events subtle and great

[Subtleknifewielder]

it was about 10 PM, long after sunset. He came to a stop in the small, beat-up volkswagon at the border. He didn't have a choice, really, as the border guards stepped in front of it and levelled their weapons.

Walking up to the vehicle, the stone-faced guard knocked on the window, speaking once the man inside had rolled it down. "I'm sorry sir...but no one in or out. That's the rule."

A trickle of sweat rolled down the right side of the driver's face, so fortunately the guard could not see it. "Look, I realy don't mean anyone any harm. I just want to leave. i know I can't come back until the borders re-open."

He reached for something in one of his pants' pockets, slowly so the guard would not be alarmed, and withdrew a wallet. Opening it, the driver saw the hundred pound notes it was stuffed with, and withdrew five of them. "Look, son," he said to the guard, "I know how much they pay you for this tedious work, and it's not enough. 4 pounds an hour can't be enough."

The guard displayed barely a hint of emotion except for a slight widening of his eyes. "How did you know how much we're payed?"

The driver smiled knowingly. "When you work for the government, you pick up a few details here and there. Here, take it, and let me through. If you have to tell your superiors, simply say that someone raced by too fast for you to halt by stepping in front of, and even with your quick reactions and weapons, you weren't able to stop them."

Indecision played across the guard's features for a moment, before he went to confer with his partner in hushed tones. They both walked back, nodding that they'd accept the offer, as long as both of them recieved 500 pounds.

Biting his lip, the driver sighed, pulling five more hundred pound notes as if pulling teeth, and handed them to the other guard. The first five hundred were given to the one who'd confronted him.

"All right, go on," the second guard said, waving him through the checkpoint.

Five minutes later, they made a call through their phone, relaying the story as the driver had suggested, and adding a brief description that legitimately could have been obtained by the camera at the checkpoint...

-----------------------

He rubbed his eyes, the road blurring slightly in front of him, currently in the area being transitioned from the Hanseatic Commonwealth back to the Neo Olympians. He'd been driving for nearly a whole day, and even before then, he hadn;t gotten much sleep in the last week, and it was taking its toll. He took out a bottle of water from the cooler, opening it with one hand, but instead of drinking it, he simply dumped it over his head. It might not have been as cold as it had when he'd started out, but it was enough to keep him going until he reached the Hanseatic Commonwealth.

The car finally ran out of gas only four blocks from his destination, but when he got out of the car and stood, a wave of dizziness washed through him, and his knuckles turned white from his rip on the car door. Finally he let go.

Each step felt like it would bring him to his knees, making each blaock seem like ten miles, but he slowly but surely made progress until he stiood in front of a black, decorated gate that led onto a grounds and mansion. For appearances sake, he stood straight as he requested admittance of the security personel, who were undoubtedly watching threough cameras and would recognize him. After an agonizingly long minute, they gates opened, and he walked through to the front door, which was also opened. he could barely keep his eyes open, much less take in his surroundings, and thus he forgot the single step up into the mansion itself, and tripped over it, managing to stumble just inside before he collapsed, and the world went black...

[Sarah Tintagyl]

..."Oh Christ! Get him to his feet! Get him to his feet!" Two Hanseatic marines rushed towards the man as he collapsed onto the ground. They looked grimly at his condition, fatigue ran through his face and from the fall he had already started to bleed out his nose. "We got to him inside."

One of the privates nodded. "To the Mansion barracks then sir?" Which he received a sharp punch in the arm for suggesting.

"No you dolt, into the mansion for God sakes. He's a close friend of her Ladyship."

----

Sarah had not gotten quite used to sleeping alone in her bed. Traveling was one matter, but this was at home. Larsa had been in Siam for over a month and the divorce papers were weighing more heavily on her soul with each passing day. Often times she would lay wide awake until the morning sun broke over the hills in the distance, for all purposes, it had been an extremely stressful month. Tonight was the same, nearly one in the morning, Sarah had tossed and turned all through the night. Sleeping above the covers, underneath, with different pillows, anything that would help her fall asleep sooner. The loneliness, combined with the political pressures in Japan, now in Australia and in fact all over the world was trying on her strength, but the frail leader had always smiled during it and only when trying to sleep could anyone see any true despair.

She lay there, staring out the window. Halfway between sleep and waking, contemplating the next day at the office and dreading it. She just wanted to fall asleep, that was it, if she could just...fall...asleep. Slowly, Sarah's eyes began to shut whether from the relaxing glow of the moon or if her mind had reeled so much it had tired itself out. Either way, she smiled as her energy finally began to leave her body. Then the phone rang.

Her eyes darted open as a look of absolute disgust crept over her face. She reached for the phone and wanted to break it in between her fingers. "What! What is it? I've been trying to fall asleep for about two hours now and the minute I get their you people call. What in the bloody hell is going on?"

The marine on the other end of the line nearly dropped the phone, but regaining his composure tried to sooth the rage-filled girl. "Your Ladyship, we found a man outside the Manor, he's pretty bruised up, bleeding and he looks absolutely tired. The captain says he's a friend of yours so you might want to come down and look. They took him into the Manor, if you're in your bedroom, you might want to come down."

"All right, thank you." The annoyance in her voice subsided as she hung up the phone and rolled out of bed. An old white tank top and sweat pants didn't normally suit one of the most powerful women in the world, but nightgowns were horridly uncomfortable and if she didn't need to look good at night anymore, she had no plans to put herself in an uncomfortable position with what she wore. Throwing on a pair of slippers, Sarah bounded down the marble stairs towards the Entrance Hall and halfway down, she stopped and held her mouth in horror. "Anthony!" Not thinking about anything else and being fully awake she bounded down to him and helped the marines carry him to the parlor to sit him down on the couch. "Go get some bandages, water, and tell the maids to put some tea on the stove and maybe fix up a light snack." Turning back to Anthony she sat down next to him on the couch and laid his tired body on her lap as she ran her fingers across his head. "Anthony, are you alright? Can you hear me?"

