RVA: Shadow of History, Venting
As predicted Civil Protection spent the rest of the afternoon and evening searching the garage for evidence left by the graffiti artist, to absolutely no effect. Questioning the staff was put off until the next morning, but with well over a hundred servants employed by their House, never mind an equal number of District administration employees coming and going every day, it was going to take some time.
Later the next morning, as the first round of questioning was beginning, Salli received a call from Rolas. She quickly rushed to her suite to bring it up on her comsole, to find her twin sitting in her office, dressed for the day in his House uniform.
“Good morning, Salli,” he greeted cheerfully. “I was just checking in to see how you and Alinadar are getting along.”
Salli's mouth hung open a moment as Rolas' completely ordinary question stopped her short. “That's... complicated at the moment,” she finally said.
Rolas frowned, his good humor fading. “What the matter?”
“Well, Mother thinks Ali is a dangerous lunatic and/or possibly responsible for arranging Countess Highglider and Kevinaugh's murders, her PTSD made her draw a weapon on two of her nephews, which has made one of her aunts naturally upset, we've got a reporters uploading scurrilous stories about our relationship, some of the other countesses are hinting that Darktail District isn't up the challenge of administering a colony, the new Lady Highglider is very annoying, and someone defaced my car with menacing graffiti yesterday.” She paused, and then added blandly, “Also my new eye should ready to be installed before the end of the week.”
“So,” Rolas said, after an uncomfortable pause. “Not well, I take it?”
Salli closed her eye and massaged her temple briefly with two fingers. “It could be better. If I could get Mother to step off my tail about Ali I'd be a lot happier. I need to get us both back to Greenholme as soon as possible to get Ali out of range of her attention. Speaking of which, how are things there?”
“Er, fine,” he said, looking grateful at the change in subject, the coward. “Completion of the housing units in Sector Three are going to be delayed a month while that 'wartie construction supervisor of yours finishes Phase One of the new Governor's Mansion. Also Melanie has gotten a back door e-mail from some human resort company, Blue Seas Resorts, that's the name. They want to lease out part of the second continent's shoreline and about a thousand square kilometers of the interior for a wilderness and hunting resort. We need your take on that so we can give them an answer.”
“Mother Goddess, that's out of the question,” Salli replied sharply. “We've barely begun to do a proper lifeforms survey. We haven't even cataloged all the species in the vicinity of the colony, never mind the other continents. Goddess only knows what predators or vulnerable species are out there that we need to evaluate.”
“I was just asking,” Rolas said defensively. “Mel thinks it would be a good idea to make up for the added costs to the construction budget after the pirate attack. Actually she said there'd be enough left over even to make significant improvements to the current plan.”
“Of course she thinks it's a good idea. That greedy wife of yours thinks any plan that involves grabbing more money is a good one,” Salli snapped.
“Here now, I liked the idea myself,” Rolas declared, ears flicked back in surprised at her outburst. “You've seen the budget for this quarter. Any extra income would be welcome right now.”
Salli caught her anger, taking a deep breath to calm down. “Yes, you're right about that. I'm very sorry, Rolas. This visit home is proving much more stressful than I'd anticipated. Forward me Blue Seas' proposal and I'll look at it when I get a chance.”
“I will,” Rolas agreed. Then he asked cautiously, “How is Alinadar doing, honestly? Mel is worried for her, and so am I.”
“This whole situation is stressing her to her limits, I think,” Salli replied, feeling a headache grow behind her empty eye socket. “She doesn't think she's worthy of me. She thinks it would be better to break off our relationship rather than force me into a confrontation with Mother.”
“And what do you think?” Rolas asked.
“I think if Mother doesn't back off, you may find that your current job as temporary Governor General will become a permanent position.”
Obviously taken aback by this, Rolas answered, “Is it as bad as that?”
Salli held two fingertips a claw width apart. “I am this close to telling her where she can stuff her commentary about Ali and I's relationship.”
Rolas nodded somberly. “I don't like that idea, Sallivera. But if it comes to it, you have my full support, always.”
Salli blew out a breath. “Thank you, Rolas. I'm sorry to vent at you like this. I haven't anyone to talk to about the whole situation except Ali, and she's caught between trying to please me and not antagonize Mother.”
“I'll always be here for you, Salli,” he replied. “And so is Melanie. I think she'd appreciate the chance to prove it to you.”
