A Study in Amber

by Time Ponies are cool

IV - Voice

IV - Voice

The headquarters of Trotland Yard was a grey, impressive-looking, modern building. It rose high above us, forcing me to crane my neck as I tried to view its entirety while I exited the cab. The building was rectangular and very much longer than it was wide. It was covered on all sides by rows of windows that reflected the orange sky. I stood beneath its shadow and for once the sun was not shining into my eyes.

Eagle Eye then walked out of the cab and onto the crowded pavement. He took out a few bits and gave them to the driver, who smiled, nodded and pulled the cab away, back into the traffic of Londerby's streets. Here we now stood, outside one of the central locations of Equestria's law enforcement system. I found it rather intimidating, even though I myself was a member of the Canterlot Royal Guard. I was merely a soldier protecting one city. Here, one could find the geniuses behind the security of the kingdom.

"So, what are we doing here, Eagle?"

"To answer our first question: what happened to that police officer? Trotland Yard keeps track of all law enforcement personnel in Londerby. I need to find out where that officer last was before he appeared at the house as the changeling. I can search for clues at the location that might tell me who else could be at play in this string of murders."

I nodded to indicate my understanding. Eagle trotted to the doors with purpose and I followed close behind. On the glass doors of the building, I could see our reflections and the reflections of everypony walking by and the cabs, stagecoaches and carriages on the street.

Eagle began to continue explaining the situation to me. I could hear his voice, but for some reason I could not comprehend what he was saying - not because his words confused me, but because his voice was terribly unclear. His words blended together into an indiscernible mess of sound. The sound of his voice then faded away, as did the sounds of the city around me. In their place came another sound: a high-pitched ringing in my ears. I shook my head and rubbed my ears. I looked forward and saw that Eagle had continued on into the building, leaving me behind. The ringing continued to grow louder until the sound began to hurt. I covered my ears, shut my eyes and grit my teeth in an attempt to block it out, but the sound was inside my head. Nothing I could do help. Just before the sound reached the point of being unbearable, it stopped and all that remained was total silence.

I opened my eyes and looked around, and everything was just as it was before; the same bustling city, but I could hear no sound. Then I heard a voice that had a distinct upper class Canterlot accent, with the refined dignified tone. It also sounded familiar, as if it belonged to a very famous pony.

"Captain Greenheart. Hello. Can you hear me, my dear fellow?" the voice said.

I quickly turned my head back and forth looking all around me, trying to find the origin of the voice, but it was coming from nowhere. It completely surrounded me, coming from every direction. Eventually, I realized that I must have been under a spell. I gave up on my effort to locate the voice and simply replied, "Yes. I can hear you."

"Ah, marvelous! We need to talk, Greenheart."

"Who are you? Why are you talking to me through a spell?"

"I am somepony to whom your business is his business. I don't want Eagle Eye to see me talking to you, as there is a private request I must ask, and there is much to incentivize your cooperation. Perform this task I ask of you and I can reward you with a good amount of money, or, better still, a reinstatement of your position in the Royal Guard."

"I don't understand why we need the privacy," I said. I saw the ponies passing by and noticed their awkward looks as they watched me seem to be talking to myself. I must have looked like a lunatic. "What are you to Eagle, then?"

"I'm about as close to a friend as anypony can be to him: an archenemy. But you seem to have gotten very close to him, my dear fellow. You seem to have his trust."

"We barely know each other. We literally just met yesterday."

"And in that course of time, you came to share a home and he has entrusted you to being his assistant in his exploits. A truly unique situation indeed, Greenheart. Not just anypony can enter into Eagle's life as easily and deeply as you have."

"It's really not like that at all. I'm just another bloke and he's just another bloke. My sister just set us up together so we can split rent. But more to the point: what do you want?"

"Look to your left."

I did as he told and looked to my left, where the street was with its traffic and river of pedestrians.

"Do you see a mare in the red trench coat and white fedora?"

Sure enough, amidst the crowds of late afternoon Londerby, I saw a slender pretty-looking mare as described by the voice. She had black fur, a dark purple mane and wore sunglasses. I answered, "Yes."

"Good. Now, this mare or one of her colleagues will follow you and Eagle Eye wherever you go. They will always be wearing a red coat and white fedora, though the ponies themselves may look different. Every week you are to go to whoever may be wearing this apparel, alternating between Monday, Wednesday and Friday each week, so as to reduce the chances that Eagle will notice the pattern. You are to report to her all of his activities, habits, ventures, et cetera. You may rest assured that your compliance will be well rewarded with a more than suitable sum of money. What say you?"

It was a tempting offer, nor was the task too difficult. Eagle Eye, so far as I could tell by now, was not somepony I could describe as inconspicuous. More importantly, I needed income if I was to pay my half of the rent until I found myself a job. Yet, for some reason, I did not accept immediately. Something felt wrong. I was ill at ease with the idea of spying on somepony, especially if that somepony was my flatmate and somepony I ought to be getting along with. To complicate it further, knowing that Eagle Eye worked with Trotland Yard on criminal investigation, it was likely that whoever wanted information on him would be a rather powerful and important criminal. After a moment, I replied, "No thanks."

The voice laughed briefly at my response. It was a very dignified, aloof, high-class laugh that very much annoyed me. He said, "Oh my, truly remarkable indeed. The loyalty of a soldier, of a warrior. Always so dependable. The courage as well. Of course, courage is a word I use interchangeably with foolishness."

"A leftover from wartime I suppose," I cheekily said back, "My courage got me through the Changeling Invasion at least."

"Hm. You know nothing, Captain Greenheart," the voice answered in a rather cold, condescending tone, "This is a completely different war being fought here. This is a war of the streets, the alleys and the sewers. A war in which you can never tell which side you are on. A war wage not by fighters, but by thinkers. And now, you are right in the middle of it thanks to your new friend. I'm sure it shall be quite the treat for you."

I was growing increasingly uncomfortable with the situation. I was concerned that with my refusal, some masked thug would sneak up behind me and stick a dagger through my spine. I looked behind me and to my sides as the voice spoke. For some reason thinking that it would make me safer, I entered through the glass doors of Trotland Yard.

Upon passing through and into the building, all the ambient sound suddenly returned. I heard flames burst to bring forth scrolls. I heard many sets of hoofsteps on the hardwood floor. I heard ponies talking, the ding from a lift and papers being sifted through. The sounds of an administrative center for a large institution. What I did not hear was the voice speaking to me.

"Hello?" I quietly said, "Are you still there?"

There was no reply. I only received the curious stare of somepony who saw me talking to myself.

All of the sudden, a mass of grey, black and dark blue rushed by me. It was Eagle Eye.

"Come along, doctor!" he said as he swung open the doors and went out to the streets again. He put his hoof to his mouth and whistle for a cab. I trotted out to follow him.

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[MinnesotaWriter]

*FANGIRLING*