Splitting up

As they made their way out of the baths, Redmond took the time to give Harold a quick recount of what they had done so far in the day, with his subordinate listening in silence.

“The beast won’t strike at their fancy dinner,” Harold suddenly suggested as the three of them ascended to the surface, “there’s going to be too many people around, and it likes to take its time with its victims.”

Riolta was shocked by this, as it went against her conception of Harold as being big, mean and rather thick. He still seemed big and mean, but maybe it was social skills that he were lacking rather than intelligence.

“My thoughts exactly, do you think it’s merely a madman that we’re dealing with?” Redmond asked his subordinate.

“Not likely, somebody would know something if we were dealing with a simple madman, you don’t just make up one morning and start ripping women apart with your claws just because. It might be a new curse that’s been cast or an old one which has been unleashed, or just a spell, but somebody’s behind this.”

“Why?” Riolta was still not entirely used to the fact that Harold could communicate in a way which didn’t consist of grunts, snarls and insults.

“Shits and giggles? Maybe it’s a noblewoman who wants a good husband and is eliminating the competition, but my guess is that it’s a smokescreen. Something nice and nasty to divert Dacca’s attention from what’s really going on. It’s like the smart gangs when they’re going to do a big heist; they hit one district for several nights until our chiefs, in their finite wisdom, panic and put us all there to secure the neighbourhood, and the crooks hit a place on the other side of town, with not one cop there to stop them.”

“The beast has only attacked promiscuous women so far,” Redmond pointed out, eager to stop Harold from saying anything else about their superiors.

“Course he does, it gets people scared, and every moralist will get all uppity and condemning of the sluts and studs, bringing tensions up and putting pressure on Dacca to ‘cleanse’ the court of all its perverts.” Harold suggested.

“And the moralists are pretty much all on Trelawney's side,” Redmond added, referring to Dacca’s greatest political rival.

“Riolta,” Redmond turned his head towards the brunette on his right as they proceeded down an empty corridor, “you just brought one bow, right?”

“Yes, I didn’t think I’d need more,” Riolta replied, “why?”

“We’ll go ahead and place one bow in the ballroom, and Harold will bring one from your hotel and place it in the Countess’ suite,” Redmond explained, looking over his shoulder to see that nobody was listening in.

“Harold is going to my room?” Riolta smiled and glanced at the big man, “I’m guessing that I’ll soon own a few less panties.”

At this, Redmond smiled and Harold grunted, but the private said nothing.

“And as for you, Riolta, I want you to go back to the Countess and get permission to use her room tonight, feel free to ensure her that we’ll provide her with another residence for the duration.”

“I’m sure that she’ll be happy to sleep just about anywhere just as long as Hudds is with her.” Riolta suggested, “But what about you?”

“I need to discuss a few matters with Alexia,” Redmond admitted, “so that’s where I’ll be going.”

“Really?” It was pretty obvious from her expression that Riolta had a very time believing that Redmond and Alexia spend much time discussing much of anything.

“It’s not just that, but she needs to know a bit more about what’s going on if she’s going to tag along with us.”
Redmond didn’t feel much like telling Riolta that one of the reasons for him visiting Alexia was that he hoped to run in to Duke Leo, whereupon he could get a firsthand impression of the man and his character.