by T D Raufson
Melissa patted Charles’ hand and answered.
“I’m the dragons’ selected ambassador, and I’m here to speak to those in charge so that we can set up friendly diplomatic relations.”
“So you consider those weird events a month ago and all the attacks on police and the military friendly diplomatic relations, do you? You think hiding dragons and magic, and who knows what else, is diplomacy?”
Charles started to respond, and Melissa squeezed his hand. She was going to take this on without any help, and that bothered Charles.
“I’ll assure you, there were no attacks on police by dragons. You know that or you wouldn’t be here. The only attack on the Military I am aware of was a dreadful mistake.”
“Excuse me? Those lizard men weren’t human. They looked like dragons to me. What were they if they aren’t dragons?”
Charles could see that the accusations were bothering Melissa who was not trained as an ambassador, and that Silas was a trained agent doing his job. Charles wanted to help her but had no idea how. Silas did have a point, although he was being rather hard about it.
“Would you consider yourself an expert on dragons Agent Loxley? Are you the foremost expert in this field? I happen to be an expert on dragons. It is my responsibility to help explain these differences to avoid the mistakes common to dragons and their lore. I can see how one could mistake a basilisk, for example, for a dragon, but not the lizard men as you call them. I’m here today to see that there are no more mistakes.”
“Well, let’s see. The scales, the forked tongues, the teeth, the real bad attitudes. Yeah, I can see how I made that mistake too.”
“So, you’re prejudiced by your own history, and you’re unable to accept that there may be a story other than the one widely accepted. If that’s the case, I’m inclined to accept Charles’ characterization of you as a useless, deceptive, unreliable lackey that is working only to draw a government pension. But, I don’t really know any other people who work for the CIA, and I’ve chosen to judge you based on the seasoned experience of my former-Marine friend and the last action movie I saw. Is this how you want this conversation to go? I can stereotype as well as you can, and there are far more skeletons in the human closet.”
Loxley smiled at her, and Charles sat back in his seat. The temperature dropped a little making his collar a little more comfortable.
“So, you don’t like it if I stereotype dragons. That means you believe in who you represent, at least a little. Why did they pick you? No one knows you. You came out of nowhere. Your family can be found easily enough and has some interesting connections in other countries, but no real hints of anything concerning dragons. In fact, you basically don’t exist, even though your family goes back to very old German stock. Who are you?”
“My grandmother was the previous ambassador. Now it’s my job. Does every ambassador you work with have a criminal record?”
“Your grandmother? She had an easy job then, and you should too, since there are no dragons.”
“I’ll assure you, there are. But, I don’t have to, you have already admitted to me that you know there are dragons. Why else would I be in this car driving all over Washington, D.C.?”
“So you admit those things that were attacking police were dragons.”
“Those two statements are not the same. Dragons exist. Those examples were not dragons.”
“What about the long Asian style dragon they killed in Africa?” He pulled a picture from his right breast pocket and held it out in front of her. She had seen the same picture the morning after they had emerged in Charles’ stack of papers.
She looked at the picture and smiled at Silas. “You know what my answer should be on this. You’re testing me to see if I’m for real. Everyone knows that’s no dragon. Anyone who can read a book knows that’s a basilisk, as I said before.”
“Semantics, he’s a dragon.”
“She, actually, and don’t let a real dragon hear you say that. They’d be very insulted. To insult a real dragon by comparing them to that abomination could get you killed.” Silas looked at the picture again as he pocketed it and nodded.
Charles looked away from Silas and stared at the back of the driver’s head through the partition to keep the agent from reading his joy at her handling of him.
“But, they’re related,” he continued.
“In a very awkward way.”
“In the same way they’re related to the mostly human ones?”
“Somewhat.”
“That’s like saying my sister’s kid isn’t related to me because his father’s Chinese.”
“With the basilisk, it’s more like saying your nephew is not related to you because his father is a dog. Basilisks normally take strong magic to create. They don’t occur naturally. I have no idea how this one would have come about.”
Silas’ eyebrows raised when she mentioned magic but he said nothing about it.
“But the mixed humans are cousins, right?”
“Ours and theirs,” she answered very carefully.
“So they’re half-breeds.”
“Most of them are far less than half. They’re more human than dragon.”
“Okay. So, why are you the ambassador to the dragons? Why did they pick you?”
“They didn’t pick me, the former ambassador did.”
“Your grandmother, who just died?”
“She was my grandmother and she recently passed, that is correct.”
“You’re an ambassador alright, never a straight answer.”
“Just like all the spooks I’ve ever known.” Charles could not avoid the jab, and everyone in the car seemed to accept the stability of universal distrust.
Silas pressed a button on a small console in the seat next to him, and the driver changed lanes and slowed to make a left turn.
“Where are we going now?” Charles asked, watching the driver and looking for signs he could see out the front window. He couldn’t tell where they were.
