07-12-2018, 09:41 PM
So the young girl Evelyn described turned out to be Carpenter's sister. He'd never given a moment's thought to Jay's family. A man who takes an international job wouldn't be close to them anyway. Nikolai himself abandoned his homeland for the chance to bury himself in antiquity to study law far away from the Baltimore suburbs. His father's suicide hastened him to Bologna, and no amount of cousins, grandparents, or family friends, even his own mother, could convince him to stay. She died about fifteen years ago herself, his mother did, not long after the CCD was formed. He was told the funeral was well-attended as he said his goodbyes through a video feed. When he was young, certainly, he was close to her. Time apart thinned that relationship to barest of threads. He never had a sister.
The pain in Jay's eyes was real. Nikolai understood the pain. He really did. He heard the plea. He saw the hope in Evelyn's eyes. "You understand the predicament of your travel is wrapped up in the legality of your visitation status to start with. You're a member of a foreign military inside my borders on the business of militant action. The reason we don't allow members of the Legion to bear arms inside these walls is the same reason you can't be allowed to travel wherever you want without permission granted."
His tone was patient as he explained these complicated matters. It was all wrapped up understanding of the movement of foreign militias as guests within national borders. Jay was American first and sworn independent military second. His oaths were held by a third-party unrecognized by the rest of the world. That they were recognized by Nikolai Brandon spoke to his high regard for Danjou's leadership. It was an honor bestowed to the Legion. They had no rights, otherwise.
He circled the long table and sat coolly at the head of it. Evelyn was seated at his left. The sweetness to her request still rang a sweet ding in his mind. He steepled his hands before him and looked to the three who thought to corner him into admitting something. Maybe not admission, but he clearly recalled the accusations recently leveled by the Patron's granddaughter. Nor was her comment about invincibility dismissed. How much did she know, or was her wording coincidence? The Healer circled back in their conversation. Nikolai supposed it didn't matter. Evelyn already declared her alliance, nay, her allegiance to their mutual cause. Let the healer be described by name, then. Time to crack that door.
"You want to go to Iowa and you want to take Mister James with you."
He weighed the level of responsiveness from the three, comparing each, most notably Evelyn's. Jay and Natalie - certainly he assumed they banded together for this cause - included Evelyn in their request. Why? Jay wouldn't have thought to include the Congresswoman. The granddaughter of a Patron might. Perhaps Natalie was more worldly than his initial credit gave her. Clever, if so, to leverage a champion of human rights for some American on American bonding of valiant efforts. What else than saving an innocent girl from cancer was more heroic?
If he declined the request, insisting Carpenter remain where he was and fulfill his obligations to this office, he risked alienating Evelyn's trust. If he awarded it, he risked losing a near invaluable edge for victory. Nikolai weighed Carpenter once more. The man was still young, but so much experience already in combat. He learned to control the power almost immediately with very little guidance, so Michael explained. If Vellas was right, Jay Carpenter could quickly become one of the most, if not the most, dangerous soldiers in the world. And he belonged to the Custody.
Nikolai could not lose him.
He looked back at Evelyn. Nor could he lose her.
Let him walk freely back into the jurisdiction of his enemies, whom were certain to snatch him as Nikolai had, and put him into action for American forces, extracting Custody secrets in the process? Or enslave him to Custody causes, risking Evelyn's trust in his sympathies for hurt souls and Jay's own desire to serve?
Sheep don't follow the sheepdog.
That left the healer. Jensen. Another American loosed back into the lap of his enemy. Certainly there was no other being as talented as he to be found anywhere. Perhaps rudimentary versions existed, but Jensen was an exquisite find.
His smiled coaxed the group to ease. "Of course this is nothing we can't resolve. I'll make sure you are on the first flight out of Moscow. My best wishes to your family, Carpenter."
Nik eased to his feet, nodded at Evelyn and crossed to Jay, offering to shake his hand. As he did, he tapped the metal on his chest, the one wrought by the power. "Like I said before, you will earn this, but you can't do it with a dark cloud of grief over your head. Go to your sister. Mister James is not mine to order to go with you, but if you ask, and he agrees, then we can include him as well."
His tone grew somber, though, as their handshake released. "There are sisters dying in Africa, too, Jay. Girls who don't have loyal older brothers to come to their rescue. Just us. Girls suffering far worse fates than facing the end in the comforts of a modern hospital. Remember them, too. When operations begin, you will be there."
He held the man's gaze, judging his level of understanding before breaking it to depart.
"One more thing. You'll have to take someone with you. Someone who can act as an ambassador of sorts, should you encounter any political challenges."
His gaze leveled upon Natalie. And he smiled.
She would stand to lose everything if Jay betrayed them to the Americans. A constant reminder of the presence of the Custody would follow him like a shade to her soul. She wouldn't refuse to accompany him. Not after having pulled every political capital she had to earn an audience with the Ascendancy for an interrogation on Jay's well-being. They were close. It was obvious. How close, Nikolai didn't care. Nor why. But she could prevent Jay being entangled with the wrong people. Or worse yet, consider defecting back to the US. If Natalie lost Jay, the Northbrooks, her family, everyone she knew, could lose everything in turn.
