A Queen Among Crows: Book One of Empire's End

by M. S. Linsenmayer

  More crashes and crunches came from down the street.

  "No." I said, "But they can putt two under par."

  "Fore!" Julie yelled, drawing her sword, then leaped off the 40-foot drop, landing right in the middle of the startled criminals.

  I considered flaring my cape dramatically and leaping after her. Then I remembered I had no cape and wasn't a Knight, and went to look for a saner way down. Dame Julie would have to deal with all dozen men by herself. It was a terrible pity of course; she might get injured. She may even get a hangnail.

  #

  "Seven" I counted, after grabbing one man by the shoulders and bodily ramming him into the brick wall. He seemed staggered but not defeated, so I rammed him two more times for good measure.

  "Eight" Dame Julie replied, disarming another by the simple expedient of pulling his arms halfway out of their sockets. Even I had to take a moment to wince at that one. Did the woman do everything with extreme violence? At this rate I was beginning to fear she ate her morning waffles with a chainsaw.

  “Nein!” Barked the last criminal, as he pulled some badly made revolver out from under his coat, hands wobbling so badly I doubted he could hit the wall, much less either of us.

  He looked, realized all his friends were on the ground, either unconscious, bleeding, or both, and that neither of us was breathing that hard. We looked back. Some remaining moment of sanity touched his frontal lobe, and he took the better part of valor by screaming like a banshee and running away as fast as his legs could carry him.

  Dame Julie laughed, and I frantically threw myself in front of her, knocking both of us to the side.

  That woman was incredibly strong. And fast. If I hadn't a warning, I never could have stopped her.

  "What?" she growled in my face.

  "Let him go. My birds are following.... We want information, and for that, we need the master, not the thugs." I pushed her back.

  "Ah.... And what if there is no master?" she asked.

  "For this complex a setup, with bribed police men? There is a brain somewhere. And while our runner may not go there directly, he will have to report in somehow. Come, we should search this pharmacy.... does your brief as a knight of the empire allow you to acquire a warrant?"

  "Yes," she strode to the pharmacy loading door, and pulled back her leg "It is called my boot."

  With a thundering crescendo the metal loading door flew off its hinges into the dark pharmacy interior. I glanced around the edge.... " Do you think they know we are here?"

  "Of course, not" Dame Julie said, " I am a living legend for my subtle demeanor." She charged into the darkness, sword held high.

  I stayed back, concerned about making a target highlighted by the glow from the alley lamps. How did that woman live to be over a century, much less three? I understood the idea of taking life by the horns, but this was ridiculous.

  A few moments, and with no ensuing screams, flying entrails, or bullets, I considered it wise to enter. Dame Julie had turned on the lights, showing a fairly large cheap concrete built back room, many wooden crates, including ones just like what had been on the truck, and shelves of various glass bottles and pill boxes. A wooden door, now unbarred, led to what was probably the shop front.

  Of more importance to me, the back counter contained shelves of ledgers and manifests. Clues, as we call it in the amateur detective business. Now all I needed was an accountant that could read German. Also, some dry boots would be nice- that rooftop had been snowy- but mainly an accountant that could read German. Someday I would have to write an adventure story of my own, just to throw in the line ' Unleash the accountants of war!' in a proper cheesy fashion.

  "Heroin" Dame Julie said.

  "Pardon?" I replied.

  "They were smuggling Heroin. That's what the brown powder in the cases was, I believe. The Grand Duke will be pleased, he hates such drug use, as it renders the populace unfit for labor. But it is not the religious fanatics he was looking for; they would sooner light themselves on fire than touch such an evil. Literally."

  " The left hand often does not know what the right hand does" I replied "Someone gets medicine for the Skoptsy, and someone helped them get weapons and explosives.... we need to continue working our way up the ladder. Did you capture anyone?"

  "Just the idiots in the alley," she grunted “The ones in the store, they left, probably as soon as they heard the noise outside... This seems a lot of drugs just for this neighborhood. You said they got a shipment last night as well?"

