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Stories from the Verse
A Dozen Verses
Chapter 71: Kondor 279
Table of Contents
Previous chapter: Slade 274
Gear took the Bernard Leach vase from Zeke’s hands. The vase was named the Four Fish Vase because of the obvious four graceful blue fish swimming on one side of the white body. Kondor was grateful that it had not been broken, as it was rather lovely in a charming if quiet and distinctive manner. The quartermaster for the agency put the precious vase on a stainless steel metal table.
“She, Amanda, had this for some time?”
“At least ten minutes,” Zeke said from his position on the far side of the table in one of Gear’s labs. “But she never had time to do anything with it, and it was still in the unsealed crate when we got it.”
“Hmm. Lieutenant Smith, the clear box if you would.” Zeke looked around and saw a large box made of see-through plastic with a glove inside it that could be reached from the outside, and a door. He put this on the table where Gear distractedly pointed. Gear shoved back his glasses with one hand, and his lanky hair hanging down over his forehead with the other, and both items immediately fell back into their prior position. He directed Kondor to open the box, and then he put the vase inside before locking it.
“Um, what is this?” Zeke asked.
“Ah, well, simple. The young lady, a rather clever and ingenious foe as you both said, had this item for her own for enough time to manipulate it. This box is air-proof so if she put a gas bomb in there, we’re probably covered.”
“Probably?” Zeke said with a rising note.
“What about an actual bomb?” Kondor said.
Gear waved at a statue of a sitting German Shepherd dog in the corner.
“Wolfie two-point-seven has the best bomb detecting nose the best maker of such things could create.” He looked up at them with a falsely innocent and wide smile waiting for them to ask who that was, but both Kondor and Zeke just shared a glance.
“You’re very smart.”
“Yes, yes I am. Still everyone goes ‘Oh, look at the brave secret agent hanging from the roof of a skyscraper, and cutting a hole in the window,’ but do they spare a thought for the brilliant inventor who made that possible?”
“We’re grateful, Gear, trust me. I like the mods you put on my motorcycle,” Zeke said. Kondor agreed. Pacified, Gear stuck his hand into the glove and worked the glove and hand into the mouth of the vase. He tapped the bottom, and Kondor deduced that one of the rubber gloved fingers had a metal weight in it for just such a purpose, as a delicate hammer. Gear worked a bit, and then pulled out an item from the base.
“Our man had enough time to put the thumb drive in, and pour in some plaster to cover the bottom. But some of the plaster was disturbed. Might have been Amanda, might have been just getting banged about, so--”
He pulled his hand out, and produced a thumb drive.
“Well, that’s something,” Gear said, and opened the box. He got out a small dustbuster with a tiny tube, and began vacuuming up the plaster inside the vase, and off the thumb drive. Once that was done, he smiled and handed the vase to Kondor.
“Property of the British Government, but neither I nor C have space for it in this building, so why don’t you store it in your apartment, gentlemen? A temporary, mind you, souvenir of your first escapade on behalf of Her Majesty’s Government.” Kondor could swear that Gear had a twinkle in his eyes. He thought Gear was a bit eccentric to begin with, but he also enjoyed playing the part. Still, Kondor took the vase. It really would look very nice in their living room.
He looked back at Gear, but the man was bending over a microscope and had apparently forgotten they were there, so Kondor and Zeke left for the apartment and the nearby diner. It had been long hours since they’d had a meal.
There is a behind-the-writings look at the thoughts, influences, and ideas of this chapter, along with eleven other sequential chapters of this novel, in mark Joseph "young" web log entry #529: Characters in Action. Given a moment, this link should take you directly to the section relevant to this chapter. It may contain spoilers of upcoming chapters.
As to the old stories that have long been here:
