Chapter 11: Teacher and Student
Disclaimer: All the characters and places belong to their respective creators and owners. I only own my OC and make no money whatsoever out of this.
Since my embrace, I had been assigned more missions than I could remember, some of them had been almost pleasant, or at least entertaining, others basically suicidal, most of them run of the mill and a few had proven to be extremely boring and a complete waste of time.
Tonight the last case applied and I curbed a sigh, as I pretended to drink some champagne, while leaning on a wall near the charity pot, discreetly keeping an eye on it, as well as on the two entrances. Having to play security guard was bad enough, but having to do so dressed for a mundane soiree was even worse: in the hopefully remote case that anything actually happened, fighting in this apparel would be extremely impractical. Anyhow, it was quite difficult performing my job while almost all the Kindred in the room were taking their turns to come and speak with me: indirect boot-licking, the side-effect of being close to the man in charge, as Therese would put it. Speaking of which, all of this attention, albeit unwanted, did not seem to please her: this was her night and, although she was surrounded by Kine millionaires, she probably felt that I was stealing her Kindred spotlight. Well, at least she would think twice about employing me on this kind of services again.
I couldn't count much on Alexandra either, since I could practically feel her sulking from the other side of the ample room: arms crossed in front of her chest, eyes cast downwards, she seemed an adolescent giving the silent treatment to her parents who had dragged her to a party with family friends. And, while I couldn't blame her for the lack of enthusiasm, her attitude was seriously starting to grate on my nerves: I was forced to be here too, but I did not whine more than Ash Rivers on full diva mode, not outwardly, at least. Sure, I could understand her discomfort and irritation at being under my supervision, the fact that she still had not been able to make the psychological transition from Kine to Kindred, not completely, but my patience and understanding had a limit. After all, she had had ten years, at least one exceptional mentor, tutoring, housing, nourishment… I had had half an hour of training by an Anarch Brujah, although a legendary one, a dump of a hole to live in, forty dollars in my wallet, a suicidal mission put on my head by a "mentor" who saw me as an hindrance and wanted to get rid of me, all of this while trying to figure out who I could feed upon without risking of throwing up blood in the middle of a street. If there were someone in this room who had the right to complain about her Embrace, it wasn't Alexandra.
"Unless we are assaulted by Lilliputians, I seriously doubt there are foes hiding in your shoes," I whispered in the hidden microphone. "Since you are under my responsibility and I am standing right in front of you, you should at least pretend you are doing your job."
"Ha ha, very funny," I heard her whisper back in a flat tone through the auricular, while she raised her chin and looked around deliberately slowly. "Happy now, Boss?"
"No and yes, I am your superior, so you would do better remember that."
"Or what? Oh, I am so scared," she deadpanned mockingly.
"Yes, you should be, most especially of yourself, because this disruptive attitude is not going to take you very far," I hissed and I could feel she shook a little and looked down again, probably unable to reply: the uncomfortable truth was always the most cutting of weapons. "We are going to continue this conversation later, now do your job and it will be over before you know it."
"You are just like Strauss," she whispered after a minute, and if this was the best retaliation she could offer, boy, was she in trouble. She wouldn't last a week out on her own.
"Considering he is a Prince, I thank you for the compliment," I uttered with a smirk and I was very pleased since that made her shut up completely. She was still acting like the leader of an emo teenage band, but at least she was looking where she was supposed to.
At half past ten Strauss put in his appearance: the evening was at its clou and would soon start dwindling down to its natural conclusion. Therese lost no time in demanding his undivided attention, staying glued to his side as she explained the various paintings with such a care that even Valdez would have been proud of. By the way, I had half expected to see him here, and I wondered if he had managed to avoid it because he deemed this Exhibition below his standards, or if Therese had simply not invited him. After all, she was not very fond of Toreadors and Nosferatu… well, truth to be told she basically respected only Ventrues above a certain rank and Strauss, therefore, should she go by her preferences, her events would be… extremely exclusive
The best thing about Strauss being in the room was that the flatterers could aim for their target directly and I was able to work with less distractions, besides a few attempts at seduction from a middle aged Kine millionaire that I had rapidly deflected with the use of Domination: I couldn't leave my post to feed on him and trying to convince someone with an ego as big as his platinum-credit-cards-filled wallet that he was not my cup of tea would have been simply too time consuming. Since becoming Kindred I had noticed that I gradually caught the attention of more and more Kine of the opposite sex – and even of some women – I guessed that it was the result of developing my Presence and my seduction skills, although I was still way below the level of an average Toreador on the latter front. It was awfully convenient for feeding, but at times like these it could be a trouble.
At long last, at a quarter past eleven most of the Kine in attendance gave their regards to Therese and left. While she was being distracted by a few of them, Strauss circumspectly approached me.
"An unforgettable evening," he jokingly murmured with a sigh and I had to hold back a chuckle: Therese had not allowed him any respite, not to mention the bootlickers.
"Indeed, I will record it in my annals as one of my fondest of memories, Max," I replied with a sympathetic glance and his eyes widened slightly as he looked at me oddly.
"You are the only Kindred in attendance who has yet to call me 'my Prince'."
