Originally posted November 11, 2000
((One of the first write ups I attempted from an NPC's point of view.))
I have to say I felt a wee bit ridiculous standing in that elevator on the way down to the lobby. We went through all that trouble, lost Aoife, Sir Reg, Jacob, and Mallory, to capture a malnourished, withdrawn, old man who can’t talk and won’t wake up, and I’m standing in a lift dressed in the kilt and redcoat worn by the Black Watch at Waterloo. I hadn’t even worn this kit before. I had planned to join the Black Watch at the re-enactment, what, three years ago? But that was before San Francisco. At least Isolde packed the Barker and not the Brown Bess. I might be faster with the Bess, but I’m a crack shot with the flintlock rifle and I don’t give a wit what Emerson thinks.
I shifted Wang’s weight to balance him more evenly in my arms. He felt so light, a wisp of his former self. For a moment I feel regret. What happens to a man to leave him like this? What demons plague him that he won’t open his eyes to fight them?
The lift doors open and the five of us stepped out. Isolde took point, just a few meters ahead of the rest of us. Emerson shambled along at one side, while LaToya stepped lightly to my left. She’s got a lot of spirit, that one. I can see why Critias wants her to spend some time with Sir Reg, though. Dr. Himmelman took up the rear. Wang secure in my arms I stole a quick look back at the good doctor. He smiled, a brief warm smile. I felt much better with him there. He radiates a calm, a calm that can only come from faith in his god. While the Choristers sometimes make me feel uneasy, I find Dr. Himmelman presence re-assuring.
I turn backed just in time to see LaToya stop to stare at a group of men entering Kitty O'shea’s. Isolde, Emerson, and I continued towards the door, while LaToya and Dr. Himmelman hung back. Once outside, we loaded Wang into the waiting Explorer. I told Isolde and Tristan to take him back to the compound. We’d follow along presently.
Back inside, Dr. Himmelman filled us in. LaToya had recognized one of the men from our encounters with the Union. She had already gone into the bar. Through the windows I spied the four men. In black trench coats, with the odd bulges under their arms, they looked like a bunch of Men in Black wannabes. I watched LaToya chat one of them up, ask for a cigarette. They weren’t there looking for us. What were they looking for, then?
As Emerson and Dr. Himmelman entered the bar, I pulled a crystal from my satchel and muttered the short incantation:
Goddess Diana, who holds hunters sway,
Reveal to me these hunter’s prey.
Aoife would’ve poked fun of me for calling on the Greeks, but it was the first thing that came to mind. Not that Aoife would have the chance to poke fun, anymore, or would she? There at the bar I spied the primal force of an un-awakened mage, but also a magical presence in he form of Aoife. Hope beat in my chest for a moment. I knew Seanmhair and Aoife went way back, and I hated to think how Sam would handle the loss of another companion. "God save Scotland" I hissed under my breath. First a Union press gang, now more supernatural weirdness.
I went into my favorite pub and headed to the bartender. I don’t know where Aoife got to, but a man in a black trench coat was now talking to the young man. As I crossed to them, I began quietly chanting, "You really shouldn’t be here, You really shouldn’t be here." I don’t know a Mage that wouldn’t poke fun at that form (We’ll maybe not Mallory), but as I felt my forehead flush with sweat, it seemed to work. Pheromones do your stuff.
I asked the tender for a Murphy’s then turned to the Technocrat and smiled. "You really shouldna be here," I said. "Not after this morning’s ruckus. You’d here about that? Entrails flying everywhere." I watched him shift uncomfortably on the stool, his fear almost palatable. "Go away now, take the flunkies with ya." Without a word, he stood up and left, the other men close on his heels.
Both Dr. Himmelman and the stout reached me about the same time. I looked back around the bar. LaToya was helping Emerson pack up the laptop before joining us. Note to self, get Seanmhair to buy Emerson a hand held computer.
I turned back to the bartender, introduced myself, and offered him a life on adventure, suffering, and pain. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised when Simon turned to help another customer. I’m really quite bad at recruitment. I certainly didn’t get the manipulation genes from my grandmother. "Siobhan," said Dr. Himmelman, "You might want to drop the part about pain."
