ROD - Chapter 116

Chapter One-Hundred-Sixteen – Veritas – Part Three

Sometimes finding the truth is reading between the lines and finding the smallest details.

-UWO Major Graham-

“Fucking Marauders,” Vella spits as we walk up the stairs. Her makeup is smeared so badly she looks almost like a clown.

“Clever misdirection, harpy, but my money is on you being the Marauder.”

“Same,” Clayton says.

“As if,” she seethes, shaking her head, “I don’t know shit, you’re wasting your time, just get on with it.”

“You want to die?” I ask.

“No nitwit, but it’s better than having you lot ogle me all day and think up sick ways to torment me.”

I look at Carl and Clayton then back to her, “I don’t think anyone’s ogling you, and…”

“Your buddy Tran sure was.”

“Tran ogles anything with a pulse,” Clayton sighs.

“Not sure a pulse is a prerequisite,” I say under my breath, scratching my head, thinking about a time he stole a mannequin from the… it doesn’t matter.

“That’s a mighty accusation there, deary,” Tina says, leaning down to be eyelevel, “My Carl only has eyes for me.”

“If you think you can convert me to destroy the Earth, you’re barking up the wrong tree,” Vella says.

If she is a Marauder, she’s really committed to the bullshitting act.

Meanwhile, Starman is very quiet. I touch his shoulder and send a pulse from my healing skill. He’s awake. I don’t have to check Jennifer, her eyes are open, but she’s quiet. She hasn’t even asked why she’s tied up. She just keeps stretching her jaw, probably still hurts.

Carl examines his work and pours it into a small glass, holding it up to the light he swirls it until the magenta color becomes a rich and deep purple.

“Down the old hatch,” he grumbles, tilting it against his mouth and… drinking it.

“Isn’t the truth serum for them?” I ask.

Carl raises an eyebrow at me, “Truth serum? That was my medication,” he pulls up his pant leg exposing his hairy leg, “Remember my condition? Have to drink it daily.”

“Then… why did we wait to question them?” Clayton asks, joining my confusion.

“Well, they weren’t awake yet, were they?” Tina adds, rubbing Carl’s back as his face flinches from the liquid’s taste.

“Gods that’s awful stuff,” Carl groans.

“Wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t date a witch, dear.”

He scowls at her for a moment before turning to one of his book shelves, he pulls seven books and I feel a rumble as one of the floorboards retracts. He leans down and picks up a small golden box with strange writing on the side.

“Right, two drops for the Ratman, one for the Harpy and poor Jennifer,” Carl says, looking at Jennifer, “Sorry, dear.”

“Jennifer?” Tina asks, putting her hands on her hips, “Jennifer as in your friend Jennifer?”

“No, different Jennifer, obviously.”

“Well it isn’t obvious to me, you’ve never introduced us. Yet another thing you keep putting off, Carl. Haven’t met Deborah either, is there a reason for that?”

“No, they’re busy trying to fix the main world waystone connection, they don’t have time to pop in for tea, you’re being paranoid again.”

She gives him a scowl that fades after a few moments.

“I’m just Starman’s assistant, I don’t see the point of drugging me,” Jennifer says.

“She has a decent argument,” Clayton says with a frown as he looks at her wincing from just speaking, “Besides, Veritas is rare, isn’t it?”

“Not as rare as a good witch,” Carl chimes.

“Carl, I’ve told you to stop being an elitest against witches. She broke up with you, get over it.”

“She tried to turn me into a damn werewolf, what are you on about?”

“Just wondering if we break up are you going to tell people to stay away from those descended from Succubi.”

“I would say that regardless,” he huffs.

“That’s racist, dear.”

“Succubi hardly have a good reputation,” he shrugs.

She’s a Succubus? I guess the horns and blue skin make sense. There isn’t much information on demonkind in the UWO handbook.

Tina sighs and then nods, “I suppose you’re not wrong, but you’re definitely not right either.”

Carl crosses his arms and looks at Jennifer, “Are we dosing her or not?”

