CHAPTER 44    

Of all the stupid things that Carol had ever heard, this one probably out shined them all. Arthur promptly walked into a side conference room and Carol heard him asking for a secured line. All the while, Noceauni was pacing around and looked almost human as he bit his nails in frustration and fear. Carol figured he had good reason and she bit into him with, "are you really that desperate? How stupid could you be? Does the Emperor know about this?"
Noceauni proved that he still had his ferocious instincts when he snarled and replied, "of course he does! How else did you think we were going to build an intelligence network on earth?" Noceauni gestured to his ears and added, "these do present something of a problem you know."
It was quite clear that the conversation was not going to go anywhere and, besides, the damage done by the Fey was no longer an issue. Carol almost completely forgot about it when she heard Arthur raise his voice on the phone and say, "then don't waste time talking to me. You know what to do." He came walking back in the room and asked the elf ambassador, "I would ask you how certain you are of your information but, I would say after that phone call, I can confirm that this is worst case."
Carol's eyes kept drifting back to the room that Arthur was in and she had an accusing tone when she asked, "who were you just talking too? Was that Coven Hill?"
There was a moment of hesitation before Arthur replied with a resolute certainty, "of course it was. Who else would I call at a time like this. The real question we have is what do we need to do in order to contain the problem?"
Carol knew a deflection when she heard one, after all, that was her business. She thought about what to do next as she quietly asked Arthur, "are they under attack? Coven Hill?"
Arthur seemed almost irritated as he grunted, "yes. Now focus on what we need to do. We are going to need damage control. Consider that your primary job for right now, Carol. The Americans are going to figure this out and we have to be ready."
"I have to make a call," Carol said as she began to walk to the door.
Arthur sounded very suspicious when he asked, "where are you going? This is your office."
As Carol walked out the door she snidely replied, "from where I'm standing it doesn't look that way to me." She slammed the door behind her and ducked into a secretaries office that was just down the hall. The place looked like it belonged to an elf but, no one was in it at the moment. Carol produced her cell phone and with a single touch of the screen she called the only person that mattered at the moment. The woman on the other end of the call sounded rattled and Carol could hear some very disturbing sounds in the background. Carol knew what she had to do so she practically commanded into the phone, "Jeanette, calm down. Can you get to Amanda?"
Jeannette Snow's voice was still shaking as she quickly replied, "she's right here with me now. I don't know where Sir Barnabas went. He said to....”
Carol practically snapped when she replied, "forget everything Riley said. You remember what I told you to do if something went wrong? Well consider this wrong. Can you get out of there?"
It took a moment before Jeanette replied but she did sound certain when she said, "yes I can see a car from here. I'm sure the keys are in it, no, wait I think it's even running. It belongs to one of the security men and....”
"Jeanette," Carol said in a manner that she hoped would calm her mother-in-law down, "you can do this. Get to the car and go where I told you. Understood? Call me when....” Carol stopped talking when she looked up and saw those eyes staring back at her. She collected herself quickly and then in a hostile tone she told Arthur, as she hung up the phone, "this is a private call Arthur. It's none of your business."
Arthur remained calm as he closed the door to the office and told his niece, "I am afraid that everything concerning little Amanda is my business."
Carol was quite scornful as she replied, "not anymore. You said you could protect her and now Anson Hall is under attack."
Arthur stopped pacing and put his hands on the back of a chair as he looked to his niece and told her, "Riley knows how important that little girl is. He, and every man there, would die to protect her."
What was that supposed to mean? Carol remained unconvinced as she replied, "you can't possibly think that I would believe that controlling my vote on the board was that important. You've already marginalized me, so, I really don't see where you need Amanda."
Arthur only shook his head in condescension as he told Carol, "this has nothing to do with any of that. I made a promise to your father that I would look after you and your family should anything happen."
Carol had known this man for her entire life and she knew when he was lying. She decided to play a hunch as her hand slid down in her purse, "was that before or after you had my father killed."
That actually seemed to genuinely surprise him but, Carol was not exactly sure why. Arthur gestured to himself as he accusingly asked, "you think I killed him? Your father was one of my best friends. We were comrades in arms. We were Caladfwich.”
Carol had kept the little pistol within arms reach ever since that day she was attacked in New York. She never dreamed she would be pulling it out in a situation like this. She made sure Arthur could see that it was in her hand but, she did not point it at him. He did not seem terribly impressed by the site. If anything, he was more concerned when Carol told him, "so were you and Ian. That certainly came to an end. You know when I went to see him, he told me that my mother, my real mother, is still alive."
While she made an impact, it was not exactly what Carol had expected. Arthur rolled his eyes and mumbled under his breath, "he always was a sentimental fool." When Arthur saw that this was not enough he told his niece, "yes it is true but, for the safety of you both, you could not know that the other existed. I do hope that Ian was not foolish enough to tell you who she was."
"I think he would have," Carol replied, "but I rather thought I would want to hear that from you. I am taking it by your lack of denial that it is true, uncle. That alone would give you motive. Do you deny this?"
Arthur was leaning on the chair and looking down as he considered his words. After a deep breath he told Carol, "I was not lying to you before. Coven Hill really is under attack. Before coming down here, I saw the news on the telly, and there are attacks all over Britain right now. We are not behind this."
"Don't change the subject," Carol demanded.
"I'm not," Arthur replied. "I'm making a point Carol. You heard what  Noceauni had to say. Who do you think is attacking the English if it is not us?"
It sounded very much like a doge to Carol, "are you trying to tell me that they killed my father? Not only do they lack the motive but there is no way they could have done it. He died in Germany. You were the only one with the means and motive. What happened Arthur? What issue divided you two so bad that you had to kill your own flesh and blood?"
Arthur actually sounded angry as he snapped back, "divided? Is that what you think? My dear Carol, your father and I, as well as Riley and a few others, were all working to the same end." Arthur saw the look on her face and said, "you do not even have to ask. You know what it's about. You've seen all the pieces Carol, you just have to put them together."
Why was it Carol felt completely disgusted? She wasted no effort to hide it as she bit back at her uncle, "you used my daughter and then you expect me to believe that my father would go along with it? Thank you Arthur, I think you just told me why you killed him."
"My dear girl," Arthur replied with a great deal of grace and poise. He also sounded mildly amused and very sure of himself as he told Carol, "this entire plan was his idea. I'm only carrying out his instructions."
The only question left in Carol's mind was did she shoot him? Now that it was out in the open and Arthur knew that she knew, he was more dangerous than ever. Even worse, now she was to him. The only thing that stopped her from raising the gun and pulling the trigger was that, deep down, in the back of her mind, Carol believed him.
The deafening sound of a blast and the collapsing building ended the conversation.