June 30,2011

Thursday

Max's Pov

I was born on 19th May , 2000. Exactly at the beginning of a new era , ushering of rift between two cultures and two days before the longest day on earth almost as if to say "don't fly too close or you will burn your wings . Then the only ally will be your fall" I am just reading too much into something absurd but strangely enough that is what I was thinking right now . Plus it was in May now that I think.

The defeat at hands of Isla still was constantly ringing in my head . Well to be fair , it had been only two days . I had told all about this case to Claude . She was very patient listener. I was glad to have been able to catch up with her after all especially in such an interesting way ...but right now there was an important matter at hand . Tomorrow, I was going back to hostel . Well ! Frankly ! There would be nothing gained here even if I keep searching.

Every piece on this chess was still not present. I wasn't sure why but I still felt like Isla hadn't put out all her part right now . Who was she ? Queen or King ? Or was she just the one who prefer to hide in shadows as a pawn seemingly visible as easy to manipulate and then striking at right moment to become Queen . She certainly was like that ...so latent , so flawless ...in her movements . Wait ! Was I admiring her right now? Well ! I had to either way.

Despite her intentions, her elaborate plan worked perfectly but it still seemed like it was barely nothing to her. Just how did she become so cold ? She told me that she had no sob past or anything like that. Was that really true? Well ! It doesn't matter what her past was. The fact remained she killed my ally and I was planning to catch her .

So getting back to the problem at hand , what to do with Selica? I called both Claude and Selica to drawing room in the evening . My uncle had already gone out on a business so we were alone and had the drawing room to ourselves. The light flickered slightly to and fro . Probably due to power cut happening lately . I looked at Claude gesturing her to start conversation as she blinked in understanding.

"Selica ! Are you feeling bit safe here?" Claude took her hand comforting her as she quietly nodded . The whole facade Selica had put up on her way to lead Claude to the hotel was just scripted . Once her intentions were out in open , she had been acting like trembling child .

"So Selica! If it is not too much trouble , would you want to tell a bit about yourself..?" Claude approached her soothingly. She was really great at making people comfortable . One of the skills that is not my forte

"Su-re. My name is Selica and I have been ..working with her ...for o-ne year. I was raised in public facilitated orphanage but it got shut down in fall of 2009 ...and I was just roaming around when I bumped into her . She took me in . I was .. skeptical since she was just same age as mine but she seemed so nice ...I followed..a" She hesitated.

"Do you need water ? You can take your time ." Claude looked at her beaming.

"Thanks. .." Selica described how Isla taught her how to hack and it seemed she had natural aptitude for it .  Isla tested her in various dimensions like logical reasoning, physical etc and recuirted her as tech wizard of group.

So when Selica found out one day what Isla really does , she tried to escape only to be caught by her in mere hours . As a way of warning to never disobey  her orders again , she burnt down an entire post office in Bristol with all people in it right before Selica.

Wait! A post office..Well! Looks like it wasn't accident after all as I suspected . She is indeed great at covering her tracks . Though the hotel chosen by Isla this time was just too busy and commonplace making it extremely unlikely for Isla to pull such feat off here. It was probably why that Claude was convinced that Isla must have been bluffing to keep Selica in check. .

It seemed like Isla wanted to test prowess of Claude and whether she would be able to see through her bluff and Selica's facade . When I shared my opinion with Claude , she just gave a bitter smile at that .

"So Selica! Where do you want to stay ?" I asked her as she flinched as I hadn't spoken to her once since we sat . She may have been bit unnerved by the fact that I blurred out her name even before she introduced herself two days ago . Claude glared "Gentle"

"I don't really .. understand." She asked raising her eyebrows and shifting anxiously in her chair.

"I am going back to hostel tomorrow. You can stay here but you would still be in danger because my uncle won't be here all the time . Claude is going to her school tomorrow. So what do you want to do ? Do you want to go with Claude to her school ? " I told her as she looked down undecided as to what to say .

"Max ! Listen. I do agree with the logic that you are trying to follow while saying this but still I don't think I can personally find it must suitable." Claude shrugged.

""Huh! What do you mean?

"Well! Look at this way . Of course , Selica would be more comfortable with me but really I am going to normal school. I mean sure ! She would stay with me at my home and we will go to same school so she won't be alone and feel at ease but wouldn't that give people in organization to whom Isla belonged more chance to take her back ?"

"But isn't Isla unknown to other branches of the shadow organization?"

"No! She is hidden and practically non existent in their eyes but that doesn't mean we can ignore the possibility that few other members of that organization won't know about Selica. After all , she was integral enough to be recuirted as a hacker by Isla herself .There is a chance , isn't there?" She pointed out .

"Don't you think I know that ? What is your point? What else can we do ?" I said a little annoyed. Of course! I was just pretending to be annoyed . I was just intrigued to see her thought process.

"You are pretending to be annoyed"

Scary! Is she psychic?

"Why can't she go with you to hostel? As far as I know , students are allowed to join in Wonavilla even in mid . I did that in 2012 in previous timeline, didn't I ? Still don't know how you convinced my father to do that . "She whispered the last part . Selica looked at her as she suggested that .

"I mean I am not denying that she won't be much safer there but I don't think she can handle that ." I sighed.

"I..can handle that ." She said in low voice but we heard it . Huh! Was she trying to act tough? Well ! Selica I knew was like that too at times .

"Then it is decided. Selica will go with you starting tomorrow. Well maybe few days later. Forms and all can take time ! " Claude ! You just ruined a perfect montonic line with administration logic. Never mind.

"Hey Max ! Why don't you talk a bit with Selica? After all, you would be going to same school now . I will be back in couple of minutes. Gotta brew coffee." She took her leave. Man ! She really loves to drink coffee, doesn't she ? The atmosphere tensed up as she left.

We both looked at each other and then looked away . Ok ! You can definitely talk easily. You have known her for so long, talked with her , even shared dorms with her which is a big deal according to Claude . But then again she was Selica with différént past and personality. I will just start by random thought that comes in my mind next.

"So horizon is here ." I said. What ? What does that even mean ? I was thinking of horizontal lines looking at table corners and then of how warm it was and I just blurred it out . Such a ridiculous sentence.

"I heard Claude appreciates you a lot ." She blinked . Oh ! She does. I suppose we both do in regards to each other. I am so glad she ignored that .

"Really! That is great .So I want to know what are your hobbies , Selica beside hacking?" I facepalmed myself as she looked bit uncomfortable at "hacking". Maybe she doesn't feel at ease with it especially after what she was forced to do let Isla and this organization to kill people and all..

"You don't have to tell me if you don't feel like it ." I tried to lighten the air.

"No ! It is fine . You ..and Claude have been nice to me even after I lead her into trap .so "She rubbed her fingers .

"No ! Don't blame yourself. After all , you were only doing to protect possible mass casuality. And we all were dancing in her palms ." I sighed.

"Thanks for saying that ..she really was on incomprehensible level of planning "

"No denying that . Deplorable may her motives maybe , but her skills can't be denied as something to ignore."

Claude entered the room and smiled faintly at seeing us getting along almost as if relieved. Well! What did you expect, Claude ? I am not unreasonable person. Of course! I would get along with people.

All three of us continued discussing random stuff and all as Selica's fade beamed more and more from shrivelled nut . Things were again going to change from now. While I would go back to hostel like usual , I would have something much bigger to find out . What is going to happen when I find the heart of the mystery? What will be my reaction when I find the item in Wonavilla that has caught this much attention? I wonder.....

Au revoir readers! Keep posted for the next chapter.