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The Circle
Part 4
Crossing the hall quickly, Lessander entered the antechamber and closed the door behind him, taking care to ensure that the clerk was on the other side. From this room only muffled sounds of the rowdy district assembly could be heard.
The antechamber was about seven meters square with a large window on one wall. The furnishings were soft and velvety. In all, the room presented a decidedly elitist atmosphere, a place where the rich and powerful would feel comfortable waiting for their turn to see the governor. Seated in one of the armchairs was the robed woman. A long cowl hid her face. She motioned to a seat on the opposite end of a low table.
“Sit.”
The voice was cracked and barely recognizable as being feminine. Lessander ignored her. “Who are you to pull me away from my legislature? I have important matters that require my personal attention. State your business and be off.”
“You may return to your precious legislature once I have gleaned the information I require. Now sit.”
She could see that Lessander was losing patience. “I don’t have time for your magician’s games,” he snapped. He grabbed hold of the doorknob and tried to leave the room, but the door was jammed.
“Let me out!”
“Not until you’ve told me what I need to know.” The voice was cold, businesslike.
Lessander glared at her. “I warn you: there is a squad of Praetorians outside this door.”
The cloaked woman appeared unfazed. “Shout all you want. They won’t hear you.”
The governor had had enough. He crossed the room in four paces, repeating his demand in a threatening tone.
“Let me out. Now.”
She matched his gaze, rose slowly to her feet, and answered plainly, “No.”
A surge of rage swept through him. In a quick motion, he balled his hand into a fist and swung at her with all his strength. Her reaction was just as sudden as his attack. His fist froze ten centimeters from her face and was held there by an invisible, intractable force. The woman appeared unfazed by his fury. He stared wildly at the hand that was suspended in midair. He was unable to move it — the muscles below his elbow were completely stiff and beyond his control, as if they weren’t even there any more. He struggled madly, but his hand remained fixed in the position in front of her face. She sat back down, watching with mild amusement as Lessander struggled.
“William Lessander, newly elected governor of the Great Sea District. When we heard of your election, we were somewhat surprised. It appears that the reports of your violent temper were not exaggerated.”
His hand was released from its hold, and he stumbled backwards. She motioned to the chair again. “Sit.”
The woman drew back her crimson cowl to reveal a gaunt face with sunken eyes and high cheekbones. Her skin looked like it had been pulled tightly over her skull. Her dark hair was long and thin.
“I am called Quinn. I am a tenth-level member of the Circle. We have questions that demand complete answers. Candor is required.”
Lessander recognized the title. She could see that although his anger hadn’t subsided, he understood that he wasn’t leaving this room until he gave her what she wanted. Nursing the hand that was slowly tingling back to life, he sat in the indicated chair.
“Good. I saw that the Explorer was put to sea this morning.”
“You were there?”
Quinn folded her arms. “I was. Where is it headed?”
The governor furrowed his eyebrows. “Why is the Circle interested in this ship?”
Quinn persisted. “Need I remind you of the charter between the Circle and the Commonwealth? We are granted complete autonomy to operate our programs in all the countries, a freedom which includes cooperation from the local and regional authorities.”
“What do Hansic economic policies have to do with testing babies?”
“That program is one of many we involve ourselves in. I’m not at liberty to justify my presence here to you or anyone else. The charter renewed by your chancellor compels you cooperate with me. Now answer the question.”
Lessander gripped his chair’s armrests so tightly that it looked painful. He appeared ready to throttle Quinn, though they both knew he could never get close enough.
“The Explorer was headed into the midst of the Great Sea,” he said. “This is no secret. Surely you read news pamphlets.”
“I need information that isn’t printed in the news. I want coordinates.”
“There are no specific coordinates. They’re supposed to chart a course due west.”
“What do they expect to find?”
He eyed Quinn suspiciously. “New fisheries… fresh land to mine for resources… perhaps even a safe passage to Ghault. No one knows for sure. That’s why they went out there. To explore. Hence the name of the ship.” This was spoken with apparent sarcasm. The Circle member ignored it.
“When do you expect them to return?”
“They carried supplies for a three-month voyage. Why do you need to know all this? What purpose does this information serve?”
Quinn rose and headed for the door. “Thank you for your candor, Governor Lessander. That will be all.”
Lessander rose as well. “You know what’s out there, don’t you? You know what they’ll find! Tell me!” He tried to grab her arm but he was thrown back across the room by an invisible force.
Quinn turned to face him. Her expression darkened, revealing her first display of emotion since the start of their encounter. “I would advise that you think again the next time you try to assault me or any other Circle member. I have no issue with death, yours or anyone else’s, but to die needlessly would be a waste. As a former military man, I should hope you understand that. Good day, Governor Lessander.”
With that, she opened the door and left. As she departed, she heard Lessander’s clerk scuttle into the room tittering with excitement.
“Great news, your honor! A dispatch just arrived from Hansehaven. Chancellor Hanser is demanding the presence of all the governors in two weeks.”
Quinn paused to listen to the exchange.
Lessander took a deep breath as he picked himself up off the floor. “Why?”
The clerk tittered excitedly. “It’s the Kahanne of Assize. She’s visiting the Hansic Alliance and they want to receive her with full honors!”
Quinn allowed herself a half-smile. There were very few people on Halcyon she disliked as much as the Chieftain, and the Kahanne was one of them.
Stay tuned for the next chapter…
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