Tomb Raider: The Legacy

Chapter 16: Blast

For an hour, the shy Selma, now unleashed, turned to thanks to collaborators and ex-collaborators, brought up and talked to various colleagues, tried to do the same with Lara, only so that she smiled sinisterly and shook her head mechanically, despite to the cries of the people around her - "Lara Croft! Lara Croft!! LARA CROFT!! "- and some other scornful, derogatory yelling, which the British explorer preferred to ignore - "Grave robber!" "Go to your country, bitch!" "Looter!"-. In one corner of the stage, in the dim light, Marie Cornel watched the event, sitting comfortably in a chair and trying to calm the pain with her infusions. She was not asked to interact at any time- and if someone was curious to know who she was, that curiosity was solved in private, between murmurs.

They almost forgot that everyone was in mortal danger. Of course, the crowd ignored it - and Selma was the one who had most forgotten about it.

"I tell ya, boss, all this pain's worth just to see my princess so happy." Zip said, looking alternately at the more than ten monitors he'd before his eyes. "But I hate parties. My thing's to be here, in the gloom. Being the handsome guy in the suit? That's your call."

"Yeah, sure." He heard Kurtis sigh through the loudspeaker. "Very funny. Any hint of our man?"

"None. The tiger doesn't go hunting. I don't know if it's better or worse, boss. Hey Croft! How's your thing going?"

Lara's voice sounded tired through the other channel. "No news, Zip."

"Where's the lil' monster? Did she stop drowning prawns?"

"Now she's with me. Which prawns are you talking about?"

"Ask her." The hacker stifled a chuckle and returned to Kurtis' channel. "Your two girls are doing fine. I'd check your momma and my princess, but I see them from here. Let's see... third channel... Barbara?" It felt weird to address that woman - but he'd to, and it was best not to think about who she'd been and what she'd done to them. Duty obliged.

The warm and soft voice responded. "No news."

"Oops, oops, oops, everyone's sounding very grim tonight. Take an example of the princess and enjoy life."

(...)

Barbara couldn't enjoy the event if she'd wanted, although she didn't really want anything anymore. She felt out of place. It had nothing to do with her. It was like witnessing the triumph of her enemies, but could she still call them enemies? And who was she? She was confused, there was no right answer.

So, she focused on the facts. The first fact was her standing near the last rows, with a glass of champagne in her hand that she didn't taste and looking straight ahead at a show she didn't attend really. Of course, she couldn't get rid of unwanted followers. Upon entering there, whom was looking the people for was the famous Lara Croft, but once she'd kindly dismissed them, they turned around with miserable look... and then they found her. Barbara was tired of answering stupid questions.

"Who do I have the pleasure of meeting?"

"Oh, are you an art dealer?"

"Ancient Persia! I love the period!" Without being clear which period they were referring to.

"What does a beautiful lady so alone here?"

"We know each other?"

"Your face's familiar to me."

"What happened to your ear? Shame!"

"Did you try the prawns? I didn't get to. Someone has thrown them in the eggnog."

"Will there be dancing?"

"If there's a dance, would you grant me that dance?"

"What are you doing here so alone?"