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CHAPTER 41

Mimi

Teeks after the White Vote was called, Mi her to visit Forsyth at the Repository in the Force Tower that afternoon Her last class was a free period, so she finished early and took a cab

She had to be at the Repository anyway The other evening she had been looking for her favorite fountain pen and thought to rue around Charles’s study She remembered she had left it there the last time she had needed a quiet space to do her homework Her father’s office was as tidy as always, with nothing on his desk but a Tiffany clock and a desk calendar Mimi had checked drawers and cabinets, but did not find her treasured Montblanc

She had sat in his leather swivel desk chair and spun, looking around the room A few unht her eye She stood up and exa with such old audio equipment?

They were marked RH: Audio: Ven Rep Repository of History Audio Archives Venator Reports Usually tapes from the Repository came ritten transcripts, but Mimi couldn’t find any She turned the tape over to see which Venator had filed theno The one that had sent hi in Charles’s office? They belonged in the Repository And if Mimi wanted to listen to them, she would have to borrow an old tape recorder fro everything onto digital files now, but they had obviously missed these She had put the tapes in her pocket and taken one final look around the room Where was Charles anyway? What had happened to him? Jack was convinced he wasn’t dead If Michael’s spirit was gone froued

At last night’s , the Conclave had voted to send Venators after theassembled She knew her brother was disappointed not to have been picked for the assignment But Forsyth had been adamant: they needed the twins here, he said They couldn’t leave the Coven so unprotected

As she walked into the Force Tower that afternoon, she wondered what the senator wanted to talk to her about Forsyth had never sought out her company before, and they had not spoken about her objection to his crowning

"You wanted to see ht-filled corner office after Forsyth’s secretary announced her arrival She noticed that he had set up shop in the sais Talk about overconfidence Charles had used the one in the old building under Block 122

"Madeleine Thanks for stopping by," Forsyth said "Doris, hold my calls, will you dear?"

His secretary closed the door, and Mimi took a seat across froh Forsyth had taken over Lawrence’s office, he still kept the foris’s photos of Schuyler on his desk Miht froe out of her ratty Duchesne Athletics T-shirt and red running shorts She put her bags on the floor and waited for him to speak

"I just wanted to commend you on your ith the Venators You did a fine job in Rio" He beaht We didn’t find her"

"Only a sley will find her I have no doubt He’s quite resourceful," Forsyth said, with a hint of annoyance Miht Well, thanks I did want to go on another mission, but the Conclave says I have to finish Duchesne first The school isn’t going to hold "

"Alas, that is true It is unfair, is it not, that we have to go through the rigmarole of a human childhood and adolescence But it is in the Code," Forsyth said, getting up to fix himself a drink from the bar cart He picked up a carafe and poured a shot of whiskey into a glass

"Want one?"

"No thanks" Mimi shook her head "Um, is that all? May I be excused now?"

"Oh, I a a big blowhard" Forsyth s around his desk so he could lean on the edge of it and look down at Mimi

Mimi sank lower in her seat Llewellyn rarely spoke of Bliss The beus, like he was trying to sell her a used car, or get her to believe he cared an iota about his daughter At least Charles and Trinity had tried to be there for Mi their transformation As far as Mimi knew, Bliss’s parents never bothered to explain to her as happening

"How is Bliss?" she asked Mimi had bumped into her a couple of tih, but their conversations never seeo anywhere She didn’t knohy that was, but soly

"She’s much better" Forsyth Llewellyn nodded "Anyway, I called you in today to discuss a rather delicate situation and forgive ht ti that’s happened with the Conclave the coht now, and perhaps, if I may"

Mimi made a motion to let him continue