[Subtleknifewielder]

Actually, to say he was completely unconsicous would be wrong. However, he was in a state where he wasn't sure what was real and what was a dream. He didn't notice the blood coming from his nose, and really, even if he had, he wouldn't have cared, or he might have simply thought it was part of the dream. He just didn't have the energy to care.

He was mostly dead weight to the marines who managed to drag him into the mansion, and his eyes were only half-open when they set him down for a moment to call Sarah, though he wasn't aware of the call being made. The only thing he heard clearly was her gasp and her voice calling his name, but like everything else, he was no longer sure if that was real, or if the hands helping him into another room and onto the couch were real.

He could vaguely make out her calling orders to the marines, and he struggled, with a herculean effort, simply to open his eyes fully for a few seconds.

He gave a relieved sigh and a dreamy smile when she let him lay down and ran her fingers across his head. The tenseness of his body seemed to flow out of him, leaving him completely relaxed. He nodded in answer to her questions. "I...will be," he managed to rasp out, and closed his eyes once more.

[Sarah Tintagyl]

Sarah smiled, though her face still stressed with concern. "Everything will be okay, I promise." She continued to stroke his hair as the marines and servants brought over a small table and placed a steaming cup of tea and a few fresh biscuits that had been pulled directly out of the oven.

"We'll keep the food and tea warm for him Your Ladyship, but I think it would be best for you to return to sleep. There's nothing we can get out of him in this state. Not until he recovers his strength."

Sarah nodded as she lifted up his head and laid it gently on the cushion. "This has something to do with the closed borders. I know it does Captain. I've been keeping up correspondence with Sergei Gogol, the Promised Land General stationed in Japan. He's told me that the situation is extremely grim and I we need to find out what's going on. Anthony was one of the leading members of the Promised Land government, what's going on here makes no sense, showing up like this on our doorstep. New Cymru is already going through a civil war, if Promised Land falls..." She paused, not wanting to grasp that horrible thought. "Keep a close eye on him, when he wakes up, you tell me immediately even if I'm at the Diet. This is a matter of Australian stability now."

"Of course Milady."

Sarah yawned and patted the captain on the shoulder as she turned around. She kissed Anthony gently on the forehead and whispered into his ear. "Don't worry, you're safe now." Before she walked back up the stairs and settled back into bed.

---

It would be an early day as Sarah woke up only three hours after Anthony's arrival in Solidor Manor, but she was needed at the Diet for pressing matters in addition to sending immediate word to the Promised Land government, or what was left of it. She was careful not to mention that Anthony was in her care, but instead focusing on that without Promised Land's continual response in at least Australian Politics the entire Australasian Coalition was steadily collapsing in on itself. It was written with the most extreme urgency and the hopes that contact could be reestablished sometime soon. If Anthony was in the shape that he was in, she feared the worse.

---

Meanwhile back at the Manor, the sun slowly began to rise over the eastern hills surrounding the Manor. The bright rays filling the parlor with light and every hour the servants made sure to keep his food and drink warm for when he would wake up. Along with Sarah's personal Lillian Guard, Alexandria De Lune standing guard over his body.

[Subtleknifewielder]

The communique from Sarah Tintagyl was received by the man currently in charge, General Westly Davies of the Promised Land Army. He simply sat at his desk for a minute, rubbing his hands over his face and considering what sort of response he should give to this inquiry. Finally, he decided--honesty was the best policy.

"You may want to sit down before reading the rest of this communique, as what I am about to tell you may come as a shock. To be honest, Lady Protector, there hasn't been much time for many of us to respond to anything outside our own borders. Several months ago (OOC: with a month making a year, that seems about right), there was an assassination attempt on the President, which was preceded by the deaths of two prominent members of the Communist party. The events may have been unconnected, but we had to be sure, and thus we closed our borders.

"Not long after...Government House blew up, with the majority of the MP's still inside. Two-thirds were dead, with the only survivors being those who were simply not there that day. The President and Lady of Foreign Affairs, just arriving, were both injured, and are in the hospital, she with injuires that are still ligfe-threatening and he in a coma. No word has been heard for some time from Subtleknifewielder, and Richard Anderson, Lord of Internal affairs, vanished the same day as the explosion.

"We believe we have caught those who were responsible for the blast, and are right now simply trying to figure out what to do about the government."

~Westly Davies, Promised Land Army General

---------------------------

Anthony was asleep the moment the last reassuring word left her lips. He barely felt her gently get up and set his head down on the cushion before he became dead to the world. He slept completely through the night, so deep in slumber that he did not even dream, or if he did, they were vague, formless things that meant little.

When he woke, it was not all at once, either, but in stages. First, he was aware that he was on something soft. A cushion or mattress? then he became aware of a bright light hitting his eyelids, a healthy sunshine that he'd barely had time to contemplate for quite a while. Then he noticed he was hungry, and not a little sore from his ordeal.

Finally, he opened his eyes, blinking a few times to adjust to the bright light, stretched like a cat, and sat up. Taking in his surroundings, including the guard, he surmised that he must have made it to safety. Then his gaze lit upon the food, and his stomach growled.

he had to force himself not to eat too fast, as he knew all too well that could make him sick and cause him to lose the meal entirely, but it was oh so hard...

