Ciel and Sebastian 9
Ciel Phantomhive found himself in a foul mood, one nothing but Lord Winslow's death could change. Attending a meeting with Lord Randall shortly after Rosewood House had not been a good idea in hindsight. Although he knew Harlow was most likely responsible for Sir Talbot's murder, and there was significant evidence to prove it, Winslow's demon barred the path to both Harlow's arrest and conviction. Subsequently, the boy had spoken very little. Sebastian made the excuses and fielded Randall's most venomous remarks with his usual aplomb before the commissioner was satisfied they had nothing to offer to the investigation. They had then returned to the townhouse.
Ciel rejected the demon's offer of sweets, including a gateau des fruits, when they were in the living room. He had no appetite after his humiliation. The bitter taste of defeat swirling round his mouth made the idea of any food simply impossible. The boy ordered Sebastian to find Harris' weakness, the one he had said could be exploited to kill the rival demon, and ignore everything else. Sebastian's refusal to do as ordered, the first such instance Ciel could remember of open defiance, was enough to make the boy explode into rage.
"I ORDER YOU! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND YOU'RE MY SERVANT? YOU THINK YOU CAN TREAT ME LIKE A CHILD AS WELL?" Ciel screamed getting to his feet from the armchair and squaring up to his towering butler. It was like the dream. Sebastian's defiance was like the nightmare. Why was everyone denying him things? Why was everyone against him? "I order you to find that bloody bastard's weakness and kill him and that old pervert immediately! Do I make myself clear, you stupid sodding demon?" The boy snapped having managed to lower the bass in his voice enough to not sound like a child throwing the mother of all tantrums. The demon smiled at him.
"I take no pleasure in defying your orders, Young Master. But, I cannot allow you to sit here and sulk without food or comforts whilst I am gone. If I were to do, I would fail as your butler. My first priority is your health and well-being, not exposing an inferior demon's flaws." Sebastian said coolly. Ciel was in disbelief of the demon's lack of cooperation. He was in disbelief of the surreal nature of this entire situation given he had gone to London to solve a single murder. Instead, he now found himself embroiled in criminal enterprises, occult practices and a battle of egos and wits with a fellow servant of Her Majesty. Sebastian's refusal to carry out his command was almost too much for the boy to endure without snapping completely. The boy took a deep breath and collected himself.
"And what do you suggest we do to stop Winslow and his disgusting business practices?" He inquired in a calm tone almost equal to his servant's. Sebastian replied instantly and without any need to think how to word his reply.
"You will take a long, hot bath. I will prepare this evening's meal. Once you are no longer overly stressed and your wounded pride has mended, we will begin by stopping all Lord Winslow's business ventures at their sources. Then and only then will we graduate to the man and his uncouth guardian. Never be in doubt you will succeed in plenty of time, Master. I am always with you. But the tension in both your body and voice are unbefitting to someone of your breeding. They belong to wayward children and the poor, desperate men of this city's underbelly. You are above such things, are you not?" Ciel appreciated such support, even if Sebastian was somewhat patronising in his manner. He supposed the demon's strategy was a sound one. He knew he was in no state to attack intelligently as he was. The boy knew without a coherent plan, Winslow and his lapdogs would walk all over him and simply take his position. He nodded at Sebastian.
"Yes, I am. Please run me a bath, Sebastian." The boy said. His use of the word 'please' seemed to surprise his butler, who raised his eyebrows briefly before responding in the usual fashion.
"Yes, My Lord."
Ciel discovered that the demon was more attuned to his mood than he thought. Mere minutes after immersing himself in water slightly warmer than his blood, the youth felt his anger and bitterness begin to recede. He closed his eyes and relaxed for long, slow minutes until he heard Sebastian enter the room. He did not open his eyes even when the demon dressed behind him and began snapping on a pair of gloves to commence washing his hair.
"Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes, Sir. Would you like to hear tonight's menu?"
"No. Just wash my hair."
"Certainly."
Ciel felt lean fingers journey across his scalp with monotonous regularly for what seemed like an age. The familiar sensations that came with the ritual of hair-washing proved soothing on his mind and helped ease further pain and angst, especially where Winslow's scathing remarks were concerned. When his hair was rinsed, the boy let himself be gently eased to a sitting position and fully expected to get up and dress out of the bathtub. Instead, the demon's lean fingers found their way to his shoulders and began to massage them. He opened his mouth to protest, only to find the firm pressure as Sebastian's thumbs circled the small amount of muscle he had across the top of his neck and shoulders loosened up his entire body. The massage only lasted three minutes, but further robbed him of tension to the point he could even muster a 'thank you' to the butler as he was dried at the side of the tub. This time there was no trace of surprise on Sebastian's face. The demon dismissed the gratitude with his usual answer of being just a mere butler and nothing more.
"I have reconsidered my earlier orders." Ciel announced as he began to eat his main course of pan-fried pheasant breast with raspberry jus, spiced red cabbage and steamed asparagus, a dish Sebastian believed represented the countryside. Sebastian, waiting on the table, offered up a polite smile.
"Indeed? What have you reconsidered regarding them, Young Master?"
"They were…too blunt. Lord Winslow expects an act of attrition based on anger, not intelligence. We must be subtle if we are to stop him. As you said, we need to arrest his businesses and their growth before tackling the man and his dog. Do you believe if we actively target his illicit activities, we might succeed in luring him into the open?" The boy inquired gathering up a bit of everything on his fork and taking a measured bite. Tonight's food was even better than usual, another tactic the demon was using to bring him back to level-headed thought. Ciel liked his strategy.
