Chloë

by Marcus LaGrone

  “That is wonderfully helpful, ma’am, but we don’t want to impose on your hospitality any more than we already have,” replied Chloë diplomatically.

  Gillian just laughed and turned to Heather, “This is your cue girl.”

  Heather looked confused for a second and then finally caught on, blowing a raspberry. The three all laughed at that.

  “No worries, young lady, just dress up and do me the favor of staying safe,” replied Gillian.

  Chloë bobbed politely. “Thank you, ma’am.”

  Gillian departed, and the pair soon found new clothes to wear. Far more traditional attire, it somehow lacked the charm and perfect fit of the Highland clothes. Changed, and with their bundles repacked, they rejoined Gillian in the living room just as Trevor arrived himself.

  “Ah, a change of clothes. Good thinking, dear. Well…,” began Trevor with a mischievous grin, “the DSS wanted in, front and center, on this one. No bad thing—they are pros and this is their bailiwick. They just want to keep Llewellyn on the sidelines, if they can. He tends to make a mess of things. Trees and all.”

  Heather laughed. “Well, Dad does like the trees, doesn’t he?”

  Chloë was more than a bit confused about the tree comments, but that wasn’t her first concern. “They want to sideline Llewellyn? Is he not effective?”

  Trevor laughed. “Oh, he is incredibly effective. If he was down there, you would be one hundred percent safe and they would be either captured or killed, not a question. The concern is that he will make sure you are perfectly safe, even if that means a few buildings fall down and he trashes every piece of electrical equipment for a kilometer or so.”

  “I wouldn’t want them to wreck the city on my account!” blurted Chloë.

  “Precisely. That is why the DSS is going to take charge. Come about noon, they’ll have a gravsled come pick you two up and take you to shore. From there, it is high speed maglev across to the next canton and then normal monorail to the rendezvous point.”

  Chloë nodded. “So, um, we just go along with the ride?”

  “The DSS will feed you two information on what to do and expect when you get there, don’t worry.”

  “So now it’s hurry up and wait?” asked Chloë, deflated.

  “Well, we could go rummage through Gillian’s music collection while we wait,” offered Heather.

  “It’s large, I take it?” asked Chloë.

  “Massive,” grinned Gillian. “One of the advantages of being in the music business for so long. Come on, the den makes for a good listening room. And it has a pretty view.”

  Chloë beamed at Gillian. It was a welcome distraction indeed.

  17

  Noon came and things moved almost exactly as Trevor had outlined; the only deviation was that a repuslar airship greeted them and took them to the city train center rather than a simple gravsled. The high speed maglev was a joy to travel on; efficient and quiet, it blazed across five prefectures and two cantons in record time and complete comfort. They were traveling business class rather than first class, but even that was exceptional. They had a layover for several hours at the new city; it was going to take an hour to reach the initial rendezvous, but that wasn’t scheduled until late that night.

  As they crossed the lobby of the train station an older gentleman all but ran over Heather. He quickly apologized and went about his way.

  “Are you all right?” asked Chloë. “That was quite an accident there!”

  “Oh, it was no accident,” smirked Heather as she straightened herself out.

  “You mean that man deliberately ran into you? How rude!”

  “Nah,” grinned Heather as she motioned to a nice restaurant at the edge of the lobby. “Shall we eat?”

  “Eat? Um, sure, that place looks looks nice enough. Did Trevor give you money?”

  “Of course, that and things are in motion,” she replied with a cryptic grin. “Come on, food. And no one expects you to help with the dishes there.”

  Chloë laughed, “Was I that bad helping back at your home?”

  “Nah. Well, not once we put you on towel duty and not in the sink!”

  “I am so terribly sorry about that,” offered Chloë sincerely.

  Heather blew a raspberry over her shoulder at Chloë as she approached the receptionist, “Table for two, please.”

  “Under what name would we find the reservation?” came the snooty response.

  “Um… ,” began Chloë.

  “Heather. Heather Reinhold.”

  “Ah, very good, young lady. Your table is in the overlook by the waterfall. Is that acceptable?” came the suddenly less snooty response.

