Elora’s eyes slid to Storm and back to Sol. “Yes.”
“Good. We’ll start by outlining the proceeding so that you know what to expect. First we’ll hear your statement. You are welcome to tell your story in your own words, in your own way, but we request that you be as detailed as possible as that may eliminate the need for additional questions later. We will ask that you wear polygraph electrodes. The graph produced by the result of the test will be projected onto the wall monitor so that everyone present will be aware of the results instantly. Do you agree?”
Elora sat with her back straight and her chin up. “Yes,” she said simply.
“After hearing your statement we will ask you to make yourself available to answer questions posed by the representative members of this body. That will be followed by a closed door session during which we will evaluate the product of this deposition and deliberate. Do you understand?”
“I do.”
“Do you have any questions?”
“Not at this time.”
“Very well. Are you ready to begin?”
“I am.”
The proceeding was to be recorded by airbot, a device invented by Monq and his team of assistants for exclusive use by The Order. It was a tiny, round, audio video recorder about half the size of a pea, automatic and airborne with its own internal computer, powered by a microscopic nuclear cell. Because of its size and insignificant weight, the air propulsion system didn’t require much fuel, which meant that it could power itself and record without interruption for up to half a year. Also, because of its size and steel gray color, it was practically invisible. If someone in the general population thought they caught one speeding by out of the corner of an eye, they would dismiss it as a fly, gnat, mosquito or trick of the light.
The airbot’s program would be matched to a particular biological signature, also known as life pattern, and then stay with that person until recalled by the lab. It would automatically seek the best angle for maximum visibility and include people with whom the subject was communicating. Under normal circumstances, the individual being recorded could pause the recording while attending to matters of a highly personal nature by coded vocal command.
Sol nodded to the young, bespectacled man sitting behind the tech table who then came forward and attached wireless electrodes to Elora’s temples. She was glad she'd pulled her hair up into a ponytail. The young man returned to the table, donned headphones, and turned on some electronic equipment, including the big screen. She knew exactly when it came on because all eyes moved upward and focused on the same place at the same time. The young man asked her to state her name.
“I am Elora Laiwynn Laiken, from the Clan of Laiwynn.”
The tech guy nodded at Sol who then said to Elora, “Proceed when ready Ms. Laiken.”
“Is it necessary for me to deliver my statement seated?”
“Not at all.”
Elora stood and began to pace back and forth in front of the head of the table. “In the interest of detail, as requested, I’ll not deliberately omit anything that might be pertinent. I’ll begin with the events that precipitated the incident.
I am, or rather was, third cousin to the king and twenty-eighth in line for the throne. As an indication of how unlikely my succession would be, they cease populating the list at thirty names. I am part of a large, extended family that is in turn part of a large and powerful clan. The royal family, including the thirty persons mentioned, live in the palace in London. The entire family, which means a large part of the clan, joins us there for certain occasions and celebrations.
I am the oldest of six with three sisters and two brothers. We are educated on the premises, along with our higher-born cousins, according to our individual talents, interests, and the roles we are assigned to play within the family structure. Two of my younger sisters are already married.
When it became widely accepted that the gods had left our world, we, as a society, turned to science and magick for answers. My principle tutor was an authority on these subjects. His name was Thelonius Monq.” She glanced at Monq.
“In addition to the disciplines of classical studies and science which I learned under Monq’s tutelage, I was trained in the martial arts of weaponless defense and also in ancient weaponry, the latter being principally about pride of heritage and custom. There was no expectation that these skills would ever be utilized in a practical sense, but cousins of the monarch have been prepared to serve as bodyguards for centuries. So we are expected to keep the tradition, in appearance if not in fact. In some ways the acquisition of these skills is curiously at odds with the somewhat prim and retiring behavior expected of royal girls.
"We were not allowed away from the palace grounds often and then only under highly supervised circumstances. I frequently argued with my parents that palace life was suffocating, that it was a gilded cage that stunted the potential of my brothers and sisters. I thought the future of the royal family would be better served by looking to more contemporary models of behavior. We were locked into a rigid formality that was out of sync with the times. Custom and a skewed sense of propriety had turned us into walking anachronisms. I knew this because we were allowed to watch some television shows and movies.”
Gesturing toward a glass and pitcher she asked, “May I?”
Monq answered, “Of course,” and rose to pour it for her.
She took a sip before continuing. “Our extended family was gathered together for Litha, the Feast of the Summer Solstice, called Mid Summer by some. It’s always magical to see the main hall decorated for a holiday. A gathering of relatives is cause for celebration in itself since we don’t often get to fraternize with people who do not live or work at the palace. Even the staff is excited on such occasions.
"On my last day at… home I had spent the afternoon in the kitchen observing preparations with my fifth cousin, Madelayne. And sampling some of the fare. We left in time to get dressed. For the Feast of Litha everyone wears costumes from the Middle Ages. I don’t know why. They are hot and heavy. The younger generation wears street clothes underneath so that we can shed them after the mandatory festivities are complete and have a good time in each others’ company. But that is neither here nor there.
"Dinner was just being served on tables decorated with flowers and local fruits of the season. The musicians were playing wyre instruments in a centuries-old style of madrigal. I had just joked with Monq that they were playing the hits from his secondary school years. I sat with Madelayne and some of my other cousins across the Great Hall from my parents.
"Most people had finished eating and traditional dances were about to begin. I heard shouts, then the sound of guns firing, automatic weapons. I know that because of movies. Most of us were so surprised we were... disoriented maybe. We just stood there waiting to see what would happen next.”
Elora stopped, took another drink of water, visibly making an effort to retain her poise. She attempted a couple of surreptitious deep breaths.
“People wearing black and carrying guns came running into the hall. At first it seemed they were firing randomly, but it became clear their intent was to leave no survivors. There was screaming, people fleeing and falling on each other, on tables of food. There was so much blood. I looked across the room and saw…” Her eyes suddenly filled with moisture and her voice broke. She took another sip of water.