Daring got back to the warehouse just in time to see a paddy wagon leave with the captured Disciples. An ambulance stood beside the road, with Shoe Shine and Dimmig Morgon sitting in the back, being debriefed by Trace, Red, and Phillip.
“You get lost?” Phillip asked dryly as Daring descended.
“Ha ha,” Daring deadpanned. “Anypony hurt?”
“Just Rainbow,” Phillip nodded.
Daring’s heart leaped into her throat. “What?!”
“Turns out she got nicked in the crossfire,” Red explained. “Didn’t even notice until somepony pointed out she was bleeding. She’s fine, they’re just heading to the precinct to get her patched up and let her give a statement. She’ll be okay.”
Daring let out a breath. “That’s good.”
“Thank you,” Dimmig said, tears of relief shining in her eyes as she looked up at Daring. “Thank you for saving us.”
“No worries,” Daring nodded with a smile. “I’m just glad you two are okay.”
“They wanted me to tell them where the statues were,” Shoe Shine said, hugging the blanket he wore about himself as a paramedic checked him. “But I told them, again and again, that I didn’t take it. They didn’t believe me…”
“I will testify that you were with me at the time,” Dimmig said, laying a claw over the stallion’s hoof.
He shook his head sadly. “Peach Cobbler will still testify that I was there, and somepony who looked like me sold the gems at the pawn shop. I’m afraid that they won’t believe you; a skillful lawyer might say that you have reason to lie for me…”
“That is skit!” Dimmig spat, her Griffonese accent slipping through, the violence of her voice momentarily startling the paramedic examining her. “Why would I lie?! You are a good stallion, and I wish for our child to have their father growing up!”
Trace sighed and mopped his brow. “We’ll have to bring Peach Cobbler in for questioning.”
“Why would he want to steal the statues?” Shoe Shine asked. “And I am certain that he would’ve been there all day.”
“Well, if he didn’t give you that apple cake, then who did he give it to?” Trace said in exasperation.
Shoe Shine’s ears perked up. “Apple cake?” he asked.
“He said he gave you an apple cake that he’d made while the Literatures were out,” Trace said.
Shoe Shine tilted his head, bewilderment spread all over his face. “But I am allergic to apples,” he said.
Everypony stared for a beat. “Does Peach Cobbler know that?” Trace asked.
Shoe Shine rolled his eyes. “He always forgets; I have to remind him at least once a week.”
Trace sighed and pinched his nose. “So, was he lying when he said that?”
“No,” Phillip said, an idea forming in his head. “Shoe, did Peach know about you and Dimmig?”
“I am certain that he didn’t,” Shoe Shine shook his head. “He--”
With a rumbling of tires, a Gray Ghost pulled up to the sidewalk and stopped. Modern and Classic Literature stepped out of the car, their eyes wide as they focused upon Shoe Shine.
“Uh-oh,” Daring muttered.
“Shoe!” Classic cried, running towards the ambulance. Modern followed behind her husband at a slower pace.
Shoe Shine hung his head and stood up. “Sir, I am sorry,” he said quietly.
“Yes, we were hoping for an explanation to your deception,” Modern said coolly. Classic had stopped and was hesitating, looking like he was being pulled towards his butler.
“I…” Shoe Shine swallowed. “When I met Dimmig, I instantly knew that she was the one I was going to love. I hid it from you because I was not sure you’d approve of a pony loving a griffon; her parents certainly did not.” He blinked and wiped his face. “I was...was going to leave your employ soon,” he confessed. “I had saved up enough to purchase a home for myself and Dimmig...someplace we could raise our child. I was afraid to tell you.”
He looked up. “I know that you will no longer want me in your employ,” he said. “And I...understand. All I can say is that I did not steal the statues...and that I am sorry.” He lowered his head and turned away.
Classic and Modern looked at one another and an unseen communication seemed to pass between them. “Shoe Shine,” Modern called. Shoe Shine paused.
“You will not be leaving our employ,” Classic said. “You will be staying with us...and so will Miss Morgon and the child.”
Shoe Shine slowly turned around, his eyes wide. “I...you mean it?”
“Shoe, you have been in our employ for years,” Classic continued, striding forward and placing a hoof on the younger unicorn’s shoulder. “We would never think of abandoning you. You’re a part of the family.” He nodded to Dimmig. “And so is she.”
