Conversation in ConfidenceIndex | Time Under Chaos | Game Logs | ConversationInConfidence
Despite years of training and experience, Ingrey felt a twinge of apprehension as he exited the carriage and, hours ahead of when he normally visited it. And, he thought to himself, dryly, usually on much better reasons than a conversation in confidence. Ingrey headed toward the gangplank and hailed the nearest Staff member to bring him to Petra's office or wherever she wanted to meet him, as per prior and previous arrangement and agreement. The nearest staff member turned out to be a grouping of Alex, Sergio, and Talen leaning on the railing and -- if their gazes are anything to go by-- discussing the burned out section of the dockside businesses when Ingrey arrives. But before he is a foot up the gangplank, Alex had peeled off and was waiting for him at the top. Gino had also vanished, leaving Sergio with an eye to the pier and docks. The sound of construction comes from an upper deck, far side. Ingrey's ears pricked up at the sound of the construction, but he turned his attention to the approaching Alex. Alex offers Ingrey a respectful nod. "Ambassador. This way." Ingrey gave a grazing nod of the head. "Thank you, Alex." And that was all that was said as Alex led him through the lounge and up the stairs to the business office. He knocked twice and opens the door without needing a response from inside. The blonde stood aside to allow Ingrey to enter then slipped out behind him as soon as he did. Ingrey had not been in Petra's office for some time. The paintings had changed; but that was not unusual, as the paintings around the ship were rotated out regularly from the vast collection Petra had at her disposal, and there were a couple of small changes scattered around. Already dressed for the evening, the owner of all this closed the ledger she was working on when he entered and stood to greet him. Her polite smile was warmed by familiarity. His eyes flickered around the paintings but he didn't linger on any of them at the moment, focusing instead on the room's creatrix and inhabitant. He gave a rare smile, and a deep bow of respect. "Ambassador... please," she gestured towards a chair in front of the desk. "Have a seat. Your note conveyed a sense of urgency. Would you like a glass of wine before we start? It's a wonderful Barolo if I do say so myself. From my family vineyards." "With the events of today, and in the spirit of our relationship, a glass of wine from your family vineyards would be most welcome at this time." Ingrey said with a nod, as he took the offered seat. He folded his hands and waited for Petra to serve the glasses. She moved aside and turned to pour from the bottle sitting on the narrow table behind her desk. The Barolo was a red wine, but had a brick-orange cast at the rim of the glass. Petra handed Ingrey his and sat with one of her own. "The Barolo is known as the Wine of Kings," she smiled. "It is the most collected by connoisseurs, but is difficult to understand for the beginner." Ingrey nodded. "I am not a oenophilist, I have had to drink many things in my profession. But I have never been disappointed with the offerings on board your ship, Petra." Ingrey took a sip and closed his eyes. The initial nose was of pine and roses, but the complex flavor of the wine was unique and thrilling. For a wine. Petra took a sip and then set it aside. She sat back in her chair and waited for Ingrey to set the tone and begin the conversation. Ingrey placed the glass down. "I find it difficult to begin, given how entangled this conversation is between the personal, the private and the political." Ingrey began. "But like the myth of Ariadne that Sorcha once read to me, let me begin with my Favorite and work inward." Petra nodded slightly. "I find myself in a position with relation to my position where my superior has deemed that being publically seen to visit Sorcha Giodano is no longer acceptable for the image I am to present as her primary subordinate at the Embassy and her plans." Ingrey paused. "She has commanded that I sever and end such liaisons henceforth." Ingrey took another, deliberate, sip of the wine. Petra raised an eyebrow and steepled her fingers in front of her as she watched him. "But you would rather not, I take it." She tilted her head back and looked at the ceiling thoughtfully while tapping her fingertips together. Ingrey made a very light nod of the head in agreement. "Publicly seen.... There is a way around that. If you are interested... and can guard it well from others." She looked back at him and smiled. "Discretion and secrets, Ambassador, are things with which we are very well acquainted.." "We are indeed." Ingrey agreed, putting a finger to his chin and taking on a visage of studied thought. "Which is why Paloma believes me here only