NationStates Jolt Archive

22 April 9 R.A.

Sirens blared along the recently paved back country road outside the small Shieldcrest town of Ailaith. Fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars raced towards the flaming spire of the building which the townspeople had come to know as First Methodist Church.

Rescue workers acted quickly, turning high powered hoses on the building. Fire fighters heroically charged into the flames, seeking survivors. While they would never be on television or gain the renown the Armonvale Fire Department had gained from the inspiring images of rescue workers charging into danger, these men and women of Ailaith ran into death and danger to save life. Three of them came back out with survivors. Medics immediately moved to pack the survivors into ambulances and drive them hurriedly to the nearest hospital for urgent medical care. One firefighter was still in the building when it finally collased. The police and firemen gathered there realized this slowly as they simply stared at the rubble.

Lady Marmorel ni Fiona, chief of the Ailaith police department, looked at the report, gritting her jagged yellow teeth. "Dammit! If they'd been more careful we might not have lost a fireman."

The young Neko in her office, Lieutenant Thomorn Arborshate, shook his head. "We were as cautious as we could be without further endangering the lives of the people in the church. We managed to get a number of people out. There were three deaths among the parishoners...all...all children, ma'am."

Marmorel looked up, her red eyes flaring with the rage that burned in every Redcap heart. "Savages...I'm sure people will start describing it as a Redcap attack, murdering cannibalistic brutes that we are." she said dryly. She knew what Arborshate was thinking. Most Redcaps are like that. Being a Neko, a race not native to the Resurgent Dream, Arborshate was sure to be a first generation immigrant. Still, he'd already have picked up on that little opinion. Marmorel knew that as well as he did. She knew it was true, not just a stereotype. She felt the unending hunger inside her that drove almost all Redcaps to crime and drove enough of them to murder that more Redcaps were on trial for homicide than members of any other race. She also knew that even a few Redcaps like her were enough to make the government judge Redcaps by their deeds and not their birth. Marmorel could never decide if that was noble or foolish but it certainly worked out for her.

Arborshate continued. "We don't believe it was random, ma'am. It looks like a hate crime."

The lady shrugged. "Dead is dead, Lieutenant, and murder is murder. We have a case of arson and manslaughter and that's what we investigate. The rest is only good for finding a suspect and establishing motive."

"It'll affect how it plays in the press, ma'am."

"Yes, yes, I suppose you're right." Marmorel said as she stood up. "Just leave that part to me. You boys do your job."

taggagation

Marmorel stepped outside her office. Weeks had passed since the Church had been burnt and there was still nn lead as to the killer. Christian groups were growing dissatisfied, distrustful of the investigation. Marmorel sighed. She was working her hardest. Whoever had done it, however, was very good at hiding evidence.