[Sarah Tintagyl]

Alexandria looked up from her seat as Anthony began to stir and then started to eat the food laid out in front of him. "Glad you see you okay Mr. Harlem, but if you wouldn't mind me asking outright. What in God's name happened to you that put you in such a state. When the guards found you, some of them didn't think that you would survive the night so we really need to know what's going on. If you're fleeing from someone or if you're seeking asylum in the Hansa itself." She sighed. "I don't mean to be so quick to start this questioning, I'm sure you're under a lot of stress, but if you are fleeing from a fate that turned you to that I have to worry about her Ladyship's own security and the security of the country. I'm sure you understand that."

---

Sarah leaned back in her chair, as the mid-day sun shone through the windows in her office as the communique fell from her hands to the ground. It was worse than she had thought, both of her closest allies in Australia were grounded in anarchy and the Hansa itself was bogged down with various world problems, Japan, South America, and of course the ongoing European-Communist situation, now Promised Land was falling apart. But there was honestly nothing she could do until the borders reopened. A small messaged was sent as reply only explaining to General Davies that the Hansa would be offering all aid and help possible to try and relieve the anarchic status that the country had found itself in at the present. But Promised Land had been through worse and she prayed that everything would quickly return to normal. Minutes later, Jess, her chamberlain appeared through the door with a smile on his face.

"Ladyship. I just received word from Captain Linue at Solidor Manor, he said that Mr. Harlem is awake and well. He said that you had wanted to know when he woke up."

Sarah smiled and jumped from her seat fixing her dress and walking towards the door. "Thank you Jess, I'm going to go home for lunch then and I might be back later in the day or not. If you could handle some of the lighter stuff around her and save all the bills that need signed for tomorrow. If anything urgent happens just call me on my cell phone."

"Very well, Milady."

Sarah walked out of the Diet and pulled away in a quick rush to get back to the manor and to talk to Anthony about the previous night.

[Subtleknifewielder]

Anthony smiled wrily, considering his reply as he finished off his current biscuit. "Of course. I would be surprised if you didn't ask these questions. It's your job to think of your own sovereign's welfare above that of anyone else's."

Picking up the cup of tea once more, he took a large swallow. "Fleeing? I suppose that's what I'm doing. I don't know who or what is after me, but someone has found out about I possess certain knowledge, and they're willing to do anything to obtain it." He sighed deeply, setting aside the cup for the moment. "This is knowledge your Lady Protector also possesses."

To allay any panic, he quickly continued. "Don't worry, there's no way they could know that she knows, and I took steps to ensure they couldn't trace my ultimate destination."

He picked up another biscuit and took a large bite, forcing himself to chew a bit before he swallowed.

---------------------------

Another reply came back soon after receipt of the offer of help.

"As I said, Lady Tintagyl, things are calming down now, and we simply have to figure out how to organize the new government. The people are aware that much of the old government is dead, but they were kept largely calm with the cover that this was all an accident, and everything that followed just precautions.

"Our borders should actually be opening soon once everything is in place."

~Westly Davies, Promised Land Army General

[Sarah Tintagyl]

After receiving the next part of the Communique, Sarah left the Diet in a rush to get back to checkup on Anthony's condition. She hoped that he would be able to give her a little more insight to the situation going on in Promised Land than General Davies had given her and given his present condition and how he had arrived she assume only bad news would come from it. Pulling into the gates of the Manor, she stepped out of the car and walked into the Entrance Hallway. After hearing her Ladyship arrive, Alexandria rushed from Anthony's side and brought Sarah close to her to explain what the injured man had already told her in their previous conversation.

"He's in pretty bad shape, but he's eating and drinking so I guess by tomorrow he'll be fine again. I think it was just a lot of fatigue. I talked to him though, he said you possess some information about why he is being hunted, though he doesn't know by who or what. Do you know what he's talking about Your Ladyship?"

Sarah nodded and looked over into the parlor at Anthony's sore body laying on the couch. "Yes, yes I do. I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to discuss that with you either Alexandria. But thank you for the info, if you'll excuse me though."

"Of course Ladyship." The Lillian bowed and walked down the hallway as Sarah moved into the parlor and closed the door behind her.

"Are you feeling okay Anthony? You look a million times better than you did last night." She pulled up a chair next to him and sighed as she ran her hands across his forehead. "I was able to make contact with a General Davies, he said that things are starting to open up in the nation and the borders should be reopened soon. He also told me about the bombing and the assassination attempt. They know the secret don't they. This isn't good, this isn't good at all."

[Subtleknifewielder]

Anthony barely noticed Alexandria's departure from the room. He was still focused on the food in front of him to pay her much mind unless she directly addressed him once more. He hadn't noticed it, but as he finished the food, he found that he was not sitting up any more, but rather lying back down on the couch. He hadn't realized just how weary the last few days had made him.

At least he'd gotten enough rest last night that he was able to stay awake, though really, he wasn't sure why he bothered. It only left him alone with his thoughts, which could still discern no pattern to the events--could not piece enough clues together to figure out who the culprit or culprits were.

He did look up, however, when he heard the door close, and he forced himself to sit up at least a little, resting his back against the arm of the couch.

The smile he offered in greeting was not feigned--it was a genuine expression of happiness that at least one person he could completely trust was still there, alive and well before him. "Yes, I am feeling better, thank you. Until last night, I hadn't had more than two night's worth of sleep for the last week."

He closed his eyes briefly and sighed when she ran her hands across his forehead. Without conscious thought, he reached up with his own and held one of her hands between his. "General Davies is a good and competent man. If he said things are neing cleared up, he's probably right, at least where the nation in general is concerned. But not for me."

Opening his eyes, he met her gaze firmly. "No, I do not think they actually know the secret. Rather, they probably suspect that I know who--" he grinned wrily at the thought, "Subtleknifewielder is." He winked at her then, before his smile faded. "They must have figured out that Anderson knew, and guessed from our friendship, for better or worse, that he might have told me."

