Session Four


We begin where last session left off: Case is heading for the University Lightning-Tether, Zebadiah is at his museum (just returned from a travelling armoury exhibit), Martin is watching Terry, Lucas and Nathaniel are hanging round watching for drug-dealers, Bernard is at the power station typing up his report and a request for the Song of Corporeal Shields, Tony is writing his own report at the Meridian tv station, and Dandelion is back at her cafe.

Zebadiah heard a big Symphonic disturbance about five minutes ago. He then heard approaching footsteps, and stepped into the corner of the room, drawing his sword. Laurence entered, in mortal shape, looking as heartbreaking as ever, and Zebadiah hastily knelt and offered the sword in salute. Laurence gestured him to rise, and explained that he wanted him to watch for signs of Eli, or anything Eli-related. Zebadiah said that he would. Laurence asked if there is other news, and Zebadiah said no, only the noise about five minutes ago. Laurence nodded, and left, heading down the corridor before vanishing. Zebadiah packed up the sword and went to investigate.

Dandelion heard the disturbance, packed some herbal teas and bandages, and went to investigate.

Martin saw them both arrive, and they all three got to watch Terry interviewing an old woman who claimed to have seen Stuff out of her window, and the interview being videotaped.

Case arrived at the Lightning-Tether, and went Celestial, only to find the Crystal wouldn't go celestial with him. He asked Abdi-bezek to put it safely somewhere (which the Kyriotate did) and ascended, coming out in the Halls of Progress. Making his way through the technological buzz, he headed for the Groves, and arrived overflying a practice exercise, with Servitors of Michael and David ambushing each other at ground level, and Seraph referees overflying it. He spotted a Michaelite about to get jumped by three sneaky Davidians, but let it happen on the grounds of valuable experience.

He managed to spot Michael (in Seraphic form) below, and landed and hung around till he got noticed, then made his report. Michael said he'd try and drop by in a few days to inspect the thing, though it sounded like some sort of Ethereal or Dream artifact, but he didn't have time at the moment. He also muttered about Dominican problems. There was some Michaelite Bonding Chatter, then Case headed earthwards again.

Nathaniel and Lucas patrolled. They came across a clearly inexperienced prostitute, who made eyes at them. Nathaniel resonated on her, got a CD of 6, and realised that she had the potential to be a high-grade oceanologist and help start an ecological movement that would make a real difference, or the potential to be a kinky low-class prostitute. Lucas totally misunderstood the situation, and there was amusing dialogue, ending in Nathaniel offering the prostitute some money to get her off the street for the night, and then explaining no, he didn't want her, and he wasn't buying her for Lucas either.

Bernard finished his report, and emailed it. Five minutes later, he got a return email from Zawenta (one of Jean's secretaries) saying his request and report were being processed, and instructing him to investigate further. He went back to his office, and plugged himself into a power point, while checking the news report for the next morning, and was pleased to see the explosion was listed as being possibly due to a gas main, or gang warfare (Tony's reporting). He also noted items on an archaelogical exhibition at the University, an opening at the Docks, and a humorous item on Beanie Babies. He found that Terry had booked satellite time to transmit his stuff back to the States, and made a mental note to try and mess this up.

Tony wrote the report for the news of what had happened, with many lies, and a report for Dominic, without lies and mentioning Nathaniel's observations on the Triad.

Bernard phoned Martin, but got one of his unpossessed usual student hosts instead, and rang off instead of replying. He phoned Abdi-bezek at the University, and asked for Martin: Abdi-bezek said he didn't know where Martin was, but he'd tell him to phone Bernard when he got in contact. There was no new information on Terry's katana. Bernard rang off and sat there with his hand in the power socket some more.

Martin saw Terry about to go, and identified the camera which had been filming his interviews. He possessed it just before it got put into a van, then rewound the tape, and set it filming over the taped interview, recording the inside of the lens cap and the conversation of the van driver.

Zebadiah headed back to his house again, then to the museum. Dandelion returned to her cafe.

Nathaniel and Lucas got back to the Malakite Apartment; Case was in, and snoozing. Nathaniel gave Lucas a briefing on Money, Prostitution, Sex, Credit Cards, Cruelty, and other things. Case woke up, muttered that sex was good, and showered, then talked with them.

Dawn broke.

