Chapter 33

The thought of wandering the streets of a city or a very large town alone is often seen as a scary and disorientating experience, a word which here means leaving someone feeling confused and helpless. Whether you are just arriving in the city for the first time and are completely lost or you already live in said city and are in an unfamiliar section, trying to find any destination with winding, busy, and often poorly lit roads can leave a person feeling as if they will never escape their dilemma. The situation is often compared to that of a rat working its way through a maze towards the reward of a hardened piece of cheese. The confused and helpless rodent is often forced to navigate a poorly constructed labyrinth of cardboard, making wrong turns, and meeting dead ends, to receive a mediocre prize of food. The purpose for such an ordeal to be placed upon the small animal is still not clear, even when I did my own research and watched a friend's pet do this exact task. However, I can conclude that it is quite a saddening thought to consider yourself a rat in the maze, where you are unable to find your way and you endure a long process to be given not even a doughnut or perhaps a fritter for your efforts.

I will never attempt to compare Holly Snicton to that of a rat, but her journey into the city does mirror quite a lot of this science experiment, except for having a map with her, something that most rodents do not have nor can read to navigate. Firstly, she had just arrived in the city for the first time. While she had been on the bustling streets before, she was much younger and with her parents who knew where to go, and she simply had to follow them. This was the first time that she was truly alone and now walking down the streets of a very large city without any thought of where she needed to go. Secondly, she constantly made wrong turns despite having a map, that led her in a direction she did not want to go, and she ended up walking onto dead-end streets or parking lots. She was flustered and confused at this happening in the labyrinth of the city. And finally, her reward was not necessarily mediocre but not what would be considered a prize… to find and rescue her friends the Quagmires.

Discouraged and frustrated, Holly sat down on a nearby bench and placed her bags down next to her. She took a deep breath and pulled her hair up to allow her to clear her mind. Perhaps the fear of doing this on her own overwhelmed her but now she was doing as her parents had taught her… "if you ever get lost, stay in one place, ask for help and we will find you." Of course, the last part could no longer occur as one parent had died, and the other was in the city somewhere, but he did not know that she had followed him. She thought about trying to find his taxicab but in a city so large, the odds were extremely poor as there were likely thousands of taxis on the city streets and calling him was not possible either. Holly decided to complete the other instructions; stay put and perhaps ask for help… if the person can be trusted. She removed her map from her bag, which she had marked with the places that were safe and unsafe according to VFD. She looked up at a nearby street sign and then tried to find them on the map but was still struggling due to the small print. Eventually, she did find the spot and she traced her finger along the paper to find the nearest safe place.

However, there was not one that didn't require the use of the city trolley or another taxi. Holly wanted to save her money for the time being. Her eyes then fall onto a place that she had circled twice. It was simply labelled MMM and the reason that it was circled twice was that it was a location that VFD did not know whether it was safe or not. Due to her being dropped off in the financial district, it was likely a bank of some kind, but was it safe? Could there be someone there that she could trust? I can say that most banks are safe for your finances and investments, but not always due to the possibility of there being a robbery.

Knowing that she did not have much of a choice and had to start somewhere, she stood up and prepared to walk in the direction of MMM.

However, she did not make it very far until she bumped into a person.

"I'm so sorry," the young girl immediately apologized.

The man began to cough with such great intensity that he is forced to remove a white handkerchief from his pocket to cover his mouth and finish his perpetual fit, a phrase which here means continuous and lasting several minutes. Holly assumed that when she bumped into the man, he was eating something that was now choking him and she was prepared to help him if needed. However, after clearing his throat and wiping his mouth, the man collected himself and turned to the girl.

"No, no, no," the man said. "The fault was entirely mine. I was not watching where I was going. You see I'm on the way to my job at Mulctuary Money Management, but I had to drop off some orphans at their new home today as I am the Vice-President of Orphan Affairs, but by the time I drove to the building, my usual park space had been claimed and I had to park around the block and walk. This is unfortunate timing as I am about to go on a very important search in a helicopter."

"Mulctuary Money Management?" Holly asked, her mind thinking of the initials. "Is that a bank?"

"Why yes, it is," the man said before removing his handkerchief once more and coughing again.

"Are you okay sir? Are you sick? Maybe you should go into work today or up in a helicopter if you have such a bad cough."

"What cough?" he muttered in confusion. "Anyways, are you looking for the bank? Are you looking to open an account?"

Holly swallowed, deciding whether, to be honest, or not. "Something like that..."

The man beamed with the widest smile. He went into another coughing fit before smiling and clearing his throat.

"Well, then Mulctuary Money Management is the perfect bank for you. All your affairs, estates and financial needs will be met and only for a very low fee to open your account. You certainly don't want places like the Ophelius Bank, they've experienced several robberies in their time, but I am proud to say that Mulctuary Money Management has never had this problem. We have a wonderful staff and helpful assistants and organized secretaries…"

The man continued, only stopping twice to cough again, before continuing to advertise his place of business to this young girl, not ever once thinking that perhaps she might be too young to be investing in property or organizing her affairs. However, Holly allowed the man to speak and feigned interest, which means pretended to listen to what this man had to say as if it was the most important information that she needed.

"…and I can guarantee that you will not be disappointed."

"That sounds absolutely wonderful," the girl said with feigned enthusiasm. None of what he said was important to her, but if he worked at this possible safe place, she needed to sound interested and eager to go there.

"Are you quite wealthy?" he asked. "Do you perhaps have a fortune you would like to invest in our bank? Are you an orphan by any chance?"

"No," she said firmly. She was not an orphan. "I have my father."

"Ah, well that is only half an orphan then, which can still technically count, I'm sure Mr. Tamerlane never worries about such details. It is certainly your lucky day that you ran into me because as the Vice-President of Orphan Affairs, I can take care of all your needs. Why don't you follow me young lady to the bank, and we can start the process of finding you a new place to live."

