A6 Under Your Tongue (Patreon)

This is a real short addition to the Executioner's Gambit post. I'll probably tack it onto the last scene when I divide up chapters.

A3 New Lodging
A4 Argument
A5 Introductions

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He closed the door behind Tori and then shuffled along in silence, matching her pace as they walked away. “Murder investigator?” Holly whispered.

She smiled at him. “Yup. What job did you think I’d have?” she asked. “Breaking up fistfights in the nursery?”

Holly laughed nervously. “Well, no… I suppose I didn’t really consider it,” he said. “I was just doing what the task said, introducing you to your new boss. But I suppose that makes sense. Good job for you. Doesn’t really matter if you’re…”

“Crippled?” she asked.

“Injured. I was going to say, ‘injured’.”

“Yeah, well, good job while it lasts. The Executioner will get caught eventually…” She turned to him. “Speaking of which, would you mind keeping my role under your tongue?”

“You don’t want anyone to know you’re investigating the murders?” He fidgeted nervously, unsure what to do with his fingers.

“I’d rather not, yeah,” said Tori. “Our killer has a bit of a fan following. It might be easier to get honest opinions from the crew if they don’t realize I’m trying to bring him to justice.”

Holly nodded somberly. “Yeah, okay,” he said. “I can see that.”

“Might also be prudent for you to do the same,” she suggested. “I’m sure you’re proud of your new position and all, but it doesn’t sound like the crew are particularly fond of the ship’s administrators.”

He looked down at his paws, nodded once, but wouldn’t meet her eyes.

“Hey, cheer up,” she said, touching his chin. “Think of it this way. This is your chance to change their opinions of the role.”

Holly sighed. “Easy for you to say.” He pointed back toward the security station. “You rolled right over Chief Tipohee. You really are fearless.”

“I wasn’t always, Holly,” she confided in him. “But I’ve gone through a lot. I have things I need to do, and I don’t have the give-a-shits to argue about it.”

She continued on her way and walked in silence for a bit. When he caught up with her, she added, “And at this point, no matter what he does to me, I’ve already survived worse. What’s there to fear?”

“I suppose.” He shuffled along with his paws behind his back, studying the deck. “But I doubt he’s going to give you what you asked for.”

“No, he might not. That makes my job harder.”

“What are you gonna do, Investigator Tori?”

“You can call me Tori,” she said with a smile. He nodded, then she said, “I’m not certain. I could try talking to the captain. If he wants me to help, he could order Chief Tipohee to give me access.”

Holly frowned. “I’ve never met the captain. What if he’s just as moody and guarded as your new boss?”

“Don’t know,” she admitted. “Hard to imagine the captain could make things any worse for me … but I should really stop saying that!”

Tori paused and looked around the central market. “Honestly, I’m not overly worried about it,” she said. “I can talk to the doctors that autopsied the victims and get a copy of their reports. I’m good at asking questions. I can re-interview the witnesses if I need to. And if this slows me down so much that the chief catches the killer before I do, that’s fine too. All that truly matters is that we catch him—preferably sooner rather than later.”

He smiled and excitedly rubbed his paws together. “So, where to next?”

She chuckled. “Doctor’s appointment.”

“Oh,” he said slowly, almost as if he’d forgotten what a mess of scars and scabs she was. He consulted his strand. “Well good luck, Tori. I need to tackle the rest of my to-do list anyhow. Looks like I need to find a Happy Couple and let them know that they just won my predecessor’s birth token.”

“That sounds fun,” she said, taking a moment to touch his arm. “I’m sure they’ll be excited to hear the news.”

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Reviewer's link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nALpKW2dxEL6dwYFVUcjpku92SjxyqhUfoNsljeW7p8/edit?usp=sharing

Thoughts?