CHAPTER 36 - "TALKING TRUTH"
The next morning, First-Inspector Frederick Abberline found himself wakening on the couch of his London town home, not knowing how he got there. But around him were scattered work folders.
He sat up groggy as Marie, his fiancée, walked into the living room with a tray with two cups of tea. She put one cup down in front of him on a table and he slowly reached over and took it, sipping in its lovely aroma. The taste went down his throat with delight. "New tea, Marie?"
"It's honeysuckle," she said. "On my way home this morning from my sister's, I had the urge to pick up some tea, and knowing how hard you were working at the office last night, I thought it would be a welcome change. I was told it relieves stress and induces a calm in the mind."
He nodded, he did feel calm. In fact, he suddenly felt he had a weight lifted off his shoulders as he sipped the tea.
"So, what did Lord Randall have you two working on last night?" she asked. "He's always working you too hard. Didn't he tell you to take a few days off for the Christmas holidays?"
He nodded, but Sir Randall was never that nice. There had to have been an alterative motive behind it, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember or even guess what it may havebeen. In fact, he couldn't recall much of anything for the last couple of days, but something nagged at the back at his mind. He felt he had forgotten something very important, but as he drank some more tea, calmness of his mind resumed and he let it slide.
"Randall is a good person, Marie - he sometimes has a lot on his mind," he said.
"Apparently you do, as well." Marie looked at the debris of file folders scattered throughout the room. "What is all this?" She picked up a file folder and read a subject line from the first page: "Cat Burglar Strikes At Fish Market." She picked up a second folder and read its subject line: "Small Town Crook Streaks Through Meat Market." She read the subject line from an third folder: "Booby-Trap Snares Woman When Overseeing Mice Snaps In Her Home When She Bent Low."
She chuckled, but her voice hinted with annoyance when she spoke again. "These are small time cases. This is what was so important that Sir Randall had to keep you in the office late last night?"
He sipped his cup again, but nodded absent-mindedly. "I guess so?"
The same morning...
The servants of the Phantomhive household awoke forgetful of transpiring events of yesterday and days prior regarding anything associated with ghosts and demons and began their duties as usual.
Sebastian had gone to Finny, Mey-Rin, Bardroy and Tanaka, each successively, and removed those memories over the night. Sebastian also found a little surprise in Tanaka's mind - that the elder butler knew about Sebastian's true self as a demon, but removed that as well. How he knew was unknown, but it felt more like a suspicion than actual proof.
He allowed Ciel and Lukas to sleep in a little longer than normal due to the late night that had and it wasn't until noon when he awoke his masters. But he did not alter their memories of the events in question.
That afternoon...
In the Dining Room, Sebastian laid out bunch of eggs benedict, scones, orange juice and tea. Ciel sat at his usual position at the head of the table, while Lukas sat on the side next to him. Only they and Sebastian were in the room, so they could speak freely.
"Do you think we need to worry about the Illuminati, brother?" Lukas said, taking a bite of a scone.
Ciel sipped his tea. "I wouldn't be concerned with them, Lukas," he said. "They would not dare take action against one of their staunch members."
Lukas gasped, crumbs spitting from his mouth. "Staunch members? You -Us?" He gave a look of surprise to Sebastian and the butler nodded. "Why wasn't I told?"
"Simply, the conversion never came up. Vincent Phantomhive, our father, was a very prominent member. And I mean was, past-tense, until he suspected a hidden agenda to usurp England's governing body. Apparently the Inner Circle and the Illuminati were both working towards the same goal, but as two separate entities. And while the Inner Circle is finished, the Illuminati continues to work from behind a curtain. But now that a certain someone has informed them if they continue, a certain someone else will cut off major funding to all their projects." Ciel gave a one-eye glance to Sebastian. The butler nodded.
"You? Do you suspect they may have had a hand in our parent's murder?"
"I don't know, but I don't think they would be that stupid. Bryon Kelvin is still our prime target."