  “Yes, that would be lovely. Thank you.”

  “This way, please.” The receptionist led the pair of girls deep into the very ritzy restaurant and up a large set of glass stairs to a very secluded corner that was lined with plants on all sides with a large large glass window which revealed to be the underside of a decorative waterfall. He helped them with their chairs and then departed.

  “Heather Reinhold?” asked Chloë. “Where did that come from?”

  “Trevor, of course. But that isn’t the fun part.” Heather grinned as she pulled a small data pad out of her pocket. “The guy that almost ran me down? Reverse pick pocket.” She fired up the small device and provided a paw print for ID. It quickly responded, and Heather read it to herself before summarizing to Chloë. “We pick up a case at the lockers at the next stop. It has a half of a million in cash in it. We use that to buy proof of life.”

  “Um, so that older man was from the DSS?” Chloë laughed. “It’s like a spy novel!”

  Heather grinned broadly. “So, does that finally start to make it more fun and less scary?”

  Chloë giggled. “A little bit, I guess. So, then what?”

  “We eat! I thought that was obvious!”

  “No,” began Chloë. “I meant what do we do after the whole ‘proof of life’ thing? Aren’t they going to be a little torqued that we only showed up with a sixth of what they asked for?”

  Heather shrugged, “Not my problem if they are amateurs. Everyone knows not to buy things sight unseen. Besides that much cash right under their noses will definitely get them salivating. They may have a hostage, but the goal is for us to be setting the terms and conditions.”

  “And if they try to mess with the DSS’s plan?”

  “Then I get to break a few kneecaps!” offered Heather with a sinister grin.

  Chloë laughed, “I thought you were going to do that anyway!”

  “Maybe,” grinned Heather as she looked across the room. “Ah, good, the waiter. Foooooooood!”

  The pair of girls soon found themselves relaxing in the pleasant room and watching people from afar through the great glass windows. They had time to spare, and the room was far more relaxing than waiting in a train depot. Well, that and two rounds of dessert didn’t hurt either.

  “We’ve got time to kill. Do you want to hit some stores or a museum or something?” offered Heather.

  “You aren’t worried about our safety?”

  Heather just grinned and shook her head, “We are in a nice city on the nice side of town in broad daylight. Oh yeah, we’re being shadowed by the DSS…”

  Chloë let out a good laugh. “Right, like the last part of that was so unimportant! I have no idea. I think shopping would be a little trite, so what about something cultural or fun.”

  “Well, there is an aquarium that has some amusement park rides as well. How does that sound?”

  “Amusement park rides?” asked Chloë seriously confused. “Was something lost in translation there?”

  Heather laughed. “Well, either something was lost in translation, or you just simply have no idea what I’m talking about.”

  Chloë grinned and just shook her head. “Okay, I’m game. It sounds like something new to try. If it doesn’t pan out, the aquarium sounds fun for a little while at least.”

  Heather grinned, “T
hen let’s!”

  18

  The sun had finally set on a very long and refreshing day for Chloë. After almost losing her lunch on several rides, viewing the aquarium, the zoo, and finally an art museum, Chloë had as much excitement, education, and culture as she could stand for one day. In the midst of it all, she had finally started to forget about the desperate reasons for being in the city and was just enjoying herself and her company. The reality of it all didn’t start to return to her until they ate a quiet supper. Then they carefully made their way to the monorail, and started the slow journey to the end of their day’s trek.

  Chloë stared nervously out the window. Part of her was terribly excited at the thought that Anna was still alive and would soon get proper care. Another part was nervous that this was all just a heart wrenching ploy for some lowlifes to try and make some quick cash, and Anna was, in fact, already dead. She had almost washed her mind clear of Anna’s death previously, and the thought of having to relive all those emotions wore on her heavily.

  Chloë and Heather soon found themselves one switch of the monorail from their destination. It was dark out, street lamps notwithstanding, and the darkness seemed to permeate Chloë’s very being. Dread, however, was going to have to fight in order to take over; Heather made sure of that. Now more than ever, Chloë relished Heather’s bouncy personality, boundless optimism, and giddy perspective of the world. Heather sensed Chloë’s concern, so she stayed close and tried to distract her with chit-chat. But something, or rather someone, suddenly caught Chloë’s eye and panic started to set in.

