"And Richard." Orin sounds considerably more friendly as he says it, but the most Richard can managed in response is a slightly strained smile. "Is this League business?"
Richard tips his hat. "Your majesties. This is more in the manner of an emergency briefing, given that it particularly concerns Atlantis. And given its precise nature I thought that you might like to get ahead on this one."
Nothing like old British manners to smooth the ways of diplomacy.
He walks over to convenient conversational distance, his movements entirely unaffected by the pressure of the water around us. Richard was able to confirm that the original victim was Mr. Knightley; a simple matter of looking at his face and Mr. Wayne talking him through performing a genetic analysis whose results only he could see.
"Giovanni was able to locate the individual we believe to be responsible for the murder, and we have a reasonable idea as to why they were slain. He also encountered the probable-perpetrator, which is why he's sitting up and taking light refreshment under the care of his dutiful daughter rather than talking to you."
And that phrasing is a very significant hint that things did not go well in the encounter. Pretty much tell Arthur that Giovanni got his ass handed to him.
Orin nods, his eyes flicking to me for a moment.
"Who did it?"
Ah, yes, that's the heart of the matter, isn't it?
"The gentleman whose face we couldn't see was named William Knightley. He'd been acting as a superhero under the name 'Arion'. And it seems that Arion -or Ahri'ahn, if you prefer- took exception to that. Among other thing."
Orin's reaction is fairly muted; a slight frown. Mera on the other hand boggles.
Indeed. That would be like hearing.. I don't know, Homer? Socrates? Julius Caeser.. has come back from the dead as a super-criminal. It depends on how revered Arion the Elder is, really, especially amongst the populace in general rather than just thaumaturgical studies circles.
"That's-. That-. Are you.. sure?" She shakes her head. "There are a great many Atlanteans who might take exception to someone from the surface appropriating his name."
I form a bubble of air around my right hand, then take a holoprojector out of subspace and use it to project an image of the man I encountered.
Admittedly, many of those who might take issues would be unlikely to be interested in visiting the surface just to attack them.
"Does he look familiar?"
Mera stares helplessly at the projection.
To be fair, how many classical figures would
you recognise from ancient artwork of them? Even the most realistic statue would be somewhat stylised to give the subject a more favourable cast.
"He has… Statues, but they're thousands of years old. I have no idea how accurate they are."
"From our brief conversation I rather got the impression that he was the sort of man to insist on accuracy. Were they contemporary works?"
Never mind the natural degradation they might suffer after several thousand years submerged. Not just sea life making them their homes, but the simple wear of ocean currents.
"You.. spoke to him?"
"Yeah. I'm actually here wearing my American Federal Agent hat. Ahri'ahn attacked Aberrance. Un-men, civilians and US soldiers were killed, and General Lane asked me to come down here and sound you out about the whole thing."
Not to worry, they don't hold Atlantis responsible in any way. Imagine if George Washington showed up in London at the head of an army of revolutionary soldiers. Would you blame the Americans?
Richard nods, an uncharacteristic degree of sombreness entering his expression. "Yes. The only reason that Zatara isn't a killer insect right now is the intervention of Sunset Shimmer and.. Circe, of all people. The one positive take-away appearing to be that at least Circe's serious about the whole rehabilitation thing. She also.. confirmed that his face and voice match her recollection of Ahri'ahn."
Orin frowns, his eyes finding mine.
He's probably thinking there's a hint of bullshit in the water. After all,
Grayven.
"What does General Lane want to know?"
"Whether or not Ahri'ahn… Well, let's start with the basics. Is he an Atlantean citizen, legally speaking?"
That could make for all manner of awkward
complications in pursuing and prosecuting him.
"Yes. He lived in Poseidonis immediately after the sinking, and was never exiled. There's a fairly limited precedent for people who were assumed to be dead for so long regaining citizenship, but I can't think of a reason why it wouldn't happen."
"The United States and Atlantis don't have an extradition treaty. If Ahri'ahn came to your attention, would you be prepared to hand him over?"
The challenge would be taking him first, I suspect.It might come down to Orin beating his face in with some ancient anti-magical
cestus from the royal armoury....
"I'm still trying to get my head around the idea that he's still alive. I have no interest in sheltering a murderer…" He looking me directly in the eyes as he says it. "Though if he's as powerful as he's supposed to be, I don't see why he'd want to come here."
"I, ah…" Richard looks away in pantomimed-awkwardness. "Don't mean to be rude, but do you have the ability to stop him if he did?"