"Oh, I… I apologise sir, I did not mean to sound disrespectful," I stammered, mentally cursing myself for my stupidity: he was the Prince now P R I N C E, I could not just assume to take certain liberties anymore. It was a bad habit, which I had to break fast.
"On the contrary, Irene, if I hear those two words one more time tonight I might not be held accountable for my actions," he muttered in his deepest voice while rubbing his forehead. "How did LaCroix put up with all these sycophants? Perhaps Ventrues receive a special preparation on the subject."
"Well, you are asking the wrong Ventrue, sir," I replied with a smile making him chuckle. "If it can be of any consolation, I had a procession of toadies myself before you arrived. After all, the election was just a few days ago, I hope they will relent a bit in time, it should be a cyclic phenomenon. They were not this bad when I was under LaCroix."
"I pray you are right… While we are on the subject of Ventrue tuition, tomorrow night at eight your presence will be required at Venture Tower. Together with Primogen Cutteridge, we are going to discuss your… future engagements."
"All right, Max… I thank you again for the opportunity."
"I fear I have to return to Voerman in order to prevent further misgivings about the nature of our relationship. I entrust Alexandra upon you for the remainder of the evening, please escort her to the Chantry before retiring to your haven," he instructed me and I could feel he dreaded the prospective of spending even another minute with Therese. Well, better on his back than on mine.
"Of course, sir. Good luck!"
My comment drew out another bitter chuckle and he slowly walked back to his torture. Fortunately, Therese did not seem to have noticed our exchange, while, looking up, I was met with Alexandra's glare but, in a blink, she went back to the inspection routine I had assigned to her.
By a quarter to midnight everybody had left and only the four of us remained. Strauss claimed to have some urgent obligation to attend to, thus extricating himself from Therese's invitation to her office at the Asylum. She was not particularly pleased to see him leaving, but the fact that Alexandra and I had stayed behind alleviated her irritation. We helped her activate the complex alarm system, a mixture of technologies and Tremere protections and close up.
We bid her good night and shared the same cab to Downtown. To her surprise and ignoring her protests, I instructed the driver to stop at my haven and ushered her inside. I had to give Alexandra what I felt was a most necessary lecture but I needed to do so without being surrounded by preying ears and eyes: Strauss had granted me cart blanche with her, even in relation to punishments. Before recurring to drastic measures though, I believed I had to try with a more psychological approach.
"What are we doing here?" she exclaimed with a higher pitch, as I closed the door behind us.
"Sit down," I commanded, indicating the couch.
"Or what?"
"I said: sit down!" I repeated with a low tone, using my presence to increase the effect of my words. I did not want to have to turn to domination, unless it was an emergency, besides I was not sure it would work: I had no idea to what generation Strauss' associate had belonged to, but it was hardly a high one. "The location has been chosen out of consideration for you on my part, but we can still go to the Chantry and have this conversation there."
I was satisfied to see she complied and I placed myself in front of her, in my best stern lecturer pose: I had taught some minor classes both at the MIT and at UCLA but, more importantly, I had tutored dozens of difficult students, so I tried to apply that experience to this new situation.
"When Strauss asked me to supervise you, I imagined you would be uncomfortable with the situation, but I believed that you would understand and I was actually looking forward to working with you, since at the MIT you were renowned for your dedication, your maturity and your intelligence. So you can imagine how extremely disappointed I was when, instead of a reliable partner, I found myself dealing with a brooding, unreasonable, infantile whiner. I want to put it clearly that I am very unimpressed by your behaviour tonight."
"Oh yeah? And why should I care? Just because you and Strauss are all chummy, that does not mean I have to respect you, or to fear you, or to obey to you: you are younger than me!" she protested, raising her tone with every word. At that, I simply laughed, heartily and for a deliberately long time.
"Ah, Alexandra, you really have been kept in a shelter these past ten years, and yet you should still know better. Your opinions and preferences do not matter in the slightest in this world, unless you are high up the ranks. You might not respect me, but I am your superior in status and you have to follow my instructions. Moreover, had Strauss demanded you to follow the orders of a monkey, you would have had to do so. Out there everyone who is your senior, which means the vast majority of Kindred, will feel entitled to walk all over you and to command you around, regardless of your age, their age, or your feelings on the matter. You are lucky that I am understanding and willing to let it pass, this once, because I can assure you that, had you acted like this with anyone else, you would have been harshly punished. My indulgence is limited though: next time I will not be so lenient and trust me when I tell you that you do not want to test how my wrath can be like. Additionally, you have to sum Strauss' displeasure on top of it, since I am supposed to report to him your progresses or lack thereof."
It was mostly a bluff: I had no doubt about the Prince's ability to deliver punishments, but I was not that confident in mine, so I hoped it would not come to that. She did not reply but merely seethed, abusing her fists and looking down. Thinking back about her outburst, and how annoyed she had seemed to be about Strauss talking to me at the Gallery, I wondered if she might also be resentful of my closeness with her Regent. He was not her Sire and she had been under him for probably little more than a year, but it made sense especially if a blood bond were involved. Furthermore, the fact that he had basically given up on tutoring her "on the field" any further, delegating it to me in my scraps of time, was a clear signal that, unless she changed her register, he would very soon wash his hands of her and that he saw her as an encumbrance, more than an asset. If her once brilliant brain had not been completely burned in the last ten years, she was almost certainly aware of it.
