Sam

  “Our allies? I'm sorry, sir, but I must disagree with you,” Ruby said firmly. “You know that I have reviewed the accounting books and documents of the companies involved in the Westbourne case. Those involved created an international network of shell companies to smuggle weapons into our country, disguising them as textile products. And we suspect that some of the trading houses in Asteria are involved in the conspiracy, but we lack the necessary evidence to bring legal proceedings against them. The Idnus Temple has commercial enterprises located in Asteria that we know were created in association with some of these Asterian families. Without a doubt, Idnus is involved in this."

  “I already know everything you are saying, Miss White,” George said, “and my opinion remains unchanged, however.”

  “But how can you say that, sir?” Didn’t you tell us that you doubt them? Why do you keep defending them?”

  “Because this was their idea,” George said, waving at the room. “They helped our government to create the ISS. They even financed the project, allowing us to start immediately. This building; it was seized by one of their banks and then given to us at a bargain.”

  “But why?”

  “Think about it. Who are the three sworn enemies of the Temple of Idnus?”

  “The Monolith, The Horshars, and Demons.”

  “Right, and the three are known to use deception to spread chaos around the world. If you are the Temple of Idnus, won’t you want everyone to give you a hand in the fight? Well, we are that hand. Our priority is the safety of the Great Kingdom of Asprain. Demons, The Horshar, and The Monolith are also our sworn enemies.”

  “If we are allies, then why are we spying on the delegation?” Sam asked. “Why don't we ask them why they're here?”

  “Politics, my lad,” George said, laughing. “It’s a complicated game. We may be allies, but that doesn’t mean we can trust each other's backs. The delegation is currently here, in the city. They will depart for Luton tomorrow with Noel’s team. They’re following a clue regarding Jose’s whereabouts.” George opened a drawer from his desk and took out a badge. He gave it to Sam. “You will join as a new detective sent by Metro to help with the search. And you, miss, since Metro doesn’t employ women as officers, you will join as Noel’s helper.”

  “I understand,” Ruby said with a sad smile.

  “But don’t worry, miss. Since we were initially funded by the Temple of Idnus, we have to follow some of their traditions,” George said with a smile. “When our agency officially starts, you will have a badge just like Sam.”

  “I will?”

  “Of course. One of the two detectives who came with the delegation is, in fact, a woman: Isabela Monte. However, I want you to forget about her, her partner, and most of the members of the delegation.” George took the pipe from his mouth and placed it on the desk. “I want you to focus on just one person. She is the reason why I summoned you two. Her name is Alma Rivera. First lieutenant, and the only invoker in the delegation.”

  “Her name sounds Iberian, like Isabela's,” Ruby said. “Is the delegation made up of Iberians? Is this why you asked me if I could speak the language?"

  “Only Alma and Isabela are from Iberia. No, wait, I’m mistaken. There’s also another woman: Naya Sako. I think it is her name, right?” George looked at Noel.

  “You are correct, although she’s originally from Asteria. She moved to our continent when young.”

  “There’s also a man from Auray: Gustave Baschet," George said. "He’s Isabela's fellow detective. The rest of the cast are natives of our country. But don't be fooled—they abandoned any love or patriotism they once had for our land when they joined the Temple of Idnus. They are now citizens of Helsane. The delegation commander is a man called Harvey Barr, a captain from Temple’s army.”

  “What did they find in Luton?” Sam asked.

  “Noel will inform you later. But do not worry, because you will not be assisting with the investigation. Your only concern is to stay close to Mrs. Rivera and find out why the delegation came here. She and Mr. Barr are the only army officers in the delegation. The two have had some disagreements about the leadership of their troops, to the point of loud quarrels. The fights have caused a rift between Mrs. Rivera and her peers. They all seem to have taken Harvey’s side, making her an outcast among her own people. And to make her more miserable, Harvey has ordered that any command she gives must first be reviewed by him. She still has one remaining ally, however—Ms. Naya Sako.

  “Due to her problems with Harvey, Mrs Rivera decided to abscond from her duties and seclude herself from the delegation. She and Miss Naya have been exploring our capital as tourists. We took advantage of this opportunity and planted some spies on them: pleasant, friendly people who could serve as her guides around the city and help her have a good time while showing her the sights. We tried everything: government officials, military officers, businessmen, nobles, civilians, but the old vixen discovered them all. Now, it is your turn.”

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  “How can we make it work if others couldn't, sir?” Sam asked, thinking that the idea seemed absurd. “I bet she’s expecting us. She’ll know the moment she sees us that we were sent to spy on her. It won’t work.”

  “She knows.”

  Sam frowned. “She knows? I don’t get it.”

  “She knows you two are coming.”

  “What…” Sam became mute.

  “She asked for two smart, obedient, and good-looking youngsters to take her around the city. She doesn’t want more old and boring crooks.”

  “Did she really say that?” Sam asked, perplexed.

  “She came to me with the complaint,” Noel said, sneering. “‘You will get nothing from me if you don’t entertain me’, she said to my face… That woman is special.”

