Fantasy Bound by the Light (Completed)

[Ezri]

Seeing Dmitri fall, Margaret felt like the entire atmosphere had shifted around her. It would be a lie to say she wasn't still frazzled, but the threat was gone. She had prevented him from hurting Finch or anyone else further.

"You are lucky." she said, with a shaky laugh and a wry smile. Margaret placed her hand over the one Finch had layed on her shoulder. It wasn't like her to think so, but his presence was somehow comforting. Still, her gaze trailed to the slowly growing pool of blood at their feet. "I should have shot him earlier..."

 

[ArcticFox]

"I don't know how happy Woodsworth will be." Stevenson spoke, as Margaret and Finch carried him back to the empty house. "He said 'alive if possible.'"

"'Alive if possible, dead if necessary.'" Finch corrected coolly. "It was necessary. I think Woodsworth will be pleased enough."

And he was. The final remaining step was to recover the copy the Vlaskesar made of the plans, but this was a task better suited to the skills of the Kingdom's official forces than to Woodsworth's irregulars. Doubtless the dead spy was working as a member of a team, but equally obviously, he had no chance to pass his acquisition up his chain of command before he died.

So efficient were Her Imperial Majesty's investigative forces that Woodsworth received the good news while Margaret and Finch were still completing their debriefing in his office.

Shortly afterward came the news that Morris, brought to the nearest hospital, has been pronounced out of danger. Stevenson, though fearfully weak, was likewise expected to make a full recovery.

"So all's well." Finch said.

"For today," Woodsworth responded dryly, but he cracked a slight smile. "Yes, it's a good day."

--

The city was just waking as Margaret and Finch rattled their way home in a cab, the gaslit dusk brightening into a frosty winter dawn. The day promised to be very cold, but inside were eggs and bacon and coffee and a roaring fire.

"'A good day.'" Finch echoed Woodsworth's words. "Well, that's one word for it. We recovered the plans, we checkmated the plot, we prevented one Vlaskesar from ever again plying his filthy trade on Mercian soil, we ensured the Nigel-Trevelyan Glass will one day allow us to see the Lighteaters that slink among us, and we didn't lose a single man's life in the process. And it's only eight o'clock in the morning. Whatever would Kingsford do without the pair of us, Blackwood?"

- Answer friendly.
- Answer dismissively.
- Stay silent.

 

[Ezri]

Now that the case was effectively closed ( and Woodsworth hadn't found any reason to be angry with them ), Margaret felt the tiredness hit her like a ton of bricks. All of the running in the wet, the cold, the weight of having to kill another person and the stress of her memories seemed to catch up with her at once. For much of the cab ride she had resigned to staring aimlessly out the window, trying to stop her eyes from glazing over. She was still sort of in a daze when Finch addressed her, and it took her a split second to catch up with the conversation.

"Indeed. Why, they should throw us a parade." she laughed, happy for the distraction despite her weariness. Before she might have just considered the merits of his work, but after the night they'd just had Margaret was coming to appreciate his humor a bit more too. "A parade, for us. Wouldn't that be a sight?"

 

[ArcticFox]

Finch nodded, smiling. "We have deserved it."

That night for Margaret, at least, was calm, without any nightmares.

--

Nothing of note happened for a month, the lives of the Detectives went on without any major job and Margaret had some time to rest and get her thoughts in order.

As she came into the sitting room one morning in early spring she found Finch drinking a cup of tea with one hand and shuffling through the paper with the other.

"A letter came for you, Blackwood." He addressed her, gaze still in the papers. "I assume it is of the same content as mine was."

Beside Margaret's plate at the breakfast table lied a heavy cream-coloured envelope with her name emblazoned across it in fine calligraphy, unopened. Next to it was the same one, addressed to David Finch and opened in a hurry with a knife. Next to it was a neatly written note.

YOU ARE INVITED to attend the maiden launch of Her Imperial Majesty's newest dirigible the luxury liner HMS COLOSSUS which will leave the Baincastle airfields at NOON on Midsummer's Day and proceed to Loegriaoffering wondrous and unequalled views of land and sea as well as diverse refreshments and entertainments for those aboard. Returning to Kingsford by EIGHT o'clock in the evening - a voyage of unsurpassed speed and luxury!

There was another note beside it in Woodsworth's hand: "For services rendered. The maiden voyage is open to both invited dignitaries and 'persons of all persuasions' who entered a lottery drawing offered by The Times. For the sake of our security, pretend you are among the latter."

