Chapter 7 - The Kraken Gate
That evening, my tasks complete, I found myself being let into Harman’s residence once again. He’d asked me to check in with him every evening while I was still in Emberly. He had also instructed me to remain in touch via heliograph after I arrived in Lannerville.
I suddenly felt exhausted. I’d been awake since three bells that morning, and the day’s work had been demanding. Obermann showed me into the old man’s study. Harman did not look at-ease. I guessed that the morning’s explosion had caused some difficulties for him, difficulties personified by Emberland’s First Chancellor of the Council who was standing by Director Harman’s desk. He was looking less composed than earlier. His brow was beaded with sweat and the brown, three-piece suit he’d had on in the morning was now looking decidedly creased. The destruction of Winslow Hall had obviously resulted in a busy day for him too. My sympathy for him was nonexistent; after all, this was the man who had the power to pardon my father, but had declined every year he’d been in office.
My gaze slid off him. Secretary Lampton was hovering in the background like a bad smell, as usual. My attention finally switched to the third person and I immediately felt as though I had taken a gut-punch. Suddenly, Chancellor Gordon was one of the more likeable characters present, because the man standing next to him had been my commanding officer in the Marines, the man I’d fought with and kneed in the balls, the man who’d had me thrown out of the army… my ex-lover.
‘Ms. Derringer. I believe you know Chancellor Dermont Gordon, and this is…’
‘Lieutenant Benjamin Scott,’ I interrupted, brusquely. Benjamin Scott was tall, had kind eyes, a boxer’s nose and crew-cut brown hair. He was wearing khaki and grey-shot military fatigues and a charcoal beret. Both he and the chancellor stepped forward, expecting handshakes. I ignored both. Great, Connie! Why don’t you gouge their eyes out while you’re at it? Ruin your career again! Why not? Was I mistaken or did Benjamin’s face betray a touch of chagrin? Chancellor Gordon’s mouth quirked up slightly in his rotund face. It was a smile, but his eyes retained a predatory look. When he spoke, his voice was as polished as the Stone of Forgiveness.
‘Are you alright, Ms Derringer?’ he asked. ‘You seem to have injured yourself since you were here this morning.’ He indicated a spot on his forehead that matched the wound the pavement had given me that morning. I put my hand up and touched it. It wasn’t bleeding anymore but there was a decent sized lump there and it ached.
‘It’s nothing. A skittish horse panicked, and I was too slow getting out of the way.’
Chancellor Gordon nodded, still wearing a slightly cynical smile. I wondered if it meant something, or if it was just a defence mechanism he’d learned in order to survive in the corridors of power. The key to security work lies in nurturing a healthy suspicion of everyone and everything without letting it become full-blown paranoia.
‘You dislike me, Ms. Derringer,’ the chancellor said, catching me off guard. ‘You blame me for your father’s situation, and I am forced to admit that I would feel the same way, were I in your shoes.’
I jumped in with both feet, as usual. ‘Did you lose your mother to the Corrosion when you were as baby? Was your father imprisoned when you were fifteen years old?’
Director Harman raised a hand, but I was already a river in full spate.
‘I didn’t think so,’ I continued. ‘The only crime my father committed was serving this country loyally for many years.’
‘And defending the late King Orwall III in court.’
‘Something every citizen has a right to, in case you’d forgotten. It’s in the constitution you helped to write!’
‘He was the king, not a citizen,’ growled Gordon, rising to the bait,
‘The moment the Revolution terminated the monarchy, he became a citizen, entitled to the same rights as everyone else, or is the Republic as two-faced as the monarchy was?’
An awkward silence took hold. Secretary Lampton stared at me with his mouth open, unable to express his outrage. He stepped forward, and I really believed he was going to strike me with his notepad. Chancellor Gordon pulled him back.
‘Maybe we should discuss this some other time, Ms. Derringer,’ he said. He looked like someone who’s discovered a caterpillar in his soup, but his political instincts reasserted themselves. ‘There are complexities to being the chancellor of Emberland that you may be unaware of. That said, the Prince of Gulreimia speaks very highly of you and your team, something I am prepared to take into account.’ He paused momentarily, testing me, looking to see if I had control of my temper. When it was clear that I was not going to speak again, he continued. ‘Perhaps we can revisit this discussion when we’ve dealt with the current difficulty, yes?’
Director Harman waited a moment and then coughed politely.
‘Ms. Derringer, I’ll come straight to the point,’ he began. ‘As you’ll no doubt be aware, the morning’s events have had repercussions across the city, and across Emberland too. Chancellor Gordon has made the Council’s feeling known to me in regard of our project, an undertaking they’ve always felt somewhat uneasy about.’ Here Harman glanced across at the chancellor who merely nodded in agreement.
‘Whilst I have always been diligent in expressing the aims and the risks of this enterprise to the Council, the incident at Winslow Hall this morning has resulted in an emergency session at which they have decided that my license to research the Koulomb Gate will only be extended under certain new conditions.’ Harman took off his gold-rimmed spectacles and began polishing them.
