Ministry Protocol: Thrilling Tales of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences
Page 66
*****
Kuro had watched the late afternoon commotion from a frosted second story window, had seen the Ministry agent stride through the gates under the eyes of the Usher guardsmen’s rifles. The tall man was a figure of masculine bravado in dust, goggles hung loosely about his neck, smirking at the confused henchmen as he surrendered to them. His appearance at the compound had apparently been a surprise to everyone.
Kuro blinked with surprise when the porter arrived and summoned him to stand watch for the prisoner interrogation.
Roderick Scharnusser was a strikingly large man. He’d parked his bulk outside his study doors, flanked by nervous lackeys. He said nothing as the Samurai approached, but frowned and gestured to the door handle. Kuro led Scharnusser in, who nodded to his men inside to exit, leaving them alone with the Ministry agent.
“You still haven’t shaved off that neckbeard, Rod? I hope it keeps you warm up here in the snow.” The man remained seated, staring Scharnusser down, his hands bound before him. His own facial hair looked more sculpted than neglected; and even with his wrists bound, he adjusted his cuffs, showing off a pair of elegant gold cufflinks. “This meeting is supposed to be just you and me, mate, one on one. Lose the Chinaman.”
“Mr Campbell, I can hardly be alone with a man as dangerous as yourself, can I? My guardian here is a relic, freshly imported from Japan. He doesn’t understand American English, and could never decipher your walkabout dialect.” Kuro blinked at the lie. “You can speak freely.”
“Call me Bruce. I’m pretty unhappy to have been airshipped across the Pacific, mate, just because you’ve gone and stolen O.S.M. Amboy’s son. My superiors believe you’re settling old scores, so I’m here instead of our North American field agent. Let’s have it out, so you can return Percy to his father and I can go home.”
Scharnusser’s smile was thin. “A few clarifications, Bruce. Zachary Amboy is no longer with the Office of Supernatural and Metaphysical. He now runs a small colony with his wives, a few miles offshore from here.”
“Yes, I stopped there on my way to your place. Half-finished inventions everywhere you look, people of all sizes and colours tinkering with his crazy machines.” Campbell reached inside his jacket. Kuro stepped forward, and the man froze. In this opponent’s eyes smouldered courage, bravery, duty. For a moment, he saw the spirit of Hideo. With a quick arch of a single eyebrow, he pulled out a crumpled fold of paper. “Got a note from him right here, in fact. It’s long, but I’ll read some of the highlights.” Campbell pulled the goggles up from beneath his chin, framing and magnifying his eyes dramatically. “Cor, these things are blurry. The vision’s the first thing to go, you know. Let’s see…it says:
Return my son unharmed immediately… face my wrath…This is your only warning… I’m a bloody lunatic.
“OK, I added that last bit meself, but you get the point. I think you’d prefer to deal with me than him, sensible and level-headed man of action that I am. Here are your choices: accept a trade of the boy for me, or refuse, and be shocked and angry when I leave with Amboy’s junior, and you have nothing.”
Scharnusser frowned, paced slowly along a wall of books, bringing his bulky frame to rest at an unfamiliar marble bust mounted on a pillar. Bruce Campbell looked around blindly for a few seconds, then pulled the goggles back to hang at his neck.
“Mr Campbell, while you did play a role in the events of my father’s murder, I recognise that you were blameless in the act. There’s nothing to settle between us. I likewise don’t hold your Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences responsible for my twin brothers’ deaths. The guilt lies solely with Zachary Amboy. Each night, a raven flies in here and lands upon this bust, speaking my father’s name, taunting me with his death. Amboy will answer for it. His son will not be released; he will die before his own father’s eyes, when Amboy shows that he’s man enough to come here himself.”
Campbell looked directly at Kuro. “Seriously, mate. Everyone in the Americas is buggering mad, aren’t they?” The Samurai made no reply. “So Roddy, this kidnapping isn’t actually Usher business, is it? You’ve gone rogue with some personal revenge scheme? How are your superiors going to like that?”
Roderick struck the marble bust with his fist. “Enough! You have wasted my time, Mr Campbell. I shall send a courier to your ex-O.S.M. friend informing him that his son will be executed at twilight tomorrow. He can come and watch with you if he likes. In the meantime, you can rot in a cell. Samurai,” and with a wave of his hand, motioned for Kuro to take Campbell away.
Kuro bowed. The Australian locked eyes with him, but stood and allowed himself to be escorted.