BadNewsNeverLeavesIndex | Time Under Chaos | Game Logs | Bad News Never Leaves Petra was behind her desk, tapping a pen against the wood surface as she stared at various papers spread out before her. She looked up when Goran entered through the hidden panel and waved him towards the small sidebar. "You may want to get a drink for this. I suggest the Grappa. It has been very popular today." Goran quirked a curious eyebrow in her direction on his way to the sidebar, but remained silent. He poured two glasses of the recommended beverage and offered her one as he took the seat next to the desk. "What's the word?" he asked simply as he stretched his lanky legs out in front of him, a pose Petra recognized as looking more casual than he really was. Goran was rarely completely off his guard. "The word is 'merda'," Petra replied with a frown. "I will start with the biggest disaster first, and everything after that? It will seem like a visit from the Father Christmas." "Duke Helgram is in town. A religious fanatic with the ear of the Emperor, he believes allowing Amber to remain standing was an embarrassing mistake. He has gotten himself appointed as the Minister of Ordered Affairs. He has convinced the Emperor that the Serpent wishes all remaining manifestations of the Pattern eradicated. That includes everyone in this room." Goran's expression hardened at that as Petra continued. He is here to start looking into it. Perhaps to begin it. You will not be able to miss him, apparently. He has some sort of manifestation of darkness around him at all times. He is a powerful sorcerer with legendary control of his Logrus powers." "I need you to get word to your father as soon as possible," Petra stated as she picked up her glass.. "They all need to be told. The Duke will be in Rebma in two days." Goran stared at her stone-faced as he took in the bad news. "I have his trump. I'll take care of that," he said finally. He blew out a breath and raked a hand through his unruly auburn mane. "And here we were worried about Payne blowing everything up in the name of patriotism." Petra snorted and lit a cigarette from the silver box on her desk. Goran stared hard at his employer. "So we're back to 'us' and 'them', I take it. How did you find out?" "Ingrey," she shrugged. "Though you and Vincenzo, you are the only ones who know that. He is a religious man himself. A lucid one, as opposed to the Duke's fanaticism. He does not believe the Serpent wishes the death of billions when the countless Shadow worlds are torn apart with the destruction of the Patterns in Tir and Rebma. Which no one officially can confirm, but why else would they be sealed closed to us?" She sat back and watched smoke curl from the end of her cigarette a moment. "It is not a simple case of 'us versus them'. Alas. He went to the Embassy, not to the Prime Minister - who did not know he was here until I told him Helgram's plan will either destroy Amber, or reduce it to a shadow-assuming shadow can survive. It will remove Mandor's powerbase, and, mi amico, he does not like Mandor at all from what I gathered." Goran's frown deepened. She took a drag from her cigarette and blew smoke out from between her teeth. "Do you know how to kill a Chaos Lord? I do not. We are going to need Mandor on our side, I think. I was going to warn him about it, but he was being an ass, so I have only informed him of the Duke's arrival, new position, and planned visit to Rebma. Larissa has been informed about everything. Hopefully, she will tell Merlin. But I will if she has not when I go to speak to him about this." She flipped Mabel's contract over to Goran. Goran took the contract and looked it over as he spoke. "I'll admit I have no love for Mandor, but I think you're right. Enemy of mine enemy and all that. At least he's kept things relatively peaceful." He studied the contract some more, then flipped it back onto Petra's desk. "'Bout what I expected. I ran into his goons down on the docks when I was down there this afternoon. Twine's too. Throwing their pretty words around. I countered with direct action. I hired the teamsters to work on the clean-up. Gave them some silver and told them I'd have their reputations if I heard about any surcharges to the people they were supposed to be helping. I think they got it." "I am speaking to Merlin about these contracts," Petra frowned. "I set Mabel to finding out how many others signed them. They set upon her while she was viewing her husband's body. They are not worthy of their being shark food." "And no, I don't know how to kill a Chaos Lord. Nor defend against one. That's what scares me," he admitted. "You know this generation better than I. What do we have for firepower?" Petra sighed and tapped ash into the crystal ashtray on her desk. "They hold their cards closer to the vest then Gino in a poker tournament," she replied irritably. "The only one I am moderately sure of is Larissa. Then there is you, of course. I suspect Chadwick is more then just a sweet young thing. Islain is a formidable woman, but I have no idea what power she commands, though I suspect the answer is 'significant.'