The Spirits And The Devastating War
Chapter-12
The Final Search Begins!
"Oh, good Lord! I am glad you're safe Harry", bickered Peter after Harry told him what blunder he had done, "You went Cygnus? Without my approval... This is just a nuisance, Harry. Don't think about me. But what about our team? Did you ever think of it? You went there, spoke dialogues and came back. This is just so astonishing and agonising too."
"Come on, Peter! I am safe now. And we know where those children are! What's the matter, then? I knew if I just spoke a few words regarding the promises he made, I was confirmed that he'd leave me..."
"You risked your life on just a probability that the promises he made. Wow! What a wonderful plan!", taunted Peter.
"Don't you remember Oliver gave me 6 years when he met us for the first time when we were interrogating Rogers? For a king like him, his impression matters and that's what I focused my words on. Before six years, he won't kill me and I was sure of it... That doesn't mean probability!"
"Nice! But now we don't have the chance to test Valencia or Charlotte."
"I am still working on that part"
"I think I've figured it out.", Ramesh broke in the conversation who was just standing at the corner with a pencil in his mouth, as always, "A competition!"
"A competition?"
"Yeah! Between someone versus Valencia who is good at fights like Harry. We'll trick her and then fight to see the way she counter-attacks. The question is who'll fight?"
"You", Peter asserted, "You're good at fighting and your bases of fighting are brilliantly developed. So who'd be a better option? Not David, not Harry and not also me."
"That's a good suggestion... Who'd be better than you, young man?", said Mendator 'David'.
"Ramesh, this might be a very good time to tackle your nerves, don't you think so?", taunted Harry ironically.
"How will I attack her...", Ramesh just spoke this and then appeared with the most eccentric expression when he saw who was on the gate.
"Hey, guys! Stopped speaking, Ramesh? Who is going to be attacked? Which girl or woman? You remarked 'her'!", Valencia entered the room without any knocks on the door.
"You should've knocked!", stammered David.
"Err---Sorry Sir---the gate was open and I believed that I could entertain."
"That's too polite of you, Valencia.", Harry obscured the truth, "Any deeds?"
"No! Just to ask about the case! If any announcements, the public has expectations..."
"Was going to call you about it.", replied Peter, "Hold a conference at about five in the evening today and the case is solved."
"Brilliant!"
Valencia had left the room and Ramesh was still startled and the same expression grunted his voice in fear.
"Ramesh, you're going to do this at one in the afternoon. All on you and then we might find one more."
Ramesh nodded and had no choice except to accept the challenge. It was about ten now in the morning and Ramesh was preparing his script for some challenge. Harry and Peter had decided to stay in the almirah to watch the match. The almirah was big enough. David, as usual, would be in his room meditating at the time when this all would happen.
These were very slow hours for the boy. He felt inept and thought how'd he manage all the mess. His chest was heaving with emotions. Though the hours were stolid, they passed. Ramesh called Valencia and asked her to come to his room for some deeds suggested by Harry. All the plan was a play of Peter's mind. After the call, Peter encouraged Ramesh though it had created more pressure, "Please, don't ebb away Ramesh. This is the final chance."
The doorbell rang. On the call of Harry, everyone held their positions in the room. Ramesh hid just beside the door in a manner that he would not be seen when someone opens the door as the door would cover him. He unlocked the door and steadily held his position.
Valencia had a bright look at Ramesh through the body that was exposed but acted if she didn't notice anything.
"Sir? Any works? Where are you?", acted Valencia.
Ramesh, with dump footsteps, adjudicated to tackle her on her back while she was looking in the front. While as a response Valencia had raised her hand from the side Ramesh was coming. Ramesh, too fast, was not able to control his speed and was whacked by the hand she didn't raise to beat. She rose the hand just to defend herself. Well, Ramesh was not a sort of man who could be knocked out in just one throw. He rose and attempted to whack Valencia as a response. Valencia ducked and observed Ramesh's skills for a second or two. Every try Ramesh made was eliminated by her ducks and then counter-attacks. As a result, Ramesh fell on the floor and just then Valencia, as the last move, suppressed and stifled him on the floor by her hand.
"You men! Spirits, as you call yourself. Ramesh, you might be selected but I suspected you. Attacking a woman was me when you were talking to Harry. He shall know what you did. I am glad I knew some self-defence. And what I am saying is wrong, Harry and Peter, too, have been keeping an eye on me. The world shall know your team's perception of women."
Valencia had left Ramesh because he was not capable enough to breathe at that moment. Ramesh coughed and brought his oxygen level to normal.
