“No,” Daphne agreed. “And it’s also unlikely we’ll be lucky enough that this group of donors is made up of cult leaders giving us the story we need. All the sound bites in the world will be pointless if there’s nothing in them.”
“Because maybe there’s nothing here at all in the first place.” Again, it was an argument Tessa had made many times. Daphne was familiar with it and shook her head with a mix of what seemed like amusement and exasperation.
“Go,” she said, pointing at the door. “Find me something good.” They were at North Prime’s offices downtown, in order to make sure the surveillance equipment was working. Tessa had already dressed at home before coming out, in a black skirt and white blouse as requested, and had only a short trip to make back to the YCC’s building. There, she met up with Acacia and three other lucky chosen members who were helping out at the event tonight. Dag was her bodyguard of the day and accompanied them on the car ride out to Dr. Cassidy’s house, per arrangements Tessa had made earlier. At first, Acacia and Dr. Cassidy had been uncertain how to deal with Tessa’s protective arrangements, but upon learning she might have a praetorian in tow, they’d been quite charmed with the idea and asked that Dag come in uniform. Tessa would still go about her tasks at the party while he stayed stationed at the door, adding further gravitas to the affair. Dag had had no problem being on display, so long as he could be sure Tessa was safe and that he would be given dinner.
Being a political party’s therapist must have paid pretty well, judging from the size of Dr. Cassidy’s house and lawn. Although it was dinnertime, the summer evening still offered plenty of light and warmth so that he was able to host his guests out on an expansive patio and terrace area. There were about twenty couples invited, spread out among small round tables set with perfect linens and crystal. Hired wait staff and caterers handled the most intense labor, while Tessa and her student colleagues ran errands and took on small tasks. Tessa herself was on champagne duty, going from table to table to check on glasses, after Acacia had assured her that tipsy donors were generous donors. “Tessa,” Dr. Cassidy called, as she passed by him at one point.
“Come here a moment.”
He’d hardly sat down all night and had instead flitted around to interact with his tables of guests. He stood over one such table now, and Tessa hurried over to him, her champagne bottle poised for refills.
“Set that down for a moment,” he told her amiably. “I’d like to introduce you to some people.”
She and the other YCC students had already been introduced to various guests throughout the night, so this was something she was prepared for. She and the others, under Acacia’s tutelage, had perfected their roles as upstanding youth greatly benefitting from the Citizens Party’s guidance. Tessa expected more of the same here, but when Dr. Cassidy highlighted one of his guests specifically, she suddenly knew why she’d been invited tonight.
“And this is Adora Zimmer,” he said, indicating a middle aged woman sitting to his right. “CEO of Garnet Industries. That’s not even the most interesting thing about her. Adora has a background much like yours, having coming to the RUNA in her youth and earning citizenship. Adora, Tessa’s with us from Panama and attends Creative Minds—when not helping me pour champagne.”
“That’s wonderful,” said Adora. She bore no trace of an accent, and Tessa could only guess at some European ancestry, based on her surname and appearance. “I love success stories of other provincials finding greatness in our country—and clearly you have! I have a colleague whose daughter goes to your school. It’s not easy to get into.”
”Tessa’s quite an exceptional student,” Dr. Cassidy quickly said. “That, and she’s fortunate to have a benefactor who’s an old friend of Senator Darling’s. And you all know how concerned the senator is about seeing young people develop their full potential. His aid’s helped Tessa in her Gemman journey.”
That wasn’t exactly true. Tessa’s student visa and enrollment at Creative Minds had been Justin’s finagling, but she knew better than to ruin Dr. Cassidy’s performance and simply skirted the subject of who could claim credit for her. “I’m so lucky to be here,” she said. “In Panama, all my education came from home tutors, and the subjects were pretty limited. It was nothing compared to what I’ve been able to learn here.” She gave Adora a shy smile. “It’s especially inspiring to meet someone like you, Ms. Zimmer, knowing that no matter where I was born, I can succeed if I make use of all the Gemman opportunities being offered to me.”
“Of course you can, dear,” said Adora, face softening. “People like us have to work extra hard, but if we persevere, we can achieve anything we like. I help fund a group that’s been instrumental in lobbying for more immigration opportunities for provincial youth with outstanding potential. A good provincial girl is exactly the kind of role model I’m always talking about.”
Dr. Cassidy nodded in agreement. “And you know, Adora, that several members of our party—including Senator Darling—have been very interested in discussing your group’s cause. I look forward to enabling you all to speak more about it.”
Adora scoffed. “I’d much rather talk to this young lady. Let me borrow her for a few events, and we’d bring a change of heart to all those paranoid people who think letting in more immigrants will lead to another Decline.”
“I thought that’s what the religious freedom lobbyists were doing,” joked a man across the table. “Haven’t a few of them been courting the CP too?”
“The Citizens Party has only been talking to those religious lobbyists who have demonstrated responsible, stable groups,” corrected a woman beside him. “Those are exactly the kinds of groups people need to see more of. The only time religion’s ever in the news is when there’s animal sacrifice or arson.”
This sparked a lively debate amongst the table’s occupants, one put on hold when Dr. Cassidy turned his smile back on Tessa. “Okay, we won’t bore you with all of this. I’ll let you get back to your assignment, and don’t worry—I’ll drive a hard bargain on Adora before she can ‘borrow’ you.”
Tessa actually wasn’t bored and would’ve liked to see how a religious debate panned out with the Citizens Party’s wealthy supporters. It might also have given her the sound bite she needed. But, standing around and listening was out of the question, especially when it was clear Dr. Cassidy was so pleased with her for charming his immigration-supporting donor. Tessa didn’t want to ruin that rapport, and after a polite farewell, she visited other tables.
As the night progressed, she tried to pay attention to other conversations and linger near any tables discussing things relevant to Daphne. Not much came of it, though. Religion was rarely brought up. Taxes and the economy were more often than not the big topics, and mostly what she heard were variations of common arguments posted on media stream news channels.
As dessert was being served, Acacia summoned Tessa for another task. “We’re losing too much light, and the lanterns aren’t doing enough for us. Go inside and grab some candles from the dining room. It’s on the opposite side of the house. Just walk straight, cut right, and you can’t miss it.”
Tessa obeyed, entering the mostly empty grand estate, with only a few harried waiters and caterers rushing past her. She reached the opposite side of the house and found a Y-shaped hall, with the right hand branch going off to what was obviously a dining room. The left hand branch went off to what appeared to be an office, and Tessa hesitated.