Machinist of Mana Chapter 135 The Spy

It was almost immediately that the woman sat beside me and reached towards a small ball to one side of the table, between the salt and pepper shakers. I'd personally thought it was just a decoration, but was quickly proven wrong as there was a fuzzy feeling for a moment and a light curtain covered the booth.

“Privacy ward,” she told me with a smile. “Not foolproof, but something that is would be obvious wouldn't it, this will keep others from hearing us or seeing us.” She must have noticed my surprise at the action.

“Can't say I've seen one of those in a bar before...”

“Keeps the noise down when there are lots of people about, and is considered good form if you're meeting someone a little more personally. At any rate shall I presume you're Percival then?”

“I am, though I wasn't given a name for you.”

“Call me Kitia, and not knowing things is part of why you're here isn't it? Here to learn, here to observe.”

It was clear from the way she spoke that Kitia, almost assuredly not her real name, was trying to keep things from delving into actual secret information. If someone had heard what we'd said so far it wouldn't be bad, heck, I even had some documents that made it look like I'd written with a few people here, or gotten introductions. It wouldn't be out of hand for me to know of one or two people.

“It is, though I'm not sure what I should be looking at,” I admitted.

“Oh, good to know you're ready to get started on your work then. There are some letters of introduction to local educational institutions. You worked on some of the mechanics and things back on Hediza did you not? I think these will be very educational, and I hear they have connections with governmental officials who could show you the real wonders.”

“Why thank you, I'm quite excited to see what they have made.”

This was all part of my mission too. I was to get close and see what I could see, the introductions were part of that. Things weren't like they were on Earth, with so much paperwork and red tape that making a false identity, or getting someone into odd places was neigh impossible, no things were more fluid in this world, a function of not having computers.

Moreover I was exactly the kind of person that would be desirable for the local government to attract. They were almost religiously proud of their heritage, so someone coming to see it was a boon to their pride. I had elven blood, something that we'd be playing up for them too, and another point that would make them more apt to show me how great they were. A child returning home, welcomed by his elders, that's how they'd see me so long as I didn't screw up.

There was also the true fact that I was something of a mechanical prodigy back home. I wasn't famous per se, but I was well enough known in some circles. Grandfather and I had been going to various Royal Society meetings for years, doing presentations there, and then there was the plane. That invention was huge, and while the news had yet to spread too far, there'd surely be whispers. Wouldn't you want to wow someone with a hand in inventing tech, particularly if it reminded people of what your people made many years ago?

“A point though,” Kitia said, interrupting my thoughts. “While being a foreigner will get you a bit of leeway, don't go starting fights or getting caught places you aren't supposed to be. The authorities here aren't to be trifled with and you sincerely do not want to irritate them. They probably won't give you any trouble so long as you're doing what you're supposed to, but are quite strict.”

“Not to worry, I seldom have issues with the authorities,” I said, before wincing a bit, that wasn't entirely true, but I didn't normally have a negative relation with them at least.

“Mmm hmm, my uncle's letters told me all about you, and your words when I came up weren't entirely polite either. You'll want to lay off of such bold declarations in the future. If it's someone you don't have a connection to they will take definite offense.” She wasn't buying that either, fair enough.

“It was a suggestion from your uncle as I'm sure you already know. Bit of a joker isn't he?”

“Unfortunately so, and he does love to tease me about my proportions.” She made a move that clearly indicated which ones she was speaking of, and... well she was very well endowed.

“Worry not about anything further from me, I'm already taken after all.”

“Oh really? Out there breaking girls hearts already?”

“More complicated then that. Family friend whose parents have been trying to get us together for ages. She's lovely too, and enjoyable to speak to. There's a lot of things she sees that I simply don't.” I gave a smile, for that was true. I had a lot of compunctions about my relationship with Rowenna, but not respecting her wasn't one of them.

“The genius inventor not seeing things? Hard to believe.”

“Being good at one thing doesn't mean you're good at everything, and I'm hardly a genius. A bit clever perhaps, perhaps a bit more clever than most, but I cannot claim a spot among the giants of the world, nor would I want to. Those people seldom have happy lives from what I've seen.”

“That's surprisingly deep you know, mature.”

“Thank you, I think...”

She laughed at me again, seeming to warm to the whole thing and giving a light shake of her head.

“I see now why my uncle sent you here. He may well be trying to set us up. Have to disappoint him though I guess.” I personally doubted that, but it was nice to hear her say so. Then she got up suddenly and after a goodbye that barely took a blink left.

It hit me then, at least some of what she was saying was just an act. How much though? Clearly she'd kept it going because someone might be listening, no matter how unlikely that seemed. What did she really think though, was I a naive child to her, or an asset? Honestly I couldn't tell what was what, and perhaps that was the best part of her act. If she could fool me, who'd known who she was, then she'd surely fool anyone watching idly.

As I pondered that and finished my drink I saw she'd left her own contact information. Probably the publicly known ones, somewhere I could go to talk to her if needed. I was going to have to get used to all the cloak and dagger stuff soon. Sure, I knew how to fight with a cloak and dagger, that had been part of my training, but actual spy-craft? No, certainly not. It seemed almost an oversight, but maybe not knowing some things would be best for now. Who knew what tells might give a spy away, things I'd never considered.

Instead the only role I needed to play was well, me. I was pretty good at being me, I'd been doing it for years. Now I may be around very different people, but being myself wouldn't be hard, and I'd had enough experience with mechanically minded folks over the years that I was sure as soon as we got to chatting things would work out fine.