Cross Purposes

by Concolor44

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Author's Note:

You just knew it was going to happen, didn't you?

As mentioned before, I've caught up to the chapter numbers I used in the first attempt at this story, before I decided that presenting it as a crazy-quilt was a bad idea, so comments are again enabled.


Chapter Eight: Payback

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. . .

Farsund, Monday 06 December, 1841, 5:40pm

The Carolina didn't limp into port until after dark the day following Anna's rescue.

Captain Skye hadn't allowed Hans's group to leave until he got a written contract guaranteeing payment for his broken mast. Then they were ushered off the ship at gunpoint.

Most of the men peeled off to drown their sorrows in the dockside taverns. Hans and one other walked up the Barbros Gate road toward town, defeat battling dread on their features. Overhead, a blue-white gull tracked their progress.

They turned right on Stradgaten, plodding more slowly the farther they went, finally stopping after a few turns in front of a house that fronted a small park. They stood there, looking up at it. After a minute, Hans steeled himself, said, "Wait here," and knocked. He was shortly allowed inside.

A small, translucent bird lit on a roof-beam across the narrow way from the house Hans had entered; in the evening darkness, it was essentially invisible. It flicked around until it had a good view of the light coming from the front windows. Back in Arendelle, Elsa and Carlos watched grimly.

The doorman showed Hans into the front parlor where Maria Cristina waited for him. Her hands were primly crossed on her lap, her back half-a-span from the upholstery of the ornate chair. She looked him up and down once. Her eyes flicked to a spot behind him. Then she quietly asked, "Why didn't you bring her with you? You know the ship isn't as secure as this house."

He swallowed nervously a couple of times. "Um … well …"

A frown came to rest on her brow. "What? Don't tell me the kidnapping failed! You wouldn't be here if that were true!"

"Um … no. We got her."

"Well and good. Then kindly produce her." She waved an indulgent hand. "You can keep her mousey little maid for yourself, with my thanks."

Hans shifted his weight nervously from one foot to the other.
… Failed to meet her eyes.
… Cleared his throat.
… Again.
… "We, um … lost her."

Maria Cristina stared a hole right through him. "Lost her."

"Yes, Mum."

"But you just told me your efforts to capture her were successful."

"Ah … yes, Mum."

She stood. "Then how did you lose her? Did a slip of a girl overpower you and take your ship?"

"… No."

"Care to elaborate?"

"We, ah, ran into some, ah, difficulties. There was a, um, a problem with the, uh, sails, and while we were busy with that, she, um … we, uh, think she, uh … picked the lock and, um … escaped." He carefully neglected to mention the five crewmen who'd been bludgeoned unconscious. They had no explanation for that either.

Her mouth opened and shut twice. "Escaped."

"She wasn't on the ship. We searched, uh, thoroughly. Quite thoroughly. Yes. Quite."

"And you were in the middle of the ocean."

"Uh … we were out of, ah, sight of land. So to speak."

"Then where did she go?"

"We, um, we assu-su-sume she went over the side."

"Into the ocean."

"Yes, Mum."

"Into the freezing, nearly-mid-winter North Sea? That ocean? The one in which she could not possibly have survived for more than a few minutes, much less swum to shore? Is that what you're telling me?"

"I, uh, that is, we, um … can't think of anywhere else she, um … might have gone."

The ex-Regent glared at him for a slow count of four, then she abruptly spun around and bellowed, "Cardiiiiin!"

The man shortly appeared, looking quite flustered. "What the devil? Cease your infernal shrieking, woman!"

She pointed at Hans. "He has something to tell you." Then she stomped off toward the rear of the house.

"Where are you going?"

"I need a drink."

Cardin stared at her retreating back for a moment, then turned his lowering gaze on Hans. "Well?"


The tiny bird flitted from the left side of the house, which was devoid of openings, around to the right, spying a coal chute. It was the work of but a minute to gain entry, then the transformed ice golem, as a tiny fly, made its way into the inner rooms.

Hans was halfway through his explanation when the fly found their room. It parked itself in an upper corner and listened in.


Maria Cristina stormed through her rooms until she found Fleurette. "Come on. We're going out."

The girl blinked at her, but didn't object. She was used to her Mistress's odd ways, and simply retrieved their coats, hats, gloves, and boots. Five minutes later they were walking purposefully down the street. Fleurette chanced a question. "Do we have a specific destination in mind, Mum?"

"Bondeheimen's place."

The girl mulled that over and gave a tiny nod. "They do have the best coffee."

"They also have akvavit."

"Ah. So they do." Fleurette thought to herself that this might be one of those evenings when she would be hailing a hansom cab to take them back to their house. She decided not to comment on that as she pocketed the larger money-purse to go with the regular clutch. She felt they would need it.


