When the rains may come (Science Fiction)

50. Old Friends are new Enemies

A luxury SUV came to a halt outside the gates of the hospital. Eli's bodyguard, Larson appeared at the gate to receive the visitor himself. He stepped ahead and opened the door to the car. Warren Astor climbed out.

"Welcome, Mr. Astor. Mr. Hodges has been awaiting your visit." Larson bowed at the man.

Warren nodded at the guard and didn't pay much attention to the crowd of admirers that was still outside the main gates.

"The hospital still hasn't been opened to the normal public, yet?" Warren asked as the guard was leading him to Eli's room.

"Not yet. But we will do it soon once Mr. Hodges gets discharged."

"I see."

Larson knocked at the door to the v.i.p room. A gruff voice said, "Who is it?"

"Mr. Warren Astor has arrived to see you, Mr. Hodges," Larson said in a rather hushed voice.

After a brief pause, Eli said, "Send him in. Also send in that doctor from yesterday."

Larson nodded and held the door open for Warren to walk into the room. As soon as the man stepped inside, Larson pulled out his phone and dialed for Frank Chambers.

Eli regarded his visitor with a neutral look. The man wore a navy blue business suit and a wide brim hat. The old man grinned at Warren. "We meet at last, Mr. Astor. Or should I call you...the Watcher?"

Watcher tipped his hat a bit and scoffed. "I thought it was about time I came out in the open to deal with this myself. Now tell me, what did you mean when you said Ardvenia and Vardin are friends?"

#

Clint walked into the v.i.p room. "You called for me, Mr. Hodges?"

"Yeah I called for you, doofus. The party is about to begin. Take a seat." Hodges pointed to the stool next to the bed.

The doctor nervously stepped over to the stool and settled in, very aware of the fact that Astor (the Watcher himself) was present in the room with him. And Hodges was aware of the businessman's secret identity.

"So the story really begins when the war first began ten years ago," Eli said. "When Ardvenia started raiding Moudrin. And Moudrin's military ally, the Republic of Vardin, was dragged into the brawl. That was around the same time when that one earthquake happened in Vardin and they discovered the Deux Fragment. And that timing is not a coincidence at all."

Watcher raised an eyebrow. "You mean Ardvenia was hoping Vardin would become a part of this war?"

"Absolutely. And the Fragment was a big reason for that." Eli nodded. "You see, Vardin's cultural laws prohibit the government from acquiring anything discovered in a tribal territory unless the tribe allows them to have what they want. And the Fragment was discovered in a forest inhabited and declared as the territory of the Torqua tribe."

"So they can't acquire the Fragment without the tribe's permission?" Clint said.

"Precisely," Eli said. "But they let the government have a sizable enough chunk of the Fragment as a peace offering. The government carries out tests and they find out how dangerous and powerful the Fragment is. So they want more. But the tribe won't let them have it for their own reasons. Now guess who offered to help them acquire the Fragment?"

Watcher frowned. "Ardvenia?"

"Yes!"

"But wouldn't that mean Vardin would have to break the terms of its military alliance treaty with Moudrin," Watcher said.