LaToya notice that our boy Simon was heading toward the back door. I first thought the press gang may have flanked us, but when we followed them out to the alley, we discovered he left with Aoife. But it wasn’t Aoife. When we approached them, that thing turned old, decrepit, thing then disappeared as she shoved Simon into a brick wall.
Helping Simon to his feet we suggested he come with us. Taking a cue from Dr. Himmelman, I offered him great drugs and sex. That seemed to work better than a promise of pain, but now I have to find someone to have sex with the tousled bartender. We smoothed things over with his boss, then caught a cab heading north. In the car, a small incantation put Simon to sleep, and LaToya remarked, "Great, now we have two mages in diapers."
Emerson had track the stealth ship on a southwesterly route, heading, he thought to Fermilab. He wanted to tack up position outside the installation to hopefully gain a shot at Mallory, and Sir Reg. Both LaToya and Emerson, and Dr. Himmelman for that matter, surprised me by making clear Jacob could stay in whatever Technocratic dungeon held him. I didn’t realize just how much the angst fill werewolf had strained everyone’s nerves, and it’s hard to top the angst of some vampires.
During the rest of the cab ride I thought about Jacob. I knew Tristan and Isolde would like nothing better than to limit his contact with Seanmhair, thinking him dangerously unstable. After his murder of Aoife, anyone’d be hard pressed to argue that. I also knew that this was the second time Jacob had killed one of Seanmhair’s "family" and her patience couldn’t last much longer. Jacob also seemed to have fallen from the Earth Mother in the last few weeks. I saw him take a real beating back in Italy, and come back with no loss of enthusiasm. He seemed hurt after the fight with the Union at Khalid’s haven, and it took some of the fight out of him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone alienate his fellow garou, companions, and god so quickly.
Arriving a the compound, we put Simon on a couch, checked on Wang, and continued to discuss plans. I can’t say I liked the idea of hanging out so close to a major Union installation. Touching my hand, I could tell that Simon sure liked the idea of a starlight night. I’m going to have to find someone to have sex with him pretty damn fast.
Dr. Thomas brought me a bit of news that saved me from a cold night of fending off Simon. Anabelle had called, saying she had information about our missing companions that she would share. Seanmhair had arranged a meeting at Portia’s club, Hell. Simon seemed just as up for a trip to a nightclub, as a starlit night so we piled back into the Explorer and head out. None of us told Simon that the club wouldn’t have opened, yet.
I cannot overly stress my surprise when the ever cordial and beautiful and unblemished and charming and thin and blonde and smart and perfect Portia introduced us to Mr. Iguana. She urged us to listen to what he had to say. Iguana a rogue operative, Susan Defina, had taken Jacob and the others for an unknown purpose. He knew their location, but lacked the strength to attack her position after the loss of his forces this morning. He did not elaborate as to why the Technocracy would not offer additional support. Emerson and LaToya scoffed, insulting the old man until he left in a huff.
I followed him from the VIP room out to the now filling nightclub. He eventually told me where I could find the others and how to reach them. He provided me with a device, a kind of tuning fork that would help bridge the space between this realm, and the pocket realm where Susan held her prisoners. I returned to Emerson and LaToya. After taking a walk through the club with Portia, Simon also joined us. Emerson argued against going to "Old Chicago," smelling a trap. I agreed a trap posed a possibility but Portia’s words of re-assurance convinced me of Iguana’s sincerity. The loss of Wang, and a good chunk of his troops, must have really put him on the outs with the rest of the Union.
We left Hell and made the trip to Bolingbrook to visit the abandoned amusement park, Old Chicago. On the way, I called Seanmhair to give her an update. We saw large holes in the building’s dome as we approached. Tristan dropped us off by the main entrance. After cutting our way through a plywood boarded door, we entered the structure. A thick dust covered the floor and the stars looked down on us through holes in the roof. As we made our way to the carousel, we heard breathing, but never saw another living thing. Still, I clutched my Barker closer to my chest and tightened the strap on my sheathed claymore. We pressed on, eventually finding the ruined carousel and clambering to its top. Striking the turning fork, we placed it on the pinnacle of the amusement, then stepped back as the door between worlds opened….
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