EIGHTY-SIX: Tools

            The next day, Jellina showed up at Arrous’ door.

            “Good morning, Arous,” she said. She was beaming. “I’m here to escort you to Ephor Ricci’s.”

            Arous let Jellina in. Octavius growled.

            “You’ll have to leave kitty here.”

            “Why?”

            “You know why you have to come.  And, don’t argue.  I have a couple of Grey Guards waiting outside.  They’ll come up if you don’t come down soon,” she was still smiling.

            “I mean, why can’t I bring Octavius.” 

“It doesn’t matter. You need to hurry. If we keep them waiting and they have to come up, well, they have orders to shoot to kill kitty.”

            Arous walked over to the window where Octavius sat looking out.  There was a hoveh-zine downstairs with two Grey Guard standing outside it.  Waiting for her.

            One of them looked up at the window.  Octavius growled.

            “Where’s Siobhan?” asked Arous.

            “She’s doing something for Ricci,” Jellina paused. “Running some errand with Simon.”

            “Figures.”

            “What?”

            “I just need to send Jude a V-Dot to come get Octavius.  Then I’ll be ready.”

            “Make it quick. And don’t mention where you’re going. It wouldn’t be smart. That Jude is really not good company. He’s not good a following orders.”

When Simon met Jude at the Rabbithole, he was sitting with Octavius.

Octavius really did not like Simon anymore.  Maybe he never did.  It’s hard to tell with cats.

“It’s okay, boy,” Jude said as he patted him on his head. “You just play with your little stuffed horsey and ignore Simon.”

Octavius lay down and placed Arcadia between his paws.

            Simon looked at Jude. Simon was annoyed. He hated the large, mistrusting eyes of a horse that Jude had.

 “Look, I know you like her,” Simon said.

“Like her?”

“But I have a job to do.”

“That’s what she is. A job,” said Jude.

            “Let me finish up. Let me finish up till Ricci’s satisfied. I’ll break her heart and you can pick up the pieces,” said Simon.

“Who are you?”

“Don’t be dramatic, Jude-”

            “You know what? I’ve already told her. But guess what? She doesn’t believe me. She thinks I’m wrong,” said Jude.

            “Hey, what can I say? I’m good at what I do.”

            “You can say the truth! You can tell her what’s going on!”

“Hey, I don’t get a choice in what I tell her,” Simon shot back a Jude.

            “You do, Simon! You could walk out.  You could tell Ricci, thank but no thanks.”

“Jude, not all of us have such spectacular gifts as you.  You have Ricci wrapped around his finger. He just wants you on his side.  That’s all.  You can do what you want. But there will come a point when he’ll grow tired of you having to have your way all the time.  Being connected with Ricci comes at a price.  A price I’m paying for both of us.”

“I didn’t ask you kow-tow to Ricci for me, Simon.  I didn’t ask you for anything.  You followed Ricci’s lead all by yourself.”

“And look where it got me,” said Simon. “Captain, no not just of the Spartan Guard, Captain of the Grey Guard. A position I know you declined.”

“Because I didn’t want to be a traitor?”

“Jude,” said Simon leaning in close. “I won’t be able to hold Ricci back for long.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s getting tired of your antics.  You’re on board, then you’re not.  You’re willing to go so far but not really get down and dirty.  You were willing to pick Arous up from the HaleSpa the night she broke in but you weren’t willing to bring her to him right after.  That’s what you were supposed to do.  Now, he’s had Jellina to go pick her up.”

“What? Where’s Siobhan?”

            “Jude, it’s not that serious. Ricci called Siobhan to the office to ask about Lady Grey, which is more than I should tell you. Just calm down.”

            “Is this about Arous?”

            “No,” he said. “About Lady Grey.”

            “Simon, it’s not about Lady Grey.  It’s never been about her.  It’s always been about Arous.  How could you be so thick?”

            “She’s his daughter. Of course it about her, some.”

            “It’s about her power, Simon.  Lady Grey was a tool.  You and Siobhan – we’re all tools.”

            “What are you talking about?  We led Ricci to Arous.”

            “Because Arous can Misama-port, Arous can skin-dance, Arous can heal.  Ricci knew all these things, Simon.  He used you to bring her to him.”

            “So, what? It’s no big deal.  She’ll be his little daughterly protégé and all will end well.”

            “Ricci is evil Simon.”

            “Okay, now you are being dramatic,” said Simon. “And really, trust me, Ricci sent a V-Dot to Siobhan early this morning about Lady Grey.”

            “What about her?” Jude’s heart was racing.  He realized Simon was telling the truth about Lady Grey but there was also something that Simon didn’t know about Siobhan.

            “She’d dead,” said Simon with a smirk. “Now, that wasn’t all over the news. Ricci made sure of that. Doesn’t want my skills with Arous undermined by a little . . . house cleaning.”

            “You killed her?”

            “Look I got to go,” Simon began to walk away from their table. “Siobhan is probably going to be admitted to the HaleSpa late tonight. If things go according to plan.”

            “What are you not telling me?”  Jude had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach the way Simon said Siobhan’s name.

            “She’s been sick or haven’t you noticed?”

            “It’s not treason this time, is it?” the sarcastic smile spread across Jude’s face.

            “Like you said, Arous has the power of healing.  Ricci just wants to see how strong it is.”

            “He wouldn’t,” gasped Jude.

            “He has.  In fact, I think he’s perfected a way to gradually make people Miasmen. Or, in this case, it would be a Miaselle.”

            “Oh, no.”

            “You’re too puppy-dog-eyed over Arous for me to tell you anything else.”

            “And you’re such a catch,” mumbled Jude.

            “Look, Jude, like I said, it won’t be long before there will be plenty of pieces to pick-up.”

            “Simon, I’m leaving.”

            “I know, Ricci told me. He’s sending you, I mean, you’ve decided to go to Burton’s Farm. Which is it, you think? Did you decide or is that where Ricci wants you?”

            Jude didn’t answer.

            “Right. Oh, and I almost forgot.  Ricci wanted me to tell you to be at the HaleSpa, Purple Wing, like in thirty minutes.”

            “I’m not going,” said Jude. “He can have one of his thugs pick me up on the way to the Farm.”

            “That’s fine.  Though, you’ll make it to the Farm, alright. You’ll just spend a lot of time wondering what happened to Arous.”

            Jude stood up and began to walk to the door.

            “Oh, and when you get there, make sure you are in full Miasma.  He doesn’t want Arous to recognize you.”