Adornments of Glory

by J. Crispin-Ripley

  There was a light tap on the office door. Were the gods being good to her? Susan entered. Ishtar couldn't remember being so glad to see a woman come into a room.

  "Sorry I didn't come to see you earlier, Andre, but I thought you'd want me to stay with Ms. Bedarova when she left." Susan shrugged. "Poor woman isn't in her right mind and that man is manipulating her something horrible... as long as he's around I doubt you'll see Ms. Bedarova back here at the Westshire."

  "I'm sure you did your best. Could you all excuse me for a moment? I need to check something." Andre picked up the phone. "Hello? Yes... yes... thank you." He hung up. "Sorry about that. Ms. Milano... Susan, I'm going to rescind your termination for the time being."

  From Susan's expression, Andre might as well have been replaced in the chair by a pink gorilla. She didn't believe what she saw or heard, and didn't want to. "Let it stand. I don't want to work for this dump... or for you."

  "I'm sorry you feel that way." Andre stood. "Let's just say your termination's in abeyance then, for the moment."

  "No. Ishtar wants to hire me. And, she wants to settle this business with her mother once and for all."

  Ishtar nodded agreement. The way to settle matters with Belinda was to destroy her--after they learned all she knew about the whereabouts of The Adornments. Had to keep that in mind... Adornments first... then Belinda.

  "We all want this settled." Andre gave his unctuous smile, walked to the office door and opened it. "And to that end, Ms. Bedarova has just agreed to return to our fine hotel. You'll find her waiting for you in the lobby."

  Shortly after Susan went into the manager's office, Belinda arrived in the Westshire lobby, trailing flunkies. Spinecracker was with her, dressed in a three-piece suit. So were a couple of dwarves Feldspar didn't know, one on either side. Walking between them made Belinda look taller, and more attractive. Most dwarves were well favoured; these two were twisted exceptions. Odds on they were both telekinetic, that being the most common talent among dwarves.

  A few paces back were two people Feldspar did know, Brad and Vlad, the gladiator twins. They were famed for having been on a blood-soaked quest Belinda led into the Wilds to root out a pack of werewolves that had developed a taste for human flesh. While that had been necessary, in the ten or so years since the twins subsequent duels to the death in lodges of the Fringe had much of the Monarch's Inner Circle calling for another quest--one to eliminate the brothers.

  Belinda and company were surrounded by a gaggle of hangers-on carrying microphones and cameras. And hold it... skirting the outside of the reporters were two more familiar faces, Caleb and Anna, the leaders of the supposedly dispatched lycanthropes. Where had Belinda been hiding them? On Terra, most likely--if they'd ever been seen on Diluvia, that would have been the end of them, and of Belinda. Except... no, it couldn't be Anna... far too young--a daughter, perhaps? Lovely in an evil way.

  Spinecracker picked up a newspaper as he passed a stand. All eyes were on Belinda and her immediate area. None of the entourage glanced her way to notice Feldspar, as a skinnier Skythane, lurking in her corner. Some of them probably would know Skythane, but other than Spinecracker and Belinda, she didn't know who. If there had been a shadow nearby she'd have moved to it to blend in but as it was, the best she could do was hold still.

  The reporters were shouting questions. "Ms. Bedarova, why did you leave the Westshire last night? Is it true you've cancelled the deal to film Maxine Albright's book? Could you tell us about your daughter?"

  Belinda held up a hand. Silence descended. "How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child." She smiled. Spinecracker opened his newspaper. "Oh, and how wise the Bard," Belinda continued with an exaggerated sigh. "I'm afraid Feldspar takes after her father in more than just looks--first he betrayed me, now she has. I wasn't at the Westshire last night. That was Feldspar, wearing a blonde wig and makeup."

  "I thought her name was 'Ishtar', and..."

  Belinda cut the reporter off. "Whatever she's calling herself, the girl's been a disappointment from day one. I know having me for a mother can't be easy--I've never had much time to give her, but really, this impersonation nonsense has to stop."

