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Rose and Rik onleh!

Continued from http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/viewtopic.php?page=118&t=8941156#472962319

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Down the stairs and out the door Antipov went, moving so quickly Rose did not have time to object or ask questions lest she be left behind. The streets were fairly quiet this hour of night. Gaians were active twenty-four-seven, but given that most followed the North American schedule, there were fewer around at the moment.

Antipov's step was fast and confident, perhaps too fast, for he momentarily disappeared around a corner and left Rose out of sight.

Without looking back Antipov said, "I don't entirely approve of the way the Science Directorate handles things, but orders and orders." It failed to answer Rose's question, which was obviously exactly what Antipov intended.

They were at the edge of Barton Town now, the road stretching off to Durem ahead of them. Instead of following the road Antipov started to cross the field to the north. He seemed not to notice the tall strands of grass or the many burrs and small biting insects lurking there. Neither could find passage on the material of his dark blue uniform.

"There are thirteen divisions in the Fleet," said Antipov, then amended himself, "correction, fourteen. The Science Directorate encompasses all research and development."

They were across the field now and onto another road, one hidden from Gaia's normal maps. There were few pedestrians here and many houses, most quite large. The houses were interspersed with patches of forest and even a small stream running through a metal pipe buried under the dirt. It seemed to be a nice upperclass neighborhood. Rose looked even more out of place than before.

In what was perhaps his straightest answer of the past five minutes, Antipov said, "No. The director is."

The open yards of the north gave way to a high white wall capped with red. The wall semed out of place among its neighbors. It was at least four times wider than even the largest yard previous and totally obscured any view of the house or garden on the other side. Whoever lived here was Important. Not that Antipov noticed. Rose did.

"He insisted there be no delay," Antipov said simply as they arrived at the gate. Now finally the splendor of the mysterious mansion was revealed: three stories visibly in the diffuse moonlight of the cloudy sky, gardens stretching for acres, and a cobblestone circle with a fountain in the middle out front. The gates themselves were high wrought iron, emblazoned with letters too faint to make out in the light.

Antipov reached over and pushed the call button on the west side of the gate. He must have been here before; the box was not immeidately noticable at night. Within moments a voice crackled through, "May I help you?"

"Director Antipov with Comrade Rose for the Lord Director," said the Russian. The gates sprung to life with a starling clatter and swung open to admit the guests.

"If you like," said Antipov, and actually smiled in amusement at the question. They neared the doors. "Watch your step."

The warning was unneeded for before they could risk tripping on the front steps an overhead light came on and illuminated the landing and the massive wooden door clearly stolen from a Scottish castle. With a groan the door swung inward -- an almost inexplicable defensive installation mistake -- and revealed the pale and surprised face of Lord Admiral Djerod Piett. "Rose!" he exclaimed.

He looked younger than before by a good ten years if not more. The grey of his hair was a faded brown, the lines of his face smoother and more expressive, his back straighter and taller. It was still unmistakably Djerod, even wearing the same grey shirt as when Rose had seem him last.

"Where on Earth have you been?" said Djerod, acutely aware of the utter ridiculousness of the question. "Come in, it's unbearable out there!" Whether this referred to the heat, the humidity, the darkness, or something altogether different was not clear. Djerod was flustered with pleasant surprise, shaking his hand in the air as if to brush Rose inside before she was carried off by an unseasonally strong wind. "Ignacia, some tea!"

The foyer was quite grand, white paneling on the walls and golden-rimmed mirrors reflecting arrangements of dried flowers. A stairwell along the wall led up to a second floor landing; the foyer was a breathtaking two stories tall and crowned with an ornate chandelier displaying about ten thousand dollars worth of crystal fixtures.

A large elderly woman stood in the far corner of the room holding a tea tray --Had she been there a moment earlier? At first glance the corner had looked empty, but perhaps it was merely the maid's white apron blinding in with the surroundings. The woman's voice was low with age. "The tea, sir."

It was a lot to take in at once. Djerod, the room, the maid, even the miraculously speedy appearance of the tea. Still standing outside, Antipov bowed his head and intoned, "Goodnight." Then he turned and headed back out towards the front gate. Djerod frowned after Antipov a moment and closed the door, sealing Rose inside.

Djerod steered Rose easily into the majestic dining room with its twenty-seater table and triple chandeliers. The tea tray was already on the table but the maid Ignacia seemed to have disappeared. "Zev's doing fine, though he's not here at the moment," said Djerod, pulling out a chair for Rose to sit. "I sincerely hope Director Antipov didn't do anything... untoward?" He began to pour the tea.