  “We have company,” murmured Chloë as she nodded to a man of barely twenty ahead of them. His soft golden fur and white throat made him look common enough, but Chloë recognized him immediately.

  “One of the guys back from Edmundshire?” asked Heather.

  Chloë shook her head. “Worse—one of the agents to the palace guards.”

  Heather shook her head. “No, I think that is better. He should be professional at least.” Suddenly Heather’s mind shifted two gears. “Unless… do you think he is the type to turn on your father for profit?”

  Chloë shook her head. “No. He was very loyal. To a fault.”

  “Then let’s go see what he is doing here,” suggested Heather with a grin.

  “Do you think that is wise?”

  “Better an enemy you know of than someone lurking in the shadows. Does he have a name?”

  Chloë wanted to argue with that logic, but it didn’t matter. Heather was already in motion. “Raymond,” she offered as she hurried to catch up.

  Raymond turned and made eye contact just as the pair started to close. His fur immediately stood on end, and he tried to wave them away. “You need to get out of here, my lady. There are people hunting for you here,” he hissed in Chloë’s native tongue.

  Chloë nodded, “We know. Do you know the Old Tongue or Gamehra?”

  “Gamehra I know well, my lady,” he replied shifting languages. “Your father misses you terribly, but that discussion is for tomorrow. Tonight you are in danger; people here are looking for you. Why did you ever come to this horrible side of town?”

  “I was told they were holding Anna, and that she was badly injured. If I paid them off, they’d let Anna go, and I could get her to a local hospital. Do you know anything of this?”

  “No, my lady. But my best guess is even if they do have Anna, injured or otherwise, they will try to capture you as well.”

  “That is what I said,” interrupted Heather with a grin. “And why is it so much better that Chloë is with you than them? Aren’t your orders to bring Chloë back to the palace?”

  Raymond nodded, “Young ma’am…”

  “Her name is Heather. She is the daughter of the Baron of Threedales in the Highlands, and my friend.”

  “My apologies, Lady Heather. My orders are to try to persuade Lady Chloë to return. In no way am I to use force or subterfuge. If my lady charge were to speak against me at her return, it would be…”

  “Fatal?” asked Heather with a grin. “And feel free to just call me Heather. I prefer that. While my father, Llewellyn Silverglade of house Stratford, is the baron, even he does not take to the excessive use of titles.”

  “Llewellyn Silverglade…,” Raymond spoke with a faint breath. His fur stood on end, and the color faded from his nose and paws.

  “Yes,” began Chloë. “Ivy Stratford, First Mother of the house, has offered me sanctuary and I intend to use it. Do you wish to argue the point with her husband?” Chloë took some pleasure in watching Raymond squirm, but was a little surprised that Llewellyn’s reputation had preceded them so well.

  “Is he here?” whispered Raymond.

  “Maybe… maybe not,” replied Heather. “The question is, what are you going to do? Do you wish to accompany us?”

  Raymond’s professionalism caught back up with him. “As an agent of your father, my first and primary duty is to insure Lady Chloë’s safety. If I cannot dissuade you from your present course, then I am compelled to stand by you to the best of my abilities.”

  “There we have it then,” beamed Heather. “Shall we continue? The clock is rolling.”

  Raymond nodded to Chloë, and the three of them made their way to the monorail station lobby. Heather walked up to one of the lockers and with a quick type on the combination lock, opened it and removed a case.

  “Whee! Kind of heavy!” laughed Heather.

  “Do you wish me to carry it for you, Lady Heather?”

  “And what was wrong with just plain ‘Heather’?” she asked as she blew a raspberry.

  “The last thing I want to do is insult your father…”

  Heather laughed. “Okay, if you want to carry it, that would be nice. Just don’t lose it, drop it, or ever let it out of your sight.”

