CHAPTER SIXTEEN
1361 Words
“You mean to tell me you’ve already seen the Talon!?”
Alder had been fiddling with his fork on a now empty plate as Allie, Becca, and John gave their progress report. The loud Tejano music was enough to drown out his unexpectedly shrill outburst from the other patrons who filled the tables around their booth.
“He didn’t even bother to hide the gorram thing!” John spoke in harsh, hushed tones as he leaned in close so he was near enough to be eye-to-eye with the rest of the party. “He had it sitting on a shelf behind his desk like it was a vacation keepsake or something.”
“Is it awake?” Alder brushed his hair back out of his face, worry lines forming as his brow furrowed.
“Awake!?” Allie looked questioningly at Alder. “You mean it’s alive!?”
“Well, kinda…” Alder worried at his lip as he thought about the question. “It’s not like it breathes or eats. It’s not alive in the way biologists mean. It is said that it is supposed to be a vessel for an intelligence of some sort. We are talking about a weapon made for one of the Tuatha de Dannan. We are still dumbfounded as to how most of their artifacts even work, let alone if any of them might be harboring something akin to a bronze age A.I.”
“But the Talon? You do know about that one,” Becca declared flatly. “Don’t answer, I just told you. You said it by omission. What is the Talon, really?”
“We’re not really sure. According to the researcher I have safeguarding the Reliquary, the Talon has been dormant the entire time he had been watching it.”
“Oh, it’s definitely awake,” John said, sotto voce.
“You’re absolutely certain?”
“If what I experienced is any indication, I’m positive,” Allie said softly, drawing Alder’s undivided attention.
“Excuse me, experienced?” Alder looked at John, who just shrugged noncommittally. “You… What?”
Allie quickly detailed how she discovered that she could see what John could when she touched him and about the ancient, ghostly whispers that seemed to radiate from inside DuBois' office.
“They disturbed me,” she said, reservations barely bleeding through into her voice. “I’m kind of glad that I couldn’t understand what they were saying. Did you, John?”
“Temptations: offering power, status, wealth, and anything else that you could ever want. I had to throw up wards just so I could hear myself think they came in so strong.”
“So, it is awake then.” Alder said with a resigned sigh.
“I take it that is not a good thing,” Becca put in.
“Not at all. The last time the Talon woke up, an Austrohungarian Archduke was killed. You should all know what happened next.”
“World War I,” entoned John.
“Oh…” Allie started to look worried. “How do we put it back to sleep?”
“I don’t know. There isn’t anything in the Archives that mentions that it’s even possible. What we need to do is get the Talon back before DuBois has a chance to use it.”
“I’m curious,” chimed Becca. “Why would he even want it in the first place? I mean, how would a war help a businessman who depends on peace to keep his company going? Isn’t war bad for trade?”
“Not unless he’s got something that would be needed if war were to break out,” John pointed out.
“You mean that you think he could be selling weapons?” Alder watched as John relaxed his face and slipped into deep thought.
“I can’t tell. The Talon is shielding him, I think, protecting him from prying remote viewers that might spoil its plans for him.”
“So the Talon is in control?”
“If it isn’t yet, it will be. Just being so close to the Talon, I could feel pulled towards it, to touch it, hold it in my hands.”
“‘My precious…’” Becca jokingly quoted.
“Ya ain’t far off the mark, hon,” he replied, winking at her. “If we don’t get it back into protective storage soon we’re going to have a hell of a problem. We can handle possessions, but preventing a World War after the first shot’s been fired would be like trying to unscramble an egg.”
“I agree, but how to do it?” Alder pressed steepled fingers against his thin lips. “Just go in and snatch it?”
“Well, that plan has the virtue of simplicity,” said John. “I doubt the direct way would be expected.”
“Yeah, that would go down like a Jewish wedding in Bahgdad. The building security is tight. Tighter than a gnat’s ass. How in the name of the dog do we snatch it in plain sight with all those cameras everywhere?”
“Hey now! I said that it would be simple. I did not say that it would be easy. It should still be doable. We just need to chew on it for a bit, but it will come to us, I’m sure. Bet.”
Alder looked down and caught a glimpse of his watch.
“Oh, s**t! I need to go!”
“What’s up, old man?”
“Grove business.”
“Right…”
“I’ll catch up with you later. This can’t wait.” Alder got up from the booth and bowed to Allie and Becca, saying “Ladies,” to them before quickly making for the door.
“Where’s the fire, I wonder,” Becca asked no one in particular.
“Not sure, but something felt off and, frustratingly, I haven't a clue what. Always been a hard cobber to read. Lately, since coming back into the Order, Alder’s been getting harder and harder to figure out. I don’t like it.”
“Oh, good,” she said. “I thought it was just me.”
“Huh? What do you mean, Beccs?”
“John and I have known Alder almost as long as we’ve known each other. He’s acting… Off.”
“Alder would have told me at least what he meant by ‘grove business.’ It was a brush off and a poor excuse of one at that.”
“Maybe he didn’t have enough time to explain?”
“That could be it, but it doesn't fit him. He’s never done that before.”
“There is always that first time. It’s probably nothing.”
“True,” agreed John, “and you’re most likely right. Always better to suspect thoughtlessness than dwell on possible malignance.”
“Elegantly put, Ro-baby. Well, there’s nothing else we can do tonight. What do y’all want to do?”
“Eh… There’s not much in the city that interests me or something I haven’t already done dozens of times before.”
“Kinda the same way. I lived here for almost a decade. Old hat, really.”
“You two are right, of course,” Becca said, slouching into the booth, disappointment clearly evident in her downcast green eyes. “I didn’t want to go out either. I must be getting old. Either that or I'm acquiring traits from you two old fogies.”
“Old? Girl, you’re only five years younger than me. If you don’t take that back, I’ll show you ‘old’ once we get back to the hotel.”
“I thought you wanted me to take it back. Why would I do that if you offer me a good time when I don’t? Not very good negotiation skills, Sugar-Tits.” She punctuated the sentence by reaching over to Allie and playfully squeezing one of her breasts. Also, why wait?”
“Oi! All all for exhibitionism,” John started as he flagged down their waitress, “but there’s minors present… Check, please!”
- Writer
