Vicky wasn't sure how to proceed with the conversation but was glad her insides were no longer rolling like white water down the Rift. Flagsteen’s Healing helped. How much damage had been done to her throat? Once the pain diminished the rich high energy food the ugly youth delivered was wonderful. Perfect for restoring strength. Mugs of soothing thick Vellum syrup, comforting and sustaining, were thrust in front of her.
Dereniik made light-hearted conversation on neutral topics and didn't ask questions.
Flagsteen made a mess of the Great Tree fruit he was eating which was also tactfully ignored.
Asking Dereniik for help may have been a mistake. Confiding in him was accepting a layer of trust, almost a friendship, and she didn’t need friends. She had promised herself to never to be in a position of depending on or trusting people again. Viky drew comfort from the fact she was still in control. Dereniik was single, so he couldn’t own property, so she would not be expected to share the reward when they found the body chains.
And as he had previously pointed out his physical limitations restricted involvement.
The shock started to wear off, but reality was terrible enough.
“Flagsteen, you were supposed to be back at the suite half a hands breath ago.” A woman strode toward the trio with lips that smiled and eyes that didn't.
The speaker was beautiful woman with silvery dark skin and fine white hair. She could have been the product of the stick and a seriously straggly tumbleweed bush.
Flagsteen jumped, spilt his drink, and blushed like a guilty child as he stumbled to his feel. “Ah, dear heart. I was just on my way.”
“You are a rotten liar, don’t ask me why you even try.”
“I don't believe anyone asked you?” Viky was annoyed by the arrogance in the woman's voice.
The woman's eyes narrowed, she sniffed, noticed Viky’s hair and clothing, and didn’t even pretend to hide her sneer.
“Er, May I have the pleasure of introducing my life partner to you.” Flagsteen licked his lips.
“Introductions can wait, I don't have time.” The woman’s eyes flicked from displeasure as she took in Viky’s appearance to mild interest alighting on Dereniik.
“Great to catch up with you again Commander Dereniik. See you later, maybe in the library, but if not, next time you have an appointment at the Healing Hall ask for me first. Nice to see you again Viky.”
Flagsteen made the appropriate hand signals and meekly followed the impatient woman from the canteen.
“You know, people think the Riffs are uncivil and backwards, but we protect our children. It's illegal to take a child and bond with them.” Viky raised her eyebrow.
“Those rules are universal, I can guess why they made Flagsteen an exception, but I don't agree.”
“Because he has powered Healing?”
Dereniik frowned. “Yes, never enough green fractals to provide Healing for even a small part of the population. Poor kid, what should have been a blessing doesn’t appear to be working out so well for him.”
Viky found herself shaking her head. As least she had been able to select her own life partner, how much choice had Flagsteen being given?
“Do you want to talk about what happened?” Dereniik ask gently.
“It takes courage to act in the face of fear.”
“I ran, I don't think that's courageous.”
“Takes even more courage to realize some battles can't be fought. Need to be left for another time or delt by strategy or different tactics.”
Clans in The Rifts seldom lived in caves with individual or family suites. Small niches surrounding large central ballrooms provided limited privacy. Confidential conversation in public places were a normal occurrence. She had no difficulty pitching her voice so only Dereniik could hear.
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Servants removed cold food and empty dishes; crookery clattered as others were brought in to replace them. Men and women collected supplies to take back to their suits, but Viky felt insular, unconnected to her surroundings and cocooned in a protective bubble.
Slowly the story of her attack was told. Dereniik didn’t interrupt but made appropriate conciliary observations.
“Do you know why you were attacked?” he asked when she was finished.
“I think it is because I am investigating the missing jewellery.”
“Viky, the jewellery would have to be either valuable or important for the crime to escalate from theft to attempted murder.”
“I didn’t understand at first, but the jewellery is priceless.”
Dereniik was contemplative. “Is it a set of Hunnaal Body Chains?”
“What! How did you know?” Viky was amazed.
“I am currently investigating a stray strand of processed Rustepheen fibre and am possibly one of the few people in the capital that know that Body Chains are produced from that source.”
“Isobeel was wearing something that came out of an animals butt?”
