ic Lunar London

[Ari]

Gliding in near-silence through the room, Atraxia drifted until she was just behind the man's chair. Craning her neck, she squinted at the chicken-scratches he was making on the paper. The terrasuit's translators murmured to life, labeling the language as "Vani-derivative: Latin(corrupted)" and translating the lines in the flicker between seconds. It was something to do with the local law system, which instantly killed Atraxia's interest. She had been a spy, once, but she had never been good with people or the systems governing them.

 

But if this man had something to do with the law system, and was in a government building, and was, for a human, old, he just might know something. 

 

Red Moon glanced at the door. She could be out in a second, barely a whisper as her dispersed form slipped through the electron net. 

 

Atraxia turned back to the man as he laid down the pen with a weary sigh, spreading his fingers and methodically stretching and massaging cramped muscles. Nobody else was in sight, she could just drop through the floor or turn invisible. 

 

Bending close to the man's head she said <"Excuse me, sir, but which way to Her Majesty the Queen of England?">

[Supercape]

GM

 

"By gads what the devil!" jumped the man. He was scribbling something legal and important and by royal decree and soforth and whatnot. 

 

He looked important. 

 

"By gards again! A woman! Who are you and what do you think you are doing, madam? Are you a cleaner? You should no better than to disturb me, madam! Do you know who I am? Mister Jonathon Whitstable, Esq. Legal services to the Queen herself, noless and so on..." he declared proudly, holding onto his lapels stiffly. 

 

"Why, you cannot just attend to the Queen like that! No you cannot, madam. Why...you are a strangle looking woman..." he muttered more suspiciously. "Has the Queen started employing Chinese now?"

[Ari]

Chinese again...? None of them can even see my face, what makes them think I'm Terresi?!

 

Regardless, now was not the time. Besides, the cheap clothes, along with making her both distinctive and anonymous gave a ready-made identity. Bowing a little grandly so the red robe would sweep out, Atraxia said <"I beg your pardon, my lord, but I was sent out to pick up some work from the goldsmith. It was such a tiring time I lay down to have a rest and only just woke up.">

 

Atraxia clasped her hands fervently <"Oh please don't let on to anyone, sir! I'll catch it most frightfully, I'll only just make it in time to the royal jeweler if I know where to find Her Majesty! Otherwise I'll lose this job, and my poor father, and my sister's three children, they'll, they'll...!"> what came after was drowned in very convincing simulacra of heart-rending sobs.

 

 Under most conditions Atraxia would have taken the noisier route, but this way seemed both more direct, less likely to make her really memorable and let her try out some of the less-used functions of her suit and speech-modulator.

[Supercape]

GM

 

Mr. Whistable did not believe a word. 

 

"Madam, I do not believe a word of your nonsense!" he declared. He was indignant, but more than indignant, he was jolly pleased with himself for seeing through such drivel. 

 

Why! I am an astute gentleman of law! Ha! I can smell a lie at a thousand paces!

 

He congratulated himself thus. 

 

"I cannot say I am unmoved by a woman's tears, so obviously in distress, of course. But I am convinced your tale is untrue. You have some other story, Madam, one you are not telling me. Hmmm! Yes! I believe I am correct!" he said, looking into the horizon in what he hoped was a regal and magnificent pose. 

 

"Come then, tell me the truth, you vagabond! You will not find the Queen totally without mercy. Nor I. This is Great Britain, after all!"

 

 

[Ari]

<"Oh! I could never hope to decieve you, sir!"> Red Moon shook with feigned grief. Really, it was more annoying than anything else. She'd thought that sounded quite convincing. She'd probably low-balled on the number of children, Terresi bred like rabbits. Maybe the number of parents, too. Some had very extensive family structures that hadn't been present in the United State or the Soviet Republics-

 

She was getting off-track.

 

<"I confess, I am a spy! Sent by Her Majesty's enemies in-"> she hadn't thought that far. Who were their enemies in these days? Ind-...Indrya? Germans? 

 

Suddenly it dawned on her like a peal of thunder before a divine revelation. Fractious, with a cultural divide, relatively close(in the Ice Sea, somewhere) 

 

<"-Scotland! Oh, we will never rest until we have overthrown her rule, my people live and breath on such dreams!">

 

<"I have not the heart, nor the head for subterfuge, but I drew the blood-red lot and was sent to...to...oh, such villainy!"> Red Moon's suit rhythmically shifted and shook over her withered flesh as a fresh roll of sobs were produced.

[Supercape]

GM

 

"A Scottish spy, is it? Well, you should be ashamed of yourself!" said Mr. Whitstable. "A disgrace to your disgraceful country!"

 

"'Tis to the tower with you, then, young lady. What a waste! You could have lead a good Christian life, married a fine young gentleman, born him some strapping sons. Maintained a decent house. But no, you have let yourself fall to ruin, you poor thing! Tsk! Even with your strange Chinese face, some kindly soul would surely have taken pity on you...tsk! You should have kept to cooking and housewifely work. Made yourself a decent go of it" he said, almost sadly. 

 

"But now, it is irons and hard labour for you, madam. But, stay a moment, for if you do the Empire a service a turn your coat, perhaps some leniency could be offered!"

[Ari]

<"A chance for redemption...yet? Oh, sir!"> Red Moon flung herself at Whistable's feet <"Yes! Just tell me what I must do and I will do it, without hesitation!">

 

It was starting to get a little much how many people thought she was Chinese based on the fact they couldn't see her face, what with the helmet and s smoke inside and hat and the scarf.

 

She supposed it was just as well, since it would be pretty hard to explain otherwise.

 

<"But what must I tell my former conspirators? Surely you fear the sinister knives of the Scots, sir? No woman is so brave as to defy them!"> 

 

She'd have to study Scotland when she got back home, Atraxia suspected she was treading on fairly insulting ground. But so long as Whistable raised no objections and disn't appear to realize she was talking nonsense, there couldn't be any harm in furthering the deception.

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Mwah! Lord Whistable fears no knives, madam! Least of all from the Scotsmen. Brutes!" he said, proudly. 

 

He drew out a quill, a most resplendent quill, and dipped it in ink, ready parchment. 

 

"Names, madam! I need names. And times. And places. Evidence! to be used in a court of law, or by the loyal agents of the Empire who would lawfully execute their duties in defence of the realm without undue burdening by due process and suchlike. For Queen and country, madam!" he proudly orated. 

 

He put quill to parchment and gave Atraxia an expectant look. 

 

"Take your time, madam. Not too much time though. In fact, the sooner the better for it will go well with you when we consider due punishment for your henious crimes!"