The room where it happens? You've not actually assassinated your victim yet? o_O
The room where it happens "Time travel is beyond me, Sire," said Ernest. "Might I suggest that Dignity should be allowed to rest in peace, wherever she may be." The King looked sharply at Ernest. "You're aware that Dignity is a woman?" Ernest nodded. "In all honesty Sire it is another deduction. A lady of my acquaintance-" "Don't name her." "-- indeed, Sire. A lady of my acquaintance who I expected worked for you in some capacity, mostly from a certain absence of opinion in specific areas, left on a trip at around the same time as Dignity was despatched. Neither of them have since returned, from which position I dare to speculate." The King sipped his wine, and then set the glass on the table and pushed back his chair. He stood up; a tall, fair-haired man with a day's worth of stubble spattering his chin and cheeks. Green eyes met Ernest's and held his gaze briefly, then the King was pacing up and down the room. "I'm deeply glad you work for me, Derby," he said. "Dignity is a woman, yes, and it seems likely that even with our layers of allusion and discretion that you have correctly identified her. It should go without saying that I forbid you to speculate further on this with anyone other than myself, and that I am unlikely to confirm or deny your suppositions. That aside; no, she may not rest in peace. I have reasonable evidence that there are two Cluj demonologists in London, and one in Paris, and that they are pursuing political ends. Demonology is a weapon, Ernest, in some hands, and if we are to defend ourselves, we must understand the weapons we are confronted with. Consider, if you will, a primitive, say an Esquimaux, whose daily combat is with wolves, arctic foxes and walruses. He uses spears and knives; effective weapons that grant him defense, and enough offense to hunt to stay alive. Then he is confronted with a soldier from the Thirteen Colonies who is armed with a rifle. The rifle appears to be a stick of some kind to him, yet when it it turned on him it kills from a distance, possibly by making a loud noise. How does he defend against that? Surely this is magic! And this is our situation: someone must know what the demonologists know or the cost of beating them becomes unacceptably high. I will not throw lives away, Ernest, on the sake of a principle." Ernest was silent, thinking hard. The King sat down again, and pulled the wine glass back towards him, but held off drinking while he waited for Ernest to respond. Finally Ernest looked up again. "I understand," he said. "I accept you analogy, and I will locate Dignity to the best of my ability. But, my Lord --" The King lifted the glass to his lips, but did not drink, "-- I would request, on my return, an opportunity to continue your analogy to what I perceive as its logical conclusion." The King drank. "Granted," he said. "Not least because I'm now curious. However, it must wait. A car will take you to Whitehall, Derby, where you have my permission to review all the recent information regarding Cluj, and historical records regarding Dignity. Then Lord Thibeau will take you the room where it all happens, and set you on Dignity's path." Ernest nodded. "Good luck, Derby."
2 comments:
The room where it happens? You've not actually assassinated your victim yet? o_O
The room where it happens
"Time travel is beyond me, Sire," said Ernest. "Might I suggest that Dignity should be allowed to rest in peace, wherever she may be."
The King looked sharply at Ernest. "You're aware that Dignity is a woman?"
Ernest nodded. "In all honesty Sire it is another deduction. A lady of my acquaintance-"
"Don't name her."
"-- indeed, Sire. A lady of my acquaintance who I expected worked for you in some capacity, mostly from a certain absence of opinion in specific areas, left on a trip at around the same time as Dignity was despatched. Neither of them have since returned, from which position I dare to speculate."
The King sipped his wine, and then set the glass on the table and pushed back his chair. He stood up; a tall, fair-haired man with a day's worth of stubble spattering his chin and cheeks. Green eyes met Ernest's and held his gaze briefly, then the King was pacing up and down the room.
"I'm deeply glad you work for me, Derby," he said. "Dignity is a woman, yes, and it seems likely that even with our layers of allusion and discretion that you have correctly identified her. It should go without saying that I forbid you to speculate further on this with anyone other than myself, and that I am unlikely to confirm or deny your suppositions.
That aside; no, she may not rest in peace. I have reasonable evidence that there are two Cluj demonologists in London, and one in Paris, and that they are pursuing political ends. Demonology is a weapon, Ernest, in some hands, and if we are to defend ourselves, we must understand the weapons we are confronted with. Consider, if you will, a primitive, say an Esquimaux, whose daily combat is with wolves, arctic foxes and walruses. He uses spears and knives; effective weapons that grant him defense, and enough offense to hunt to stay alive. Then he is confronted with a soldier from the Thirteen Colonies who is armed with a rifle. The rifle appears to be a stick of some kind to him, yet when it it turned on him it kills from a distance, possibly by making a loud noise. How does he defend against that? Surely this is magic! And this is our situation: someone must know what the demonologists know or the cost of beating them becomes unacceptably high. I will not throw lives away, Ernest, on the sake of a principle."
Ernest was silent, thinking hard. The King sat down again, and pulled the wine glass back towards him, but held off drinking while he waited for Ernest to respond. Finally Ernest looked up again.
"I understand," he said. "I accept you analogy, and I will locate Dignity to the best of my ability. But, my Lord --" The King lifted the glass to his lips, but did not drink, "-- I would request, on my return, an opportunity to continue your analogy to what I perceive as its logical conclusion."
The King drank.
"Granted," he said. "Not least because I'm now curious. However, it must wait. A car will take you to Whitehall, Derby, where you have my permission to review all the recent information regarding Cluj, and historical records regarding Dignity. Then Lord Thibeau will take you the room where it all happens, and set you on Dignity's path."
Ernest nodded.
"Good luck, Derby."
Greg - come now, you know I'm never on time with anything :)
Ooh, the hunt is about to begin! Exciting times.
I'm still hugely enjoying this, by the way. Just in case I haven't made that clear :)
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