- Open the letter and ask Finch about it.
- Sit and eat breakfast.
- Talk to Finch about something else.

 

[Ezri]

Now that things had settled, Margaret had been feeling much more like herself. On their slow days she found that she came to miss the excitement of their work, but conversely she had been sleeping much better lately. That morning she entered the room mid-yawn, although the prospect of a letter quickly woke her up. She opened it quickly, but only read it long enough to confirm its similarity to Finch's before redirecting her attention to Woodsworth's addition.

"'For services rendered'," she repeated, squinting at the words before taking another bite of her breakfast. A luxury voyage on an airship... the HMS Colossus itself would be interesting to explore, but if she had to get dressed up she wondered how much of a reward it really was. Those frivolous affairs were not usually her idea of a good time, but it couldn't be so bad that she would decline the invitation. Probably. She looked across the table at her partner, peering over her glasses. "Hmm. What do you think, Finch? Are you a fan of parties?"

 

[ArcticFox]

"I do not think Woodsworth would send us there simply to drink and dance, do you?" Finch gave her a smirk, putting down his tea. "Think of it more as reconnaissance."

"Why are you not eating, Miss Blackwood?" The landlady, Mrs Larrimer strolled into the living room, carrying a cup of hot tea and placing it next to Margaret's plate of breakfast. Her eyes went over the invitations on the table and she smiled. "Mr Finch told me the news - you won two tickets through that lottery! How wonderful!" She winked at Margaret. "How nice for the both of you, Miss Blackwood! A grand party! Dancing and fine wine and the view from above the clouds! And think of all the new people you'll meet! Some of them young men, I shouldn't wonder. I always think it's so hard to meet people in Kingsford - so many of us, but we keep to ourselves. When I was a girl, we used to have assemblies, dances, you know, in the village hall, and that was how I met my late husband. Nowadays, only the finest lords and ladies do such things, and as for everyone else - you meet your family's friends, I suppose, but what if you've no family?" Mrs Larrimer spoke like this always. She was a nice old landlady, but once she started speaking she never shut up. Somehow, Finch did not mind that. She concluded with genuine warmth. "I do hope you meet a nice gentleman there, Miss Blackwood."

To that, Finch let out quite an unexpected laugh. But when he noticed the look from the landlady he abruptly stopped, pretending to be deep in his papers.

- That would be nice.
- You are going there strictly for business.
- You will enjoy yourself and see how things develop.
- You have started to develop slight feelings toward Finch.
- You have started to develop slight feelings toward Woodsworth.

 

[Ezri]

Margaret strategically took the time Mrs. Larrimer spent rambling as an opportunity to eat, but she had to speak up eventually. She was a kind woman, but absolutely exhausting. Particularly about topics like these.

"It's not as though I've been desperately looking for men, Mrs. Larrimer." Margaret scoffed, waving her hand dismissively. It wasn't that she was against the idea, exactly, but she always had trouble meeting people who would hold her attention for long. Especially since she spent so much time with her coworkers and with Finch in particular, that oddball -- it was difficult for most ordinary men to compete with someone like that.

Not that Finch was someone a suitor should have to compete with. Right? Before that moment she hadn't considered her partner in that light even once, but looking at what she could see of him from behind his paper shield it was almost like seeing him for the first time. He was a man, wasn't he?

But that was a very dangerous line of thinking, and one Margaret was eager to put out of her mind. She took a hasty sip of her tea and decided to throw their landlady a bone. "Still, I suppose I'll see what happens. Even if I have my doubts, you never know..."

 

[ArcticFox]

"I seriously doubt that." Finch said, not looking up. "Not that I think you won't attract attention of 'fine gentlemen', I only doubt that you will have a chance to speak with any of them. You know, as well as I do, that Woodsworth would not send us there without a reason." While his tone was cold and calculated as always, there was a hint of emotion in it, which was not usual for Finch.

At some point in the Army, there were rumours among Margaret's colleagues about her relationship with Lieutenant Pierce. Fraternisation was strictly forbidden, but it did not mean that it was fully prevented. However, the rumours circulating about her and Pierce were never completely confirmed and only Margaret now knew if they were true or not.

- The rumours were true.
- The rumours were not true, he was just a very good friend.

 

[Ezri]

With a roll of her eyes Margaret returned to her tea. He didn't have to be such a spoilsport -- she was mostly joking, anyway. Although he wasn't wrong, and it would probably be better for everyone for her to focus on their work. As much as she trusted his judgement, Woodsworth had better have something worthwhile planned.

