Tremble in the Dark: A Gwen Farris Novel Read Online Free PDF Page A

with her plan, but a new one. Gwen knew it and after a few seconds
could feel her combat linked precognition kick in, even though there was no
fight happening. It was an ambush, and involved people, so her subconscious
mind might just take it that way.
    It
was a habit nearly as old as she really was, and a good twelve years older than
the body she was in.
    "Oh,
yes!" She sounded bright and cheery suddenly, since slightly miffed or
not, you went with the plan that was happening, unless it was an awful idea.
"I'm thinking that we should have the Westmorlands over. Some of those
trained to Rift. After the events in the Capital, it will be good for people to
understand that we have people that can do that on our side too. Also that they
aren't dangerous. Not unless called upon by the King to do their duty."
She was nearly done, but something made her look at Beth and then start
speaking again. "I was also thinking that it might be good if Martin Cordell
could come. We had a rather unfortunately tense time the last we met at a
party, but I'm hoping to smooth things over."
    That
got a raised eyebrow from Beth, but it was followed by a smile. Cordell was one
of the leaders of the national Westmorland hate group. One of them at least.
Ethyl stiffened at the mention of the name, which was fair, since the man had
tried to ruin her last birthday party. Mainly by calling Beth a whore, several
times, in front of about five hundred people. He'd said something similar about
Gwen, but that memory was actually one of the more pleasant ones that she'd had
of being insulted by anyone. After all, saying she was a whore kind of implied
that someone would want to have sex with her, didn't it? No one had ever said
that about her before, back in her own world. She'd been called a monster, an
abomination and even a demon, but whore had been a new one to her.
    So
it surprised her a bit when her Westmorland friend chimed in.
    "Yes,
I was thinking to ask if he wished to attend with me? We've met, but I'm afraid
I've been remiss in keeping in touch with him."
    That
got Agatha to go silent, since trolling wasn't a thing she'd probably ever had
to deal with. Not on her rather polite and proper show. She rebounded amazingly
though, Gwen thought.
    Perfectly,
or nearly so.
    "Wonderful!
Well, it's rude to ask to be put on a guest list, so I won't mention it
directly, but everyone at home, please note how my voice is cleverly trailing
off now..."
    Gwen
moved in a little closer, "naturally we'll be inviting you, Agatha. This
will be in a few weeks, since Beth and I have to go off on assignment in the
morning. We could also invite King Ferdinand and The Marduk. I'm sure they'll
be too busy to attend, but we're on good terms. That's the polite thing to do,
right? Extend the invitation?" She should probably ask the other world
leaders too, just in case. It wouldn't do to insult them. The Empress of the
Chinoise was a person that she'd seen once after all, after being stabbed in a
room full of insane people that were trying to open a gateway to the voidic
planes. That, as she'd learned about half a second later, was a horrible idea.
The woman had lived however, and might be up to doing something by then.
    That
left the Prime Minister of Europa. She'd seen him too, in passing, but wasn't
really sure which sacrifice he'd been. That one was alive too, she'd heard. It
couldn't hurt to ask, but he wouldn't come. The Western Kingdom and Europa
rather famously didn't get along, and Debussey and her crew had blown up their
Capital too.
    Things
were tense there, because it was clear that they didn't really believe that a
small group of people had done it. They were, if covertly, blaming Ferdinand.
    If
you only knew of one gun existing, and you got shot in the night, it would be
kind of natural to jump to conclusions, wouldn't it?
    There
was more chatter then, that lasted about fifteen minutes. Agatha was polite,
but socially manipulative, which was a thing that Gwen couldn't