The Scarlet Deep
Page 55
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Rens said nothing but gave Leonor an enigmatic smile.
“I think we’re all curious, Leonor,” Gemma said calmly. “Curious, not suspicious. If everyone would endeavor to be civil, please.”
“You need a new shipping dispatcher in London,” Jean said with a smile. “Then you would have all the information about Leonor’s ports that you need. But perhaps that’s not a very civil suggestion.”
Murphy raised an eyebrow and watched Terry glare at Jean. Perhaps the Frenchman wasn’t as indifferent about the loss of his winemaker as Terry and Gemma thought.
“It’s quite clear from the information we have pooled that the source is somewhere in the Eastern Mediterranean,” Jetta said, getting the conversation back on track. “But it is the North Sea and the Baltic countries that have been more heavily infected. No one suspects you of producing or shipping this drug, Leonor. We are simply curious what you have heard. Your territories do lie between the apparent source and the territories most affected. Though your own country seems safe for now, if this is not stemmed, it will affect us all.”
Anne spoke up. “What about Suez? Does anyone have any information from the Libyans?”
Rens said, “I may have something I can share by the end of this week. I’ve made inquiries because I anticipated this question.”
“What about America?” Anne asked, glancing at her notes. “Is there anything new?”
“New York is coming tomorrow night,” Jean said. “Have there been cases of infection in the New World?”
“Other than the outbreak in California, none that I’m aware of,” Gemma said.
“Ah yes,” Jetta said. “The large outbreak in Ernesto’s territory that was tied to the Russians, was it not?”
“It’s not the Russians,” Murphy said.
“You don’t know that,” Jetta said. “None of us do. Elixir is affecting all the countries we know of along the Baltic Sea except for Russia. How could this be if Oleg is not involved?”
He sensed Anne’s tension increase at the mention of the Russians and made a note to ask her about it later.
Jean said, “Just because Oleg has not publicly acknowledged Elixir infection does not mean it does not exist. We all know he is cautious about what information leaves his country.”
“Jean,” Murphy said. “The rumors you mentioned, what have you heard?”
“In France? A little of everything,” Jean said. “Some say that whoever is producing it has perfected Livia’s formula and it is no longer lethal. Some say that Livia never died in Rome at all and she is still producing it in Bulgaria.”
“Livia is most assuredly dead, but Bulgaria would fit with the shipping history,” Terry said. “It’s Eastern Mediterranean. Have we checked into that?”
“Bulgaria is run by a Greek figurehead,” Jean said. “We all know how difficult it is to get reliable information from that part of the world.”
“Oh really?” Murphy said, looking at Carwyn at one end of the table. “A Greek figurehead? How interesting.”
“Not really,” Jean said. “Most of those smaller territories have allegiance to Athens in some way, either by political marriage or economic tie. It’s mostly symbolic. You know the Greeks; they’re archaic.”
“And we’re not?” Terry said.
Murphy said, “Speak for yourself, old man.”
Friendly laughter spread through the room, leaving the air a little lighter than it had been moments before. Murphy was happy to have broken the tension, if only for a while. Terry announced a half-hour break for everyone to conference with their people.
Murphy was having a hard time reconciling Leonor’s past cooperation with her attitude at the table earlier. She was usually more agreeable. Perhaps there were other factors in play. He’d have to talk with Brigid and see what the chatter among the security teams had been. Often the greater intelligence came from those who observed, not those who spoke.
“Did you get your notes transcribed for Mary last night?” he asked Anne quietly. “I saw her courier here at dusk.”
“I did. I told him not to come back until the end of the week though. If Mary wants more current reports, she can call.”
“How are you feeling?” He tried to keep his tone light even as he whispered.
“Fine.”
“I’m coming to hate that word.”
“Truly.” She gave him a small smile. “I do mean it this time. My head is much clearer, and I fed at dusk from one of Carwyn and Brigid’s staff.”
“Good.” He flipped through the notes he’d taken during the meeting. “Have you… Did you decide what you wanted to do about your quarters? Shall I send one of our people over with your things?”
He’d heard her early in the night, getting ready in her rooms. But he also knew she’s rested at Brigid and Carwyn’s suite during the day.
“My things are fine where they are,” she said quietly.
“Thank you.”
“You don’t need to thank me,” she said. “You’ve shown… great patience, Murphy. I didn’t know you had such restraint.”
His hands froze. “I told you I’d mastered my more impulsive instincts.”
“I believe you.”
“But do you trust me?”
She said nothing, and Murphy looked up. For the first time, there was something else in her eyes besides caution. Regret? Had she already decided against him?
