Chapter 9: Chapter 6: Westminster Bank 2
"A Pipe that spouts flames from your nostrils. The Taboo Items held by Westminster Bank are as bizarre as ever."
Lawrence explained, "Taboo Items are objects bound by a taboo. Different Taboo Items possess different Authorities and come with different costs. They’re classified by their impact; the most powerful ones can even alter people’s perception or reality itself, but their costs are often exorbitant."
As he spoke, he rubbed the spot where his beard used to be. The flames had singed it completely smooth, yet his skin was unharmed.
Baron guessed the price for using the Pipe was one’s beard.
"This Pipe should cover the fee for Bagins’s house call."
Baron took the Pipe and looked it over. He felt that for a so-called Taboo Item, it seemed more like some sort of magic prop. "Are you sure an Alchemist would need this?"
"That uncertainty is precisely why you should bring it along."
Lawrence rummaged through his briefcase, found a red Gentiana Pattern Ring, and handed it to Baron. "I don’t know Bagins personally. I just know from the *Mercury Times* that he used to be a Druid."
"A Druid?"
"Druidry is the Second Law. The Wizard Law, which belongs to the Third Law, was derived from it."
He sighed wistfully. "In this day and age, when Wizards hold all the power, a Druid is as rare as a naked woman in a gay bar."
Baron took the ring. Lawrence said, "It’s a special Holding Ring from Westminster Bank. It can store anything except living creatures, and it’s protected by a password."
Seeing Baron’s confused look, Lawrence shrugged. "Westminster Bank believes in Destiny. If you can open this Holding Ring, all the Taboo Items hidden inside are yours."
"The rest of these briefcases have combination locks. Any usable Taboo Items should be inside this ring."
Baron studied the ring. "What’s the catch?"
He felt that things weren’t that simple.
Lawrence chuckled. "You only get one chance to unlock it, so of course, it should go to someone who needs it. Besides, who knows how many days you have left? At this point, what’s one more risk?"
"How do I enter the password?"
"With Spiritual Power. The Spiritual Power in your body started flowing after the ’Opening’ earlier, though it’s still very sluggish."
Lawrence watched in surprise as Baron slipped on the Gentiana Pattern Ring. "I thought you’d hesitate a little. It’s fine if you can’t open it, really. It’s just a gamble. There are other ways to open the briefcases..."
"I’ve already wagered my life. I have nothing left to lose," Baron said calmly.
He channeled his Spiritual Power, entered six eights, and opened the Gentiana Pattern Ring.
Gazing at the pile of Taboo Items that now nearly filled the carriage, Baron shrugged at the dumbfounded Lawrence. "Besides, life itself is one big gamble."
"Then you just might be the best gambler there is," Lawrence said, stunned.
...
"[Black-Rimmed Glasses for Seeing the Unbelievable]... [Reins for Forcibly Taming Livestock]... [Eternally Burning Matchstick]... [Dice of Fate]..."
Oh! There’s even a Patek Philippe watch. Its effect is to lower your presence.
I suggest you wear it. Death is unavoidable, but at least you’ll know how much time you have to straighten your appearance before it comes.
[A Trench Coat that Can Obscure One’s Appearance]... this is the one. And give these dice a toss while you’re at it."
Lawrence had Baron put on the trench coat and the watch, then waited until he rolled a "6" with the dice. He immediately pulled a briefcase labeled with a "6" from the carriage.
"What’s this now?"
Lawrence knocked on the case, which produced a dull thud. "A choice that could change your luck."
He then glanced at the dark clouds streaking past below them like strokes of ink and suddenly remarked, out of the blue, "It’s about to get foggy."
"Let’s part ways here. Consider this briefcase my payment for our little partnership."
Lawrence suddenly stood up, grabbed the [Reins for Forcibly Taming Livestock], and looped them over the neck of a Griffin.
The Griffin, which had been struggling, immediately grew docile.
"The Prole Court has surely discovered our escape by now. It won’t be long before those guys from the Holy Cross Association and the Inquisition come after us."
He mounted the very Griffin that had hissed at him earlier, then pulled on the reins and looked back at Baron, whose features were now hidden by the trench coat’s upturned collar.
"To them, you’re already a dead man, thanks to the Time Death Judgment. A dying prisoner isn’t worth making a fuss over. I’ll be their primary target."
"Where are you going?" Baron asked.
Although they hadn’t known each other long, Lawrence had proven to be an excellent guide to the many confusing questions he had.
This sudden parting wasn’t about reluctance; it was about losing a sense of security.
"Who knows? The main goal is just to stay alive and away from those lunatics."
"What about all these Taboo Items in the carriage? Don’t you need any?" Baron asked.
Thanks to Lawrence’s explanations, he now had a rough idea of what the Taboo Items in the carriage could do. Most of their functions were either shitty or just plain stupid:
The shitty ones included things like [A toothbrush that requires no toothpaste] or [A mug that automatically adds sugar to coffee].
The stupid ones included [A cat wand that stresses cats out] or [Gold Coin Chocolate that makes a dog bleat like a sheep but is otherwise harmless].
According to Lawrence, these were all Low Tier Taboo Items, little more than scraps of the ’Mystery.’
The only way to contain a truly High Tier Taboo Item was with Destiny itself.
"These Taboo Items chose you, not me. If you hadn’t suggested hijacking this Griffin-drawn carriage, my plan was to take you through the sewers and have us swim the Thames River."
"Is that also Destiny?" Baron mused.
Lawrence scratched his head. "It’s mainly that I can’t afford to piss off Westminster Cathedral."
Baron: "..."
Lawrence unhooked his Griffin from the carriage and slowly accelerated, veering off the tracks.
"Baron Constantin!" he suddenly called out.
Baron turned back.
Lawrence grinned at him, his wrinkles bunching up like a comical golden retriever’s. "Hope I see you again, and that you’re still alive."
Baron nodded slightly. "You too."
Lawrence steered the Griffin down into the clouds, his voice echoing faintly from within them:
"And it’s Mr. Lawrence to you, you disrespectful punk!"
...
November 16, 5:06 PM. Death countdown: 338,280 seconds, 91 hours.
Birmingham New Street, at a roadside newsstand.
The vendor sneezed and said without looking up, "*Birmingham Times*, twenty pence."
The young man, briefcase in hand and the collar of his trench coat turned up, counted out a few coins from his pocket, picked up the paper, and started flipping through it.
According to Lawrence, the latest password to the Inner Side was hidden in the newest issue of the *Birmingham Times*, in the "Home Life" section.
Baron’s gaze lingered for a moment on a headline—*Dissatisfied With Supervisor, Bank Clerk Murders Three Family Members in Broad Daylight!*—before he used Lawrence’s method to piece together a few words from a long list of discounted Birmingham supermarkets.
"Birmingham New Street Station, Gate 5, password: [Excuse my French]."
