"Ah, here you are, Isaak."
When Puppeteer found his colleague that evening, he was in the middle of feeding his pets. On the wall of the gloomy chess room was a large water tank. Standing next to it was a graceful figure, dressed entirely in black. He looked like he was going to a funeral.
"It appears that Duchess of Milan is being held in custody in Rome. She is suspected of heresy and helping the enemy. She has been stripped of her power as the head of the Ministry of Holy Affairs and as Cardinal. She's been confined to the Lateran Palace."
"I see."
Swimming in the tank was a monstrous fish close to six feet in length, with scales like pinecones covering its whole body. The giant fish's open mouth greedily consumed whole schools of beautiful little fish. Magician grinned, having found something amusing either in what he saw or what he heard.
"The preliminary inquest of the cardinals is complete. Tomorrow, the Inquisition will open at Castle Saint Angelo."
"What? That's boring."
Inside the tank, the giant fish was chasing some more prey. Thanks to a ferocious appetite, it swallowed the smaller fish. There was no pity in Puppeteer's eyes as he watched the cruel scene. Instead, he stuck his tongue out as if he were watching a show.
"I guess not everyone can be extraordinary. Oh, but did you hear? He escaped Rome. He abandoned his leader and fled," Puppeteer spoke, his voice full of mischief.
"Oh, he left Rome?" Magician said. Today there was something different in his voice. He turned away from the aquarium to look at his colleague. "Is that true, Puppeteer?"
"It is. Gunslinger and Iron Maiden escaped together. They've managed to escape the Vatican's surveillance net, and we don't know where any of them are. They are pretty clever, no? But this is the end of Duchess of Milan. The list that you made was perfect. Those feeble-minded idiots at the Vatican will never realize that it's a fake."
"You're right. And it will also be a good excuse to call them here."
The aquarium became still again. All of the smaller fish were gone. The monstrous fish had begun swimming around, evidently satisfied. But Magician's eyes were melancholy.
"That which must not, cannot be'—Morgenstern. They left Duchess of Milan in danger. They left her in enemy hands and departed Rome..."
"The situation is starting to diverge from the imagined scenario," Puppeteer said and then pulled a small file out from behind his back—something he had kept hidden from Magician up until this point. It was a plan of AX's airship, the Iron Maiden.
"It seems that they're presently headed north. I wonder what they could be looking for?"
"North?" Magician squinted at the map. He let out a small, shrill sound as he came to a realization. "So that's how it is."
"Yes. Exactly." Puppeteer nodded.
There was the sudden noise of bubbling water. From inside the aquarium, there was a huge disturbance. The monster fish that had been swimming around happily was now hitting the sides of the tank, in obvious pain. It was then that an abnormal change took place.
The stomach of the monster fish swelled to an abnormal size and then, in an instant, blood spurted out of it from all sides. It wasn't just blood that came flooding from its abdomen. Mixed in with the blood were shoals of small fish. The fish that had been swallowed whole had proceeded to eat up the internal organs of the now-bloated monster fish with their razor sharp silver teeth.
"No matter how strong something may seem, there may be an unforeseen weakness within," Magician muttered.
The monster fish feebly tried to resist, but as it wriggled in a cloud of its own blood, it was clear that its time was up. The red haze filled the tank and hid the pitiful scene.
"Oh, I'd forgotten. There was an internal flash point for us."
"You've remembered. I think it would be a good idea for you to take care, Isaak," Puppeteer said and smiled.
He turned his attention back to the aquarium just as the red cloud dispersed. There was no recognizable remnant of the monster fish left; only Magician's beloved tiny fish frolicked in the tank, now.
His eyes glittering like living gems, Puppeteer whispered in Magician's ear: "After all, there are so many people who would like to drag you down. And they could be anywhere."