  Raymond nodded and took the case from Heather. “So I assume I am now carrying the ransom money? That should make me the first target of an assassin’s bullet.”

  “Ew! Do you want me to take it back?” asked Heather.

  “No, Heather, this is part of my job.”

  Heather grinned at Chloë. “Okay, he’s not as cute as Tobias, but he isn’t bad…”

  Raymond’s fur briefly stood on end. “Then back to the monorail, my ladies. We have a rendezvous to keep.”

  19

  Raymond sat attentively across from Heather and Chloë in the monorail car. It was very late, and most of the commuters at this point were people who had been enjoying the evening a little too much. The closer to their stop they got, the rougher the individuals that inhabited the train. Chloë, however, felt quite safe with Heather at her side and Raymond across from her; the locals weren’t likely to cause trouble. Well, at least not for very long.

  Heather was curled up next to the window asleep. Chloë knew she should try and get some rest as well; they had been moving since four in the morning, and she was desperately tired. But nervous anticipation was edging out the very thought of fear. Chloë took some amusement as Raymond cautiously reached out and lightly touched Heather’s arm. Heather, for her part, grumbled lightly and rolled over in her chair.

  “Checking to see if she is real?” asked Chloë with a bit of a giggle.

  “Is she really the daughter of Llewellyn Silverglade?” asked Raymond.

  Chloë nodded. “Lean elegant man, coat much like mine, with a light and even voice. Very polite and friendly, but not in a formal way. Does that sound like him?”

  Raymond nodded. “From the videos I’ve seen and from the documents I have read, yes.”

  “What makes him so special?”

  Raymond offered a feeble laugh. “He and his brother, along with those monstrous Shukurae, all but ended the civil war, but not like you would have imagined.”

  “Go on…”

  Raymond nodded. “The civil war had reached a desperate level, so desperate that all sides finally realized that if some accommodation could not be reached, genocide, by accident or design
, was the likely next step. So a cease fire was called and troops from outside were brought in to stand between the great warring houses. While leaders and diplomats talked and bickered, various troops on both sides grew impatient and started testing these peace keepers. It was small actions at first, but they soon grew larger. Yet every time some incursion struck the peace keepers, they struck back, viciously and efficiently. Everyone that challenged these people, quite simply, died. Soon, while politicians had their own petty arguments, they let the field commanders continue to prod and poke these interlopers. Both sides were jockeying for position, waiting for a hole in the lines so they could overrun their counterparts. Eventually, the armies of the great houses found themselves united against a common enemy: the peacekeepers. In the middle of the night, with tacit approval from their leaders, both sides struck in unison. It was a blood bath. A horribly one-sided blood bath. But it wasn’t the peace keepers that were in trouble; it was the great armies. They outnumbered the peace keepers well better than ten to one, and it was this foolish sense of superiority that was the great armies’ downfall.”

  “The peace keepers counter-attacked…”

  Raymond nodded, “There were two brothers: Llewellyn and Penn Silverglade. Each was at the front of the two lines and they destroyed all comers. They did some fantastic things: an EMP burst of some type fried all the electronics on all the vehicles and gunships. Craft just plummeted from the sky as all systems failed, and then, then blood started to flow as they fought through the forests.”

  “Forests? I thought all those battles were in urban areas?”

  Raymond laughed. “They were urban, until the Silverglades got a hold of them. The Park of Reconciliation, you’ve been there, tall trees and luscious gardens. They made those trees that night. And no, I have no idea how.”

  “Forest Wall,” said Heather sleepily. “That is what it is called. The humans theorize that the EMP burst is a side effect of two pocket dimensions rubbing next to each other. The trees are an artifact from the Guardians of the Highlands as they dissipate any remaining energy in a protective and constructive manner: reforestation.” Heather yawned as she stretched, “At least that is the best-standing theory. So the two armies got trashed and thrashed and they finally realized that it was in everyone’s best interest to stop the fighting once and for all. I still think it is funny that my dad and uncle got written into the treaty.” Heather giggled lightly. “Hands of Kali, wasn’t it? What a silly name… Dad hates it.”