  "But Ms. Bedarova... your daughter wasn't impersonating you. Don't see how she could, without stilts." That got a laugh from the other reporters. Feldspar smiled to herself at the puzzled and angry expression on her mother's face. Spinecracker closed his paper and tapped her arm, trying to get her attention.

  "What the hell are you talking about?" All pretence of calmness and control gone.

  "You were with her, Ms. Bedarova. And..."

  "Are you calling me a liar? Don't you think I know where I was? What the hell do you want?" Belinda wheeled to face Spinecracker, who'd grabbed her shoulder and started to shake it. She took a deep breath and looked back at the crowd of reporters. "Just a moment, please, I'll be right with you." She bent her head to listen to Spinecracker, glanced at his newspaper, then straightened. "I'm sorry. I underestimated my daughter. She was masquerading as me. The one calling herself 'Ishtar' is one of her friends, no relation to me at all--got it?"

  "Are you sure of that, or would you like to change your story again?"

  "I've had about all I'm going to take from you." Belinda stepped towards the questioner and swung a hand. The woman went flying and crashed into three others behind her. They all went down in a tangled crash.

  "Someone call the cops. Ishtar was right. She's gone crazy. Did you see her hit Barb? She hit Barb!"

  "Are you fools blind? I didn't touch her."

  Belinda hadn't, physically. Feldspar hadn't expected her mother would use her telekinesis openly on Terra. The reporters were right--Belinda was losing it... why? Could it be she was scared? Of what? She hadn't been in on the theft of The Adornments after all? No, she had to have been--not much question of that, not now she was here on Terra. What then? Spinecracker was whispering in her ear again.

  "Excuse me? Everyone? Please?" Those weren't words Belinda liked to say and it showed on her face. She did get the reporters' attention again, however. "Barb, I'm terribly sorry. This has been a stressful time for me. I'm sure we can settle this out of court. See me later, please?"

  From the faces, an apology wasn't characteristic of Linda Bedarova any more than it was of Belinda. And, from one particular face, not particularly effective either.

  "You can't buy me off like all the others, bitch. You're finished. I'm going to publish everything I know about you, everything. The rest of you can stay, if you want to, but I'm leaving."

  Most stayed. A few followed Barb, asking her questions. Caleb also slipped out behind her. Feldspar hoped the reporter would be all right but there wasn't much she could do for her at the moment.

  "She's become a story now."

  "Roger? How did you sneak up on me?" She'd been paying too much attention to Belinda, to the exclusion of her surroundings. In other circumstances, that could be a fatal mistake. "And did you know it was me?" He'd never seen her as Skythane.

  "I described you to Sian."

  "And I can see past illusions." A new voice.

  Feldspar jumped. How had she not noticed the woman with Roger? True, this Sian wasn't her type--she preferred more meat on the bones--but the hair was glorious and... she didn't have an aura... no, she did, but she had powerful mental shields, adept quality. "What are you?"

  "A friend. A witch. Roger's bond mate. The police force's resident psychic. Depends how you mean the question."

  "Roger's... I didn't know... he never said...."

  Roger wrapped an arm around Sian. "Maybe we should talk later, Feldspar. I think the action's about to resume."

  "If you're with the police, see if you can get that reporter, Barb, some protection." Feldspar spoke quickly. "A werewolf is tracking her."

  Sian nodded, took a cell-phone from her purse, pressed a button and started talking.

  "A werewolf?" Roger asked. Feldspar nodded, put a hand on his arm and glanc
ed at Sian. On seeing her nod, Roger didn't press the question. Besides, he'd been right. The action was about to heat up... Ishtar, Rabid and Susan were coming out of the manager's office.

  At the sight of Belinda, panic appeared on Rabid's face. Ishtar didn't even break stride. "Mother! You're feeling better, I hope? You took your medication?"

  "Mother? How dare you?"