Rather than give a direct reply to that, Salli merely said, “I'll bear that in mind. Good day, Rolas.” and cut the com.
I can't go on like this. I really can't.
Later the next morning, as the first round of questioning was beginning, Salli received a call from Rolas. She quickly rushed to her suite to bring it up on her comsole, to find her twin sitting in her office, dressed for the day in his House uniform.
“Good morning, Salli,” he greeted cheerfully. “I was just checking in to see how you and Alinadar are getting along.”
Salli's mouth hung open a moment as Rolas' completely ordinary question stopped her short. “That's... complicated at the moment,” she finally said.
Rolas frowned, his good humor fading. “What the matter?”
“Well, Mother thinks Ali is a dangerous lunatic and/or possibly responsible for arranging Countess Highglider and Kevinaugh's murders, her PTSD made her draw a weapon on two of her nephews, which has made one of her aunts naturally upset, we've got a reporters uploading scurrilous stories about our relationship, some of the other countesses are hinting that Darktail District isn't up the challenge of administering a colony, the new Lady Highglider is very annoying, and someone defaced my car with menacing graffiti yesterday.” She paused, and then added blandly, “Also my new eye should ready to be installed before the end of the week.”
“So,” Rolas said, after an uncomfortable pause. “Not well, I take it?”
Salli closed her eye and massaged her temple briefly with two fingers. “It could be better. If I could get Mother to step off my tail about Ali I'd be a lot happier. I need to get us both back to Greenholme as soon as possible to get Ali out of range of her attention. Speaking of which, how are things there?”
“Er, fine,” he said, looking grateful at the change in subject, the coward. “Completion of the housing units in Sector Three are going to be delayed a month while that 'wartie construction supervisor of yours finishes Phase One of the new Governor's Mansion. Also Melanie has gotten a back door e-mail from some human resort company, Blue Seas Resorts, that's the name. They want to lease out part of the second continent's shoreline and about a thousand square kilometers of the interior for a wilderness and hunting resort. We need your take on that so we can give them an answer.”
“Mother Goddess, that's out of the question,” Salli replied sharply. “We've barely begun to do a proper lifeforms survey. We haven't even cataloged all the species in the vicinity of the colony, never mind the other continents. Goddess only knows what predators or vulnerable species are out there that we need to evaluate.”
“I was just asking,” Rolas said defensively. “Mel thinks it would be a good idea to make up for the added costs to the construction budget after the pirate attack. Actually she said there'd be enough left over even to make significant improvements to the current plan.”
“Of course she thinks it's a good idea. That greedy wife of yours thinks any plan that involves grabbing more money is a good one,” Salli snapped.
“Here now, I liked the idea myself,” Rolas declared, ears flicked back in surprised at her outburst. “You've seen the budget for this quarter. Any extra income would be welcome right now.”
Salli caught her anger, taking a deep breath to calm down. “Yes, you're right about that. I'm very sorry, Rolas. This visit home is proving much more stressful than I'd anticipated. Forward me Blue Seas' proposal and I'll look at it when I get a chance.”
“I will,” Rolas agreed. Then he asked cautiously, “How is Alinadar doing, honestly? Mel is worried for her, and so am I.”
“This whole situation is stressing her to her limits, I think,” Salli replied, feeling a headache grow behind her empty eye socket. “She doesn't think she's worthy of me. She thinks it would be better to break off our relationship rather than force me into a confrontation with Mother.”
“And what do you think?” Rolas asked.
“I think if Mother doesn't back off, you may find that your current job as temporary Governor General will become a permanent position.”
Obviously taken aback by this, Rolas answered, “Is it as bad as that?”
Salli held two fingertips a claw width apart. “I am this close to telling her where she can stuff her commentary about Ali and I's relationship.”
Rolas nodded somberly. “I don't like that idea, Sallivera. But if it comes to it, you have my full support, always.”
Salli blew out a breath. “Thank you, Rolas. I'm sorry to vent at you like this. I haven't anyone to talk to about the whole situation except Ali, and she's caught between trying to please me and not antagonize Mother.”
“I'll always be here for you, Salli,” he replied. “And so is Melanie. I think she'd appreciate the chance to prove it to you.”
Rather than give a direct reply to that, Salli merely said, “I'll bear that in mind. Good day, Rolas.” and cut the com.
I can't go on like this. I really can't.