“I think we’re all curious, Leonor,” Gemma said calmly. “Curious, not suspicious. If everyone would endeavor to be civil, please.”
“You need a new shipping dispatcher in London,” Jean said with a smile. “Then you would have all the information about Leonor’s ports that you need. But perhaps that’s not a very civil suggestion.”
Murphy raised an eyebrow and watched Terry glare at Jean. Perhaps the Frenchman wasn’t as indifferent about the loss of his winemaker as Terry and Gemma thought.
“It’s quite clear from the information we have pooled that the source is somewhere in the Eastern Mediterranean,” Jetta said, getting the conversation back on track. “But it is the North Sea and the Baltic countries that have been more heavily infected. No one suspects you of producing or shipping this drug, Leonor. We are simply curious what you have heard. Your territories do lie between the apparent source and the territories most affected. Though your own country seems safe for now, if this is not stemmed, it will affect us all.”
Anne spoke up. “What about Suez? Does anyone have any information from the Libyans?”
Rens said, “I may have something I can share by the end of this week. I’ve made inquiries because I anticipated this question.”
“What about America?” Anne asked, glancing at her notes. “Is there anything new?”
“New York is coming tomorrow night,” Jean said. “Have there been cases of infection in the New World?”
“Other than the outbreak in California, none that I’m aware of,” Gemma said.
“Ah yes,” Jetta said. “The large outbreak in Ernesto’s territory that was tied to the Russians, was it not?”
“It’s not the Russians,” Murphy said.
“You don’t know that,” Jetta said. “None of us do. Elixir is affecting all the countries we know of along the Baltic Sea except for Russia. How could this be if Oleg is not involved?”
He sensed Anne’s tension increase at the mention of the Russians and made a note to ask her about it later.
Jean said, “Just because Oleg has not publicly acknowledged Elixir infection does not mean it does not exist. We all know he is cautious about what information leaves his country.”
“Jean,” Murphy said. “The rumors you mentioned, what have you heard?”
“In France? A little of everything,” Jean said. “Some say that whoever is producing it has perfected Livia’s formula and it is no longer lethal. Some say that Livia never died in Rome at all and she is still producing it in Bulgaria.”
“Livia is most assuredly dead, but Bulgaria would fit with the shipping history,” Terry said. “It’s Eastern Mediterranean. Have we checked into that?”
“Bulgaria is run by a Greek figurehead,” Jean said. “We all know how difficult it is to get reliable information from that part of the world.”
“Oh really?” Murphy said, looking at Carwyn at one end of the table. “A Greek figurehead? How interesting.”
“Not really,” Jean said. “Most of those smaller territories have allegiance to Athens in some way, either by political marriage or economic tie. It’s mostly symbolic. You know the Greeks; they’re archaic.”
“And we’re not?” Terry said.
Murphy said, “Speak for yourself, old man.”
Friendly laughter spread through the room, leaving the air a little lighter than it had been moments before. Murphy was happy to have broken the tension, if only for a while. Terry announced a half-hour break for everyone to conference with their people.
Murphy was having a hard time reconciling Leonor’s past cooperation with her attitude at the table earlier. She was usually more agreeable. Perhaps there were other factors in play. He’d have to talk with Brigid and see what the chatter among the security teams had been. Often the greater intelligence came from those who observed, not those who spoke.
“Did you get your notes transcribed for Mary last night?” he asked Anne quietly. “I saw her courier here at dusk.”
“I did. I told him not to come back until the end of the week though. If Mary wants more current reports, she can call.”
“How are you feeling?” He tried to keep his tone light even as he whispered.
“Fine.”
“I’m coming to hate that word.”
“Truly.” She gave him a small smile. “I do mean it this time. My head is much clearer, and I fed at dusk from one of Carwyn and Brigid’s staff.”
“Good.” He flipped through the notes he’d taken during the meeting. “Have you… Did you decide what you wanted to do about your quarters? Shall I send one of our people over with your things?”
He’d heard her early in the night, getting ready in her rooms. But he also knew she’s rested at Brigid and Carwyn’s suite during the day.
“My things are fine where they are,” she said quietly.
“Thank you.”
“You don’t need to thank me,” she said. “You’ve shown… great patience, Murphy. I didn’t know you had such restraint.”
His hands froze. “I told you I’d mastered my more impulsive instincts.”
“I believe you.”
“But do you trust me?”
She said nothing, and Murphy looked up. For the first time, there was something else in her eyes besides caution. Regret? Had she already decided against him?