“We have to pick up our other passenger. She wanted to meet you at the airport, but I convinced her that it could send the wrong message and would cause her some trouble with her base. Dragons and magic don’t set well with the more conservative in her party. She is very excited to meet you, though.”
Melissa nodded. “I have very important news to share with her. Thank you for organizing this meeting.”
“Really, what is it?”
“I think you should save it for her,” Charles advised.
She smiled at him and shook her head. “I need to tell someone, in case the President is not interested in listening, and who better than her paranoid friend.”
Silas smiled at her and looked at Charles. “That’s right, let the lady talk. You keep interrupting her. I thought butlers were supposed to be silent and supportive.” He looked back at her and asked, “You really think I’m paranoid?”
“I think you’re paranoid,” Charles answered for her, “and I think you’re a nut-job spook who never grew up after the Cold War. I don’t trust you as far as you can throw me, and tonight I’m not a butler I’m her body guard—the pay is better.”
“Don’t you mean...no, I guess you don’t. Well, it doesn’t matter anyway. Hazard pay, I get that. If we weren’t on opposite teams right now, I could grow to like you. Anyway, I’m just glad you don’t have a vote in this. Tell me your ground-breaking news, Miss Schwendeman.”
The Escalade pulled to a stop before Melissa could continue, and the door opened. Sunlight filled the interior of the car, blinding everyone. When the flash blindness had cleared and the vehicle was moving again, a rather young looking woman Charles recognized as the President of The United States was sitting next to him on the only available seat. Beside the President was a quiet statue of a man. Years of training brought Charles to a seated attention. The President noticed the movement, waved her hand and smiled a disarming “at ease.”
Charles watched as Loxley and the President greeted each other. The
re was no physical contact, but there was no denying the familiarity.
“Anyway,” Loxley said. “You were saying, Miss Schwandeman?”
“Good afternoon Madame President, I am Melissa Helena Schwandeman, and I am here as a human representative of the dragons who have most recently returned from an extended exile. I was explaining to Agent Loxley,” she continued after glance at Charles, “there is a large faction of dragons who want to start a war with humans in retribution for allegedly trapping them over a millennium ago. A smaller faction believes a show of force will be enough to remind you where we belong in the world, but they are a losing minority. I want to assure you that neither stance is the formal position of the dragons. I can explain the problem, but I cannot change the fact that there is a risk I have been fighting to reduce. Yesterday we made a major step in ending the standoff, but it is too soon to say we have won.”
Charles watched the exchange between the President and Loxley as Melissa delivered her message. The President was not spooked or excited. She reacted with practiced caution in every action. Loxley affirmed what he could and shrugged at items he could not confirm. He was not afraid for Melissa to know what he felt.
“I see. I’m not sure how to react to this sudden notification that humankind is being judged for an alleged millennium-old slight to dragons. How could we even hope to defend against such an offense?”
Melissa continued, noting the President’s question. “If you will bear with me, I will explain. During their return, the dragons’ memories were affected somehow. Those who wish to avoid conflict are still trying to discover how they were trapped, and they are working against any plans to act rashly. If their memories were clear, the factions would not exist and there would be no threat. However, one individual among the dragons, Nethliast, had a strong following. We expect they are planning to take action. Although Nethliast has been dealt with, there are others who are more than willing to continue in his footsteps.”
“The dragons wanted you to share this with us?” Loxley asked.
“I am responsible for the relationship between human and dragon kind. I felt it was important for the relationship that I share this information.”
“Okay, semantics. Whatever. Until today you had no relationship with human kind. It looks like dragons have a problem. You thought sharing this with us would help our relationship?”
“In the spirit of cooperation, I felt I should make you aware of everything. I don’t want a war.”
“But this one dragon and his followers, they want war?”
She nodded.
“So, where is he so we can get him off the streets or out of the cave, so to speak?”
“As I said, we have dealt with him. He was in Germany. I expect that is the root of his plan, but I cannot be sure. He has supporters around the world. He’s the dragon who fought with the German aircraft which empowered him more because it proved humans indiscriminately attack dragons when they can. Germany is symbolic to him and will be the root of his plan, but his followers will likely touch every country when they act.”
“How does he have that much support? How was he funded? We need information about this.” The President was interested now.
“If any of this is even true,” Loxley countered and looked at Melissa with narrow eyes, “Do you offer any proof of this? How do you expect us to believe you?”
“I don’t,” she stated flatly. “In fact, I expect you to ignore what I’m saying completely. I’m surprised I was even allowed to speak to the President. Even that was a fluke, don’t you agree?”
The unflappable agent’s eyes narrowed but he didn’t speak.
“No, I expect the realization that my words are important will come when Nethliast’s followers complete his plan and attack. You will wonder how they did it. I’ll be pretty busy, much like I have been trying to stop them by then, so I’m not going to be available to talk.”
The President sat back in the seat and looked at the girl who was predicting the future. She was not convinced, but she was concerned.
The SUV stopped at the curb again.
