104 - Threat Levels

In Shashi’s office a whirl of encaustic moths hovered over her desk.  She leaned back in her chair, one foot gently rocking the cradle where her new baby girl slept.  Her eyes were closed and she hummed.  As she processed the correct tones, information flowed through the cluster of moths and they formed shapes in the air as the data flowed.  Faces formed and then disappeared and flowed into other faces.

General de M’olfe: Hero of the Milar war.  Personally saved Diryish from an assassination attempt at the risk of his own life.  Most people wouldn’t think of him as a possible threat.  Father’s files: 12 thru 22. Assigned threat level: 4

General Farmi: Youngest general.  Impoverished family. Vulnerable to blackmail.  Confessed to tax and sexual crimes and allowed us to entrap the blackmailer. Mother’s analysis, filed here. Assigned threat level: 8

Basserus Brothers: Nadian the Elder attempted assassination on Diryish at the end of the Milar war, foiled by General de M’olfe and his own elder son.

Bilip Basserus: Zardukar reports filed here.  Assigned threat level: 4

Nadian Basserus: Evidence of blood drawn.  Visual, while sleeping. I observed that his lip is lacerated and bleeding.  When I kissed him next morning it was clear that he has been attacking the inside of his lips for some reason and for some time.  Illicit clinery or mandery? Never tested for zardukar. Assigned threat level: 3 A gut feeling more than any direct evidence.

Vizier Zurchan: Most people believe his loyalty to Diryish.  Hates his guts and has been paid to attempt to poison Diryish once before.  No direct evidence of link at the time, threat level re-assessed under Spymaster Abu. Current assigned threat level: 1 This time I have proof of your collusion with that idiot server.  Daddy didn’t have proof of the last attempt we suspected you were involved in.  This time I’ve got you, you endarkened bastard.

Her eyes popped open to see the Vizier’s face reflected back to her, in black.  “Jammileh, my darling baby, we’ve found a threat to your uncle Diryish.”  She drew a finger through the moths over her desk and the bulk of them settled quiescent onto the desktop, while four others flew down the hall to hover over Diryish’s desk, waiting for him to finish his last piece of work, before delivering her message.

“I’ve found who paid that assassin... at least one of them.  The whole consipiracy will no doubt come out when he is arrested and I have solid evidence for his arrest.  It’s Zurchan.”

**

“Dagdohva, this will be your desk while you work for us.  The messages we receive will be sorted before you see them so you don’t need to dig through that mass just to start.”

“Thank you, Programmer Datrus.  I will be most diligent.”

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Sorry I'm late.  Life really happened suddenly today.