Harry came out of the almirah clapping and with the most sparkling emotions. Valencia stood and suspected the whole team.
"Calm down, Valencia. This isn't a hint of thunder. Was all our plan."
"Don't excuse. I know your team's perception.", Valencia was still not able to trust the team, "This is lob sided. Fight one versus one. Not three against one."
"You still don't quite understand? I saw your name on Cygnus. The people to be attacked and the main targets. Your name was inscribed, there."
"What's that, Cygnus? You told in the conference, it matters nothing to you and neither do you remember it."
"I belong to that planet, Val. I consider you as my observatory demeanour. Ramesh as Hard-Worker and David as concentration. This does not matter. Peter will tell you all the politics. Give me your photo, any, and Peter bring the portfolio."
"I don't have one.", Valencia was not able to keep up with what was going on.
"You'll have your identity card. That would work."
Meanwhile, Peter brought the portfolio and brought the Chalice out of it.
"My identity card? It would be very difficult and exhausting to make a new one. You know, paperwork?"
"You'll don't need one. You're joining the team."
Valencia, with some trust, handed over the card and her photo to Harry. Harry charmed and incanted the cup and put the photo in the flames. He didn't feel for a second and feared if he risked the Chalice Of Demeanours. But it wasn't. He felt after that second. The feeling he gains every time he got a demeanour. He was happy, along with Peter and Ramesh.
"I still don't quite understand. Why are you all so happy?"
"You are selected, my eagle-eyed demeanour. That reminds me of the name 'EGALIATOR'. Self-made.", said Harry amusingly.
"There is no denying you're too good at nomenclature, Harry.", Peter appreciated, "Valencia, I would tell you about it later before the conference, today. But we need tickets to go to London overmorrow. You're coming with us. Would you mind if we invite Ms. Wilson, too? Charlotte? She's also brilliant."
"She never would mind it. She'll come, of course", remarked Valencia with still a lot of suspense.
In this happy moment, Harry's phone rang and the other man said, "The work's done, sir. Selected the team."
"If you wouldn't mind, I might ask WHO'S THIS?", asked Harry on the phone.
"Sir, Hudson. Edwin Hudson"
"Didn't recognise you. Speak Up!"
"Sir, the headquarters are built. About 2000 to 3000 thousand people have been selected at different posts for THE SPIRITS."
"Oh! Thanks for informing. We'll be coming to London, back soon."
After the phone, Peter and Ramesh, in excitement, broke David's concentration, who was sitting in another room.
Meanwhile, Harry told everything to Valencia and she understood it, too.
Peter came back and said in excitement, "Now, we're left with the last one, Smartness and we will find it, too."
"Hope so. But the smartness demeanour is the most difficult to find. That poster also showed the name PET... And nothing else."
"Then, we are likely to fail."
Though the tension that arose between the friends, the team had so many talks and the next few hours went so fast unlikely those in the morning. The time of the conference had arrived.
The team left in the same limousine.
For Valencia, it was very difficult for her to cope up with everything. In a second, her life had changed exponentially. She still had some doubts on the team but what can explain Harry's powers other than planets or alien invasions. She was left with no choice except to believe the team. Everything seemed just so strange for her but this was the truth she had to live with. But this wasn't a harsh truth. She didn't even inform her parents about it. Till yesterday, she stood at the corner of the conference, but today she'd be sitting beside David.
The Conference was like every time with mics and tables and a whole lot of news reporters. But with each conference, Harry's popularity was increasing.
The conference started with Harry, who took the lead, "I have so many good pieces of news today. First of all, I have found the Observatory demeanour and it is none other than Valencia Johnson. We are now left with only one man or woman to find... Then, we might stand a chance. The final search begins." Valencia took a sigh of a boon and thought her parents would have been proud, "Second, the headquarter of THE SPIRITS with the tagline Let's Do Something Different has been set up in London and people have been selected. They'll be trained on a large scale. Third and the most important for the Maniac case is that its mastermind was Robert Brooke; A Cygnian man. That same man attacked the U.N. Meeting and it was their plan to catch me if I did something silly. They knew our whereabouts from ages and generations. Well, the children and money are in a house on Abercrombie Lane. I leave this task for the police force. We cannot expose that man but I swear there would be no such cases again, now. Well, I proclaim that Cygnus is a planet. And their king is the antagonist who I talk of frequently. Over and Out! Let's Do Something Different..."
Harry ended up the conference like always leaving the public in a sense of suspense.
-To be Continued
(Abhinav Srivastava)
Very well written
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