  "I did indeed." I pointed to the dates written in the ledger, that much at least I could read " This I think was the distribution center, not the point of sale; the brought in the drugs here, from the river, then repackaged them and sent them by truck to other cities and towns, disguised as legitimate drug shipments. "

  "There are, " I continued, holding up my hand, one finger at a time " Three points of investigation from here: One, the amount of cash this place must have taken in means their banker was probably corrupt as well; and second we have those who fled and where or to whom they fled too. "

  "And third?" Dame Julie asked.

  "Hmm?"

  "You said, three points, Eryma"

  "Well yes." I thought for a moment " Tell me Julie.... If you were a crime lord engaged in things that could get you executed, would you put your warehouse right near the Grand Duke's personal estate?"

  "Well they may not have had a choice...." She drawled, hand on her chin.

  "And how did the Skoptsy get a car bomb past the Grand Duke's security? Or gunmen onto the roof across from his demonstration? And who has the most to gain if the Grand Duke went boom?"

  "Eryma" she stared at me " This needs more proof before we make any accusations."

  "Correct. Do you read German?" I handed her the ledger

  "Quite." She said, "Although this writing is terrible."

  "We just need the name of the bank, Julie, and the times and days of the cash deposits.... If I am correct, it will be the same clerk/ manager each time.... That is whom we need to find now. How much can you lift?"

  "About 670 KG, dead lift, why?"

  "Because when we find the clerk, we shall have to dangle him out a window I suspect."

  "Oooh" her eyes lit with an evil joy "Be very very quiet, we are hunting bankers."

  CHAPTER TEN

  Knight Watch

  Interlude:

  ....Today marks the worst example of man's cruelty to man in recorded history, the fiftieth anniversary of the destruction of Manhattan Island by the British Fleet during the siege of New Amsterdam.... Unable to pass the harbor fortifications, and spitting rage at how little effect his ships guns were having, British Admiral James Masters ordered his weapons to be loaded with phosphic gas and fired, not at the fortifications, but past them into the civilian city beyond.

  Into the most densely populated city on earth.

  To this date, no one knows the actual number of people who died that day. Estimates vary wildly between 250,000 and over one million. There are no remains to count, only ash, a cloud of black death over the burning city that could be seen almost sixty miles away. The fires remained burning for over three days.

  Admiral Masters later wrote he intended to 'burn an example the colonies would never forget'

  In that, he was quite correct.

  The day before, only the four colonies of the north east were in revolt.

  By the day after, every colony of the Americas- from Greenland to Argentina- was in revolt.

  WE WILL NEVER FORGET.

  (Radio Free Americas)

  The Bank was five stories, light tan brick, with clear glass shop windows beside the double doors on the first floor, and six arched doubles windows on the second, third, and fourth floor, with an almost Gothic crenelated roof and overhand above. The sign read "Mendelsschon, Bleichhroder, Berlin & Co, Bank fur handel und industrie, 1848”, while the top level was devoted to 'Imperial Russian Land Bank for Foreign Trade'. I knew all this b
ecause Julie and I had been standing across the street from it for well over an hour waiting for the damn thing to open.

  It was very cold- the rain had come back in the evening- and while the awning of the liqueur store provided some coverage it was not nearly enough. The pain of my side had settled to a nice constant burning metal throb. I was seriously considering simply exploding the building in some manner and telling the Grand Duke all the suspects had been killed in the blast.

  Alas, the Russians and Germans had taken all my dynamite. What was a modern woman to do without blasting powder? I felt naked, with not even so much as a grenade, what did they want next, my knickers?

  I glanced at the store window. Beer, wine.... Vodka. Lots of vodka. I can use a vodka.

  "Munch, munch, munch." Dame Julie munched.

  "I cannot believe," I said. "You took all that officer's pretzels"

  "Well," She answered " He won’t need them, since I broke all his teeth. The mustard is all gone, but there are still a poppy seed and an onion garlic left if you wish one."

