Listening to the cat talk about his selfish needs just makes my flash drives purge. Except he is right. We need to put our personal issues aside and help Master Justin. I need evidence before I can make any accusations. Accessing information and storing it in virtual memory so no trace of my handiwork can be found is the first step. No need for any of those pesky Inquisitions the Church is so fond of these days.
"I am sorry to be the one to tell you this. I would have reported this to your mother and I may still but I am not sure how she will take the information. I told the House because I thought he might be able to help in a way I could not. For now, can we keep it our secret?" Justin nods and wiped at one of his eyes. He tried to look brave.
"And I think you're right, Cat. There is more here than meets the eye. Take a look. I cold-beam him a stream of data regarding Grimaldi that confirmed my suspicion. Grimaldi was a candidate for the Theocrat of New York, but he was considered to be the least likely candidate to be chosen because he is the only Proctor who is unmarried. A Theocrat must be married showing his commitment to business and religion, his wife must be both a religious leader and effective social agent of change in the community."
"So what are we going to do?" Justin sounded quite upset but did not break down, as I thought he might.
"We are going to figure out what they are doing and fix it. What kind of conqueror would I be, if I allowed my first, best and most favorite subject to come to harm?" boasted the cat, puffing out its chest and standing up on its hind legs leaning up against Master Justin.
Blowhard. If I had legs I could do that fawning thing. Anyway, if the information the cat has collected is accurate, Justin's health will continue to deteriorate and likely be dead or dying in another two months. It looks slow enough to appear to be of natural causes, but timely enough that Master Grimaldi would be able to carry out his dastardly plan that we are accusing him of but have not a shred of proof.
"Justin, it's time for your medication, but we are going to arrange for you to be busy, so you will happen to miss this dose. Cat, you move around the complex, and only the complex, do not leave the grounds of this building. Outside this building, you are a potential meal.
"I will do some research and let you know what I come up with."
"Okay Max, if there is anything I can do to help..." Justin sounds positively heartbroken.
"Of course, sir. Out, you two, I have work to do."
I begin my search for information on the NewerNetwork and study the Proctor Grimaldi closer than I have ever wanted to before. It does not take long before I am running up against firewall and security software as strong as I am. Since the destruction of the Russian and Brazilian NewerNet nodes, many of my false aliases were lost, so I was forced to take greater risks by penetrating the Indo-Sino network. False aliases. I know you want me to explain, but while you are sleeping, I need something to do. So I visit foreign computer networks.
My software was tagging anything in the open news services and in the last six months, the Proctor's name appeared significantly more often, particularly related to medicine, pharmacology and new operations in both of those fields. It seems a new medical facility and pharmacology wing were opened in midtown, near what was left of Central Park. A facility that is upstairs from Justin's newest doctor.
The incoming vox line pings and comes online. There is the sound of hysterical crying and I recognize the voice.
"Mistress, are you okay?"
"Max, its Todd, he was arrested today. The Religious Police came in beat him and dragged him away. For heresy."
So that's how he's going to get rid of Master Pennyworth. I think I owe that Cat an apology.
'Metal Organism Designed only for Cuddling' © Thaddeus Howze 2010. All Rights Reserved
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