Regardless she shouldn't be thinking too much about her love life at all, especially with anyone worked with. The rumors about her and Pierce had been enough trouble, and they never even had a real relationship to speak of. It was only worse that those rumors weren't entirely baseless. The two of them were very close, definitely closer than they should have been, but there was a line that they'd made some unspoken agreement not to cross. Maybe once the war was all over, that was the idea, but obviously that had just been a silly wish. She felt that she had gotten past that aspect of her history by now, but it would be stupid of her to make the same mistake twice.

 

[ArcticFox]

Whatever had once transpired, it was all in the past now. And life must move on.

--

On Midsummer's Day Margaret and Finch arrived at the aerodrome prior to the departure time at noon. Morning sun flooded through the aerodrome's huge windows, glistening on the marble floor. Carved pillars rose around her to twice her height, the dome ceiling arched much higher. The sheer size and splendour of that monument to science and technology dwarfed even the famous Arch Sun Temple in Vlask. One could wonder that it was the sole point behind the aerodrome's construct.

Amidst all that grandeur the guests of Colossus's maiden voyage started shuffling across the polished floors, appearing from underneath the sunbeams, refreshing themselves with the and biscuits as they waited to be called abroad.

- You are not used to this and stick close to Finch.
- You are trained to blend in with all kinds of people.
- You just love these sorts of events.

 

[Ezri]

The party hadn't even properly started yet and there was already quite a lot to behold. The aerodome was a good candidate for exploration in its own right, and Margaret felt no hesitation in striking off on her own to do so. She strode off into the crowd, leaving Finch with a carefree wave, and immediately went to grab a snack and admire the architecture more thoroughly. Despite her distaste for empty pleasantries and circular conversations she didn't feel uneasy, and she was sure she could make do well enough in social situations. Woodsworth wouldn't have sent her if he thought she was completely useless. She would be fine at mingling -- at least, as long as she could come up with a convincing excuse to leave when she liked.

 

[ArcticFox]

Everyone was garbed more or less the same - summer afternoon dresses and hats for the ladies, tan and white suits for the gentlemen - except for those similar to Margaret's stature who wore military uniforms.

At that point Margaret noticed a young man standing a bit further from the crowd, looking rather uncomfortable. He was pleasant to look at, though not exactly eye catching. He stood straight without fidgeting and with his chin up, but his left hand was holding a pair of spectacles very tightly.

He did not look very comfortable with the situation he found himself in.

- Introduce yourself to the man out of pity.
- Introduce yourself to the man out of interest.
- Don't introduce yourself.

 

[Ezri]

Despite what he might be trying to accomplish, it was difficult for Margaret not to notice the man who was keeping his distance. He was obviously not trying to stand out too much, but to someone in her profession that was sort of working against him. And now that she'd looked around the building enough to be satisfied her curiosity was pulled in another direction. She had to be here on business, but if this man was so troubled why did he even bother coming? It could be something similar to her own circumstances, she supposed, but the best way to find out would be to ask.

"Are you all right? You look a bit stiff." she asked as she approached, straightforward but not accusatory. Of course, after a second she realized the paradoxical plan of trying to speak to someone who might not want to be spoken to, so she gave a loose shrug. "Although if you just don't want to socialize, I understand that. It's not something I usually look forward to either."

 

[ArcticFox]

"Hello." The young man greeted her with a slight smile. "I don't mind, uhm, miss." He stumbled, then made a sloppy and a bit awkward bow. "I am Richard North, a pleasure to make your acquaintance." After a brief moment he leaned toward her confidentially. "I'm not used to this at all. I am but a lawyer in the making and, uh, don't get to go to these kinds of events usually." He looked around and gave a little shrug. "I don't know anyone here."

After a brief moment he jumped up as though remembering something. "Oh, oh, right." He said, turning to take two glasses of sparkling wine, offering one to Margaret. "Would you like to keep me company for a little while, uh..." His eyes go to the collar of Margaret's uniform. "… Captain." Then he quickly added an explanation. "My father was military."

- Introduce yourself and stay to talk with him for a while.
- Go back to Finch.

 

[Ezri]

Margaret had to stifle a laugh while watching North clumsily introduce himself. It was almost kind of endearing, like watching baby bird try to take off and promptly launch itself straight into the ground. But he seemed well-meaning enough.

She glanced over her shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of Finch in the crowd. Even if it just was for work, they did come together. Actually, it might be better to go back specifically because they were here for work... but abandoning North after he'd told her all that seemed a bit cruel even for her. Finch would survive without her for another few minutes surely. As a plus, if he really was looking for her it might be funny to see him with his feathers ruffled.

