"It is with a heavy heart that I do ask this of you all, my fellow ministers," lauded Noah. "You must understand that in these dangerous times, such as you've seen outside these very walls yourself, we must be certain that every traveler and staff working for the Ministry is safe. That is why, starting today, a small device will be planted on all company watches that notifies us of the person in question's whereabouts lest there be an emergency."

Each member seated at the long table within the stuffy, draped room was stone, unflinching and unmoving. Some dared a glance, both preposterous and venemous, at colleagues that couldn't help, but search for similar aghast expressions.

"You can't seriously believe that this will pass at a vote?" blurted Simmmon, a balding, aged husk of a man with crows feet that were as canyons upon the sides of his eyes. The few strands of hair he had clung to his chin and even his abrupt fit of coughs dashed one strand to the floor.

"Yes, I did consider this which is why they're already installed on all watches," noted Noah.

The members of the board stood as if zapped by electricity. Noah sat idle, stoic at the head of the long table that curved to him. The edges were flared at the corners creating a dip that out Noah's position at the apex of the design. The entire room funneled to him, even the sparse rays of light bent towards his hands as he lit a small cigarette.

"You can't do this," said Margot another of the senior board members.

"As head of the Ministry during a time of unrest, I am granted certain powers that would otherwise be dormant," stated Noah. "So, yes I can. I believe I even overheard one minister of parliament call these riots a precursor to more violence. These are necessary precautions and we must ensure the safety of everybody, including all in this room."

He stood, easing his chair back into it's place. Bits of dust fell onto the table as he brushed the arched corners of the seat. His hat fell onto the top of his head as he moved the large entry doors apart and looked at the board of council. A tall man entered towering over Noah, making the head of the Ministry appear like a small child. The scar on the man's face etched his entire being into existence. Everything about the man started at the twisted, bulbous flesh that darted from his chin to his temple like lightning.

"My good associate, Victor, will be attending to any grievances you may have," dotted Noah. "Please stay as long as is necessary, Victor."

"Of course, Director," concurred Victor. Noah proceeded out of the room and eyed the large man close the door with a wicked grin. The halls in the Gyphon's quarter echoed Noah's footsteps pristinely. The busy commotion often found in this part was absent, save for a few workers scurrying behind doors that closed gently.

His gaze moved forward towards the tall doors framed by two fierce birds entangled in battle, tongues out and claws pointed at one another. Their wings stretched back, peeling away from their bodies and wrapped around the ivory columns that framed the doors. Noah entered his office shrugging his hat off of his head. A silence prevailed where his thoughts were an agonizing buzz. He touched his brow, rubbing the strain away from his head. His grand seat was turned away from the desk inviting him to sit. His coat fell onto one of the small stools situated at the short coffee table near the fire place.

He rubbed his jaw as he sat, unaware of the tension that had locked his teeth together.

"Now begins the fun," he sighed, stamping his cigarette butt out on the elegant table before him. Noah's steady hand produced a small device, smooth and oval that no light could escape. His thumb flipped the top open and a small bulb pulsed a frantic blue. The last of his cigarettes life exited his mouth as he pressed down on the button. A clumped band of screams produced only for moment before the halls returned into a sea of silence. Noah allowed a smile to curl his lips.