"What's more, it is not like Strauss' trust was magically bestowed upon me out of the blue, because of some divine intervention: I had to gain it and it was not a walk in the park, believe me. If you want his respect, you simply have to prove him you deserve it and the first step in that direction is to complete your assignment successfully. However, the attitude you have shown tonight is a sure-fire way to failure," I explained in a calmer voice and she looked up at me again. I could read many emotions: rage, sadness, pain, defiance and a good amount of fear: she was like an open book. How could her Sire have allowed her to be in these conditions after all those years under his tutelage? Perhaps, after her madness during the hard training, he had gone soft and he had pampered her, maybe because of some sense of guilt or affection. It was unusual but not impossible even among more experienced Kindred: Isaac Abrams and Ash Rivers were the un-living proof of it, but Abrams was an Anarch and they were far more liberal in education. Or maybe he had chosen to hide this "disgrace" from the external world but, for some reason, had not had the courage to "cut off" the dry sprig, like I knew a lot of Sire did to "inadequate" Childer.
"What did I do that was so wrong tonight? Nothing bad happened, it was a success!" she finally cried out, the defiance emerging more prominently.
"Nothing bad happened because nobody even tried to make it happen! Until I reprimanded you, a Tzimisce wearing a bikini could have passed you by and you most likely would not have noticed him. You saw that I was busy with all those Kindred parading in front of me and you knew that I could not send them off or tell them the real reason of our presence there. Consequently, you should have kept eyes, ears and whatever other senses you possess on alert at all times."
"We both knew from the beginning that it was going to be a waste of time and that nothing serious would take place, come on, admit it! I treated it lightly because it was a simple assignment, way below my possibilities," she retorted, huffing and rolling her eyes. Ok, she had a point, but I could not let her know it. The fact was that I wanted to make things clear for future missions when we would actually be put in some kind of danger, before her sloppy behaviour killed us both.
"First of all, unless you are a Malkavian equipped with psychic skills pretending to be a Tremere, you had no way of being certain that everything would go smoothly: nobody, not even Strauss would have put his hand on the fire about it. Some of the Anarchs were practically humiliated the other night, the Prince was attending and so was I: they might have jumped at the occasion to give a public demonstration of strength. Secondly, there are no A or B or C class missions: once you are entrusted with one, you have to carry it out responsibly and at the best of your abilities. It might be more or less demanding but lowering your guard can turn even the apparently easiest of operations in your final death or that of people who are depending on you. Third, Strauss and I would be more than glad to assign you more complex tasks, but only when we have a tangible proof that you are ready. Complete the more menial jobs successfully, dutifully and responsibly… work hard, be respectful of your supervisors… in short use all those qualities that earned you a reputation in the academic world and that therefore I am sure you possess, and you will soon move on to bigger things."
Silence enveloped my apartment as she dropped her head and tortured her hands for a long time, her shoulders sagging slightly. I allowed her time to ponder over her actions, it was her turn to talk now, but I hoped it would not take her all night, since Strauss would not be pleased if she did not arrive at the Chantry on time.
"I am not the same person I was back then, that Alexandra died with the Embrace," she finally replied with a whisper, and I could see she was holding back tears. Very well, we were in the second phase, beyond the rage and denial, perhaps I was getting somewhere.
"You might be different under a lot of aspects, but your brain, your intelligence, your potential is still there. You simply need to…" I tried to reassure her but I was brusquely interrupted as she lashed at me.
"My fucking brain and knowledge, yeah, that's all I have, all I am or better all I was but here it is worth nothing! It is easy for you to talk, but I am not you, I am not strong like you, I am not the fucking sensation of the city! I used to be someone once, a name that was respected, now I am a nobody, and for the few Kindred who know of my existence I am a laughing stock… I feel like a well that's been sucked and dried, I…"
She probably had not been sucked that dried because she burst into tears, blood rivulets streaming down her cheeks and threatening to fall on my immaculate couch, I rushed to get some tissues to avoid a mess and handed them to her. I guessed Kindred could still be subjected to depression, because she was sporting most of the symptoms. I did not know if I was supposed to literally slap some sense into her to make it stop or to console her, now that she had opened up. Well, at least she was liberating herself of some pent up tension, and I wondered how long she had needed release. For some reasons I doubted Strauss would be good at handling crying ladies, or at offering comfort. The problem was that, in truth, I was not that much better: contact usually made me feel uneasy and I was never that apt at being affectionate, even as a human. It was not that I was unable to empathise, on the contrary, I was quite talented at understanding other people's emotions and troubles, but I was inept at demonstrating it openly. A slap and a caress, a voice reminded me.
