System

34a. Esther and Certaine

The light of the rising sun shone throughout the huge gothic windows as Adreus Certaine sipped his coffee. The staff were still busy clearing up the mess left from the previous night, but he had managed to find a small pot in one of the kitchens and a few left-over pastries.

'Are you sure you won't have one?' he said to Esther who was sitting on the other side of the table.

'Thank you, but no,' she said as she looked out across the city.

She was wondering about the twelve and contemplating a walk down to the brothel - once she had time to wash and change her clothes.

Certaine took a big bite from one of the pastries. He was definitely regaining his appetite now that the immediate crisis was over.

'You did well,' he said through a mouthful of crumbs.

He wiped his face with the back of his hand and smiled.

'Thank you,' she said quietly.

Certaine picked up one of the books that had been left on the table and flicked through it.

'The news is good,' he said happily. 'Or better than yesterday, anyway...'

Esther watched the sun rise over the city.

'What did happen to Crittis?' she asked after a while.

Certaine put down his book.

'We may never know for sure,' he said thoughtfully. 'But once his core personality was removed from the system, all the blocks and firewalls simply disappeared. We could just step in and pick up the pieces - no viper to deal with, just a lot of data and processing power.'

'You're parcelling it up between you?'

'For the moment,' he said. 'Just while we set everything straight. Everything that Crittis and Gastis owned is being held in trust until the mess is sorted out.'

He took another sip of coffee.

'Martiss has some plan of auctioning it all off. She doesn't like the idea of a Council of Four - it doesn't seem right somehow...'

Esther nodded.

'I wonder who will take their place...'

'You up for it?' Certaine asked with a smile.

'Oh, no,' she said, shaking her head. 'I think I'll stick to dancing - far less dangerous!'

'Or sleuthing, Miss Sherlock,' he laughed. 'You did pretty well in there. I was genuinely proud!'

They sat for a while, enjoying the warmth of the rising sun.

'You don't seem too upset about Crittis,' she said enquiringly.

He didn't respond immediately, but gazed out the window as if lost in thought.

'It's odd isn't it,' he said thoughtfully. 'I'm not sure how I feel. I've known him for hundreds of years, and he was my friend, but... I don't know... I'm more upset about Restriss-Bo and the other innocents who got caught up in all this.'

He took another sip of coffee.

'I will miss him,' he said. 'But it was his choice in the end. He knew what he was doing... I'm... I'm actually pleased for him I think... in a strange way...'

Esther made to get up.

'Anyway,' she said. 'I think I'll just pop down to the city one more time before we go. I've got some new friends to check up on.'

He nodded and turned back to his book.

As she walked away he looked up one last time.

'Esther,' he said.

She glanced back.

'See you on the other side.'