"And yet we only have supposition and conjecture. Thus, our hunt for answers continue."
"Yes, along with another mystery. Namely, who broke the handle to the drawer of my desk in the Study and ruffled the papers on top."
"Could it have been Thann or Spencer Von Strauss? Remember, Reaper Ronald Knox did say he told them to enter the mansion to stay safe."
"Plausible, but what would they be looking for, and why? And where are they now? Not even the Reapers can find them. They appear to have just vanished."
"Hiding from the Illuminati, perhaps? From what we were told from Knox, Thann and Spencer's father was high within the Illuminati before he died. News travels fast in England sometimes. The newspapers have already picked up the story, but they make no mention of the Illuminati." Lukas had up a copy of the London Gazette on the table next to him.
"Of course," Ciel said shrugging.
"Apparently Erich Von Strauss was attacked by a vicious, wild animal. They later found Wilhelm Lazarus's 'pet' white tiger dead elsewhere spattered with his blood. Scotland Yard is investigating further. But preliminary reports indicate the teeth marks on Erich Von Strauss were human, not animal, and chemical analysis of the tiger indicates that the tiger died from some unknown internal cause. My guess is, and this will probably never be known, that the demon Decco killed the animal for personal reasons."
Ciel nodded. "They say animal instincts are very acute. The tiger probably attacked Decco after he stole his master. I am sure we will learn of Wilhelm Lazarus's death very soon in the media as well, along with two missing person cases regarding two other Illuminati members, that constitute the main body of their leadership in England's branch: Francis Thibeau and Orion Anderson McDermott. With Erich Von Strauss, they made up the leadership triad of the Illuminati branch. New elections will be held soon. And I will make sure there are people put into power that I can trust implicitly."
"You should have told me father was a member," Lukas said.
"Again, there was no need. But you will be happy to know that I have rethought my decision to celebrate Christmas this year. Sebastian is making the preparations for a party to be held here on Christmas Eve. The decorations will remain up. I know it is short notice, but I'm sure people will attend."
Lukas's face burst with glee. "That's wonderful! What made you change your mind?"
Ciel took another sip of tea after eating some eggs benefit. "Family," he said. "I have spent the last two years searching for those responsible for our parents deaths while at the same time keeping within a shell of isolation, essentially 'hiding' from the world so I am not hurt again. I don't like feeling hurt and the world has hurt me greatly. For the last few months since your return, I ignored the fact that an important part of living is enjoying family and you are the only one I have left. So..."
Lukas chuckled. "You're getting soft, brother. That wouldn't have crossed your mind months prior."
Ciel cleared his throat, somewhat embarrassed. "Notwithstanding, I have something for you. Call it an early Christmas gift."
Sebastian stepped forward and presented Lukas with a small, wrapped gift box. "But you said you hadn't gotten me anything yet." Lukas took it and looked at for a moment, then unwrapped it. Inside was a velvet felt ring box; inside: was a blue gem, gold encased ring. Lukas frowned. "Isn't this the same blue gem, the piece of the Hope Diamond, Mathu Kelvin gave to Sebastian that's even more cursed than your own ring?"
Ciel shrugged. "Nonetheless, we want you to have it."
Lukas rolled his eyes in disbelief. "Symbolic of us being cursed, brother?" He said, slipping it on the pinki of his left hand as it was smaller than Ciel's, who wore his ring on his left thumb because it once belonged to Vincent Phantomhive and Ciel's fingers were smaller at his present age than his father's were fully grown. "It's nice to know you even thought of getting me a gift."
"We're family."
"Indeed. By the by, I would like to get ear piercings like you. They look very fashionable."
Ciel's brow rose. "I suppose that can be arranged, but I prefer to stay original."
Lukas laughed. "Trust me, brother. There is no one else in the world like you."
"Quite. One 'twin' brother is enough."
Lukas laughed again, but then he turned serious. "There is one thing that I am still curious about."