  My stomach growled. I held out a hand, silently she handed me one.

  Mmm. Garlic and Onion. Well, at least it was not sausages.

  Dame Julie nudged me with her elbow, and gestured. Several people- three women and a man- had walked up the street to the front door of the Bank. The man was uniformed, the women dressed as maids. The bank was preparing to open. I finished my pretzel as fast as I could without looking like a complete hamster.

  "Eryma" Julie said.

  "Murph" I replied around my full cheeks.

  "We need to use a bit more delicacy then just hanging people out the window, I am afraid." She brushed the crumbs off the front of her great coat.

  "Does this have anything to do with the Russian Bank on the top floor?" I speculated.

  "Everything.... It is the main bank for international loans between The Empire and the rest of Europe. The Princess and Grand Duchess has been issuing a fair number of bonds of late, to help finance the construction of railways between Russia and greater Asia. She will not be pleased if we burn down the building."

  "Pity. Can I implode it?" I grinned.

  "No, you may not." Julie growled.

  "Ah, we still need one last point of information then." I held out my left arm with great drama.

  And waited.

  Nothing happened.

  So, I thrust out my arm again.

  More nothing happened.

  "Sigh." I sighed. "Hand me that last pretzel please."

  I thrust out my arm, one last time, and it had best be the last time, with the pretzel held in my palm. This time, with an oof, an unf, and another oof, Lois and two of her daughters landed on it, and began enjoying their pretzel.

  "I don't suppose" I said "That runner led you anyplace interesting"

  "Went to bar" Lois tried her best to sound less intelligent than normal "back room. Loud argument. Said 'the rat man'. Many times."

  "Der Rattenmann? " Julie glared at us.

  "Rat man! Rat man!" Lois hopped on my shoulder.

  "This means something to you?" I asked.

  "Possibly." She gritted her teeth "If I am correct, I will kill that worthless rat faced Levereter myself."

  "Should I know?" I hinted.

  "No, Eryma, you should not. I want evidence here. Let us enter the Bank, and ask questions.... " And with that she strode up to the doors, all military precision and angry boot heels. If the doors had brains, they would have fled in terror. Sadly, they only got slammed open with a noise like brass cannons.

  #

  The bank was clearly a business bank, and not one that dealt with the public; a plain smooth stone floor, with to the left side, a line of green felt desks each set up for one clerk to work at, with no chairs for customers, and to the right, a line of windows for deposits and such. As it was still quite early, only the first window was open, with a middle aged slender man in a clerk's uniform of white shirt, black vest, and elbow pads behind it. Which was interesting, as he was not among the people we had seen enter the bank when it got ready to open.

  Dame Julie marched straight up to him like some French juggernaut, and pulled a slim black leather wallet from under her great coat, shoving it almost through the poor man's face. At first, he flushed with anger, but then upon reading Julie's papers, quickly went to a nice panic, before settling on an eye darting cold sweat of desperation.

  Dame Julie barked at him in German. He whimpered back. More barking, more whimpering. Well enough of that.

  I sidled fore ward and asked our victim if he spoke any English.

  "Da, I mean yes, some, Fraulein" He looked at me like a savior. The poor, poor deluded fool.

  "Have you been here long today? We did not see you come in with the morning crew." I asked.

  "Yes, Fraulein. I am the night manager. I, and the night watchman, are here all night.... I double check the books." He stammered.

  "So, you are locked in all night? You did not see anything?"

  Dame Julie stared at me, wondering where I was going with this.

  "Da, Fraulein, we are locked in." He said.

  "So why are you damp?" I asked.

  "Cigarettes!" His eyes got even bigger somehow "I go to the roof to smoke"

  "Well then," I smiled " Why don't you call the watchmen, so we can lock up, you will open late today I think. I feel a strange need for one of these cigarettes."

