The Immortal Crown

CHAPTER 16

Good Provincial Girls

Tessa got her hair cut just before Dr. Cassidy’s event, much to Daphne’s dismay.

“You’ve lost your rustic provincial feel,” Daphne exclaimed, as she adjusted the tiny microphone hidden in Tessa’s collar. “That’s half your appeal.”

“Thanks,” said Tessa dryly. Her hair was still long by Gemman standards, reaching her shoulder blades. She’d gotten it edged and layered in a more modern way that helped lighten some of the weight. In Panama, most girls her age wore their hair elaborately up or braided, so length and blunt edges were the goals there. “And I actually think it’s going to help me. Dr. Cassidy wants to show me off as some kind of poster child for Gemman assimilation. Looking the part—and not like I just came in from the provinces—will convince them how great the RUNA’s been for me.”

Daphne made a noncommittal grunt and stepped back to survey Tessa. “Maybe,” was all Daphne would acknowledge. “But you don’t want to come off as too worldly and sophisticated. If you get caught doing something you shouldn’t be, you’ll want to play up that provincial naiveté.”

“I’m not going to do anything except what I’m asked,” Tessa told her, for what felt like the hundredth time. “I’m not cracking safes or hacking encrypted files.”

And Daphne responded with the same refrain she’d been giving Tessa for the last couple of days. “You’re going to be in the man’s house! This is a golden opportunity, better than we could have hoped for. You’ve got to maximize that. You might end up being president of the YCC and never get a chance like this again.”

Tessa shook her head. “No. I’m not doing anything like that. I’ll try to stick around the donors as much as possible so you can get some good sound bites, but that’s it. Besides, if Dr. Cassidy really does have some involvement with a religion, and if he is consequently getting the rest of the Citizens Party involved, it’s not like there’s going to be one document I can seize that’s got it all laid out for you to exploit.”

“No,” Daphne agreed. “And it’s also unlikely we’ll be lucky enough that this group of donors is made up of cult leaders giving us the story we need. All the sound bites in the world will be pointless if there’s nothing in them.”

“Because maybe there’s nothing here at all in the first place.” Again, it was an argument Tessa had made many times. Daphne was familiar with it and shook her head with a mix of what seemed like amusement and exasperation.

“Go,” she said, pointing at the door. “Find me something good.” They were at North Prime’s offices downtown, in order to make sure the surveillance equipment was working. Tessa had already dressed at home before coming out, in a black skirt and white blouse as requested, and had only a short trip to make back to the YCC’s building. There, she met up with Acacia and three other lucky chosen members who were helping out at the event tonight. Dag was her bodyguard of the day and accompanied them on the car ride out to Dr. Cassidy’s house, per arrangements Tessa had made earlier. At first, Acacia and Dr. Cassidy had been uncertain how to deal with Tessa’s protective arrangements, but upon learning she might have a praetorian in tow, they’d been quite charmed with the idea and asked that Dag come in uniform. Tessa would still go about her tasks at the party while he stayed stationed at the door, adding further gravitas to the affair. Dag had had no problem being on display, so long as he could be sure Tessa was safe and that he would be given dinner.

Being a political party’s therapist must have paid pretty well, judging from the size of Dr. Cassidy’s house and lawn. Although it was dinnertime, the summer evening still offered plenty of light and warmth so that he was able to host his guests out on an expansive patio and terrace area. There were about twenty couples invited, spread out among small round tables set with perfect linens and crystal. Hired wait staff and caterers handled the most intense labor, while Tessa and her student colleagues ran errands and took on small tasks. Tessa herself was on champagne duty, going from table to table to check on glasses, after Acacia had assured her that tipsy donors were generous donors. “Tessa,” Dr. Cassidy called, as she passed by him at one point.

“Come here a moment.”

He’d hardly sat down all night and had instead flitted around to interact with his tables of guests. He stood over one such table now, and Tessa hurried over to him, her champagne bottle poised for refills.

“Set that down for a moment,” he told her amiably. “I’d like to introduce you to some people.”

