Chapter 4
Halls of Academe
Remy squinted as his heavy boots struck the stone floors of the Univesity. He was glad about leaving Shannon at the hotel. Imgagine the noise that troll could make. Especailly with Kyle, having to drive the hovertuck, was coming. Between Kyle and Shannon they could cause enough of an uproar to get thrown out of a heavy metal concert. Sharon had also come with him. Remy felt the for a little magical back-up even though he and Kyle both had heavy pistols now placed in concealed holsters. Heavier sub-machine guns were left out of sight since they would be harder to conceal.
Sharon was getting tired of walking up all the stairs, past portnors who eyed her with suspicion. Wishing that Remy had decided to leave her back at the hotel along with Shannon, Fulcrum, Michael, and Lori. Most of them were still alseep or having breakfast. Something that Remy had made her skip. He was sure to get the three of them got up in time to make it to the Univesrity so they would have the rest of the day for the trip to Skye.
Finally Remy stopped at a door that said "Prof. Amelia Rishardson" on the plain, panneled door at the far end of one of those interminable passages. Remy simply put two and two together and guessed that this was the right name. So he knocked politely at the door. Something Sharon rarely saw him do. He hadn't this morning when he woke her up.
"Come in." A voice with a familiar accent called. Remy turned the doorknob and walked in. Kyle and Sharon followed.
Amelia Richardson is a tall woman with elegant features, probably in her mid-40s. Every surface in her office overflows with real books and countless objects and ornaments featuring traditional Celtic designs. The brass model of the solar system and huge trid horoscope display tells Remy and Sharon both of Amelia's intrest in astrology. Kyle could care less. From behind her imposing desk, which itself is drawfed by the trideo and computer moniters on its surface, she gave a bright-eyed and attentice look of calm intelligence.
"Are you the mixed-course students?" She asks.
Remy smiled openly, he knew the accent in the voice. It was definitaly from Seattle. He was careful, however, to remain on good terms. Letting his natural charisma do the work for him. "You're from Seattle? It's nice to finally meet someone likewise in a city of strangers. My name is Remy Corllien, also resident of Seattle." Remy made a comforting smile. He was being straight forward with her. No lies or cons to hear what he wanted her to hear. It was as if Remy trusted Amelia with his very soul. "You know a Elven named Quicksilver, no?" Remy gestured widely with his hands. "I'm afraid I have some bad news for you. It seems he's come up missing and someone hired us to find him. We know of the friendship the two of you must have. At the moment that is about all we know and we know very little, as you can tell."
"I know Quicksilver." She said, openly. Then remained silenty, listening intamately. Ignoring the rest of what Remy Corllien had said.
"Yes, but something unusual happened recently. In fact, it was just yesterday. A friend of mine was in the matrix when she encountered a strange case. She called it an imago, i believe. A child, no less, in form and posture. It mentioned your name. Call me crazy, but our decker that the child\imago resembled Quicksilver."
Amelia tilted her head intelligently. "Who is your employer?" Being from Seattle, she understood the loyality Remy had to Cameron. Dunting that he would tell her anything because of this. Yet Amelia only wanted basic information.
"You sure you need to know?" He wouldn't get any information out of her without telling her. Remy was hesitant, but with what he knew about Cameron and his work with Quicksilver. He didn't see much of the problem in telling. Plus there was something of a triangle between the three. Each having connecting intrests running through Quicksilver whom they both knew and trusted. "He's name is Alasdair Cameron." Remy finally said.
Amelia recognized the name as Quicksilver's research assistant. "Yes, I remember who he is. Please have a seat."
"Might I ask, Prof. Richardson, what kind of a friendship did the two of you have." Sharon wondered, taking a seat. Kyle couldn't believe it, the two of them were beginning to sound like a couple of Lone Star cops. Amelia had to notice this too.
Amelia smiled at the thought. "We are friends that had the same intrests in magical and occult traditions."
Sharon pressed further.
"He had an intrest in astrology, an area some of my colleagues study. You may guess, my intrests lie in that field, too."
Remy remembered the discomfort that Amelia looked when he had mentioned the imago in the Matrix earlier. "Why do you think the imago mentioned you in particular, eh? Personnaly, I'm stumped on the thought."