I said nothing. The details would surely be forthcoming. Director Harman put his glasses back on and looked at Chancellor Gordon.
‘Would you?’ he asked.
‘Of course, Michael.’ Emberland’s leader tried a warm smile that had much the same effect as an ice bath. ‘Ms. Derringer, Director Harman has gone to great lengths to explain to me how you and your security team have averted what could have been a terrible catastrophe.’ He paused for a reaction. When I remained quiet, he nodded and continued.
‘I am convinced that the city, perhaps the country, is indebted to you for preventing one of these creatures, the so-called ‘Charg’, from crossing into our world. That said, the collateral damage was considerable, something the Council simply cannot ignore. I don’t know if you are aware of this but there was a large protest outside Chambers this afternoon.’
‘No, I’m sorry,’ I lied. ‘I was very busy.’ I had passed Chambers twice on my various errands and seen people with placards. There were always people with placards on Treslaw Gardens outside the Council buildings, such as workers who felt that the Republic was treating them no better than the Empire, or muddle-brained liberals who liked to insist that the Nallians were our friends, and often, groups of women who, unlike me, had not reaped any benefits from the Great Republic. I had seen the additional protesters, but I had no intention of making things easy for the chancellor.
‘In spite of your good work to-date, the Council has voted unanimously in favour of bolstering the security detail on this project. Lieutenant Scott has been given command of a platoon of marines. He has been tasked with assisting you. Further, he is to report back to the Council every day via me.’
‘I pick my own team,’ I said flatly. ‘This was a stipulation in the contract when we were hired.’ I turned to Harman for help but he shrugged.
‘I’m sorry Ms. Derringer. Whilst the Koulomb Gate is a private enterprise funded entirely by me, it is subject to the laws of Emberland. All scientific works must be registered and authorised by the Council.’
‘Ms. Derringer,’ the chancellor cut in. He was losing patience. ‘This is a very reasonable proposal, given the situation. Believe me, the Council was determined to shut this operation down until I intervened. I persuaded them of the Koulomb Gate’s importance, but their demands are fair and clear. You will remain in charge of security for the gate itself, and of all the equipment, but Lieutenant Scott and his men will guard the grounds, both from external threats and internal ones. If, and when, any excursion takes place to another planet, you will command it, but half of the security detail must consist of Lieutenant Scott’s marines.’
‘My team are good, Chancellor.’
‘Indeed, Ms. Derringer. Your little outfit hasn’t been going long but the resume is impressive. Polygon Mining were pleased with your work in eight-hundred fifteen when they had all that trouble with the unions. Then you landed security detail for the Prince of Gulreimia’s visit the year before last. There are a number of smaller jobs too, all resulting in client satisfaction. However, Ms. Derringer, this operation is bigger than all those put together. Also, as I understand it, as of this morning you are two men short. Am I misinformed?’
‘You are not, Chancellor.’
‘There, you see? You’re being given additional resources to do your job and the Council is paying for them.’ Chancellor Gordon looked across at Lieutenant Benjamin Scott as if he’s made a joke. My ex-lover gave a thin smile.
‘Please, Ms. Derringer. Try to see it from the Council’s point-of-view. The Koulomb Gate could fundamentally change the balance of power across the world. As you already discovered, the Nallians are sniffing around. What do you think your little team will be able to do if our enemies really sit up and take notice?’
Chancellor Gordon sat back and watched his words sink in. He had a point. Director Harman’s desire for us to deal with the Charg meant that most of our attention would be focused at the distant end of the portal. I thought of my team, now lacking Ty Rendish and Edgar Finnian, trying to defend a country estate twenty times the area that Winslow Hall had occupied. The chancellor’s logic was good, but I still didn’t like it. It would mean working with the man responsible for getting me court-martialed. Harman hated the idea of letting the chancellor in on the project; I could tell from the tight set of his lips.
‘No choice, then?’ I directed the question at the old man.
‘No, Connie.’ I’d never heard Harman use my first name before and I took it for a warning, but of what?
‘In that case, I agree.’
‘Excellent!’ exclaimed the chancellor.
‘I do have one condition though.’ Both men raised their eyebrows. Lieutenant Scott made the ghost of a smile. ‘My team gets to vet the marines,’ I insisted. ‘Full disclosure, military history, family background, Level A clearance.’ Chancellor Gordon shook his head.
‘Level B. Some of these men have been in classified operations that even I’m not allowed to know about. You’ll get Level B cleared information and make do.’
I looked at Harman. He nodded. He had no more choice in the matter than I.
‘Splendid,’ said the chancellor getting up to leave. ‘I’ll arrange for the information to be dispatched to Lannerville. I have to leave now to write up today’s report for the Council, and you, Ms. Derringer, put your history with Lieutenant Scott behind you. I’d like you to meet tomorrow to share your plans.’ He shook hands with Harman. ‘I’ll be in touch, Director. Please give me due warning if you plan to leave Emberly.’
‘Naturally, Chancellor. Allow me to see you out.’
They left the study. Suddenly I was alone in the room with a total bastard. Benjamin smiled at me which put me in a worse mood.
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