  "Because I love you? Despite everything?" Ishtar walked right up to Belinda. "So, you gonna hug me for the cameras? Or are you going to try and kill me, again?" Ishtar smiled at the watchers. "The first time she tried I wasn't even born--she botched the abortion, or so I'm told. Before she gave me up, she also tried to smother me in my cradle. Not her fault though. Mom can't help being insane. She's not evil, she's sick."

  "I'm not...."

  "Now Mother, please--people accept mental illness as a fact of life, these days. No point hiding the obvious anyway, is there?"

  "You..."

  "I'm sorry, Mother. I'm not letting you get a word in, am I? You wanted to say?"

  "You're not my daughter. You're..." Belinda turned her back on Ishtar and addressed the reporters. "She isn't. Look at her. How could anyone think she's related to me? I'm not crazy, all you people are if you think she could be my daughter...."

  Feldspar felt a tap on her shoulder. "Change." Sian mouthed. "To yourself." As Feldspar did, Sian nodded and smiled. "Ms. Bedarova doesn't know when to give up, does she?" This time Sian spoke in a voice that carried. All eyes turned their direction. Belinda's widened. "There! She's my daughter. The traitor. The one by the pillar."

  Hundreds of eyes examined Feldspar, briefly.

  Ishtar started to laugh. "Oh Mother! The dark girl? You couldn't have found anyone less likely to be your daughter if you tried. I'm sorry, but this time you've really lost it."

  Ishtar's laughter spread through the crowd. Belinda's face flushed darker and darker. Feldspar heard glass rattling. What? Where? From above. She looked up.

  "Run! The chandelier's going to fall."

  All eyes went to the ceiling. A frozen moment. Screams as the crowd became a mob rushing to the door. A groan of metal as the fixture pulled from its anchor. Ishtar raised her hands as she backed away. The descent went into slow motion and the chandelier settled to the lobby floor without so much as shattering a light bulb. The quest party gathered and left in the confusion.

  * * * * *

  After pushing Roger into her life, Grams had gone absent, back to whatever it was she did on the other plane. At the time, Sian'd felt grateful--she didn't need any guidance in sexual pursuits, not anymore, and Grams' commentary could be so distracting at such times. But now she could use another level head to discuss matters.

  Roger, darling Roger, remained in shock from their bonding and a few steps behind the two Diluvian women were involved in a heated conversation with the elf numbly listening on. That one seemed lost in a terror of his own.

  Feldspar had changed back to herself--the suit did look more natural on her than her male chimera. Her hands waved wildly as she talked to Ishtar and she kept glancing back at the Westshire. Sian stopped. Better find out who and what the enemy she feared might be. Another werewolf? She'd reported Feldspar's concern for the reporter, Barb, as a tip that the woman was in danger due to a story she was doing on organised crime. It wasn't a total lie and if she'd said the word 'werewolf' she would have been laughed off the phone. She stopped to let the Diluvians catch up.

  "Problems?" she asked.

  "Possibly," Feldspar answered. "If we don't watch our backs they could start sprouting knives."

  "Firearms?" Sian asked.

  "Wouldn't surprise me a damn bit," Ishtar answered. "Owning one is a death sentence on Diluvia but Belinda makes her own rules."

  "And I think the wolves must have been on Terra for some time," Feldspar added. "You know something about them, Sian?" she asked. "You didn't seem surprised."

  "Takes a lot to surprise Sian," Roger put in.

  She spared a second for a brief smile his direction. Feeling neglected already, was he? "We're excellent targets here in the open." She glanced around... the subway. "Follow me." She bought a handful of tokens, passed them out and collected the group on the other side of the barriers. "See any of them, Feldspar?"

  "Not yet. Wait... her." Said pointing at a teenage girl. "She's the other wolf."

  Sian fixed the girl's image in her mind. A slender redhead, five foot eight, angular face, t-shirt and jeans... who noticed Feldspar pointing her way, turned and started back up to the street.

