171 lines
8.1 KiB
Markdown
171 lines
8.1 KiB
Markdown
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---
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title: 00069
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created: Thu, 02 Mar 2023 07:16:46 -0700
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updated: Thu, 02 Mar 2023 07:16:46 -0700
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public: yes
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syndicated: yes
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---
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### 00069 {#00069}
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> Inky offers the cat person a bemused half-smile, then turns to the
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> sysorcerer. "We hope you are well. Young Master Alex has been
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> searching for you. He had planned on coming, but had to attend to an
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> urgent matter on short notice."
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>
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> A pause, then Inky slides an open envelope — a plain affair with a
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> grid of tiny blue dots, and a single sheet of a similar pattern
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> inside — across the table towards the wizard. They continue, "If
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> there is anything you wish to tell him, you can write it in a
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> language only you two understand and seal the envelope. This one will
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> do their best to pass on the message." They wave another identical
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> envelope, indicating the message will be copied once sealed before
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> pocketing it again.
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>
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> "If you do decide to write, please do it promptly. This one will be
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> departing shortly, and the envelope in front of you will disappear,"
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> they inform the sysorcerer with an apologetic look and a tinge of
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> sadness.
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>
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> To the self-proclaimed double agent, Inky replies, "Thanks for the
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> information. Master Alex will be positively ecstatic with the news."
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> They send the hobbit a lopsided smile. "Nevertheless, you will
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> understand if the party would like to consider your proposal further
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> before providing an answer. Haste makes waste, as proverbs say.
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> Perhaps your pirate captain would agree. My condolences."
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>
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> Ignoring the proffered dice, Inky bids the group at the table good
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> evening and exits the club by the same route with which they had
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> entered, trying to stave off the growing unease at the back of their
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> mind.
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>
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> ~
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>
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> Three corridors later, one with a high vaulted ceiling away from the
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> din of the gambling club, Inky slows their brisk trot and hands Fuko
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> the envelope. The owl grips the item, dives down and drops it onto
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> the thick carpet. She places the back of one feet lightly over a
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> corner of the envelope, deftly slicing open the top layer along one
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> edge with a claw. Working quickly, she pulls out the contents with
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> her beak, smoothing out the sheet with a brush of her wings. Next,
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> she flies in a slow circle above the papers a few times before
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> descending again upon the papers and dragging them into a cake tin.
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> Finally, the bird pops the lid over the container, where the paper
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> within turns into dry compost.
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>
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> "It's confidential. Please do not decode." Inky says as a reminder
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> from their spot near the end of the corridor.
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>
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> Fuko levels an unimpressed look at her companion, as if to say, *Yes,
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> for the twenty-fourth time.* Inky smiles back at her and asks, "Is
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> your *boss* satisfied now?" The smile widens briefly at the indignant
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> screech and clicks in response, then vanish as the events of the past
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> few moments caught up to them again. Here in a hallway brightly lit
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> by glow lamps away from any windows, the howling winds are a distant
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> echo, but it did not stop Inky from wondering.
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>
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> It had been a risk, dallying around longer to give the elder wizard
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> time to say his piece in writing. No one could have missed the
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> disappointment written clearly on his face when he realised his
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> nephew hadn't come. Now, from Fuko's sparse recount of what their
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> tails had found, the candle had burned down, releasing something
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> somewhere, yet none of the others had woken up. It would appear that
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> Master Alex had not left the Dreaming at all, but was in another area
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> doing Neddas-only-knows-what.
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>
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> They stare up at the large central chandelier in the next room with
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> thousands of crystal beads that gleam like tiny droplets suspended in
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> the air. Orange shirt and blue shorts have since been replaced with a
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> red brimmed hat and blue duffel coat, the drawstring pouch tied below
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> the collar, and running shoes with red rain boots. The mess of ginger
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> hair is trimmed to a caramel crop.
