Reflection, p.6
Reflection, page 6
part #2 of The Infected - Mirror Man Series
Even if he was supposed to keep his mouth shut and was pretty certain that Brian wasn’t forcing him to do it, Richard spoke. Loud enough to be heard, even if it was horribly rude of him to interrupt like he was doing.
“Not at all. We brought some people with us. Volunteers that are willing to work with the mages that lost those people. We were mainly planning to do it in order to bolster their self-confidence. They were taking on some of the hardest projects available when that happened to them. It’s a thing our people understand. These, the people with us, will be pretty easy, without being an insult to them, I think. We can make changes on any level needed to help boost their morale.”
Instead of glaring at him for interrupting her private conversation the Countess got up, walked across the room and held her phone out, facing him. Allowing him to speak and be seen. Tor Baker was still too good looking for a man. Almost girlish. The kind of thing that ruined men for real work, in general. Except that for some reason the attractive giant actually manage to keep himself pretty busy and didn’t stand on airs a lot.
“Richard? That’s… Wonderful to hear! I can bring my people by directly for that. It… A few of them have been troubled over the events. No one was certain how your people would respond to it all. I certainly wasn’t thinking that you’d bring volunteers to work with those people specifically. That shows a lot of bravery. Trust as well. I can come to you and bring you here?”
Those words got a snort. From the Countess. It was delicate at least.
“I’m not letting that happen, Tor. Bring them to dinner tonight, here? I want to get with Timon as well. We could… I’m not certain who else will be allowed?” She looked over at Cindy then. Rather directly.
Like she wasn’t planning a dinner party at her own place.
The blonde woman smiled at least.
“Could we have the Baker’s invited? Douglas and Laurie. Possibly Prince Benjamin as well?” She turned, to look at Peggy, for some reason. “Ben is in charge of the main embassy here. Along with Will Baker. Will is off world right now, or I’d invite him. We’re dating. He, um, kind of asked me to marry him. I haven’t said no, so… I don’t know on that part.”
She didn’t blush about it.
Richard simply nodded. It kind of made sense and she was about the right age to get hitched. There was no benefit to waiting for that kind of thing if you had options and a desire to do it.
“Right? So we should get his parents in then, to meet with you? Good plan. Oh…” He didn’t try to be sly about it, since he had a real plan. One that just occurred to him in the moment.
After all, he needed a disguise that would make him seem overtly Infected. At the same time, they needed to show that they weren’t afraid to work with the mages there.
“Could we get Erath in, do you think? I wanted to talk to him about some temporary work. We discussed the idea before, if briefly. We’ll probably want you and Timon on that as well, Tor. I want to try a massive project. It will probably get me killed but if we can avoid that part, we can televise it and show everyone that getting this kind of work is pretty safe.”
Cindy chimed in instantly.
“Put it on the Austran and Harmony nets. Maybe Fleetnet as well? A big part of why people are reluctant to try it probably has to do with fear of the unknown. We get around that by making it known, right?”
Tor froze. In fact, he was so still for a moment that the only movement of his picture was a slight rocking of Countess Thomson’s arm as she breathed. Then he nodded. Slowly.
“All right. We need to move carefully on these things. Still, if you and your people are willing, I can have some of those particular students at the meal this evening? At nine, your time, sis?” The man had moved back to using Standard, but the words were coming as subtitles, so were easy enough to follow along with.
The Countess redirected her phone and agreed easily enough. They even set the numbers of people coming in. It was kind of a big meal to force on her really, since they’d come in with eleven people that day. All of them just trooping in without warning.
Then as the calls continued, the numbers grew as well. In the end it seemed like they were going to be at a meal with nearly forty people. With only a few hours’ notice. Near the end of that, a younger man, one who was probably twelve or so, walked into the room.
He was dressed in the same brown outfits that they all had been earlier. The fellow, who was decently tall for his age, being over five-nine already, bowed as soon as he saw who was there. Richard stood up and did it back, going first this time. The others managed it, if on a slower scale.
Lydia moved over though and hugged the guy. He was a bit young for her but three years or so wasn’t that big of a deal. As long as she didn’t get pregnant by him. Richard had no clue how to arrange a shotgun wedding across worlds, after all. On the good side, after they went home, all Lydia had to do was stay away for a half year or so and the kid would be older than she was. He certainly wasn’t being shy about hugging her back. It wasn’t chaste at all.
Without realizing it, he cleared his throat, like an old man. Which he was, even if his face and body didn't match that at the time being.
To his credit the boy pulled back, without getting pissed off about being interrupted or acting embarrassed about it. Countess Thomson smiled and covered her mouth, looking away from the scene. As if her young son was being a bit advanced for his years. It was probably true enough. For the life of him Richard couldn’t recall what he’d been getting up to at that age.
It certainly hadn’t been cross world traveling fifteen-year-old women. Not that he remembered at least. It had probably been playing soldier, baseball in the sand lot and working out his first thefts. All of which he’d gotten away with.
Cindy did the introductions, which meant going back over everyone that was there, nearly. Not all of them, however.
