Zuli [PART 1] - Reapers & Angels

Chapter 11 - Just One Photo

Zuli: "Hey, all of you. Ciel wants to see you right away."

The servants looked terrified as they followed me up to the study. We walked in and they stood in front of his desk, tensed up.

Mey-Rin: "So, young master... you wanted to speak with us about something?"

Ciel: "Yes, I have a little job for the three of you to take care of."

Bard: "J?!"

Mey-Rin: "O?!"

Finni: "B?!"

They hugged each other, laughing with relief.

Finni: "See, we didn't have to worry!"

Mey-Rin: "I thought for sure we were fired, yes I did!"

Tanaka: "Ho ho ho!"

Ciel: "What did you tell them?"

Zuli: "Just that you wanted to see them."

Ciel: "Ahem!"

Ciel put something on his desk.

Ciel: "This is a camera from the famous Talbot collection. It has a story behind it. It had been missing from the collection altogether for some time. When it suddenly came up for auction, I bid immediately."

They stared at him, confused.

Finni: "Who's Talbot?"

Tanaka assumed his real form.

Tanaka: "Full name William Henry Fox Talbot. Let's see... he was a renowned English scientist and one of the inventors of photographic technology. There were some strange rumours about the last camera he used... the one our young master has acquired. Legend has it that if you use this camera to photograph someone, whomever or whatever that person cares about most in the world will appear in the photograph as well."

Mey-Rin: "Oh, my! That sounds too incredible to be true!"

He deflated again.

Zuli: "Thank you, Tanaka."

Tanaka: "Ho ho."

Bard: "Can such a camera really exist, or is it just a rumour?"

Zuli: "Only one way to find out."

Ciel: "Don't move... the exposure takes ten seconds."

Finni stood there staring at the lens as Ciel readied it.

Mey-Rin: "Uh... what exactly is 'exposure'?"

Bard: "Basically, the camera is copying down an image of Finni."

He was shaking slightly.

Ciel: "Stay still. Or the image will blur and we won't get a good picture. 8... 9... 10... all done."

He put the cap back on the lens and Finni heaved a sigh.

Zuli: "You didn't have to hold your breath the whole time."

Finni: "Heheh."

We all headed to the dark room to develop the picture. In the background behind Finni, there was the image of a little bird.

Finni: "Wow! Look at that... it's my bird!"