"I have a place to live," Holly said quickly. "My father owns a home in the Fidelis Fjord."

"Never heard of it, well, we will find you that perfect guardian, why don't you follow me?"

"But I…"

While Holly wanted to say no and end the conversation as she did not need any of what the man was saying, he could give her access to this possible safe place. Perhaps someone from VFD worked there and she could get their help. The whole situation that this man had assumed she was in was ludicrous and almost laughable. She still had a father, meaning that she was not an orphan, she did not need a guardian, nor did she need a place to live. The incompetence of this man and his lack of listening skills were astounding. How he became Vice-President would always remain a mystery? However, if he allowed her to come with him, it was the step out of this maze and toward finding her friends. She began to walk with the man as they headed down the street towards the bank. The man appeared giddy in anticipation of finding another client. They did have to stop as he coughed, before continuing on.

"Is it safe?" she asked.

"Safe? The bank of course and all the money is kept in safes..."

He continued to talk to her, but Holly S did not listen. Often not listening to a person is rather impolite and not encouraged, but when a banker is talking to you about banking things that have nothing to do with why you are here in the city far from home and trying to help people, it can be seen as partially okay.

"It's just at the corner here," he said. "And I forgot to ask, what is your name young lady?"

"Holly. Holly Acton," the girl answered, deciding to hide her name for the time being.

"What a merry name," he smiled to himself.

"Thank you," she said politely. "And what is your name?"

"Arthur Poe, Vice-President of Orphan Affairs."

"Yes, you've mentioned that already… several times" she replied, but he doesn't hear her.

Poe, Poe, where had she heard that name before? It sounded familiar…

The two individuals finally reach the large marble building that towered up towards the sky. There were heavy oak doors adorned with brass, as well as the MMM initials carved into the marble at their feet.

Just then, a police car drove by with its lights flashing and sirens going.

"Terrible thing that is happening, but I have faith that the authorities will find those Quagmire twins."

"Triplets," Holly corrected him, flabbergasted that he assumed that they were twins. Perhaps he read The Daily Punctilio too much.

"Then why are there only two of them?" he said.

Before the girl could speak again, Mr. Poe removed his handkerchief once more and coughed. He then entered the building and walked towards what one would assume is his office, with Holly trailing behind him. The building is fairly well decorated for a bank with chairs that one can sit in, shelves for books and other important documents, stamps for stamping things, letters to send to and from the building, lamps in which people can see if it is dark outside and desks for the secretaries to sit at do paperwork and answer phones.

However, instead of there being a secretary's desk in front of Mr. Poe's office like Holly could see the other tellers and members of the company had, she could see the secretary herself.

She stood at the entrance to his office, with his name and position printed on the glass. She was dressed in a formal and well-patterned outfit with a skirt and a large, ruffled white scarf around her neck. She held a clipboard in her hands and looked extremely serious.

"Good morning, Jacquelyn…" Mr. Poe greeted her before going into a coughing fit.

While that occurred, the woman looked over at the young girl who was standing in the bank and who appeared to have followed her boss into the bank. She raised her eyebrow before turning to the banker.

"Good morning Mr. Poe, you have a fully booked schedule today. Your helicopter flight is scheduled to occur in the next twenty minutes, after which you need to meet with the authorities and the press to give a statement. However, there is a woman here to see you and she says that she must speak with you immediately."

"Did you tell her that I was not in?"

"Yes, but she agreed to wait until you came. She promises it will not take too long, but she says that it is urgent and of the utmost importance… utmost meaning most extreme and greatest."

"I know what utmost means, if you will excuse Jacquelyn, I have a meeting."

"Sir…" the secretary said. She looked over at the girl again. "Who is the girl?"

"Who… oh yes her…" he coughed a few more times before answering. "She is a potential new client and is interested in opening an account." He then whispered. "She is also an orphan."

Jacquelyn gazed over at the child and gave a strong look of sympathy. Holly simply stood there and was unable to do anything... slightly confused by the look as she was not privy to the conversation, a phrase that means knowing what the adults were talking about.

"Should I send her to Mr. Tamerlane for processing then?"

"That won't be necessary, I will do that myself once I have returned from my helicopter search."

"But sir, that could take hours. You cannot force a child to sit here for that long."

"It will be all right, it is not like she has anywhere to go, being an orphan and all. Now if you will excuse me, Jacquelyn, I have a meeting and I need the most recent files on the fire after this meeting. They will be in the top left-most filing cabinet"

He coughed while entering his poorly decorated office.

Jacquelyn looked at the girl who was carrying two items. Perhaps that is all that she had left. Wishing she could attend to the girl's needs; the secretary could only do some much for now.

"If you don't mind sitting and waiting, Mr. Poe will be with you very soon."

Holly nodded; still confused, frustrated, and just as lost as before. She thought that following this Mr. Poe would help her figure out whether this is a safe place and where she might find some help, but instead, she's being treated like a child, and an orphan no less. She should have just let herself get lost in the labyrinth or spent that money to take a taxicab to the space marked HD or BM or QM… if only she had chosen that path instead. She sat down on a bench close to the office and stared straight ahead while thinking. Like a rodent, she now felt that she was in another kind of situation, but one that was far worse than a maze with the reward of cheese at the end… that of a trap.

A/N: Sorry that it has taken so long. Some of you might roll your eyes at Mr. Poe making his presence known, but there is someone at the bank who could help her, and there is another acquaintance who is about to meet with Mr. Poe. I know I originally intended for this story to follow the books more, but I started this story before season 2 of ASOUE came out and I am leaning more towards the show now. Apologies to anyone who was expecting more books