Case gave Lucas a lift to see if he was registered for classes (he was: Psychology) and introduced him to the concept of Paying For Gas. Lucas headed for the Psychology lecture, and looked into joining the Boxing Society.

Martin went back to his usual student host, and found an entry in the student's diary for "mysterious phone call where person rang off": he uses redial to phone that number back, and gets Bernard. They compare notes and consider Martin possessing Terry (though realising this won't work if Terry has more Forces).

Nathaniel rings Tony, and asks for help re the prostitute. ("You're a Mercurian. You're one of that sort of angel.") Some jokes by Tony, but he agrees to help. Nathaniel gives a description of her and the location of the street number (having forgotten to get her name).

Case returns, and talks with Nathaniel, and they discuss the item. Case says that "someone" will be along soon to look at it, and in the meantime he's keeping it safe. They are worried.

Zebadiah phones Bernard and finds out what happened last night. Bernard requests help with Terry, and describes the katana. Zebadiah doesn't recognise it, but says he'll look into the matter. He hears footsteps outside in the museum, and goes to check, and finds a man investigating the display cases. The man is wiry and dark, wearing a trenchcoat and suit. They talk a while, and he displays expertise about smithwork. Zebadiah tries resonating him, and fails, but the man looks at him a moment, then greets him as a fellow Malakite, introducing himself as Faber, Malakite of Eli, holder of the Word of Forge. They talk. Faber explains that he just got in this morning, and has an architectural call to make, but dropped by to look at this place when he saw a flyer for it. Zebadiah describes last night's events. Faber takes a museum leaflet, and leaves.
Zebadiah makes a note for his report to Laurence.

Martin spies on Terry, who is cavorting in his hotel suite with a cute redhead PA, and has taken an unknown pill.

Lucas is having lunch with new student friends, when he notices that someone has tucked a bit of paper into a plantpot near him. Being curious, he pulls it out, and finds an odd message on it.

By order of the Mistress:
the news is to be given to the bloody-handed and the cold-eyed. Matters shall be kept in balance. The gateway must be found.
J.
Servus Regardantium.

He finds the dojo phone number via Directory Enquiries, and gets Case and Nathaniel there and reads it down the phone at them. They tell him to bring it over. He heads over.

Bernard and Tony compare notes, and decide to go and pester Terry.

Zebadiah goes to the University Tether, ascends, and hands over his report (as Laurence is currently busy). He then descends again, and investigates the subject of katanas in the library. He discovers that Terry's katana may be the work of a Japanese smith called Ishikuro.

Case and Lucas and Nathaniel decide to have someone snoop at the student cafe for them. Someone like Martin. Case phones him, and Martin agrees to help, but they won't tell him over the open phone line what he's agreed to help with. Case photocopies the note, and Nathaniel orders a taxi to take Lucas to the hotel where Martin is, and puts him in the taxi.

Lucas arrives, and shows Martin the note. They discuss it. ("Perhaps... the university has a role-playing society?") Bernard and Tony turn up, and the four of them talk. Bernard materialises a computer via the Elohite of Jean attunement, scans the note into his computer, and emails it "upstairs". He also does a search on heaven.net concerning Terry Jackson, and gets several cases suspecting infernal involvement, which he emails to his office computer. Bernard and Tony go on to see Terry, while Martin and Lucas head for the student cafe.

Zebadiah returns to his museum.

Case and Nathaniel do arms practice, till a Housewives Self-Defence Class turns up. One of them (a Mrs Martha Wright) approaches Case and apologises, explaining that she can't do martial arts any more because she can't keep on learning how to hurt people. She offers him a green Beanie Baby frog as a present by way of thanks. Case and Nathaniel both fail resonance rolls on her. Case thanks her in return, and says they'll miss her, and she leaves. Nathaniel is, as ever, suspicious.

Bernard and Tony request the hotel desk to call Terry. Terry shows, followed by cutely pouting redhead PA. There are introductions, and Tony fails his resonance. Much fast talk, during which Tony fails a Will roll and gives the public version of last night's business, and Bernard fails a Will roll and explains that he's good at censoring the truth. Terry babbles a great deal, and drags Tony off to question the prisoners in police custody.

The housewives leave, and Case examines the Beanie, but sees nothing odd about it, except that it is soft and cuddly and cute and so on. He puts it on a shelf.

