Freedom, Humanity, and Other Delusions (Death's Handmaiden Book 3) by Niall Teasdale (best summer reads txt) 📕

cat rising from a good nap, and yawned. ‘This is tedious. Are you ready for the handover next week, Nava? I see you’re still watching everything Courtney does.’

Not moving her eyes from Courtney’s screen, Nava replied. ‘I believe I have a good start. I have the basics of the required administrative work down, I think.’

‘You should have,’ Courtney commented. ‘You do know it’s really hard to concentrate when there’s someone looking so intently at what you’re doing, right?’

‘Yes, and that isn’t how you spell proceed.’

‘Yeah, thanks.’

‘Anyway, the first lieutenant has organised the first lectures,’ Nava went on. ‘I have a reasonably firm grasp on the patrol system and a few operational areas I wasn’t sure of. I’m still studying what seems to be the main component of the captain’s role, but a little learning on the job is probably to be expected.’

‘The main component?’ Melissa asked.

‘Paperwork.’

‘Oh, really? Somehow, I figured there would be more patrolling and, you know, field work.’

Nava shook her head. ‘Reading and writing reports. Filling in forms for the school’s administration. Paperwork.’

‘Yeah,’ Courtney said, ‘that’s about the size of it. Police work is never as glamorous as you see in the vids.’

‘I never thought it was,’ Nava said.

‘I thought it was,’ Melissa admitted. ‘Though, if I really think about it, there’s no way it could be.’

‘Just about everything involves more paperwork than you’d imagine,’ Mitsuko said.

‘I think it’s a universal law,’ Courtney agreed. ‘Like gravity.’

‘We’re all sorceresses,’ Melissa pointed out. ‘Gravity isn’t universal for us.’

‘Well, you know what they say about death and taxes. It’s true of paperwork too. Even where gravity doesn’t work.’

236/5/6.

SSF HQ was not quite as full as it had been at the last meeting Nava had attended. Notably absent was Zayden, but Nava knew why that was. Two more members were away due to family commitments, but they would be getting a recording of the proceedings sent out to them.

Also noticeable was Nava’s dress, which now had gold trim above and below the corseted section and around the arm holes. Courtney’s dress still had the trim, but she had said it would be something of a relief to change out of that dress when the meeting was done. Nava was not entirely sure that the soon-to-be ex-captain was really that sanguine about losing her position.

‘Okay,’ Courtney said, ‘let’s do this.’

Silence fell over the room as everyone turned to the head of the table where Nava was standing beside Courtney. Sixte was smiling at them. Pretty much everyone else was wearing a neutral expression, though it looked to Nava as though, in some cases anyway, that was because they felt the little ceremony deserved some solemnity. Not that there was much ceremony.

‘If you’re expecting a long speech,’ Courtney went on, ‘well, sucks to be you. What I will say is that it’s been a pleasure to serve with you all and, at least most of the time, you’ve made me proud to be your captain. I hope you’ll do the same good work for your new captain.’ She turned to face Nava. ‘Nava Greyling Sonkei, I hereby relinquish command of Shinden Alliance School of Sorcery’s Student Security Force to you.’ Then, surprising Nava a little, she saluted. ‘Welcome to the SSF, Captain.’

Surprised or not, Nava returned the salute. ‘Thank you, Captain. I accept command of the SSF. You stand relieved.’

‘I am relieved,’ Courtney said, the statement not sounding like part of the ceremony. The grin which followed it as she lowered her arm added to that impression. ‘Now I can finally hand over the paperwork to someone else.’

‘That’s something to look forward to.’ Nava turned to face what was now her team. ‘I hope I can count on all of you to do the excellent jobs you have been doing up until now.’ She paused. ‘However, if any of you feel you can’t continue under my command, I’d like your resignations by the end of the week. Zayden Hillam has already submitted his resignation to Courtney. He won’t be back with us next term. I don’t hold grudges. If you don’t want to be here, please let me know as soon as possible so that I can find a suitable replacement. There won’t be any questions asked.’

She paused again, apparently waiting to see whether anyone would speak up. No one did. ‘Okay, on to other matters. For now, patrol patterns and the like will remain as they have been. As I’ve already said, I’m going to be recruiting new members, starting this week. We’ll have some new blood in this room at the start of next term. I’m letting things bed in for a week before we really get going, but the first voluntary lecture from the ASF will be taking place in the evening on the twenty-first. Details to follow. It’s not going to be exciting. It’s covering basic police procedures. All the lectures will be available on vid for those on patrol duties when they happen. I’d like everyone to watch these first ones, even if you can’t be there, because they cover the most basic protocols we’re expected to follow.’

‘It’s mandatory?’ Booker Tucker asked.

‘It’s highly recommended.’ Booker was going to be one to watch, Nava figured. That was assuming she did not get his resignation in the next few days. ‘I’ll be posting additional lecture schedules to the private site as soon as I know details. Aside from that, it’s late spring break and the usual reduced patrol schedules will be operating. Go about your jobs as you have been doing and enjoy your time off. I know I’m going to.’

236/5/7.

The sun was not as hot in early May as it would be later in the summer, but it was still warm enough that Nava could lie in the back yard of the house and enjoy the heat on her skin. She was wearing a bikini or, since the house was on the end of a street and the garden was not overlooked, half of a bikini. Beside her, Mitsuko was