Page 60 of The Timeless Vigilante

“What are they doing?” Gen asked, noticing that the black, unmarked vans had all lined up at the back of the museum in a narrow alleyway, like they were hiding.

Her dragon shook his head, appearing a bit frustrated. “That I don’t know. I see flashes of the future that could tell me, but sharing those visuals with you could only complicate things.”

She sucked in a breath. “Seeing the future has to be very confusing.”

“It really is, and especially so if I told you everything I saw about something like this,” Emperor explained. “It’s like me giving you a random puzzle piece but you don’t have any of the other pieces to put together and then it could turn out to not even be a puzzle that involves you. It’s better if you go and collect some intel. Then you can report it to me and I can see if it fits in with what I’m seeing.”

Gen nodded, liking this idea of her doing a reconnaissance mission. She glanced down at her outfit. “Good thing that Sophia put this disguise on me.”

Anticipating that Gen might have to go undercover, Sophia, who was apparently brilliant with disguise magic, put her in new clothes. Gen felt very strange wearing a modern linen black suit. She’d never worn such strange pants called slacks or a crisp white button-up shirt and dark blazer. Gen felt very futuristic in this outfit, but Sophia assured her that it was a plain dress that made her blend into the professional world.

“Okay, I’ll go down there and investigate and then we can decide what to do next,” Gen said, making her way for the edge of the building.

“Sounds good, but one piece of advice,” Emperor offered, a cunning tone to his voice.

“What’s that?” Gen said, peering down at the road below.

He nodded at the center of the rooftop where there was a stairwell and door. “Take the stairs. I sense you’re about to scale the side of the building.”

“What’s wrong with that?” she challenged, her hands on her hips.

“Modern-day professionals take the elevator, not climb to work,” he replied.

Gen sighed. “Fine. But can’t you give me a lift?”

He shook his head. “Again, usually people arrive to work in cars or on foot and not on dragons.”

“Just promise me that we’ll never conform to these boring ways of the modern world, walking to work when flying and climbing are so much better.”

The purple dragon grinned at her. “I promise.”

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

THE ART OF DECEPTION

Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, United States

Not only had Sophia helped to disguise Gen, but she’d given her a fake identification card and called in some favors. Those had given Gen a plausible way to get behind the scenes and find out what was going on in the museum and if it was indeed truly nefarious. Thanks to Sophia’s ties, Gen had the title of the Exhibitions Specialist for the Smithsonian Institute. She also had an appointment with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s Director and Security Director.

Although going undercover really worried Gen, due to her limited knowledge of the modern world, she had been coached heavily by Liv and Sophia. Also, she had Emperor in her head and he knew more about this world than those who had been living in it for the last several decades.

What really threw Gen for a loop when she approached the museum was the banners advertising the current exhibit.

No way, she said in her head, talking to Emperor.

Life loves irony, he said with a snicker, having seen what she had using scrying—remote viewing through her eyes.

The current exhibit here is of medieval artifacts, she stated. Is this a joke?

At least you’ll be able to tell if they’re authentic items, he teased.

It’s probably my damn stuff, she protested.

Don’t take it, he warned. That’s stealing and that’s wrong.

Unless you’re taking your stuff back, she argued. Or if I’m taking from the rich and giving to the poor.

Just find out what’s going on in there and behave, he said.

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