10) Rotate and Mesh, the Gears Continue to Spin (Tock)

All the orphans not out in the streets of the covey were standing in a semi-circle around Victoria II. She had just reviewed the “Battle Plan” with them while Sister and Ouihan were distributing the needed supplies and gear. They were also distributing the small fortune, at least to the orphans’ perspective, in coins the Empress had on her so the children would have any needed resources to complete their individual missions. What was distributed amounted to ten Talons each. Far more than any of them would see in a year of begging, scrounging and stealing.

The plan was the children would disperse themselves along all the approaches to the palace, then relay a message to Sister onwhat obstacles they saw. Victoria II would decide which approach was the least dangerous. Then, when the appropriate approach was decided upon, the orphans will start up an organized plan of chaos. All this to distract the people involved.

Victoria II was thinking, “Simple plan?” but she had seen so many simple plans fall apart. She tried to reassure herself, even though young, the orphans appear to be capable. Honed by years of living in the street, or under it rather. Even Ouihan had his own street smarts to go along with his amazing other talents.

Street smarts used to be a very foreign concept to her until one day Cooper explained the value of it to her. The other concept which used to be foreign to her was the concept of gut feelings. This too, her dear Calvin expounded about in detail on more than one occasion.

The thing was, her gut feeling was practically screaming at her something was being overlooked. However, she couldn’t figure it out. She, not for the first time that day, was wishing CaptainCalvin Cooper was there. Maybe he would be able to advise her as to what was being overlooked.

As she was thinking about it, Ehawee came running into the room looking for Sister. She took one look at Victoria II and froze. She had been out on the street the whole time, so she didn’t know the Empress was there. All she knew was they were helping someone in trouble and her name was Vicky. In this world and language, Vicky was an unheard-of name, not being a contraction of Victoria. This was why it was safe to use Vicky on the streets. To date, Cal only used the endearment in private with Victoria II. However, Ehawee was able to make the connection. She went up to Victoria II and bowed before her holding out the note from Cal.

Vicky smiled and took the note and said, “Thank you. And you are?”

“Ehawee, Your Eminence.”

Vicky looked at the note and took a moment to decode the private cypher which Cal and she had created. Cal was able to put a great deal of information in such a short space with the cypher used.

“Vicky, I don’t think it would be wise for me to join you at this time for several reasons. First, it is possible I may be under some level of surveillance and might lead them to you. Second, I believe I am able to serve you better running interference out here on the street…”

The note went on to summarize some intelligence he had gathered up to the point of writing the note. He also briefly stated he had decided to take Ehawee under his wing. She could only guess his motives for this but, she was heartened to hear Captain Calvin Cooper had opened his heart for another. She was also concerned, for a long time, about his propensity for coldness.

Ehawee had no hate or love for the Empress, however, she was in a state of awe just standing in her presence. Victoria could see this, so she smiled her most disarming smile, moved over to a pair of makeshift seats and motioned for her to sit next to her as she sat in the other. Ehawee reluctantly and very shyly sat down next to Victoria II. Victoria said, “Now tell me about yourself…”

Scrapper was among the first wave of orphans which were sent out to check the approaches to the palace. He wasn’t happy about the whole situation. He felt he could be doing other things with his time. Especially since he had all those Talons burning a hole in his pocket.

Nevertheless, he went about his assigned route to examine what was going on. He could see there were several, ‘unfamiliar’ people loitering in unusual places. He had known this part of the street like the backs of his hands. He knew the rhythm and flow of the streets of this district, the warehouse district, of Grandeur City. This was his usual haunt, where he would beg, borrow or steal to live and share with his ‘Family’. He had only belonged to this covey, club or gang for just about a year now. Before, he lived on the streets and did his best to stay out of sight of the hassers. He was always on his own, without any friends or family.

Having to answer and work with others has not been an easy adjustment for him. He quite often had to butt heads with Brother over who was the ‘dominant’ male. Of course, he didn’t view it thisway. For him it was just a natural and visceral thing to do.