She and the other YCC students had already been introduced to various guests throughout the night, so this was something she was prepared for. She and the others, under Acacia’s tutelage, had perfected their roles as upstanding youth greatly benefitting from the Citizens Party’s guidance. Tessa expected more of the same here, but when Dr. Cassidy highlighted one of his guests specifically, she suddenly knew why she’d been invited tonight.

“And this is Adora Zimmer,” he said, indicating a middle aged woman sitting to his right. “CEO of Garnet Industries. That’s not even the most interesting thing about her. Adora has a background much like yours, having coming to the RUNA in her youth and earning citizenship. Adora, Tessa’s with us from Panama and attends Creative Minds—when not helping me pour champagne.”

“That’s wonderful,” said Adora. She bore no trace of an accent, and Tessa could only guess at some European ancestry, based on her surname and appearance. “I love success stories of other provincials finding greatness in our country—and clearly you have! I have a colleague whose daughter goes to your school. It’s not easy to get into.”

”Tessa’s quite an exceptional student,” Dr. Cassidy quickly said. “That, and she’s fortunate to have a benefactor who’s an old friend of Senator Darling’s. And you all know how concerned the senator is about seeing young people develop their full potential. His aid’s helped Tessa in her Gemman journey.”

That wasn’t exactly true. Tessa’s student visa and enrollment at Creative Minds had been Justin’s finagling, but she knew better than to ruin Dr. Cassidy’s performance and simply skirted the subject of who could claim credit for her. “I’m so lucky to be here,” she said. “In Panama, all my education came from home tutors, and the subjects were pretty limited. It was nothing compared to what I’ve been able to learn here.” She gave Adora a shy smile. “It’s especially inspiring to meet someone like you, Ms. Zimmer, knowing that no matter where I was born, I can succeed if I make use of all the Gemman opportunities being offered to me.”

“Of course you can, dear,” said Adora, face softening. “People like us have to work extra hard, but if we persevere, we can achieve anything we like. I help fund a group that’s been instrumental in lobbying for more immigration opportunities for provincial youth with outstanding potential. A good provincial girl is exactly the kind of role model I’m always talking about.”

Dr. Cassidy nodded in agreement. “And you know, Adora, that several members of our party—including Senator Darling—have been very interested in discussing your group’s cause. I look forward to enabling you all to speak more about it.”

Adora scoffed. “I’d much rather talk to this young lady. Let me borrow her for a few events, and we’d bring a change of heart to all those paranoid people who think letting in more immigrants will lead to another Decline.”

“I thought that’s what the religious freedom lobbyists were doing,” joked a man across the table. “Haven’t a few of them been courting the CP too?”

“The Citizens Party has only been talking to those religious lobbyists who have demonstrated responsible, stable groups,” corrected a woman beside him. “Those are exactly the kinds of groups people need to see more of. The only time religion’s ever in the news is when there’s animal sacrifice or arson.”

This sparked a lively debate amongst the table’s occupants, one put on hold when Dr. Cassidy turned his smile back on Tessa. “Okay, we won’t bore you with all of this. I’ll let you get back to your assignment, and don’t worry—I’ll drive a hard bargain on Adora before she can ‘borrow’ you.”

Tessa actually wasn’t bored and would’ve liked to see how a religious debate panned out with the Citizens Party’s wealthy supporters. It might also have given her the sound bite she needed. But, standing around and listening was out of the question, especially when it was clear Dr. Cassidy was so pleased with her for charming his immigration-supporting donor. Tessa didn’t want to ruin that rapport, and after a polite farewell, she visited other tables.

As the night progressed, she tried to pay attention to other conversations and linger near any tables discussing things relevant to Daphne. Not much came of it, though. Religion was rarely brought up. Taxes and the economy were more often than not the big topics, and mostly what she heard were variations of common arguments posted on media stream news channels.

As dessert was being served, Acacia summoned Tessa for another task. “We’re losing too much light, and the lanterns aren’t doing enough for us. Go inside and grab some candles from the dining room. It’s on the opposite side of the house. Just walk straight, cut right, and you can’t miss it.”

