Burning Night: A Tale of the Everburning City

Chapter 12, Part 2: Natalina

"I'm looking for Corporal Jerome Vargas." She said to the clerk at the desk to the records room.

Natalina smiled, as the clerk at the desk did her very best to look intimidating. The problem for her was that her waist was about as thick as Vargas' arms, and her mannerism suggested more high-society than the trained killer vibe that Natalina had been exposed to over the last few weeks.

It was hard not to laugh. "He works here. Has a special task for me assigned by Colonel Redgrave."

"Natalina?" Vargas asked as he poked his head through the doorway. "I wasn't expecting you. Or much of anyone, frankly."

"Ah, Vargas," Natalina said, and out of reflex, glanced to see the clerk glance back at Jermone, and marked the shift in her mannerism. "Just the man I wanted to see."

"You know her, sir?" The clerk asked.

"She's with the Tributary, Jasper. She's the one who put us on the missing obituary."

"Found it?" Natalina asked.

"No. Got three clerks demoted, a Captain's been forced into retirement, and we've moved a small hill worth of paper, but we don't have it. Our request for another copy from the Undertakers was met with an odd response. Apparently, they needed to update their reports with some previously undiscovered findings."

"My fault," Natalina said, smiling. She thought back to Desmond, grinning.

"If you found out something, you should pass it on to the Colonel," Corporal Vargas said. "He seems angry about this."

"Once I have more than rumours and missing reports," Natalina said. She didn't add that she may be implicating the Colonel. "Do you have a list of her personal effects? I was wondering if her sword was collected."

Jerome studied her with a hard gaze for a moment, and to her surprise, so did the clerk at the desk. "Now why, Mrs Casper, are you curious about her sword?"

Natalina made a careful reassessment of the clerk behind the desk. She was lean rather than skinny, the lean that only comes from exercise and training. Her hair, while unusually made up, was tied back severely and unlikely to move much. The tailoring of her uniform was, like Vargas', loose around the shoulders. Her nails were cut short, and the hands neatly folded in front of her were calloused.

She also called her by her last name, which means the clerk has at least been warned about her, if not briefed.

"Has Redgrave replaced everyone here with his own people?" Natalina asked in response.

"We never collected the sword." Jerome Vargas said, glancing through a small shelf of paper. "Nothing in requisitions, no record of it being sent to Research to be fixed, and no record of reallocation. Stranger and stranger."

"I'd like an answer, Mrs Casper." The clerk at the desk said, standing up.

"Gently, Calinda," Jerome said, holding out his hand. "But Casper, that question deserves an answer."

Natalina forced herself to stop edging towards the door. "I think Colonel Darrower was murdered, and whoever did it took the sword as payment."

Vargas whistled, and Calinda's eyes widened. "Shit. No wonder Redgrave has us tearing this place apart. The election's only a week away."

"Shall I go report this to the Colonel?" Calinda asked.

"Please do. Casper, what's your next play?" Jerome asked.

"Have the Orderlies examine Darrower's apartment. If they don't find the sword, assume it's somewhere in the Undercity being stripped for its cold-stone." Natalina admitted.

"Okay. Calinda, find Colonel Redgrave and report everything. Tell him I was hoping he would be willing to let us into Colonel Darrower's apartment. Wear this."

Jerome handed her a blue armband. Natalina's eyes widened when she saw that messenger band. There were Bureau chiefs who couldn't dispatch a messenger with priority: blue.

Natlina noticed Calinda looked just as surprised. "I'm overstepping. I'll beg the Colonel's indulgence later. If anyone asks, I told you I had authorisation from Colonel May Teus Killgore."

"Killgore? Really?" Natalina asked, amused.

"An obvious lie means I'm the only one who gets in trouble. Almost no one knows the names of every Colonel in the army." Natalina was surprised by that fact, since there were normally only eight of them.

Vargas noted Calinda's confusion and added, "the former Lord Captain was always rather suspicious of his Underlings. Apparently only Farthington and Redgrave lasted more than three years."

"I'll find the Colonel. But if this is a conspiracy, sir, should you let Mrs Casper here go by herself?" Calinda asked.

"Fair point," Vargas said, as he stood up and checked the fit of his sword belt. "Hopefully I see you at Darrower's residence. Redgrave's had it sealed up for the last couple of weeks, so no one's getting in without him."

"I'll hurry. Hope to see you there, sir." Calinda said as she stepped through the doorway and out of sight.

"Strange. I can't quite peg her story." Natalina said. "She has a high central accent, and she's familiar with the mannerisms of upper society. That haircut is probably barely acceptable in regulations. But like you, she seems more soldiery than most of the soldiers posted in the inner City. Did Redgrave post her?"

"Yes. Part of his shuffle to put more people on sorting paperwork here. Your fault, if you'll remember." Vargas admitted. He turned back and put his head through the door, talking quietly to someone inside.

"Interesting. Then she's probably dressing up for this assignment. Or just for you. Have you asked her out yet?" Natalina asked, with a grin, while Vargas put on his coat.

"I can't. I have a command post with this assignment, and she's part of my squad right now." Vargas insisted, firmly. A little too firmly.

"Then transfer her."

"No. She's on officer track. You don't fraternize across that line."

"And you don't think you're on track?" Natalina asked. "You have a rookie lieutenant's platoon back there saluting you, the personal attention of a legend in the Army, and a woman from high central calling you 'sir'."

Jerome grinned as he shut the door, and lead them down the hall. "When you put it like that, it sounds fairly impressive."

"Flame baked fool. I'll put a dozen lottery tokens down that say Valen will promote you by the end of the month."

"No bet, Mrs Casper. I can't match those stakes."

"If I'm wrong, you put your name on the record for any story I write about this," Natalina said.

"I'll take that bet," Vargas said, and Natalina offered him her hand. He took it, shaking to seal the bet.