Seven(?) against the Convergence

[Alberich]

Anfisa couldn't understand this wish of Rose to keep her along. They could handle late-night inns of the kind that would cater to Tsuirakuan airship travellers who arrived at this hour of the night. Was Rose thinking of them as her flock again? Or -- she remembered the dreamy looks of mutual admiration between Rose and Therese -- was she just determined to deliver Desiree to Therese? Jurana's precum, that was it! To hell with that!

"I -- really don't think it would be a good idea to split up again. We're not going to be here all that long, and we have something important to do."

"If it's too important to tell us what it is," said Anfisa with equal patience, "then it's probably too dangerous to have us along." For Rose, as usual, had not bothered to inform them of what was going on -- just a "let's go." She'd made a chance remark that she was looking for Therese in Tsuiraku-town (which she knew how?) but that was it. This you-have-to-come-but-I'm-keeping-you-in-the-dark attitude was starting to get on Anfisa's nerves, and maybe it was time to let it show. She'd been nice, quiet, and resepectful, and in return she'd been treated like a sheep.

(Tim thought it was typical of immoral women to grow insolent when they weren't kept firmly in line, yet another reason they made bad companions for a group like this. But he held his tongue.)

"Long day traveling, eh? We might be able to suggest a --I mean, we probably have a couple of rooms at the vineyard. We'd been thinking of opening it as an inn. Maybe we could put you up there for a little while to get your feet back under you after the trip."

"Oh, we wouldn't want to put you to the trouble," said Anfisa, enough firmness in her voice to show this was a "no." "Is there any place more established around? Someplace nice the airship travellers go to while their ships refuel?" She wanted a place with lights, lots of people, and preferably music -- not a couple of rooms in a dark vineyard run by strangers.

She didn't consider herself a genius, and she wasn't by a long shot, but it was only logical. These airships must cater to the more prestigious travellers, and if they stopped off at night and you couldn't stay near the ship while it refueled, there had to be someplace suitable to the travellers' class. If there wasn't...maybe she and Desiree could go into business? They could make a weary, wealthy flier's stay very pleasant indeed...

[Jack Rothwell]

"What's a vineyard?" Tamina interjected. "A yard of vines? Vines in a yard? A home full of vines like the Killikah lands?"

[Alberich]

Tim answered Tamina softly, to take the issue off Rose's mind while she found a way to tell these insolent whores they didn't trust them on their own, and couldn't spare an escort just now. "A grape farm. Where they grow grapes. To make wine."

[Jack Rothwell]

The kobold's ears twitched sharply at the sudden appearance of the Priest at her side.

"G.. great! Like grapes. Wine must be tasty."

She gave Tim a smile which seemed a little bigger than was strictly necessary. What subtext was in that expression the Priest could only speculate on.

[Alberich]

"It can be," said Tim to her, "but it doesn't make you as drunk as fast as Swoggle's. Which is a good thing."

For Tim, unlike Rose, knew exactly what Swoggle's Old Peculiar was. He hadn't explained it to her because she had other business on her mind right now. But there were priests in Emerylon who swore by it. At least at night; then in the morning they swore at it. And if the kobold was this friendly sober, it was probably a good idea not to see what she was like on that stuff...

He took the big smile for gratitude - it wasn't as forbiddenly exciting as that one time she'd touched him, and he hadn't really learned her ways yet. He was just glad that this female, like Therese, was not an insolent innocent, who needed constant protection but was always kicking at it, like certain "soiled doves" he knew.

[Graybeard]

"Is there any place more established around? Someplace nice the airship travellers go to while their ships refuel?"

This question provoked puzzled looks from several quarters, notably Ace, who after all was an airship pilot. "There's really no need," he said. "Refueling even an intercontinental-class airship doesn't take more than an hour or two. By the time you got to an inn, you'd be getting right back on the thing."

That was what I thought too, thought Sister Rose. I don't have enough experience with airship travel to be sure, but this guy sounds like he does. So if it should only take an hour to refuel Amalric's ship, which definitely isn't as big as some of the international liners, then what is he taking all that time for? I wish I'd stayed on board to keep an eye on that.

An odd thought struck her. I'm starting to think of him as suspiciously as of the people we're going after.

Layla, meanwhile, had drawn her cloak up around her face, not just because the air was cool during the wee small hours, but to avoid recognition. She was still curious why a Veracian nun had come all the way here from Kiyoka, with this odd band of travelers. Well, she might buy a little fact finding time. "If you're really after a place to stay," she said, "we can drop you off in Tsuiraku-town. It's only a little out of our way." She chuckled at Tamina; a beer-drinking familiar? "They might even have an all-night place that serves Old Peculiar."

[Alberich]

Anfisa silently applauded herself for asking the question. One more tidbit for Kitaura. This ship took whole lots longer to refuel than the average.

"If you're really after a place to stay, we can drop you off in Tsuiraku-town. It's only a little out of our way. They might even have an all-night place that serves Old Peculiar."

"Wonderful!" said Anfisa. "Let's go!"

* * *

If this group went walking in silence - fat chance! - Tim was planning to use the Mind Speech to report his conversations with Amalric to Rose. As she had wished. He hadn't learned much, maybe, but he thought she'd like to know.

[Graybeard]

Tsuiraku-town may have been more lively and sophisticated than other parts of Rinkaiel (or so its residents would have insisted), but it still wasn't exactly The City That Never Sleeps. Even the bars were buttoned up, and only a few lights glowed in the windows of upper-story flats; light globes, Sister Rose guessed.

There was one exception, a compound at the edge of the enclave that was well lit. "Tsuirakuan consulate," Ace said. "Where they transact all their official business. They have kind of a security fixation." This got a dry, if by now sleepy, chuckle from Layla.

Rose also had her thoughts on the matter. The Veracian government had taken an interest in that place when it was being built, and one of those highly classified things that Special Ops had been tasked to look at was the possibility of infiltrating the compound covertly. They'd concluded that it couldn't be done.

"Well, we're not going to find what we're looking for there," she said.

[Jack Rothwell]

There was a quiet mutter of expletive-laced discontent from the back of the group. Apart from the words 'steak' and 'swoggles' the rest was, mercifully, in the kobold's native tongue.

OOC Cabra!/OOC

[Alberich]

"Tsuirakuan consulate, where they transact all their official business. They have kind of a security fixation."

"Well, we're not going to find what we're looking for there."

"Sounds like a safe place, then," said Anfisa. "Just not comfortable." She cocked her head in thought and spoke to Desiree.

"You know, love, we never did get to ask the clerk at the travel gate about the particulars of getting travel papers, what with all the hubbub about priests and all, and people thinking we were in danger from Brother Tim. What if we went into this place without any Veracians? Then we could find out all about travel papers, see if there's any way to get them we didn't have time to learn about before. Then Rose and the others could go looking for whatever mystery business they're looking for, and they could pick us up on the way back. And with them being so security fixated, we'd be safe as houses 'til they got back.

"What do you think? Shall we try?"