The Valkyrie Read Online Free Page B

invitation
with a stiff upper lip that barely contained her contempt. The room
was surprisingly clean, but as gods don’t eat anything bar ambrosia
in its varying forms, this should not surprise too much. The
cupboard doors were labelled curious things including but not
exclusively: skunk; ethanol; hand grenades; weapons-grade
plutonium, uranium and other nukes; condoms; and Coca-Cola (blood
stains). Honour was sitting at the table with three laptops and a
shit load of stationary covered in fluffy unicorns from Paperchase.
All around her were reams of charts and graphs, and beneath the
table were a few choice prototypes of military hardware that no one
outside of The Pentagon could even dream was possible let alone be
a reality. Honour was tapping her feet and wobbling her head along
to Beyoncé, wondering why no-one had deified her yet.
    “I can’t read
my own blasted writing. NK Boom? What was Liberty on about? Ah yes.
Now how am I to mobilise bloody North Korea with such a rubbish
economy. The whole nation is geared towards it thanks to Valour but
has bugger all resources. Kim Jong-whatshisface may have wangled
some plutonium but he hasn’t tuppence to rub together to do
anything with it. I’m not a fucking miracle worker.” Honour said
aloud. She had yet to notice the arrival of Glory and Bea.
    Glory entered
the kitchen, headed straight to a cupboard labelled ‘opiates’ and
began rifling through it until she appeared satisfied. She leaned
against a kitchen counter and took in the scene.
    “Still working?
It’s 3pm on a Saturday why aren’t you prowling STI clinics in
Soho?” Glory asked Honour, she felt like causing some mischief. Bea
watched this little vignette with interest.
    Out of the
corner of her eye Honour finally saw Bea and was taken aback that
she hadn’t noticed her before. “I only did that once.” Honour
pouted.
    “Best orgasm
you ever had yeah?” Glory asked. This was an anecdote Honour always
told.
    “Oh lordy where
to begin?” Honour said looking at Bea, trying to gauge whether she
was one of them, one of the good time girls “My logic is that only
girls who really, really know what they’re doing hang out there.
Her tits were marvellous.”
    “Well I suppose
meeting at the clap club is cooler than online.” Bea said wondering
at the misogyny.
    “Exactly, it
makes me interesting to talk to at parties. Who are you by the
way?” Honour asked.
    “I’m Bea: new
recruit.”
    “We’re hiring?
Oh Val’s not rocking up earlier. Was she KO’d by that elf?” Honour
asked Glory.
    “Yup, the floor
fell as if from beneath her.” Glory said to Honour as the pair of
them took that thought in and wondered who would be the next
unfortunate soul to get married. “As your commanding officer I
think I should be obliged to enquire as to your workload?”
    “I’m just
analysing APac economies for potential funds for escalating
conflicts. Not looking too good at the moment: ageing populations
and housing bubbles. Liberty did her hokey cokey vision thingy and
said a wonderful big war is now or never.” Honour said before
switching the conversation back to Valour “So what happened with
Val, I noticed she came and got her stuff? Lib couldn’t get her
sight straight this morning, said it was a little cloudy.”
    “The usual ‘I
love him, we’re buying a cottage in the country, I’m going to
breed’ bollocks. She only met him a week ago. £50 says that either
Eros or Freya got an arse kicking for being behind schedule on the
number of romances they’ve caused for the month and went for a
trophy shot.” Glory went over to the fridge and poured herself a
big glass of ambrosia.
    “Ha. So Bea,
why’d Glory hire you? Call Thor a bad word?” Honour enquired.
    “Actually yes.”
said Bea.
    “You need a
certain sort of sassy/bitter attitude to work here. You’re a water
nymph right? Sea or river? Well either way you’re in good company
we’re all nymphos in this house.” Honour had