Brumbow strode his way through the flow of foot traffic at the busy city gate and entered the Servatori gatehouse off to the side. The buzz and stomp was instantly muffled by the heavy iron door. Part holding cell, part lounge for the guard, the inside was homey but sparse. Most of the detachment for this gate seemed to be inside. Those sitting stood when he entered.
“Watchcaptain,” the Sergeant-at-arms greeted him.
“Alain. What seems to be the hullabaloo?” Alain bobbed his head towards a corner of the room and Brumbow noticed the little woman and child sitting next to what appeared to be a very sick panthera. “Oh.” The woman looked up at him, “OH!” Brumbow looked back at Alain. Alain nodded. “OH! Okay. Um, yeah, it’s good to see you again…your majesty!”
“One is very glad to be..home," Ch'loi said, as if tripping over the last word.
“Ah good, you know. This could have been very awkward otherwise.”
“Hella awkward as it is,” one of his brother Servatori said. Brumbow believed his name was D'farah.
“Understatement of the year,” Alain agreed. “What do we do?”
“We get her the hell out of here is what we do! How many know she’s here?” Brumbow asked.
“All of us, Macklin, Boboli and Hiro outside, and about fifty to a hundred people who were in the gate when she was processed.”
“Who are now scattered about the entire city," D'farah added.
“We couldn’t have detained them all. As soon as we recognized her we just tried to casually direct her in here without drawing any attention,” Alain reported.
“You did good, best thing you could have done. Did anyone seem to recognize her?”
“Not in any obvious way but who knows?”
“Best to assume they did and by now the palace knows. Couldn’t have happened on a Sunday when everyone would still have been in bed? Right? Or the middle of the night. Damn. Alright, we’re just going to have to commandeer an outgoing cart of some sort, hope the driver is a loyalist and sneak them back out that way. Get them down to Kiriath Arba where maybe they can find a guide.”
“We could escort them,” Alain suggested.
“Too obvious. We don’t exactly blend in. An apple cart with a Servatori escort?”
“Reckon not.”
Ch’loi finally spoke. “One’s guide is in need of medical assistance.”
“Well, at least you’re bringing us the bodies alive this time,” Brumbow said. “Sorry, that’s in poor taste. We’ll do what we can, your majesty but time is of the essence and we cannot wait.”
“One does not understand. It would seem the Servatori are trying to remove one from the city?”
“That’s exactly what we’re trying to do, your majesty.”
“One wishes to see the Primary.”
“That would not be a good idea.”
The sick man stirred and moaned something.
“One objects. One is very concerned for the health of one’s guide and has brought it here to receive medical treatment. One feels the Primary would be pleased to see one and do this thing.”
“Yeah, well, one would think so but that’s probably not the case. So we’re gonna try and smuggle you back out of the city and contact someone who can help.”
“One wishes to see the Primary.”
“I can’t stop you if insist, but I won’t help you either.”
“One wishes to see the Primary. One wishes to see one’s kin. One wishes to see Chofa.”
Brumbow looked at Alain. “Uh..?”
Alain said, “She doesn’t know,” and to Ch’loi, “Your majesty..um..”
At that moment the sick man put out a hand and gripped Ch’loi’s arm, “Been…been…meaning to tell..you, Chofa… isn’t… he isn’t Viceroy anymore.” Ch'loi stiffened but otherwise did not react.
Brumbow sighed. “Your majesty, there’s been a coup. Of sorts.”
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