by Viola Grace
“I see. I will make a note to keep you on supervisory duty at the base, just to let you have an outlet.”
She knew her tone would be wry before she spoke. “It would be appreciated.”
“No problem.” He laughed again.
“You know, Might, you are the most cheerful Dhemon I have ever met.”
He snorted. “I know. The shame of my family. I just don’t have the serious nature required by most Dhemon women to qualify to have them look past my talent. I know, I have tried. The last round of visits I had to make were cut short because many of the ladies did not want my formal apology for accepting the post here. It was why I was able to arrive early and why you are now here with me on this shuttle.”
There was a look in Esur’s eyes again that she didn’t like, so instead of causing a scene, she simply wandered over and sat next to him. He immediately took her hand in his own, stroking her palm with his thumb. The shivers that ran through her, left her in no doubt that she was meant to be with him. It was just a matter of time and logistics.
“There are some decks of cards here and Samantha has taught me to play. There is also a Mintag game, but that will take a little bit longer.”
The mention of Mintag perked Esur up. “I will play against you if Roxanne doesn’t mind.”
“I don’t mind at all. I will just go over the files and data that have been accumulated on the thefts. Is there any way to get full maintenance logs from the museum as well?” She was making her way to the desk with the screen lighting up as she sat down.
“You have full clearance, so look at whatever you wish.”
There was unrestrained eagerness in his tone and she realized that the two boys were both eager to have someone to play with, they just didn’t know how to ask.
She started rifling through the data, pulling logs, sorting and recombining data until she started to get the full picture. If she was right, the light bulb replacement would be the key.
She simply needed to get her hands on their inventory.
Chapter Six
“Welcome, Guardsmen. We are relieved that you have been able to come to our assistance in this matter.” The head curator was wringing his hands, all four of them. Master Helugar was tall, strapping and every Yaleth woman’s dream.
“Thank you, Curator. We are eager to begin this investigation. If you would show us the way?” Might was all charm and grace. Finder could see why he had been chosen for this position. He was good at dealing with the public.
She and Frost had practiced using the aliases the second day of their journey. It was simply easier to keep an image of the ice dragon in mind while they spoke.
The halls of the museum were crammed with artefacts, displays and dioramas. It tweaked her funny bone to see that even the most advanced races liked to make three-dimensional models to make the historic moment in time accessible to all.
A display that she had not expected to see had caught her attention when she was searching the museum’s display archives. There was a Terran exhibit.
She had to keep her mind on the task at hand and not ask to see the exhibit. It wasn’t open to the public yet and she wasn’t sure if her status as a Sector Guard would allow her to view it.
Master Helugar was still talking urgently to Might about the concerns he had regarding damage to the reputation of the museum. Might was doing his best to assure the man that Finder was the best person for the job.
She hoped he wasn’t just blowing smoke.
Frost was on high alert, staying close to her with his wings spread slightly to foil attack from behind. Walking side by side, their matching costumes were striking. She caught a glimpse of them in the plexi protecting a display and almost gasped out loud. They looked like they were on a mission of galactic importance. It brought a giggle to her lips that she ruthlessly stifled.
They strode silently behind Might and the curator, official representatives of a new peacekeeping force.
If she kept it in her mind, she might believe it one day.
After five minutes of walking through chambers, halls and past alcoves, they arrived at the Ganyel display. The cases were all full, but the worry in the curator’s face was real.
Finder stepped forward. “Master Helugar, explain to me, in detail, the proceedings leading up to the disappearance. I am eager to hear it from a witness.”
His three eyes focussed on her in surprise, as if he didn’t expect her to be able to speak. “Well, when the items arrived, they were cleaned and prepared for display. This process takes several weeks, sometimes months depending on the artefacts. We organise the display in a mock-up room downstairs. Arrange special atmospheres if necessary and seal the cases for transport to the display area.” He stopped and waved at the room around them.
“When the artefacts disappeared, the storage facility was contacted and we removed the cases as if we were simply changing the displays.”
“Are the sealed displays still in the basement, as they were when removed from display?”
“Yes. Once Might assured us you were on your way, we locked down the area and no one has come in or out of it.”
Finder smiled. “That must be making the thief very nervous.” She chuckled to herself. “I would like to see the warehouse where you keep your maintenance supplies please. And then a tour of the preparation rooms.”
He had the grace to look only slightly sceptical. “Will this actually help your investigation?”
“It can’t hurt.” Frost contributed that bit of wisdom and again, the curator jumped. He was indeed a twitchy sort.
He shuddered but led them into the unadorned and functional storerooms.
Finder was in heaven, but she kept her face serious as she compared the information on the data pad with the physical aspect of the actual inventory. The stores were all in good condition and matched the levels indicated on the reports with one exception. There were nine display bulbs too many.
“Gotcha.” She smirked and double-checked her numbers.
