RVA: Shadow of Doubt, Invisible Threats

She had Zaker drive her home. From there Salli retreated to the conference parlor to think.

Despite her desperate need to find Ali’s poisoner, no clues came to her. Could it have been the same person Ali had theorized, the hidden traitor that had aided Countess Highglider and her minion Lt. Hotclaw? If so, why risk the attacks, when their mistress was long dead? Revenge, out of a twisted loyalty unto death and beyond? Or perhaps they were just working for a new master?

That was a horrible thought, because the next logical suspect in that chain was Aggie, the new Lady Highglider. Salli certainly hoped it wasn’t true. Mother Goddess bless her, she was growing to like Aggie, even if the former Military caste vixen had been visibly annoyed at the sudden career switch.

Argh, this was so utterly frustrating! The answer had be in this house somewhere, probably right in front of her....

A knock at the parlor door interrupted her musings. At her call, Phillip stuck his head in to ask, “Could I have a moment, milady?”

Caught between being grateful at the interruption and dreading the probable reasons Phillip needed to talk her, Salli sighed and waved him in. “I assume this has something to do with Oceanic News and that reporter, Clawstroke?”

“Yes, Milady,” he confirmed, sitting in a seat across the table from her.

She closed her eyes briefly, massaging her temples. “How bad is it?” Mother Goddess the spectacle of that scene...

“Not bad at all,” he said, looking entirely too cheerful for her tastes. Then again, being ingratiating was part of his job. “Let me show you.”

He activated the table’s projector. “Show us the Oceanic News site,” he told it. The display flipped to the site’s main news page. Front and center was the headline GRUESOME ATTACK AT DARKTAIL MANOR and a link to Clawstroke’s video of the scene, with a note that it wasn’t suitable for cubs. Salli played it, gnawing her lip briefly as she watched herself desperately trying to stem the tide of blood pumping from Ali’s arm, right up to the point that Phillip called Clawstroke off and, as a Darktail representative, ending his right to film in a private residence.

“I believe the phrase ‘Bloody Hell’ is entirely appropriate,” she noted, backing up the clip to the point where Phillip placed the bandage on Ali’s arm. She read the accompanying article, a breathless account from Clawstroke of arriving at Darktail Manor for a routine interview, only to be caught up in the excitement and bravely recording the events until cut off by typical Noble high handedness. As an afterthought, he also mentioned that sources at the hospital reported Ali’s condition was very grave, and her chances of recovery were low.

“I fail to see how this qualifies as ‘not bad’, Phillip,” she said irritably. “It’s a perfect horror show.”

“You haven’t read the comments section, have you?” he asked.

“One of the first things my teachers told me in my Communications and Outreach class is that reading the comment sections of news articles will only raise your blood pressure.”

Perversely, he brought it up for her to read, “Not this time. Take a look.”

Salli glared at him briefly, then sighed and did as she was bid. After a few moments her eyebrows went up, and she began reading with more interest.

That looked like it hurt.

Faaaaaaaked. You can see where they cut in new footage to replace the vixen on the floor with a CG actor.

I’d like to see my district’s Heir run that fast when there was an alarm!

Mother Goddess! Is that poor vixen going to be all right?

Now that’s what a Noble should be doing when somebody gets hurt.

Seriously, why was that tail biter RECORDING when he could have been helping them?

I was hoping that vixen holding Blacksailor down when they came in *would* have made that guy eat his monocle.

Did you see the public records release about what Lady Darktail went through with her husband? The Mother Goddess bless her, it’s not fair that she finds someone she really loves after surviving that, only for them to get hurt.

Go, go, Lady Sallivera! That’s what a Noble is *supposed* to do when there’s trouble! Help people!

I grew up in Darktail District back when we were vassals to old Countess Highglider. I don’t care if Lady Darktail wants to date a crook, I’d rather have them both ruling over me than that crazy vixen.

Have they caught who did this yet? I hope they did so they can spend the rest of eternity in the Cold and Dark.

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Salli read through the comments, a couple of hundred in all. Though there were few a negative comments, mostly about the Noble caste providing drama to distract from Commoner problems, by a seven to three margins most of the comments were supportive of Ali, and many of them wishing her and Salli well in their relationship.

“Well, that was unexpected,” she admitted to Phillip.

“I’ve been fielding calls and emails from most of the major newsnets about this,” he said. “Obviously as commoner interest stories go, this is a big one, especially when you tie it into Alinadar’s history as a child soldier.”

“They don’t see her as a murderer, or a monster?” Salli asked, feeling hope rise in her breast for the first time in over a day.

“Of course not,” Phillip said, shrugging. “They see her as a victim.”

She nodded, rubbing her lips briefly. Then Salli slammed her fist down on the table and shouted, “It’s about bloody time!” She caught herself, then shook her head sheepishly and said, “I’m sorry. I’m a bit stressed at the moment.”

“I understand, milady,” he said, looking unsurprised at her outburst. “If it were one of my spouses or our children, well, I don’t know what I’d do, but I know I’d be angry.”

“I’m sure you would be.” Salli cocked her ears forward, looking at him in curiosity. “How many spouses and children do you have exactly?”

He smiled. “Three and seven respectively, milady. Kim, my human wife, sometimes complains that it would have been a lot cheaper to adopt cats instead. And you wouldn’t believe the scheduling that’s involved.”

Salli laughed. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be amused,” she told him. “It’s just… I didn’t know that about you.”

“Well, I never offered it,” Phillip told her. “You can’t expect to know everything about everybody.”

“That’s true. But as a Noble I’m supposed to look like I do,” she admitted ruefully. “For now though, I have to see what I can do to find out who attacked poor Ali. Thank you for showing me that article, Phillip. I needed the boost it gave me.”

“I thought you might,” he replied. “Even if you don’t show it sometimes, everyone here knows how much you hurt.” He stood up and bowed briefly, before leaving Salli to her thoughts.

She leaned back in her seat, staring up at the ceiling, thinking about Phillip. Three spouses and seven children? An extraordinary family, and she hadn’t known that about him. Of course, she’d had no way of knowing. Without either her asking or his offering the information, they may as well have been invisible to her.

Invisible, she thought, her brow furrowing. Ali’s attacker had been invisible as well. Unseen, like the person who had written the graffiti on her skimmer, and thrown the paint on her bed. I’ve probably passed them a hundred times in the hallways of the manor without really seeing them for who they are.

Without really seeing them…

Her stomach went cold. I am an utter, blind fool, she thought to herself.

“Com online,” Salli said softly into the air.

Where would you like to place your call, Lady Sallivera?

“Please create a conference call with the households of Razinadar Blacksailor and Karranadar Blacksailor.”

Connecting.

After less than ten seconds, both vixens appeared on the holographic display before Salli, looking deeply worried.

“Lady Darktail, do you have news about Ali?” Aunt Razi asked.

“We were just about to leave to see her,” Karra added.

“Ali’s condition hasn’t changed,” she told them, watching a bit of the tension leave their stances, as they had obviously feared the worst. “However I think I may have discovered who her attacked is.” Salli drew in a deep breath. “If you could both come to Darktail Manor to discuss the situation before seeing Ali, I would greatly appreciate it.”