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>
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> When the owl settles again on their shoulder, stirring Inky from
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> their thoughts, they collect the cake tin, remove the lid and look
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> inside. From a pocket of their coat, they pull out three seeds and
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> nudge them with two fingers into the soil. Descending a flight of
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> stairs, Inky sets the dousojin, grown to the size of a boulder, and
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> the tin on a side table. They pour seaweed tea into the tin from a
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> glass bottle, then refill the bottle with small fish-shaped crackers,
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> corking and placing it beside the tin.
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>
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> "Thank you, Great Spirit. This useless one will take their leave now,
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> and apologises if they have accidentally 'left the door open' for
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> something to blow in that should not be here." Inky says.
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>
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> They turn to the great horned owl. "Impeccable as ever, both of you.
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> Thanks for coming along tonight. You may go, Fuko. When you wake
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> yourself or with Futa's help, please get into the carrier as quickly
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> as you can, activate the connection and leave immediately. Sever it
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> as soon as you arrive safely. Forget about pulling off the patch
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> under my forearm, it can be delivered later, or he can have the body
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> sent over eventually. Leave and don't look back." Then, more airily,
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> "Should we meet again, Inky the Insolent shall bring you a large 'rat
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> at two eels'. How's that for a handsome reward?"
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~
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> Alex takes the amulet solemnly "Alright, now that's something I can
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> believe in." he says as he turns the locket over in his hand. The
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> golden veins shimmer and pulse inside of the pale blue. Alex dons the
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> necklace, noting that the stone is warm, almost exactly body
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> temperature. "Alright Neddas, you've got yourself a deal. I'll finish
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> assembling the crystals, we'll haul you back out to Basementaria. And
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> it sounds like we're cracking a few eggs along the way thanks to
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> this".
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>
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> The howling interrupts, growing louder, becoming a cacaphony of
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> tormented banshee wails. The gray expanse of sand fills with a vile
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> wind, a thick almost physical wall of dark black smog closes in.
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> Neddas, is nowhere to be found.
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>
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> Alex dips down and scoops up the little Katsuva, tucking him into the
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> ruck sack at his side. "Hang tight little guy, I think the ride out
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> of here's going to get bumpy.."
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>
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> In a single swift motion Alex pulls back the bolt on his AK74u and
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> levels it at the smog, letting loose a sustained volley of gunfire.
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> Bullets whiz with a defeaning RATATATAT. While laying down
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> suppressing fire, he pulls the little console back up to his side
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> with a short wave of the hand. A single command is all he needs here.
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When Alex pulls up his terminal he sees a notification blinking in
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the corner of the screen. A message from Corraidhín?
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The howling wind abruptly stops and the smog quickly dissipates.
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~
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In the fish market, Alex and Inky both wake with a start, gasping for
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breath as though drowning.
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It is dark. The lights are all out but it looks as through Marvelo
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has dropped some flairs on the ground. They fill the room with an
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eerie, crackling red glow.
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It is not quiet. The antiques dealer / spymaster has a couple of
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cords of rope and a couple loose blankets coiled around his arms and
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legs. He is shaking them off while screaming obscenities and
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repeatedly firing a blaster pistol at a large, roaring abomination
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standing in the center of the room.
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The nightmare has an almost fetal-looking head with a long, bulbous
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skull that looks far too large for its body. A single eye glares
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malevolently from the center of its small face. Oily feathers drip
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from a thin, sagging membrane that runs from wrist to ankle. Its
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leathery skin cracks and oozes from repeated shots to the torso from
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Marvelo's blaster, but it seems unbothered by the attack.
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It screeches and lunges forward and swings one massive arm at
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Marvelo. Its leathery, feathery wing slices through the air like a
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billowing cape behind its claws. Marvelo jumps to the side at the
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last moment, firing another shot right into the creature's chest
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while in midair, and lands on the ground.
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Now prone and helpless on the floor, he looks up as the beast looms
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over him. It screeches and falls on top of him, shoving its slender
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hands into his mouth. Marvelo's muffled screams become pitiful
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whimpers as the creature pulls out teeth by the handful and crams
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them into its own mouth.
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WHAT DO YOU DO?
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