Hey, everyone - thanks for the positive reviews (even if there were only three). Here is the short chapter four, written against a background of great turmoil. Seriously, my exams are on.
Please R&R!
House Of Cards
Chapter Four – Flash Floods
Two mugs of steaming coffee each later, Sharmista and Holly were settled in Foaly's office, along with Commander Vinyaya. The two had explained all that they could to a shocked Sharmista before escorting her into the Section Eight headquarters to be further filled in by Foaly. Foaly was in seventh heaven after being showered with praise for all his technical gizmos and know-how by a most wondrous Sharmista, who insisted that everyone call her Misty.
"That's a really funny nickname, if you don't mind me saying," Foaly had quipped when they had first shaken hands.
"Beats 'Sharmi', which is an even weirder sounding nickname."
"It sounds like that orange-haired girl on that cartoon you used to watch so much, Foaly," Holly had grinned.
"You guys watch Pokemon?"
"Only Foaly, but he's lost interest."
"Yeah," Foaly had laughed. "Naruto is the new Pokemon now."
"I give up. What don't you guys have?" Sharmista now complained – only just before letting out a loud burp. Foaly fell off his chair cackling hysterically as Sharmista's face turned tomato red. Holly and Vinyaya grinned at each other. "Sorry," Sharmista muttered.
"We definitely don't the solution to this 'hole' business," Vinyaya quipped. "Pun intended."
"That's where you come in." Holly said.
"What I can I do? I'm just as clueless as you are." Sharmista sipped at her third cup of coffee. She'd never had three in a row. If Ma knew, I'd be dead meat. But since she's not here, I guess I can have a fourth cup as well. Looks like this is going to take a while. God. I'm sitting with imaginary characters and all I can think about is my mom screwing me over coffee. What a pathetic loser I am.
"You are human, and that's one way in which you're going to help us." Sharmista quizzically raised an eyebrow.
"Alright, there's more to it than that. Foaly did explain about the Triad, right?"
"Something about goblins running the underworld, no pun intended."
"The name 'Bobby' appealed to me in the interrogation room because their leader's name is Bobby Gatsuki."
"A Japanese guy?"
"No, he's not Japanese, but he isn't a goblin either. Gatsuki is a pixie, and a devious one at that." Holly rolled her eyes. Sometimes I start to wonder whether all pixies are cold-blooded masterminds.
"So you're telling me a smart pixie runs a Goblin Triad. Nice."
"He not only runs it, he also owns a few shares in some of your human companies."
"How the hell is that possible?"
"If you ever take a look at his photo, you'll see that he's not unlike a dwarf – a human one, that is." Foaly brought up a picture of an extremely short person on the screen. If you had no inkling about the magical creatures that lived beneath the earth's crust, you would just think that the height was a birth defect.
"Oh, I see. That's pretty useful." Sharmista narrowed her eyes. "Which companies does he own stocks in, then?"
"Most of his stocks are in a company called WaldenGreen Solutions." Vinyaya began. "And that's where 'Gerald' rang a bell."
"Oh, my God. 'Gerald' as in Gerald Walden? You have got to be kidding me. Seriously, lose my number." The already frazzled teen wrung her hands nervously. "That man is supposed to be the saviour of the flipping planet!"
"You mean the Resource Kiln, don't you?" Foaly grinned.
"We don't really have anything on them – it's all just a hunch." Vinyaya walked over to Sharmista, who was slowly going red in the face. "We just want to investigate a few things. We can take care of things down here. You, meanwhile, along with someone else we had in mind, can go topside and check out WaldenGreen."
"Look – if you haven't noticed, I'm only sixteen, and have virtually no knowledge about Gerald Walden or his Resource Kiln. Add to the fact that you guys aren't supposed to exist and that Holly here tried hypnotizing – sorry, mesmerizing – me back in that hellhole doesn't exactly make me want to jump on the bandwagon."
"You seemed pretty excited when I asked you to join in, you know. And we've never lied to you so far."
"So far indicates that you may in all probability lie to me at some other point in time."
"Not lying. We would probably keep a few…unnecessary facts from you, though. We don't exactly trust humans, like Holly said," Vinyaya said. "We've had a few bitter experiences."
"Great. Well, seeing as there's no real bright side to the whole situation, I might as well agree." Sharmista sighed. "I am such a total sucker."
"Bury yourself in criticism later. What do you know about Walden?" Foaly asked, his eyes boring holes into Sharmista.
"About Walden? Nada. I know that he came up with the Resource Kiln idea with a mystery woman about whom he's sworn never to talk, that it goes up for talks in the UN later this month, that so far everyone's been applauding the project."
"Gerard Walden is a self made man, and he's always shied out of the spotlight. All of a sudden, he rises to prominence with this master plan, and the newshounds love it. He's proposing to fill this Kiln with adequate amounts of various kinds of minerals and elements, even radioactive ones, to be used only in the direst of situations. The building itself is to be constructed underground in Greenland. And," Foaly grinned with pride, "I have figured out the identity of the mystery woman."
"Great. Who is it?" Sharmista leaned forward in her chair.
Holly glared at Foaly. "Why wasn't I informed about this?"
"For reasons that will become apparent in a few seconds. This question's for you, Commander, and you too, Holly. Who was it that you met a couple of years ago, who had blonde hair, blue eyes, and was French? Come on, this is the stupidest question I've ever had to pose."
"Minerva?" Holly shrieked.
"Minerva Paradizo? The girl who designed the Peace Promenade?" Sharmista looked puzzled. "She's barely my age!"
"Yet she's gone on to do some pretty fantastic things in her life." Vinyaya chewed her lower lip. "Holly, I'm afraid you know what this means. We're going to have to call the Fowl kid in."
"Okay, stop," Sharmista got up, hitting her head on the ceiling. "You're talking like spies out of a bad '80s TV show. Who's 'Fowl'? Is that a code name or something? Is he one of you guys?"
"He's not one of us, and yet he's one of us all the same." Holly muttered.
"I give up. Go ahead and talk in riddles all you want. I'll be sitting right here if you wish to explain things to me."
"No – actually, you're coming with me. Ever been to Ireland?" Holly grinned. She was going to enjoy taking this girl on the ride of her life.
"No, I haven't. Are you going to be hunting chickens there?"
"Ah, don't be in such a fowl mood, my dear," Foaly hooted. "Good luck, Holly!"
"Thanks, old friend." Holly looked at the glaring Indian girl. "We're going to need it."
That's pretty much all that can fit in this chapter. I wanted to add more, but it would've then gone on for eternity. Well, at least a few things are clearer now.
Please R&R!
Renata Swift
