The Iron Man [Serial]

Survive

When I approached Ken and Miranda, I did not truly know what to say to them. "I--" I needed time and did not feel I had it. "You both acted so quickly," I said. And, that felt insufficient.

Miranda opened her arms and leaned in as if to embrace me, but I awkwardly touched her chest in meaning to keep space between us. "I'm sorry," she said.

I shook my head. "It isn't that I don't-- I mean I cannot even let myself think too much on it." And even saying that, I felt my own breath sound raggedly.

I think that Ken whispered or mouthed some question to Miranda, but I did not catch it, as I was thinking again on Murphy and whether he would survive. I did noticed Miranda's quiet reply, "yes."

Again, I shook my head. I glanced up to Ken; he wasn't taller than I-- shorter as I'd been running around on chopines --but I had been quite downcast. "You can ask me."

Ken made a close-mouthed smile and reached into his jacket for a flask. "I asked if you were close." He offered the flask.

Some part of me thought taking a drink was a poor choice. Had I not done it that last time because Valentine had thought I looked too embarrassed or emotional about something? I still opened the flask. "Stiff upper lip!" I raised the flask then took a gulp. I offered back the flask, but Miranda took it, as I wiped my mouth with my hand. "Not as close as I should have liked...." Did I need to explain more? I didn't trust my voice to explain.

Ken put a hand to my shoulder. "He's with a doctor now, and we got to him soon as we could, so I'm sure there's a chance."

"It was explained to me in my diving lessons, but I've never done it. I couldn't even think to do anything for him. But you. Both." I felt I should cry from shame if not grief.

"Jade," Valentine called, "faster we settle with the hotel, faster we both get to the ship."

I knew it was true. I remembered very well Sina had told me to be strong and clever because Murphy could not. It was our job to do difficult things to make life easier for others. 

I tried just to breathe normally as I walked back toward the hotel's beachside entrance. It looked like there were other guests concerned after the report of a dead man on the beach, perhaps some of which had been there to see Ken and Miranda operating upon him. So, there was an unusually high number of hotel employees present in both drawing room and lobby, assuring guests all was under control.

"It's in their interest to get us out of here quickly," Valentine said, "Just tell them what you need."

My sketchbook and garment bag were found at the desk, turned-in I suppose when I had dropped them to run out onto the beach. I collected these, with only a very slight raising of brows from one clerk, who I decided would claim he'd been searching for labels of ownership when he looked though all my sketches.

I explained to the manager, that I needed to settle the bill for our rooms and leave. I would need porters to help with some baggage, I said. I also inquired whether I could send several wirefaxes out through their desk.

The manager assured me everything would be done as requested. He had another clerk present the bill. It was a machine-printed form indicating an account Murphy had supplied and there was a space to sign for authorization to transfer funds from one bank to another. I knew how this worked; there was a recommended procedure for signing one name 'for' the account owner's name, but snipper-snappers were always scrawling their employer's name anyway. I just scrawled the name Murphy used as his current alias.

I took paper from my sketchbook and one of the desk pens to compose notes for wirefax. I sent a very simple message to the Cairo number I had, indicating business complete, that Mr. Murphy had taken ill, and that passage on the previously arranged vessel would be taken immediately. To Alexandria, I said business with our partner from Vienna was complete, that the order from the weavers was taken care of but would need follow-up message, that Murphy was taken quite ill, and that I was, again, arranging passage.

I composed a message to Cloud, whom I did not know, saying precisely what Sina had advised. Murphy was incapacitated, Sina remained with me, we were doing everything necessary.

Valentine came to my side, having settled his own bill. "Hedone and Tesla have just left. I'll meet you here as soon as you're packed."

"Thank you." I looked and saw that Miranda and Ken were still near. I beckoned them after me as I went to the lift. "I realize this is unusual," I said, "but I am guessing that the reason you wanted to meet was that we somehow came to interfere in what was seen as Mercantile business."

Ken waited until the lift doors opened and were were then inside to speak, "Criminal market manipulation is Mercantile jurisdiction, rather it may be interpreted to be, with some discretion. We had one of ours placed inside the criminal operation."

"Aje Morté?" I asked. The lift doors opened and I exited to my floor, with Miranda and Ken following.

"What makes you suppose that?"

"Jean-Daniel claims to be the leader of that group representing investors. And, Thierry's Las Nouvelles. I thought pirates kept the Mercantile from maintaining Gulf routes."

Ken nodded. "We, collectively, allowed the threats to go on hoping to confirm the identities of the investors, but the risk has become too great."

"You couldn't get Jean-Daniel to give-over names?"

"If there's any list of confidential informants or code exemptions, Jean-Daniel Pallador is on it."

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