"And that is?"
"That demon who rescued me according to what Renny said. Why would a demon help me? And why would he pass knowledge of Belial, Sebastian's mentor, to me for safekeeping? It makes no sense. I still don't know what this knowledge is. And if the Illuminati and the Inner Circle had an inkling of what it was and attempted to use us as a pillars to build a gateway to free Belial-" He shook his head. "I'm so confused."
"I have pleasing news," Sebastian said smiling, standing between the boys. "My mentor's situation has been dealt with. It is no longer an issue. I received word last night that my mentor, if you can believe it, only pretended to fall pray to Decco's imprisonment. The truth was, he merely took an extended vacation."
"A vacation?" Lukas barked.
"He is a very busy man, and in training so many demons over the years, he became tired, and for lack of a better word, 'burned-out'. Morning Star was a upset, but all has been forgiven now that my mentor is back among the hierarchy. And in this, Decco is truly defeated. It is said, to relax fully, you must leave all your troubles and cares behind you without contact."
"That is good to hear, and very true," Ciel said. "What of Renfrew? Where is he right now?"
"I have assigned him a task to accomplish. He is presently tracking someone down by means of only his allocation. My recently dream-state has stirred certain issues to arise and I wish to quell them."
"Mathu Kelvin, before he left us - and I am surprised you allowed him to go peacefully, Sebastian - mentioned your wife and children," Lukas said. "If I may ask, what did happen to them? And this Bryan?"
Sebastian sighed melancholy for a moment, reflective. "My wife died given birth to our third child, whom I suspected actually poisoned her with dark energy. He was very powerful and evil. Bryan, our manservant, who was possessed by a Fallen Reaper, and I, attempted to end the child's life by burying it. But Morning Star stole him away, saying he needed powerful demons. I never knew what happened to the child."
Ciel put up a hand to halt the story momentarily. "Did you say Bryan was possessed by a Fallen Reaper? You mean, like Mathu Kelvin?"
"In a similar fashion, but unlike Mathu Kelvin, Bryan was, I suppose, he would be considered a 'good-guy', and he explained to me the reason for his falling from grace. It was not from an evil act like the Fallen Reaper that now possesses Mathu Kelvin, but it was for speaking against the Reaper High Council, claiming corruption and misappropriation of power against others. For this, he was sentenced to be one of the Fallen." Sebastian then went on to explain about Bryan's childhood and how the Fallen Reaper came to possess Bryan willfully. "But then, later, Decco somehow learned of Bryan and my children and attempted to kill them. From what I am told, Bryan sacrificed himself for my children in a harsh and fatal battle."
"I am sorry for your loss," Ciel said.
"Thank you. But my children escaped and Braydon and Brandon are safe now. This I am assured of. And they are thriving in their new environment, so to speak. Those demons you saw that night, Master Lukas, were in fact, my sons. Through information from another party, your identity was learned about and plans were imposed to help you to eventually find your way here. But things had to remain secret. Therefore, with Renfrew Phantomhive's help, for which he was indeed protecting you after you rescued him from his captor, ideas were implanted inside your mind urging you, ever so slightly, to break free of whoever was masterminding your brainwashing at the time. But it had to be you who finally made the final push."
"You kept the identity of my brother a secret for two years?" Ciel said angrily, he slammed a fist to the table.
"It was necessary, my lord, to protect both he and you from dangerous forces, and at the time, I had my hands full. Only until recently was I able to allocate my resources to become a duel-butler."
"So, in a way, you masterminded events to bring us back together," Lukas said, "but only at a time whereas it would be safe enough for it to be done so?"
"Correct. And even when this was done, I underestimated the extent of your brainwashing. Whatever the method Bryon Kelvin employed to brainwash you, he did a very good job. And there are still avenues of your mind that I can not access, barriers put up - much like Renfrew did with his guardianship."
