*
The knock on the door was answered by Melrose and he escorted MacDuff into the foyer of Pierce’s apartment. He was dressed in a long brown leather jacket with a high color adorned with some sort of metal insignia.
Pierce emerged from his dressing room similarly dressed, though his jacket was slightly more elaborate and with a different insignia. Both men looked at each other approvingly in their respective hunt uniforms.
“I can’t believe you wear the same thing in every era and in every country and don’t get pegged as out of place,” stated Pierce taking in the uniform.
“Is that a fact my Lord?” replied MacDuff in mock surprise. “I can count the number of hunt staff you passed on the street in this very outfit prior to your recruitment on one hand. Including both myself and Tiberius and with you none the wiser.”
Pierce stood astonished, waiting for MacDuff to laugh it off as a joke. But he didn’t.
“Please close your mouth sir,” uttered Melrose from behind his master. “The look of shock and disbelief does not become you.”
Pierce threw him a black look over his shoulder, to the utter enjoyment of MacDuff.
“Don’t worry lad,” offered MacDuff with a smile. “It’s the same for everyone else. Now we’d better get over to the Hunt Room or we’ll be late.”
Having never found the Hunt Room during his previous travels through the Manor, Pierce followed MacDuff through the numerous shadowed halls and corridors. Passing an open gallery, Pierce looked out to see that they were high above the floor of the Main Hall. The vista proved more imposing from above than below, as the floor’s mosaic design became fully recognizable.
The view was fleeting however as they continued their journey. At the next corner they turned left into an imposing space in its own right. This hallway was double the width of the previous corridor, with an ornate iron and glass skylight running its length. Between the floor and the skylight were evenly spaced and intricately carved wooden archways. Walking below them, Pierce felt as though he were walking within the skeletal ribcage of a long dead monster of great proportions.
As imposing as the corridor was, its length was not terribly great, which enabled the pair to reach the double doors at its end quicker than Pierce had expected. Just as they approached, a pair of footmen opened the doors for them.
Apparently the corridor was simply a prelude to the magnificence of the Hunt Room itself. Pierce had visited the House of Commons and the Senate a few times throughout his education, but they paled in comparison.
The wooden archways continued from the corridor into the main room, though they were larger and even more impressive. This was due to the room itself being another two sizes larger and taller than the corridor. The skylight also continued from the corridor into the Hunt room, but it again became more impressive in this space. The iron formed various designs and some of the glass was coloured.
Just like the Houses of Parliament there was tiered seating on each side of the room facing each other, separated by a thick rich carpet. The carpet in this case was blood red and ran from the doorway that Pierce now stood, to a raised platform on the opposite side of the room. This platform contained the two largest and most decorated chairs in the room, one slightly larger than the other. A desk and chair of plain design faced it from the middle of the carpet.
“Good, we’re the first ones here,” observed MacDuff. “As you can see there are twenty seats in the first row. These are for the Hunt members. The small desk in front of each chair bears the emblem of their pack and designates where you sit. You will also notice that the chair also has the pack’s emblem carved on top of it.”
Pierce walked to the middle of the room on the carpet, inspecting the various emblem carvings. Not finding his, he doubled back and found his was the first one on the right from the entrance. He figured this made sense since he was the newest member.
“Behind each member’s chair there are three more, one for the pack whip immediately behind,” continued MacDuff pointing. “And two behind it a level above for the pack hounds.”
“This place is incredible,” uttered Pierce as he continued to absorb the space.
“Apart from the North Tower, this is one of the oldest parts of the Manor.”
The sound of approaching voices made Pierce turn his head as the footmen opened the doors to admit a group headed by Schell and Zeidt. They were speaking in German, though they seemed to be simply exchanging pleasantries. Behind them trailed men and women who were presumably their Whips and Hounds, all of them dressed similarly in the Hunt uniform. Although of similar design, the uniforms had slight variation in colouring for each pack.
“Patrick, they’re letting you out of this prison?” exclaimed Schell amiably as he approached Pierce.
“Only on parole,” returned Pierce in the same spirit.
“Just so!” answered Schell. “I believe you’ve met Herr Zeidt,” he said motioning to the man beside him.
“Of course, you introduced us.”
“Really? Was I drinking at the time?” Schell asked searching his memory.
“You’re always drinking,” Pierce replied with a laugh. “Good evening Herr Zeidt.”
Pierce received a curt nod in response, and then Zeidt left them to find his seat.
“I suppose we should take our seats as well,” said Schell as the doors again opened to admit Dr. Cleaver, Mr. Drummond, and a gang behind them.
Pierce found that Schell had the seat beside him and was the leader of the Red Pack. His pack’s jackets were made of dark red leather and their chairs bore a carved wolf head. Looking behind him, he also noticed that both Liam and Sean had silently and invisibly taken their position behind him and MacDuff.
Drummond took his post in silence. As Hunt Secretary he sat at the desk in the middle of the room. Cleaver continued to the platform and stood in front of the smaller of the two chairs. Surrounding the base of the platform stood five black leather clad men. Once everyone was placed, Dr. Cleaver sat, immediately followed by everyone else in the room.
As he sat down he could sense MacDuff leaning towards him.
“Hounds without a pack serve the Hunt and wear the black uniform,” whispered MacDuff. “Those are all Cleaver’s men and they were all on the stagecoach outside Rooks Bay.”
Pierce nodded his comprehension, not wishing to interrupt Cleaver’s opening.
“As Master of the Hunt I pronounce this session open,” he began grandly. “Your mission tonight is for requirements for the Manor. Although not particularly dangerous, this is a vital exercise that will require a certain amount of skill and discretion.”
The various Hunt members looked to each other in anticipation, while the packs’ faces remained impassive.
“You will be travelling to 2010. The location is Ottawa, Canada,” the Master continued. “Your target is a new solar power system being developed at the University of Ottawa.”
Schell gave a quick eyebrow raised glance to Pierce before returning his attention. Pierce was shocked by this pronouncement, but battled to remain as calm as his men.
“Mr. Secretary please continue with the brief.”
Drummond stood up and passed out paper pamphlets to the Hunt members and their packs.
“If you turn to page 1 you will see a map of the area,” began the Secretary. “Further pages will show maps of the campus along with a list and diagrams of the requirements. Please read through this and I will answer questions when you’ve finished.”
A Malevolent Manner (Patrick Pierce #1) Page 42