He suddenly realized he held one of her hands, and let go as quickly as if he'd suddenly noticed he'd been burned. A flush of red tinged his cheeks, but he forced himself not to look away. "I imagine I must be quite a sight. Now that I've had some sleep and some food...I think I should probably clean myself up a little." Here he did glance down, taking in the rumpled and slightly dirty look of his clothing, and he put a hand to his face, where a few days' worth of stuble graced his chin and jaw.

[Sarah Tintagyl]

"Nothing that a bit of cleaning can't do." Sarah turned her head and called out to the rooms beyond the parlor. "Elizabeth!"

A young red haired servant appeared through the glass doors and bowed. "Yes, Ladyship?

"If you could please take Mr. Harlem up to the bathroom to get him settled in and give him some clothes, clean him up a bit."

"Of course Ladyship." Elizabeth said as she walked over towards Anthony and helped him to his feet. "Come with me Mr. Harlem we'll fix you right up."

"Also Anthony." Sarah said as she stood up from her chair as well. "I think it would be best if you stayed in Brisbane until I can conduct my own personal investigation in Promised Land to make sure that nothing serious is happening concerning you're well being. If there are people that are still trying to do you harm, I will take care of them myself." She said as she left the parlor to go and relax in the library.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth took Anthony upstairs bandaged his hands and helped him clean himself up by the end of it, while he still looked fatigued, he was more presentable to be living within the Lady Protector's personal quarters.

"Also I believe Lady Sarah is in the library if you needed to talk with her again, but the entire Manor is yours to explore Excellency."

[Subtleknifewielder]

He barely batted an eye when she recommended he stay in Brisbane, despite the mild dizzy spell he'd had when Elizabeth helped him stand. He'd expected as much, and nodded, albeit reluctantly. He didn't want her in danger if, on the off chance, it was discovered he'd come here, but he really didn't have anyone else to turn to at the moment.

He opened his mouth and almost asked her to stay out of it as much as possible, but closed it again. She was determined to help him, and he doubted she would rest much until she had accomplished what she set out to do.

He'd had to have a little help from Elizabeth getting up the stairs, but his fatigue wasn't nearly as bad as the day before. He smiled gratefully when she bandaged his hands--he'd hurt them trying to fend off the unknown assailant that had prompted his flight.

By the end of it, he felt like a new man--his hands, the fact that he was actually clean, the absence of the stubble on his chin, and most of all, the clothes were clean and comfortable.

"Thank you, Elizabeth," he said gratefully, offering a courtly bow remeniscent of a bygone age in Europe. A twinkle graced his eye as he continued speaking. "If there's ever a favor you need from me, I'll be more than happy to provide it."

Standing straight, he walked out of the bathroom and toward the stairs...but he stopped at the top step and turned around, a sheepish grin on his face. "Er...I've been here before, but I'm not sure where to find the library. Would it be an imposition if you were to show me where it is?"

[Sarah Tintagyl]

Inside Sarah's Manor Theme

OOC: I had to do it.

IC:

"Oh don't mention it Mr. Harlem, I do it out of service to you and Promised Land. Lady Tintagyl speaks very highly of you every time your name comes into the conversation, so its my pleasure. No favor is necessary." She chuckled when he tried to leave and was stopped being lost in the large estate. "Oh its no trouble at all, when I first came here I was a bit confused as well. Even when Lord Larsa was around he was against such a large Manor for both of them, but I believe that Lady Sarah has always been one for more over the top residences. However, the library is in the back of the manor. Head down to the Entrance Hall and walk towards the back, you'll pass through the dinning hall, then through the conservatory. After the conservatory, make a left, walk across the veranda and you should be in the library. The right will take you to the Smoking room, so you'll know if you made the mistake."

As he walked down the marble staircase towards the entrance hall, the manor had a beautiful light and aura to it, that it was constantly up kept in the best possible way and with a woman's touch no doubt. Sarah took absolute pride in making sure her personal residence ran like clockwork, much like the rest of the country, but she could make sure the Manor was kept nice much easier. Great chandeliers huge off the staircase as he walked, maids were scattered over the house, scrubbing the white marble floors, to make them sparkle in the sunlight that was running in from the great windows along the halls. He would pass through the Entrance Hall into the large dinning hall that ran the length of the side of the Manor. A great table, which seated about fifteen sprawled the room and along the sides were large china cabinets that held large porcelain dishes and shining crystal wine glasses along with paintings of figures from European History, with the Prussian Masterpiece, the Valkyrie of Peace hanging on the back wall.

Passing through the Dinning Hall, Anthony passed through another series of glass doors and another series of halls to the conservatory. Sarah's most prized room. Here on a stone floor was a literally indoor garden that though it was over ninety degrees year round was host to scores of flora from around the world as well as a music room for the late night parties in the manor. All ready, Franz Kasios, Her Ladyship's personal musician was tuning up his piano for a night performance as he struggled with scores of sheet music falling to the floor while peaceful fountains ran in the background. Beyond the conservatory, Anthony would pass into the outdoor veranda where he could the Solidor Gardens running in front of him. A personal park much like the Botanical gardens in Brisbane proper, but closed off to the public and only the closest of Sarah's world entourage had personally met her hear. Though Anthony had been here much before. Then opening another series of glass doors he arrived in a large oak library with scores of books lining the walls. The smell of expensive liquor and cigar smoke hung in the air. Three large glass windows let in light from outside and at the center piece of the room was a globe carved from solid mahogany, next to it sat Sarah, a book on her lap and a glass of Riesling at her side.

[Subtleknifewielder]

OOC: Heh heh, nice...

