The Business District

The quill went still in Neferet's hand as the jungle breeze drifted through her window and ruffled through her dark hair. She could smell the flowers that were blossoming in the Living Jungle, and the faintest scent of approaching rain.

The Mayor of Gaiaton took a deep breath, her breasts rising with the effort, and then exhaled to find her calm. She set her quill aside and reached for the driving sand, pouring it over her letter to help dry the ink she'd written. Lifting the papyrus, the sand ran off and into a long bowl to catch it. Tapping it clean, she gently folded it, then sealed it with wax.

The problem of the so-called "Demon and Pitch", the beasts that were attacking the workers that were widening the roads to Gaiaton... It was affecting the entire city. She could sense the fear around her and it was giving her terrible dreams at night.

But she was no fighter. And even the warriors of Gaiaton-- of which there were few-- seemed spooked and the Hunters of the Providers Guild had almost been entirely wiped out in their efforts to track, find, and slay the beasts. What remained would no longer step forward to do the job, as they were worried of what would happen to their families if they were killed.

Neferet's office was hectic, but it was efficient. When he stepped into the building, there were people working to make sure that funeral arrangements were made and dealing with complaints. Many of them went to the Mayor herself, who was in her office. Robert was put through, and it was this door upon which he knocked.

Neferet rose from her chair, dressed in a yellow gown that was clasped at her slender shoulder with a brightly decorated broach. The other shoulder and arm was left bare, a golden cuff around her upper arm and her usual jangling bangles around each wrist. A bright turquoise sash was around her waist, accentuating her balanced and hourglass figure. Flora was trimmed around the skirt of her dress, climbing up her thighs, and a small train trailed after her. A gauzy, see-through scarf was pinned at the back of her head with a golden comb, covering her long dark hair that hung like black silk down her back. The tattoos of her Ma'hati Tribe were easily seen on her other arm.

"Robert, hello. Rasha told you?" she asked, guiding him into her office and shutting the door behind him. She gave Robert such a grateful and hopeful look, that it was enough to break hearts.

"Oh, Robert. Thank you. I could kiss you." But she wouldn't, of course. She'd never touched Robert, not even to tell him his future. He'd never asked for it, and Neferet never offered it at a service, although she never declined anyone who asked.

"The Foreman of the road project has just informed me that he is quitting, and the workers are all quitting. They're abandoning the road, half-finished. They refuse to continue working unless I have an official guard out there, but none of the people of Gaiaton will volunteer. I don't blame them. What they really want is for the item to be returned. The people don't even blame the BEASTS," she told Robert, "they blame the person that stole from the Valley of the Kings. I'm not even sure that anyone HAS."

She moved towards her desk, rubbing her temple. "I've written letters to the Atlantian Angelic Order and they've responded that they'll send a single agent." She shook her head, her golden earrings chiming as she moved. "I'll have to write to them again, and tell them that I'll need more."

"Exactly," Neferet commisserated with her fellow mayor, her voice sounding miserable. "All of those families... some of those children are orphans now. It's just terrible."

She lifted her tawny eyes to look at Robert, her dearest friend and comrade. She had no idea that he had any romantic notions her way, bu then, for all that Neferet was very empathetic, she usually didn't understand what a man's intentions were unless they stated it as obviously as Krypt had the night before.

"Has she slayed many monsters before...?" Neferet asked. She felt terrible for leaning on Robert so much on this issue, but she also felt so relieved that someone might come and deal with the problem. "Krypt mentioned last night that he would also try to defeat the guardians-- beasts," she corrected herself.

She wasn't as superstitious as the rest of her citizens.

"Yes, of course. We only have two orphanages in all of Gaiaton," Neferet explained as she pushed off of the pillow she was seated on and moved closer to Robert with an easy, feminine grace. It made her seem as if she was almost gliding instead of walking.

She reached out and took the chocolate, careful not to touch Robert. "The people of Gaiaton have such large hearts. Most orphans are immediately taken in by relatives or neighbors, but this has been such a high spike. And some of these families only had the income of their fathers to rely on."

She bit into the chocolate, a frown line on her beautiful and concerned face as she seemed to be staring out of the window of her office and into the courtyard gardens of the Business District that were crowded with people. "It's not so much the orphans that may become a problem, but entire families. I'll have to think of some way to keep them employed."

Then she paused, and looked wide-eyed at Robert. "This is delicious, Robert. Why haven't you brought me any of this before?"

It was different than the chocolate made in Gaiaton. Sweeter. Most of the chocolate hear was made with hot spices, so it all had a kick to it and an almost smoky flavor.

"Which uncle?" she asked as she took the chocolate bar from him.

A part of her felt guilty for having such an innocuous conversation after what had just happened to Gaiaton... but a part of her also needed this lightness after the heavy weight she'd been having to carry and drag and support for the last few weeks that the beasts have been attacking the Gaiaton main road.

"Perhaps, once the beasts have been taken care of and Gaiaton is out of morning, I should come visit you in Ozmodias." Every time she'd gone to the trade city before -- which was truly not very often -- it had been because of business.

She'd heard of Carmela, and it's ah... festive... atmosphere.

"No, I've never been," Neferet says, and she smiles at Bennik but doesn't reach out to touch him. Her Sight extended to living things as well, although with plants it was very subtle and almost never produced anything more than a cloud in her Mind's Eye. Animals she usually saw the deaths of, given that their lives were not as complicated. Humans... well, humans could vary.

"Is it beautiful? I've heard that it was."

Neferet smiled, and for once the sadness didn't seem to be darkening its corners.

"Robert, I think I would really enjoy that. Let's just pray that these beasts are handled."

The sadness returned and the smile faded. "I would prefer to have no more orphans made."

She sighed and stood up. "I'll need to write a decree that the city gates will be closed and the drawbridge drawn at night. I'll have to institute a curfew until these beasts are laid to rest, and after I handle that backlash... would you like to go to the Artisan District with me?"

She smiled and laughed a little. "I forget that you only know as much about Gaiaton as I have shown you. In that, I have been a terrible hostess," she said with a small shrug of her naked shoulder.

"The Artisan District is where all of Gaiaton's upscale establishments are. Fine dining, entertainment, lodging... tonight, there is to be a memorial dance and lantern ceremony for the victims of the beast attacks in the ampitheatre... that is to say, we watch dancers perform, and then light lanterns." She didn't want him to think they were going to some ball.

She looked at Robert. He was handsome and aristocratic. He was kind, and intelligent. He was compassionate, and thoughtful. She shook her head lightly to derail her line of thought, which was easily done. Ever since Neferet's own future had been read to her (while she had simultaneously seen her reader's), she had schooled and trained herself to ignore, overlook, and weed out thoughts of love and romance from her life. It was not for her to love and be loved. She was meant for a higher purpose.

"Yes, Robert. You look very handsome." A touch of her smile ghosted over her lips before she took a breath and moved towards her desk, lifting up a stack of papers. "Let me get these edicts out and inform the Council that we'll be actively recruiting for a city guard now. I can meet you at the Golden Jaguar in the Artisan District afterwards. I'll have someone escort you around the place."

She paused at the doorway to her office and turned back around to look at Robert and Bennik. "Thank you so much for coming," she said with genuine relief and feeling in her voice, and then she moved out of the room, leaving them with only a ghost of her beauty and the faint scent of jasmine oil.

[ Exit to the Artisan District ]