It was much slower going on the treadbike during the day. Between other vehicles, pedestrians and Arlene's occasionally mistaken directions, it was one O'clock before they'd actually arrived at their destination. Of course, it didn't help that they'd stopped for lunch, having both missed dinner and breakfast in the excitement of the escape from Lumiere.
On arriving then, perhaps they shouldn't have been surprised that they weren't first on the scene.
The Watch surrounded the door of her father's house, and had roped off the area with cords of hemp painted yellow and black.
Before Arlene could even dismount and introduce herself, she'd found herself the centre of attention for the members of the Watch on the scene.
A man bearing the chevrons of a sergeant stepped forward and gave the traditional greeting;
" Allo, allo, allo- what's all this then?" His duty done, he followed up with a more unexpected remark-"Come to turn yerselves in 'ave you now?"
Arlene's mouth opened and closed soundlessly for a moment.
The officer seemed rather surprised as well.
"Well if you're not 'ere to turn yourselves in, why'd you bandits, immediately after fleeing your raid on the city of Lumiere, arrive at an active crime scene riding upon what appears to be a stolen vehicle?"
Sometimes, even if you made the most logical deduction, you could still come to the wrong conclusion.
"We didn't steal anything!" Harper protested, "We're students! Well, I'm going to be, and she was but-"
The officer nodded to the bike.
"Well then, is that yours then? Bought and paid for it did you?"
"No...."
The officer raised an eyebrow.
"No it's not yours, or no you didn't pay for it?"
"Neither! When the bandits were in Lumiere we were with a member of the watch, and helped subdue some- but we desperately needed to get across the city in a hurry, so we took one of their bikes!"
"So what you are saying is, that you were with a Watchman, and then he permitted you to commandeer this vehicle, and bring it with you, all the way to Gastielle? Simply because, as you say, you were in a hurry?"
"Well, not in so many words-"
"Young lady, even if the person you took it from had stolen it, that does not magically confer ownership onto you! Why didn't you return it to the watch in Lumiere so they could find the owner?"
Arlene felt the flow of conversation turning against them and so she decided to interject.
"My father lives here. She insisted we take the bike with us so we could move as fast as possible! There are men after me and we thought he might've been attacked!"
The Watchman was unflappable.
"And why exactly are there men after you? How did they know where your father lived- and 'ow exactly did they get to him first if you gave them the slip in Lumiere and came straight here?"
"Uh, they want something from me, and I think they thought he had it."
"What do they want? Is it something you stole?" Even though his voice was low and calm, the tension in the atmosphere was visibly rising. Harper could see that several of the Watchmen on the scene had zeroed in on her and were getting ready to try and stun her.
"For heavens sake, this is what they bloody want!"
Arlene reached into her bag-
"HALT!"
Arlene looked up. In the half second or so since she'd reached into her bag, no less than three Watchmen had drawn weapons. Heavy revolvers- and the sergeant had a two foot long stun-stick. One of the newer models, which could both electrocute and load non-lethal sprays. These were overkill for a routine investigation and more resembled what one might bring to subdue or kill a craftswoman.
Arlene froze, anger and resolve draining out of her. If she hadn't done the necessary at the restaurant, she might've found herself in need of a change of trousers.
"Now. Nice and easy, take your hand, out of the bag. No sudden movements, from either of you."
Arlene removed her hand from the bag, and put the loose Dragon Stone on the ground.
"That's a rock." The Sergeant observed after a moments pause.
"Yes."
"I think we'd better continue this down at the station. We'll get the facts straight over a cuppa. Any objections to that?"
The men hadn't holstered their weapons.
Arlene didn't look backwards and simply nodded slowly.
"Good. I like it when people are reasonable. If your story checks out, you've nothing to fear. And because you've so vigorously championed your innocence, I'm sure you and your friend won't mind if we cuff you for the time being."
Their preparations had extended to manacles- instead of standard hand-cuffs, they were circuff's.
Designed with Craftspeople in mind, their chain wasn't particularly strong, but, a set of wires running between the cuffs served to deter individuals from breaking free of them.
