The girl still sobbed, but nodded. At least she didn't scream before they'd even touched her like the last one had. Gwen shook that image out of her head. She felt more than a little embarrassed for Jonathon Phillips. Not that she'd wanted him to resist or anything, but he'd gone from checking out her rack to peeing himself without even pausing hardly. She just hoped this one would be better.
“Good! Now, Bethany, if you'd please go into your interview state and monitor Miss Forster's thoughts for us?”
The questions came fast, hitting the subject from all different angles. After about fifteen minutes it became clear that the girl really didn't know anything about the sacrifices at all.
“It was just extra-credit.” She moaned finally. “Phillips told me that I could have extra credit in religions if I did him a favor. At first... I thought he was going to try and take liberties, which I don't allow, since I'm a good enough student to get through my courses without doing things like that, but all he wanted me to do was spend some time charging some spheres for magics research. It's boring, but he promised to put a word in for me with Professor Debussey in TMs too, so that I could maybe intern with her next semester. I knew it was a long shot, but he said that Professor Mathews would second it, since the work was actually for him. It didn't seem like a big deal...”
After another half an hour of questioning, Beth dropping in and out of her interview condition to share information every five minutes or so, they came to understand that this girl hadn't done anything wrong. Bethany confirmed that charging the spheres, even if she knew they were for teletransport, wasn't illegal or even bad, just a lot of work on Emma's part.
“Well, no need to keep her locked up then, right?” Gwen looked at the other woman questioningly, in case protocol said she was wrong and they really did need to keep the girl controlled for some reason her lack of knowledge didn't let her see yet.
Beth pulled the key out of her pocket and released Emma, who rubbed at her wrists, then her jaw, which apparently still hurt a bit, a bruise having formed exactly where Gwen's knuckles had impacted.
“Um, well, sorry about having hit you like that. In my defense, we kind of did have every reason to think you were some high-powered magical killer when we apprehended you. I hope you understand... Well, at least that I'm sorry that you were injured, even if you don't get the reason why.” Gwen shrugged, not knowing what else to say to the girl. It had been a mess-up, but they really couldn't just talk to her normally given everything else that had been taking place.
The image popped into her mind then of her walking over with Beth in tow, standing in front of the girl and politely asking if she was Emma Forster and if she'd like to go with them quietly to the Constabulary for a cup of tea. Why yes, that sounds ever so nice, imaginary Emma replied in her head. First though, won't you have this giant fireball? Yeah, that would have worked well, Gwen thought, trying to smile at the girl.
The young lady kept rubbing her jaw for a while before speaking.
“No, I can see the reason, but I'm sorry you had to hit me too.” She said, a wry grin on her face showing a quick bounce back from the traumatic events of the last hours. “Mainly though I'm just upset that I did all that work for nothing. Worse, my work is helping murders go free. Is there... is there anything I can do to stop it? I mean, it was my energy, so can I re-purpose it using ritual or by, I don't know, altering the radiatives so that it won't work to help them escape? If they haven't already used them of course...”
Bethany stood up straight and walked out of the room directly, not telling Gwen what she had in mind, closing the door behind her firmly.
They chatted for a while then, Gwen asking her about world history, since that seemed to be one of the younger girl's passions. Emma proved to be a virtual encyclopedia on the topic.
“Seriously? Genghis Khan took all of Europe except England? In his own lifetime? So their empire, the Mongols, were a world power for how long?”
The six centuries Emma talked about were a lot different than what Gwen remembered from her world. There only a chunk of Europe had been taken, then everything died back as the Mongol power structure fell apart. The further back they went, the more similar the histories sounded. Ancient Rome seemed identical to what she knew about it, the girl blushed when she mentioned their sexual habits back then, telling her that in some places in Europa they still lived that way, which seemed very naughty to her. The girl actually whispered and giggled when she said “naughty”. It made Gwen feel even worse about having hit her like she had.
Christianity had largely died out about a thousand years before, so instead of spreading around the world it faded away before the crusades could take place. The miracles of Christ didn't seem nearly such a big deal here, apparently. No one celebrated Christmas, though Emma did describe a week long winter festival that took place around the solstice in December. People normally called it Yule.
Gwen nodded, figuring that sounded about right. People would find an excuse to party when they could, and winter seemed a natural time to develop a big tradition that way. All the early farmers didn't have a lot else to do then and everyone would be getting bored, without television or even radio to entertain them.