I remembered reading that hugs, by exercising pressure on the body, somehow slowed down the heartbeat rate, subsequently reducing the necessary intake of oxygen and air, thus calming the recipient. I did not know if it would still work when the heart was a useless motionless atrophied muscle, but, given that I still felt things that should no longer be possible (like stomach-burns), I had come to the conclusion that the body was really more than a sum of its parts. Old habits die hard: it was a bit like those humans who had one limb amputated and yet they could still feel it… at least for some time, until their new condition truly settled in
So I took in a breath and, quelling my aversion for close proximity with strangers, awkwardly took Alexandra in my arms. After the initial shock, she almost threw herself on me, squeezing me in a vice-like grip and burying her face in my chest: as I clumsily patted her on the back I couldn't help but wonder if a good drycleaner would be able to remove the bloodstains or my expensive dress was already damaged beyond repair. Weird: two years ago, despite the uneasiness, I would not have cared about a thing like that, worrying only about the person sobbing in my arms. Of course, two years ago I knew nobody who cried blood and, had I stumbled upon anything of this sort, the dress would have been really the last preoccupation on my mind. But, more to the point, the state of my humanity was a mystery to me: on most things I was truly much more connected with it than the majority of Kindred I knew, although I hid it quite well, but some small things like this reminded me that I had changed, that there was a part of me that was cynical and aseptic. It was still subdued, but it had grown and I probably would become more and more dispassionate in time.
I also noticed that the smell of Alexandra's blood did not attract me in the slightest, another odd thing, since I had a preference for scholar's vitae and her blood also had some supernatural properties; on the contrary, there was a nauseating undertone to it that enhanced the unpleasantness of this situation. I stoically resisted, counting the frequency of her sobs, until they gradually slowed down and subsided. At long last, I was able to withdraw and give her other tissues to clean herself off: sadly for my black chiffon dress it would take more than that. Any waste of money was bad news for me, since Strauss had not yet explained how, if or when I was going to get an allowance and how much it was going to amount to: my savings had been almost depleted with the arsenal I had been forced to buy to fight Xiao and the Sheriff. Well, since he had dropped me with this hot potato of a Neonate, I hoped that he would at least make it worth my while.
"Listen, Alexandra, we are much more similar than you imagine," I spoke softly, after she had eagerly drained and discarded the bloodpack I had offered her so that she might replenish her pool a bit. The last thing I needed was a frenzied Tremere in my apartment. "Do you know what's the only real difference between us? That I am living in the present and planning my future, while you are still stuck in your past."
She looked down yet again but she was calm and I could see she knew I was right and was not denying it.
"You were great once, well, there is nothing preventing you from becoming someone you can be proud of again. You are just blocked by fear of failure, but it's like a self-fuelling downward spiral. You can still stop it and invert the trend: you just need to believe in yourself and in your possibilities, because if you don't, it is extremely unlikely that other Kindred will."
Goodness, I sounded like one of those self-help manuals, but it was the simple truth, it probably would not matter much, it was unlikely she would listen to me but I had to try.
"It's been ten years, it is too late," she murmured looking at me dejectedly.
"Ten years? What are ten years for a Kindred?" I asked forcing myself to laugh lightly. "We can live hundreds, thousands of years, potentially... And then not all of us have to be precocious: you were as a human, but there are late bloomers who surpass the so-called enfant prodige, given time. If you become someone who is well respected, in time nobody will remember about these first few years or they will not care."
"You make it sound so easy," she said with a sigh, twisting a clean tissue in her hands: good, more debris to clean up.
"It is not easy, but it is not as impossible as you have convinced yourself it is. Come on, what do you have to lose? Strauss is offering you a chance through me, but it is most likely going to be your last, so you have to put it to a good use, because you need all the experience you can get if you want to survive out there on your own."
"Maybe I do not want to survive, maybe I just want to die and disappear," she mewled and I hoped she was not going back to the full-fledged teenage emo behaviour. Besides, this phrase was so cliché in a number of ways that I did not even bother to count.
"If you had truly wanted to die, you would have already killed yourself and we would not be speaking tonight," I told her matter-of-factly: she was a lot like Rivers, they did not like this un-life and were self-destructive but, at the same time, they did not really want to die. A limbo of sorts. Or their way to ask for attention.
She did not reply and I took it as a good sign, while I disentangled the tissue from her hands.
"Now I am going to bring you back to the Chantry: use the time until our next mission to ponder about what I have told you tonight. I have already said it, but I am going to repeat it again: I expect a professional behaviour from now on, I am not asking of you to be perfect, but to give it all you've got, doing nothing less than your best. Otherwise, I will be forced to teach you a lesson in no uncertain terms, and so will Strauss."
"What are you going to tell him about tonight?" she asked with a rasping voice. She probably already knew how sour Strauss' "medicine" could taste, and the fact that she was afraid of him reassured me that some of her good sense was still present.
"That my evaluation is suspended until the next mission," I explained and I could sense she was relieved. "But it is the first and the last time: you have burnt your bonus."
She merely nodded as I put on a light raincoat to hide the stains: I did not need unwanted attention. Then I rapidly accompanied her to the Chantry, making sure she got back to her room in one piece. I knew she would almost certainly just persist in her self-destructive ways and be a royal pain, but I had done my part, now it was up to her. Besides, Strauss would not inflict her on me indefinitely, if she did not show improvements.
