in places I didn’t want to be. Opening the door on the third floor my feet were met with a plush crimson carpet. I turned the corner and I found myself in the lobby of the courts, the walls painted a deep rich cherry with several comfortable chairs and sofas for waiting delegates. Across from the brass elevator doors were an impressive set of double oak doors, heavily embossed with intricate carvings of Mardi Gras celebrations.
If this were a more formal occasion I would have been escorted through these doors where my title would be announced just prior to being received by the current king and his court. Today, it would seem, wasn’t such a day, so I turned right and made my way around the corner that led to what appeared to be an emergency exit. Even though I knew it wasn’t going to sound the alarm, somewhere in the back of my mind I waited for the sound as I pushed the handle.
Chapter 5
Closing my eyes for a second I was able to adjust to the low lighting of the council chamber. Scanning the room quickly I had to agree with Nathan. Something very big was up. Not only were the first two rows of semi circular seating filled with the ranking members of the courts but every seat in the house was full. Someone had called in every King and Queen of the MCC, giving me a very full audience today. If the Gatekeeper had something up his sleeve, today would be the day to execute it, to be witnessed by the entirety of the courts. This was a rare occasion as it had to be at least ten years since such a conclave had been called. Personally I didn’t believe Helena’s murder rated the full attention of the courts at this point in the investigation but someone in the room believed differently.
Though the members of Comus hid their identities from the general public, such things were forbidden within the confines of this room. As a matter of protocol proper names were not used but usually substituted with their title, since each King or Queen spoke for their Krewe and not as an individual.
The first row of seats consisted of four dark brown leather bound comfortable looking chairs which were reserved for the upper echelon of Comus. The seat furthest to the right sat the King of Zulu, and his immediate neighbor was the Gatekeeper. The seat to the furthest left and closest to me sat the King of Rex. The remaining chair, which sat empty, was held for the absent Comus. His was the eldest of the four chairs and while it looked well used and comfortable but it was rarely filled. If this meeting had taken place within the Ceremonial Reception area down the hall, the Gatekeeper would occupy the extremely ornate and uncomfortable looking Throne of Comus. I bowed as a sign of respect and greeting, but the Gatekeeper barely moved his head in acknowledgement. Pulling the USB drive out of my pocket I handed it to the nearest guard who quickly disappeared while I made my way to the podium.
As I waited I took a moment to look around the room where I saw faces I hadn’t seen in ages, such as the King of Rex. He was rail thin and stooped with age, with a few wisps of gray hair atop his head. His body appeared frail, and his right leg was missing from the knee down. One shouldn’t consider this injury a hindrance. Even in his aged crippled form the man is a force to be reckoned with. His powder blue eyes glittered in the dim light of the room and his mental faculties are as sharp as any living member of the courts. He is feared and respected and usually in that order.
To his right sat the King of Zulu, a man in his mid forties, powerfully built, with dark eyes and a strong jawline. He looked to be just as accustomed to any boardroom than perhaps a seedy underworld syndicate of organized crime. The latter was his real job even though he is a well respected attorney most days. He, like Rex, commands respect and fear and usually received both it in abundance. These two men were the sharks in the room. When the hard choices had to be
If this were a more formal occasion I would have been escorted through these doors where my title would be announced just prior to being received by the current king and his court. Today, it would seem, wasn’t such a day, so I turned right and made my way around the corner that led to what appeared to be an emergency exit. Even though I knew it wasn’t going to sound the alarm, somewhere in the back of my mind I waited for the sound as I pushed the handle.
Chapter 5
Closing my eyes for a second I was able to adjust to the low lighting of the council chamber. Scanning the room quickly I had to agree with Nathan. Something very big was up. Not only were the first two rows of semi circular seating filled with the ranking members of the courts but every seat in the house was full. Someone had called in every King and Queen of the MCC, giving me a very full audience today. If the Gatekeeper had something up his sleeve, today would be the day to execute it, to be witnessed by the entirety of the courts. This was a rare occasion as it had to be at least ten years since such a conclave had been called. Personally I didn’t believe Helena’s murder rated the full attention of the courts at this point in the investigation but someone in the room believed differently.
Though the members of Comus hid their identities from the general public, such things were forbidden within the confines of this room. As a matter of protocol proper names were not used but usually substituted with their title, since each King or Queen spoke for their Krewe and not as an individual.
The first row of seats consisted of four dark brown leather bound comfortable looking chairs which were reserved for the upper echelon of Comus. The seat furthest to the right sat the King of Zulu, and his immediate neighbor was the Gatekeeper. The seat to the furthest left and closest to me sat the King of Rex. The remaining chair, which sat empty, was held for the absent Comus. His was the eldest of the four chairs and while it looked well used and comfortable but it was rarely filled. If this meeting had taken place within the Ceremonial Reception area down the hall, the Gatekeeper would occupy the extremely ornate and uncomfortable looking Throne of Comus. I bowed as a sign of respect and greeting, but the Gatekeeper barely moved his head in acknowledgement. Pulling the USB drive out of my pocket I handed it to the nearest guard who quickly disappeared while I made my way to the podium.
As I waited I took a moment to look around the room where I saw faces I hadn’t seen in ages, such as the King of Rex. He was rail thin and stooped with age, with a few wisps of gray hair atop his head. His body appeared frail, and his right leg was missing from the knee down. One shouldn’t consider this injury a hindrance. Even in his aged crippled form the man is a force to be reckoned with. His powder blue eyes glittered in the dim light of the room and his mental faculties are as sharp as any living member of the courts. He is feared and respected and usually in that order.
To his right sat the King of Zulu, a man in his mid forties, powerfully built, with dark eyes and a strong jawline. He looked to be just as accustomed to any boardroom than perhaps a seedy underworld syndicate of organized crime. The latter was his real job even though he is a well respected attorney most days. He, like Rex, commands respect and fear and usually received both it in abundance. These two men were the sharks in the room. When the hard choices had to be
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