[[ That's interesting. They think Anna killed herself? And Hilde? That doesn't make any sense. ]]

[[ I think they're grasping at straws. They didn't see her leave. They have no way of knowing that your magic could extend that far. They're drawing the only conclusion they can, given what they know. ]]

[[ Ah. Listen … ]]


Cardin was swelling, positively glowing with fury as he shouted at Hans. "You mean to tell me … with a hundred and fifty men on the ship … you buffoons couldn't keep your eyes … on two … young … girls?" He punctuated his question with blows about Hans's head and shoulders.

The other man tried to defend himself. "It musta been magic! Ow! The Queen – ow! – she must have – ow, stoppit! – must have taken her!"

"You think the Queen broke your mast? It's wood, not ice! How stupid are you?"

"No, not her! The mast just broke! They break, sometimes."

"Then how could Elsa's ice magic have taken the Princess? Did the sea freeze?"

"Um … no."

"Did ice monsters show up and whisk her away to freedom?" Sarcasm dripped off every word.

"… No."

Cardin got right up in his face and bellowed, "Then how did you lose her?"

Cringing, Hans whimpered, "I dunno! Maybe she thought she could swim to shore!"

The Frenchman drew back, his chest heaving with frustrated anger. Turning, he stalked around to the other side of his desk and rested both fists on the blotter, staring down at the green, felted surface. After a couple of breaths, he looked up, training his newly-bloodshot gaze on Hans. "You will find her."

"How are we supposed to do that?"

"Get on another ship and get your worthless ass back to Arendelle. If she's not there, start searching the coast. If she's alive – and she probably isn't – she must have come ashore somewhere. At the very least, you need to find her body."

"I can't search the whole flaming coast! That's insane!"

Cardin's eyes flamed. "Insane? No. Let me tell you what 'insane' is. 'Insane' is going in front of Minister Thiers and telling him that not only did our conspiracy fail, but we managed, in the bargain, to kill the dearly beloved sister of the most … powerfulbeing … on Earth!" He was punching the desk top this time. "He'll have us hanged, drawn and quartered, and the pieces fed to hogs!"


[[ So. Minister Thiers truly is at the top of this dung heap. That's all I need to know. ]]

[[ Let's make them comfy, shall we? ]]


Hans curled his fingers into fists, trembling with fear and indignation and the overwhelming sense of unfairness this situation gave him. "I didn't ask for this job! You came to me, remember?"

That statement, so recently heard from his least-favorite former Regent in the world, pushed Cardin over the edge. Through gritted teeth, he said, "You've ruined me. But you won't have to worry about the consequences." He jerked open the desk drawer, pulled out a pistol, and leveled it, along-side his feral gaze, at Hans.

"No! Wait! I'll do it! I'll-"

The report reverberated through the big house.

Cardin held the gun out straight for three ragged breaths, then dropped it to his side, sagging noticeably. He flopped down into the chair and leaned back, eyes closed, muttering, "This whole enterprise has foundered on the reef of bad fortune." He stayed there, unmoving, for a long moment, but finally roused himself and went to look for a servant to clean up the mess. Hans's rather inconvenient death had ruined an expensive carpet.


Wincing in shock, Elsa paused in her magical construction and murmured, "Dear God. Mssr. Cardin never displayed a temper like that during his time in Arendelle."

Carlos snorted softly. "He never had the need."

"Bloodthirsty bunch, aren't they?"

"Desperate men do stupid things. Not that the world will miss Hans, but Cardin just lost his scapegoat."

"Eh. I suppose it makes no difference. Cardin won't have to worry about Thiers enacting any sort of revenge on him, since he'll be rotting in our dungeon."

Carlos observed her weaving the stuff of the astral plane, impressed all over again with her mastery of magic. "How shall we fetch them back? The subtle approach, or the not-so-subtle?"

"I believe I would still like to stay as unnoticed as is feasible. As it is, the house will cause enough comment."

"True. So … the sky there is overcast. You want to do it tonight?"

"I think I'll gin up a little rain first. Cold rain, mixed with sleet, to keep everyone indoors who doesn't have to be outside."

"I like it."

She wrapped up her warding and tied it off with a flourish. "Now to let them in on the secret."


Cardin had been sitting at his desk, head slumped on a fist, for a few minutes. One of his servants, a fellow named Simon, had just dragged Hans's body away … but the man stuck his head back in the room, spotted Cardin, and stepped in. "Sir?"

He couldn't be bothered to open his eyes or move anything apart from his mouth. "… What?"

"We, ah … seem to be locked in the house."

Blinking twice in confusion, Cardin brought his head up and said, "What do you mean by that?"