Lydia covered that for them.
“Dumas is a line walker. The Ambassador to our world from here, so that’s decently important. He’s at the base a lot.”
Price Lloyd bowed then.
“We’ve met. Just a few times.”
The kid was either the kind of person to match faces with names perfectly or a great liar.
“I recall that. So nice to see you here. I didn't know we had guests or I would have dressed in finer clothing. Perhaps I should excuse myself? I was just at the school, up in Lairdgren.”
Richard waved that part away.
“You look fine to me. We seem to have a bit of a dinner meeting coming at us. That… We pretty much forced our way in here and dumped a huge mess on the staff and your mother. We should help with that. Not that I know what to do for it. I can lift and carry at need, though?”
The reaction was interesting then.
The Count stiffened up, seeming actually upset for some reason. The Countess on the other hand moved over to him and put her right hand on his arm. She was lighter than the others from there, except for Tor. The people they’d brought were a pretty light-colored group, really. Matching her pretty nicely.
“It’s no trouble, that way. Thank you for thinking of us. The servants are very good here. We also have top end food units. Several of them. My sister Tiera gave them to me. Have you met her?”
That got him to shake his head.
“Not yet. She sounds amazing, if she can make things like that. Willum’s Aunt Tiera? I’ve heard her mentioned, I think, if so.”
There was a clap that ended in a clasping of hands then.
“Exactly the one. I should invite her as well. Really, let me see to that. I can sit her by you, if you don’t have a date for this evening already, Richard?” She batted her eyelashes at him. It was an old-fashioned thing, but one he recalled from his youth.
“I don’t. Do we need dates for this? I wasn’t…”
Dumas shrugged. A very American seeming thing. The body language was practiced. Also correct to set the IPB people at ease. Really, he seemed to have the makings of a good confidence man. Richard was kind of so-so that way, himself. He could do it and knew the grifts. He wasn’t totally smooth all the time though.
This boy was making him buy the idea that he was from the same country that most of the rest of them were. While standing in a different world and knowing it wasn’t true. That took skill.
“Don’t worry about it. There’s a traditional seating order, which we can move right around for this. As long as none of you will find it rude? Lydia can be my date for the evening?” That part came out easily. Like an adult who was merely making plans.
It also set the groundwork for later. That was impressive.
The Korean girl smiled at the boy then.
“I’d love to. Thanks for asking me, Dumas.”
That left a lot of people but they had some extras coming in, or so it seemed. They mainly needed men for the job, once they assigned everyone a seat mate. He was apparently getting in with the Wizard Tiera. It sounded like a decent plan at least, since she had connections he needed for the current job he was on. Getting those changes made and getting people in to visit with little Sara. True that last part was for the others and was more cover than anything else, for him being there in the first place. If they didn’t try though it would look like she wasn’t loved.
No one wanted that.
It turned out to be about six in the afternoon when they were taken to the small third floor rooms. They really weren’t that bad. Ten by ten spaces, with large beds, small desks, dressers and wardrobes for clothing. They had to share the bathing chamber down the hall, however. That or move to the one on the ground floor, which was offered to them by the butler.
He took it as a hint that one didn't go to a fancy dinner party there unwashed and in their traveling clothes. The big tubs were filled for them by Dumas, who’d made a point of collecting them all up for it. The interesting part was that they were all supposed to shower and bathe in the same room. Sharing the tubs for soaking after they got cleaned up. The kid went with them.
No one freaked out, though it was clear that some of them were feeling a bit shy about the whole thing. Lydia in particular. She didn’t cover herself, just turning three shades of red. For his part, even if he was a bit too prudish for that kind of thing in the main, Richard managed it all right. Years of sponge baths and having things put in his body by bored men and women had kind of killed off any sense of modesty that he might have once had.
If anything, it was harder for Keith and Brian. Price went nicely blank through the eyes but the other men were clearly trying to hide the fact that a lot of the ladies there were cute. It would have worked on Rich that way as well, except that he was ready for it and turned his mind away pretty sharply. Working on the plans for later. Trying to get the needed planning done, while smoothing over the problems that had come up.
It saved him from having to try and hide an erection like the other fellows were doing suddenly. Except Dumas. To him it was probably just normal. He even looked at the ladies, taking in their forms without trouble.
Once in the tubs everyone relaxed well enough. The water was very warm, which the boy explained to them, sitting directly next to Lydia in one of the four tubs. They were close enough together for everyone to chat pretty openly.
The blond kid, his hair darker when wet, patted the side of the wooded vessel he was in. Richard was one over, with Bridget Chambers and Cindy. Brian was in with Peggy, Keith and Price. It was an unusual set up with the last tub having the most people in it.
Dumas pointed at a small ceramic looking tile on the side of the things.
“We have magical devices that warm the water, pump it from the cistern and in the end will filter it clean and return it to the magical river around the city walls. I don’t know if you got to see that on the way in? Cousin Will made this one. The river? It’s better than the old one. Don’t tell Uncle Tor I said that but it’s true. You all know Will, right?”