"Natalie Northbrook will do her grandfather proud, I am sure of it."
He turned to Evelyn, blue eyes dancing, "I would be honored if I could escort you back to the ball."
The pain in Jay's eyes was real. Nikolai understood the pain. He really did. He heard the plea. He saw the hope in Evelyn's eyes. "You understand the predicament of your travel is wrapped up in the legality of your visitation status to start with. You're a member of a foreign military inside my borders on the business of militant action. The reason we don't allow members of the Legion to bear arms inside these walls is the same reason you can't be allowed to travel wherever you want without permission granted."
His tone was patient as he explained these complicated matters. It was all wrapped up understanding of the movement of foreign militias as guests within national borders. Jay was American first and sworn independent military second. His oaths were held by a third-party unrecognized by the rest of the world. That they were recognized by Nikolai Brandon spoke to his high regard for Danjou's leadership. It was an honor bestowed to the Legion. They had no rights, otherwise.
He circled the long table and sat coolly at the head of it. Evelyn was seated at his left. The sweetness to her request still rang a sweet ding in his mind. He steepled his hands before him and looked to the three who thought to corner him into admitting something. Maybe not admission, but he clearly recalled the accusations recently leveled by the Patron's granddaughter. Nor was her comment about invincibility dismissed. How much did she know, or was her wording coincidence? The Healer circled back in their conversation. Nikolai supposed it didn't matter. Evelyn already declared her alliance, nay, her allegiance to their mutual cause. Let the healer be described by name, then. Time to crack that door.
"You want to go to Iowa and you want to take Mister James with you."
He weighed the level of responsiveness from the three, comparing each, most notably Evelyn's. Jay and Natalie - certainly he assumed they banded together for this cause - included Evelyn in their request. Why? Jay wouldn't have thought to include the Congresswoman. The granddaughter of a Patron might. Perhaps Natalie was more worldly than his initial credit gave her. Clever, if so, to leverage a champion of human rights for some American on American bonding of valiant efforts. What else than saving an innocent girl from cancer was more heroic?
If he declined the request, insisting Carpenter remain where he was and fulfill his obligations to this office, he risked alienating Evelyn's trust. If he awarded it, he risked losing a near invaluable edge for victory. Nikolai weighed Carpenter once more. The man was still young, but so much experience already in combat. He learned to control the power almost immediately with very little guidance, so Michael explained. If Vellas was right, Jay Carpenter could quickly become one of the most, if not the most, dangerous soldiers in the world. And he belonged to the Custody.
Nikolai could not lose him.
He looked back at Evelyn. Nor could he lose her.
Let him walk freely back into the jurisdiction of his enemies, whom were certain to snatch him as Nikolai had, and put him into action for American forces, extracting Custody secrets in the process? Or enslave him to Custody causes, risking Evelyn's trust in his sympathies for hurt souls and Jay's own desire to serve?
Sheep don't follow the sheepdog.
That left the healer. Jensen. Another American loosed back into the lap of his enemy. Certainly there was no other being as talented as he to be found anywhere. Perhaps rudimentary versions existed, but Jensen was an exquisite find.
His smiled coaxed the group to ease. "Of course this is nothing we can't resolve. I'll make sure you are on the first flight out of Moscow. My best wishes to your family, Carpenter."
Nik eased to his feet, nodded at Evelyn and crossed to Jay, offering to shake his hand. As he did, he tapped the metal on his chest, the one wrought by the power. "Like I said before, you will earn this, but you can't do it with a dark cloud of grief over your head. Go to your sister. Mister James is not mine to order to go with you, but if you ask, and he agrees, then we can include him as well."
His tone grew somber, though, as their handshake released. "There are sisters dying in Africa, too, Jay. Girls who don't have loyal older brothers to come to their rescue. Just us. Girls suffering far worse fates than facing the end in the comforts of a modern hospital. Remember them, too. When operations begin, you will be there."
He held the man's gaze, judging his level of understanding before breaking it to depart.
"One more thing. You'll have to take someone with you. Someone who can act as an ambassador of sorts, should you encounter any political challenges."
His gaze leveled upon Natalie. And he smiled.
She would stand to lose everything if Jay betrayed them to the Americans. A constant reminder of the presence of the Custody would follow him like a shade to her soul. She wouldn't refuse to accompany him. Not after having pulled every political capital she had to earn an audience with the Ascendancy for an interrogation on Jay's well-being. They were close. It was obvious. How close, Nikolai didn't care. Nor why. But she could prevent Jay being entangled with the wrong people. Or worse yet, consider defecting back to the US. If Natalie lost Jay, the Northbrooks, her family, everyone she knew, could lose everything in turn.
"Natalie Northbrook will do her grandfather proud, I am sure of it."
He turned to Evelyn, blue eyes dancing, "I would be honored if I could escort you back to the ball."