Tessa obeyed, entering the mostly empty grand estate, with only a few harried waiters and caterers rushing past her. She reached the opposite side of the house and found a Y-shaped hall, with the right hand branch going off to what was obviously a dining room. The left hand branch went off to what appeared to be an office, and Tessa hesitated.

Here, she knew, was where Daphne would tell her to do some investigating. If people were going to hide incriminating records, an office was a likely candidate. Of course, as Tessa had told Daphne many times, “hide” was the key word. Whatever connections Dr. Cassidy had were going to be well-concealed, and Tessa was in no position—nor did she have the talent—to break into someone’s electronic files. Still, she found herself taking a few steps forward, lingering in the doorway to the office. Its French doors were open, further confirming that nothing untoward was going on. Dr. Cassidy would hardly leave his study exposed while guests were around if it were hiding anything nefarious. And from the looks of it, this wasn’t even a real office that saw much use. It had no screen or computer and was filled with antique paper books and all sorts of artwork.

“Tessa?”

She jumped and spun around to find Dr. Cassidy himself. He looked as friendly as ever and only mildly curious. “Can I help you with something?”

She felt herself flushing and opted for a version of the truth. “Acacia sent me to find candles in the dining room, but it looks like I went the wrong way.” Realizing that didn’t explain why she was standing in the office’s doorway, she hastily added, “I was about to leave but was drawn to that and just had to stop and look at it. Sounds silly, I know. I’m sorry, sir. I’ll go find the candles—”

“No, no apologies necessary,” he said, strolling into the office, touching the sculpture Tessa had chosen at random. It was one of several varied types on the desk, a statue of a man with robes made of what looked like actual gold. His skin was made of some precious blue rock. “Were you really drawn in by this?”

“Yes,” Tessa lied. “It’s beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it. I . . . I just couldn’t stop looking at it.”

Dr. Cassidy nodded. “I’m not surprised. Of all the pieces to draw the eye, this one probably has the most power. Do you know who it is?”

”No, sir.” She studied the lines of the statue and hazarded a guess.

“It looks Egyptian.”

“You’re right,” he said, beaming in approval. “I got this in a very competitive auction. This is Osiris. Does that mean anything to you?”

She shook her head.

“He was a powerful god, worshipped in ancient Egypt. According to the myths, his brother killed him—cutting him to pieces—but Osiris’s wife restored him to life and had a son with him. Osiris then went on to become ruler of the underworld, judging souls.” Dr. Cassidy’s gaze rested on the statue, and then he turned back to her with a small laugh. “Forgive me, I get caught up in my folktales. That probably sounds silly to you.”

Tessa’s heart was pounding heavily. She could feel she was on the edge of something but didn’t know how to properly attain it. Justin teased her that she was his protégée, able to pick up on small observations and details that others missed, just as he did. And Tessa could tell that this statue was more than just a charming myth to Dr. Cassidy. Unfortunately, she hadn’t picked up Justin’s ability to win people over and get what he wanted from them. He could do it with men and women alike, but the means of achieving that were still a mystery to Tessa. She wasn’t antisocial by any means, but she’d never developed that social ease to finesse people.

“It’s not silly at all,” she said at last. “It’s kind of like the religion I was raised in. There was a god brought back from the dead there too.” Seeing appreciative surprise in Dr. Cassidy’s eyes at the connection, she tried to go further. “Is Osiris kind of the same? Offering release from death to his followers? Or resurrection?”

Dr. Cassidy hesitated before responding. “In some ways. He and his family do certainly have ties to rebirth, though in a different way from the religion you’re referencing. The Ancient Egyptians believed he ruled in the Underworld. Here, among the living, the kings—or pharaohs—were linked to his son, Horus. It was very inspiring for them to think of their leader having divine connections in order to make wise judgments on earth.”

“I can see that,” said Tessa, improvising. “As much as I like learning about the political world, it gets a little wearying, with all the donors and lobbyists. It cheapens things. It’d be nice to know whoever’s in charge is doing so not just because of money . . . but, well, because of some higher calling or power.”