"I've tried all the doors, and all the windows on this floor. I've sent Lars upstairs, but I expect he will find the same. They are all sealed, and rimed in ice."

The Frenchman stared at him, sudden sweat glinting on his brow, then leaped from the chair and ran to the front door. As reported, ice covered it, and the wall beside it to more than half an ell. The knob wouldn't turn, and the intense cold burned his hand when he tried it. He whirled back around to stare at Simon, then tore off to the nearest fireplace, where he grabbed a poker. Yanking the curtains away from the window opposite, he smashed it with the poker. The glass shattered, but stayed frozen in place. Several more whacks managed to dislodge most of the glass, but failed to so much as mark the opaque, white panel behind it.


[[ Oh, this is going to be fun! ]]

[[ Have at him, Sweetheart. ]]


As Cardin stood there panting, his panic mounting, words appeared on the ice:

LOUIS CARDIN,
YOU HAVE BEEN
WEIGHED AND
FOUND WANTING.

YOUR DOOM
IS UPON YOU.

With a sudden shriek, he fled to the center of the house, cowering in an inner room.

Simon, his face passing between interest and trepidation, addressed the window. "Have I the pleasure of communicating with Queen Elsa of Arendelle?"

After a pause, accompanied by a soft glow and a softer hissing sound, the words shifted, re-formed.

YOU DO.

"Then you must know that he orchestrated the kidnapping of the Princess."

YES.

He bowed low. "Your humble servant."

Though of course Simon couldn't see it, Carlos and Elsa exchanged a quick, surprised glance. She quirked an eyebrow. He shrugged. She turned back to her manipulation of eldritch forces.

WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

"My name is Simon, Your Majesty; and may I complement you on the effects of your magic."

INDEED?
AND WHY WOULD THAT BE?

"Mssr. Cardin has held me in his service via what may be charitably termed blackmail these past four years. If my supposition is correct, he will no longer have the power to threaten my family. That is if Your Majesty intends, as I hope, to incarcerate him?"

INCARCERATION
IS WHERE IT BEGINS.
WHETHER HE KEEPS HIS LIFE
IS YET TO BE SEEN.

Simon dropped to one knee and inclined his head. "Then I am content."

YOU DO NOT FEAR
FOR YOUR OWN LIFE?

"I do not. What you may do with me is of no consequence. With Cardin safely held, he won't be able to exact his evil upon my family."

WHAT DOES HE HAVE
AGAINST YOUR FAMILY?

It was a couple of breaths before he said anything. Then, quietly, "We are Jews, Your Majesty."

I SEE.
AND CARDIN DOES
NOT LIKE JEWS?

"He hates us with a consuming passion. It pleases him to …"

"Bastard!" At this point, the man in question came barreling into the room, a long knife held high. Simon jerked away as Cardin ran at him. But a sudden sheet of ice appeared between them, and the Frenchman bounced off it. Hard. A transparent sphere encased his dropped knife where it sat on the floor. The icy wall swirled around and trapped Cardin in what amounted to a small cell.

MASTER SIMON, WOULD
YOU BE KIND ENOUGH
TO SEARCH THE HOUSE
FOR WEAPONS?

"Right away, Your Majesty." Some four or five minutes passed before Simon returned, carrying a large sack about a third-full with knives and pistols. He also had a musket under one arm. "This does not represent the whole house, Your Majesty, as I fear the Countess's rooms were locked." Dumping them in front of the broken window, he backed off and watched – grinning broadly – as impenetrable ice covered them all.

WHAT IS YOUR
SURNAME, SIMON?

"Isaacs, Your Majesty."

THANK YOU FOR
YOUR SERVICE IN
THIS, MR. ISAACS.

"The thanks must all be mine, and the honor all yours, Your Majesty." He couldn't seem to keep a straight face, as smiles insisted upon gracing his lips. "I know it was entirely by accident, but you have done me a tremendous, an incalculable good in taking me out of Cardin's power." This time he leaned over in the direction of Cardin's cell and spat three times on the floor. "I can die content, knowing that my family is no longer at risk of being exposed."

BELIEVE ME,
IT WAS MY PLEASURE.
AND YOU NEEDN'T
WORRY ABOUT DYING.
I HAVE NO INTENTION
OF HARMING YOU.

Simon looked around, spotted a wing-back chair, and pulled it over in front of the … rather unique communication device. Another servant came in at that point, saw what was going on, and asked, his voice full of tremors, "Is it the Ice Witch?"

"I'll thank you not to call her a witch."

The man crossed himself and scampered away. Simon turned back to the window. "So. This is the most novel thing, by far, I have ever heard of, much less done. The tales concerning Your Majesty are many and varied, and it is so gratifying to see that they fail utterly to encompass the scope of your power."

