~Wax snatched up the watch and stuffed it into his pocket with the
counterfeit coin, hurriedly thanking the man before dashing back outside. He
hastily unchained his bike and fired it up, tearing out of the area. There was
a very good chance that five thousand counterfeit shillings were now in the
hands of Eilonia, and he needed to find her before someone else did.~
The tires
of Wax’s steambike screeched as he pulled it to a stop outside an upscale
residence. He dismounted, leaning the vehicle against the base of the stairs.
While the crime levels were not all that much lower in Central, Wax at least
felt that in this particular area he could leave it unchained. The manor he now
found himself at stood out impressively among the other buildings nearby. There
was no telling how long it had stood abandoned before the Melothrir family had
reclaimed it and breathed life into its dusty, forgotten corridors. At the top
of the stairs, two large and heavy wooden doors stood before him. To the left
of the frame was an ornate brass horn fashioned to look like a large iris
flower. Just beneath it was a large button that Wax pressed, igniting a small
phlogiston bulb on the panel. A voice echoed from within the iris horn’s bell.
“Name and business, please?” it asked.
“My name is
Wax, I’m here to see Eilonia. Personal business.” Wax spoke into the bell. No
response came from within. Instead, the large doors were pulled open and Wax
found himself face to face with a familiar figure.
“Well, if
it isn’t one of my sister’s favorite playthings.” The wispy Riven man’s voice,
it seemed to Wax, managed to achieve a level of aloof pretentiousness that
exceeded even Eilonia’s. “You know, while it’s fairly commonplace to have
groveling admirers come here to beg her hand in marriage, I must say I am a tad
shocked to see you here, of all people. I thought you’d have caught onto her
ruse ages ago.” He gave Wax a smile that was every bit as poisonous as it was
charming.
“Stuff your
petty jabs, Gendrien. I need to speak with your sister.” Wax replied curtly.
Gendrien chuckled and gave Wax a look of hollow pity that made his blood boil.
“No need to
be so hostile, Weston, it was simply an observation.” He sighed. Wax was
already growing tired of this conversation.
“I didn’t
come here for your observations. I need to speak with Eilonia. It’s urgent.” He
said.
“Are you
truly that addicted to her?” he asked
with a bemused look, “how characteristically pathetic.” Wax sighed. He’d had
enough of Gendrien’s game.
“Gendrien,
I can understand if you’re jealous that I’ve spent so many nights bedding your
dear sister while you’ve so patiently waited your turn, but if you’ll be kind
enough to allow me to speak to her I promise, I’ll get you a nice prostitute to
help ease your ache.” He chided. Gendrien flushed scarlet.
“You-! How dare you insult me and suggest such
things on my own doorstep?!” he fumed.
“Because I
didn’t come to insult you, I came to speak with your sister. Now are we going
to continue this little war of words until you inevitably lose and shame
yourself, or are you going to allow me to speak to Eilonia?” Wax asked.
Gendrien glared at him.
“She isn’t
even here. She’s attending the grand opening of a new event hall in a different
part of Central. She’s giving a small contribution to the founders.” He said.
“Where can
I find it?” Wax asked.
Glad to be
rid of Gendrien’s company, Wax sped off toward the other side of Central.
According to the information he’d managed to pry out of Eilonia’s nuisance
sibling, the event hall was a brand new facility called the Aquatectum. For the
grand opening, a large banquet was being held for honored guests and pledges.
Wax had fully expected Eilonia to keep the shillings for herself and spend them
all on baubles, but instead she fully intended to pledge them. The event was
invitation-only, so if Wax was going to gain entry in time to catch Eilonia he
would need to blend in a little better. Fortunately, he knew of a place nearby
that had just what he needed. The owner there owed him a favor. He peeled off
through a nearby alley for a bit of a detour.
The event
was in full-swing as Wax arrived outside the Aquatectum. Leaving his steambike
parked a block away from the building, he arrived on foot to draw less
attention from himself; at least less negative attention. His favor had been
good, and Wax was sporting a dashing assortment of finery. His usual rough,
brown, dark leather greatcoat had been replaced by a finely tailored, midnight
black longcoat. Beneath it, he wore a comfortable silk shirt and stylish
waistcoat, and a pair of dress pants to match his coat. His long black hair was
neatly combed and styled, and atop his head was perched a fashionable topper.
It had been a very long time since Wax had been dressed in such a way, and
frankly he found that he preferred his usual greatcoat. Now all that remained
was the matter of the invitation. Wax gazed through the crowd of guests outside
the building. His eyes settled on two small groups near the entrance. An older
man fished through his longcoat pocket and retrieved what Wax immediately
recognized as a snuff box. He quickly and discreetly wove his way through the
crowd toward him. The man gave the box a few taps before sprinkling a small
amount of the contents onto his gloved knuckle. Wax slipped behind him just as
he lifted the powder to his nose and inhaled- and then promptly sneezed. As he
did, he bumped directly into Wax, who in turn stumbled to the side, lightly
bumping into the man behind him. Neither man noticed as Wax’s practiced hand
relieved the man’s pocket of his invitation. Apologizing politely, he excused
himself from the group and headed for the entrance.
