THIRTY-FIVE: Power of the Rose

“Today is Siobhan’s day off.  I believe I see her sitting in the courtyard. You are welcome to talk to her.”

At that moment, Cindra stood in the open door.  Arous did not see her enter nor hear the door as it opened.

“Show Arous to the courtyard and introduce her to Siobhan.”

“This really isn’t necessary if you’ll just tell me-”

“I’m sorry but our time is up.  I have other business to attend to.  You may make an appointment with Cindra if Siobhan doesn’t answer questions to your satisfaction. But I trust that won’t be the case.”

“Oh.”

“And good luck finding your mother. May the power of the Rose guide you to her love.”

Cindra led the way from the dining room through another hall, down a flight of stairs and onto a small brick porch.  They went through a screen door and out onto the brick walkway and into the courtyard.  Stone statues and containers of roses littered the courtyard. Small non-flowering shrubs, lined the brick walkways. Various greenery and vines climbed the red brick walls and entangled themselves around the wrought iron bars that secured the tall windows on the floors above. The brick walkways went around to the back of the house and opened onto a larger area of the grounds with taller shrubs. 

Arous looked to the windows and saw Lady Rose staring onto the courtyard. She thought she saw a figure standing behind the Lady just before she turned from the window and disappeared.

“Ladoiselle Siobhan, this is Arous.  She came to talk to the Lady Rose and now would like a short interview with you,” said Cindra.

Cindra looked at Arous on the word “short”, then left.

“Please, have a seat by me, here on the bench,” said Siobhan.  She had had her hands cupped around an image hovering above a dot but then closed her hands as Arous walked up.

“I am looking for someone,” said Arous.

“Oh? Isn‘t everyone?”

The fragrance of the roses made her head swim.

“I am . . . I don’t know about anyone else.”

“Who is it?”

“My mother, a Lunese.”

 “From the look of you, that’s not hard to figure out,” Siobhan’s expression was blank. It was if she couldn’t deice to be honey or vinegar. “I’m sorry.  I don‘t believe I know a Lunese.”

“I know she worked with you”

“She may have worked with the same agency but that doesn’t mean I know her. There are a lot of people in this business,” she inhaled as if to regain the composure she had not yet lost. 

“But there couldn’t be many Lunese.”

“I wish I could be of more help to you,” said Siobhan.

“But you can tell me . . . surely you know somebody. If nothing else, give me the name of a HaleSpa they would have been sent to?”   A loud mechanical chime interrupted Arous.

“I can’t help you. Good day and may the power of the Rose be with you.” She stood before she had finished talking and was through the door. The slamming of which rang off the brick, wood, and iron.

Arous stood and turned to look at her surroundings.

“At least, I could get a look around.”

She turned again.  There stood Cindra, a woman who hoped and dreamed of being a stealth robot.

“This way, Arous.”