It was pretty clear that they did, since the man was in the IPB with them. Small talk was like that though. You said things to keep the conversation going. At least if you weren’t going to be a jerk about it.
A thing that everyone else was clued in on already, it seemed. At least Nan nodded.
“He’s pretty famous back home. I didn't know he made magic though. At the base he mainly cooked and practiced fighting when we weren’t on missions. We should go and see his work though. I’ve heard about the river, since a lot of people were here to see it when it went up. I didn’t get to be in on that.” She sounded a bit sad on that score. Not bitter though.
Keith made a soft sound in the back of his throat.
“It’s pretty amazing. We should get Will to make one for us back home. I mean, it won’t be as nice, floating above a wire fence instead of a thirty-foot solid wall but I bet the protestors will like it anyway. The thing glows, after all. It can play music, too.”
They all agreed it sounded like nice work. Then they made small talk for a while. Eventually Bridget, who looked younger than he did, but was actually about seventeen or eighteen, touched his arm. It was a bit disconcerting at first, being that they were both naked and in warm water. It was just to get his attention though.
“We should make sure to do that thing you suggested. With the kids from here? Sara told me that most of them are orphans. We can’t get them parents really but we might be able to make things a little better for them. Bring them treats and stuff.” She seemed to mean it.
Richard nodded.
“Let’s do that then. Keith, you want to head that up? To start with. You won’t have to do all the work yourself. It’s just that as soon as we get back, most of us here are on a mission. After that’s done you can grab up people in the mix here for that job.” He grinned then and looked over at Dumas. “You know, plying your school kids from here with treats and goodies so that they’ll love us best, when they’re older. It never hurts to have friends, does it?”
Rather than laugh or even chuckle politely, Dumas simply nodded.
“You mean to bring them over as spies for you, then? That’s… A rather good idea. We haven’t managed anything like it in your world yet at all.”
Rich thought about that for a minute, then shook his head.
“Haven’t you? So far both you and your brother have worked into decently high-level positions. True an Ambassador doesn’t make a great spy but working with pilots on… What kind of ships were those again, Cin?”
She tapped his leg with her foot, under the water. It worked since she was sitting across from him. She was slumped down far enough in the water that her nipples weren’t floating, thank goodness. It was distracting enough for him already.
“Jump Ships. Space craft that can go to other planets and stars in minutes. We have twenty of them. The U.S. I mean. Mexico and Canada both have one each, as well. Clemance taught the first round of pilot instructors for them. Good point, though. That means he can monitor our military pretty directly, if he’s careful about it. You should set that up, Dumas.” She made a face then. “I can do it and we have other people as well that have powers that are able to put things like that together. It doesn’t replace bodies on the ground. There have been some things lately. Tech most likely, that’s gotten around our powers pretty nicely. Blocking and jamming even the best telepaths when we try to get inside information on certain people. Getting eyes in place like that is a thing that the IPB can’t do, directly.”
That part didn’t have to be explained. Not to any of them. Even Rich got it and he was the new kid to the IPB. They were watched so closely back home that he’d been given orders not to even think about the operation that they had going on with his old pal Katie.
They’d uncovered a huge child sex and murder ring. Really, Kate had. She knew everything anyone else did, after all. The trick there was that they’d stolen proof. A lot of it. It was depraved stuff with a lot of magical trappings that spoke of Moloch worship or perhaps Satanism. Mainly being performed by very high powered and famous people. They even had trophies and body parts that had been taken to blackmail people into good behavior.
That had been nearly two months before and even Kate, who was good at everything, was having trouble getting the word out on it. The people they were trying to take down were so powerful and entrenched that even just showing the world the data had flat out failed.
It had been stripped from the net so fast that only a handful of people had even gotten to see the proof. Worse, there were rumors out of fake videos being put up. That was hitting the news services already. An effort to discredit what they were doing before it happened at all. Given they had people with literal super powers on their side, that they were being shut down that way was incredible.
Not in a way he could enjoy or endorse, naturally.
The heist had gone well and they’d gotten a lot of information. Then… Well, it was probably just true that the sickos had murdered all the kids in their warped stable of sex toys and lunch snacks and disposed of any evidence that would link them to the depraved acts.
Except for the blackmail material that had been taken by them. That was why it had been captured in the first place. If you wanted to climb the ladder of success to the top levels, you have to not only play ball but also make the people that controlled things feel that they had you for life as their dutiful puppet. Hence doing a lot of sick and unforgivable things, which they recorded, to hold over them for the rest of their lives.
The trouble there was that people willing to do that kind of thing once to get ahead seemed to enjoy it. They didn't just do it once or twice but rather constantly. It wasn’t a few lost kids, it was so many that the number was hard, if not impossible, to count.
At the moment it looked a bit like the bad guys were going to win. That they were truly above the law. Untouchable, unless their masters deemed it needed in the moment. Needless to say, Kate was not pleased with that idea. Apparently, there were a few more things to try and then they were just going to start murdering some people. That part wasn’t up to him though. How they were going to find the right people he didn't know. Who was going to do the hit…
