Welcome Home!

The massive Airship CEAS William Smith slowly eased its way into the airship port A crowd had gathered around it cheering as the Empress returned from the trip, As the crew started to disembark they heard the cheering and looked down onto the huge crowd that had gathered. All of them stood straight and tall suddenly that much more proud of their luck to be crewmen on the mighty airship The soldiers brought as guards for the trip marched out on either of the Empress and her party escorting her to the Lift. The lift opened and Gertrude was there to greet her, "Your Majesty, welcome home. I have a few things you should know at once."

Emily smiled and brought Grace into the lift along with Gertrude. "Lobby." She spoke to the lift's operator, "Did you have time to meet with Jon yet, Gertrude?"

She nodded, "Yes thank you, we had lunch together."

Emily smiled and asked, "Where is Mia, don't tell me she is still sleeping?"

Gertrude laughed, "No Your Majesty, she had an emergency meeting with Roger, due to a messenger from the governor of Injia. There was an incident with a company called the..."

"Dane West Injia Company?" Emily asked.

Gertrude's eyes opened wide, "Yes, how did you know?"

"Go on, tell me the rest." Emily waved her hand dismissively.

"Roland turned on us, he had been selling secrets to Emperor Bertrand. I eliminated him as soon as we learned the truth. Mia's people took action on the Emperor's people." Gertrude said.

Emily looked sad and shook her head tears rolling down her cheek, "Roland had a sister still in Slavistan, it seems my efforts to keep her safe must have failed. Go on."

Gertrude nodded and said, "Mia's people were unable to uncover the origins of the Green Door club or who is behind it, but we found that it is much larger than we imagined."

Emily nodded and said, "Grace fill her in on what we have uncovered."

Grace handed over a neat report with what they had uncovered about it. Causing Gertrude to gasp, "This is incredible!"

Emily nodded as she wiped her eyes, "How has Mia handled being in charge?"

Gertrude smiled and said, "She's extraordinary. She has a different way of doing things from you, but she is just as amazing."

Emily nodded and said, "She is really is, did anything come up that I should know before meeting with her?"

Gertrude shook her head and said, "No, Your Majesty, everything else can wait until you meet with her."

Emily still looked depressed as lift doors opened and the people cheered for her return. As Emily stepped out of the Lift doors into the lobby she gave the waiting people a winning smile and waved to them as if she knew them personally. The Guards quickly surrounded her and rushed her to a waiting fast attack carriage.

*****

Roger frowned and said, "The Dane West Injia Company has a lot of pull in Old Eurment, this letter demanding that we comply with their request to return the Empire of Injia's control to Emperor Asoka should be treated with care. I know that the Church has long given them the freedom to run their business because of the tea they bring to the south."

Teslaimia nodded and said, "Hmm, then we should wait for Emily to make the call on this, my first instinct is to ignore it entirely. Speaking of Asoka, how is he holding up?"

"The last few days that Andrew has been gone he has been whining like a guest a midpriced hotel that found a dead prostitute in the bed." Roger shrugged.

Teslaimia's mouth hung open, "Just what kinds of a hotel have you stayed in?"

Emily spoke up, "Roger worked for the Church, he only stayed at the finest low priced hotels."

Teslaimia leaped out of her chair and nearly tackled Emily with hugs and kisses. After she calmed down enough she smiled and said, "We received a threatening letter from the Dane West Injia Company."

Emily nodded, "I am not surprised, I killed their leaders while I was in Port Gaul, it would be strange if they weren't a little angry with us. Roger, the Church also put them under boycott, so you don't have to worry about that side."

Roger visibly relaxed and nodded. "Can we consider that the Dane West Injia Company is no longer welcome in the Empire."

Emily nodded and said, "Throw them out, where ever you find them. Pass the word."

Roger stood up and gave a military bow and then left the room in a hurry. Teslaimia sat down in Emily's chair and smiled at her. Emily sighed and then just sat in her lap, she tilted her head and said, "Did anything interesting happen while I was away, Mia?"

"Mm, nothing really exciting, I made a few personnel changes in your intelligence unit, and I ordered an annoying noble to be sunset. Other than that it was fairly uneventful here. What happened in Port Gaul? Someone tried to assassinate you?" Teslaimia smiled.

Emily nodded, "It was that Dane West Injia Company, that's why I killed their leaders. I also wanted to send a message to the other Old Eurment leaders who were there. I won't tolerate them touching any of my people. In the next five days keep an eye open for sudden movement from the spies they have here. Mainly in the old Windsor Kingdom areas."

Teslaimia nodded, "I can do that."

Emily gave her a soft kiss and then murmured seductively, "That reminds me, we'll be going to the club tonight, so make yourself pretty, Mia."

Teslaimia raised an eyebrow, "Emmy, there's something I need to tell you about that club before we go."

"Oh? You mean that it's an old intelligence gathering network that has been running for years?" Emily asked.

Teslaimia shook her head, "I forgot that Gertrude picked you up from the Airship port. Yes, that."

