|
Post by Admin on Aug 28, 2019 20:48:03 GMT
"You!" Gerard shouts when he sees Hammett. "You answer when a Prince of Amber calls!" He slams his fist down on an innocent side table breaking it in half and sending silverware and crockery crashing to the floor. It seems that the destruction of cafe property is also popular this night.
Ferrari's well-trained staff are caught, unsure if they should clean up the mess and risk the mad prince's blows or wait until calm has been restored.
|
|
|
Post by Hammett on Aug 28, 2019 21:44:30 GMT
It was not quite the reception Hammett was expecting, but he remained calm and tried to restore the peace that Ferrari had just achieved.
"Prince Gerard, I truly apologize. I was in a rather, shall we say, delicate situation at the time. I tried to respond as soon as I was able. When I received no response I came right here. Well, I was going to go down to your ship, but then I heard people describing you and your men's journey here to the Blue Parrot and I thought to join you."
He gives Ferrari a polite nod, "Senior Ferrari, it is good to see you again. I'm sorry I haven't had the chance to visit sooner."
Hammett also smiles and offers his hand to Brennon, "And you Captain. It has been a very long time. I didn't know you and Prince Gerard were acquainted. Do you now sail with his fleet?"
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Aug 29, 2019 1:54:47 GMT
"You would banter and dissemble while Bleys lays -" He cuts short the sentence.
"I've had enough of this talking. Should I go to Rilk's and do this all over again or will one of you -"
He is interrupted by the stomping of a peg leg and a booming voice.
"And here I am, mon Capitan! How can I be of service?"
Signor Rilk is always a strange sight, short, brown and hairy, with a peg leg, eyepatch and a few prosthetic fingers all earned during his time serving in Corwin's doomed fleet. Today he wears a purple beret, yellow boots, and a purple cape with yellow trim. Quite a jaunty ensemble in certain disreputable shadows.
|
|
|
Post by Hammett on Aug 29, 2019 3:34:53 GMT
"Bleys? What happened to--" Hammett is cut off by Rilk's approach. Looking between Rilk and Gerard, Hammett decides it is best to wait for Gerard to say everything he has to say before asking any questions.
|
|
|
Post by Brennon on Aug 29, 2019 3:55:34 GMT
"We just met, and I sail where My Lady takes me." Brennon takes the brief lull to answer Hammett, the tight frost in his voice placing distance between Gerard and Brennon's supposed alliance. In Hammett's own club, that tone would be about when Brennon excused himself, and other bars (and patrons) would reap the collateral damage of his temper.
"With some negotiations, death is the better bargain," he mutters cryptically, irritatedly tugging his hat in an unneeded adjustment and making the plume bob. "If you gentlemen will excuse me, I have some papers and other odds to find. I'm sure you will let me know, Hammett, if you can get our local gnomon* to give a description of what he wants to be finding. It might shortcut my search. I haven't the patience nor loquacity to ask myself."
*gnomon- the pole of a sundial. Or in this case, a snide comment of he-who-casts-us-all-in-shadow. Or Shadow. Brennon is still one-upping the 'short' comment, with something else accurate, not nominally insulting, and more educated.
Then, because he really does have some sense, he is attempting to leave before his tongue gets him in even more trouble.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Aug 30, 2019 23:55:44 GMT
"Couldn't resist sticking your nose in our business, eh?" Gerard says to Rilk. "That's good because it saved me a trip to your place. And Hammett's. Ferrari and Brennon can fill you in on what's going on; I have to get back to my ship"
Gerard stands, places a pile of coin on the table, then gives a nod of farewell to the others. His guards snap to attention and begin to clear the way to the door. On the way out he announces to the crowd:
"The port of Kasaba is closed. The airport too. No one gets in or out until my business with this town is finished.
Then he is out the door with his guards.
There is a moment of silence then the crowd begins to complain loudly some even panicking.
"This will be bad for business," Ferrari says gloomily.
|
|
|
Post by Hammett on Aug 31, 2019 0:46:32 GMT
Hammett watches Gerard leave then puts a calming hand on Ferrari's shoulder, "Cheer up, Ferrari. A captive audience still needs to eat and drink."
