Chapter 12
489 Words
Chapter 12
The Tower of London seemed busy, even though it was empty. A gleaming spaceship hovering above, thousands of people outside, press storming the place and being kept out, and actual tanks forming a perimeter.
Teddy the ship’s Avatar scoffed at all that. “Bah! This is what you call security? A waste of matter, you guys are.”
Guillermo scratched his nose and thought what to say. “Excuse me, but who are you exactly? I’m afraid my briefing was very last-minute.”
Teddy looked up from Guillermo’s knee. “I’m the ship’s avatar.” It pointed up, towards the spaceship.
“Right,” Guillermo said, clicking his tongue. “So you fly the ship?”
“No, stupid, the Mind flies the ship. I am the Mind inside this android body.”
“So you’re not the Mind?”
“I am the Mind. And I am the Avatar you see. My memory is holographic, I’m both a backup and the exact same as the ship Mind.”
“And you chose to present yourself as a Teddy Bear?”
“I’ve looked after Kyveli since she was a baby.”
“I like Teddy like that,” she said and patted it on the head.
A black bird descended down on the group and flew close to Kyveli. It was a raven.
“Danger!” Teddy said and pointed it’s stubby hand at the bird. A laser beam shone from the ship above.
“Please don’t hurt it!” Guillermo said, trying to stop the avatar.
The raven squawked something that looked insulting and flew away.
“I wasn’t going to hurt it!” Teddy complained. “I just scared it away. Why the hell do you have-” Slight pause, “-ravens flying all over the place?”
“It’s an old legend. It’s said that six ravens must watch over the Tower of London, or the Crown will fall. Simple superstition, really,” Guillermo explained to them both. “These people with the fancy hats, they’re the seven Ravenmasters that protect the Tower ravens from harm.”
“A protector. I can respect that,” Teddy said and took a hat from one of the Ravenmasters standing at attention, and put it on.
Kyveli shivered.
“What’s the matter, your Brightness?” Guillermo asked.
She was quiet. “We have a similar saying. When the daughters that divide are gone, the universe will cease carrying on.”
Guillermo saw that this was a touchy subject so he didn’t ask for more. He simply nodded, trying to comfort her, and made sure to ask Lorenzo about it later on. He opened the doors to the main exhibition and presented the Crown Jewels.
They were showcased on top of red velvet that contrasted with the gold nicely. “Saint Edward’s Crown, the orb, the sceptres and the ring. The only complete regalia on Earth, worn by all British kings and queens at their coronations.”
Kyveli seemed pleased. Smiling, even. She touched her nose and palm on the display case glass.
The alarm went off, and Guillermo started. Then the alarm turned off.
“Does the princess enjoy her visit?” Guillermo asked hopefully.
Kyveli turned her big eyes up to him. Her expression was the mother of all puppy dog eyes.
“I want to take a selfie with the Crown,” she said.
Teddy complied instantly and began lifting the display case. An actual royal guard rushed inside and gripped arms, hesitating.
Guillermo stopped them. “f**k,” he mumbled under his breath.
- Writer