to sever relations with" Ingrey's face took on a sour, imitative tone "the little chess player." He recovered quickly. "I am interested in such a method and I can make a binding promise on its secrecy, in the Chaosian style if you like. I admit that, even with such a method, my frequency of visitation henceforth will be reduced. I do wish to remain at the same rate, however." Ingrey added. "I imagine that while she rightfully has a number of other clients, much of Sorcha's income and livelihood comes from me." Petra waved a hand dismissively. "Do not worry for Sorcha. She is not here for the money - though it keeps her in books and scatter boxes." She smiled. "And chess sets. Even if she were, I take care of Family, and Sorcha is Family to me." Ingrey gave a considered nod at Petra's use of the term Family. "I'll have to insist on your binding promise," Petra said with a touch of regret at the necessity. "I have never offered this to a client of any stripe before, and Vincenzo is sure to have a *fit* that I am now. But I will deal with him as I always do." "A binding promise you shall have and now." Ingrey reached into his clothes and retrieved a small knife and two handkerchiefs. The knife had a handle of obsidian and was only a few inches long, not much more than a penknife. It looked sharp, though, and it gleamed in the light. Ingrey laid the first handkerchief, folded on his lap. He took the knife in his right hand, and Ingrey very deliberately made a small but substantial cut of his left palm diagonally from upper left to lower right. Blood began to drip onto the handkerchief as he spoke. "I swear the Sanguinary Oath upon my shed blood that I will not of my own volition reveal the secret of the method you are to reveal to me, to any other, save upon your consent." He then took up the second handkerchief and began binding his hand with it. "Accepted." Petra nodded sharply. Blood Oaths were a common practice in the nation she hailed from. Most of the Ancient Family Heads she knew had at least one pale scarline across their palm. Petra waited for him to complete what he was doing. She then opened a drawer of her desk and flipped a trump card to Ingrey. Ingrey nodded and glanced at the Trump briefly, and then pocketed it. He opened and closed the fingers of his wounded palm as she talked. "That is to a seldom used small suite of rooms on the lower level. It has occasionally been used for visitors from Cornaro, but I will remove it from availability. When you arrive, summon a member of security with three tugs of the bell pull; Sorcha will come to you there. Sadly, you will be unable to participate in the larger activities we offer because the need for discretion will confine you to those rooms. But Room Service is not unheard of. I hope you understand now why Vincenzo will be most vexed with me if that falls into the wrong hands, and why I needed that oath." "Understood. Trumps are a tightly controlled and regulated resource, to say nothing of one into the depths of your ship." Ingrey replied. " As far as the larger activities, Petra." Ingrey's face took on one of regret "word of my presence would quickly find its way to the Embassy and the subterfuge revealed." She returned to her previous position and regarded him with a slow, sly smile. "Now... what is that the too tightly wound Paloma has no idea you are going to tell me?" Ingrey took a sip of the wine, and then tapped the glass, still half full, before placing it down again and then gave off a brief sigh. "I know that Amber is not precisely happy with the influence of Chaos in matters here and throughout the Golden Circle." Ingrey began. "I may be a diplomat, and it may be my duty and even my faith to work to continue to that end, but I am a realist." She nodded at the truth of his statement. "However, you may know that not everyone in the Courts are pleased with things as they are here." Ingrey continued. "There are powerful people in the Courts who feel that Mandor and Jurt's bold move was an embarrassing mistake, and that it would be better if Amber did not remain under their control..." "They would rather see it destroyed. And now have been given their chance." Ingrey paused here and took a sip of the wine. Petra simply looked at him a long moment over her wine glass. "I admit, Ambassador, that you have me at a loss. I fail to see how the rather beautifully executed set up of Johann Payne opens that door of .... opportunity for them. Unless, of course, something else has happened of which I am unaware.....?" "You are. In point of fact, what I am to tell you is, as far as I am aware, only known, on this side of the universe by members of the Embassy staff." Ingrey's tone was completely serious and sepulchral. "I do not yet believe even Mandor is aware of this, unless his contacts in Chaos have given