“What, what have you found?” The curator was wringing his hands again.
She had just opened her mouth to tell him what she noticed when a creaking from above her made her look up. Finder was pushed to the floor, Frost covering her with his body. A hail of powder rained over them, making them cough.
Cautiously, Frost stood and held her tightly against him. Next to them, Might was standing, his fist still outstretched, covered with the plaster that was covering a ten foot diameter around them. The pattering of feet at the end of the storage racks ended when the door opened and closed.
Coughing lightly, Finder put her hand out to lower Might’s fist. “Thanks for that. Shall we continue to the preparation area?” Finder’s gaze caught those of her companions.
“You still wish to proceed?” The curator was astonished.
“Yes. Of course.”
“Don’t you wish to pursue your attacker?”
“No. We will find him soon enough. There is no where for him to go.” She dusted some of the plaster off Frost’s shoulders and turned to the curator with a bright grin.
“You know who it is?” Might whispered it in her ear.
“Of course. I knew before we landed. I just needed to make sure. Have security watch the mock-up room and keep all and any personnel from leaving the museum.” She gestured for him to precede them.
“No. I am going to watch your back.” He took up the final position in their little parade as they made their way through to the preparation rooms.
Frost didn’t let her get more than a foot away from him. He hadn’t spoken since the falling object, but she could feel the tension in him.
“This is the preparation room, but I don’t really know what you are looking for.” Master Helugar was not nearly as dismissive as he had been earlier. She was no longer a piece of furniture at Might’s disposal.
“A certain combination of chemicals that will react with certain frequencies of light.” She ignored him and began to s
earch. Frost and Might were on guard and the staff that was in the room froze under their glares.
She hummed to herself as she went from workstation to workstation. Each of the stations had itemized inventories and she compared them with the list in her mind. It was no surprise to her when she found the ninth station containing the chemical composition that she was looking for.
She raised her hand and Might followed her signal. “That composition. It is neutral until struck by waves of complimentary light.”
He took it from there. “Who’s workstation is this?”
The curator looked at his staff, lined against one wall and took a quick headcount. “Professor Ardual. He should be here right now.”
“Have security look for him. He is our most likely suspect at this time.”
Finder wanted to argue, but the look she got from his ice blue eyes shut her up. Right. Innocent until proven guilty.
Even if he was a weasely bastard that had tried to crush her with a bag of casting plaster.
Chapter Seven
“Might, I hate to be obnoxious, but do you have a location for the stolen artefacts?” Master Helugar was looking more confident now that the culprit had been identified.
“Finder? Do you have any insight as to their location?”
“Curator, please take us to the mock-up room.” Finder could hear the murmuring behind her as they walked behind the curator. Gossip was the lifeblood of the workplace and the professors, students and assistants had just gotten enough to last them for weeks.
The halls were still sterile—none of the trappings of the main museum were wasted on the workers. It was rather sad.
Two guards stood at the entrance and greeted the curator as he approached. They saluted and it took Finder a long few minutes to realize that they were saluting the Sector Guard.
“Oh. Hello. We are here investigating some thefts. May we access the mock-up room?” Finder wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to say, but they stepped aside and let her in.
The room was lovely. Displays that were being practice-positioned were in every part of the large warehouse. She consulted her mental map and strode confidently to the display of empty cases.
“How do you know where you are going?” Frost was still next to her but now relaxed enough to converse.
“The maps were in the data packs I downloaded.”
“And how did you know about the chemical agent?”
“There was a selection of chemicals that had suddenly come up missing at the last audit. The combination would produce three possible end results. One is a polymer, one is a toxin and the other is a photosensitive agent.”
“So what are we looking for now?” He was close enough that the others should not have been able to hear him.
“The missing objects. They aren’t missing at all. The suspect simply needed more time to remove them from their displays.” She checked her surroundings and took a sharp left.
Coming face to face with the missing professor was not something she had counted on. Finder squeaked sharply when confronted by the large lizard and when he hissed and lunged for her, she lost all ability to speak.
Her mind blanked as he rushed forward, fangs dripping with venom that would not be good for her. Her dragon stepped forward and engaged the other predator in a fight that was short, brutal and involved the smashing of two display cases.
Might had moved to stand between her and the battle, but as soon as it was finished, she rushed forward.
“Show me your hands.” Blood was seeping out of wounds that the professor had inflicted. She hissed and pressed his flesh tightly to slow the flow.
“He didn’t manage a bite.” Frost was smiling. “I broke his jaw first.”
“Yes, I see that. You also smashed some cases. Good thing they are not environmentally sensitive artefacts.” She looked up to see his face just inches from her own. The kiss was irresistible.
Their breath met, mingled and she sighed at the soft-smooth feel of his lips against her own. How long they stood exploring the novel sensation of the kiss, she didn’t know, but when Might cleared his throat, she leaned back with a dazed feeling that Frost was echoing in his ice blue eyes. His lips were swollen and she could feel the tingle in her own.