Depends on how much anti-magical weapons they have, like I just said. And how many people would rise up to follow him. He
could well have included some manner of mental control backdoor on the adaptation spell... And would probably
not be above using it if he did, at least on the 'lesser' citizens.
Orin look Mera, who shakes her head helplessly.
"I have no way to know. Clearly, he had-. He has a brilliant mind, but I have no way to accurately assess how his skills compare to those of modern Atlanteans. How did you defeat him?"
Atlantean thaumaturgic knowledge
has come a long way since Arion the Elder's day. Though you don't become an Arch-mage by being unwilling to learn
new tricks...
"He said that he wanted to kill all of the Un-men as 'abominations', but he also stole a book which he claimed was his property. After he recovered it, Adom hit him with an Atum-assisted punch. His spells broke and he left in a hurry. But as I'm sure you can sympathise, Adom has a country to run. It isn't practical for him to move to Aberrance or spend his time hunting Ahri'ahn down."
Orin nods.
I'm sure Orin can understand that. I bet he has days where he'd rather be back in the US, punching muggers in the face.
"I assume that Captain Marvel could do the same thing?"
"Assuming that he's been practicing his focuses, yes. Adom is what Marvel might grow into; application isn't an innate part of the power. Look, I think I should… Double check, given our personal history. Is Ahri'ahn becoming active again going to be a political problem for you? I mean, I imagine the Second Coming of Jesus would cause ructions in even a moderate Christian country, and this is the man who literally designed you."
Something of a good analogy, though Atlanteans don't outright worship Arion the Elder the way Christians do Christ. At least, I
hope so.
"Ahri'ahn-." / "He was-."
Orin and Mera speak at once, and Orin defers to his wife. Whether due to her Atlantean upbringing or her focus on magic I don't know.
Or he's just wise enough to know his wife is a smart woman, and doesn't feel the need to.. swing his dick, so to speak...
"He was never worshipped in Atlantis, and his original works are no longer taught in school. Thaumaturgy has advanced a great deal since his time, and if he has been somewhere on the surface, I.. doubt that he has been able to keep up. One man, no matter how brilliant, cannot equal all of the greatest minds of a civilisation."
I nod. "Alright. Let us know if you hear anything. I've got no reason to believe that he's hostile to Atlantis, but you might want to redouble your defences anyway. I'll-."
As much as you can against someone as crafty as Arion the Elder.
"Grayven."
Orin's giving me a stern glare. I smile at him and raise my eyebrows in polite enquiry.
Oh, Orin's going to try to make a
point, is he?
"Yes?"
"How many people in Ahri'ahn kill today?"
Too many, though less than he would have without Grayven's group stepping in.
"We're not entirely certain yet. A hundred and fifty or thereabouts."
"And how many people do you think Black Manta killed over the years?"
...Really?
Really?
How long is Orin going to keep bringing this up?
Oh, that's how he's-.
"I don't know. More than that, probably. Though he was more discriminating. And of course, nobody -including Circe herself- knows how many people Circe has killed. And yeah, if Mister Hyde had killed anyone I cared about I'd have killed him and his with absolutely no regrets." I shrug. "I certainly appreciate you pardoning him, but... You didn't have to. You chose pragmatism, and I'm grateful. But unless Ahri'ahn offers the United States government something of massive value, I doubt that they'll make the same decision."
Thankfully, Arion the Elder does not seem like the sort to be so pragmatic. He's too...
Principled. or perhaps Arrogant would be a better word? Opinionated? Racist? Head too far up his own arse?
He nods.
"For some reason, I wasn't expecting you to be that direct about it."
There's something to be said for bluntness in diplomacy. Though you really have to be certain the person you're talking to can handle it.
"Real politics is realpolitik. I mean, if you could have killed or captured Mister Hyde without my help, you'd have done that, right?"
"Of course."
Admittedly, he was as slippery as a greased eel. In a pool of baby oil.
"And Diana would have gleefully captured Circe and imprisoned her permanently, and as… Far as I'm aware never tried to address her motives. In practical terms then… If Atlantis caught Ahri'ahn, I suppose that would put you in a stronger negotiating position with regard to what happened to him."
I bow.
"Your majesties. Thank you for seeing me at short notice."
You'll note he says nothing about Adom? After all, when he finally gets his hands on Jebediah (and hasn't let go of that
anger) things are likely to get
biblical. And
messy.