him warning that we did not receive ourselves." Petra's eyebrow lifted a titch. "Duke Uther Helgram is such an individual as I described, who believes that Amber's continued existence is a mistake. He is also, Petra, a close confidant of his Majesty Emperor Swayvill. He has prevailed upon his Majesty to appoint him Minister for Ordered Affairs and send him here." "His mission, as described to Paloma and myself, is to seek out any and all manifestations of the Pattern." Ingrey continued and sighed: "And to destroy them." Petra very carefully set her wineglass aside. She stared past Ingrey at the painting on the back wall, her eyes a swirl of gold, amber and green when she looked back at the Ambassador in front of her. And then, the artificially enhanced cool Petra had managed to hang on to through all the day's surprises was hanging by a very frayed thread. "And just how," she asked lowly. "Does he plan on doing that?" Ingrey breathed in and out. "I don't know that yet." he responded. "His Lordship said he was here fact finding, first. But the sooner that his presence and his goal is known, the sooner they can be worked against. You, Benedictsdottir, are one of only two of your House that I'd trust enough to give this information." Ingrey said. "I intend to contact the other as soon as possible." "I do not believe." Ingrey continued. "that it is the wish of the Serpent to kill millions, displace millions more and cause billions of sentient beings to never have existed. Which is, I think, what will happen if the Duke succeeds in his goal. I pointed this out to the Duke. He believes it is the Will of the Serpent that his desires come to pass no matter what the cost. "He's a fanatic, Petra." She briefly closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "And fanatics are bad for everyone's business." Petra leaned back with a sigh and shook her head. She needed a drink... oh, right. Ingrey nodded in agreement and took another sip of the glass. Petra reclaimed her wineglass and downed a goodly portion of the Barolo before giving Ingrey her attention again. There was really not very many polite things going through her head at the moment, and he hardly deserved to hear a single one of the things she wanted to say. She blew out a breath. "What, if anything, can you tell me about this fanatic, and the plans he has thus far?" "Several things that are useful." Ingrey said. "He is a Duke of House Helgram. His abilities with sorcery and the Chaos arts are legendary and frightening. For the effect it generates, he has a dark, animate mist around him at all times. He is humorless, saturnine in his mien." "But of course," Petra said flatly. "They always are." "His stated next move, though." Ingrey continued. "Is to make a visit to the City of Rebma within two days time. I've managed to convince him, with Paloma's help, that, although we have a Rebman Embassy perfectly capable of helping him, I should accompany him there." Petra's nail tapped the stem of her wineglass thoughtfully. "You do understand that the best way to silence a fanatic is to do so ...permanently?" she asked rather delicately. "And I would find ... pointers on accomplishing this very helpful. Should you wish to share that sort of information, that is. I understand how that may be a sensitive issue." "I do think we understand each other. I do not know enough yet about his Lordship to give you an answer." Ingrey replied. "My own private goals in accompanying him to Rebma is to learn more about him and his plans and methods, so that they might be better counteracted, by myself or by others." He looked at Petra. "I do not think I could or should act to slay him myself. However, given that his idea of small talk was to wistfully wish that Merlin's seizure on the docks proved fatal..." Ingrey took a sip of the wine. Petra's lips thinned into a hard line. "How do you believe the Prime Minister will feel about this mission of Helgram's? Assuming he is not in on it." "Paloma and I debated this." Ingrey replied. "We don't think he's in on it, for the simple reason that it's ruining his carefully crafted plans. Certainly, you've deduced by now that this morning's passion play was a set up designed to remove his greatest political rival." Ingrey said. "And now with Johann removed, Mandor's next move is obvious. And it does not take into account the sudden arrival of the Duke with the agenda that he has. "The success of the Duke's mission would be a catastrophe for Mandor. Even if it did not undo half of the universe, it would certainly at the very least end the Power here forever, leaving ordinary shadow that Chaos can safely ignore. They wouldn't care about Mandor and his rule over Amber anymore. It would be, to them, like him ruling AEgypt or Cornaro. "In all senses, Mandor's strength and influence would be