Born a Monster

Narrator: Wa Fenya

Author’s Note: Two days prior to last chapter

Miss Cai Cha greeted us in her officer’s uniform, displeased but not surprised. She bowed as deeply as custom permitted, this time. “Lord Xho, I am extremely sorry that you have had to return to Central Messaging.”

“Tell me that we have the ringleader in custody. Alive.” Lord Xho insisted.

“So sorry, I cannot do this thing.” she replied. “Many people on the day shift did not show up, and we have determined that three of them are sick. Of the remaining eight, only two are in custody, and one of them was slain.”

“And what measures have been taken to ensure those who did show up are loyal?” he pressed.

“What measures would his lordship have me take?” she asked. “Each individual, including myself, is scheduled for another loyalty screening.”

Lord Xho reared back as if struck. “Those screenings cannot be complete.”

.....

“Indeed, your lordship is correct. They are scheduled to begin next Envyday.”

“That is unacceptable! I see people handling urgent messages!”

“If his lordship will give our loyalty checks priority over the soldiers in the quartermaster’s office, we can begin immediately. But no, we absolutely cannot cease delivering messages.”

“You absolutely must.” Lord Xho insisted.

Lady Kismet cleared her throat. “Is Lord Xho suggesting that the quartermaster soldiers handle messages until the soldiers assigned to messaging can be screened?”

Lord Xho became red in the face, and concealed his mouth and nose behind his fan. “Of course not. But we cannot have soldiers who may be serving the enemy in such critical positions.”

“Before there was Central Messaging”, Miss Cai said, “each officer or sergeant chose their own trusted people to deliver messages on their behalf. If Lord Xho desires, we can send out a final message that we are returning to that system until all messaging soldiers can have their loyalty verified.”

Hoo Long tugged on his earlobe. “That sounds like the sort of change that would throw our army into chaos.”

“No, no.” Lord Xho said, possibly talking to himself. “There must be an answer, there must!”

“Before this incident with your reptilian comrade...” Miss Cai began.

The color of Lord Xho’s face began returning to normal. If I didn’t know better, I’d guess Pharmacist Hwa had somehow treated him with an invisible medicine. “You are certain it was he? He alone, and not in the presence of another of the Nine against Nine?”

“We do not receive much in person traffic after the first candle after dusk.” she said. “This I am certain of. He entered alone, and was attacked before he could state his purpose.”

“Excellent!” Lord Xho said. “He has been removed from our retinue for nearly a week. For those at the messaging center to not be aware of this represents a critical flaw in either the enemy’s ability to gather such information or to distribute it. Both of which, Miss Cai, indicate that Central Messaging, at least, has not been deeply compromised.”

“I am so relieved to hear that.” she said. “But, unless you forbid, the loyalty checks will occur as scheduled.”

“Yes, yes.” Lord Xho said, clearly distracted. “That is only prudent. Pity that our Truthspeakers are so few, that we cannot perform the new checks so rapidly as the normal ones.”

Miss Cai blinked. “There are new loyalty checks? Using abilities? We are certain of the loyalty of the Truthspeakers themselves?”

She looked down at that point. “Never mind. It was a stupid question.”

“It is not, Miss Cai. There are abilities to lie without trace, and we did have our Truthspeakers verify each other before even announcing the Nine Against Nine. We did know that if too many people became suspect at once, that there was a limit to how fast those people could be verified.”

“If it helps any,” Miss Cai offered, “we could employ some of the children of soldiers, have them work with each trained soldier, verify that all procedures are being followed.”

“Pharmacist Hwa, send a message to that fool colonel in charge of the Quartermaster General, recommend this process to him as well. And to Lord Quan Lei. We must let the others among our group know of this innovation. Certainly, there should be no shortage of children.”

“Begin implementation of this plan at once.” Miss Cai ordered one of her underlings, who raced off to make his officer’s will into reality.

I had some concerns, such as seeing that children were not assigned to adults they knew, but I chose not to voice them. They were the manner of concerns that would be apparent to anyone who thought about it.