As I was reaching the knob of the entrance door to leave, though, it slipped away and it flew open, revealing a male Tremere who was probably retiring for the night. A few inches taller than me, thin, with messy ginger hair and playful bright green eyes, he looked no older than thirty and, thanks to his green tweed, resembled a young Irish leprechaun, just magnified tenfold. Not the most ominous looking vampires I had ever met, but appearances could be deceiving.
"Ah, Ms Wilson, it is fortunate that I should make your acquaintance tonight. I was hoping to meet you before heading back to New York," he exclaimed with an impish smile although not in the thick Irish brogue I had half-expected: there was just a slight British inflection in his voice. It reminded me of my father: though born, raised and schooled in London, the following decades spent on the New Continent had diluted his accent quite much. If he made a slight effort, he could now quite credibly pass for American, at least to the average ear.
"Oh, I have not introduced myself properly. George Collins, I am the Regent of the Chantry in Manhattan," he introduced himself politely and I had the umpteenth confirmation that judging the book by its cover was never a good idea. "I came here for the Election."
I wondered how I could not have noticed him on stage, but I was particularly nervous and there were so many Elders in attendance that it was not so unexplainable.
"It is a pleasure meeting you, sir," I replied with a slight bow. So many new faces, so many names… It could get confusing after a while.
"Indeed… Pardon me if I sound indiscreet or blunt, but I do not have much time. I would like to know on what terms you are with Sebastian LaCroix, since he is now… gracing our State with his presence."
"Well… I would say we are not on any terms, we do not have contacts… our ways parted, since I feel that my place is here," I replied, not liking this line of questioning and trying to understand what he was aiming at. Besides, I thought it should be pretty clear already, since I had stayed with Strauss who was not exactly LaCroix's number one fan.
"So I presume that you are not privy to his… future engagements or planning to put in some visits to your former mentor," he enquired with a raised eyebrow, and again I felt confused.
"No, sir, you actually may be more informed than I am. As for the rest, I am perfectly fine in Los Angeles and I do not think I will cross the continent any time soon."
"I see… In any case, should you, for any reason, find yourself in the Big Apple, the doors of our Chantry are open to a friend of our clan and of Maximillian," he said with a smile and I guessed this basically meant that he expected me to announce my presence, should I ever head there. Well, I could imagine that LaCroix's arrival must not have been the most welcome of news, that it might destabilise some political balances and since Tremere were notoriously wary of Ventrues… But how was I involved in any of this? Well, excluding the Clan I belong to, of course.
"I will, thank you," I replied, thinking that I would rather head to the north pole than anywhere near LaCroix, so the chances of a visit to his Chantry were close to nonexistent.
"Before I go, one last word of advice, there is someone out there, concealing his presence. I am afraid he could be following you. You should be careful."
With a smile and a pat on my back, he disappeared down the corridor, while I was suddenly feeling nauseous. I only had a handgun hidden in my purse: dressed like this I could not exactly carry around an arsenal. I took it out and hid it in a pocket of the raincoat, keeping my hand on it and stepped out, trying to seem casual, while all senses were alerted for anything suspicious. I started walking, slowly at first and then speeding up the pace. I felt the back of my neck prickle, and I just knew someone was watching me. There was a slight breeze and a soft noise and, upon passing in front of a side street, I swore I had seen something move. I waited until the next one and, sensing a presence on my right, I quickly poked my gun at it, just as a hand grabbed my left arm and pulled me in the unlit alley.
"Whoa Kid, put down the artillery, I come in peace!"
"Nines?" I exclaimed, as I looked from his blue eyes to my gun which was resting on his chest. Not a particularly dangerous spot for a Vampire, but it was good to know I had been able to catch him. "Do you always creep up on people like this as a sign of peace? Because, you know, those signals like a white flag, a dove, an olive branch, they might be old but they are more effective and recognisable."
"No, Irene," he said with a chuckle. "It's just… you got all eyes on ya these days, and I wanna talk in private."
"I hope this alley is private enough for you, because I am not going anywhere. Besides, last time we had a conversation in a secluded place it almost got us killed," I replied lowering my weapon, since, in any case, engaging a gunfight with Nines would have been suicide.
"Yeah, 'bout that, sorry for laying low but…" he trailed off and I detected an hint of embarrassment, which was still an understatement compared to what I had to go through, both in the original and in the official take of the latest events.
"It's ok Nines, I am just glad to see you are alive," I replied in a neutral tone, which heavily hinted to the fact that we were not exactly fine.
"Listen, I know you had to go through heavy shit and all 'cause of my act, but 'twas necessary. Those hairy suckers really pack a punch, I was in a bad shape and our lil Napoleon woulda tried to finish the job while I was weak. I asked Jack to help ya out, I planned to come out a few days later, but then hell broke loose and…"
"Nines, as I said I am glad to see you made it out in one piece and it is not sarcastic… You had saved my life twice already, I guess I could not expect that you would do it again. You acted rationally and thought of yourself and your faction, like most Kindred would have… It's too bad that it was not the best of timing for a bout of selfishness, since we all risked to be wiped out by the Kuei-Jin. Plus it clashes with the image I had of you, but I can live with it, none of us is a Saint."