The
interior of the building was a spectacle to behold. Mosaic tile flooring
created a delicate wave pattern across the floor in shades of pearly white and cerulean,
and the walls were a deep royal blue. Dimmed phlogiston bulbs lit the room from
all sides, and a string quartet played softly somewhere in the background. The
true marvel of the building, however, was its ceiling, which was made entirely
of water. Natural sunlight filtered down through a shifting, rippling mass of
suspended liquid high above the floor. Nothing but air separated it from the
room, but not a single drop fell from it. It seemed Wax had entered at exactly
the right moment, as a representative of the company behind its construction
had taken the stage. “The Aquatectum is a monument to the continued success of
our company to take innovation to heights it has not seen since the works of
the Paragons themselves.” He declared. “Suspended above you is sixty thousand
gallons of the purest water, held in place by sheer vacuum force imparted by
the design of the building. Think of it like holding the last drop of water
inside of a straw. Place your finger over the top, and it doesn’t move. Of
course, it took a bit more than a finger to keep an amount of water this
substantial from falling.” His remark was met by sparse, polite laughter. “The
airtight vacuum seal keeping those sixty thousand gallons in place is
complimented by the infusion of our company’s most high-quality phlogiston, so
that not a single drop will fall.” He continued. “In the daylight, of course,
we have the natural light of the sun to augment our lovely interior lights, but
for nighttime events, the walls of the dome are equipped with phlogiston bulbs
that make the surface absolutely shimmer, as well as five different colors of
tinted glass lenses.” He concluded. The guests seated around the large room
applauded, and Wax slipped inside.
He couldn’t
be sure, but he swore for a moment that when Eilonia’s emerald eyes widened in
surprise at the sight of him, for a brief moment they seemed to explore him.
Wax’s own eyes did their fair share, however; she was stunning in her lapis
lazuli halter bodice, matching skirt with the thigh-length slit, black pearl
necklace and elbow-length gloves. “What are you doing here?” She whispered
sharply to him, giving a quick glance to the stage she stood next to.
“Stopping
you from making an embarrassing mistake” Wax explained as he took her wrist.
She resisted.
“What in
the name of the mechanism are you talking about?” she asked, attempting to pull
away. Wax held firm.
“The
shillings you’re about to pledge are counterfeit.” He whispered, making sure
hers were the only ears that heard him. She blinked and stared at him in
disbelief.
“If this is
some kind of ruse…” she began, but Wax shook his head.
“I have
plenty of reason to believe it isn’t. Besides, it’s only five thousand
shillings. A bit light for a typical pledge, wouldn’t you think?” he asked. She
folded her arms and gazed at him critically.
“It’s a bit
rude to flaunt one’s wealth, no? It’s a fair amount, it doesn’t risk guilting
those who couldn’t offer as much, and it’s still better than nothing.” She
said.
“And nothing is better than a bag
of counterfeit coins.” Wax said, producing the half-exposed counterfeit gold
aurum. Eilonia frowned and reluctantly handed him the bag of coins.
The pair retreated to a table a
fair distance from the majority of the guests, and Wax drew an aurum from the
bag. He placed it on the table and slid his knife from his concealed baldric,
scraping away a healthy portion of the soft gold near the bottom of the coin.
Inside was simply more gold. Wax was stunned. “Looks real enough to me, Wax.”
Eilonia sighed with a twinge of irritation. Wax placed the counterfeit coin on
the table next to the one he’d just tested and stared at them.
“These are legitimate… He was paid
in legitimate currency.” He said. Eilonia picked up the counterfeit coin and
examined it.
“Where did you get this? Was it on
him as well?” she asked.
“He had it hidden inside his pocket
watch.” Wax said. He placed the real coin back into the bag and handed it to
Eilonia. “This doesn’t make sense…” he said. He stood up to leave but Eilonia
grabbed his arm.
“No, you can’t slip out now. The
banquet has already started. You’d be too conspicuous, and you’ve already been
seen with me. It would be rude, and reflect badly on me. You’ll simply have to
stay and join me for dinner.” She said, standing from her seat. “I need to go
pledge these. I’ll be back momentarily.”
When Eilonia had returned to her
seat after her show of pledging the money on stage, Wax was still puzzled. He
rolled the counterfeit coin over and over in his palm. “Still nothing?” she
asked. Wax shook his head.
“I’m out of leads. This doesn’t
make any sense.” He said. Eilonia wove her delicate fingers and rested her chin
on them.
“Start from the beginning, then.”
She suggested. Wax placed the coin on the table.
“I was on my way home after
pointing Aluvard’s wife in the direction of your little scheme. I was about
halfway back to my office when I felt like I was being followed. I heard
someone draw a weapon, so I turned. He fired six shots, I fired one. He grazed
my arm. I shot him through the heart. That’s when I took the weapon and his
things off him.” Wax said.
“So someone hired him to kill you.”
Eilonia said. Wax nodded.
“It definitely seemed that way, but
why him? If someone wanted me dead, why not hire a professional? That man’s aim
was terrible, he barely wounded me and he was a clumsy shadow. I knew he was
there from the beginning. He made so many mistakes… the only thing that points
to a hired assassin is that bag of coins. And then I found the counterfeit…”
Wax stared at the coin. “…Eilonia, I don’t think I was the target.” Eilonia
quirked a delicate eyebrow at him questioningly.
“He attacked you by mistake, then?”
She asked.
“No…” Wax said, “I don’t think he
was meant to kill anyone. I think someone meant for him to die.”
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