A smile slowly split Shoe Shine’s face as grateful tears shone in his eyes. Dimmig Morgon walked over next to him, leaving the paramedic standing next to the now-empty ambulance.
Trace coughed pointedly. “Sorry to interrupt, but we still haven’t proven that Mr. Shine didn’t steal the Innsbeak statues,” he stated.
“We will fight the charges,” Modern Literature declared in a matter of fact tone. “I firmly believe now that Shoe Shine did not steal them.”
“So, who did?” Trace countered.
“Could’ve been Peach Cobbler,” Red said.
“Somepony who looked like him,” Phillip said. “Trace, you have that picture from the pawnshop?”
Trace blinked at him, then reached into his trenchcoat and rummaged around. “Yeah, here it is,” he said, pulling the picture out and handing it to Phillip.
“Why the hell were you carrying that around with you?” Red Herring asked.
“Never know when I might learn something relevant to the case,” Trace shrugged.
Phillip held the image of the unicorn in the hooded jacket, studying it through a magnifying glass. “Yeah, figured,” he nodded. “Look closely at the horn.”
Trace and Daring both squinted at the horn. “Looks like a normal horn to me,” Trace said.
“Wait,” Daring said. “There’s something at the base...it looks like a different color?”
“Yes,” Phillip nodded. “A physical disguise, makeup. An illusion spell wouldn’t have fooled the surveillance crystal, but some of it washed off, looks like.”
Trace and Red both blinked. “Okay, you mind enlightening us plebeians?” Red asked.
“I didn’t know you knew big words like that,” Daring commented. Red gave her a Flying Feather without even looking at her.
“Somepony intercepted Dimmig’s letter, placed it in the tree morning of the funeral,” Phillip stated. “They waited until Shoe Shine left, then disguised themselves as him--probably used a glamour charm--snuck in with Best Seller’s key, had some apple cake, stole the statues, and left. Then he pried out the jewels and sold them at the pawnshop, using makeup to make himself look like Shoe Shine. If we found out about Shoe Shine leaving to see Dimmig, it’d make him look even more suspicious; break his alibi and lower his trustworthiness.”
“So who was it?” Red asked.
“It’d be a unicorn,” Phillip stated. “About the same height and build as Shoe Shine for the pawnshop scene, skilled enough in magic for a convincing glamour.”
Classic and Modern both looked at one another. “You don’t think…?” Classic asked.
“Schwarzer König,” Modern nodded.
Phillip and Daring both looked up. “Who?” Phillip asked.
“We met some moons ago,” Modern explained. “He was interested in the Innsbeak statues; we brought him into the home to inspect them. We met on and off a few times afterward; we did see him around the house a few times.”
“What’d he look like?” Phillip asked.
“A tan unicorn with dark brown hair, with some gray,” Classic stated. “I once told him he looked rather like that pony in the wanted posters, except that he had green eyes. We both laughed about it.”
“What pony?” Red asked.
“Zugzwang,” Classic and Phillip both said at the same time.
“How’d you know?” Trace asked.
Phillip had to take a breath before continuing; Daring noticed his tail twitch once. “In Gerwhin, Schwarzer König means ‘black king.’”
“A most fitting name, I think,” a familiar voice said.
Everypony turned towards the paramedic, who was suddenly wearing a smile that was far too wide. With a faint glow of golden light, the glamour spell faded away, revealing a stallion in a black suit and tie, his black eyes focused on Phillip. Everypony leaped away, officers fumbling for their guns, the Literatures backpedaling quickly, Classic placing himself between the stranger and the others.
“Liebling,” Zugzwang breathed in what sounded like an imitation of a lover’s coo, striding forward. “I knew that you’d figure it out.”
“Don’t fucking move,” Phillip snarled, aiming his revolver at Zugzwang’s forehead even as he forced himself to remain where he was, to not step back.
“Yes, it happened as you said,” Zugzwang continued, completely ignoring the guns aimed at him. “I had to get as many ponies out of the house as possible, and I knew that Best Seller and Shoe Shine were the weak points.” He smirked at the butler. “To see a plan that I’d put months of effort into executed flawlessly brought me a thrill.”