"You don't believe we planned it, right?" he asked looking hopeful. From the Anarchs' reaction at the Conclave, I knew Strauss was not that far off the mark with his accusations, but how to respond?
"What I believe is of no consequence or importance," I replied with my best poker face.
"It is for me, Kid," he said in what looked like an honest face. But I knew better than to buy so easily.
"Well, let's just say that, I have reasons to think that, had Xiao killed LaCroix and laid waste to the Camarilla, you would not have been exactly devastated by grief. In any case, even if you were in good faith, you miscalculated the potential consequences of your disappearance. But nobody is perfect, I guess."
"What's been of the Sarcophagus?" he asked suddenly with a strange look.
"Strauss and I took care of it and it will no longer pose a threat," I replied neutrally and was surprised when he raised both eyebrows and let out a bitter chuckle.
"So you two got it in the end, eh Irene? I guess we underestimated Strauss: he's smart, I'll give him that, and you… you proved to be different from LaCroix, like I'd hoped you would. Too bad you ended up on the wrong side, Kid: I had kinda hoped you'd come to us after the hunt… Things mighta gone differently."
I did not know what he was talking about: what had Strauss and I "gotten in the end"? Were the Anarchs somehow involved with the Sarcophagus? Suddenly, those mails I had received and, most importantly, Beckett abrupt change of heart took a new significance: I could not quite put my fingers on it yet, but I sensed the solution of the riddle was within reach. Well, it did not matter much now anyway, but if I just pondered about it a bit more… Still, I was brought back to reality as the potential meaning of what he had said later sunk in and I did not like it one bit.
"Let me get this straight: had I come to the Anarchs, you would have cleared my name sooner? Or did you purposefully allow for me to be hunted so that I would be forced to switch sides, besides the whole potentially alluring Kuei-Jin vs. Camarilla showdown?" I asked in a slightly dangerous tone.
"No, no, Irene, I mean… yeah, it did not come out right but I didn't mean it like that. With your help we coulda gotten our City back, that's it," he exclaimed and again he seemed honest, but I was wary. I was not so off the mark either and I knew it; still, I wondered why he was so set on trying to convince me he had been acting in good faith and on getting back on my good side. I had not expected this, but rather of the Anarchs to lay low for a while and then strike back in full force. Unless Abrams had convinced them of the necessity to be more diplomatic… but Nines, Damsel and Skelter were not easily persuaded and stubborn as hell.
"In any case, I would not have been a great addition to the Anarch cause, Nines. We are different: I admire and respect your drive and your beliefs, but I… I do not have enough confidence in human and Kindred nature to believe your dream can become true. Have you ever read Animal Farm?"
"Heard of it… You think I would become just like every other Cape once I got some power?" he asked, clearly outraged.
"No, Nines. I… although I may not approve the means, I know you are moved by honest ideals, and so seem to be Damsel and Skelter. But the problem is that you cannot count on others to be too… Should the Anarchs get power on large territories, you would have to delegate to others. It is not difficult to imagine that a lot of Kindred who survived the revolution but do not exactly have equanimity and your values in mind would join the cause just to get some roles and then replicate the Camarilla behaviour. I mean, think of Therese Voerman: as soon as the Camarilla got back in town she switched sides, but even before, do you think she was an Anarch at heart or behaved like one? She just wanted power, that's all, she was no more liberal in behaviour than LaCroix. In the end, I think you would find yourself in the same situation you started in, only with different people. It is my opinion, I may be proved wrong, but while I am convinced of this I could not join your side and fight your battles thinking it will all be in vain. Sure, I could have taken advantage of the situation to try to get some power for myself, since you do not have the age requirements and hierarchy the Camarilla has, but I am not that kind of person, and that's the reason why I'm being open with you now. If I were you I would think it is better to have an adversary who respects you and that you can respect, although you may not share the same vision, than a lukewarm ally."
"Ya sure know how to talk, Kid, but… it's sad to see someone as young as you so negative and cynical, you shoulda got some dreams, not sound like an Elder," he said with a sigh. "Well, I guess it means we should agree to disagree."
"Something like that, yes. I may not exactly be thrilled about the recent… happenings, but it is not like I suddenly detest you, Jack, Damsel, Skelter and the others. I don't want to be hostile or act on an animosity I do not feel, unless you force me to."
No matter what Nines or Strauss were planning, exacerbating the conflict now would be pointless, besides, I was abiding to this whole "symbol" act the Prince wanted me to carry out. In any case, I was not exactly looking forward to having someone like Nines out for my head, so the more time I could buy before the probably inevitable clash, the better. Plus, this conversation had given me some clues and I would have to report to Strauss about all this, maybe he would know what to make of them.
"I dunno about the others, Kid, 'specially Damsel, you know how she is," he said with half a smirk and I chuckled. "But I wanted to speak with you 'cause I feel as you do, so you and I're cool, more or less, so long as you don't mess with us. Tell your Prince, though, that after his show the other night, he better not cross me on the street."
"Very well, is there anything else? Because dawn is approaching and we should probably go," I replied, purposefully ignoring his threat to Strauss.