“And these children will work for the honor of it?” Lady Kismet asked.

Miss Cai nodded. “There are not enough coins, and paper is needed for messages more than for debentures. We shall see to their rationing and provisioning, but these are things we can get through the quartermaster, and should not involve too much change in actual coinage.”

“It is fortunate, then,” I said, “that we discovered the influence the Nine had in the quartermaster’s office first. They should soon be back to full manpower, and working normally again.”

Lord Xho stroked his beard thoughtfully. “Indeed. If we can cut them off both from free supplies and the use of our system to message each other, then we shall have the advantage. But it would be reckless to think that we are already at that stage.”

Hoo Long looked disturbed, suddenly. “How was the soldier selected for the greeting desk?” he asked.

“Oh, it is strictly voluntary.” Miss Cai said. “The abuse one suffers at the greeting desk is well known. When I started, it was considered a punitive position.”

Pharmacist Hwa also looked suddenly insightful. “Is it unusual for some to remain on the greeting desk?”

“Not at all.” Miss Cai assured us. “Those with proven calm dispositions often find their callings as official greeters or guides.”

“What nonsense are you thinking?” Lord Xho asked them.

“It is not a position of glory, but of service.” Hoo Long said. “It is the opposite of what young soldiers are trained to seek.”

“Thus,” Pharmacist Hwa said, “those seeking such positions must have an alternate motive.”

Lord Xho snorted. “It is unlikely that the Nine would seek out such positions.”

“No,” Hoo Long said, “Not the Nine themselves, but if they have turned the greeters in two of two infiltrated branches, then they may be deliberately recruiting among those in such positions.”

“No Glory, no. But the greeters get to see every person who comes in the door.” Pharmacist Hwa added.

“So long as your checks on such loosely suspected people does not interfere with our actual investigation.” Lord Xho sighed. “We are better served by asking how five people, known by name, can avoid detection by our guards.”

“Perhaps the office of Personnel, Payment, and Records?” Lady Kismet suggested. “Infiltrating that branch of the merchants would spare them the need for a forger to arrange for new identities.”

“Yes! Excellent thinking.” Lord Xho agreed. “Come, make haste. To the middle zone, where they make their headquarters.”

And with the energy and focus of a hunting dog, he was off, sweeping Pharmacist Hwa and Hoo Long in his wake.

“I’ll need some time in the water closet.” Lady Kismet said. “I’ll catch up.”

“I shall join you.” I said, not needing to use the water closet, but also unwilling that any woman should go off to relieve herself alone.

“You know, don’t you?” she asked, once we were alone.

I blinked. “Know what?”

“That I’m hiding something.” she said.

“Every adult without brain damage is hiding something.” I said, “But come, you want to tell me. That is why you brought it up?”

“It’s nothing major.” she said, lowering her pants and sitting upon one of the seats in the water closet. “But... I never officially released Rhishi from his service to the cause. Not with paperwork.”

“Ah-ah.” I chuckled, “And you did not want to embarrass Lord Xho by saying so in public.”

“Well, that and... he seemed so HAPPY to have discovered a flaw in the Nine’s structure. What manner of monster takes that away from someone without cause?”

“Whatever the truth, for them to attack not once but twice, convinced that we have found them? These low ranking agents of the Nine are convinced that we will find them. Surely, there is hope in that?”

We paused our conversation to perform that which needs not be spoken of.

“I suppose.” she said. “It’s just so hard to understand what’s going on inside Lord Xho’s head. When I got back, he was convinced that none of this mattered, yet here we are chasing down leads.”

I spread my hands to indicate helplessness. “Your time with him is greater than mine.” I said. “I did hear him tell Pharmacist Hwa to deliver his messages to the others among the Nine. I like to think that he is also thinking on what their goal could be deeper inside the fortifications. But, too often, I give others too much credit.”

“Well, let us hope not.” Lady Kismet said.

And then, there was no breath to talk with, as we sprinted to catch up.