They all look at me, I look back at Jennifer, “Uh, I guess we don’t need to drug her.”

“It’s not a drug,” Carl protests, holding up the small vial, “It’s truth in a bottle.”

“Right,” I say, turning to look at Starman who is still pretending to be asleep, “By the way, you called him Ratman, did you know the whole time he was in my pocket?”

Carl puffs out his chest a little, “Of course, nothing escapes my gaze, I saw the rat with a man’s aura when you came in.”

“Seems like you have a hard time finding important things sometimes,” Tina says under her breath. Carl doesn’t hear her.

“But you didn’t even say anything?” I say.

“I didn’t want to be rude to one of Clayton’s friends. Besides, with the chain you wrapped around him, I figured you had a good reason for it.”

“There was a good reason,” I say, remembering what Tran told me, “He apparently messed up our friend Fisban pretty good, she might not make it.”

Clayton’s eyes go dark as they turn to look at Starman, “You sure?” he asks.

“Tran was pretty sure.”

Clayton’s knuckles crack, “Good enough for me.”

“Should we separate them before we give them the truth serum thing?” I ask.

“Truth serum?” Carl asks with a bemused look, “Don’t equate Veritas to a simple truth serum, those are scams compared to this. Also, no, never separate people who you’ve dosed.”

“Why?” I ask, trying to think of different reasons.

“It can be a right good laugh to keep them together.”

“Oh, Carl,” Tina says with a playful smile, “You’re a devious one.”

“Thought you liked that?”

She smiles deeper, “I do.”

***

A while after Carl gave them the doses, Vella speaks.

“My ass itches like a whore’s taint...”

Carl clears his throat, “Looks like its kicked in.”

Starman chimes in next, “I want my mother…” His eyes are still closed, and he’s trying to perse his lips as though to keep them closed, “I’m really scared…”

“Why did you attack us?” Clayton asks Vella.

“My interface went down… my butt itches… and I thought that… it really itches… you were going to kill me, or torture me or… god I need to take a shit…” her face is flushed as she tries to hide it.

“I shit in that one’s pocket,” Starman laughs then straightens, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to say that… but only because I’m worried you will hurt me now, not because I’m actually sorry I shit in your pocket.”

Dick. Starman’s eyes open and he looks around at all of us, then his eyes fall on Jennifer.

“I purposefully make Jennifer’s day as miserable as I can, I even send her videos of cats being run over… because she likes cats… because I’m an asshole… because I’m…”

“A Marauder?” Clayton asks.

Starman looks down, trying to bite his lip closed, “No! I’m a little baby bitch boy who misses his mommy. God I miss my mommy… Stop this… What I am saying is…” he flinches, “True.”

Jennifer looks at him sniveling and leans her head against the post before she says, “I used to fart in your office bedroom while you were in private meetings, right on your pillow…” Jennifer shoots a glance over at Starman who just stares back with his mouth open.

She’s not even dosed…

“You bitch!”

Clayton slaps him, “Oi, proper language to ladies.”

“Fuck her! I see no lady… oh god I’m terrified… he’s going to hurt me… mommy.”

Clayton backhands him, “Why’d you hurt Fisban?”

“I don’t know who this Fisban is… but I don’t remember a lot of the people I hurt… there are many…”

“Ever hurt a person in a wheelchair?” I ask coldly, the room’s tone shifts with it.

“Yes… many times… I enjoy feeling powerful… because I’m so weak and fragile… oh god… I’m fucked.”

“Did you hurt a woman in a wheelchair right before you met us?”

He’s hyperventilating, “I’m having a panic attack… oh god… oh god… he has killer eyes…”

“Did you hurt a woman in a wheelchair?” Clayton repeats through gritted teeth.

“Yes! I pushed her down a flight of stairs last week…”

Clayton’s about to strike him again, but he stops, “Last week?”

“She had an Ajax shirt on and asked if I would ask him to sign for her. The bitch! I am so terrified right now… you’re going to kill me aren’t you… I just… I just…” his face contorts.