"For a little while." She conceded with a smile, taking the glass and emphasizing the 'little'. " But she definitely shouldn't really drink on the job... maybe he wouldn't notice if she barely touched it. "Margaret Blackwood. So why did you get to come to this event, then?"

 

[ArcticFox]

Finch was nowhere to be found as she turned around. He had disappeared into the crown, probably mingling with some of his old acquaintances. While he was not usually the life of the party, Finch was no stranger to these sort of events.

"Me?" Richard brought back her attention. "Uh, I won the tickets on the lottery. I guess I was extremely lucky. Or unlucky." He finished, clearing his throat, eager to change the subject.

Through their talk Margaret learned that he was doing his internship with a local lawyer, no one really prestigious, and that he acquired the position upon his father's death some years ago, his mother being many years deceased. From there, they talked a little about Margaret's military service and she learned about Richard's childhood following the flag as his father's posts transferred the family here and there about the Kingdom.

Time went so quickly that they were quite startled to hear the steward's voice boom through the crowd, informing all that they may now board the dirigible.

"Shall we?" Mr North asked, offering his hand for her in a polite gesture. Finch was nowhere in sight yet.

- Take his hand.
- Don't take his hand but board beside him.
- Board alone.

 

[Ezri]

Margaret laughed, thinking that she hadn't been sure whether she was lucky or unlucky herself. North was better for conversation than she had expected, and surprisingly she found it easy to talk to him. Maybe it was just because they were both out of their element, but it was sort of refreshing to have a new ally. Although considering his apparently timid nature, she wondered how well he would actually perform as a lawyer. It was difficult to imagine.

"I'm all right." she said declining his offer to take his hand. It was a common gesture for men and women, of course, but not one she was particularly fond of. She found that she disliked the contact with people she didn't know well, and it wasn't as if she couldn't walk herself. Especially since she was only in her military uniform and not a dress. Instead, she gave him a small smile. "But let's see what all the fuss is about."

 

[ArcticFox]

"Of course." Mr North answered, but he was looking rather disappointed.

As they reached the boarding plank, the ebb and flow of the crowd brought Finch right in front on them, out of nowhere and the two men exchanged names and shook hands briefly. For only a slight moment Finch's eyes met Margaret's and he gave her a little nod.

The boarding ramp looked of the sort that belonged to a seaship, even swaying and creaking in the same disconcerting manner. The interior of the dirigible, however, could not be more different. Anything that wasn't polished dark wood was covered with rich red velvet. The steward ushered them all into a room large enough to hold a village assembly. All two hundred guests fit into it easily.

The crowd soon gathered in front of large windows that looked out onto the Observation Deck, treated to the breathtaking sight of the ground dropping smoothly away. Kingsford's factories and water wheels dwindled to the size of child's toys. Soon even the chimney stacks were far below. The dirigible floated higher yet, actually passing above the fog that always draped the city, into clear air that might belong to the countryside. Now the heavy yellow-brown cloud shrouded the world below from Margaret's sight, but at that moment, a dance tune had been struck up behind her.

The musicians were set up in the corner. There was a refreshment table in the other corner, for when refreshments might be desired. The musicians played a waltz, and the steward encouraged everyone inclined to go and dance. It was a unique sight indeed - the lords and ladies of the Kingdom on the same dance floor as common laborers and country farmers.

"Uh, care for a dance?" Mr North asked, turning to Margaret with a slightly embarrassed smile.

- Accept.
- Refuse.
- Ask Finch to dance.

 

[Ezri]

Seeing the ground fall further and further below, Margaret suddenly felt a pang of unease, but once it was out of sight entirely the refreshing view of a new sky was enough to overcome it. Turning around was even more of an improvement, considering the decor. It couldn't match the scenery, but the decor was definitely something to behold.

"Dancing isn't my forte, but..." Margaret admitted; she knew how basically, but it was hardly something she cared to practice. But she'd seen Finch, briefly, and that gave her some confidence that she could still kill some time -- he didn't seem terribly concerned with what she was doing for now. At the risk of North getting a little too attached, what could the harm be? "... I can give it a try."

 

[ArcticFox]

Mr North was very pleased with her acceptance. He smiled widely and offered his hands again, leading Margaret to the centre of the room, to glide over the polished dancefloor.

"I know a bit of dancing, if I'm allowed to say." He announced as they joined the fray of skirts and coats. "I attended a couple officer's balls before my father's death, though I haven't had the opportunity to practice in the last couple of years."