destroyed." While he spoke, Petra had pulled a long, slender cigarette from a silver box. She didn't light it, but held it between her first two finger, lightly flicking the butt end with her thumbnail. "It sounds to me as if he should be told," Petra mused, her eyes slightly unfocused in thought. "He stands to lose almost as much as we do with the loss of the remaining Patterns. Assuming there actually are any." Her eyes refocused on Ingrey. "What do you think?" Ingrey considered this for a moment. He glanced at the painting behind Petra and then back at her again. "He does stand to lose much. However, strengthening his hold on Amber is not necessarily in the interest of the Chaosian Embassy. Although I told the Duke that if, say, Merlin were to die suddenly, the subsequent anarchy would be of no benefit to anyone, himself included." "It's a difficult balancing act, the crossed loyalties and strands of power I sometimes find myself in." Ingrey admitted. "A spider's web." "I can see the quandary this situation causes for you," said Petra. "I do sympathize. Your job is not something I would do very well." She smiled. "I tend to tell people when I think them an idiot, a luxury you do not have.." Ingrey gave the barest hint of a smile in recognition. Lightly, she twirled the unlit cigarette between her fingers. "I will have to pass this information on to those who are better equipped to deal with something of this magnitude. I will keep your name out of it, of course." "For which I thank you." Ingrey said. "I did share this with you not only because I know you will pass on the information, anonymously, but also for the reason that, if the worst should occur, you and those under your aegis are forewarned enough to have a better chance at survival." Anyone who had been a guest onboard the Queen for as long as Ingrey had knew that Petra placed the safety and wellbeing of all her staff as her first priority. Anyone who threatened either didn't need to worry about Vincenzo and his men nearly as much as they needed to worry about incurring Petra's wrath. Finding out Johann had even considered a plan that directly did just that infuriated her. "Are you more than you appear, Petra? Certainly! We all are in this place. However, not only Sorcha, or Aura, but you, and all of your staff have always done right by me." Her smile broadened. "I appreciate hearing that. I know the staff favors you for a variety of reasons." She sat back in her chair and considered a moment. "I hate to ask, Ambassador, mostly because I fear the answer; but do you have any more surprises for me today?" Ingrey furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "No, you do not need to fear the answer, for I do not believe I have any more surprises to perturb the placidity of you and your ship." "It has been as placid as a hive of angry bees today," responded the woman wryly. "But as Ramon was happy to remind me, the excitement was what made the quiet times all the more treasured." She glanced at a shelf in the corner. "If you wish to maintain the illusion that we have only dissolved your payment agreement, you should probably be on your way. I will send the proper paperwork to the Embassy for that before we leave port this evening, and will make sure Antonia knows to not bill you at the Embassy. I'll leave it up to you to find the most discreet way to keep your tab current. You currently are in the black, so there's no rush." "I will endeavor to remain in the black." Ingrey replied. "At the very worst, I will simply bring cheques to deliver to Sorcha on my visits in order to maintain my account, even if the paperwork sent to the Embassy will indicate otherwise." "Speaking of Sorcha." Ingrey finished his glass, tapped it and rose. "Could you...give her my regards and explain the situation? With the hive of angry bees of recent events, to borrow a metaphor from you, to say nothing of the additional perambulations I will need to plan to take to utilize the trump with the most discretion, it may be some length of time before I do visit again." "Of course," Petra smiled. "I will take her aside before the doors open this evening and explain." Ingrey made a small rocking motion of his head. She'll find another patron soon enough, Ingrey thought. May the Serpent bestow upon her one who will treat her properly. She stood and offered him her hand. "Thank you, Ingrey," she said, using his given name for the first time this meeting. "For being concerned about her .... and for the rest of us." Ingrey gave another nod of the head. "The Duke accused me of having been here too long. He gave a smile but it was a self depreciating one. "He considers it a weakness. I think its a strength. Although you don't believe, Petra Rossi, may the Serpent watch over you and yours." He bowed fully. "And...thank you in turn." |