"Nah, stay outta trouble, Kid, and don't let'em turn ya into a cape," he said in a tone that meant that I should keep myself out of their troubles, as in not interfering with their business and plans. We might still be civil but something had irremediably changed between Nines and me: maybe I had just grown more conscious and distrustful but it was as if some sand had gotten between the cogs and there was now a friction. In time, it would get worse until the mechanism broke down altogether: I would better make sure not to get crashed underneath.
"H… Hello Ms Wilson," Chunk babbled upon seeing me and I was assaulted by a melancholic pang.
"Hi Chunk, I am expected at the Penthouse."
"Yeah, I know… I will buzz you up," he said hesitantly, pushing the hidden button. "Listen, I… I heard that Mr LaCroix sold the company and skipped town… Is it true?"
"That is still confidential information I am not supposed to divulge, Chunk," I replied with a smile, since I did not know what the official version was. "What I can tell you is that he has decided to move out of LA, yes."
"So he… left you?" he murmured half-angrily, half-expectantly with those big eyes turning into saucers. But I wasn't going back down that path again.
"No, no, not at all," I said with what I hoped was a dreamy gaze. "Ah, he keeps on sending me such thoughtful mails and messages… He goes out of his way to demonstrate he thinks of me constantly: I would say the distance has only improved our relationship."
"Ah well… that's… that's good to hear…" he mumbled a bit dejectedly, reminding me of a beaten-up dog.
"I really have got to go, Chunk, see you later," I exclaimed, losing no time in heading towards the elevator.
As I got in the office, I could see Strauss seated behind the desk, while Cutteridge occupied one of the two chairs in the front: they were immersed in a conversation, but, as soon as the door opened, they turned towards me.
"Ah Irene, not a minute too late, as usual. Please, take a seat," Strauss instructed me and I complied, sitting down next to Cutteridge.
"First of all, I believe an explanation about what is going to become of the LaCroix Foundation is in order. As you might already be aware of, this company is a front to gain and manage the funds necessary to finance the activities of the directing body of the Camarilla: namely the Prince and his collaborators, mainly members of Clan Ventrue. After LaCroix left his position and Los Angeles, there were two feasible options: either to dismantle the Foundation and create a new one, or to make a few changes to its structure and keep it in activity. I decided the second alternative would be far more rational and less time and money consuming. Before his departure, LaCroix resigned from his role as CEO and "sold" his shares to me. Yesterday evening a board meeting took place and I was appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer, while Primogen Cutteridge retained his chair as President."
"I understand."
"I am not a businessman, Irene, while I know that you have the necessary background of knowledge, since it was your field of study. At the next shareholders meeting, I will propose a motion for your inclusion in the board, as an executive director. In the meantime, you will start working here as a manager and our right hand: I need you to follow the transactions and deals I will be unable to attend, support me in the more complex tasks, should Primogen Cutteridge be unavailable and keep an eye on the other managers. You will report directly to the two of us and Primogen Cutteridge will bring you up to date with the Foundation's activities and answer to your questions and doubts. Mr Hopkins, who you have already met, has also offered to be of assistance, as he knows all the personnel and has been working here since the company was founded."
Cutteridge nodded with a pained expression, two bony fingers pinching the bridge of his nose: poor guy this was not going to be pleasant for him.
"Sir, I thank you for the vote of confidence but I am not sure I have the necessary experience. I am more of an Academic myself," I said hesitantly: theory was one thing, but practice was another and, while I had extensively studied accounting and management and had assisted my Professor (who was in the board of several companies and worked as consultant), my expertise was more in the Macroeconomics area.
"Yes, but you are astute and a fast learner, furthermore you were born into the profession: I am confident you will do an excellent job," he replied, in a tone that basically meant that I could not refuse. I was not really surprised to learn that he had made his investigations about my life before the Embrace and about my family, but it felt strange nonetheless.
"Thank you, Sir; I will do my very best."
"Perfect… Primogen Cutteridge, I think it is time to illustrate your tuition programme."
"Yes, my Prince," he murmured as graciously as he could, but the way his hands flexed indicated he was seething on the inside. "This is the required reading material: you are in all probability already familiar with some of the notions, but I expect you to memorize all the books within the next two months. I believe practical training will be unnecessary, in view of the fact that you are already well-versed in that department. Once you are ready, you will attend a few minor Ventrue events with me: in four months there will be a national gathering of the most prominent members of our clan and Lady Veronica Wallace has extended her invitation to you. I hope it is unnecessary for me to underline that you will have to appear absolutely flawless, polished and capable of handling any topic of conversation in an effortless manner."
"Of course, sir," I replied, eyeing the enormous pile of ancient-looking books and wondering how I was supposed to carry them to my flat. Lady Wallace was most likely that Elder Ventrue who had addressed me at the Conclave: I remembered her enquiring about my presence to a gathering… so she had practically forced Cutteridge to bring me along. I hoped it was going to be held somewhere nearby, because the prospective of spending a few days with him was simply dreadful.
"Furthermore, you will be required to carry out the odd assignments as my agent and those activities we have already discussed," Strauss elucidated, and I knew he was talking about the whole symbol act and also about Alexandra. "This is your schedule for the next two weeks, unless some emergency arises."
