Space Angels: find the Gift (complete)

ЄD0Ɲ: Ŧhe CiŦy ~ Chapter Fifty-Nine

59 – the scroll (1716)

The flea bounded over the rug's thick fibres until it reached the foot of the desk.

"I am not comfortable with this, Cylvah. We are only here to observe – Cherub Jango's orders were quite specific!"

"'Check it out and report back', he said – that's what I'm doing. And you said yourself it was worth investigation. Don't worry, Sunshine, just be prepared to get a glimmer of that scroll when I open it up!"

"Very well, but I am not happy."

"Noted," Cylvah acknowledged, using her Natural Morphing ability to change back into a Cherub, ensuring she kept her eagle face.

She now stood leaning over the desk. Made from a quality wood, finely carved and very old, she eyed the drawer containing the scroll she'd seen in her Scintilla. She produced a hair-like feather and placed its tip into the drawer's keyhole.

It mimicked the exact shape of its missing key. She turned her wrist and heard a click.

Pulling the drawer open she lifted the scroll with a gloved hand, her breath quickening.

She consulted her Scintillas – she had six on the go – checking the world outside the room. Scintillas One and Two still surveyed the movements of the black guardians. No unusual activities – they continued controlling the crowd of disgruntled Edons beyond the gates at the end of the street.

Scintilla Four checked the Edons on the House of Ten's upper floors, most busy communicating on devices with visual displays, while Scintilla Three had moved to the meeting room and hovered above a chandelier, recording the scene. Most of the chairs were occupied now, the males in their grey the females in plain gowns. The owner of the scroll Cylvah was holding busily distributed papers among the people seated from a pile in his arms.

Scintilla Five hovered at the end of the hallway outside the room she was in, scanning for anyone approaching her location from the rest of the house, while Scintilla Six faced the entrance door from the street. A male wearing purple robes was entering.

"This Edon is highly-placed in the same spiritual order as Kaleb's commander," Sunshine told her, as a young woman greeted the man and led him past Cylvah's position before leading him towards the meeting room down the corridor. Cylvah wondered if this was another Mammon – Edons seemed to trust their leaders without question. Sunshine reminded her this leader could still be an innocent Edon.

"I have been following the progress of Fereshte's tracking wasp, Cylvah. Kaleb and his master are less than a league away and will be here shortly. I do not think you should try to spy on a Mammon Commander. His skills and powers are far greater than yours. We need to leave. Soon."

I hear you loud and clear, Sunshine," she said aloud. I have my next Quintessence prepared – it's swift and tiny."

She untied the scroll's ribbon, rolling the curled parchment out on the table. There was a zinging sound as Cylvah drew her sword from its scabbard. She laid it onto the top of the scroll to keep it in place and put her arm along its bottom edge and sat down to read. The Mammon were known for their dimension-shifting speed. If they were in this place she needed her sword at the ready. She began to read:

ʀεpօr† ƒօr ƈօmmαηdεr ηα†hïαš

Our progress is on track, your eminence, and I outline the main points below. Please pass my best wishes to the Barons of Mayhem.

Thanks to the efforts of the Mammon clan, half of Edon's wealth belongs to 2% of the richest Edon elite. We will improve this in the ensuing Edon years if they follow our orders. It is simple to control them. Greed is a powerful addiction, an irresistible temptation for most species whatever their belief systems or tribal divisions. Hail the Mammon.