Hello everyone.
I said I would publish every month, and I will do it, even if it is 2 day before the next month.
anyway, here is the ninth chapter of void on a turtle. I had a hard time starting to write it, but once I was launched, I kept going, and eventualy the chapter ended up being longer than what I intended.
I would like to thank Aankh again for helping me.
I dont own Neither the discworld or Familiar of Zero
Enjoy.
VIMAIRE'S OFFICE, ANKH MORPORK, 26 SEKTOBER, AT 22h23.
The office was dimly lit, despite the two person inside. Not that it was something that made them uncomfortable, the two of them were used to low luminosity, either thought a youth spent underground or a lifetime of night patrols. Beside, they had more to worry about than the weak light of a few candles.
Vimaire, sitting on his chair and doing paperwork, was boiling internally, to the point that he would foam from the mouth had he no control over himself. He was stuck in here to oversee the operation, instead of being on the street, solving the case... It was his son, damn-it! He knew why Carrot did not let him go, but knowing that the captain was right did not make him feel better. There was a horrifying feeling in knowing there was a problem, but being aware that you would only make things worse, that you would do the thing you're supposed to fight. He felt useless, powerless and devoid of options. It made him slightly regret the harsh words he had for Louise. But she was far too young to be involved in this, she would only get hurt.
Right now, he could only wait for his men to find something. He would say that the life of his son was in their hands, but that would be unfair to put the responsibility on them. The one that held his son's life in his palm was Golneus. If that bast...
"Sir!"
The commander raised his head and looked at Carrot. The captain was looking at him in the eye, with his piercing gaze, before moving his it to his superior's hand. Inside Vimaire's palm was a crushed pen, its ink smearing between his fingers like indigo blood.
"Damn-it! Sorry Carrot, I was not paying attention."
"I can see that Commander. I know that it must be very hard for you, but getting angry will not resolve anything."
Of course you know it is hard, thought Vimaire. You always understand people, even if you rarely act like them. When your girlfriend got abducted, you stayed perfectly calm, you even took a nap. He felt like he wanted to be angry at the captain, but he knew Carrot was right. In this kind of situation, the success was not determined by people that got furious, like himself. It was cool headed persons that were the fittest to supervise the search for a missing child. And Carrot's head was nearing the absolute zero. Being angry at him would be like lashing out at your raft when you're in the middle of the ocean.
"Yes I know that. That's why I agreed to stay inside. But I can't fully calm down. My child is missing damn-it..."
"That's understandable. Would you like me to ask for Igor another one of his calming medicine?" Carrot stood up, picked the mug of the commander(1), and motioned toward the door. Vimaire was about to answer, but was cut by the knocking sound from said door.
"Come in..." He said, while Carrot sat himself again.
Entering the room was constable Shoe, the zombie, but he was followed by someone.
"Commander, it's..." Started the differently living.
"No need, Reg, I have an idea..." Said Vimaire "So, Purity, let me guess, Louise got hurt trying to escape?"
"Actually..." Tried to say Shoe.
"Not now, Shoe, I'm sure I can listen to what she have to say myself. So... What is it?"
"Will... We were not able to stop her from escaping" Said the maid with an instant of hesitation.
"whatdidyousaypurity?"
"Louise escaped. She tricked us and left the mansion."
"Could you repeat that? Cause it sound like you are saying that Louise escaped when she was supposed not to." The face of joviality on Vimaire's face was not fooling anyone, and both Shoe and Purity took a step back. Carrot, however, seemed completely unaffected from the outside, but people who knew him would be able to tell that he was worried about his superior's reaction. Otherwise, he would have already asked Purity information on how Louise escaped.
"I'm really sorry, sir..." Purity could only mutter so much. Angry as Vimaire was, it was better to not say anything that could make it worse.
Carrot put himself slightly between Vimaire and Purity, not enough to block the view of Vimaire, because that would make him even more annoyed, but enough to face him and look at him in the eye.
"Sir..." Spoke the captain "While this is troublesome, please remain calm. If this girl as managed to escape your butler and staff, then I'm sure she is competent enough to handle herself for a night in the streets."
Vimaire turned his head to glare at Carrot.
"Carrot, didn't you think about it? She wanted to help find Sam. It's not a knight outside she is having, she is trying to catch a dangerous criminal that even we have trouble finding! A criminal that has my son hostage! And the last thing I want is Grumb with another prisoner, even more so if said prisoner is ..." He stopped before revealing that Louise was a noble from another country(2). But it remained that when her parents would come get her, telling them "I'm sorry, but your daughter died while in our care because we could not deal with our own criminals fast enough" was a sure way to start a conflict. And there will be lots of meeting, of diplomacy, and Vimaire hated his job as a diplomat.
