“I don’t think letting Merlin have this would be entirely sensible.”
— C
C’s Office, Camelot (Covenant main HQ), France.
C has hung the painting the team recovered from Wormsley Church on a wall in her office. She leans back in her office chair, head tilted to one side, staring at it.
“Oh, don’t worry, I’m not keeping it there,” she says. “A couple of our more robust R&D — that’s Recovery & Deposition, not Merlin’s mob, I don’t think letting Merlin have this would be entirely sensible — will be up presently to take it somewhere safe.” She glances at Keira. “Belial, Hyacinth said? Interesting. I thought we’d recovered all of his infernal artefacts when we disbanded that cult in the 80s. They were all big hair, bad attitude, and body odour. Nothing to give us any serious problems, but what they lacked in common sense and competency they made up for in funding. Quite the collection, they acquired. Belial isn’t very hands on, as arcane beings go, but I can’t say I like the idea of associated artefacts being in general circulation.”
A small light flashes on C’s console and she presses a button to open the door to her office. Two people enter, both illegally tall and made entirely of muscle. They wear gear that might have been designed by Rob Liefeld, considering the number of pockets, and shades so dark the lenses look opaque.
“The artefact, ma’am?”
“Over there, thank you.”
“Precautions?”
“None necessary. Magical containment with minimum Epsilon level clearance. Keep the graduate recruits out, will you?”
“Of course, ma’am.”
They present a PDA and C scribbles a sigil with many flourishes. Only then does the pair lift the painting off the wall, slide it into a protective case, then head to the door.
“One more thing,” C calls after them.
“Yes, ma’am?”
“The associated case is not entirely closed. Should it become necessary to dispose of the artefact, Robin here is to be given the opportunity to carry out that task.”
“Understood, ma’am.”
Once the Cleaners have left, C picks up the painting that had been there previously. It appears to be the Gustav Klimt painting “Medicine”, which was supposedly lost in WWII. She rehangs it, then sits back down at her desk.
“Assuming Agnes is now at rest, I think we can call this case closed. At least unless Black’s predicament becomes a problem for people other than Black. But let’s keep an eye out for any other artefacts that might belong to Belial regardless. Anything you wish to add?”
Nobody replies, apart from Robin, who mutters something about saving the day and wanting his picture on the wall as Hunter of the month this time.