The Island With No Parallel

Two Foreign Maids (Part 2)

Lucia lead them to her library, where they were surrounded by tall bookshelves filled to the brim. Soft arm chairs awaited them, a beautiful Moroccan rug laid under them, bringing the whole room together. Lucia took a seat and gestured for her guests to do the same. She called for the butler that welcomed them into the home to fetch some tea and turned her attention to the young people sitting before her.

"It is better I speak in English, no?" she said with a strong accent in English. "I know that on your world English is most widely spoken, so I will try my best. It has been a long time since I travel to Caorfi, so forgive my mistakes, please. Manuel, tell me what you know."

At that moment the butler came in and brought tea for everyone. Manuel accepted a cup and waited for the servant to leave before starting. "I know that my parents worked with you, and used you as a spy."

Lucia nodded, smiling, as if very proud of her title. "Yes, very good. Then you have done your research. Even now, I continue to uncover as much information as I can from my many connections about the movement of the Aracs here on Earth. Thankfully, there normally isn't much, but lately... well I can get to that later. The more important question is, why are you here?"

"I'm here because we need your help. The Ancient Ones are bringing together a group of people to stop what Lord Stretton has started in Ecencia to stop him from spreading anywhere else. One of the people we're looking for... is a pirate."

"A what?" Lucia asked, boggled on the word.

"Er, un pirata," Manuel translated for her.

"Ah!" Lucia suddenly understood, her face lighting up with excitement at the idea. "¡Piratas! ¡Que ilusion! And where must we find this pirate?"

"The Unseeables have told us that he's Italian, and that we could find him between the waters of here and Italy, but that's all we know. After all, he is a pirate, he could be anywhere. And we don't have a means to get out on the water and intentionally be raided."

She nodded. "Now I understand. I know exactly who can help you. Julio!"

Just then the same butler from before came in. "Julio is as involved with the work your parents started as I am. We work as a team," Lucia said with a smirk. "Julio is quiet as a mouse, which helps for finding new information." she gave him an order, which was replied by a "Sí, señora," before Julio walked away. "I have just asked him to send a letter to our old friend Youssef Khalid. He owns a small ship here in Málaga, and he works with me as well. He will know where your pirate was last seen. But it will take Youssef some time to prepare, so you can all stay in my masia for some time before you leave. Though, while you are here, I wonder if you can help me with something I am... how do you call it? Investigating."

"And what would that be?"

"Actually, the favor that I am asking is from them," Lucia said, referring to Yunara and Kailu.

"Us?" Kailu said. "Why?"

"Because Manuel cannot do what I require. I am having a party here at my masia tomorrow, and I will be inviting many people that knew Manuel's father, and would recognize him, which will cause suspicion. You see, as I said before, the activity of Aracs here has been low for some time now. But recently, a friend of mine and Manuel's father has died recently. He was an older man named Carlos Ruiz. They say he died of natural causes, but I don't believe he did. He was working on investigating some people that Fernando suspected to have recently converted to the Aracs when he suddenly died one night, supposedly in his sleep. I don't believe any of it, and so tonight, I am inviting many people that I know are members of the Aracs, but they don't know what I know about them. If they see Manuel, they might suspect what I am intending to do, which is to find the killer of Carlos Ruiz. I am certain that in my list of attendants, there is the killer. But I don't know who. When we discover strong enough suspects, I will take care of them myself," Lucia said, straightening out her skirt placidly, finishing her tea. "But if the two of you go in disguised as my maids, you can find out more information quicker. Normally I would ask Julio for this, but there will be many attendants to my party, and he can't have ears in all places of the masia. He will help you. During the party Manuel will have to be in his room as not to be seen. We can't risk anyone recognizing him. Will you two help me?"

Yunara considered the idea. "But I don't speak much Spanish. I won't understand them."

"Even better. You speak Spanish, don't you?" she asked Kailu.

"Yes," Kailu responded.

"Then you can help her. Translate what she needs to know quietly, but pretend that you don't speak Spanish well either. I do not think anyone will ask of you of much, most of my guests will have their own servants with them. If they see you as two foreigner maids that do not speak the language, they will be even more free with information around you."

Kailu crossed her arms. "Sounds interesting. What do we get out of it?"

"Kailu," Manuel said in a reproaching manner, but Kailu didn't bother to acknowledge him.

"It is alright, Manuel," Lucia assured him. "Well, personal gain, there is not much. But if I find proof of Carlos' death, then that will mean that the Aracs are trying to move into Spain again, like they did before. As I said, Fernando suspected more people of joining the Aracs recently, and Carlos was investigating the possibility of Aracs trying to rebuild the returning grounds that I worked so hard to help destroy in the Basque mountains. We do not like what this indicates. It would mean that Lord Stretton is moving very quickly, and is gaining more reach here on Earth. Much quicker than we predicted. I know that he has the princess of Ecencia, and what he plans to use her for. If I'm right, you might be running out of time sooner than you think. So what you have to gain is the possibility that I'm wrong, and that Carlos did die of a natural death." Lucia poured the two girls another cup of tea as she said, "But I warn you that my intuitions are hardly ever wrong, and I doubt that is the case."

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What do you think about the information we have now? The Aracs seem to be getting ready for something big. Will the Chosen be able to handle it?

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