If any of the wires were severed, the inside of the cuff would immediately start delivering powerful electric shocks to the individual wearing them.
The Watch impounded the bike, and temporarily confiscated their bags and the Dragon Stone that Arlene had pulled out- the latter being logged as a potential item of evidence.
Separated and put into rooms while their story was checked out, Arlene felt that this development was somehow unfair. She hadn't read all that many stories, but, she was pretty sure that after a daring escape came a life changing journey- not getting wrongfully.... well, actually perfectly reasonably arrested.
If they'd just left that dang bike behind, maybe this wouldn't have happened... If only she'd been a little more firm with Harper. Hopefully their story could be verified before too much time passed.
At last, after what felt like an eternity, the Sergeant returned, looking rather stiff.
"Arlene De'soto. May I introduce, Ambassador Dawson of Claire Paravel."
Standing behind him was a tall, stern man, with iron-grey hair and a pair of animal ears poking from the top of his head. He looked as if he'd been about to go to a party or something before he'd been called into the station, judging by the finery he was wearing.
Arlene, cautiously broached the important question.
"While, It's nice to meet the Ambassador, uhm, why exactly is he here?"
The ambassador coughed lightly.
"I'm here because the Watch wished to know if I intended to press charges over the bike. After all, it was technically the property of my government. However, while I do not intend to press charges, I do wish to discuss with you, the circumstances that brought you here."
The watchman looked as if he'd bitten into something sour.
"I'm not unwilling, but do I have to?"
"While I did not intend to press charges, my attitude may change if I find my time has been wasted this evening. I had plans. Before you ask, as the concerned party, I naturally have the right to be here."
Arlene still hesitated, but, finally laid out the events of the previous day, leaving out what happened on the tether-carriage.
"So, as you can see, it's a rock, they want it- and I think my father might be in terrible danger because of it!"
Dawson sighed and pulled out a pair of polished spectacles, and a small, black volume.
"... When I was made ambassador almost twenty years ago now, I was given a short, two sentence message by my predecessor along with this book, the contents of which are better for you not to know. I believe that you are who he was referring to... Ah, I see, it's them. That clears that up."
Without bothering to explain anything, he snapped the book shut.
The sergeant stared at the volume hungrily, but, refrained from commenting.
"Young lady, I don't know exactly what the stone does, but, I would like to invite you, and your companion if you so desire, to take shelter from the Ver... those agents, in my home country. I can assure you, every effort will be made to save your father in the meantime."
The sergeant bristled. "She's not taking the stone, that's evidence!"
"Sergeant Cromwell, I never even mentioned the stone, but, as it so happens, if I drop my charges, I do believe that this young lady has no reason to remain within your custody- and moreover, while the stone is the target of these criminals, it has not as of yet been stolen. Keeping it as evidence, simply because someone desires to steal it, is not unlike the suggestion that the Watch should hold all the gold from a bank-vault as evidence because thieves may intend to steal it.
Thus, if she does leave, I'm quite certain that you have absolutely no call to stop her from taking it with her, the stone being her grandfather's in the first place."
The ambassador's voice was smooth and even, but it was clear that everything about him rankled the sergeant.
"Well, as it happens Ambassador Dawson, while I no longer need to hold her here on charges, I will need to ask her some questions relating to the disappearance of her father. At the scene of the crime as it happens- and as you are not related to that particular crime, you can take your leave. Now."
The ambassador simply smiled, stood and silently walked out.
"Arrogant toff... bringing politics into policing. Alright, first off, I cannot in an official capacity give any advice in relation to Ambassador Dawson. I know that just a few hours ago I mistakenly arrested you, which may have reduced your trust in my words. I will say though, that I wouldn't trust that smarmy git as far as I could throw him. Now I would like you to visit the crime scene at your fathers house. Would you like to bring someone with you for... emotional support?"
And so, at dusk, Arlene and Harper stood together with members of the watch, a few meters away from where they'd been at one O'clock- but now with the fading glow of dusk behind them instead of the bright light of midday overhead.
Harper bit her lip for a moment, before murmuring to Arlene.
"I think, at this rate, we really are going to run out of time."