"Wait," Ciel said confused, "if you and Renfrew knew each other before-hand, why did he do what he did? He put you to sleep as punishment for entering Lukas's mind in an attempt to learn a secret that would free your mentor from a purgatory your rival thought he put Belial in, which turns out was false information."
"Not false information, my lord. As I have explained, no one knew Belial took a vacation, playing to the assumption he was imprisoned. He tricked even Decco. As for Renfrew, he knew my sons as 'demons' that night, but he never met me or knew their names, and Renfrew was told not to interfere in Lukas's development; to allow things to play out naturally. Everything was designed under the guise of pretext."
Ciel snorted amused. "Just like a demon. Does Renfrew know you used him?"
"He knows of the events that unfolded. I informed him before allocating the task he is undertaking now."
"But how did Renfrew know of Belial?" Ciel said. "Ah, yes. Of course. When your sons implanted the 'information' of your mentor into Lukas for safekeeping, that you told them - whatever that information is - they told Renfrew about it and asked he protect Lukas and its safekeeping. My guess is this information is not much of anything...merely a touch, or an 'urge' for freedom? The key to salvation."
"Mathu Kelvin said I was the Key Master - key, meaning information - and Ciel the Gate Keeper because of the brand on his body," Lukas said. "But I dread to ask this question: Did you manipulate events to make my brother the Gate Keeper? My mind was filled with 'information', but the brand on my brother's body is permanent and it hurt him very much; he was humiliated and almost killed."
Both boys looked at him with serious expressions.
Sebastian shook his head. "No. Even in this world there are evil men who think evil thoughts and do evil deeds. The Inner Circle did this of their own violation in an attempt to summon a demon to them. You were, however, my beacon to come through the gateway, Master Ciel. And even though you, Master Ciel, do not believe in coincidences, there were even some events that unfolded that I had no connection with. However, regardless, those events did manage to coincide and aid with our association now."
"That is good to hear," Ciel said, still with a serious look on his face. "For if I learned this mark was as a result of you, I would negate our covenant right now."
"Parish the thought, my lord. I would never harm the family member of a Phantomhive, whom I once held a close and personal bond to in my past."
"Bond? You knew some of our ancestors?"
"Indeed. In fact, I was privy to how the Phantomhive's first began. It is quite an interesting tale. Your ancestor Miles Phantomhive struck it rich in a gold mine in Peru while searching for other treasure as a teenager with treasure hunters. The first expedition he did not find this particular treasure but he did find a cave hoard with gold. I don't recall at the moment what that other treasure is, if I do, I will tell you. Nonetheless, with his gold find, he returned to England and began a family, married and had a son named Tristan. They were very good friends with the Smythe family for which I married into, my wife Kassandra. With her, I had twin boys: Braydon and Brandon, and a third son that Morning Star stole away."
Ciel thought for a moment. "I seem to recall my father mentioning an ancestor named Tristan. I believe he went on to become a teacher of Astronomy."
"That would be fitting, as he was fascinated with space and the night sky," Sebastian said. "Alas, in regard to astronomical phenomenon, every year on the Winter Solstice, because the dimension rifts are lax, my sons visit with me and we talk about the year that went by. Unfortunately, the Winter Solstice, December 21st, was yesterday. I will not be able to see my sons this year."
"But why only once a year, Sebastian?" Lukas asked.
"Because he obviously sees them in secret to hide their visitation," Ciel said. "From Decco, perhaps? The dimension rift hides their energy. The Winter Solstice, unlike the Summer Solstice, is the most energized day of the year. It is when the magnetic poles are at their zenith intensity. But Decco is no longer a threat. And Belial is back. You have nothing more to fear. Why not see them tonight? Can you call them?"
Sebastian tilted his head slightly and smiled. "I am curious, my lord. If you are this knowledgeable, why do your school test scores continue to falter?"
Ciel cleared his throat and averted his eyes discomfited. "Well..."
And Lukas laughed.