"I don't feel that I can share the reason for that with you just yet. I mean, I only just met you a few minutes ago." Amelia stirred, she was hiding something. Yet she was mantaining her pose. She didn't completely trust Remy and his followers. Feeling that the time just wasn't right. "I last saw Quicksilver three weeks ago. I think he was on his way to see a woman...a lover. I don't know where. He wouldn't say much about her."
"A druid?"
"Yes, her name being Foina Mac Mhuirich. I belive she lives on the Isle of Skye."
"Where?"
Amelia once again gave the educated Professor look at Remy. "Dunvegan Castle. The Isle of Skye was one of Quicksilver's regular haunts."
"A castle, eh?" Remy repeated. "Full of Druids no less. Help me out, is there anything special about the place? Magical energies and such?"
"The castle is a major religious site on the Sickle Ley Line. Even if you don't find her, ten to one you'll find someone there who knows where she is."
Sharon temporally shifted to her astral senses and scanned the room. "Excuse me, Professor, but I couldn't help but notice the Celtic Medallions on the table in a glass case." Sharon said, walking over to the bookshelves. "And these books? As a fellow studier of magical theories, I must congradulate you on your collection."
"As per my studies." Amelia said, turning to punch up her scehdule on her computer. "I'm sorry, but I don't have anymore time to spend. I have a class to teach and research this afternoon." She tilted her head curiously. Almost like she was considering something. "But let me give you my telecom number. I would like to hear from you again. Tell me what you found at Skye, if you don't mind." In a way, Amelia was concrened for Quicksilver. The main reason why she opened up a little more. Otherwise, she might have told the group to leave. She could keep the fact that she had Quicksilver's cyberdeck at her flat hidden forever. Someone had to know. Quicksilver had said that someone would be coming for it one day. And that she was to aid them with all her power and resources for the sake of a life and a love. No matter the cost.
Amelia remained unemtional. "I do some enchanting to help pay for the bills my department has. I
don't work with sorcery and spells as often as I used to...."
Later
Remy returned to the hotel for lunch with the others almost screaming and shouting. But he held himself in and remained calm and cool as always. Trying not to worry the others that their leader was really getting ticked off. By the time he stepped into the hallway leading to their rooms his was ready to let it all out in front of Sharon, Lori, Shannon, Fulcrum, and Michael.
"She was hiding something." Remy said. "But what? What did she know that was so important."
Sharon sighed. "Remy, think about it. She just met us. Three people walk into her office like the fuzz. Would you have completely trusted us if you were in her place. I know she was hiding something. The patterns in her aura told me that and the fact the she was so hesitant when you asked her other questions. But, like you, I don't know what it was. She was a mage."
"It doesn't matter, because I want to find out. Fulcrum, find out where she lives. You and Michael are breaking in there tonight."
"Lot of good that'll do."
"You know, Corllien, we also have a trip to Skye to make." Shannon said, his chair crying out under his weight. He was sitting in the corner of the hall with a Ingram Smartgun carefully tucked out of sight hooked to a smartlink the troll had. Acting as sentry.
"The trip can wait, the island's not going anywhere. It'll be there in the morning. But will Amelia?"
"Remy," Sharon stopped before saying anything. After all, they were standing in the middle of the hallway. "Let's step inside you room." She added.
Remy sighed and slide his passcard into the slot and the door clicked open. Sharon made sure to close it behind her so that the others would not hear.
"Remy, you can't keep acting like this. The others need you. We're counting on you, Remy Corllien, to lead us through with the run. It's not good for the others to see you in this kind of rage over the simple fact that Amelia decided not to tell us everything. She is a mage, Remy. She was checking us out while you talked. I know she used a truth analyze spell to keep an eye on us. She just felt that now wasn't the right time to tell us everything."
"What about you?" Remy sighed again, groaning. Staring out the window over the city of Edinbrugh and wondering. What would it have been like?
"What?" She replied in a shallow voice.
"Don't you need me?" He turned. "There was a time when we were together. When we both needed each other for something more than making nuyen on shadowruns. Don't you remember it?"
"I--" She started, then thought back to what really happened five years ago. "You were to one who left Portland, or don't you remember? You pulled up on me." She stopped. "I'll admit that there was a time when I was kind of angry toward you. That was just one night though. You left that night."
"Eh?" Remy said. "Think about it, a human in an Elven land. Besides, Seattle is my home. Lousiana is gone. It's behind me along with the rest of the CSA. This is my life now.
"But now look at you. Eight months ago you pop up in Seattle, leaving you home as I left mine, and who do you bring along with you but the shaman.
