13-09-2019, 07:43 AM
"If someone on his team is a vehicle expert, it certainly wasn't the driver of that tank." Maria told the room. "I was more afraid that he'd run someone over to get to me than of them getting me."
Before the others had arrived, Mander had asked Her Countessness privately if Her Princessness should attend the top-level meeting given what she'd just been through.
"It's a part of my world that I'd hoped to have a couple more years before having to introduce her to; but she'll need to get used to, nonetheless." Helen told him at the time. "And she has to know what to do if anything happens to me. So yes, Maria comes to the Big Kids' meetings now."
Luc took in Lady Maria's observation.
"Dietz is not simply hard on the people he works with, he's mean to them." The holographic display changed to a rotating image of Heinrich Dietz's head. La Contessa glared at it, then noticed that others were as well. "Gives them cruel nicknames based on what he thinks of them. He wouldn't waste a man who's probably suffering with being called 'Knows Cars but Otherwise Useless' on a cheap gamble like 'use one of the tanks at the castle to try and kill Lady Maria.'"
Helen took a drag and spoke.
"If it weren't for the fact that this is a secure area and Howard's people checked it before any of us entered, I'd say he's trying to mimic Vincenzo." She waited for the round of 'Forever does he reign in our hearts' before continuing. "Doing little things to force us into a meeting like this, then hit us now. Fortunately," Helen took a long drag before resuming. "I've read that script and know how it ends."
She motioned for LeGrasse to take his turn. He stood.
"Of course, we've had many reports of property damage and calls about traumatic stress from witnesses. A couple of injuries from falls and falling objects; one old man had a heart attack and he is at hospital, but no civilians directly harmed by the incident itself. Lady Maria did a fine job of keeping The People safe."
He looked to Maria with a nod and a smile. She returned them. He continued.
"The wreckage of the tank will probably still be too hot for Forensics to properly examine until sometime tomorrow. For now, I've got people going over the van and the body of the one that Monsieur Mander took down."
"Just Mander, thanks." Mander spoke up. "Sorry, go on."
"Mmm." LeGrasse Mmmed. "Based on the Generalissimo and Detective Inspector's encounter with the spy at the studio, we already searched the body and found what appears to be a glass capsule wrapped in heavy cloth. It's being sent to the Ministry of Science. We're fairly certain that this, too, will turn out to be cyanide. It's likely all the men had them."
Mander spoke up again.
"Yeah, ya see, Your Countessness? That guy at the studio sounds like another Nazi fanatic like Dietz. But he must've given it to the tanker wankers before they set out. And they'd be willing to take it, cause it'd be better than going back and getting bitched out for 'Failing Zer Fuhrer.'"
Helen agreed.
"He can't command respect, so fear's just as good. I know the type well." She saw that Maria seemed to have something to say and looked to her next.
"Si." Maria agreed. "The Detective Inspector said that he is a legacy." She looked at the men around the table to explain. "My boyfriend is a private citizen; he does not care for fancy parties and nightclubs. However, he understands that my duties often require that I be SEEN living La Dolce Vita. That even if Great-Grandmama and the nation are in a crisis, I must remain the unworried princess so that The People retain some normalcy in their lives and their children still have someone to look to in those times."
Helena reached out and patted her great-granddaughter's hand. She turned, smiled, then resumed her point.
"My point is that I am sometimes forced to be seen associating with 'legacies' like Luc described. Boys whose sole purpose for existing is to inherit. Trust fund babies who were born with an express pass to the fast lane. Whose first words were 'Do you know who my father is?' Dietz seems like he would be the Nazi version of that." She put on a mocking German accent. "Do you know who mein grandfather vas? How many of ze 'lesser races' my family has killed?" She then switched back to her own voice. "Like the boys in the clubs, he probably keeps his hangers-on in line the same way; using his name and family history to impress and intimidate them."
La Contessa and Luc nodded at Maria's point. The others got it a moment later and did the same.
"Oui, an ineffective way to manage one's people. They were so afraid of the consequences of failure that they failed. Right now, there is probably a group of even more frightened men packing up to change locations." Luc saw that some at the table didn't follow his logic. "He wasn't expecting them to survive. Dietz probably gave the order to shut it all down and relocate the moment they left. Certainly, after it made the news."