"She's what?" asked Shoe. Many the member of the watch had a pool going on what was Louise's true origins(2), and Reginald was among them.
"Nothing Reginald, besides we have more important things to do. I'm going after her. Send the message to everyone to keep an eye out for any child sized suspicious person... No wait, the dwarf wont like it! Carrot, do we have any pink haired agent?"
"No sir"
"Good, tell them to try and catch any pink haired suspicious person!"
"Do we send Angua after her?" asked the captain.
"No, Angua and the tracking experts stay on the tracks of Grumb, we can't have them do anything else." Vimaire took his cloak and pulled his badge out of his drawer. "Reg, you're coming with me, I might need a pair of extra arms. And don't tell Igor I said that, he might get the wrong idea"
"Yes sir!" answered the zombie, who exited the room to wait for Vimaire in the hallway.
Before leaving, Vimaire stopped an instant, before turning toward Purity
"And Purity, don't beat yourself over it. Children at that age surprise everyone, and they tend to be way more resourceful than expected."
"Yes sir." she simply answered, but you could feel a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulder.
"Well, that's good. Carrot, I trust you to keep the operation working. Later!"
(1) normally, this mug would be filled with coffee, but the captain decided today was not the kind of day one should drink coffee.
(2) You could bet on someone else theory. The winners will get a whole week of having their drinks paid by everyone else. Make that one month if it was your theory. Right now there was "Louise is Vimaire's distant relative", "Vimaire illegitimate child" (this one was still going), "the daughter of a powerful witch", "a witch herself", "related to some royalty" and many others.
/
UNSEEN UNIVERSITY, AT THE SAME INSTANT
"Arch-chancellor, I don't think this would be a good idea." said the dean, nervously looking at the ballist the faculty had put on the table, facing the door of the library.
"Oh, stop it, you spineless wimp. We're just gonna go inside the library forcefully, since SOMEONE DECIDED TO CLOSE IT TO THE PUBLIC"'
Only the silence answered Ridcully's intense insinuation.
"But we do not know what's behind, sir. We could hurt him, or worse, damage a book." said the dean
A small doubt appeared in the Arch-chancellor eyes. After all, nobody wants to be the one that get the Librarian angry. For pretty good reason. A fully grown orangutan punch could knock a troll's teeth out of its mouth. (3)
"Well...it's... It's his fault. And beside, you all agreed to it, so we will all share the punishment"
"But you force..."
"NOT NOW HENRY! STOP TRYING TO DUMP YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES ON SOMEONE ELSE!"
"But you just..."
"NO BUT! WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER! AND DON'T TAKE THAT EXASPERATED LOOK WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!" Shouted Ridcully
A dozen of servants entered the antechamber, carrying trays of various foods and drinks. They all stopped in their tracks, surprised to see a war machine on the table of mages.
Ridcully looked at them, then snapped back his attention to the dean. "Saved by the bell, Henry!" He then turned toward the rest of the faculty "What are you waiting for, you lazy old worm. Move the engine out of the way, we need to eat."
They did so, demonstrating impressive coordination, the kind they only showed when food was at stake. They each had cast a spell to lighten the engine, before all together lifting it and putting it sideways against the wall. The job done, they all turned toward the servants, looked at the composition of their lunch, then let out a disappointed sight with perfect synchronization.
"This little?! This is torture, how are we supposed to eat properly with only 7 variety of desserts?" Said the lecturer in ancient rune.
"Shut up, will you!" whispered the chair of indefinite study. "The arch-chancellor think it is proper nourishment for the situation. I completely disagree with him, but I don't want him furious at me like he was with Henry a minute ago."
"Mmph! Well in that case I accept to endure this atrocious ordeal for now."
While the mages where eating, the servants where waiting outside the antechamber for them to finish, so they could clean up. They were not really displeased by the way the mage were mistaken about the whereabouts of the librarian and Stibbon. It meant less food to prepare, and less plates to clean, so really, none of them felt like they were in a hurry to tell them where the two went. They even had a pool(4) going on how fast the mages will discover the truth, if at all.