She thought she’d gone too far when he caught his breath, but a moment later, she knew she’d said exactly the right thing. “I forget how different your background is from the others,” he said at last. “It gives you a more open-minded perspective. But it’s because of your background, I shouldn’t even be telling you these stories.” He laughed again, and this time, there was a forced quality to it. “People will accuse of me corrupting a young girl with religion. You saw the reaction it stirred up out there at dinner. If you do want to apply for citizenship, don’t learn about this kind of thing. Keep avoiding attending the church you were raised in. If you want to return to it after you’re a citizen, well, then by all means go forward. But until then, you need to walk a straight and narrow line, and I’ll do my best to help, not hinder, you. Come on.” He stepped out of the office and shut the doors, his affable persona back. “Let’s go find those candles. Helping with this dinner is the kind of appropriate activity that looks good on a girl’s citizenship record.”

Tessa followed obligingly, saying little as she pondered what she’d just learned. The dinner soon wound down, and Acacia made sure all the YCC members were taken back to their homes. As Dag walked her inside, Tessa wanted nothing more than to dive into the media stream and start looking up all she could on Osiris. She wished more than ever that Justin was in town because he would’ve probably instantly known what was relevant. All that research had to be put on hold, however, because she’d made plans for Darius to come over. He’d been elated to hear about her opportunity tonight and wanted all the details in person.

He jumped up from the kitchen table when she entered. “How was it? Anything exciting happen? Did you meet anyone who—” He paused, jaw dropping slightly. “Wow . . . your hair. It’s so pretty.”

”Thanks,” she said, collapsing into a chair. Mental energy aside, the effects of being on her feet all night were now taking a toll. “And nothing too exciting happened.”

“Did they feed you?” asked Cynthia. “I can get you some leftovers.” She was at the table too, along with Quentin and Rufus. The four of them were engaged in a game of mah jong, something that everyone kept trying to teach Tessa but which she didn’t have the knack for yet.

“Yeah,” said Tessa.

“But I’ll still take your leftovers,” said Dag cheerfully. Seeing Cynthia start to stand, he waved her off. “No, no. I’ll find them.”

She settled down, but Rufus stood up. “You should take my place, Tessa. It’s ridiculous that you don’t have this mastered yet. And my shift’s almost over anyway.”

Tessa wasn’t in the mood for games or even pleasant conversation, but before she could offer a protest, the doorbell rang. Dag jerked his attention from the refrigerator to a small screen in the kitchen that was connected to cameras at the front door. His jovial face hardened at the potential threat, and then when he actually saw who was at the door, his expression turned to one of disbelief. “Well, I’ll be damned,” he said, hurrying off to the door with no other explanation.

Tessa, curious, got up to look at the screen and was swiftly joined by Rufus. “Do you know her?” asked Tessa, seeing his look of astonishment. He immediately smoothed his features and shook his head.

“No. Just expecting someone more formidable from Dagsson’s reaction,” he said gruffly. And yet, when Dag nervously ushered their guest in, Rufus couldn’t take his eyes off her.

She was no one Tessa knew, a plebeian woman of average height, with dark eyes and wavy brown hair pulled into a haphazard ponytail. Her clothes were casual but showed a body that, although small, was muscled and toned like someone who engaged in regular athletic activity. For half a second, Tessa wondered if this was another backup praetorian, except there was a slightly dazed look in the woman’s eyes that Tessa didn’t usually observe in those super soldiers.

“This is, uh, Drusilla Kavi,” said Dag, who seemed uncharacteristically uncomfortable. “She’s a . . . colleague. A praetorian.”

Quentin was the only one who didn’t seem to pick up on the weird vibe in the room. “Are you here to help too?” he asked brightly.

“I’m looking for Mae,” said Drusilla, voice dreamy. “She isn’t returning calls, and I’ve looked everywhere. I went to her home, but she wasn’t there. Then I found out she’s been at IS and went there—except I don’t have access to the building anymore. When I heard she’s been hanging out here, I thought I’d stop by.” Drusilla glanced around with a small frown. “But she doesn’t seem to be here either.”