He then gathers a few more chairs for the table and motions to the nearby staff for a round of drinks.
"Perhaps if the four of us put our heads together we can resolve this matter for Prince Gerard quickly."
He motions to one of the chairs, "Mr. Rilk, if you will please join us."
|
|
|
Post by Brennon on Aug 31, 2019 1:46:29 GMT
Caught between storming out himself, which would mean following Gerard at this point, and pulling up a chair, Brennon collects his ale tankard and paces. He isn't in a mood to sit yet, and putting anything else in his hands right now is a recipe for breaking it. "No man can keep me from leaving Kasaba if I want to," he growls to himself. After emptying his drink, he turns to the table where the three most influential barmen in town have gathered. "Papers. His high and mighty wants papers and information, from men of his that were killed. Apparently the only major underhand deals in this town go through your hands, with me as messenger, so they should turn up. As much call me a blackguard to my face!" Why this would bother Brennon with the company he keeps is unclear, but every man has his own morals, however skewed. "I didn't catch what, who, when, or where, so if I find them, I won't know what I have. Any two of those four, I can go looking. All four, and they are guaranteed to be found. And I'll be even happier if they've skipped town already, and I find them a league outside of his little blockade."
|
|
|
Post by Hammett on Aug 31, 2019 15:18:51 GMT
"There are other ways out of Kasaba then by sea or air. Until we know who did this we won't know how they plan to escape or where they would be heading."
Hammett looks to Ferrari and Rilk. "What have you heard?"
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Sept 1, 2019 18:03:43 GMT
With a heavy sigh Ferrari sits at the table and motions his staff to bring more glasses and another bottle of tequila.
"Of course, m'boy, of course," Rilk says, "They could take the train back to Oran or switch to the line heading down to Timbuktu. Or if they were enterprising enough they could take to the mountains and hide out among the Berber tribes. But the way I see it is the killer, or killers, expected to make quick work of the agents then head out to sea. It was bad luck for them to have Gerard conveniently so close to Kasaba when they made their move. They had to be quick and get out on the shadow path before the heat got too intense in this world. So what do you think they'll do now?"
"All I know is that it is bad for business - all our businesses," Ferrari says then gulps down a shot. "If Gerard knew what the agents were carrying he wouldn't be so interested in getting it back so why don't we invent some tale and tell him? Captain Brennon, you are an old hand at subterfuge so maybe you could create some suitable 'documents' that we can give him? As for the perpetrators I am sure I can arrange to have a few fresh corpses we can show him."
|
|
|
Post by Hammett on Sept 2, 2019 6:49:08 GMT
"Don't be foolish, Ferrari. Prince Gerard may not know what the couriers were carrying or what they even looked like, but someone in Amber does. Whoever sent them on this assignment does. If Gerard returned to Amber with fake documents and wrong bodies the ruse would be discovered within hours." Hammett looks around the men gathered here, "You think closing the ports and airports is bad? Show up Gerard, and all of Amber like that, and he will be back within the week with ten times the number of men and he will occupy this city and then burn down all of our places. And that would be just to start. I'd be lucky, probably only spend the next 20 years in a cell deep beneath Castle Amber. The three of you would hang, then your bodies strung up down at the port as a warning to others."
Hammett sits back in his chair and takes a sip of his drink.
"No, we've got to get him what he wants, or at least try our best to do it. But you are correct, Mr. Rilk, they couldn't have expected Gerard to show up as soon as he did."
Hammett leans forward, thinking more out loud, then talking to the others, "And if they were professionals then they must have had an escape plan already set up. That means they were probably going to try and escape by ship and along a shadow path. Tickets probably already bought for a ship, or arrangements made to get on a ship leaving this shadow. That could be a starting point. All the ships that were scheduled to leave today after the train from Oran arrived. They probably would have wanted to be on the first one leaving as soon as they got to town. Or at least one of the first few."