. Morgan's frat boy facade is very well maintained, but I have no reason to doubt his personal loyalty to Merlin, and that is important enough, si? Vikund once told me he could hide an elephant in the city if he needed to, and I do not doubt it, considering the skill he hides everything else. His Guild connections may come in handy, but I cannot see how just yet. Mandor's daughters are puzzles I have not yet had a chance to study, though Clytemnestra does not seem very warm towards him. I met the other and her friend this afternoon at tea. We will not speak of Damien. I suspect he would try and ingratiate himself with Helgram if he thought he stood to gain by doing so. You know where my skills lie." She propped an elbow on the arm of her chair and made a vague gesture with her hand. "If Ingrey can assist without compromising himself, I believe he will. As he already has. Vincenzo's information web is not to be scoffed at." Her eyes strayed to one of the silver framed pictures on her deck. "And I have some people in mind to bring in from home, but I am not certain how soon they will be ready for this play." Goran snorted. "What we need is a good assassin," he said, only half-joking. He regarded her thoughtfully for a moment. "Will we need to send some people back too? Rotate our strengths, so to speak?" Petra waved the hand holding the cigarette, leaving trails of smoke in its wake that curled in the air currents caused by the movement. "No. Vincenzo wants to increase security, which means keeping what we have and adding to it. I was going to send Ornella back, but she is staying with Mabel for a few days. I have sent her and her son to that other empty apartment I own that is near yours. The girls hardly ever use it, and it may as well get some use for what I paid for it." She paused to consider the assassin idea. "Assassins can be had," she said carefully. "But until we know what will kill him as opposed to just making him angry, we need to shelf that idea." "I suppose," Goran conceded with some disappointment. "As for the Docksiders, do we have a counteroffer for them? I've appeased them for today, but they're going to expect something more substantial tomorrow. I had what now passes for the owner of the Greasy Spoon here today, but they let him leave after the turmoil of this last attack. I'll have to track him down again. What was it you wanted to offer him?" Suddenly all business-like, Petra leaned forward again and flipped open one of the ledgers on her desk. "We will finance the rebuilding, and provide for contents needed to re-establish themselves. In exchange, we will retain a 50% ownership until the costs are paid back out of the profits, of which we will take 25%. Additionally, if there are any schoolaged children who lost a parent, we will pick up the reasonable costs of their education. While this means they will not own their businesses outright like they once did, and that I will be auditing their books occasionally, this is temporary. As soon as they repay the loan, my interest in their finances is done. Additionally, since I am invested, it is in my best interest to see that they are taken care of and have what they need. Whatever that is. There are no penalties for early repayment, and if they are having difficulty making a payment, they need to let us know, and we will see what we can work out. Interest rates will be at 2% below whatever is the current Guild rate." As was typical for Goran, he listened intently without the benefit of a notepad, committing the details to memory. "I am also open to any bartering offers they may have," she continued after taking a drag on her mostly neglected cigarette. "I don't recall offhand what sort of businesses we're talking about, so I can't really offer one up for a suggestion. If any of them prefer to cut their losses and move on to something better, we'll buy them out completely. I am not looking to make a real profit on this venture, but I cannot just give away the amounts I am considering for nothing. I am a businesswoman, afterall." Petra looked across her desk at Goran. "Explain to them that this will make them part of our little family, and what that means. Anyone hassles them, they let us know. It goes without saying that, if in the course of their day they should hear anything that might effect anyone in our little family, I would appreciate it if they let us know, si?" "Si," Goran agreed. "I have a meeting scheduled with the merchants at 9 in the morning. I'll tell them. Most of them seemed a reasonable lot, and we have a long history of good faith dealings with them. The toughest part will be insulating them from the sharks at the time they're most vulnerable. Which is now." Petra nodded in agreement. "So what's the plan for this evening?" he asked. "Do you want a contingent to stay ashore to fend off Lowen... well, I guess it's just Twine now? Or would you rather have full strength aboard ship?" She tapped her fingers on the arm of her chair thoughtfully. "Truthfully, I fear it would take a good number of our people to cover all of them. Perhaps Alex, and ...oh, Armand could stay ashore for a few hours. Just in case those cockroaches try and swoop in on some other grieving widow while they are visiting that impromptu mortuary. But they should be able to rejoin the ship by eleven. Alert the skiff that they will be needing his services." Goran nodded. "I'll do that..." He appeared to be about to ask something else when someone knocked at the office door. He gave Petra an inquiring look, wondering if she wanted him to answer it. Petra started to rise just as the panel Goran had entered through slid open to reveal a breathless Janelle. "Anansi...," she panted. "On board." Petra just raised an eyebrow at her. "So?" "He has Baroness Helgram with him." Goran stiffened, his gaze shooting from the new arrival to his employer. By the set of his jaw, it appeared he expected trouble. Petra looked murderous. Janelle fled back the way she had come. The owner of the Rambling Queen eyed the door to her office with malicious intent, her eyes a blazing green. Then she calmly sat back down, and steepled her fingers in front of her. Goran saw something change in her appearance before she fairly cooed. "Entrare..." Goran remained on alert, ready to spring to his feet at any provocation. The change in Petra's tone was actually more frightening than the fires that blazed in her eyes a moment before. |