He handed me a piece of paper and another wave of psychosomatic acid burned in my stomach. It was a good thing I had gotten used to impossible work hours while getting my PhD, because my timetable was so cluttered with engagements and studying that I would basically not have any free time.
"I see…"
"Primogen Cutteridge, I thank you for your cooperation and wish you a good night," Strauss announced, basically dismissing him. He stood up and I was about to imitate him when the Regent's raised hand made me stop.
"There is another matter I wish to discuss in private," he murmured, as soon as Cutteridge was out of the room. "First of all, the real main reason why I want you to be part of the Foundation is to keep an eye on Cutteridge, and make sure he does not put me in hazardous situation or take advantage of his position and experience to embezzle funds for his own purposes. I know it is not an easy task and that you do not have enough time to dedicate to it, but there is nobody else with the necessary competence who I can trust, and even a partial control is better than simply allowing him free reign. Your presence enough should at least act as a deterrent."
"I suspected something of the sort, Sir, especially considering his… less than thrilled reaction," I replied with a smirk. "Still, if he has the complicity of some of the other managers or employers, detecting and discovering a fraud will be almost impossible, unless he makes some mistakes or it gets so big to be impossible to cover."
"Indeed, and do not worry: I do not expect a miracle," he reassured me, taking off his glasses. "Changing the subject: before heading back to New York, Mr Collins reported to me that you were being followed last night."
"Yes, it was Nines, he wanted to talk…" I explained, describing my impressions on our weird conversation. Strauss seemed slightly perturbed, particularly so when I told him of Nines' reaction to my answer about the Sarcophagus.
"I had not expected him to approach you… in a not confrontational way. We will have to endeavour to discover what he is aiming at: I am sure there is a plan in his mind… In any case, I want you to start training on the fundamentals of the Auspex discipline… you will not be able to perceive the more experienced Kindred, but you should at least avoid ambushes by the average scouts and emissaries. It will be essential for your safety and for the protection of classified information, should you be spied upon, which will become more and more likely in the future."
"I… that would be a great opportunity Max," I replied, part of me simply delighted at the news, while another part was thinking about the fact that I would barely have time to feed anymore: how was I supposed to do all of this at the same time? Strauss was surely setting the bar high. From how he had worded his proposal, though, it was also implied that he would still be perfectly capable of controlling me without me knowing and that he was probably not going to allow me to delve very deep in the discipline. Well, it was still better than nothing.
"Then it is settled, I shall take the necessary steps," he proclaimed, opening a drawer on his right and taking out an envelope. "This is your compensation for your recent work, consider it a bonus and an advance on your first salary."
The fact that getting a regular pay-cheque almost seemed too good to be true really made me think about how sad my condition for the past two years had been: I had gotten used to have to do side jobs for a meagre pay and be dependant on LaCroix's whims. Sure, when he had paid me he had proved to be progressively more generous, but he had always made me feel like it was some sort of act of kindness on his part, instead than the deserved reward for all my efforts.
"We will also need to discuss your living arrangements, since LaCroix's quarters are now unoccupied and I do not intend to leave the Chantry or to allow Cutteridge to claim them. You would be more protected when you retire for the day and I believe it would be quite beneficial for the both of us. Think about it until our next meeting."
"Yes, Max and… thank you," I replied, standing up: I would need to ponder over this offer carefully, there were a lot of advantages, yes, but also quite a few drawbacks.
He nodded with an half-smile and I took it as my cue to leave. There was still something slightly surreal about seeing him seated behind that desk in this French decorated office. Perhaps he should make some renovations, I thought with an internal smirk as I closed the door behind me. When I was in the elevator I could not resist the temptation to take a glimpse at the content of the envelope and I was almost stunned: it would cover the cost of the ruined dress, of the stash of ammo I had had to buy and consume, plus I would be able to pay for a very nice present for Mercurio and I would not need to go on a hunt to feed anytime soon. A good thing, since time was now the most precious and scarce commodity for me. Well, if Strauss kept on being so "generous" with his allowances, it would be worth it and he was really giving me an opportunity to grow. I just needed to endure and it would get easier in time, given that the training would not last forever.
With a lighter "heart" and a figuratively heavier wallet I headed back to my apartment, shortly joined by two of Strauss' men who had been ordered to carry the load of tomes. When I was once again alone in my living room, I picked a big volume on the origins of Clan Ventrue and brought it up to my bedroom. I was so engrossed in my reading that I slipped into torpor with the book still in my hands, hazily dreaming of puppet Roman Emperors and political machinations hatched by the powerful Ventrues who moved the invisible strings.
A/N: I am truly sorry for the delay, but exams are taking up almost all of my time, so updates will be at a slower pace until the second week of July. This chapter is extremely long and probably boring, but it contains things I had to get over with now, since in the next chapter there will be a huge jump forward and… All I can say is that I am really, really looking forward to writing it and that the first act of my story is now completely behind us.
My deepest thanks to sister-b, Pagan Witch, StrangeoneXD, Olivia and Loving Companion Cube for your wonderful reviews: I am sounding trite but they really are an incredible incentive.
Thank you to all the readers!
A special thank you to Loving Companion Cube for… well, for everything: Play it again, Sam ;)