“Silas, I think you need to get to the bottom of this. You need to define the threat.” With those last words to them, the President and her statue were gone as quickly as they had arrived.
“Busy woman, country to run.” Loxley smiled at both of them as the door closed and the vehicle pulled into traffic again. “I need more. How is, what did you call him—Nethliast—or his followers, going to accomplish it? What’s he planning?”
“I don’t know.”
The look on the agent’s face called her a liar.
“Really, I don’t. We think he was working with groups of half-breeds. That’s why they’ve stopped acting out. They have someone to follow. I’m afraid his absence will only strengthen their resolve.”
“You’re not helping me here. I need details.”
“I don’t have any. I came here to warn you. I’m trying to stop it from my side, but I’m not sure I can before it’s too late. You have more resources than I do.”
“Yeah, forewarned, forearmed, so to speak.”
The SUV stopped again.
“Thanks, if I have any questions, I know how to get in touch with you.”
Melissa’s eyes widened, and she sunk into the seat.
“Wait.” Charles put his hand out. “You can’t doubt her. I’ve seen Nethliast. He’s real. He’s serious. His plan and his followers are serious. This is not a hoax.”
“Thank you.”
The two agents were back at the door, waiting to hand them out of the SUV. The noise of the airport verified they were back where they started. Charles stepped out backward using his own body to block the agent at the door. The agent couldn’t stop the body check and stumbled backward. His partner stepped toward the door and Charles gave him a look that communicated his interest in slamming him into the window of the Escalade. The agent stepped back. They wouldn’t want a public conflict. Charles was counting on that.
Melissa stepped out and looked at the scene. She smiled at the discomfited agents and took Charles’ offered arm to walk into the terminal. When they were as clear of their agent followers as they could be, Charles whispered to her.
“You knew he wouldn’t believe you?”
“As soon as we got in the SUV.”
“How?”
“Something about him and puzzles, he doesn’t have all the pieces yet, but he’s collecting them. He won’t believe me until he finds corroboration. That will come too late.”
“Why didn’t you give them to him?”
“What?”
“The pieces he needs.”
“Like?”
“You could have told him that dragons can take human form.” Charles couldn’t help getting a little louder.
“I felt that was a secret I needed to keep to myself for now, and I don’t think those pieces will help him.”
Charles didn’t know what to say. She had asked for the meeting just to hold back key pieces of information.
“Charles, don’t look at me that way. If I told him, they would turn their search internal trying to find all dragons and seeing ghosts at every corner. It would be such a mess. It would limit my ability to move and act. They probably would have taken us both into custody to try to prove we were dragons. How would that help?”
Charles had to admit that her point was correct. He didn’t have to like it. There had to be a way to share what they needed to know without risking her. He stewed on that as they walked back to the plane where their adventure had started.
July 24 – About the same time – Dulles International Airport, Washington D.C.
“Listen, I did this as a favor because, when you try, you do good science, but we had an understanding. I told you, none of the elves and dwarves stuff. I’m even okay with all the Odin stuff, it makes the digs more interesting, but I can’t have you undermining the science of this dig with theories about fictional creatures. I’m going to have
to cut you loose, Aldrich. I hate it, but we had an understanding, and you broke it,” the tall blonde man with very large forearms and biceps for an archeologist had said to Aldrich six hours earlier.
They had both been standing on the site of a dig on the Southwestern shore of Lake Superior. Aldrich had been about a foot deep in the mud looking up from his four foot height into the towering face of his old friend, Olaf Sigurdsson. The scene had to remind Olaf’s friends of a father scolding his children even though Aldrich was a couple of years older than his friend.
“What have I done? I followed your rules.”
“Did you? Then why are the students asking me questions about that damned piece of wood you wear around your neck?”
Aldrich’s hand moved to his neck and the smoothly turned piece of wood with gold-leaf filled runes carved on it.
“They heard the stories and asked if I was wearing it. I always wear it, you know that, they know that. You can’t hold me responsible for that.”
“You’re as much of a pollutant to my sites as that piece of wood was.”
“You’re as wrong now as you were then. I can prove my position. All you and those other scientists can prove is that they are hiding behind unreliable texts written in a weak time in our development as a race. You know you can’t trust texts that came out of the dark ages. Show me how they align with texts before they were written.”
“Aldrich, we’re not arguing that again. Not here. We had a deal. You broke it. You know what that means.”
“I did not break our agreement.”
“They’re asking me questions about elves and dwarves. How did you not break our agreement?” Olaf’s anger nearly tipped him into the mud with Aldrich.
“Then there is hope for our future.”
“Get off my dig!” Olaf turned and plowed into his tent, where Aldrich would never go.
Now, sitting where Wodin had sent him when he had consulted the flight schedule, he rolled the two-inch dowel of polished wood on the end of a leather thong between his fingers. It had damned his career since that fateful day in Viborg when he had found it among a collection of broken implements at the foot of a posthole.