MISC: The Girl Who Saved the World Part 27
George Phillies
phillies at 4liberty.net
Fri Jan 29 21:20:31 PST 2016
This brilliant discussion has been postponed to Chapter 8 or so. Next
time we return to the new Chapter 4.
“We must mobilize the people of the world,” Holmgren said, “to turn
their united talents to capturing this person. Wherever she is – yes, I
agree the very limited evidence suggests somewhere in Europe – we must
find her. In particular, we must capture this Eclipse person and free
the Namestone before it falls into truly wrong hands. Can you imagine
what the League of Terran Justice would do with it?” The League of
Terror and Injustice was a permanent thorn in Holmgren’s side.
“All the power of all the world’s investigatory agencies, from the
Okhrana to the fabled Pinkertons, are hot in her pursuit,” said
Elizaveta Romanoff. “There can be no doubt. We shall find her. Of
course, what we do when we find her is another question.”
“Should you not have some plan for dealing with her before you find
her?” American Ambassador Thaddeus Buncombe showed his usual practical
nature. “Lest you find yourself like the miniature poodle that treed the
pride of lions? How do you plan to match the Namestone’s power? Not to
mention, of course, that a person who can stand up to that range of
attacks without flinching is no mere milquetoast, no little girl
pretending to be her older brother. Eclipse is a persona of no slight
power. The most obvious demonstration of this is the dog that did not
bark.”
“Ahh, the Great English Detective Helmesham,” Legate Saigo said.
“Precisely. This person is being attacked by our League’s most powerful
Strike Team, not to mention a Lord of Eternity. What does she do?
Nothing. Not a thing. Most people, seeing what was about to happen to
them, would at least try shooting back, piously hoping that they might
possibly fire a silver arrow. Eclipse just stood there. Of course, you
could claim that she has no combat gifts, just a sharp knife, but no
combat gift is an exceedingly odd match to at least twelfth-level
screens, not to mention effective second-order defenses. You could also
propose she was so slow-witted that she did not recognize what was about
to happen to her, but someone so dull could never have solved the Maze.
No, this Eclipse person was confident that her gifts would shield her.
A list of known personae who are that confident in their gifts is very
short.”
“Indeed,” Singh said, “As she is clearly not a Lord of Eternity, there
is one obvious possibility. While she is shorter than history books
report, it is possible that the Namestone is now in the hands of the
Silver General.” Looks of horror criss-crossed the room. “Some would
feel surprise that the Supreme Mistress of Terror and Treachery was
found worthy.”
“Mercifully,” Featherstonehaugh responded, “I can rule out that inspired
and sensible inference. The Silver General appeared regularly in London
in Queen Victoria’s declining years. My great-grandfather, who was
something of a lady’s man, became, how shall I put it, her very close
friend, and noted in his diary that they were of a height, that height
being five feet, ten inches, much taller than the Bearer who Valkyria
encountered.”
“Perhaps we should ask those who have so-far remained silent if they
had anything useful to add?” Elizaveta Romanoff made her grandmotherly
smile, knowing the Special Peace Executive would hear effusive promises
of support, promises that she knew to be of dubious reliability. It was
possible, she thought, that some of the Great Powers did not plan to
keep secret their capture of the Namestone, at least until they had used
the Namestone to conquer the world. She hoped that no one would press
her to name a Great Power that was so strangely run. It seemed far less
possible that any Power would voluntarily hand the Namestone over to
dear Lars. Nonetheless, the promises would be extensive, time-consuming,
pointless, and last until an appropriate hour for recess had been reached.
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