Very early, however, he learned there was no domineering Sister. She was, without question, the leader of the covey.

She was too young for Scrapper to find attractive, but nonetheless he had felt compelled to always be on her good side or get her attention otherwise. He didn’t know why, and he was never really in touch with his own feelings. As he was summing up the street situation, he was also dealing with a mental fugue regarding what he would rather be doing with the money in his pockets.

He was so caught up he almost missed the large hulking ‘pilgrim’ which was standing in the shadows of an enforcer’s telegraph box.

He turned and carefully got his shadow’s attention. Visk was his shadow for this jaunt.

Visk was a strange one. She was an anomaly. She only came down to the coven once and left quickly. “To many machines” she had said. She was a little blond urchin, somewhere around 12 or 13. He couldn’t tell, and didn’t think she knew. Her slight frame and delicate features made her look like a pushover, but once he had grabbed her arm to hold her in place longer for a discussion, and she turned into a pile of greased snakes, with a strength and quickness he could barely believe. She also moved as quiet as midnight and was only around occasionally so when he could connect, he got as much info or help as he could. She made a great lookout. She was always underestimated.

He remembered saying to her, “Visk, stick to the plan, and I’ll hook you up” he smirked

“Scrapper, promises don’t bake the bread” she snapped.

“You’re a strange little wonk. One of these days when you grow up, you might turn out good but not with your attitude” Scrapper snapped back.

‘Visk’ shook her head and thought to herself “If you only knew, you would plotz yourself.” She was easy to mistake as a child. She had played the game for many years, perfecting the act. Her vague age appearance was one of her greatest assets, as many thought, but not in the way Scrapper would think. She would frequently blend in with the street trash and orphans, just another forgettable face of an early teenager. Sometimes she would chop off all her long hair and disguise herself as a boy to avoid some of the trolls who would like nothing better than capture an unaccountable girl in the flower of her youth. It always grew back, and fast. This seemed to be a side effect. This was another reason she moved around a lot. If she didn't, people might notice things and get too curious. She had too many secrets she needed to stay secrets. It kept her safe. It kept her from becoming a lab animal. It also kept those on the other end of her work from delivering retribution. You see, she killed people.

Not just anyone, she had her standards. She would only take the contracts she approved of, and rarely anymore. She had invested her money well over the years, and it has grown to the point she could buy and sell city blocks if she chose. How could someone who was for all appearances usually 15ish do so much? Easy, she was over a thousand years old. She was immortal. What most people in the know never realized about Immortals was the fact there were many more than one or two. She knew of at least eight over the years. Not that she had met all of them. She avoided them as they each avoided one another. It was more you could see the signs and pick up trails and rumors, putting two and two together here and there. It’s amazing what you can learn if you are no longer cobbled by a mortal’s lifespan. Her appearance had marked her as an easy target in her real youth and she had to get tough or die. Once her world had changed and she was here and immortal, she capitalized on it. Later she learned about her other secret. A much more dangerous one, truth be told.

She is a Null. In a world of Magic, she is immune and invisible to it whether she wants to be or not. Her very presence can cause magical effects to cease temporarily. She cannot be found by scrying, she is in no prophecy; no blip on magical vision, any mechanical effect even partially magical has no effect. She is a black hole in the weave. This also means, despite her wealth, even the simplest gears and levers machine will only work if it is powered by something other than magic.

She would use her ‘Visk” character to move around and keep tabs on the area around a couple of her properties. This also let her move in and out without being noticed. She played Scrapper against himself to get information about the area Sister’s group controlled. Scrapper was number three and dearly wanted to be number one, andmade mistakes in his ambition.

Scrapper always wanted to be important. He would always seek out Visk for information and such; however, he always liked knowing things which she didn’t so this is one of the reasons why he never told her what they were doing this for. Just they were helping someone important.