The servants where busy discussing, smoking, and placing bets when they heard footsteps coming their way. Like a bunch of flamingo, they all turned their head toward the sound, focusing on what was composing it. There was metal clanking, but it was not the step themselves. The pace was high, meaning that whatever was coming, it was impatient. Also, they could hear faint groaning with metallic echoes. That was rather intimidating. When the "thing" turned the corner to face them, they saw an small humanoid silhouette with an old iron helmet and a black cloak, a slightly ached back, and a resonating groan of frustration. And was that a wand at its hips? They all decided that whatever that furious looking, pint-sized armored fairy god-mother was here for, it was for the mages to deal with, and besides, they where sure they heard Mrs. Whitlow calling them, so they had no excuse to stay here.
(3) trolls tooth are diamond, and the reason said troll still have some in their mouth his because the tooth are determined to stay here. And believe me, many humans and dwarves have tried to remove them.
(4) yes, it is the second pool this chapter.
/
Louise was about to ask a bunch of servants where she could find the librarian or Stibbons, but for some reason they all ran away as soon as they saw her. How disrespectful. She will warn the Arch-chancellor of the improper behavior of their staff. Well, anyway, she would find help by herself. No need for anyone to guide her.
She kept going though the corridor until she reached the antechamber, and was surprised to see the door to the Library closed, and a bunch of "fortifications" put up by the mages, who were eating a copious (if small for their standards) amount of food. The mages stopped their chewing to look at the intruder with the helmet.
"Ah Arch-chancellor! finally I found someone who could help me..." She said, removing the helmet.
"Louise! What are you doing this late at night?! Does Vimaire know you are here?" Said The chair of indefinite study.
"N... Yes, Vimaire is well aware I am here and do not need to be told anymore."
"Ha, I knew he was a good man, letting kids do night time escapades and adventures!" half shouted Ridcully (5). "So, what did you come here for? Want to learn some magic secrets? Or perhaps you want me to teach you how to hunt with a crossbow? It is rather late to get bird, but I heard that bat are very good game."
"What? No, I'm here because I need help to find... Something. I thought the Librarian or Stibbons could help me." She swore she could have heard Ridcully thinking a swear about those two. "I already went to the High energy department, but Stibbons was not here. So I though I would ask the librarian instead."
"And you did not think we could help you, is that it?" groaned Ridcully. "You think of us as useless old men?"
"Do you really think that of us, Louise?" asked the Lecturer in recent runes, visibly hurt by the insinuation.
"Noooooooo..." Started Louise, before realizing this was an obvious lie. They helped her before, or at least tried, she had least had to show them honesty "Ok, yes, I admit that I view Stibbons and the librarian as the most competent among you. So far, the librarian was the most responsible, and Stibbons was the only one to focus on finding a way to get me back home."
"That's not true, we can be as responsible as the librarian!" Said the dean, trying to look as indignant as possible.
"No Henry, she have a point, all of you are pretty childish!" Said Ridcully to his subordinates.
"I think she included you in the irresponsible, sir" whispered the chair of indefinite study.
"WHAT! F**CK THAT NOISE! I'm super responsible and mature" All of the mages looked at each other. They all wanted to make a comment, but none of them wanted to face the consequences of it.
"Anyway!" Said Louise, trying to get the mages' attention on her. "Is the library closed?"
"Yes, Valiere..." Spewed the angry Arch-chancellor. "... Your oh so mature and competent Orangutan closed his door to the public for no apparent reasons. Look like you're gonna need our help, will this suffice?"
"Damn, I don't know. Do you have something to locate objects or persons?"
"Yes we d... Why would you need that?" Asked the dean.
Louise hesitated. They were apparently unaware of what happened with Sam junior, but she could not tell them she was trying to get him back. Chances are, they were actually responsible enough to realize she was not supposed to be here, and would bring her back to Vimaire. But she needed something that could locate a living being.
"One of lady Ramkin's dragon escaped, and I want to find it before she wakes up." She lied, hoping the mages would not realize it. "That's why I need something that can help me find a living being. Please?"
"Hmph, I do have something like that!" said Ridcully. "Or I would have a mirror that I use to locate animals when I go hunting, if only I was a responsible adult. Which I am not apparently!"*
"But you have one? Really?" Asked Louise, full of hope.
"..." Ridcully did not answer, turning his back to the young girl.
"Please Arch-chancellor, it is really important for me! Lady Ramkin have been so nice to me, I need to help her in return!"
"..."
"Alright, if you can help me, I will admit that you are as mature and competent as the Librarian and Stibbons." She said
"And what about us?" asked the dean.
"One thing at a time, I've already changed my standards a lot, you'll have to wait for your turn."
"Oh!" Said all the mages minus Ridcully, visibly disappointed.
