an argument you’re going to be able to use to convince me!”
“Nah, some of those other ones just up and fucked off,” Dimitri called out helpfully.
“Who the hell is that!?”
“Just some douche of a webmage from Erde that I regret ever bringing with me,” Aleph said, glaring at Dimitri.
Aleph turned back to the door. “Inspector, if I had time I’d walk you through this gently but we don’t. Here’s what’s important right now. You know who I am, you know what I am. Believe me when I tell you that if I had the slightest interest in harming you, this door would already be off of its hinges. Now, please let us in.”
“No, fuck off!”
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