Gershom
Heart pounding hard inside my scaly breast it took a supreme effort of will to act concerned and not terrified in Anne's prison. Armed with Hannah's knowledge, I knew those smooth glowing walls wouldn't stop Elder Keros Curran from eavesdropping on everyone who visited. The very person who framed Anne may be violating her privacy. That is... if Elder Keros knew of his son, Felix's actions. I also only had Hannah's suspicion that Felix killed Linda Devine. No proof.
I longed to tell someone what I knew, but who? I thought of Anne all alone in that prison a part of me foolishly hoping I could tell her. As soon as I entered I knew it was a dead end. I had taken a risk going there, and I had accomplished nothing. I could only hope that the killer would understand that if I wanted to stay involve in the planet project, I needed to express my support for Anne. After all, the reason she became a target is that I asked Res Publica to become involved. I wasn't innocent here. If I remained aloof, wouldn't someone become suspicious? It wasn't a foolproof argument and I couldn't help hearing Hannah's voice berating it in the back of my mind.
Although the trip had largely been a waste, it was heartening to hear that Elder Ezekiel and her former husband, Jerome were eager to prove her innocence. The problem is that they were very likely discussing their plans, unbeknownst to them, in the presence of the killer. Somehow I had to at least warn them.
These thoughts and more swarmed through my mind as I lay on a thickly tangled energy web in the garden. I came directly here after my meeting with Anne seeking solace in the place where life's energy existed. The softly glowing colors of the energy strands slowing down my frantic heartbeat. The garden's vibrational music felt like a deep tissue massage in my limbs.
The sound of soft flapping kept reaching me in between the all consuming symphonies being played. Although it restored my spirits, I noticed it was particularly loud today. I wasn't the only one seeking peace after last night's devastating events. The entire Little Dragon civilization was experiencing a crisis. The first murder in several centuries. There had to be hundreds seeking refuge in the garden at the moment.
An idea began growing inside my mind. What if Jerome or Ezekiel were among the Little Dragons here today? It wasn't a complete impossibility I reasoned as I gently took hold of a strand in my talon. These energy fibers looked deceptively fragile but they were unbreakable. I suddenly realized that was no longer true, the weapon that killed Linda Devine had also destroyed the energy strands linking her to this garden. Something that was thought to be an impossibility until last night.
Clearing my mind of these troublesome thoughts, I extended my awareness into the strand searching for the Little Dragons I sought. My senses found Jerome resting placidly on a web not too far from my current position. Immediately I let go of the energy fiber and flew off to find him before I could think further on it. I was well aware that regardless of the help I now provided, he would judge me severely for what I had done.
That ends Social Conundrums, Part XX. Next month is Social Conundrums, Part XXI. Learn more about the Little Dragons by reading the earlier blog post series titled Humanity's Evolution.
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