“I really should learn more about history. Maybe you could... I don't know, recommend a book or two? I guess that's a lot to ask for... given what happened earlier. Sorry again about hitting you like that...”
The other woman assured her that all was forgiven, or would be when her head stopped aching at least. She seemed more worried about what people would think at the university, having seen her taken away in chains. Gwen thought about it for a bit, considering the situation from what she knew to be an outsider's position.
“Will... that be a problem for you? I mean, if we let you go, won't people figure out that you didn't do anything wrong? Or is there something we could do to help smooth things over for you? Talk to some of the professors maybe?”
Before the girl could answer, the door opened again, Bethany leading Doctor Debussey in after her.
“This is the girl I mentioned doctor, Emma Forster. Her energy is what seems to be powering the teletransport orbs that these people have been using to escape, is it possible, with her help, that we may alter the state of the energy somehow do you think?” Bethany stood watching the older woman closely, almost like she had in her analytical working state before.
The doctor regarded the girl quietly for a few moments.
“Are you willing to help us do this, Miss Forster?” She asked softly.
“Oh yes. Please.” the girl enthused, desperately wanting to undo her part in all of this, if she could, or so it seemed to Gwen.
“Well then,” Debussey grinned, a slightly wicked thing, as if she planned to do something very nasty to someone that really deserved it. “I think we can do quite a bit to stop their getaways.”
Chapter fourteen
As much as Gwen wanted to go and watch the ritual that Doctor Debussey and Emma were going to perform, it became clear within seconds of thinking about it that doing so wouldn't work out. Beth simply had too much to do at the office and the other two would have to go back to the university for supplies in order to do the needed magic. Her job was to stay with Beth, so it just didn't line up.
Before they left, she pulled the older woman aside, into the telestator room for a moment.
“OK, Doc, this girl, Emma Forster? She was kind of promised a recommendation with you by the bad guys. Not a position itself mind, just a recommendation for the work she did. Now, I don't know if she's a good candidate or not, something about an internship, but... Well, she did the work, which sounds like a lot. So if that means anything to you... she seems like a nice person at least.”
Gwen knew that the girl would probably have a hard time for a while after this, but maybe if the older woman took an interest in her it would soften the backlash a little. She tried to convey this in the polite fashion everyone seemed to use here, then finally just blurted it all out, much to the woman's amusement.
“Don't worry, Miss Farris, I'll keep an eye on her. Honestly, she's already come to my attention. One of the more promising female students in the new class. She actually seems interested in learning, not just finding a promising young man to marry. Not that there's anything wrong with marriage, but it's so nice when the students are actually bothering to try... I can't promise an internship based on that, but if she manages this ritual well tonight... I'll let her know you recommended her. It should make her feel better at least. This whole situation is just... horrid.”
The older woman clasped her hands in front of her suit jacket, a plain gold color, but shiny, as if made of silk. The suspenders she wore were a light red, just peeking out from underneath the edge of a vest that looked to be similar material, but a warmer copper color. On her feet, she wore what looked like thin moccasins, they had thick leather soles, with no discernible traction. Gwen wondered if anyone had ever come up with the idea of traction soles here yet. Or even rubber soled shoes? Everything she'd seen so far, on anyone's feet, seemed to be leather or wood, even though the lorries all used solid looking rubber tires, so this world had the right substances. Probably natural rubber, rather than synthetic. It would still work though.
“Do you have transportation back to the university? If not, I think I can get James to take you...”
Smiling, the older woman let her know that that would be wonderful, if not a personal hardship for her. Walking briskly, Gwen showed the two women to the white carriage out front, Emma's eyes bulged a little when she saw it, but she stayed silent about her thoughts.
James smiled when he saw her and looked more than willing to deliver the two women.
“Then come back here, miss?” His voice sounded extra professional in front of the other women.
“Actually... Why don't you head home for the night? I think Beth and I, Detective Westmorland and I, will probably be here for some time, but we can walk home. I don't know what the schedule is going to be like tomorrow. I'm planning a shopping trip soon for clothes. Oh, wait!”
She jumped up on the runner board and stuck her head into the carriage portion of the lorrie suddenly.
“Doctor Debussey! I almost forgot... Where do you get your clothes?”
She tried to memorize what was said and decided that Beth's habit of carrying a pad to write everything down on made a lot of sense. She'd have to get one of her own soon. Thanking the woman with a smile, she dropped to the ground and carefully shut the door for them.
“Thanks, James. See you tomorrow...” She called to him, so he'd know he could drive on safely now without risking her feet being crushed.