Emily smiled and shook her head, "I knew about it before that, Mia. That's why I made a stop to see the Great Library in Stansfield. It was originally known as the sock and buskin. It goes back to the time of Lord Léon Jean Reno. He started it as his own intelligence-gathering operation."

Teslaimia smirked, "Before or after he was a zombie?"

Emily made a face and said, "Do I need to go without you?"

"No, wait! I'll be good! Take me please?" Teslaimia Gave her a hug keeping her from jumping up off her lap.

Emily scowled at her and then continued, "Grace and I read through a number of books written by him and his followers about the sock and buskin and I think I found how to take control of it. Now, there is also the very real possibility that this won't work because after three thousand years of being inactive the old code words have been forgotten."

Teslaimia nodded and said, "You intend to use the codewords at the Connaissance club?"

Emily nodded, "If I am not wrong someone from one of the old cities will arrive here in Connaissance a few weeks after I give the code phrases."

Teslaimia smirked, "Why would it still work? It had to have changed hands many times over the years right? If there are code words, how could they be found in the Church library? Surely someone else would have found them and taken control long before you, right?"

Emily shrugged and said, "I am counting on something else."

"What's that?" Teslaimis looked unconvinced.

"I am counting on the people who read the phrase from the book previously to have missed something very important. These books were translated." Emily smiled seductively.

"Do you speak ancient Lellish?" Teslaimia suddenly looked impressed.

Emily nodded, "Mm, I was taught by the priests from the Church as a child. I am not an expert, but I can read and write it, which is why I noticed right away that his writings had been translated into modern Langlish. Cardinal Gibson had also informed me that the practice at the Library amongst the clergy was to transcribe ten copies each time they read those old transcripts."

Teslaimia nodded, "You're right there might be a one in a million chance. Speaking of that, Emperor Asoka started acting out recently it just so happened to coincide with that letter from the Dane West Injia Company."

"Oh? Well, it's time to go pay him a visit then." She smiled.

*****

Asoka paced around in his room when a light knock at the door sounded. Asoka stomped over with a wicked grin on his face only to have it disappear when the door opened, "Andrew, you're back."

Andrew smiled softly, "You seem confused about my appearance here? I told you I would only be gone for a few days. Did you want to play a game?"

Asoka stuck his head out the door and looked around only seeing the usual guards, "Very well." They walked out into daytime light and sat down at a game board that was set up under a tent with two chairs on either side of a small table with a chessboard in the middle.

Andrew sat down at his normal position as Asoka sat at his. Andrew smiled as he set up the board, "I had an interesting trip, shortly after arriving we had to kill what can only be described as a useless group of assassins."

Asoka's eyes grew wide. He tried to cover his shock by saying, "You southern barbarians live short violent lives, that doesn't shock me."

Andrew chuckled, "You're right about that, Her Majesty, Emily even had to kill the leaders of the Dane West Injia Company for daring to take aim at her, can you imagine?" He laughed and then added, "The Church even boycotted that company from operating in their areas."

Asoka's eyes went stone cold and threw the little table over as he rode to his feet and shouted, "So you crushed my backing! So what? Do you think this is the limit to my power? Just because I am trapped here, do you think I can't touch you?"

Emily, Teslaimia, and a group of their guards walked up and Emily said softly, "Emperor Asoka, it seems your wounds haven't healed?" She nodded to Andrew who smashed his fist into Asoka's shoulder. he punched it over and over again until Asoka was lying on the ground whimpering in pain with a red spot where he was shot showing through his shirt. "You shouldn't try to be active before your wound heals, you could pull your stitches again."

He cried out, "Bitch, I will see you dead!"

Emily shook her head no, and then said, "I think you still don't get it yet. You are not the one with the power. You are powerless. You are the one who needs to be licking the sweat from my heels. Not that I would ever allow such a thing. I am keeping you alive only to see which snakes come out of their holes to help you, which makes it much easier for me to deal with them. Once you lose that usefulness, do you think I will let you walk out of here? You have plenty of time to think of ways to become useful and yet you are wasting this golden opportunity by insulting me and throwing your game at Andrew?"

She shook her head and then turned to Andrew, "Help him back to his quarters. Send the doctor to see him about the injuries to his legs and shoulder."

She turned and brought her people with her leaving Andrew and Asoka who called out, "My legs aren't injured you stupid whore!" The sound of bone breaking and Asoka screaming could be heard from behind as they walked to the fast attack carriage.

Teslaimia snickered, "You are so evil sometimes, Emmy."

"He called me a bitch, like I wasn't going to do anything?" She snorted. "Did you want to head over to your shop? We have plenty of time before we go out tonight."

Teslaimia nodded and said, "Yes, that's a good idea I need to check in with Grace for sure. Oh! I wanted to mention something, Gertrude. She has been working with my girls a little more closely this week. It seems like they are getting to be on better terms."

Emily smiled and nodded, "That's good. Grace was wonderful to work with for me as well."

Teslaimia tightly held Emily's hand. "Next time I am going with you. I didn't like waiting at home for you. I was sick with worry, especially when we heard about the attempt on your life."

Emily leaned into her and said, "Mm, ok. I wish you had been with me as well. Grace was nice, but she doesn't make cute noises in her sleep."