The Napoleonic Rose

Part 2

I was awoken by the sound of a heavy census volume impacting the desk in front of my face. I started up and out of my chair, scrabbling fora pistol that wasn't even present. My stellar coordination resulted in a sudden topple up, over and backwards over the chair I had been seated in. I landed in a tangle as the chair fell over in tandem, and peered up to see an amused Major looking down at me.

"You really shouldn't drool on primary resources like that, Lieutenant."He teased, flipping the census open, while I extracted myself from the chair. "You'll be happy to note that I've found some information that may help us in our search."

"We can leave the library?" I asked eagerly, setting the chair back up and on its legs.

"You can leave the library." He corrected, turning the book around so that I could read an underlined listing. "It would seem Monsieur Chevalier lived out his life on the outskirts of Bordeaux, and that's where you'll be headed. He left a rather large estate, one that has had very little activity since then." He paused, running his hand down the page below the man's name. "As you'll see, although he had several children, none of them survived into adulthood."

"Not much chance of a family secret being kept, then." I fumed, planting my palms on the table top.

"That brings me to my next point. You'll be working with a partner for this mission, a woman by the name of Madame Akelarre Montaigne. Let's walk." It wasn't a request, or a command, just a statement. I followed the Major from the building, watching as he went through the procedure of lighting his pipe. "I realize you aren't the type to believe in such things, but I'll expect you to keep a level head and open mind. Mme. Montaigne is not a member of the Special Courier Service, but we have used her abilities in the past."

"What, exactly, do you mean?" I asked, feeling my eyebrows knit together as he took a long draw from the pipe.

"She is a spirit medium, one of very few that we have been able to verify as being genuine. You'll recall the spiritual movement that caught fire at the turn of the century?" He glanced down at me, and then looked up and to the right. "Perhaps you don't, I forget how young you are. Needless to say, she produces results. The man has no living relatives, and no one has inhabited his chateaux for nearly fifty years."

"You want us to try to pry information out of a..." I struggled to find a word that wouldn't sound ridiculous, but couldn't. "...ghost.You think he'll just appear out of thin air and let us know where the Rose is?"

"Stranger things have happened." The Major mused, unaffected by my somewhat insubordinate tone. "I think you'll see for yourself in the coming months. This should be an easy job. You'll be far behind friendly lines and in no immediate danger. Take the opportunity to adjust yourself to a new way of thinking."

"Yes... sir." I sighed, resigning myself. I'd never been particularly superstitious or spiritual, but if this woman could produce results,I wasn't going to argue. "Where am I meeting her?"

"I've arranged rail travel for the both of you. You can meet her at the station." He fished through his pocket, coming free with a small yellow-tan envelope. "Here, if you need anything, contact these people. We have a few Couriers stationed in the city."

"Yes sir." I responded respectfully, before adding; "How will I know which one is her? Will she just read my mind, or see the future?"The Major gave me a somewhat withering glance, but it quickly evaporated.

"She's a spirit medium, Lieutenant, not a psychic. She'll find you because you'll be the only woman in a men's military uniform." He tapped his pipe lightly against his thigh before reseating it in his mouth. "You really do stick out like a sore thumb." Completely cowed, I tucked my officer's cap lower over my eyes and gave a silent nod. "Now, hurry along then. You wouldn't want to keep Monsieur Chevalier waiting; you'll be surprised how impatient one can be in the afterlife."

I kept my mouth shut, lest I say anything to further degrade my standing. I kept a ready bag of supplies in the Special Courier Service headquarters, and it took no time at all to run back and retrieve it. However, it was enough of a distance to the train yards to justify hiring a taxi. Even with the expedited travel, I arrived only just before sunset. The crowd had died down, leaving only a handful of weary travelers, and a small group of soldiers who seemed to be on leave.

The agent handed me a military-stamped ticket, and I tucked it away in my chest pocket. I had no description of the woman I was supposed to meet up with, so I simply made myself visible, standing near the center of the main concourse. I grew increasingly nervous, as the time ticked by and our departure became imminent. Fifteen minutes before the allotted time of departure, I heard a low, playful voice over my shoulder.

"You worry far too much, Miss Masters." I spun on one heel, almost managing a second fall for the day, in order to face the source of the critique. She was dressed conservatively, but in style, with a maroon skirt that flowed easily around her ankles. A similarly colored waistcoat pinched at her midsection, before expanding to accommodate her chest, a white silk blouse filling out the outfit. At her neck was a single murky opal, set into a silver broach. While her eyes were obscured by a veil that dangled from her hat, I could see that she was young. Not as young as myself, but certainly not the elderly woman I had expected. Her skin was clear and pale, her cheeks just barely rounded, her chin just pointed enough to qualify her entire face as heart-shaped. Her hair was black, and tied up into a tight bun at the back of her head that helped support the brim of her hat. "I am Madame Akelarre Montaigne."

"E-,"I stopped, shaking my head before correcting. "Lieutenant Eve Masters. Have you been watching me?"

"I would call it observing, Miss Masters, but yes. I like to know something of an agent before I work with them. Tell me, do you believe in ghosts?" Her question was punctuated with a beckoning gesture, her modest luggage suggesting she had already had the rest put aboard.

"I can't say that I do, ma'am." I murmured, already feeling this conversation taking a turn to the unpleasant. "I think I would have seen them on the front lines, if they existed."

"Oh no, certainly not." She said with a giggle, taking my arm. I stood straight at the sudden contact, completely unexpected and of a fashion I'd never dealt with previously. To say I'd always been a tomboy was an understatement, but it was generally not accepted so readily. She settled her right hand on my forearm, and I awkwardly tried to walk at a pace that would be comfortable for her to match."You would think that such violence and turmoil would cause more paranormal events, but the opposite is true. The more emotions being invested, the more it drowns out those of the departed. Hence the stereotypical haunted house, hm? No crowd to drown out the energies of the afterlife."

"Be that as it may, I..." I rolled my shoulders, resisting the urge to shake myself free and bound across to the train. "...still have to go with not believing in the 'paranormal', as you say."

"You're new, it's to be expected. Unless you seek out this sort of thing,you're unlikely to deal with it in a regular lifetime. I'll be honored to guide you through your first experience." She stepped up and onto the train platform, gliding across to the train itself before releasing my arm. "Come, Miss Masters. I think we have quite a lot to discuss on our trip."

 "I'm sure you do." I said with a barely concealed grimace.