Madam Wanda with good news

It was hard to judge time in the small windowless chamber, but Mika guessed that she had spent nearly six hours waiting for something to happen. In that time she had prayed for the safety of Adam and the Oracle, and in particular Sister Winlay who she knew had been caught up in her failed attempt on the High Priest. Again, and again, she berated herself for not killing the sadistic despot when she had the chance. What had she been waiting for? In hindsight she should have known that someone as powerful and paranoid as Beldan would have some kind of vault-tech armor but that armor would not have protected his thigh - damn! Finally, in an attempt to clear her thinking, she worked through her morning exercises, stretching and strengthening every tendon and muscle in her body.

The physical activity helped a little but she was once again mentally listing all the consequences of her failure when she heard the key turning in the small door. It was Madam Wanda, with a bag in her hand who smiled easily when she saw Mika with her knife in one hand and the vial of poison in the other.

"Good girl." Her hostess slipped gracefully through the small doorway, closing it carefully behind her once she was in the saferoom. "I was worried that all the fight had left you my child," then in a somber tone she added, "although if you are found, the vial is far more important than that little knife." A little unnerved by the comment, Mika set the knife and poison down on the bookshelf as Wanda seated herself on the narrow bed, setting her bag beside her as if this were no more than a social visit.

"I have good news," Wanda patted the bed by her side, "actually, it is very good news." Mika sat obediently eager to hear the news. "Your message reached my friend in the convent. Sister Windlay is safe, and Adam was informed as well. I believe he was able to work with my friend to take advantage of the chaos caused by your attempt on Beldan to complete his part of the plan." Adam had rescued the Oracle! That was fantastic news, with the Oracle's release Beldan might still be brought down, even though she had failed.

"You folks certainly stirred up a pandorwasp nest. The port has been quarantined and the whole damned city is under martial law." Madam Wanda continued. "Master Templar Raistlor and Sir Williams of the city guard have the entire city locked down, all of Telnon including the Holy Temple and convent is being searched systematically. Everyone is involved, the Holy Guard, the city authorities and the Templar have been tearing through every bar and warehouse near the docks."

Mika could just imagine how panicked the Templars and High Priest Beldan must be. Even if the Oracle was somehow recaptured, (she shuddered at the thought) the High Priest was not likely to forgive or forget the attempt on his life. Adam, Winlay and Wanda's friend in the convent could not be found. She missed a little of what Wanda was saying and **** herself to concentrate.

"... ording to my sources, they got out through the sewers, and many a guardsman has been lowered into those stinking drains all over the city looking for you and Adam." Wanda patted Mika's knee in reassurance, "don't worry honey, you're safe here, and if I know my friend, Adam and Winlay are just as well hidden - if not better." Mika was a little reassured, but her nervousness must still be written on her face because Wanda gave her a comforting hug and continued calmly. "I have lots of friends among the city guard and the men who stopped by to search the Hook were quite talkative as they went through the girl's rooms.

"They don't know exactly who they are searching for, but they had your description and that of a lovely young brunette with a pale complexion as well. Winlay?" Wanda asked and when Mika nodded silently Wanda added something else. "They are also searching for a sick old man, said to be the instigator of this attack." Mika's spirits rose even more when Wanda mentioned the sick old man, that could only be the Oracle!

"The official story is that the three of you together conspired to **** the High Priest." Wanda shrugged her shoulders in a gesture that was both elegant and sensual cutting off Mika's protests that Winlay had nothing to do with it. "They were warned that the deluded old man who masterminded the attempt had one or two deadly bodyguards who were skilled swordsmen, so they are looking for Adam too, but don't know he's a Templar Captain." Mika took little satisfaction in that, the fact that the Templar had not publicly identified Adam as one of the conspirators is no doubt an attempt on their part to avoid embarrassment.

"That clever bastard Beldan is using this as best he can. Already, unofficial rumors are circulating from the Church that the attempt on the High Priest was made in conjunction with the treacherous **** of the Oracle as he landed in Cryn." Mika gasped in shock as she realized this wasn't going to be as easy as just presenting the Oracle to the Church. "Beldan knows what he's doing; soon it will become official that the Republic of Cryn has killed the Oracle of Xelta. After that it's going to be difficult for the Chevalier to use the Oracle to discredit the High Priest." Mika nodded somberly as Wanda explained, she hated it, but Beldan did not get to his current position by being a fool.

"I'm working on getting all of you out of here. I'll have to coordinate with my friend up the hill," Wanda's voice was calm and reassuring, "and the ship captain who is supposed to be working with the Chevalier about when it will be safe to get you out of the city, but it won't be for a few days, you can be sure of that. At the moment all shipping has been halted, but that can't last for long. Not in Veertor's busiest port."

"In the meantime there is little we can do, except-" She carefully took a pair of sharp looking shears from her hand bag. "I'm sorry dear, but that luscious hair will have to go." As Wanda's deft hands cut handfuls of Mika's hair with smooth precision she explained, "you blend in perfectly in my establishment, in fact you look good enough to work the main floor and not even the guardsmen looking for you would notice." Mika blushed as she imagined what it would be like to be one of Wanda's girls and to have men pay good coin for a chance to lead her up to one of the bed rooms, but she quickly turned her attention back to Madam Wanda.

"However, you'll need to be able to move fast when the time comes. Nearly everyone in the city is looking for a slender girl with a head full of golden curls, but the streets are full of teenage boys with short ragged haircuts and insolent grins." She took some ragged clothing out of the bag and watched as Mika changed into the cut off shorts with a rope belt and a rough shirt that hung loosely over her small breasts.

Wanda rubbed a dark smudge of grime onto Mika's cheek and chin to complete the effect. With her dirty face, short hair and wearing the oversized shirt belted at her waist Mika did look more like a street waif than the beautiful initiate that had Wanda had met in her private garden.

"I have to go dear," Wanda told her as she took out a loaf of bread and a flask and lay them on the bed and gathered the lace panties and silk wrap, "Be patient, I don't dare come up here too often." Wanda smiled sadly, "I love my girls, but the amount of money being offered for information about you is enough to tempt any of them. So stay here until the time is right, and trust no one."