“You would be surprised; my life partner decorated her reception room wall with the gullet stones of giant gastropods. They are very beautiful, if you don’t think too deeply about the source.” He grinned. “But Viky, people have killed for less valuable possessions. I understand why your sister doesn’t want to involve official sources, her family will lose status and credibility if the theft becomes known. You can count on my discretion. But this needs to be resolved as quickly as possible. Are you making headway with the investigation, close to exposing the thief?”
“I didn’t think so, but they attempted to set me up for theft as well.” Viky filled him in on the statues being in her suite which led to the discovery of Sheeli ‘borrowing’ the chains and the now narrower time frame.
Viky ended with, “At least I have now crossed some suspects of my list.”
“I think I can help you cross a few more off. Although you can’t overlook that people may be working together. How many heartbeats do you estimate passed between when your first tripwire was triggered until when you were running out the room.”
Viky didn’t see how the question was relevant, but Dereniik was trying to help so she gave the question some thought. “Somewhere between seventy and eighty heartbeats, I guess. Maybe a little longer.”
“And the person could move well, you didn’t notice them having any difficulty with mobility?”
“Well, I couldn’t see them at all, but no they didn’t have trouble moving.”
“Then we can confidently eliminate all your sisters and their life partners as suspects for your murder attempt.”
When she looked puzzled Dereniik explained.
“It would take at least four or five rotations of training to be able to hold Invisibility for that length of time. Longer to develop the mobility you are describing. This person needed to be able to hold a cloth over your face and a garrotte around your neck. It would be unusual for a man under twenty rotations to have those skills.”
“Wow, well, that narrows things down.” Viky felt unreasonable relief that none of the sisterhood was involved. Not that they mattered to her, but still it was nice to know she wasn’t sharing the enclave with someone crazy enough to want to take her life.
“It narrows the field for your attempted murderer, but they may not necessarily be working alone. Who knew where you were training?”
Viky’s heart sank. “Only Jess, that I know off.”
“That’s your sister with Reading?”
“Well Truth and Lies, she hasn’t had any training I don’t think it’s developed to Reading yet.”
“Would you mind if I talked to her?”
Viky hesitated, Dereniik noticed her reaction.
“It may not be necessary just yet. Whenever you are ready. Can you think of anyone else that knew you were in that section of tunnel?”
“A young servant ran into me just over nine-day ago, he talked to another older servant, but they were both really nice.”
“It doesn’t take a horrible person to casually mention where you were. They can innocently tell the wrong person; it opens other lines of investigation.”
“Where do we start?”
“Do you think you would remember the odour of the substance used to try and knock you out?”
“Possibly.”
“Good, I have a reliable contact in the Healing Hall with access to even the most unusual sedatives and tranquilizers, we can visit him. Once we have identified the one used it may provide us with clues as many restricted substances require processing and are well documented. Would you mind me visiting your training site?”
“Why?” Viky asked, how much would the observant man be able to tell from the location?
“Your assassin may have left some clue behind.” Dereniik smiled in reassuring manor. “You have been through a lot today, I am sorry. I’m being insensitive. Please forgive me. I wasn’t expecting your investigation to coincide with my own and am acting as if I am in charge. We can go through all the information when you have rested, and I will answer any questions you have and offer suggestions. But Viky, this is not a game. Someone tried to take your life.”
“You’re going to take over?” Viky asked bitterly.
Dereniik shook his head. “The Directives offices know I am investigating Rustepheen fibre from an unknown source. It is not essential to them, or my career, to reveal that source. Particularly if it would see the embarrassment of a Hunn First Family. But attempted murder also falls under the Directive committee’s jurisdiction, and Viky life is sacred, far more valuable than any jewellery. You were lucky, your adversary underestimated you, next time they may not. The thief, if found will face the death penalty and the whole household will be made to suffer. Do you think they will simply give up? I will try not to take over and respect your wishes and will. I will listen to all your suggestion, but I beg you to utilize my experience and expertise, for your own safety’s sake.”
Viky nodded. Dereniik was right, she needed him. She hated to admit it, even to herself, but the advice was sound.
“Okay, so what do we do first?”