“And now you get to ride that thrill into a cell,” Red snarled, striding forward. “Trace, keep him covered. You, put your hooves—”
A bored expression crossed Zugzwang’s face and his horn lit up. Trace, Daring, and Phillip suddenly had their guns yanked from their hooves. A golden band surrounded Red’s hoof and his foreleg was forced around, aiming his sidearm at his own head. His eyes wide with shock, he tried to pull his foreleg away with his other hoof, but Zugzwang’s magic was too strong. “No! Geh—let go!” he cried.
“Do not speak again,” Zugzwang spoke in a cold monotone, refusing to even look at Red. “None of you speak. None of you move. This is about Phillip and myself.”
Nopony dared move or speak. He took a step forward and smiled down at Phillip. Phillip’s heart beat a staccato rhythm against his chest, but he found himself holding his breath as he stared into the darkness of Zugzwang’s eyes.
“A pity that Bentley Browndust was not as trustworthy as I hoped he was,” he continued, now speaking in a quieter, more matter of fact tone. “But you needn’t worry. I will deal with him.”
He smiled. Or tried to smile. The movement looked plastic, like the flapping jaw of a puppet: fake, artificial, and far more unnerving than it had any right to be. “But to see you solve the case, to watch you follow the trail that I laid out, was a thrill I have not had in a long time,” he whispered, stroking Phillip’s cheek with the back of his hoof. “A worthy opponent you are, indeed, mein leibling.”
The reflex to slap the offending hoof away raced down Phillip’s foreleg, but he had to still it, glancing to Red’s wide, terrified eyes as he continued to struggle against his own hoof holding his sidearm to his temple.
“You needn’t worry about the statues,” Zugzwang whispered into his ear; the touch of his breath, reeking of tobacco, made Phillip’s skin crawl. “I have big plans for them.” He kissed Phillip’s cheek. Phillip’s stomach turned.
“We will meet again, Phillip Finder,” Zugzwang cooed. With a final wink, he vanished in a flash of golden light.
The bark of a pistol made everypony jump, cries of terror leaping from everypony’s throat. Red’s .45 clattered to the floor. The stallion stumbled away, panting and shaking down to his tail, his wide eyes focused on the gun that had narrowly missed him.
“Red, Red, look at me,” Trace said, walking over and grasping his partner’s shoulders. “Red, you’re okay.”
“What?” Red asked, tilting his head. “I can’t hear anything out of this ear.”
Phillip bent over, panting. Daring trotted over and hugged him. “You okay?” she asked.
He had to take a few deep breaths before answering. “I’m fine.” He looked over to the Literatures, Shoe Shine, and Dimmig, who were all hugging each other.
Red Herring shook Trace off with a grunt and recovered his pistol, nearly fumbling with the weapon as he stuffed it into his holster. “We done here?” he asked the remaining paramedic, who had been crouching behind his ambulance during the entire scenario.
“Um...y-yes,” the paramedic nodded.
“Then we’ve got work to do,” Red said. “Congratulations on being innocent,” he nodded to Shoe Shine, who was still holding Dimmig Morgon. “Trace, c’mon.” He stalked over to the Hayson Commander and slid into the driver’s seat.
Trace nodded to Phillip and Daring. “We can handle clean-up. You did good, both of you.” A loud grinding of gears brought his attention back to his car. “Easy on the clutch! Sweetpea doesn’t like having it pressed so hard!” he cried, running to the car.
“Thank you for everything,” Shoe Shine said to Phillip and Daring, stroking his lover’s back. He joined the Literatures and headed back to the Phantom.
Daring wiped her brow. “So now what?”
“What do you want to do?” Phillip asked.
“I want to check on Rainbow,” Daring said. “The kid did great, and I want to talk to her.”
Rainbow Dash was sitting in the infirmary, scowling at the on-station nurse as she fussed over her. “I said, I’m fine,” she groused. “It’s just a scratch.”
“You could’ve gotten killed out there!” the nurse, a white-maned unicorn with a pinkish-red coat scolded her. “It’s bad enough when it’s trained police officers, but a civilian like—”
“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight cried, running into the room. She seized Rainbow in a hug. “You’re okay!”
“I’m better than okay!” Rainbow said, hugging Twilight back. “I got to go on a mission with Daring Do! You should’ve seen it, Twi! She snuck in there, and then I swooped in, zoom, and got the hostages out!”
“Yeah, you did good, kid,” Daring said, striding into the room.
