Dysfunctional Imperials
Copyright© 2025 by Ogreface
Chapter 14: Shopping
The weather was cold but clear as they set out to walk from Government Hall towards the beach front. Alec called in more plain-clothes troopers to shadow them. Olaf’s three concubines, as well as Gwen and Ruth, were following behind in a close group with Olaf leading the way. He took Molly’s hand when they set off, which seemed to please the coltish young girl as she started bouncing and prancing along next to Olaf.
It was close to noon when they left Government Hall and within a few minutes they were in the main shopping district. Olaf’s attention was drawn by a coffee shop which was part of the shopping mall where he and Aster had their first encounter with the nobility.
It was during their first visit to the city at which time they were herded out of one hallway of the mall because it was closed for nobility shopping. On the spur of the moment Olaf led Molly into the coffee shop, which had an outside seating area as well as an inside area behind huge windows facing the pedestrian-only walkway outside the mall entrance.
“Get everybody some hot chocolate,” Olaf said to Ruth, who turned to Alec, the official carrier of petty cash.
“We can sit outside,” Vanessa said. “There is no wind, and the sun is nice and warm. Olaf was aware that his troopers needed to stay close while being unobtrusive. He noticed Alec looking and nodding towards the outside tables before he followed Ruth inside. They had Alec and four plain-clothes troopers with them, but Olaf recognized two more troopers casually walked up and joined their buddies. Knowing where and what to look for, it didn’t take Olaf much to recognize two more across the street, loitering around.
“Molly, what is so special about these boots you want your mom to get you?” Olaf asked as they all sat down drinking hot chocolate. Molly’s eyes grew big as she glanced at her mother. Then she clammed up, all red in the face.
“I also want some warm fur-lined boots,” Mona said. “Where I come from we have cold winters but not as cold as here.”
“I know exactly where to get the best and softest boots.” Vanessa exclaimed. “That shop there,” she said as she pointed at a shoe store a short distance deeper into the mall.
“Vanessa, take the girls and go get them all some warm boots,” Olaf said. “Let Ruth handle the petty cash for now, unless you want to go with them.” He said to Alec.
“Rodrick can escort them,” Alec said as he pulled out a leather pouch and handed Ruth an envelope from inside the pouch.
“Is there any reason or requirement to shut down half the mall if nobility wants to shop here?” Olaf asked when he and Alec were the only ones remaining at their table after all the women and one of the troopers, a particularly huge guy, went into the mall. Olaf told Alec about his and Aster’s first encounter of the city, a year earlier.
“I would prefer not to do that, unless we know of some real threat and the ladies insist on going shopping,” Alec said. “Doing it this way is far less unobtrusive and safer, unless we encounter a hostile crowd.”
They were still sitting there, watching the people and doing nothing much, when a hovercraft slowly drifted down in the street in front of the main entrance of the mall, a few dozen meters away from where they were sitting. Olaf just watched, but then he noticed all the troopers were watching the hovercraft as well as the surroundings with more interest. The road was a pedestrian-only road, and only delivery vehicles were allowed and only at certain times of the day, which made the presence of the hovercraft more unusual.
The hovercraft was the same model as the ones that Olaf’s security team used, except it had properly darkened windows. Then the side door opened and a uniformed trooper, a lieutenant, got out. He was followed by two more uniformed troopers who took up station on either side of the door. The two troopers stayed where they were as the officer quickly marched into the main entrance of the mall. A short time later he was back with two mall security personnel.
“If they are going to shut down the mall again, I can see trouble coming,” Olaf muttered. Two more troopers got out, followed by four women, two of whom Olaf recognized as his cousins, as well as three men he didn’t recognize.
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