MISC: The Girl Who Saved the World, Part 52.

[George Phillies]

“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.


Yes, there is a Chapter end here.


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.eyrie.org/pipermail/racc/attachments/20161112/1d00e665/attachment-0001.html>