He finally looks back at the others, "Anyone have leverage on the Harbor Master?"
|
|
|
Post by Brennon on Sept 2, 2019 17:27:51 GMT
Brennon shakes his head. "Not exactly leverage, but I always have the last slip. If someone wants to sneak out, a haunted ship at the end of the wharf is the best choice to avoid pursuit. I'll send a note. It would look odd if I went back myself right now, but I'll let them know to find Hammett if they need me. I'll need to make it look like my normal pattern of wanderings when I reach port, or they won't want to trust their exit to me." He finally pulls a chair up to the table, backwards, and straddles it. "So, where did these people die? I'm assuming the papers aren't there, but I want to take a look. And who were they?"
|
|
|
Post by Hammett on Sept 2, 2019 18:04:48 GMT
<<OCC: Hammett will keep planning with Brennon, but would be good if Rilk or Ferrari add to the conversation with extra details and information and we can edit our conversation to match what they say. >>
"All I know if that there were two Amber spies on the train from Oran to Kasaba. They were murdered during the trip and the papers taken from their bodies. I have no idea what was on the papers, but I have been told it is valuable information. I don't know if the authorities have held the train, or already let it go on its way."
"I like your idea about using your ship as a lure. Maybe we can build on that idea. Rilk, Ferrari and myself can get the word out that you will be slipping the blockade tomorrow night. With your reputation as a smuggler people will know that you have a great chance of doing just that. We'll also let it out that you have some space available for refugees looking to get out of town. We can charge them a lot of money for it. Twice the normal rate because of the blockade." He looks at Ferrari and Rilk, "Plus a finders fee, say 10% to each of us for getting them passage." It was best to make sure the two men were going to be compensated for the risk and deception, it would make them a lot more eager to participate.
"We say that there are 18 spots available. Captain Brennon has commissioned each of us 6 spots to "sell". If the killers are professional and desperate, then they will come to one of us to buy passage on the only ship out of town. We take note of anyone suspicious and check them out before the ship even leaves port. If we don't have time before hand, at least we'll have everyone in one place aboard the ship and out at sea where the killers will have no chance to escape."
|
|
|
Post by Brennon on Sept 2, 2019 19:14:49 GMT
"All well and good, especially since I already told the Prince I'd take a commission of that sort and turn it in, but when I carry passengers, it's usually only a handful. As a ship of war, we're already overmanned; our minimum crew is 12 at a watch, and our maximum is 22, with anything short of 'all hands'. I have 46 crew, and an officer for each watch. We can fit 8 passengers if we have to, but more than 2 or 3 and we're putting them in the hold. Or in my own bed, and I've no fancy for men." (This tells the navally inclined that Brennon uses three watches, so the space for crew hammocks below is 2/3 the amount of width for normal shoulders, instead of 1/2. While more might be squeezed in, with all the extra body shapes and parts of his crew, that's basically not-quite-touching for whomever is asleep.) "Better to say you have no more than 3 berths each, more if you can 'buy' a space from your associate. That should cover a decent extra bribe if they really need more than a couple of men to get out. Also, I really can slip the blockade. But if we're doing this for a Crown, I'd better ask if you have a tarot of him, Hammett? That makes it really hard to avoid His justice. And gives us a clean getaway, while saving my reputation as a trader in restricted goods." "If you don't have a tarot, could you make one.." He holds his hands up to frame a space about eight by twelve inches. "about so big? It could be temporary or something, if that's possible; that size just makes it easier for someone else to use."
|
|
|
Post by Hammett on Sept 2, 2019 21:51:45 GMT
"Three each is fine. That will create more demand." Hammett looks to Rilk and Ferrari for confirmation before continuing, "Ideally we'll find the culprits before you set sail, in which case Prince Gerard will lift the blockade and you'll be able to sail freely away. I'll speak with him and make sure you aren't inspected and that you can keep all the profits from transporting the real refugees out of here. Might as well do something good to make up for all of this, right? Of course, Renault will also want a cut, he'll ask for 50%, but we are friendly, I can probably get him down to 25% if he is in a good mood."
He pours himself another drink, "But that is all the failsafe plan, if we can get the Harbor Master's log book we can first, double check to make sure no ships sailed after the train arrived, but before Gerard arrived. If any did, then our targets might have already fled this shadow. And second, if none did, we can see which ships were scheduled to leave close to that time and talk with the captains and see if they were going to have any special guests on their ships. That could help us narrow down our search."
|
|