IC: He smiled gratefully, listening attentively to the directions, and thanking Elizabeth once she had finished. He turned to go back down the stairs, going slowly so as to take in all the details he could.

The steps themselves were of marble, and gleamed in the brightly lit place, but they were hardly the only thing of note. For one thing, one of the sources of the light itself, the chandeliers, were definitely a nice touch to the place, and were quite beautifully made. The other source of light came from the tastefully placed windows, a touch he truly appreciated.

The maids scattered here and there explained why the floor and steps were so bright.

As he passed through each room, he stopped a moment just to take in the details. In no way was he disappointed. Though he himself was not used to such luxury, he could appreciate luxury when he was surrounded by it.

The indoor garden, though, stopped him in his tracks. It was breathtaking, and he simply stopped to smell some of the flowers, and take in the gentle sound of the fountains. Likewise, he stopped a little longer in the outdoor garden, but then shook his head. he wanted to talk with Sarah, and this was only delaying things.

Striding confidently (if slowly, due to his still-present fatigue) through the glass doors. he briefly took in the windows, the books, and the globe, but what he was there for was Sarah, and she commanded his attention.

Continuing through the doors, he walked up to her and sat in another chair, facing her...

[Sarah Tintagyl]

Sarah smiled as he walked into the library and seated himself. "Ah, Anthony, glad to see you all cleaned up now. You look much better now." She reached over and took another wine glass from off the table and poured the Riesling into the glass and handed it to him. Sarah looked back towards the veranda for a moment and chuckled. "So I hoped you enjoyed seeing around my home, most foreigners don't get such extensive treatment, but as friend I might say otherwise." Turning back she took a sip of the wine and crossed her legs. "So, now with Promised Land beginning to open back up what are you thinking of as doing for our course of action? I think we have General Davies trust so it might be a good idea to see how much he's willing to cooperate to get to the bottom of this, though to be honest this sounds like another ploy by the Red Guard to kill you, is there a chance that it could be them or perhaps another force that I'm not familiar with? Either way, we have to proceed with caution, if men are willing to pursue you to the border there is nothing from stopping them from coming to the Commonwealth and I don't know long I can keep you safe Anthony, though me personally I would rather die than see harm come to you."

She sighed and put down the glass. "I'm in the process of writing Davies another letter about the investigation so hopefully all this will be solved in a few days at most."

[Subtleknifewielder]

'Thank you," he said automatically as she handed him the glass. He did not immediately raise it to his lips, however; he wasnt sure if he should even drink any of it in his current condition, but at least he could be polite about it.

"Yes, your home is quite lovely. I just wish I could have seen it in its entirety under better circumstances."

Anthony leaned back in his chair, making himself comfortable as she spoke, and despite himself, actually took a couple sips of the liquid within. He'd never been a big drinker of wine, but this was an excellent vintage. He had to remind himself not to take too much even as he listened to Sarah.

At the end of it, he set aside the glass and leaned forward once more. "As I said, general Davies is a good and competent man, and we probably should enlist his help...to a degree. He is trustworthy, but no one else currently in charge, those people he would share the information with, can be trusted with an absolute certainty, so we must be careful what we tell him. And I do not think it would be best to meet with him in Promised Land--the only way you can be sure the meeting place is not tapped or bugged is if you meet him in a place under your direct control. And make sure the reason you give is something entirely unrelated. Any issue but what we are currently discussing."

He grimaced at the next thought. "I know this all sounds paranoid...but you know I've been in this business for years--and is it really paranoia if someone is actually out to get you?"

"At least I can assure you it isn't the Red Guard. Stefan made sure he was the only one among them who knew my identity. Besides, I have since managed to have one of my agents infiltrate the organization. They have no more idea what's going on than the average citizen. No, I'm afraid someone unknown, someone with influence, figured out part of the connection between me and Anderson. They must have guessed, and rightly so, that he knows who Subtleknifewielder is. It wouldn't be nearly as difficult for them to make the next logical step and assume they could use me, his apparently closest friend, to force him to give up the information. One of life's little ironies, no?"

He sighed, picking the glass of wine up again and, throwing caution to the wind, finished off its contents. His grip tightened on the glass with each word he spoke. "I hope you won't have to pay for my sins, Sarah. Do what you think you have to to help me, but by God, be careful. I don't want your death on my conscience. I already have too much innocent blood on my hands, and your death...would break me."

In one of life's little ironies, his speech came to an end when the glass shattered in his grip. He hadn't realized how tightly he'd been holding it, and he stared at the shards of glass that pierced his hand, barely feeling the pain. Like the glass had broken, so his life would be if he became responsible for her demise.

[Sarah Tintagyl]

Sarah reached over and gently took his hands in hers and began to pull the shards of glass out of his palms. "Anthony, trust me, everything will be fine. You worry too much." She ran her hand over his hair and smiled. "I don't plan on dying anytime soon, but you have trust me with this. You are the leader of Promised Land, the rightful ruler of Promised Land and just like I know you would do anything and everything to return me to power I will do the same for you. If people aren't still willing to help each other regardless of the consequences then what kind of world to we live in anyways?"

"Though I will say this, I'm happy to know that it's not the red guard, but that makes it even more dangerous because we don't know what our enemy looks like or who they truly are. However, that's where your General Davies comes in, though it would be unwise to go to Promised Land myself. After all you know what happened last time I was there, now that the borders are opening again I'm sure the general would be willing to come to a diplomatic meeting in Brisbane to discuss the Australasian Coalition's future. To be honest Anthony, Hanseatic policy has been leaning towards isolation as of recent so I might even be withdrawing from the treaty for a bit anyways. But that's political. Anyways, that's what we'll do, we'll invite him to the Diet and from their we can discuss what's really going on and you can make personal contact with the general and we'll get to the bottom of this."