“Mae’s on a mission and not able to take calls,” explained Tessa. “Ah,” said Drusilla. “That explains it.”

Dag cleared his throat. “I, uh, didn’t know you were out of the hospital, Kav—Drusilla.”

“I’m still staying there,” she told him. “But I get day passes. I’m doing much better. I’m sure I’ll be out and back on duty in no time.”

“I’m sure,” murmured Dag.

“Are you certain you have permission to be away?” asked Rufus, still regarding her curiously.

The smile she gave him was as spacey as the rest of her, but there was a wry tone in her voice. “Do you really think I could leave if the military didn’t want me to, Mr.—?”

“Callaway,” he said. “And I suppose not.”

“They’ve taken very good care of me,” continued Drusilla. “They take good care of us all—don’t they, Linus? Do you still have your implant?”

Dag looked startled at the question. “Of course. Don’t you? I mean . . . I’m sure they turned it off while you’re, uh, recovering, but you must still have it.”

She shook her head. “The doctors thought it best to remove it. Just until I’m better. It’s helped . . . a little. Some things haven’t gone away, though. Like my hands.” Looking down, she rubbed them together. “Do you get that? The pins and needles?”

Dag looked completely baffled . . . and like he wished he were somewhere else. Or that she were somewhere else. If Tessa weren’t so equally weirded out by their guest, she would’ve taken pleasure in seeing her normally cocky tormentor so off his game.

“Uh, no. I don’t get that,” he said. “I’m not really even sure what you mean.”

Drusilla nodded in sad resignation. “I guess you’re lucky then. The meds help with some things . . . but that never seems to go away.”

Awkward silence fell, and at least now, Tessa had some explanation for what made this woman behave so weirdly. Whatever her “meds” were helping with, it had to be significant to justify this haze she lived in.

“Well,” said Drusilla. “I’ve taken up enough of your time. When did you say Mae was getting back?”

“I didn’t,” said Dag. “It’s a mission. We don’t know.”

“Right, right. Well, I’ll just keep trying her, and maybe I’ll get lucky. She visited me once in the hospital, and I think I was kind of out of it.” Drusilla gave a shaky laugh. “I wanted to make amends now that I’m with it again.”

As she moved toward the doorway, Rufus hurried forward. “How about I help you get back. I’m not sure you should be out walking alone this late.”

Drusilla laughed again. “I’m a praetorian. Nothing can hurt me.”

”Let me. I might be going your way anyway,” he insisted. “You’re going to the base’s hospital?”

Rufus exchanged looks with Dag. “Uh, as it turns out, I am.” It was obvious to everyone but Drusilla that he was lying. He turned to Cynthia. “Okay if I go early?”

“Fine with me,” she said.

“Then I’ll make sure Praetorian Kavi gets back safely.” Dag nodded. “Better you than me.”

“You’re very kind, Mr.—um, I forgot your name already,” Drusilla said apologetically.

“It’s okay. Just call me Rufus.” He guided her toward the door. “Let’s get you back.”

Drusilla followed, giving the others one more distracted smile. “It was nice meeting you all. Nice seeing you, Linus.”

“You too,” Dag said stiffly. When the front door closed, he sat down at the table and shook his head in exasperation. “I owe him. He’s right—she shouldn’t have been out alone, but I’m not sure I could put up with that all the way back to the base.”

“Who was she?” asked Cynthia. “And what was wrong with her?”

”Just another praetorian. One injured in—well, it doesn’t matter, but she’s taken a long time to recover. And honestly, I’m not even sure what she’s recovering from anymore,” he said.

“Something that seems to require a lot of medication,” suggested Tessa. Dag nodded in agreement.

Cynthia returned her attention to the game and began reassessing her tiles. “Well, I hope for her sake she gets better, but in the meantime, I’ve just got to say I’m glad she doesn’t have an implant. I mean, she doesn’t seem that dangerous, but anyone that out of it has no business with performance-enhancing technology. Your turn, Darius.”