"I believe Lord Winslow is very much like you, Sir. Not in deed of course, but in thought. If you reacted so strongly to his arrogant manner and depreciative commentary, I imagine if the positions were reversed, he would lose his composure too. I doubt Harris would strive to compose him either. He does not seem to possess that kind of bond with his master." Sebastian said, alluding to the idea they did have such a close relationship. Ciel had to suppose that was true, given the number of times the butler had not only saved his life but boosted his morale and lifted his mood. The boy considered.
"Could that tenuous bond between them be a weakness to both of them?"
"Certainly in Lord Winslow's case. With his demon, I cannot be certain. What I am certain of is that Harris is physically weaker than I am. If we were able to tax him severely enough, perhaps with distractions or multiple attempts on Lord Winslow's life or properties, I would be able to subdue him."
"And by that you mean kill of course?" Ciel clarified with a smirk. Sebastian returned the gesture and inclined his head.
"Of course."
"So, we should return to Rosewood House after dinner and check the records for proof of child prostitution. If I'm right, several children will have been adopted by the same people for the express purposes of trafficking around London's seedier districts. They would need to be young so they could be indoctrinated by their masters and also of ill-education and background so they cannot seek refuge elsewhere or risk escape. If he's smart enough, he will have burned such records, but if he's as arrogant as he seems, he'll still have them."
"Why do you believe that?"
"Because if I were him, I would do the same thing. Arrogance makes you feel untouchable. You begin to take risks because you feel you can afford to and because it gives you a rush few other things can match." Ciel responded taking another bite.
"I can understand the appeal of such a vaunted position of power. Do you find me arrogant, Master?" Sebastian said to pose an interesting question. Ciel had no problems answering it, having already considered the query for himself some time ago.
"I find you smug, but not arrogant. But, a creature like you is somewhat deserving of smugness, given your talents are so vast and never waiver, regardless of age or circumstance. When I'm dead, you'll still be the same absurd perfectionist you are now. It is comforting to know you are a constant in the world."
"Why is that?"
"I will always have someone who remembers me, even if my family are forgotten, my body turns to ash and my gravestone is reduced to an illegible moss-covered stone. You will always recall I existed. If my soul meets all your expectations or exceeds them, you might even miss me." Ciel suggested with a smile he was certain was genuine. Sebastian's smile in return was not as easy to read.
"Perhaps I will, Young Master."
"Another thought has occurred to me as well."
"Yes?"
"Double Charles withheld information from me during my initial tasking to this investigation. They might have known of Lord Winslow's occult practices and illicit operations before Sir Ernest's murder and just needed an excuse to go after him. However, rather than go against a demon-wielding loon like Winslow themselves, they sent me to deal with the problem. The only reason they would do that is because of you." The boy postulated, leading his butler to raise an eyebrow in something akin to being slightly ruffled.
"You believe they suspect my true nature?"
"Why else? Fight fire with fire, demon with demon."
"But if that's true, why not simply tell us of Lord Winslow's involvement? Why make us uncover the truth on our own?"
"They enjoy testing me. Perhaps the Queen knows of your true origin, perhaps not, but I am almost certain, Double Charles know of Winslow's shady dealings and of your talents for dealing with such problems."
"Then they must also appreciate your cunning, Master. Your reputation as a problem solver, particularly where occult practices are concerned, is well-deserved." Sebastian said in a tone that suggested the demon wholly believed what he had just said. Ciel stared at him in quiet reflection for almost a minute. Praise from a butler should have felt like an obligation of servitude, not anything to feel proud of. The boy however was certain he felt something when Sebastian offered such admiration. It was almost…
He shook the idea of sentiment loose and offered up a sneer to return the atmosphere to normal. "Enough flattery. What should I wear that suits the occasion of bringing down a criminal enterprise in the most brutal fashion possible?"
"I think your brown tweed hunter's outfit is upstairs, Sir. I think that would add a touch of class to the operation we are about to undertake." The demon said. Ciel smiled in approval.
"Yes. That will do quite nicely."
Their return to Rosewood House did not offer up the same drama as earlier in the day. Ciel located the necessary files in the office whilst Sebastian stood watch. Nobody came. The house itself was quiet, save for the snoring of the children in the bedrooms. Once they had what they required, an address in an area renowned for opium dens and ladies of the night, they left without a sound. What happened next more than made up for the lack of showmanship in gathering the intelligence.
After entering the named establishment, a brothel that hid beneath the guise of a drapery, the pair dealt with half-a-dozen of society's dreck and found nine children under the age of thirteen being forced to work in the brothel. They all bore scars of brutal assaults and haunted eyes that said they would never quite be the same again. Ciel could sympathise with them. That was why neither he nor his demonic butler spared the lives of their captors, although none of them were privy to a swift execution. The boy shot one man at least twice in his crotch and let him linger for almost ten minutes before finishing him off with a bullet to the head. Sebastian was far less poetic in his methods in ripping limbs clean off bodies and cutting out tongues, but just as effective. Once the children were in safe care, the pair set the establishment on fire and watched it burn from across the street.
"How many other locations do you suppose we'll need to visit before he takes notice?" Ciel asked as the flames began to devour the roof and thick black smoke billowed above the carnage.
"Several more, Young Master. I would imagine ten establishments such as this one in a single night would help Lord Winslow understand our position."
"Then we should get to work. Get word through our criminal network that cash rewards are being offered for the destruction of these establishments," Ciel said handing the butler a folded piece of paper, "but with the following caveat: tell them I want no survivors, but any children they may come across should be lead to safety. Make it known I shall pay handsomely for such an unusual service, but agony will befall those who ignore such a clause. Destruction of the property itself should be arson. I want to light up the sky with the ruins of his enterprises. Is that quite clear?"
"Yes, My Lord. Would you care to turn in for the evening?"
"No. If he thinks I am not willing to get my hands dirty to win this little game of ours, he should think again."