She held the glass shards in her head and dumped them onto the table as she took out a lace handkerchief and tied it around his burnt, bleeding hands. "There, much better. You're in such bad shape right now, it a pity you have to go through all of this." Sarah lifted herself up off the chair and walked over to a series of drawers where she took out stationary and a pen and scribbled for the next five minutes a very brief but concise letter once again to Davies explaining that after the borders in Promised Land were fully opened that he should meet her in Brisbane to talk about the diplomatic future of both of their nations and that it was of the utter most importance that he attend. After which she called in a servant to take the letter to the couriers as she turned back to Anthony still sitting fatigued in the chair. "You know, I think what we need to do is get you some sun." She nodded. "Actually that's exactly what we both need." She grabbed his hand and pulled him gently from the chair to his feet. "Come on, we'll drive around the country for a little bit." She took Anthony back through the Manor towards the back garage as they climbed into Sarah's car. She smiled in the driver's seat and looked at him mischievously. "Now I'll show you how to have fun."

Within minutes they were doing 80 mph down the back roads around the Brisbane countryside.

[Subtleknifewielder]

He didn't resist as she began pulling the shards of glass out of his hands. To be honest, he still barely felt the pain. He'd learned long ago, when he was still a simple field operative, to relegate such things to the back of his mind until such a time as they could be properly dealt with. Too bad he couldn't have done that with the fatigue, but a person's body could only do so much before it gave out.

When she told him he worried too much, he mumbled "Do I?" but so quietly he doubted she heard him as she continued speaking. She did have a point that if their situations were reversed, that he would do everything within his power to restore her to her rightful place. But that little voice in the corner of his mind kept nagging him with doubts.

"Perhaps it is best you withdraw from the Coalition for a time, until this mess is cleared up," he acknowledged. Then she mentioned him possibly meeting the General in person, and that snapped him back to the present, all other thoughts immediately pushed out of his mind.

"What, meet with him in person?" He was just about to protest such a thing, but he held back. Often the only way to accomplish one's goals was to take certain calculated risks. Although this was a larger one--the principle still applied. The only real reason he'd been about to protest was it added another element of risk for her. And she'd already explained in no uncertain terms what she thought of that.

By this time, she was finished extracting the slivers of glass, and she bandaged the new wounds along with the old. He watched, silently, as she composed the missive to General Davies He still didn't like the idea, but he really didn't see any other option. They had to step out and trust someone if they were to accomplish anything.

The letter didn't take long, and he supposed he should have expected that. She was probably right when she said he needed some fresh air and sunlight, and so he followed her without question to the car.

Despite the fact that he trusted her, the miscievous smile made him nervous, and he reflexively checked his seat belt. It was just as well he did.

However, despite himself, he did managed to enjoy it. In fact, the adrenaline rush helped wash away the fatigue like nothing else could, and he actually laughed out loud from the sheer joy of it, something he hadn't done in years... ------------------------------------------ Just as he returned from another meeting, General Davies saw the letter on his desk. Sitting down, he looked at it curiously. What more would she have to say? He opened it, and his question was answered.

"Ah, so that's what she's worried about," he said quietly, and took out a pen and paper to reply.

In his missive, he wrote that he would be happy to meet with her in Brisbane at any time she was available. The borders were already as open as they were ever going to be while he was in charge, and he told her so. Free travel was still permitted, of course, though with the heavier security measures to prevent anythinglike hwt had already happened from happening again.

------------------------------------------

In Melbourne, the Harlem residence

The teenage girl hummed softly to herself, as she sat on the couch listening to a song on her walkman and reading a book. She was so absorbed, she didn't notice when the front door opened, despite the fact that it had been unlocked, but she did notice when the man loomed above her, casting shadows across her light. he eyes widened and she threw down the book, rolling across the couch to come up into a fighting crouch at a safe distance.

Tearing off her walkman, she growled out, "Who are you?" The man didn't answer, but rather lunged at her--only to recieve a knee in the groin for his trouble. She ran toward the phone to call the police, but the line was dead, and the window broke, another masked man tumbling through. She snarled. "Bring it on," she said, gesturing for the man to come...but he fell forward, limp, before he could do anything, and another man rushed through the front door.

before she could turn to face this new threat, he gestured toward her. "Come on, let's go before your friend there," he indicated the man she'd kneed. He held out a hand, silently asking her to trust him...

[Sarah Tintagyl]

**Three Days Later**

"Ow! Good God Jess can you pull it any tighter?" Sarah spat sarcastically as she sprung forward as the chamberlain pulled the corset tight while a few other servants had come around to flush out the rest of her dress. It wasn't a gown by any means, just much more formal than she had expected General Davies to think for his meeting with her in Brisbane. She looked in the mirror and sighed. "You think maybe I'm perhaps too overdressed?"

"Not at all Milady, you can never be too overdressed, you'll only make a better impression on the general and with Promised Land we'll need the best presentation possible."

Sarah looked back and chuckled. "Well maybe you should be Lady Protector Jess, you'll just need a wig and a few other changes."

The chamberlain's head dropped. "Sorry Lady Sarah, I didn't mean-"

"Shut up Jess, you know I was joking."

The door to Sarah's quarters opened with a light knock as a Lillian guard bowed her head and clicked her boots before addressing the Lady Protector. "Ladyship, General Davies' plane has just landed at the airport and a private limousine is taking him to the Diet, the captain of the escort said they should be here anywhere around fifteen minutes or so."

"Beautiful. I'll be right down." The Lillian closed the door and she turned back to Jess. "You think we can trust him with Anthony?"

