the era of calamities

When you have a job where, from one day to the next, someone might come knocking at your door to arrest you, it's best to have an emergency plan—or at least an escape route. Victor was cautious enough to think about it, but maybe I should remind him that the sewers? He must not have a very refined sense of smell.

Reaching a particular wall, I ran my fingers over its surface, searching for a distinct sound near a loosely placed brick.

Click.

Immediately, a passage revealing a long, dark corridor appeared. It led to the basement of the building occupied by Victor, and similar hidden pathways were scattered everywhere to prepare for certain circumstances. The moment I stepped out, I took a deep breath of fresh air.

Then, I hurried up the stairs.

— Sirius, where have you been? You sure took your time!

Lucy stood there, holding a tray with a jug of hot water and some towels.

Strange, I hadn't even noticed her before she spoke… She must still be suppressing her presence without realizing it.

— I was taking a bath, I replied.

She stared at me oddly before stifling a laugh.

— Seriously? Is now really the time for a bath? And how do you reek so badly? Did you wash yourself with skunk piss?

Do I really smell that bad? They say humans can adapt to anything… Has this stench become normal for me?

— Uh, Lucy, you are a girl, right? Can I borrow some perfume? You must have plenty—you put it on every five minutes.

Splash.

What did I say wrong? Why did she pour hot water on me for no reason?

Lucy stormed off, walking away briskly before shouting furiously:

— Brenda is fine, by the way—not that mister here would care? He'd rather take a sewer bath? When she wakes up, I'll make sure she knows you didn't give a damn whether she lived or died!

What's with her today? Does she have her…

Why am I even thinking about that?

Well, today is definitely not the day I'll understand women.

---

It didn't take long before I found myself in front of Victor's office. Without bothering to knock, I stepped inside.

He was in the exact same position as when I left him. The only difference was the number of cigarette butts piling up.

— You made quite a mess out there, he said the moment he saw me, not bothering to hide the irony in his tone.

— I've seen you in a better mood.

All I got was a slight chuckle.

I took the opportunity to sit down, propping my feet up on his luxurious desk.

He sniffed the air.

— Get your filthy feet off my desk.

Sniff. Sniff.

— You stink like a rotten rat.

Since when did everyone become an expert in smell? I pretended not to hear.

— Don't you think you have things to tell me? I asked, my tone unwavering.

— Right back at you. Three buildings reduced to rubble, hundreds injured, the city turned upside down… It's a miracle no one died, he said, slamming his glass down on the table.

I remained silent. There was no point in arguing with him in this state. He'd just complain as if he was going to spend even a single coin on reconstruction. Once again, I wasn't surprised at how fast he had gathered all this information. One day, I'll ask him his secret. I doubt he'd tell me, though—even on his deathbed, he'd probably try to get something in return.

I wonder what happened after I left.

After a long while of pretending to listen—just when I was about to get bored…

The door opened.

— Hope I'm not interrupting your little intimate moment?

Iris, dressed in a stunning red gown, perched herself on the desk, crossing her legs before sighing dramatically:

— Being famous is exhausting. I had a hell of a time shaking off my new paparazzi.

Sniff. Sniff.

— Oh, it doesn't exactly smell like roses in here.

Ignoring her comment, I asked:

— How did your show end?

Placing a finger on her lips, she took on a mock-thoughtful expression.

— Not much, aside from someone shooting at me.

I can already tell she's going to make me regret this.

— The Enforcers quickly calmed everyone down, so easily it almost seemed like magic. They found the shooter, but unfortunately, he blew himself up before they could apprehend him. No accomplices have been identified yet, but judging by how things played out, it looks like a botched attempt to free the mayor.

— Hmm, the traitors to the Emperor were purged by the people. Not a single one was spared.

Oh, so Lucy managed to make Brenda appear dead. I wonder how she pulled that off.

With that, we're completely in the clear.

— Oh, I almost forgot, Iris said before turning to Victor with an exaggeratedly dramatic flair.

— Brenda is awake, and she has a lot to tell us.