Ridcully, while still turning his back to Louise, was thinking. This was definitively a time where one had to help a kid on their first hunt. She was not going to kill the beast, of course, but everyone starts small. If he helped her, before long she would be hunting large animals with a powerful crossbow like he himself did. He could tell this kid had a great potential for something. Why not try hunting.
"FINE! Follow me Louise, I'm gonna lend you a tool to find the dragon." He said, while power walking out of the antechamber, Louise right behind him.
They walked in the corridor of the Unseen University, passing in front of many doors , before finally arriving at their destination: Ridcully's room. The Arch-chancellor pushed open the door and motioned Louise to come inside. Inside the room were many naturalized animals and crossbows. From small and silent crossbow to hunt furtively to big and bulky killing engines. There even was a sort of underwater crossbow, that's shot a harpoon instead of bolts.
"This is my arsenal. I would let you borrow one, but you need the dragon alive, so it won't really be a good thing. Anyway, look at my collection while I search for the mirror." He started rumbling inside a drawer, throwing various ammunition, empty bottles of alcohol, and pipe herbs with strange colors. Louise was focusing on the arsenal. There was enough weapons here to arm a whole regiment. While those commoner weapons where inferior to the magic of a noble, they were still lethal. But she wondered why this man, probably incredibly powerful, bothered to use such lowly tools. Some of them could be useful, like the underwater one, or the very small one, but a mage would have an easier time killing with magic. Perhaps Ridcully was one of those "Magic integrist" that don't want magic to be used when not necessary. Or perhaps he just liked the weapons. Her own father had a saber collection, despite never using any of them. Maybe Ridcully just liked to look at those weapons. Who was she to judge an old man's
passion. Looking at the weapons, a thought passed thought her skull. Weapons were easily accessible in Ankh Mopork. What if Grumb had one such weapons. One of those nasty crossbows. How would she deal with that? How could she defend herself against a grown man with weapons made to put holes in armor? She was a mage sure, but using her magic in any other way than blowing things up was not her forte.
"HA... There it is!" Shouted Ridcully, making the young girl jump in fright "The latest development in scrying magic. It's a prototype, made by the high energy department. I don't know how it works, it's supposed to read the "signature aurora" or something. But with it you will find the dragon quickly."
She looked at the small mirror in Ridcully's hand. Barely bigger than a palm, the piece of glass was of a strange golden color, with tiny scriptures on it. It was round, but with an uneven and sharp exterior, looking like a tiny chained sun, one that people could wear as necklace.
"How does it work?"
"Simple. You put your finger in the middle, think about your target, and then it will present where the target is. Very easy, very use... " Ridcully stopped talking, as if he realized something.
"Very what?" asked Louise.
"Hang on a second" He said, putting his finger in the middle of the tool. Quickly, undulation appeared, before revealing a map of what Louise supposed was the disk, with one bright point shining in the middle of the circular sea. Ridcully started becoming more and more red by the second, slowly put the tool in Louise's hand, before storming out of the room, shouting " THOSE INCOMPETENT GEEZERS! I'M SURE THEY WERE AWARE OF IT! MAKING ME BELIEVE THAT THE LIBRARIAN WAS SILL AROUND?! I'M GONNA SHOW THEM WHAT HAPPEN WHEN YOU MAKE A FOOL OF ME!"
"WAIT ARCH-CHANCELLOR, WHAT ABOUT ME?" asked Louise.
"CLOSE THE DOOR WHEN YOU LEAVE! AND DON'T FEEL SORRY FOR THOSE GEEZERS! THEY HAD IT COMING!"
Louise tried not to, be she could not help but feel sorry for the faculty. There was no doubt that they were as clueless as the arch-Chancellor about the Librarian's whereabouts. They did not deserve what was coming for them. She simply hoped their punishment would not be too harsh. But an arch-chancellor made law in his academy.
She turned back her attention toward the wall of weapons. Well, Ridcully did not say anything about not taking one. And besides, it could be a life and death situation. She'd better have something up her sleeve. A small crossbow to be precise. She hid it under her sleeve, put the helmet back, and left the room, closing the door behind her. She was as ready as she could get on such short notice. And Brimir be damned, it will be enough.
(5) half shouting is Ridcully lowest speaking level.
/
23h05, ANKH MORPORK STREETS.
Three people were discussing with animosity in a dark street, trying to show their anger while whispering. Everyone who ever tried that would know that it makes the throat hurt like hell. And this pain only made those three even angrier.