I MUST SAY, I FIND
YOUR APPROACH
REFRESHING.
SO MANY FEAR ME
SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY
DON'T KNOW ME.

"That is their loss, then." He leaned forward, his face eager. "Are you nearby outside? Will we be able to meet soon? I would like to pledge you my service in person as quickly as is feasible."

WE WILL MEET TOMORROW.

"Wonderful!"

I MUST GO NOW.
THERE ARE ITEMS THAT
NEED MY ATTENTION.

"Then I bid you the most pleasant of evenings." He rose and stretched. "Thanks to you, I will have my first night's untroubled sleep in four years." Placing the chair back where it had been, he made his way to his chamber, pausing briefly to give Cardin a wide grin, and run a finger across his throat slowly. The trapped Frenchman looked ill.


[[ It's a shame we couldn't get them all. ]]

[[ Yet, dear. Yet. We have the two ringleaders. ]] Then she frowned. [[ Hold on a second. I've been expecting her to make an appearance, but … ]] Wheeling the point of view around through the house until she came to the locked rooms, she moved her "eyes" to a point on a wall inside. The place was deserted. [[ Blast! ]]

[[ What? ]]

[[ The coat rack is empty. She must have left before … blast, blast, blast! ]]

[[ You know, you are allowed to use strong language around me when it's called for, especially if no one else can hear you. ]]

Elsa crossed her arms and slumped in her chair.

Fighting down a grin, Carlos asked, "Are you … pouting?"

"No."

"It's ridiculously cute."

"Shut up."

He laughed and took her in his arms, swinging them around until she was comfortably on his lap. "So the harridan left before you sealed the house. No matter. Either we'll get her later or expose her later. Besides, she wasn't the mastermind."

"Ha. Obviously."

After holding her for a few more moments (always a pleasant endeavor) he asked, "Are things ready for the next phase?"

She sighed and straightened up. "Probably. Let me look."

A small bird formed at the peak of the house and detached itself, taking flight and flitting back and forth through the driving mixture of rain and sleet. No horses, no carriages, no pedestrians could be seen. (Hans's man had taken refuge in the doorway of a church a few hundred paces down the street.)

[[ It's all clear. ]]

[[ Perfect. ]]

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Farsund, 8:40pm

The nature of the hardened water Elsa was using made it more soundproof than most building materials, so no one in the house heard the rising storm outside.

On the other hand …

Fleurette came back and stood beside Maria Cristina's table, fidgeting with her reticule. "Mistress? I fear the weather may not be to your liking."

"What? Wha' do you mean?" (She'd had her fair share to drink, and then some.)

"You will not wish to walk back to the house in freezing rain."

She waved the girl off. "Get a cab."

"Would it not be safer to stay here at the inn? It is getting colder out there by the minute, and …"

"Are y' deaf, girl? I said I want a cab!"

"Um … right. A cab." She hurried off. I knew it would come to this. 'Get a cab, get a cab.' Stupid rain in stupid winter in stupid Norway.

Fleurette begged and pleaded, in her broken Norwegian, for twenty minutes, before she could find someone to take them back to the house, and he charged what she considered an outrageous sum to do it. (But then, he was the one sitting out in the elements while they had the closed carriage, and fair is fair.)

Their transport finally stopped. The cabby opened their door … and gave them a confused glare. "You said Kirkegaten, right? Be the fourth house on the right, yeah?"

Drawing back a little from the steady downpour of sleet and rain, Fleurette nodded.

He turned away and gestured … to where the house had been. There was a large gap instead.

Fleurette shook Maria Cristina awake. "Wha? We here?"

"There's not a 'here', Mistress."

Giving her an owlish stare, the ex-Regent said, "Huh?"

"Look. The house is gone."

Maria Cristina gazed dumbly at the bare lot where the building had been. "Where's th' house?"

"I told you, Mistress. It's gone. It isn't there anymore."

One thought burned through the alcoholic haze: The Snow Queen. She swallowed hard. "Get us to the docks."

The cabby began his objections, but she shouted him down. "The docks! Now! We have to get out of here!"

He tried to argue, but Fleurette placated him. "Sir, it is not much farther to the docks than it is back to Bondeheimen's place."

"Yeah, but Bondeheimen's is open. Lest you spend the night under a warehouse shed, you would better be served back at the inn."

That gave the women pause. Fleurette said, "He makes a good point. And our trunks appear to be gone anyway."

"Fine. The inn. Let's go." She huddled down in her seat. "But we leave with the first tide."

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End Note:

I hope you all had as much fun reading this chapter as I did writing it.

Comments?