“Oh, no! I’ve got enough to do already without visitors in the way!” the nurse declared. “Out! Out, out, out, out!”
“Okay, okay, geez,” Daring grumbled, leading Twilight and Rainbow out of the infirmary and into the hallway.
“Rainbow, listen,” Daring said, glancing down at her hooves. “You’ve done really well.”
Rainbow’s face lit up and she let out a noise that was definitely a repressed squeal.
“But you’re also raw as hell,” Daring continued, looking up. “You don’t think before you act, and you’ve got this bad habit of trying to pick fights you can’t win.”
Rainbow frowned and shuffled. “Daring, that’s—” Twilight started to say.
“I’m not finished,” Daring interrupted. “But you’ve got potential. I saw you when the shooting started; you stuck with Dimmig and Shine, where it mattered.” She strode forward and laid a hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder.
“That’s why I’m gonna take you on as a sidekick,” she announced. “If I need your help, I’ll call you.”
Rainbow’s face lit up like the sun. With an excited swoop, she flew up into the air and started doing loops up and down the hallway, dancing and singing joyously in midair. Everypony around stopped what they were doing to stare at her; papers and hats were sent flying in the wake of her flight.
“I’m gonna work with Daring Do!” she chanted. “I’m Daring Do’s sidekick! Oh, yeah! Uh-huh!”
Daring facehoofed. “Dash…”
“Let her have this,” Twilight said with an indulgent smile.
Rainbow Dash eventually noticed the stares of the others and floated back down to the floor. “Yeah, I’m Daring Do’s sidekick,” she announced, trying to hide an embarrassed blush.
Daring rolled her eyes. “But there are rules to this, kid,” she declared. “Rule one: you do exactly what I say, when I say it, without questioning it. And if I tell you not to do something, you don’t do it.”
“Got it,” Rainbow nodded.
“Two: no more vigilante acts,” Daring continued. “I’m not gonna have you getting stabbed to death in an alleyway.”
“But—” Rainbow started to protest.
Daring held up a hoof. “Kid, if we’re gonna do this, then it means that your safety is my responsibility. I can’t have you running around sticking your nose into manticore nests. Got it?”
Rainbow Dash sighed and nodded. “Fine.”
Daring nodded back and stuck out a hoof. Rainbow Dash grinned and shook it heartily. “So, where do we start?”
“I’ll call you,” Daring said. With a final nod, she turned and walked away.
“Did you see that?” Rainbow Dash said excitedly to Twilight.
“I did!” Twilight nodded. “This is so exciting!”
“I know!” Rainbow squealed.
“There’s so much you’ll have to learn!” Twilight said, looking ecstatic. “Crime scene investigation, first aid, survival scenarios, legal procedures...oh, the list is endless! We should get started on studying right away! You’ll be the best sidekick ever!”
“Oh. Great,” Rainbow said with markedly less enthusiasm.
Daring walked around a corner and found Phillip waiting for her, leaning against the wall. She sighed. “That went about as well as I thought it would,” she admitted.
“She does deserve that chance,” Phillip stated.
Daring managed a small smile and nodded. “Yeah, she does. So what now?”
“We keep working,” Phillip said. “We’ll get Zugzwang and Scarlet and Whitestone. All of them. It’s just a matter of time. And in the meantime,” he added as they exited. “We’ve got plans for tonight.”
Zugzwang descended down the steps into the basement, each wooden step creaking beneath his weight. At the bottom, he found himself confronted with the barrel of a .45 hoofgun, held by a scowling Bright Sparks.
“You could’ve killed four of our biggest enemies, and you let them all go,” Sparks spat. “Why?”
“Because it was not convenient for me,” Zugzwang answered calmly, giving the pistol only a brief glance. “I need Phillip Finder alive, and his friends will make excellent leverage. Now, put the gun down.”
Sparks scowled but lowered her weapon. “You’re asking me to trust you a lot,” she said.
“True,” Zugzwang conceded. “But I get results.” He looked over into the corner.
Four statues stood on the table next to the easel with The Treachery of Images. Even without the embedded gems, the Innsbeak Statues made an impressive display under the dim lights of the basement, the four ancient gods snarling at the guests with empty, eyeless holes.
“You sure that’s what we need?” Sparks asked.
