DUALITY /#Wattys 2021

Chapter 26

Mirabella led her through twisting hallways, into an elevator, through more twisting hallways. They emerged into a grand anteroom with enormous carved doors that stood open, inviting them in. Another set of doors stood closed at the other end of the room.

Mirabella took her off to the side into a long, narrow cloak room. She waved her hand and the lights came on. "Stay here, until you're called for."

She left Ridley alone.

Ridley turned around, studying the room. A rack held hangers with some very expensive-looking wool and fur coats. Ridley touched one: real. She wasn't sure what kind of fur.

A door stood closed farther down. Ridley walked over to stand in front of it. Beyond it, she heard a muffled hubbub of voices, and strained to make them out. She heard a lot of titles, like "Chairman," and "Mr. Vice President," and "Sir," spoken by earnest young voices, followed by phrases like, "I'm so honored to meet you ..." "I'm so looking forward ..." "I'm so grateful for the opportunity ..."

Deeper, older voices carried less well through the heavy wood. It sounded like some kind of social hour.

Then she heard a silvery ting. The voices hushed, and feet brushed across carpet as the presence of humanity retreated from the door and vanished.

Ridley stood there a long time. The tumult on the other side of the door bounded up again as the door at the back of the large chamber opened. Footsteps and voices approached, jubilant young voices and the sound of laughter. "Congratulations," she heard over and over. "Congratulations to you." "Thank you. Thank you."

The door she stood in front of opened and Mirabella stuck her hand through and motioned her forward, rolling her arm like a giant cartwheel. "Ridley, it's time." 

Her brisk air told her Mirabella wanted her out of there right now. Ridley gave her a look.

The door at the other end of the cloak room opened and several expensively-suited people walked in, making for the coats hanging on the wall.

Mirabella grabbed her arm and yanked her through the doorway into an empty room like a well-lit cavern, with white walls and thick pale green carpet. Ridley nearly twisted her ankle in her viselike heels. 

"You're a covert operative," she hissed. "Mr. Devane would rather no one here know of your existence at all."

Ridley felt her cheeks prickle. "Oh," she said.

Mirabella smiled. "But you get your initiation all to yourself!"

Ridley forced a smile.

Mirabella stretched her arm out to indicate the far room, a black cave ringed by gilded doors and heavy gold facings instead of stone. No, not quite black—Ridley could make out a flickering within. Candlelight. Clearly, she was to walk inside.

She did, her heels sinking into the carpet. She crossed the threshold onto marble, and the tapping of her heels echoed in the silence.

A set of shelves on the opposite wall glowed with candles. Plush pews stretched across the room, with a center aisle. Sconces on the other walls held candles, too, lighting her way as she walked between the pews. Off to the side waited a hooded figure, brooding and mysterious in black. Devane.

He stretched out his arm. "Ridley Faircloth," he said. "Come forward."

As she drew abreast of the front row of pews, a golden altar beside him came into view, topped with tall, ornate, jewel-studded golden goblets. Is all that real gold? she thought. A towering, jewel-encrusted cross rose the entire height of the back wall, shining with gold. A ring of emeralds glimmered at the top like a green halo.