GatheredOnTheQueenContinued from A Sticky Situation and You Only Live Once
Then the door opened and Petra and Vincenzo entered. Mandor executed a very proper bow to the proprietess of the Ramblin' Queen. He appeared as relaxed and urbane as ever. Goran, on the other hand, straightened unconsciously as the two entered. His eyebrows rose slightly in apology. One could almost hear the "don't worry, I'll clean it up" that he wasn't saying. Petra looked at the floor, up to the hole in the ceiling's plaster, and then sighed. "The last two days, I have had more damage to this ship then in the last two years. Why this is, I have no idea." She gave Goran a 'we will talk later' look, and then gave Mandor a mild one. "I may have to blame you." Vincenzo snorted and gestured for their guest to come forward. "This gentleman is bin Fremen. The deceased was here as his guest. He has identified the other as Lord Montcalm, eldest son of Lord Valmont - who claims the throne of Eregnor. The Ambassador requested he keep Montcalm entertained while he himself had dinner at the castle." Niccolo nodded to Vincenzo and Petra's entrance, and regarded Bin Fremen for a long moment. He remained silent, however, and glanced meaningfully to Petra before stepping back to gauge the Prime Minster's reaction to the potentially troublesome political news. "The heir to Eregnor," murmured Mandor. "Oh, very good. I really had no idea that the Courts were following our little local difficulties quite so avidly." Petra just arched a knowing eyebrow at Nicco and then once again looked at the mess the room was in, tsking quietly. Mandor glanced at bin Fremen. "I suppose it would be pointless to ask you whether Lord Montcalm had any Chaosian friends?" "Certainly not!" said bin Fremen, shocked. Then he seemed to realise whom he was talking to. "That is ... with all respect to your Honour's Grace ..." "Quite," said Mandor. He turned to Petra. "I wonder if I might have a few words with you in private?" "Hmmm?" Petra pulled her attention from the carpet - which she had rightfully written off as a loss - and regarded Mandor. "Oh, certainly. Excuse us," she said to the room at large and beckoned Mandor follow her out of the room and towards another further down the hall. Mandor and Petra exit to Gathered on the Queen: Mandor and Petra
From the doorway, Claudio looked around the room with interest and some dismay, noting the damaged ceiling. Delluth was with him, his expression settling into grimness again as he looked for Mandor for any sort of prompt. Goran looked around at the group in the room. This seemed a good break in the proceedings. "If you'll all excuse me, I'm going to go clean up before I start on the repairs," he said to the room in general, with particular notice to Niccolo, who had been the one who suggested he clean up immediately in the first place. Vincenzo also glanced around the room. "If no-one wishes to make more investigations, I suggest that we have our honoured Kashfan guest conveyed to a room, the body of the deceased placed in another until the Ambassador can decide what to do with it, and the rest of this cleaned." Delluth threw his hands up. "Whatever," he said irritably. "Just tell me, Mr. Vladic, was there any sort of identifying mark on that token?" Goran paused and turned slowly back toward Delluth. He hesitated before speaking, as if weighing how much to say. Finally, he decided on full disclosure. "Yes. Helgram. It bore the mark of Helgram. For what purpose, I don't know." "Helgram," Claudio murmured. He wasn't at all sure what was going on, or what had happened to generate the Logrus-related disturbance that had drawn them all here, or what the "token" was that Delluth spoke of. But evidently someone was dead, and if House Helgram was involved... Claudio hadn't grown up in Chaos, and spent time at the Imperial Court, without learning that House Helgram stood for both power and subtlety. For his part, Delluth gave a small sigh, wishing the answer hadn't been what he expected. "So," he murmured, shaking his head, and then looked at Vincenzo. "Please tell the Prime Minister that I'll be in the library." "Certainly," said Vincenzo, with an inclination of his head. "Perhaps I could wait with you, Doctor," Claudio suggested. "Of course, if you wish to," Delluth said. "Oh, and thank you, Mr. Vladic. I'm sorry that a simple inquiry became so ... shockingly outrageous." Goran smiled wanly and dismissed his apology with a casual wave. "Not your fault, Professor. Things got out of hand all around. Good evening," he nodded politely and turned away toward the bathroom. Claudio and Delluth exit to In the Queen's Library; Goran exits to ??
Niccolo and Vincenzo continue in Gathered on the Queen: Niccolo and Vincenzo
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