  #

  The roof was flat and gray, and it did indeed have cigarette buttes. By now the night manager was also flat and gray, and the night watchman beside him could certainly use a cigarette butte. Or even an entire case. Hell, he was so nervous now he would probably lick an ashtray if one was provided. Of all of them, the only ones who looked not guilty were the cleaning girls.... They just looked confused, concerned, or entertained, depending on their age.

  Dame Julie stood behind them, right in front of the door, with her eyes darting from one to the next as if she intended to wring confessions by perception alone. Maybe she could, it was a vast world, and many kept the details of their powers private. It however was not a gift I had been given, so I just walked circles around the perimeter of the roof and said 'mumf' and 'hmm' a lot.

  The guard and the night manager both twanged every time I got close to the eastern edge. I stopped and looked at it in more detail, it was clean. I glared at the building across the alley from it.... Five stories, same as ours, built about the same time.... It should have been open for business by now, customers were already standing angrily in front of the bank we were standing on, but no one was in front of the other, and no signs or lights inside.

  "Mumf and Hmm" I said.

  I smiled at the night manager. He tried to smile back, some desperate hope in his eyes.

  "Oh Mr. Night manager," I called "come over here please."

  "Yes madam" he inched fore ward like a prisoner to the gallows.

  "What business is that one?" I pointed to the closed building.

  " Herr Schlitz and Sons, brewers. They closed some ten years ago. " He fidgeted. A lot.

  "And yet this is the very valuable land, right across the river from the castle, is it not?" I grinned. I could do a leopard impression too. When I wished.

  "Yes madam, I believe there are law suits involved" he squeaked.

  "Of course, of course.... So, no one will object if Dame Julie simply hops and skips over to that roof for a view?" I looked at her "It is a bit far a jump for me, my dear."

  "What" she asked "Do you think I will find?"

  "The bridge, I hope. Or a rope and ladder. Possibly just a few planks, but I think not. Hard to move crates of weapons and drugs with a plank."

  Her eyes widened. I pointed down, at the roof edge.

  "See how clean it is?" I asked.

  "Why yes" she looked around. "Much cleaner than the rest of the roof.... Like it has just been swept."

  "Indeed. Before you go, if we are to make arrests and not just beatings, is there anyone
at the castle I can send a bird too? We may need actual constables here, military or otherwise."

  "I think...." She hesitated, then pulled off her silver ring from her left hand "Send this to Captain Alessandro, and tell him to come quietly with a squad of men he trusts. If he were the traitor, he would have had ample time and chance to kill the Grand Duke at will for several years now."

  "Logical" I took the ring, before handing it to Lois.

  "Assuming that is " Julie smiled "If your birds can manage to speak such complex sentences" .... And with that she laughed her silver laugh, and taking only one step launched herself the fifty feet across the alley to the roof beyond.

  Show off.

  "She," Lois said "Is too smart for games. Stop flirting and start planning."

  And then she too launched herself into the air, leaving me ground bound and alone.

  Well except for the idiots, twiddle dumb night manager and twaddle dumber night watchman.

  I glared at them "Gentlemen, if you desire any mercy, do not make me chase after you. Sit.... Just sit.... and wait for the constables."

  Dame Julie whistled, and waved, then held up a wooden slat bridge in triumph.

  I waved back, and yelled for her to send it over.

  I then stood, waiting.

  And wondering.

  How does one kill a three-hundred-year-old living legend, anyway?

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Bank Shot

  Interlude:

  (Transcript of recording tape, found at Danvers Colonial Hospital)

  "Hello. Hello, yes. Timothy Woodrow, reporting, for the London Daily Globe, August 12th, 1905.... Today I am interviewing Dr. Humphrey Lathrop, chief physician for the asylum here at Arkham... Dr. Lathrop, what makes this prisoner, and her release, so important?"

  "We at the hospital prefer the term patient, but yes, this young lady here is none other than Eryma Soteira, the terrorist and so called 'queen of the crows'"

  "But.... But doctor, is it safe for her to be out of her special cell? I mean...."