Lucas and Martin, on stakeout, sit in the cafe, and Lucas gets twitchy. A man sits down near the plant pot, reading a newspaper. They watch him, Lucas rather unsubtly, and Martin picks up that he's watching them too. He suggests to Lucas that Lucas go for a walk; Lucas does so, and the man follows him out a minute later. Martin sees a pigeon through the window, possesses it, and has the pigeon follow Lucas (and the man, who's following Lucas at a distance) around the campus.

Dandelion is at her cafe. She hears a noise in the alley out the back, and goes to look, and sees four men chasing a fifth man (dark, wiry, in trenchcoat and suit) who is staggering rather. The four pursuers are holding guns that might be tranquiliser dart guns. The hunted man yells for her to get back, and she does so, then hears a "pfft" and a "thud". Poking her head out again, she sees the man has collapsed. She runs out and hauls him in, but the other men try and haul him back out. She uses her Crown of Joy, and two of the men start dancing, but the other two manage to resist, and tussle some more. One of her assistants tries to help, but gets punched in the stomach. One of the men pins her against the wall, and avoids an attempt to knee him in the groin, while the other gets out a syringe. She screams, wriggling free, and manages to touch the victim and attune to him before being knocked on the back of the head and passing out.

Dandelion wakes (with a headache) to find a customer looking after her, and saying the police have been called. Looking around, she spies a leaflet from the Armoury Museum to one side. The police come, and she explains everything in normal terms, saying she tried to help the poor victim and got knocked out. The police kindly tell her not to risk herself, then go away after taking details. She tracks, via attunement, where Faber is (unconscious, in moving car, about half a mile thataway.) She phones the museum, and gets Zebadiah, and they recognise each other. Zebadiah recognises Faber's description, and explains he's a Malakite. Dandelion says she'll come over. Zebadiah phones Bernard and informs him of events.

Tony and Terry go to see the prisoners; the cops permit it under Terry's sweepingly persuasive personality. One prisoner says nothing, one says it was gang warfare, one babbles about demons and angels and the Virgin Mary appearing in the guise of a woman in a leather skirt and walking beside them (Tony winces as he recognises his female vessel's description). The police clearly think the third man's crazy. Terry takes all this down. Tony asks if he plans to televise it, and Terry explains that the public must be told everything, babbling a lot. Tony fails his resonance again.

Dandelion heads across to the museum to talk to Zebadiah.

Bernard phones the dojo, and tells Case and Nathaniel that a Malakite has been kidnapped, giving practically no details. They plan, heading for the museum too. Nathaniel is unenthusiastic when he learns Dandelion is involved. Very unenthusiastic.

Lucas gets back to the cafe, and the man follows him in again a minute or so later. Martin explains to Lucas that he was followed. Lucas goes across to the man, and asks to read his newspaper. The man is somewhat fazed, but agrees. Lucas flips through the paper, hands it back, smiling cheerfully. The man gives Lucas a significant look and nod, and leaves. Martin realises that the man may have thought they were secretly passing him a message in the newspaper, and sends a pigeon to follow him.

Terry heads for supper, inviting Tony along. Tony explains he has a date already, nudge nudge wink wink, and has one last try and resonating Terry. He succeeds, picking up that Terry is also called Teraphim, works for Nybbas, comes from the Michaelite section of the Groves in Heaven, spends his time promoting Perdition and Shal-Mari media and general media, enjoys sex and drugs and swordfighting and being stylish, etc. He leaves as rapidly as possible, and phones Bernard to report all this and request that Bernard pick him up (as he doesn't have a car). He also moans about the Afternoon of Undiluted Terry.

Case and Nathaniel arrive at the Armoury Museum, and get details, including Faber's name. ("Oh, shit.") Plans are made, and shields from the museum are packed in the boot of Zebadiah's car in case of more tranquiliser darts. Case takes Dandelion on his motorbike, while Nathaniel drives Zebadiah in Zebadiah's car.

Martin pursues, as pigeon, the man to the Civic Centre. He finagles his way into the security system room, and sees the guy go into a private office. He stays to watch. Lucas hangs round in the student cafe with a newspaper, in the hopes that someone will give him a message.

Bernard picks up Tony. They discuss matters, and conclude Terry is a demon, and try to work out a convincing accident for him. Perhaps during the Rescue of Faber.

---

Logs Page