The musicians begun another waltz and the two of them sailed about the elegant room of dark wood and red velvet, high above the clouds - it was like an excerpt from a fairy tale.

On the other side of the room, Finch stood by the table with refreshments, holding a cup of tea and watching Margaret dance, a slight crease to his brow. His emotions were, as always, not clearly readable.

--

The afternoon wore away. The dirigible circled the coast of Loegria looking down on the green and quiet island. Loegria was one of the more infamous possessions of the Kingdom of Mercia. Its where the worst of the fighting with the Vlask Empire happened and people generally looked at it with fear now. Thus, Loegria remained uncivilised, while all people had different reasons for it.

- It's the fault of the Sun Temples and mindless worship.
- It's because of the island's many rebellions.
- It's because of the severe famine two generations ago.
- It's because there's no work.
- Margaret doesn't really care about it.

 

[Ezri]

North was certainly a man who wore his heart on his sleeve, and the dancing with someone she got along with was much more fun than it usually was. But it would wear out its welcome fairly soon, she thought, especially with such a crowded dance floor. The number of people paired with the boisterous conversation and spirited music was starting to be a little much. A glance out one of the windows provided a momentary distraction -- they were over Loegria. What would people there think if they looked up and saw the massive zeppelin flying above them, she wondered.

It wasn't surprising that a structured society would have difficulty forming when their lives were consumed with fighting, whether it was against others or within themselves. It wasn't an unsolvable problem, she thought, but certainly a difficult one. It was tempting to put it out of her mind, since she had enough to worry about closer to home, but it was important to stay informed about these sorts of things.

 

[ArcticFox]

Loegria was known by its unmanageable temper. Its people did not want to belong to either faction, they strayed from the Vlaski, even though they worshipped the Sun, and they strayed from Mercia, even though the Kingdom had helped them get out of the Vlaski occupation. Peace and prosper would be slow to reach Loegria.

Leaving the island behind, the dirigible begun the circle back home. The dancing stopped and the guests crowded around the refreshments table, while the musicians played a soft and elegant piece.

Then, all of a sudden, the airship lurched unexpectedly forward, the horrible sound of squealing metal echoing through the room. One side of the dancing floor dropped like and unbalanced see-saw, screaming people sliding down the incline. The deck started to straighten, only to plunge down again, the angle steeper than before. Margaret fell down, hitting her head on something, just barely managing to hold onto a pillar so she would not slide down completely.

Staggering to her feet, head aching and throbbing she could see a a tangle of hurt and frightened people at the bottom of the incline, covered by broken furniture and smashes musical instruments. Above them, other people struggled up the slope, stumbling blindly through the doors to Observation Deck. Back at the bottom of the incline a couple of uniformed men started calming down the passengers, but to no avail.

She could not see Mr North anywhere.

Far below her, struggling free of the crowd, a familiar figure rose above the tangle of bodies, unhurt, and his eyes locked with Margaret's, as Finch gave a small nod.

"The engine room!" He shouted briefly over the mess, then turned around and make his way through the glass doors beyond the crowd. That was a logical place to look for the cause of the disaster.

- Go with Finch.
- Help the injured people.
- Help the steward calm the people down.

 

[Ezri]

Margaret clutched at her head and cursed. Even if they were supposed to be on the lookout for something, she wouldn't have expected this. There were mostly civilians on this ship, and someone was attempting to crash the whole thing? Vlask? Her teeth gnashed together; what an infuriating thought.

Ignoring her injury she regained her balance as best she could and ran after Finch, shouldering past the passengers who were hurrying the other way. There wasn't any time to waste.

 

[ArcticFox]

The stairway down was crowded with panicked people trying to get below. To collect lifejackets probably. And also panicked people trying to get up to the top deck from which the parachute lifeboats would be launched. A wide-eyed older woman grabbed Margaret's arm, perhaps confusing her military dress uniform with the uniform of the dirigible crew. "What are we to do? Tell me what to do!"

- Brush her off and follow Finch.
- Stop and calm her down.
- Pause briefly to sooth her and then continue with Finch.

 

[Ezri]

"I don't--" Margaret started and then grit her teeth, her frustration building. It wasn't this woman's fault, of course, but she didn't have time for this. She pried the woman's hands off of her arm and spoke with hurried authority. It wasn't like she had any idea what the proper emergency procedure was, but if this woman wanted orders she could have them. "Calm down! Just get to the upper deck first, they'll tell you there!" Even before her sentence was completely over she had started moving again, wanting to move before anything else could delay her.