“Sorry, Might. Glove up and open one of the empty cases. Reach around and pull out whatever you find, then rub it with some of the dust left on your uniform from the plaster.” She was still keeping pressure on Frost’s hands, bemused as the flesh sealed while she watched.
“Nice trick, Frost.”
“A perk for my species. We heal quickly.”
They were still busy staring into each other’s eyes when Might cleared his throat again.
“I found something. Several somethings in fact. It looks like a necklace.” He held out his hands and showed them the dusted artefacts.
“This seems to be what was missing from this case, wouldn’t you say, Curator?”
Master Helugar had been hanging way back while they examined the contents of the display. “It seems to be correct. You mean that they have been here the whole time?”
“Yes. The professor treated them with the chemical during the cleaning process and when they were exposed to the special lighting, the compound absorbs and reflects light. They turn invisible.”
The curator took the dusted necklace from Might’s hands. “Can it be reversed?”
“Of course. Just wash them in water. They will clear right up. Also, you may want to remove those lights and destroy them. They have no use for any objects here, aside from activating the compound.”
“Wonderful! I will let security know that Professor Ardual is to be held until he can be taken to a secure facility for charges.” The wringing hands had stopped. He was positively beaming.
“Please. I don’t want him around Finder anymore. He tends to try to kill her.” Frost was scowling and looking as if he wanted to attack the unconscious lizard again.
When security arrived, the professor was still not stirring.
“Make sure to keep him in a cold room until he can be picked up. He is a lot slower when his metabolism is down.” Might clapped the curator on the shoulder and grinned.
“I can’t thank you enough for taking care of this so quickly. Is there anything I can do?”
Might was about to shake his head, but Finder caught his eye. “Finder?”
“There is a display being put together for the Terran exhibit. May I see it?”
The curator could not have been more shocked. “You are Terran?”
“I am. May I see the exhibit?”
“Of course. Please. Be my guest.” He lead the way and Finder clung to Frost’s arm as they walked through the unfinished exhibits. “You know, Finder, given your talents, I don’t doubt that you could have found this on your own. Why wait for approval?”
“It wouldn’t have been the same. I am not one to infringe on hospitality when it is offered. Manners matter.”
“Well said, miss. Well said.” He chuckled as they made their way around the corner that concealed her species’ history in space.
“Oh. Wow.” A raised podium had depictions of the five Terran Champions. Kyra, Amy, Samantha, Sarah, Annabelle, all were there in full scale.
Frost leaned in and whispered to her so that Master Helugar couldn’t hear. “Which one is Might related to?”
“Samantha, she was a Hunter who was forced to retire when there was a price on her head. She was also a wonderful singer from what I have been told. She now has three little Dhemons and apparently is quite happy.”
He looked at her in surprise and kept his voice to that whisper. “How do you know all this?”
“All humans get a monthly and sometimes weekly flyer in the mail. The Terran Times. It is an update of who is marrying whom, where the new assignments are happening, who had a baby and where the deaths are occurring. It is very informative.”
“I can imagine. Why do your people do this?”
�
�It is done by one of the Volunteers. Unlike other races that can come and go as they please, the two thousand humans that were let out into space were the first wave and we will never be allowed to return. The instant we left, we became citizens of the Alliance, born of Terra. Our home is gone. We have to start over. Therefore, we cling to each other by any means necessary.”
She went quiet and wandered around the room, perusing documents and occasionally widening her eyes at some of the letters sent by various governments to get preferential treatment for their Volunteers. The letters sent after some of the Olympic athletes were rejected were less cordial and far more hostile. Good, bad, ugly, they had kept it all.
She wanted to twirl in the glory of being surrounded by references to her race, but now was not the time. Instead, she went from display to display and soaked in all of the Terran-ness she could. It was like a display at any museum back on Earth, only now, it was her culture that was on display. The languages, the national costumes, dance, environments, it was all here.
When she reached the end of the displays, she wanted to cry. This was the place she wanted to stay forever. She felt at home here. It was so nice to be surrounded by the familiar.
“Finder, we have to go.”
“I know.”
Frost put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her in a half-hug that made her feel less homesick. “I promise that when the display is up, we can and will return.”
Tears pricked her eyes, but she smiled at him. “Okay.”
Straightening, she took his hand and together, they walked back to where Might was still fishing artefacts out of the displays to place them in buckets with water. The items became visible almost immediately and were removed as fast as possible by fanatical assistants who were hovering under the watchful eye of security.
Might was also crushing the lights after he removed all contents from the cases. No one would be able to play that trick on those displays again.
“Curator, please make sure that the lights are changed on the exterior displays. They will be saturated and fading into invisibility within the week if you don’t.” She was still clinging to Frost’s hand, but it felt too right to let go.