  “What the…” Sam's mouth hung open. He thought they were messing with him.

  “She’s an invoker, lad,” Noel said, looking at George. “They think they are above the rest. Get used to it.”

  George coughed. “Anyways, your job is to stick to her, make her happy, and wish that she gives you something. That’s all.”

  “Will she really do it? Maybe she’s lying,” Ruby said.

  “Maybe, but what else can we do?” George said. “The delegation bastards don’t want to cooperate with us. Despite having stayed in the country for days, we haven’t gained much from them. They are tight-lipped, extremely vigilant, and have minimal contact with strangers. Our agents reported that it’s their commander’s fault, Harvey Barr. He ordered his men not to socialize with anyone outside their ranks. Our only chance lies with Mrs. Rivera.”

  “I still don’t feel convinced,” Ruby said.

  “I know how you feel, miss. If it wasn’t because I have the Home Office and the Crown on my back, I wouldn’t commit to this operation. Let us have faith that she will give us something. We know she’s mad with her commander. Perhaps she will tell us everything out of spite. Who knows?”

  “She is an invoker. It is guaranteed that she’ll do it,” Christine said, smirking.

  “In any case, this is your mission,” George said. “Stay close to her. Be obliging. Give her a good time around the city. And more importantly—make sure nothing happens to her. You both can leave. Noel will provide you with some sketches and files about Alma and the rest of the delegation, as well as explain anything I missed. Now go.”

  “The necklace, George,” Christine said. “Don’t forget about it.”

  George turned to look at her. “Noel can tell them.”

  “No. I want you to tell them.” Christine's voice lost all hint of the playfulness it had before. She looked serious.

  “I think it’s not necessary. I believe that—”

  “Tell them, you stubborn old man,” Christine barked. “I know you don’t like Noel’s theory, but I do, and I think it's worth our time to follow it. So stop being a fool and tell them.”

  George glowered at her. He put his pipe in his mouth and began to chew it. “There is a piece of jewelry, a necklace, that we want you two to look out for,” he said after a while. “We believe it might have been the cause of the massacre at the Walsh mansion.”

  Ruby widened her eyes and leaned forward, hungry to know more. “Necklace? What necklace? The press never mentioned a necklace. Why’d they hide this?” she spoke rapidly.

  You’re going to make him mad and learn nothing. Sam shook his head.

  George looked at Christine, as though he was blaming her for Ruby’s behavior.

  “Wow, look at her, so full of energy,” Christine said as she got up and walked forward. She stood by George’s desk. “Let me handle this,” she said. “During the course of the investigation, a witness told Noel and his men that Jose stole a necklace from priest Johnson’s body before fleeing the scene. They think that perhaps it was this necklace that provoked the killings, and perhaps it’s the reason why the Idnus Temple sent their army here. But unfortunately, we haven’t been able to prove anything yet.”

  “Why are you so sure this necklace has any value?” Sam asked. “Maybe he just stole it ‘cause he could.”

  “Certainly,” Christine said, “however, nothing else was stolen—just this necklace. The other victims also had jewelry on them, but Jose ignored them. We later found out that the necklace didn’t belong to Johnson, but to Tomas Walsh. The Walsh household seems to value it very highly, for they’re desperate to find it. They threatened the officers at Metro with taking legal actions if they didn’t return their necklace as soon as they found it.”

  “Why the rush?” Sam asked.

  Christine shrugged her shoulders. “They said it was an old family heirloom, and they wanted it back as soon as possible.”

  “We asked them how Priest Johnson got hold of it,” Noel said, walking towards George's desk. He stood next to Christine. “They think that perhaps the Count loaned the jewel to the priest on that eventful night. But listen to this: they didn’t know at the beginning that the necklace had been stolen. We have knowledge about its disappearance from our witness, one of their servants, a young maid; it was she who found the bodies and saw Jose taking the necklace from Johnson’s body. We interrogated all the servants and the family the day after the homicides, but nobody knew anything about the necklace or that Johnson had one on him, only that girl. Then, a week later, the family comes to our offices demanding that we hand it over. This change of mind put us on alert. This is why we think it might be related to the homicides.

  Sam nodded. “That sounds suspicious.”

  “These are just conjectures,” George blurted out, shaking his head. “Noel is making a grave mistake, betting everything on this theory of his. A good detective follows the facts and makes his case from them, not from stupid theories. There can be a thousand and one reasons why Jose killed those people, and why Idnus decided to send their army here.” He looked at Sam and Ruby. “I want you two to avoid making the same mistake and getting dragged into this rubbish. Your job is to gather intelligence, not to make assumptions. Leave that to us.”

  They both nodded.

  “All right, that’s all. It’s time for you two to leave,” George said, standing up. “Noel will take you with him to meet the other members of the mission, and then you will all depart for Luton. If you have more questions, you can ask him. Good luck, agents, that Esliana bless you with wisdom, and Epoch with vigor. You’ll need them for this mission.”

  Sam and Ruby stood up and saluted him, “Yes, Sir!” They howled in unison.