“The plan requires four items of concentrated power,” Zugzwang explained, studying the statues. “The Innsbeak Statues were worshipped for generations: they have great latent power inside them. Once I unlock that power, they will be perfect for our plan.”
Sparks grunted and looked back down at the plans spread before her. “As long as your plan to get my friends out of Frostback succeeds. That’s what matters.”
“Indeed,” Zugzwang said coolly, glancing at the pair of scrolls in the corner. The faded script atop one of the scrolls read “Lazarus.”
Sparks sighed. “You’re gonna have to take on more of a load from now on,” she stated. “Scarlet’s being watched too closely by the police now.”
“I understand,” Zugzwang said. He took one of the scrolls and examined the ancient script written on it. “I will take this to my own safehouse for more translation.”
Sparks grunted. Zugzwang pocketed the scroll and started heading back up the stairs. Once he was about halfway up, he turned and paused.
Odd...the statue of Discord wasn’t facing him earlier, was it? It seemed to be staring right at him, empty eyeholes boring into…
“Hmph,” Zugzwang grunted to himself, turning away and heading up the stairs. But it was all he could do to not shudder.
Night fell over the city, bringing a cool breeze that smelled of flowers and grass, the promise of spring. Phillip and Daring walked up Golden Oaks Street, the sound of their hoofsteps clopping off the nearby houses. Phillip held a bag close to his side, lightly slapping against him with each step.
“You know, if we got stopped by an officer, there’d be a lot of awkward questions,” Daring smirked.
“I’m sure you’d have a lot of bonehead comments,” Phillip said dryly.
“You insult me,” Daring sniffed. “Such an obvious joke is beneath me. Instead, I’d tell him to get a spine and give us a hoof.”
Phillip quickly turned away. “Ah, I saw you smiling!” Daring laughed, punching his foreleg.
“Shush,” Phillip said.
They reached number ten-ten. The door opened and Twilight Sparkle trotted out, with Spike riding astride her shoulders. “Hi, guys!” she chirped. “Ooh, are those the skulls?”
“Yup,” Phillip nodded.
“So, what’d you find out?” Twilight asked, falling into step beside them. “I’ve been doing some research of my own into forensic hippology, and it’s made me realize just how little we know about what happens to bodies after death. I’ve been thinking about proposing a dedicated research facility where it can be studied.”
“What would you call it, the Body Ranch?” Daring commented.
“It has merit,” Phillip stated. “The trick would be finding the right place.”
“Yeesh, thanks for putting that idea into her head,” Spike rolled his eyes. “Now that’s all she’s going to talk about, on top of those lesson plans she has for Rainbow Dash.”
They reached a two-story blue cottage, the number 1273 painted in gold over the door and on the mailbox. As they turned up the walkway, the white-trimmed door burst open and a young zebra colt with green eyes raced out, his frizzy mane bouncing up and down.
“Uncle Phil!” Muziqaa cried, bounding into Phillip’s embrace.
“Hooley dooley, you’re getting big,” Phillip grinned, hefting his honorary nephew up onto his back.
“Uh-huh! I’ve been doing more exercises!” Muziqaa nodded. “Hi, cousin Twilight, cousin Spike!”
“Hey, kid,” Spike said, hoofbumping the colt.
They entered the home and strode into a hallway decorated with tribal Zebra masks on the wall and a framed photograph depicting Suunkii with his wife and son, all of them smiling at the camera. Sirba entered from the dining room, tossing her long mane from her eyes.
“It is good for you all to join us tonight,” she smiled, hugging each guest in turn. “Come out back and enjoy the twilight.”
They proceeded through the living room and through a set of glass doors out onto the back porch, which was lit by torches. Suunkii had set up a long picnic table and was currently working at a grill. The scent of grilled vegetables made the guests' mouths water. Doctor Mortis was sitting at the table already, humming to herself; her crystal coat sparkled beneath the light of the torches, making her shine every which way she turned.
“My friends,” Suunkii nodded to them with a small but genuine smile. “It is good to see you all here. Phillip.” He grasped Phillip’s hoof and pressed his forehead against his friend’s. “We have not done this in so long.”
“I know,” Phillip replied, gently rubbing against his friend. “Far too long.”
“And Daring,” Suunkii said, grasping Daring’s hoof and pressing his forehead against hers. “Welcome to my home.”
“Thanks, doc,” Daring replied.