  A train arrived. "Run for it."

  Ishtar was the last in, making it just before the doors closed. "So that was the face of evil. Could have fooled me."

  "You know what her parents did, don't you?" Feldspar's question sounded rhetorical.

  "And I know what yours has done."

  No answer. Sian turned to Susan Milano. "You live near here?" The immediate concern was finding a refuge where their party could regroup.

  A shake of the head. "No, up the end of the subway."

  "Guess we'll have to go to my place then."

  "Shouldn't we have remained at the scene of the crime?" Roger asked.

  "Bit late to suggest that," Ishtar said. "Some of us might be damn dead if we had. Brad and Vlad you said?" She shook her head. "Didn't notice them. Don't think the girl's any problem but those two... and her father... and your mother," she added, directly to Feldspar.

  "Okay okay, point made. You know the dwarves?"

  "Nope. Rabid, what about you? Rabid?"

  "Huh? What? Dwarves? No."

  "Why's he in the quest party?" Sian asked Susan in a low voice. The answer was a deep blush. Oh. Okay. But he wasn't that hung... Roger was every bit as... Oh again... that was probably why Roger was. Change the topic, fast. The train slowed for the next stop. "Okay folks, we get out here."

  "So, what happened in the manager's office, Susan?" she asked as they started up the stairs to the street.

  Sian listened to the story with half an ear while trying to figure out what she could do about the charges against Roger. She couldn't keep him in her custody forever. The Chief gave her a lot of latitude, largely at the behest of a Police Board, which had as members a couple of in-the-closet Wiccans, but there were limits. If she couldn't clear Roger of counterfeiting, and quickly, he'd be turned over to the Canadian Federal Investigation Bureau and once CANFIB got hold of someone they seldom let go.

  The gist of Susan's story seemed to be that the Westshire, Andre and Spratt at any rate, was co-operating fully with Linda Bedarova. No surprise there--those two were scum. It was well known in the policing community that any service short of a snuff was available from the Westshire, at a price. But if Bedarova was going to stay there now... Susan was still talking, making less sense by the moment. The Westshire management seemed a troublesome topic with her. Enough.

  Sian put a hand on Susan's arm. "Pardon me for breaking in, but where's the money?"

  "The phoney stuff? I'm not sure. Last I saw, Ishtar had it."

  "Then I'd better find out what she did with it." Sian glanced over her shoulder. Feldspar seemed to be trying to get through to Rabid--trying to heal him, she thought from the crackling of Feldspar's aura, but Ishtar had moved forward to walk beside Roger. "And I'd better pry her away from Roger before either of them gets any ideas."

  "Too late for that."

  Sian didn't bother replying. Susan was right and they both knew it. She needed to have a long talk with Ishtar but... first things first. She turned. "Pardon me. I don't think we've met properly. Roger, could you introduce us?"

  "Huh?" Roger shuffled from foot to foot. "Oh... Sian... this is Ishtar. Ishtar... Sian."

  "Damn coward," Ishtar muttered, half under her breath. She met Sian's eyes and smiled. "So he's not my type after all. I don't mess with anyone who considers life-bonds, or has taken one. It's bad for one's karma."

  So much for needing a long talk. Had Grams been wrong? Had Ro
ger ever been in danger from Ishtar? She had to know. Now. "May I read you?"

  "Read her?"

  "She's a damn telepath, Roger. Knows your every thought."

  "I'm not that good."

  "Bullshit."

  Sian's cell phone rang. "Pardon me." Roger and the Diluvians started laughing, even Rabid. "What's so funny?"

  "The gods have spoken," Roger said, in a tone that implied he didn't believe, or disbelieve, his words. "More quietly than they did for me."

  Whatever... Sian took out her phone and glanced at the caller's number. "The Chief--I'll get back to him once we're settled. And once I know something." She set the phone to take messages but not ring and put it away again. "Now, if I may?" she asked Ishtar.