“We’ve been dealt extraordinary circumstances,” Lyra said. “We’re all stilltrying to make the best of it.”
“While we hunkered down,” Leah said in a measured tone, “Simon Cross got busygetting people out of London. Four years later, even with the ship runs more or less a thing of the past, he’s still trying to do the same thing.”
“Are you involved with him?”
The question caught Leah completely off-guard. She hesitated, opened her mouth to speak, tried to figure out what she was going to say, then closed her mouth. She tried again. “No.”
“I’ve seen his pictures. He’s a handsome man. It would be easy tounderstand.”
Despite her training and her intention of not showing emotion, Leah felt her face burn slowly. At any other time, about any one else, she was certain she’dhave revealed nothing.
“If I were younger,” Lyra said without breaking stride, “I’d probably beinterested myself. Of course, maybe he favors older women.”
“No,” Leah said, too quickly. “He doesn’t.”
Lyra looked at her and cocked a brow.
“No offense intended,” Leah said.
“None taken. You have Simon Cross’s preferences on good authority?”
“No.”
“But you seem so certain.”
“In all the years that I’ve known him, Simon hasn’t seemed interested inanyone.”
“There are plenty of Templar women. Perhaps one of them then.”
“I wouldn’t know.” Even as she said that, though, Leah felt certain that shewould. “Simon is fixed on the war effort against the demons at the present.”
Lyra regarded her silently for a moment, then nodded. “I’ve known people likethat. Several of them are in this unit.”
Leah nodded.
“The problem is that Simon Cross seems to have something of a checkeredpast.”
“And I submit that no one’s perfect. I’m judging him on the man I’ve seen inaction. Not the one that became an expatriate of London all those years ago.”
“You certainly seem adamant.”
“I am.”
“Good. Then maybe we can get something done.” Lyra stood.
Leah fully expected to be abandoned at that moment and wasn’t looking forwardto it. She could deal with being alone. Isolation was often a part of her job. She just didn’t like knowing that nothing was getting done.
“Control,” Lyra said, confirming Leah’s suspicions that others were listeningin to the exchange. “Break silence.”
“Control here,” a male voice responded.
“Bring Leah Creasey’s armor to this room and countermand the orders to holdon sight.”
“That’s not how we were told to handle the interview.”
Lyra’s tone changed to one of steel and fire. “You’ll do it now, on myauthority, or you’ll answer to charges.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And open this bloody door before I do it myself.” The door unlockedimmediately.
Leah followed Lyra Darius through the narrow, twisting hallways of the underground complex. The unit’s headquarters were kept deliberately small. Itdidn’t take much to take care of the operation she was part of.
“Tech Ops tells me it’s only going to be a few hours before they have theburned pages of the manuscript you found”
“Simon Cross found,” Leah interjected. She accepted her armor from a man whocame to her at a dead run.
“and that they’re expecting a full recovery of the data on the pages.” Lyrastood in the hallway while Leah pulled her armor on. The older woman even turned her back and provided a modicum of privacy by staring back any passersby of the moment.
When she had herself presentable, once more comfortable in the armor she’dworn nearly every day for the last four years, Leah said, “Thank you.”
Lyra set off at once. “The thing that stood in your stead is your years ofservice prior to the demon invasion. And the fact that I’m predisposed to thenotion of the importance of the Templar myself.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I also liked that you brought the Goetia manuscript here.”
“When Simon found out it was burned, he thought he had no choice. I thoughtrecovery was possible.”
“I think it would read better in your report that you simply seized the firstopportunity to bring the manuscript to our attention. Your motives aren’t quiteso questionable that way.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“You can oftentimes disguise your motivations by simply stating youractions.”
“Duly noted.”
The Tech Ops room was compact. It was wall-to-wall with computer hardware and special peripherals. Three people, two men and one woman, sat at the screens and spoke commands to the AIs.
“Jenkins,” Lyra said.
“Here.” One of the young men swiveled around and looked at her. He looked asif he was fresh from Academy somewhere, but since there’d been no new recruitsin four years, Leah knew that was impossible.
“You’re working on the manuscript,” Lyra said.
“I am,” he agreed.
“What do you have?”
Jenkins swiveled back around in his chair and spoke commands quickly. “Theoriginal document you brought me was badly burned. Fortunately, there hadn’tbeen any additional damage to the baseline structure of the pages. Separating the pages was logistical nightmare. I won’t bore you with the details of usingthe electromagnetic stasis nanostabilizers to fix the print”
Lyra held up a hand.
“You have a question, ma’am?” Jenkins asked.
“No. I’m voting for not being bored.”
“Oh.” Jenkins looked properly flummoxed. “Of course, ma’am.” He turned hisattention back to the monitor. “In the end I overlaid the stabilized pages witha molecular Gutenberg imprint scanner tuned to the chemical compositions of the inksthere were six identifiable kindsand lifted the text and images.Once I had them, I uploaded them to the computer and started using de-encryption programs.”
“There were images?” Lyra asked.
“Yes, ma’am. I’ve managed to render them, but I’m not certain how much ofthat is pertinent.”
“Why?”
Jenkins hesitated. “Because they’re… strange.” He voiced a few commands andimages came up on the monitor.
Leah leaned in for a closer look. The images were drawings done in exquisite detail. But they were of horrendous beings.
“Demons,” Leah said.
Jenkins nodded. “There are names given here. And they coincide with the Goetia book as we know it.”
That announcement threw Leah for a moment. “What Goetia book as weknow it?”
Jenkins glanced at Lyra, who nodded.
“Goetia has been a popular entry in supernatural works. Or New Age asmany of them came to be called.” Jenkins spoke quietly and book covers tookshape on the monitor next to the one showing the demons. “All of them aresupposed to
