Crossing the Rift by Diana Green

Author:Diana Green [Green, Diana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BIRCH LEAF PRESS
Published: 2020-12-16T23:00:00+00:00

Agent Shelton,

Your mission briefing is postponed until a resolution can be reached about the young Miss Sikes. Her candidacy is proving to be controversial and must not be hastily decided. Considering your attachment to her cause, the council wishes to deliberate first and speak with you after, so as to avoid being unduly influenced by your preferences.

Chairman Chutley

Damn. Those might as well be Garidin’s words, even if they flowed from Chutley’s pen. Ro’s former supervisor was probably still fuming over their last encounter. He was the type to hold a grudge, and he’d no doubt do all he could to block Etty’s assignment. The self-righteous prig.

It was infuriating. Rather than arguing her case to the council, she’d have to wait in the foyer, twiddling her thumbs, like an errant schoolgirl waiting to see the headmaster. Sometimes following orders was the most difficult part of this job.

Time crawled by. With each passing minute the polished mahogany bench seemed to grow more uncomfortable under her. The portraits of retired aulders glowered down from the dark paneled walls, while the clock ticked ponderously on.

As a diversion, Ro ran through possible mission scenarios in her head. Would she be scouting, collecting, infiltrating, or maybe apprehending a criminal? Without a solid lead to build off, the possibilities were too broad, and she soon lost interest.

She took a notebook from her pocket and scribbled ideas for improving the decoding device she was currently developing. This held her attention for a while, until that too ran dry. Thankfully it was only a few more minutes before Etty arrived. The young woman looked tired but otherwise undefeated.

“How did the exam go?”

“Better than expected.” Etty managed the edge of a smile. “I guess you were right.”

“You’ve got an excellent head on your shoulders. Never forget that.”

“Now I have to face the lions’ den.” Etty pointed to the council chambers. “They want to see me right away.”

“Don’t let them intimidate you. No one deserves this job more, and a university degree wouldn’t make one bit of difference. You already have everything you need.”

“Right.” Etty straightened, her face set with determination. “I can’t let a bunch of stuffed shirts run me off.”

“That’s the spirit.”

She entered the council chambers, her small frame dwarfed by the grand double doors. Ro caught a brief glimpse of Garidin with Chutley, their heads bent together in conversation. At least there were five other council members, not all of them so stodgy and elitist. She just had to hope Etty could win them over.

It felt excruciating, sitting useless while her friend faced interrogation. Ro tried to distract herself by reciting poems and doing arithmetic in her head, anything to stop imagining all that might go wrong. What was taking them so long? Surely they’d asked Etty enough questions by now. Was it necessary to rake her over the coals for more than an hour?

Finally, she emerged. As the doors swung shut behind her, she closed her eyes and took a long breath.

Ro bounded to her feet, heart thudding.

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