"For the last time, guys, I can't reveal you anything about the case. Hell, how the F*** do you even know I work for Cable Street." said the first, a woman.
"Lucienne, Please, it would make us famous news reporters. Don't you care about your friends' future?" said the second, another woman, smaller.
"Funny you would say that, Andrea, because last time I recall, friends sometimes pay their own drink." Answered Sunny Lucienne, particular from Cable Street,
"Well, we could pay for our drinks if someone would let us have something to make a cool article" Said the third one, a stout man.
"Shut it, Arthur. You would have money if you bothered to do actual news report." groaned Lucienne.
"But we're doing better than that, Lucienne. We're doing investigative journalism, and that's so much better" Answered Andrea William, reporter at the Authentic.
"I'm a damn cop, idiot. I know damn well when I see investigation. And what you guys do is far from it."
"You mean following peoples around, asking annoying questions, pissing people off, and breaking into people..Ouch!" Started Arthur Harring, photographer for the Authentic, and Andrea's "Side Kick", before his teammate elbowed him in the stomach.
"What Arthur's trying to say, is that what we are doing, you cops do it too."
"Well, no, because... Huh... Because we do it for the well being of society! And beside when we do it, it's with Vimaire's agreement. Nah." Answered Lucienne, unsure of her own answer.
"OH so Vimaire say it's okay, and it is. Such simplicity. But tell me, Sunny Lucienne. Did it occur to you that maybe Vimaire might be..." Andrea let the end of her sentence hang in the air, trying to make it as impactful as possible.
"Don't say it!" groaned Lucienne
"...WRONG!" The final word on the sentence fell with so much weight on Lucienne that she took it as a personal attack. She jumped at Andrea's face, hand compacted in a fist for maximum impact. Andrea tried to lower herself and elbow her opponent in the abdomen, but Lucienne was not a slouch, and stroke the elbow with her own knee, before opening her leg up and whipping Andrea's forward leg with her feet. Andrea fell backwards in a sitting position, and started massaging her injured leg.
"Seriously, what the f*** Lucienne, you can't attack everyone who has something bad to say about your boss"
"I can and I will, Arthur. I take job fidelity to new extreme."
"It's not even as if he like that attitude of yours! He think you're too zealous!" spewed Andrea with much anger.
"Yeah, but too much is better than not enough!"
"I don't think that's how it work Lucienne" groaned and exasperated Arthur.
"Well I don't care how you think it work. I'm good at my job 'cause I do zeal, so you better sh..." Lucienne stopped mid sentence, to look further away in the street. She just saw a young girl with a helmet, and a cloak she recognized. She was aware Louise was out. It could only be her.
"What, won't even bother to finish your sent... Ouch, WHAT THE HELL LUCIENNE!" said Andrea, who just got punched in the nose.
"Shut up. I just saw pink hair, a wand and a weird necklace. Sound fishy to me. Go get the officer, they'll know what it mean." said Lucienne.
"...NO! F*** YOU LUCIENNE!" Shouted Andrea. "I'm not gonna be some courtiers for you. Do you're own damn 'oh so glorious and cool' cop job!"
Lucienne looked at where she saw Louise, now gone, than back at Andrea. "GODS F***ING DAMN-IT, YOU PARASITES ARE NASTIER THAN DIBLER'S FOOD! FINE, I'LL GO MYSELF, BUT YOU'RE GONNA GET IN TROUBLE FOR THAT." She shouted, while walking away angrily toward where Louise was, before disappearing in an adjacent street.
Arthur helped his partner to stand up. "She really is a hellion."
"Nah, hellions are way nicer." Said Andrea. "So what do we do? Our scoop is dead, I'm bleeding and my leg hurt like hell's hell."
"That's good then. Hell's hell is heaven."
"Gods damn-it Arthur, now's not the time to be a smartass."
"Well, about what we could do, we could follow her, and make a news article about what we'll see." He proposed. "It's as good as any idea."
"No, you're crazy. We will ruin her carrier as undercover agent..." Andrea thought about it a second. "Actually, let's do that. I want to get back at her. That'll show her to punch me. And beside, if she fails, we'll get to rub salt in her wound."
"If she's a hellion, you're a devil. But I'm glad we're allies."
"You got your Box(6)?"
"Always with me."
"Fine, lets go. Let's show them that paparazzi are better at spying than cops." the two of them started following Lucienne from a safe distance, while she herself was following the trail of Louise, who was following the indications of the mirror.
(6) a small box with an imp inside that draw picture of what you show him.
chapter end.
