The Tale of Amaretto

Eighteenth Grain

In Which the Villainess is revealed...

"So you're trying to say that you had nothing to do with said attack?" Amaretto looked at Alice with a critical eye. Alice fidgeted under Amaretto's gaze and casually fluffed her curled hair slightly from the back before she talked.

"It wasn't that we attacked her. It was more like she stole something from us and Johanna and I went to retrieve it. We weren't expecting her to call foul play about it."

Alice fidgeted some more in her fretting when Johanna finally said, "That isn't lady-like."

Alice finally stopped moving when Katherine stepped forward. "What was it that she stole from you two?"

Alice huffed as she crossed her arms. "She took our Stone of Communication! It wasn't even worth anything till we started to use it though!"

Amaretto looked at her aunt and Katherine shrugged her shoulders, not quite sure as to what to say.

"What is a Stone of Communication?" Amaretto looked a little confused.

Johanna looked at Amaretto and then spoke in a monotone voice. "The Stone of Communication is a large red stone with which we are able to speak with the Ancients. It is because of these Ancients, that we are able to determine the parts of the future that we are able to use to our advantage."

Amaretto was surprised. It was the longest sentence that Johanna had ever uttered to Amaretto's knowledge. Katherine frowned as she looked at them all and then said, "So what your saying is that she stole this stone and when you went to get it back, she said you tried to kill her?"

Alice blushed and said in a sheepish voice, "That sounds about right yes."

Katherine looked perplexed. "Yet you still got away? Did you get the stone back?"

Alice looked down the lane and then said, "Yes, we did, but that's not the problem that we were hoping you could help s with."

Amaretto shook her head. "Oh no, we aren't helping you with anything. You are supposed to be showing us around."

Katherine frowned. "Amaretto, don't be so uncharitable!"

Amaretto narrowed her eyes at her aunt and then in a low whisper said, "Test-running does not mean I have to be charitable."

Katherine looked like she was going to retort back with words she might regret, but Amaretto saw her visibly restrain herself. Amaretto crossed her arms across her chest and stared her aunt down, trying to see if she could bore a hole into her gut. Katherine ignored her god-daughter and then said, "What can we do to help then?"

Alice turned towards Katherine as she bit her lip. "The stone was supposed to help us. You see, we are using the stone to try to form an alliance of sorts. You see, we are in harsh times."

"Harsh times?" Amaretto allowed her expression to soften a little, but she still retained the steel in her voice, even if she did feel a little lost.

Alice put a finger to her lips and then said, "We are part of a resistance here within the whole of the Empire. You begin from Indus means that you have not seen the true might of the Empire. You are too far away to see the repercussions."

Katherine's own mouth twitched at this revelation. "We are not here to fight in a war with you Alice," she said a little agitated. "We are only stopping here as a pause in our travels."

Amaretto stomped her foot. "Nothing was said about a resistance," she hissed in anger.

Johanna once again looked down the street and then said, "I think that the IronMan is coming down the street. We need to get out of here now Alice. Because if we are still here and they find us, they will take us to the Tower. We can't go to the Tower."