Clayton takes a step back and scrunches his face.

Tears fall down Starman’s face as he says quietly, “I just pooped a little.”

“God he’s pathetic,” Vella groans, shifting in her bindings, “But I do still have to take a shit… is this a laxative?”

“Uh, it might be,” Carl admits with a shrug, “This particular batch was made by an Archmage potion master with a sense of humor. She said it should relieve them of their bullshit in more than one way.”

“Please…” Vella says with wide eyes, “Let me keep some of my dignity…”

“Are you a Marauder?” I ask.

She bites her lip like Starman did, Clayton gives me a look, spinning his daggers.

“No! I’m not a Marauder! I’m…” her mouth stops and her face goes pale as she looks down, “I’m covered in my own shit…”

Jennifer snickers loudly, “Serves you right.”

“You’re sure you didn’t hurt a woman in a wheelchair in the last twenty-four hours?” I ask.

“I did not… ask Jennifer!”

We turn to Jennifer, she shakes her head, “I don’t know, but I wouldn’t put it past him. If it wasn’t him, then maybe it was Vella.”

“Bitch… I enjoyed fucking you… still think about you sometimes… goddamnit… fuck this shit…”

“Vella was supposed to be there to pick you up,” Jennifer says, looking at her, “I’m telling you, I think she’s the Marauder, why else wasn’t her face on the arrest reports?”

“I didn’t injure all of them, some were already unconscious… please don’t punish me…” Starman whines.

He didn’t injure all of them… “Jennifer, when you showed up to where you picked us up, were there already people injured?”

She nods. That’s weird…

Carl puts a hand on his hip and then the other on his chin, scratching it, “Well, if she isn’t a Marauder, and he isn’t either… then why’d we do this?”

Neither of them are Marauders… and neither of them hurt Fisban… and we made them sit in their own shit. Not the best way to start off a potential alliance. Not that I’d want a piece of shit like Starman on the team. Honestly, I’m not even sure what we should do with him after this.

“I’m… yeah,” Clayton says, folding his arms with a furrowed brow, “I’m lost for words.”

“Why were you near the boardroom before the attack, Starman?” I ask.

“I didn’t want to be… that bitch Jennifer told me I had an appointment… maybe you should ask her if she’s the Marauder… I really hope you don’t kill me… please… kill Jennifer she’s just a background character.”

“Fuck you,” Jennifer seethes, she turns to us, “I’m just an assistant, please for the love of all that is holy, don’t make me shit myself. I deal with enough bullshit everyday.”

“I want to see her sit in her shit!” Starman roars.

“I would feel better if she shit herself…” Vella says quietly.

“Please…” Jennifer says, tears welling in her eyes, she looks down weeping, “My life is already shit… don’t make me sit in it.”

“I am so happy to hear her life feels like shit… please don’t hurt me…” Starman squeals.

Clayton looks at me with a furrowed brow, “I don’t think we should, godslayer. Seems wrong.”

Carl looks down and nods.

“Maybe Vella has a skill that allows her to resist lie detection?” Jennifer says, looking over at Clayton, “Your friend Fisban was debuffed, who else do you know that uses debuffs. She could have been there before us. She already knew the location, she was supposed to be there remember?”

“Can Veritas be countered?” I ask.

Carl shrugs, “Not sure, but I’ve never seen it.”

“I don’t know, she might be right,” Tina says, tilting her head at Vella, “Something about her eyes seems wrong.”

“You say that about every woman,” Carl grumbles, then looking at me, Carl asks, “What do you want to do?”

I think about what Jennifer said, replaying it in my head twice over. Something sticks out as strange.

“Give her a dose.”

Starman roars with a mix of laughter and weeping. Vella smiles and frowns repeatedly.

“Please, no, please,” Jennifer pleads with wide eyes, “You don’t have to do this.”

“I don’t feel good about this,” Carl says.

Clayton looks at me, and I nod.

“Trust him.”