Before the others had arrived, Mander had asked Her Countessness privately if Her Princessness should attend the top-level meeting given what she'd just been through.
"It's a part of my world that I'd hoped to have a couple more years before having to introduce her to; but she'll need to get used to, nonetheless." Helen told him at the time. "And she has to know what to do if anything happens to me. So yes, Maria comes to the Big Kids' meetings now."
Luc took in Lady Maria's observation.
"Dietz is not simply hard on the people he works with, he's mean to them." The holographic display changed to a rotating image of Heinrich Dietz's head. La Contessa glared at it, then noticed that others were as well. "Gives them cruel nicknames based on what he thinks of them. He wouldn't waste a man who's probably suffering with being called 'Knows Cars but Otherwise Useless' on a cheap gamble like 'use one of the tanks at the castle to try and kill Lady Maria.'"
Helen took a drag and spoke.
"If it weren't for the fact that this is a secure area and Howard's people checked it before any of us entered, I'd say he's trying to mimic Vincenzo." She waited for the round of 'Forever does he reign in our hearts' before continuing. "Doing little things to force us into a meeting like this, then hit us now. Fortunately," Helen took a long drag before resuming. "I've read that script and know how it ends."
She motioned for LeGrasse to take his turn. He stood.
"Of course, we've had many reports of property damage and calls about traumatic stress from witnesses. A couple of injuries from falls and falling objects; one old man had a heart attack and he is at hospital, but no civilians directly harmed by the incident itself. Lady Maria did a fine job of keeping The People safe."
He looked to Maria with a nod and a smile. She returned them. He continued.
"The wreckage of the tank will probably still be too hot for Forensics to properly examine until sometime tomorrow. For now, I've got people going over the van and the body of the one that Monsieur Mander took down."
"Just Mander, thanks." Mander spoke up. "Sorry, go on."
"Mmm." LeGrasse Mmmed. "Based on the Generalissimo and Detective Inspector's encounter with the spy at the studio, we already searched the body and found what appears to be a glass capsule wrapped in heavy cloth. It's being sent to the Ministry of Science. We're fairly certain that this, too, will turn out to be cyanide. It's likely all the men had them."
Mander spoke up again.
"Yeah, ya see, Your Countessness? That guy at the studio sounds like another Nazi fanatic like Dietz. But he must've given it to the tanker wankers before they set out. And they'd be willing to take it, cause it'd be better than going back and getting bitched out for 'Failing Zer Fuhrer.'"
Helen agreed.
"He can't command respect, so fear's just as good. I know the type well." She saw that Maria seemed to have something to say and looked to her next.
"Si." Maria agreed. "The Detective Inspector said that he is a legacy." She looked at the men around the table to explain. "My boyfriend is a private citizen; he does not care for fancy parties and nightclubs. However, he understands that my duties often require that I be SEEN living La Dolce Vita. That even if Great-Grandmama and the nation are in a crisis, I must remain the unworried princess so that The People retain some normalcy in their lives and their children still have someone to look to in those times."
Helena reached out and patted her great-granddaughter's hand. She turned, smiled, then resumed her point.
"My point is that I am sometimes forced to be seen associating with 'legacies' like Luc described. Boys whose sole purpose for existing is to inherit. Trust fund babies who were born with an express pass to the fast lane. Whose first words were 'Do you know who my father is?' Dietz seems like he would be the Nazi version of that." She put on a mocking German accent. "Do you know who mein grandfather vas? How many of ze 'lesser races' my family has killed?" She then switched back to her own voice. "Like the boys in the clubs, he probably keeps his hangers-on in line the same way; using his name and family history to impress and intimidate them."
La Contessa and Luc nodded at Maria's point. The others got it a moment later and did the same.
"Oui, an ineffective way to manage one's people. They were so afraid of the consequences of failure that they failed. Right now, there is probably a group of even more frightened men packing up to change locations." Luc saw that some at the table didn't follow his logic. "He wasn't expecting them to survive. Dietz probably gave the order to shut it all down and relocate the moment they left. Certainly, after it made the news."
Like, Comment and Give Rating.
![[+]](https://xossipy.com/themes/sharepoint/collapse_collapsed.png)