Gaias sat. Straightened his suit, undid a button. He hadn't worn a tie, that was too formal.
He was expecting something formal.
The man was maybe in his mid twenties. A student at the university. He wore the white trousers and black blazer of a student and his hair was cut neatly into a slick back. The room they sat in was painted completely black, as were the chairs and table.
"Been at the college long?" He asked casually. He had sat in silence for some time before speaking, building anticipation.
He said hesitantly. "No sir. I enrolled under a grant a few weeks ago."
"Really?" Went asked, voice emanating in the cold empty room. "Who was this grant from?" He took a cigarette case made from platinum, a small lighter built into the side. He didn't smoke, but his capture would be either discomforted or comforted by the act. Either was good. Tench was discomforted.
He pushed heavily against his case, scraping it over to Tench. Hinted for him to take one, the younger man took from it hesitantly.
"An agent named Rebekah. She didn't say who she worked for." He explained as he tried to figure out how the lighter worked.
"And why did you take the scholarship?" Gaias asked, adding just a tad more weight to his words.
Tench coughed awkwardly, pressed his fingers to the base of his throat.
"Seemed stupid not to, sir. Nobody in my family has ever gone to Imperial college." Tench said slowly, cigarettes sat forgotten in his fingers.
He's embarrassed by that. Gaias thought behind dead eyes.
"Unfortunately she passed away recently." Gaias said, snubbing the half smoked cigarette on the table.
Tench was silent for a moment. Young features made him look all the more vulnerable. An ironic look for an ex guardsman.
"I heard, sir." He finally said. "Truly a shame, I didn't know her well but she… was kind."
Gaias nodded. Unfortunately indeed.
"Did you ever meet a man named Arron Loui?" Gaias asked. That caught Tench off guard.
"Only once." He said hesitantly. "After Rebekah passed. He came to meet me."
"What was this meeting about?" Gaias asked, piling more weight into his voice. Tapping his fingers in rhythm on the table.
He hesitated longer. "I'm not sure, sir. He didn't stay long. Only said my grant would be maintained. That I may hear from him again, he didn't say when though."
Gaias didn't hesitate. Never give them time to think.
"If he ever contacts you, I want to hear of it. Especially if he asks anything of you." He stopped drumming his fingers.
"Why, if you don't mind my asking… sir." The boy said hesitantly. Despite the cold he had begun to sweat. The cigarette Gaias had forced on him had burnt to its filter, a long trail of ash by Tench's hand.
Gaias leaned in close, gave the man a maleficent grin.
"Because you want to see your daughter grow up with the use of her legs." He left the room immediately after. His work was done.
The door clicked shut behind him.
***
Marie and Arron sat on her balcony. Arron skimming an old set of diaries belonging to some bishop or another. While she had continued her painting of the banisters. Flora of bright and varying kinds, some she had just made up.
He had come up to her little perch with news of Gaias's movements that afternoon and they had sat together, contemplating in the greying sun. Though she had talked him down from his ideas about the murders, this was so blatant it made that feel believable.
But surely even he wouldn't go that far. She thought, halting her paint strokes and looking back on her own actions. Maybe he could.
Arron looked up from his reading, features aged beyond his years. Still sharp as a statue. Everyone saw Arron as a wolf. To her, he was a canary. Ever vigilant.
"Are you alright?" He asked, setting his book onto a small stack on the floor beside his chair.
She didn't answer but stared at the floor for a short time, all the tiles decorated for her house. A white shield centered by a blue rose.
"Do you really think he'd try to take the city?" She avoided his question with one less overwhelming.
"I wouldn't be surprised." He said, looking off into the metropolis. "Thirty thousand guardsmen in the city, even if the royal guard stayed by your side they wouldn't stand much chance."
She tossed her brush into a small murky cup of water by her side and brushed her hands on the ragged clothes she used for the hobby.
"We never even told the captains the case was swapped." She said, trying to find some amusement in the situation. Arron's eyes lit up.
"No." He grinned. "No, we did not."
He got up from his seat and made his way back inside. Straight for the writing desk. "We get Markus to run another story, saying Gaias lied." He explained as Marie began to follow.
"We turn his move against him. I like it." She smiled. paused in thought.
"We would be putting a clock on the guard. Gaias will just try harder to find them first." She said, taking a seat where she and he had spent the night.
She couldn't even remember how long ago that was.
Arron thumbed his message into the Tele-comm. Too Markus's office Marie assumed.
"Maybe hold off on it?" She suggested. It could have been better to sit and watch him for a time. Learn Gaias's play better. Arron had already sent the message before she finished.
Turning back to her, he said. "Rebekah thought it was a student. Maybe one of the refugees we enrolled."
Marie nodded, not liking the thought.
Wouldn't be great for public relations. Especially since she pushed that bill.
She looked at him then, her oldest friend. He had gone somewhere else. Eyes like lenses. "It wasn't your fault Arron." He snapped back.
"I was there." He said, shoulders tightening. "If I had noticed it." He didn't lament, only said it matter of factly.
"You have always said the agents worked as their own. Her mistake was her own." She said, matching his tone.
The silence was leaden. Finally, Arron breathed heavily. He sat in the chair opposite hers.
"Regardless." He said, steeling himself. "She had a protege. His name was Tench." He continued, dodging a seemingly more painful conversation.
That made Marie raise her eyes. "A protege?" She asked. He nodded.
"I could get him to go to student rallies. We believe the killer might visit them." That made sense, though something about it felt wrong. This 'protege' couldn't be fully trustworthy.
"Well it couldn't hurt." She sighed.
Once again her and Arron sat talking through the night.
Of the world changing and of the mundane, of the old and new.
Tomorrow Gaias's plan would collapse. Maybe it would be better for a small while.
Maybe I should ask him. She wondered looking at the man. The thought of running tempted her, tempted him surely. Maybe he can forgive himself if we leave.
"Marie." Arron said. "You're staring."