Chapter 10: More complications

Chapter 10 of Variola

The days immediately following the kidnapping of Tanya and Connla by Lord Niall were filled with police interrogations. Connla at least was free of his chains. The Dananns got the lock's counter-spell from the captive Lord Niall and released the manacles.

The two police officers in the interrogation room stared in disgust at the punk girl with her spiked hair and snake tattoos and at the boy with his long red-gold hair. They knew the two were withholding information but they could not get them to change their story. And the hippie boy's long-haired father, who had insisted on being present for the interrogation, was encouraging the kids not to cooperate. But these were rich folks and the teenagers were not suspected of any crime, except possibly an elaborate hoax. There was little they could do.

"All right. If that's all you can remember you are free to go", the white-haired officer said.

"Thank you for your patience with the children", Mr. Cormac Danann said.

The older officer glared at the oh-so-charming businessman then turned and walked out of the interrogation room.

"I don't think he much likes us, Father", Connla said.

Monday at school Connla and Tanya had to go through the same thing with their friends, four of whom were still shaken from the bizarre events after the dance.

"What do you mean you can't tell us what happened to you! We got knocked unconscious by something and then you two turn up missing -- and you can't tell us what happened! And why did you have a knife, Connla?", Biff said.

"I'm sorry. The -- authorities -- will not let us talk about it. As for the knife, I might as well not have had it for all the good it did", Connla replied.

"So -- There was more to this thing than a kidnapping of two rich kids for ransom?", Vanessa guessed.

"It had something to do with a terrorist threat", Tanya said. "That's why we can't talk about it."

"Sounds like a plot from a bad movie", William said.

"Why would terrorists kidnap you two?", Jeremy asked.

"Wow! Did you guys have an adventure or what?", Carlos said.

"Adventures are uncomfortable and scary. You don't want one", Tanya told him.

After school on Tuesday Coran drove Tanya to her volunteer job at the Nature Center. Towards the end of the evening she found herself alone in the lobby and settled back in her chair to read her biology assignment.

"Mind if I talk to you, Tanya?", a pleasant voice sounded from beside her.

Tanya looked up from her textbook to see the ex-cop park ranger, Tom Clancy, standing next to her chair. He pulled over an unoccupied folding chair and sat down.

"Sure -- sit down -- Make yourself comfortable", Tanya said.

She did not want to talk to the suspicious park ranger just then.

"You seem to have recovered well from your homecoming dance ordeal."

"Yes, thank you. Connla and I are fine."

"So -- What really happened to you and Connla Saturday night?"

"The -- authorities -- won't let us talk about it", Tanya replied.

"What authorities? I talked to a friend on Crystal City's Police force - you two told them nothing. They're not at all happy with you. So just what authorities are keeping you two silent?"

Tanya stared at the computer screen trying to come up with a good reply to the park ranger's implied accusation.

"Try asking Mr. Danann", she finally said.

"The Danann family are �" also acting like clams about this. I think they were involved."

"Not as kidnappers or terrorists!"

"Then perhaps as vigilantes. I know that some people who resembled the Dananns --green-eyed with long hair -- were seen by a night guard in a wine warehouse in Central City, shortly before that warehouse burned to the ground. The guard swears these long-haired folk were armed with swords and bows and arrows, for Christ's sake!"

"What could that have to do with Connla and me being kidnapped?"

"I don't know. You tell me."

Tanya still stared at the computer screen as if she might see an answer there.

"Let me put my cards on the table, Miss Swift. This park has, for some time, been a locus for -- some really weird s**t. I think Chris Parker, Deirdre, and Michael all know a lot about these events. You too, Miss Swift. And I had a grandmother who told me tales of the old country. I know whose horses wear bridles of gold and shoes of silver."

The last comment was a reference to Michael's blue roan mare, a gift to the human lad from the King and Queen of Faerie.

"If you already know so much, why ask me?"

"Because I think you could fill in the missing pieces of the puzzle."

"I'll tell Mr. Danann what you've told me and -- then he might very well want to talk to you."

"Am I in danger because of this conversation, Tanya?"

"I don't know. I don't think so, but -- if they think you might repeat what you told me to the FBI or the police -- maybe."

"Are you asking me to not do my job?"

"Cormac Danann is my -- my coimirceoir, my protector. He and his son saved my life. I owe them. If what you suspect were true -- and the wrong people found out -- those like the Dananns could be in real danger, maybe even face extinction."

Tom stared at the distressed teenager.

"Is that what they really believe about us?"

"And you think they're wrong! Let me fill in a few of those missing pieces for you, Mr. Clancy. Five members of the Sons of Gaea, including our own Eric, planned to use a deadly virus -- a virus engineered by our own government, by the way -- to kill oh -- maybe 90% of the human race --- and just to protect the wild places. I love wilderness and wild animals as much as anyone but I would not kill even one person to save it, yet these men were willing to kill most of us for a utopian dream of returned wilderness. So how many would be willing to kill -- those who ride horses with silver horseshoes -- if they knew they existed?"

"I see. But surely this paranoid secrecy isn't the answer."

"Isn't it? By the way -- It was those -- vigilantes -- who stopped the terrorist attack. The FBI wasn't even close. Five terrorists are dead, including Eric. The virus is destroyed. You owe them. The whole human race owes them one, though they'll never know it. Does that fill in enough missing pieces for you, Mr. Clancy?"

"I guess so. You've certainly given me - a lot to think about. Maybe I should talk to Cormac Danann, if he'll talk to me."

"After I tell him about this conversation, he'll talk to you. I can guarantee it", Tanya said with a smile.

It occurred to Tom that talking to Cormac Danann might turn out to be a very dangerous conversation.