"I don't know, everything coming out of that country besides General Gogol and Mr. Harlem has been a bit shady, don't you think?"

"Well then we'll test the waters and see what we come up with." Jess smiled at her remark as he wrapped the lace around his hand to pull the corset once more with a strong tug. "OW! JESS I SAID STOP! I CAN BARELY BREATHE!"

---

When the limousine pulled up in front of Diet Hall, a troop of Lillian guards were the first to greet the general with a bow as they escorted him though the gilded passages of the Diet to the gardens in back where the Hansetaic elites had already begun to gather for a night of festivities, drinking, dining, and music. Walking along the stone pathways bordered by fountains, oak trees and patches of tulips, Davies would hear the soft sounds of violin quartets playing music by the past greats. Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and Brahms. Passing the public, he was taken to a quiet grove in the back of the gardens, covered in ivy and large trees. Torches gave light under the darkening Brisbane sky and Sarah rose, in a pink dress to greet the general from a wicker dining place.

"General Davies. Its a pleasure, welcome to Brisbane. Please sit, we have a dinner prepared with a few bottles of choice wine. We have a lot to discuss and we have all night to do it. Please." She said pointing to the seat.

[Subtleknifewielder]

OOC Nicely done.

IC: As Davies rode along in the limosine, he sighed. He wasn't used to such luxury, but he'd better get used to it. As he was now, in fact as well as name, in charge of a nation, he'd be seeing a lot more of things like this. It didn't make him any more comfortable with it. Nor the collar of his tan dress uniform, either, which his advisors had made sure he wore to this meeting. The uniform was tight around his neck--if only he could unbutton the top button--but the aide next to him in the car was watching him with the eyes of a hawk.

He didn't much care for the various medals, either, most of them pinned on the wide, green sash that ran from his right shoulder to his left hip. With them on he felt like a walking, glittering, clinking....well, he'd think of something.

The lightest part of his uniform was actually the colorful patch of cloth on his left shoulder indicating his rank as the current five-star general. And at least they couldn't find an excuse to pin anything on the black dress pants. that would just be too much, and he probably would have put his foot down if they had tried, which they had undoubtedly sensed. That might explain why they hadn't pushed for it...

His musing was cut short when they pulled to a stop, and he sighed once more, a motion to his neck to loosen the callar halted by the aide clearing his throat meaningfully. Rolling his eyes, Davies stepped out. By the time the Lillian Guards greeted him, he wore a neutral smile, and he inclined his head when they bowed.

He couldn't help but stare at his surroundings as they escorted him to the meeting, and they actually had to remind him of it a couple times on the way when he stopped to look at something that particularly caught his attention.

The Gardens, however, he could really appreciate. a battlefiled was not kind to the environment, so that was one luxury he could axually appreciate and enjoy without reservation. And he didn't notice, as the change was subconscious, but the background music began putting him a little more at ease. He was still tense, but the smile was actually a little more genuine by the time he came within sight of the Lady Protector.

He nodded in approval at the simple lighting and the tastefully arranged scenery, and smiled more fully upon seeing Sarah and listneing to her greeting.

"Thank you, Lady Protector," he said, offering a full bow from the waist before taking her offer.

[Sarah Tintagyl]

Sarah smiled as he took the seat as she leaned over the table at him while servants from beyond the hedge gate brought large quantities of meat, potatoes, rice, and other foods along with various wines and drinks for the two to dine on as the night progressed. Before the meeting Sarah had been a little off set, she had never spoken with the general personally but his reputation proceeded him and with the whole Anthony affair going on, trust was something in short supply out of Promised Land. But he looked calm, he looked like he could be trusted, he looked like they could be come fast friends.

"General you'll have to forgive me for the suddenness of our meeting, but you have to understand that the Hansa for the past..." She looked up into the air to count the invisible months. "At least six months has been the only real voice in all of the Australian continent and you must understand the extreme amount of pressure that has descended upon my fragile shoulders. Therefore I have a few question to you, because besides General Gogol, you have been my only contact with the Promised Land government and he was shaky about the situation during our correspondence. First, I would like to know the present situation in Promised Land. Second, the fate of the previous government, that of Subtleknifewielder. And third..." Sarah took the glass of wine and sipped gently as the red liquid fell softly down her white skin as she looked at the general curiously. "How do I know I can trust you as a leader, I will be honest, though you may or may not know who I am or my reputation I find politicians deceiving !@#$%^&* and I we will both have to work on trust. I don't mean to come off as hostile, but you must understand my predicament here."

She smiled and put down the glass. "General?"

[Subtleknifewielder]

To what must have been her surprise, he was actually put more at ease by her tone and line of questioning. He actually laughed a little at her description of politicians--how refreshing to find someone who agreed with him on that score. He took a sip of the wine as he considered how to best answer her, setting it down only when he began speaking.

"I suppose the meeting is sudden, but it is important, and important things cannot often wait. I really am sorry you had to shoulder the burden of speaking for an entire continent. If I could have spared you that pressure, I would have. Now. let's see if I can't answer your questions to your satisfaction."

He dicided to answer the questions in the same manner and order they were asked. "One." He held up his index finger on his right hand. "The present situation in Promised Land is stable. You may have noticed a few restrictions on travel in and out, tighter security, more thorough searches of both persons and luggage, but that is for security reasons only, to ensure that something like what happened at the Parliamentary building never happens again. Inside our borders, the people enjoy most of the same freedoms they had before, except that, for now, the military is in charge. How long this will be necessary is anyone's guess. At least until we're sure that every single individual involved in the attack is dealt with in one way or another." "Two." The middle finger went up next to the index finger. "Due to his secretive nature, the whereabouts of Subtleknifewielder are, obviously, unknown. He has not been heard from since a month after the borders were closed. And of course, you already know about the fate of the public government." "Three," he said, holding up the ring finger next to the other two. He added a small grin. "I'm hardly a politician. As a general rule, I tend to despise politicians. Present company excepted, of course." This statement was accompanied by a wink. "What I am is a soldier, plain and simple, who somehow has the ability to lead men and women in what many would consider the most efficient manner. I can give you nothing to prove I am trustworthy, nothing other than my own word. And, of course, over time, my actions, which most people seem to agree speak louder than words."

Here he held his hands out to his sides, palms up, in a shrug that indicated he had no idea what else to say. the medals on the sash tinkled softly with the movement.

[Sarah Tintagyl]

Sarah sat back and smiled and gently tilted her head. "Well if I can trust you General Davies I have a matter of your security at hand. First of all I would like to work on building a stronger united Australia more than anything. But as I said, I would like to talk about matters that do not all concern politics, at least the clean politics that you and I are no doubt used to." She looked back towards the gardens to hear the music fading and the people beginning to file out to go other places throughout Brisbane. "What if I were to tell you that I know the location of your once past head-of-state." Then came the bait. "Mind you I don't know where he has run off to from here, but he escaped Promised Land to come seek shelter in my home cause he knew that he could trust me." She sighed and looked at the General in the eyes with concern and a degree of sadness. "Subtleknifewielder is a great leader and a great man and I would hate to see him hunted by the people he ruled like some kind of dog. Do you have any information about why he had to flee Promised Land or who was after his person? It would mean the world to me. He is one of my closest friends."

[Subtleknifewielder]

He had just been about to take a bite of the wonderful food before him when she made that pronouncement. His now completely limp fingers dropped the fork in shock. Of all the things she could have said, she had found the one thing that could rock him to his core--the fact that his leader had revealed his identity to anyone not of his nation. That he would reveal the deepest secret of their people to a leader of another nation entirely was--had been...unthinkable.

He was not afraid to admit to himself that he must have gaped like a fish for several seconds, the only sounds being from the people that were leaving, and the music that was even now fading in the background. But then something else penetrated, and he blinked, managing to recover the use of his voice. "Subtleknifewielder is--is being hunted? We hadn't heard from him in some time, but we thought...we thought it was simply something he had to take care of. His secretive nature, of course, prevented us from knowing for certain what was happening to him. You have actually provided more information than we have had up 'till now."

He leaned back in his chair, taking another sip of the wine, then a third, simply to give his hand something to do other than twitch restlessly. He sighed a couple times. "Might I ask...why did he trust you with his secret, when not even the highest commanders in the military are aware of his identity?" He toyed with asking her who Subtleknifewielder really was, but it was not his place. If the man had given her his identity, he must have had a reason for it. Nothing the man did was without some reason, he was sure.

Despite himself, his left hand toyed with one of the medals, then unconsciously strayed up to the collar of his uniform, tugging at the material in a vain attempt to loosen it.

"You'll have to forgive me if I seem a little out of sorts," he added. "I'm still adjusting to the idea that a foreign head of state possesses a state secret so classified that it isn't written down anywhere, but locked in the minds of a select group of individuals."

[Sarah Tintagyl]

Sarah smiled at the General and adjusted the ring on her finger. "General, you underestimate who you are talking to. Subtleknifewielder is one of my closest confidants, much more than a professional relationship I assure you. I would gather to reason that he may be the closest man to me on the entire Australian continent. I know many secrets of his and I can assure you that the Hansa and Promised Land are the closest two nations perhaps in the world. The Nords joke about their consolidation, or the United States, or the Communists. No, we are much closer than any of them, I assure you." She sighed and looked to the ground. "But yes, he is, he showed up on the stairs of my Manor beaten, battered, and torn. He was scared General Davies and he ran to the only person he could trust, a foreign head of state, a best friend do doubt, but a foreigner. The reason I asked you about trust was that he didn't run to you first."

She tilted her head and blinked. "He trusted me with his safety, because he knew that I could provide it, which I must question the integrity of Promised Land at this moment. He trusted me with his identity because we have become, in the worst conditions possible, much more than friends."

Sarah couldn't help but chuckle at his last statement. "Well I guess I can count as one of those individuals. But yes, he is being hunted by someone and if necessary I will hunt them down myself to make sure that he is eternally safe."

[Subtleknifewielder]

He tilted his head just the barest fraction of an inch, narrowing his eyes not in displeasure, but in thought. Another sip of wine went down his throat as he considered everything she'd said.

There were some implications in how she explained their relationship that were rather...well, if he read them right, the details weren't any of his business. That sounded like the sort of affairs where the details were best kept between the two people in question.

"With what you tell me, I understand now why you could not afford to simply trust me without meeting me first. If he's in that sort of trouble...well, you tell me you are probably the person who knows him best. I certainly wouldn't know it if I met him on the street. He's never trusted me with his identity, and in a way, I'm glad. I'm not sure I would want that piece of knowledge. it might make me a target for those who..."

His eyes widened as he trailed off, coming to a realization and almost forgetting his host as he began thinking out loud. "That would explain the disappearance of Richard Anderson. If anyone in the government knew who Subtleknifewielder was, it would be him. And if I'm only just now seeing this...the attack on Parliament could very well have been a distraction to cover up his kidnapping, or worse..."

He shook his head, only now remembering he was not alone. "I apologize for that, Lady Protector. I tend to do that when I make logical connections. I can only say, I pity whoever was behind it all. They don't know what they're messing with when they deal with you or your friends. If there's anything I can do to help, you have but to ask."

Edited May 29, 2009 by Subtleknifewielder