Eventually, the video concluded and the frame to the left disappeared, the panel on the right expanding to cover the entire screen. Through the ringing in his ears, Ruban caught snatches of the conversation between Washi and Ashwin:
“And you’re sure it was Tauheen?” Washi was asking, and even through the haze in his mind Ruban could hear the raw curiosity in her voice.
“Yup,” Ashwin said, his tone enthusiastic. “Even if it weren’t for the markings on her wings, didn’t you see the way she was moving? Not even Aeriels can move that fast; not normal ones anyway.”
“Still, Ruban Kinoh put up an admirable fight, considering the circumstances…”
“Quite so,” Ashwin nodded earnestly, looking at the camera with big, solemn eyes. “If it hadn’t been for him, Dr. Visht and I would most certainly be dead. That Aeriel was so…scary.” He shuddered visibly.
“You weren’t so bad yourself,” Washi smiled encouragingly at her companion. “You aided Mr. Kinoh when he was overpowered by Tauheen. That was very brave of you.”
Ashwin dipped his head, a shy little smile on his lips. “I only did what I had to. Truth is, Mr. Kinoh was fighting impossible odds. We were wholly unprepared for the attack. No one has seen Tauheen in decades; nobody could have imagined she’d show up at SifCo of all places. All the help in the world wouldn’t have made any difference that day.” He shook his head from side to side, sighing resignedly.
“Do you not believe that this menace can be overcome, then?” Washi asked.
“Oh of course it can, but only with proper planning and preparation. Of course, Mr. Kinoh has already faced Tauheen once, and he almost got her then. I’m sure that given enough time to plan and prepare a strategy, with the necessary help from the government and the IAW, Mr. Kinoh will have no problems capturing the Aeriel Queen. There’s nobody else who actually knows what it is to fight Tauheen face to face, and I cannot imagine anyone better suited to the task of overcoming this new menace.” Ashwin’s voice was so guilelessly sincere, Ruban almost believed it himself.
“There are rumours about the video having been leaked from Zaini…” Washi let the unspoken question hang in the air. Even through the pounding pain that had now spread throughout his skull, Ruban could appreciate her skill as an interviewer. She had said nothing, yet had implied everything in that one simple sentence.
“Oh, I wouldn’t know about that. Clearly, whoever leaked that video was acting against the law – probably another one of the Aeriels’ schemes to divide us in this time of crisis. The culprit must be brought to justice as soon as possible.”
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With a flick of his finger, Vikram turned off the television. “This has been going on for a couple of hours now. CXN first aired the video – apparently they’d received it through some anonymous source, though God only knows what source that is – and every channel’s been playing it on a loop ever since. And then our boy Ashwin went on at Casia Washi’s show and he’s been gushing about your vaunted bravery for the past hour, live on national TV. I wouldn’t be surprised if teenage girls were forming online fan clubs in your name as we speak,” he chuckled.
Before Ruban could think of an appropriate response to that comment, his phone rang. Reaching almost blindly for the device, he pressed answer.
“Am I speaking to Mr. Ruban Kinoh, Chief Hunter, South Ragah Division?” the cool voice on the other end of the line asked. IAW, thought Ruban, his blood thrumming in his veins even as he answered in the affirmative. “The Director would like to speak with you, sir. Please wait while I put you through.”
Ruban’s breath caught in his throat. He had expected to be put through to his uncle. What on earth did the Director of the IAW want with him? Before he could think much more about it though, a hearty voice came through the line, drawing his attention to it.
“Ruban, my boy!” the Director said, his voice warm.
Ruban could count on one hand the number of times he had met the Director during his time as a Hunter, and the man had never struck him as being particularly congenial during those short encounters. “Sir?” he said, cautious.
“You have done a fantastic job, young man. Wonderful indeed! You’ve ensured the safety of this city and made the Hunter Corps proud to have you in its ranks. I had been meaning to tell you that in person this past week, but something always seemed to come up that needed my attention. You know how it is.”
“Uh,” said Ruban, not sure how he was expected to respond to that.
“Anyway,” continued the Director, brushing aside whatever opinions Ruban might have had about his schedule. “What I called to say is this. If you need any assistance with this case, anything at all, money, men or anything else, feel free to talk to me directly, alright? All the resources of the IAW and the Centre will be at your disposal for the duration of this case. The safety of this city, this nation is paramount, and we are all relying upon you to ensure that it remains intact. Do not hesitate to ask for whatever you need to capture Tauheen and bring her to justice. This is now our first priority. I have every faith in you, Ruban. I know you can do it, if anyone can.”
“Yes sir. Of course,” Ruban said slowly. He held the phone to his ear for a few more minutes as the Director continued to speak, his tone oddly intimate. Finally, the line went dead, and Ruban threw the phone onto the sofa, sitting heavily down beside it.
“I don’t understand,” he said at length, turning to Vikram after he had had a moment to digest it all. He still felt rather shaken. “There was a leak – a security breach at SifCo. Or at the IAW, for that matter. How does nobody seem to have noticed that?”
Vikram laughed. “Oh come on, Ruban. You know what this is as well as I do. The city’s being swept by a media storm, and you’re at the centre of it all. And for once, it seems to be going in our favour. Don’t look so glum. This is your own personal manna, the opportunity you’ve been waiting for all week. Nobody cares what really happened or how; what matters is what the public thinks happened. And at least for now, they seem to think you’re a grand fucking hero! Not even the Prime Minister himself could take the SifCo case away from you now.”