“Are these the skulls you were studying?” Vitae Mortis asked eagerly, looking at the bag that Phillip had placed on the floor. “So, what’d you find out?” She hopped up and down excitedly, looking at Phillip like an eager puppy who thought that her owner was hiding a treat; Daring suspected that she saw her coat take on an even brighter sheen than before.
“Plenty,” Phillip said. “But Twilight had an interesting idea.”
“Yeah, the Body Ranch,” Daring added.
“It is not going to be called that!” Twilight sputtered as she sat down next to Mortis. Ignoring Daring’s sniggering, she started outlining her idea to the mortician, who listened with rapt attention and awe.
“Hey, Aunt Daring!” Muziqaa called. Daring looked up to see that Muziqaa had climbed up onto the branch of a great oak tree in the backyard with the aid of a ladder. “Watch this!” Muziqaa waved and jumped off the branch.
Daring squawked in shock and shot forward on her wings, snatching the little colt out of the air. “You trying to kill yourself?!”
“Aww, I was just gonna show you my double backflip!” Muziqaa protested.
“My son is well practiced in dance and tumbling,” Sirba laughed, taking her son from Daring’s forelegs. “You needn’t worry, he is not known for stumbling.”
“Yeah! Let’s show her, mama!” Muziqaa said.
Sirba set Muziqaa down on the ground and he ran a few feet away, then ran straight at her. Sirba lowered her head to the ground; when Muziqaa reached her, he jumped up onto her head, and she tossed her head, catapulting him into the air. He did a backflip, landed on his hooves, and ended his momentum with a backward hoofspring. “Ta-da!” he sang.
“Wow,” Daring said, genuine awe in her voice.
“Mama’s been teaching me since I could walk,” Muziqaa explained.
Daring walked back to the porch, with Muziqaa excitedly hopping after her. Suunkii was lifting the perfectly charred vegetables from the grill and placing them onto paper plates as he and Phillip discussed the findings of their respective experiments. Twilight and Mortis were eagerly examining the skulls in their glass jars, taking extensive notes, while Spike was already digging into a wrap that had steam rising from it. She looked up at the sky; the stars were just coming out, the constellations becoming visible. Her gaze panned from Scorpius’ tail to the Great Dipper to Polaris, fixed in the north. It seemed to wink at her as she looked up at it.
With a smile, she sat down at the picnic table to join her friends.
The sound of the typewriter's clacking mixed with the classical music crooning from the record player in the corner. Scarlet Letter hummed softly along with the string quartet's melody as she typed. The lights of the living room in which she sat were dimmed, with the only illumination coming from the star and moonlight through the window that overlooked an empty street, and the scented candles on the table at which she sat.
The typewriter dinged as she reached the end of her sentence. She slid the carriage back to the left, moved it down to the next row, and continued typing, detailing the flutter in Detective Sophia Snoop's heart as she came face to face, once again, with the dashing Red Robin, the brilliant and talented but honorable thief that she had pursued in more ways than one. Writing had long been a joy for her, ever since she had published her first mystery-romance novels under past pen names. For the moment, she could forget that she was a beloved charitable donor to the public, or a feared criminal mastermind amidst the underworld of this damned city. She could even forget, however briefly, the role that she held for her master. For the moment, all that mattered was the cinnamon scent of the candles, the calming music, and the way that Red Robin gently wrapped his forelegs about Sophia's neck and crooned into her ears as he led her towards the bed; tres grossier, she knew, but a little sex went a long way for attracting public attention.
She licked her lips as the words flowed from her imagination onto the paper. It had been a while since she'd satisfied her own needs...perhaps she could—
The sound of an engine outside caught her attention. The fact that she dwelled in this humble condo near the northern borders of Ponyville was not a secret, but she had made it clear long ago that visitors weren't exactly welcome. Who would be coming about at this hour?
She looked up to see a dark car, windows tinted and headlights out, trawling up the street at a moderate pace. Instantly, her every instinct went on high alert. The passenger window rolled down and something flew out of the car, sailing towards the window. Scarlet Letter dived to the floor, covering herself with a hasty magical shield.
The chorus of breaking glass was immediately followed by an explosion loud enough to rattle windows and doors for several blocks around. Even as the light pink walls of the house came crashing down in a smoking ruin, the dark car sped away into the night, vanishing amidst the echoes of the first open shots of war.