She had her own suspicions but nothing she could confirm in the short amount of time she was aware of the ‘mission’. She liked Scrapper, well as much as she allowed herself to like anyone these days, so she went along with him to help. She also was curious as to what was happening. An assassination attempt on the sovereign of the land is no cheap affair if hired out, and far too messy if done within. If it was hired out, she should have heard about it before it happened. She had been away from the city for too long. She was not happy about the recent events which had set the city and ultimately The Civilization on its ear.

It was only late afternoon of the same day the Empress was supposedly assassinated. Up until Scrapper looked her up, she was getting ready to go underground or move on again because she wasn’t comfortable with what was happening. So, she decided to help him and pick up whatever information she could while she was at it.

Scrapper turned to her and signaled to her what he had seen. She understood right away because this was her district as well. As a matter of fact, she owned a couple of the buildings in the area where she had secret safe rooms and her own tunnel network. Because of her ‘special ability’ she preferred the warehouse district because there were very few devices and other machines for her to disrupt and get unwelcomed attention by. She had an even greater understanding of the ebbs and flows of this district normally. Scrapper signaled for her to get this information back to Sister as soon as possible. He would stay and watch.

Of course, she was puzzled about the significance of the large pilgrim, but she went ahead and raced over to the covey as stealthily as she could.

Scrapper watched her leave then turned back to survey the street again. After a few minutes he started to get hungry. He could smell the meat pies and rolls being placed in warming racks in the bakery across from where he was standing so he decided he had earned a decent meal for a change, so he went over into the front door. He usually went over to the back door and begged for day old leftovers, dropped or poorly baked items. He has had to choke down many of burnt rolls in his days consequently. Today he was going to treat himself to a fresh baked and hot meat roll.

As he walked into the front door, the baker looked up at him with a very irritated expression on his face. “Move on Scrapper. This entrance is for paying customers. Get to the back door and I’ll see what I can scrape up for ya.”

Scrapper snapped down the silver Talon coin on the bakery’s counter and said, “I’m a paying customer today!”

The baker looked at the coin and asked, “Who’d you nick this from?”

“No one. I’m working for someone important today. The lady paid me.”

The baker looked doubtful then looked over to the corner of the shop behind Scrapper where three hassers were sitting, who began to get up from the table they were sitting at.

Scrapper closed his eyes and realized he just made a mistake. He recognized one of the Hassers as O’Malley the Hasser who’sregular beat this street was. He had never seen the other two hassers before. As a matter of fact, they didn’t really look like any hassers which he had ever seen before.

O’Malley said, “Well, well, well what have we here boyo? You been lifting purses again?”

“No O’Malley, I earned it fair and square.” He turned and reached for the coin on the counter but quick as a rattlesnake’s tongue O’Malley’s hand shot out and pinned his hand on top of the coin.

“We’ll see about that Scrapper.” He then reached into Scrapper’s pocket deftly and took out another handful of Talon coins. “The only way the likes of you would have this many talon coins if you nicked them or rolled someone. Either way, we’ll sort it out at the station house.”

Even though Scrapper and O’Malley were always on the opposite ends of things, Scrapper always knew O’Malley to be a fair minded and honest fellow. So, on a sudden inspiration he said, “You work for the Empress, do ye not O’Malley?”

O’Malley looked at Scrapper through squinted eyes, wondering where he was going with this then said, “Aye?”

“Well tha’s who I’m working for.”

“Oh, what a big one! You’d say anything to not get pinched.”

The other ‘hassers’ looked at each other with meaningful looks. One of them said, “O’Malley, maybe we should investigate it further. Have him take us to the empress and show us?”

O’Malley got an irritated look on his face, then an appraising look. Not for the first time since he was teamed up with these, unusual, enforcers had he felt there was something not quite right. He then looked at Scrapper and shrugged, “Alright, boyo. Take us to yer employer. But I’ll warn ye. If I don’t see the empress at the end of this rainbow, you’ll be spending the rest of your tender years in the state school or the block house.”