Tsuiraku-town

[Kincaide]

"As far as I can tell, just the usual magical bric-a-brac you types are fond of. I don't have the complete list on me, but I do know there were a few high capacity conductors and numerous herbs that could be used to mitigate the effects of over exerting yourself," Rhett might not have been a mage but he was well trained in some areas the average courier was not.

"They seemed mostly harmless, save for the general expense of obtaining them through legitimate means. You might be able to see something I don't though. My knowledge of magical practices is a little dated. The full list is in secure hands right now, do you mind if I call them in?" Rhett said, finally pulling out the flare gun by the barrel so Kinabalu's goons would not get the wrong idea.

[Graybeard]

Kitaura waited until Rhett had finished -- it wouldn't do to interrupt -- and then spoke. "That will not be necessary, Mr. Courier. You have already said something most interesting. 'High-capacity conductors' -- imported from Veracia? Or the Anuban Colonies? Does it not strike you as curious that technological imports might be coming from such -- primitive -- places?"

[Kincaide]

"True but since Veracia has fallen behind in the magical arms race with your homeland, certain parties have begun producing knock-off parts. Mostly these aren't as high quality as anything you guy make but they don't always need to be. The conducting agents aren't that hard to make if you have the recipe and needed gear to make them. Plus they're pretty much contraband in Tsuiraku," Kitaura had underestimated the Northerner, Rhett knew a great deal more about this sort of thing than his genial foreigner act usually let on.

"You may have your chunk carved out, mate, but Tsuiraku ain't the king of the world. Not yet anyway. Still have a lot of world powers to unseat first," Rhett was not saying anything about back home just yet. It was best to let Kitaura be concerned with the devils he knew. He set the flare gun down on the table, "All it takes is one greedy peon and suddenly your latest advancements turn old hat."

[Graybeard]

[OOC: I'm struck by the parallels between what's happening here and things involving maraging steel -- a subject in which I have a certain professional interest. Readers might find it interesting to check that WP article and follow its leads, particularly the one on "EXPORT AND IMPORT OF NUCLEAR EQUIPMENT AND MATERIAL." So back to Tsuiraku-town...]

Kitaura spread his hands. "You misunderstand the situation with the conductors," he said. "To be importing such things to an outpost of our homeland is a matter of coals to Newcastiel, to use an expression from your own land. If our late, lamented teaching mage had had a legitimate need for them, he had but to ask us at the consulate. Why did he not do so? A very interesting question, don't you think? And who would be so interested in relieving such a man of his contraband as to assault a -- distinguished foreign visitor in the process? Any information you could provide concerning the description of the men who attacked you would be most appreciated." For the first time in the conversation, he produced a money purse that made a jingling sound as he swished it.

----------

The vineyard was uncharacteristically quiet as Joe and Layla arrived, and for a moment Layla feared the worst. However, it didn't take long for her sensitive ears to pick up soft snoring. She quietly opened the door to the house, to be met by her mother (carrying Zachary, whose wide smile at seeing his own mom nearly reduced her to tears). The snoring was coming from Jamie and Maya, who were sprawled on couches in the main sitting room.

"Mom, they didn't..." Layla said, a shocked look on her face.

Faye's face crinkled in a grin, and she motioned her daughter back to the kitchen, where Jasmine was similarly passed out, Nera sleeping peacefully in an improvised crib next to her. "No, they didn't," she said softly, "although there were some interesting moments. They're just sleeping off the feast that that elf fixed. You missed a really good dinner ... and I'm getting a bit sleepy myself." She handed Zachary to his mother and retired to her bedroom.

[OOC: Which is not to say that Jamie and Maya can't wake up now that everybody but Rhett is back together, and resume the fun...]

[Kincaide]

"I didn't get a good look at them. They hit me from behind with the binding spell so I ended up face down in the dirt. Kinabalu probably got a good view but he's on the crispy side right now. Whoever they were, they weren't the ones to kill Kinabalu or else they would have done it while he was helpless and probably put me out of their misery while they were at it," even as Rhett spoke, his mind trailed down other lanes of thought.

The muggers were likely Tsuirakan based on magical skill and the fact that Kinabalu had not set Rhett on them as a part of the repayment clause. Tsuirakans simply did not trust outsiders to take care of business between countrymen in this town, a prejudice which had likely cost Kinabalu his life. Captain Kitaura had the manpower and the motive, especially if he wanted Kinabalu to be made example of but unless this was a farce to throw Rhett off the trail, there would be no reason the Captain would be so interested in the muggers.

Based on the fact that there had not been a struggle in the coffee shop when Kinabalu had been killed it was likely the murderer was someone Kinabalu knew and likely another Tsuirakan based again on magical aptitude. A collaborator maybe or perhaps a puppet master, pulling Kinabalu's strings. Where did the dead merc at the vineyard fit into this puzzle? What was Rhett getting himself into?

[Graybeard]

"That is unfortunate," Kitaura droned after thinking for a moment. "Clues to the perpetrators of that outrage would have been ... valuable." He put the change purse back in a pocket of his uniform. "Contrary to rumors, we Tsuirakuans have no magical means by which to communicate with the deceased. Dead, I fear, is dead. Sifu Kinabalu, alas, falls into that category, and we are unable to interrogate him. A pity: I would be most interested to know more about those conductors."

He thought again, reconsidered, pulled a few coins out of the bag -- few, but in impressively large denominations. "It is hardly your fault, however, that you were unable to see those who assaulted you," he said. "Please accept this small token as our compensation for our -- ill-mannered -- countrymen who would do such a thing. They will be dealt with, if we can identify them. If any more information occurs to you that might assist us in those dealings, please leave a message for me at the consulate. Until that time, I recommend that you aid the redoubtable Ms. Sorensen in ensuring that her enterprise is free of noxious, exotic weeds. Be warned, however: certain of the weeds infesting her vineyard are highly toxic and not to be trifled with. We may meet again in connection with those weeds, hopefully to our mutual advantage. Until then, farewell, Mr. Courier. Tread softly."

He flipped the coins into the air, and even as they were on their way to Rhett, snapped his fingers again. By the time the coins came to rest in Rhett's hands, Kitaura had vanished in a magical blur, leaving Rhett in the presence of only the muscle.

----------

[OOC: On reviewing, I see that Jamie had tried to get onto the hack with Layla, Joe and Neverinal. With Sareth out of pocket for a while and having turned the controls for the little time bomb over to me, let's assume that the hack had left before she got to it, and she went back to sleep off the dinner. That'll get everybody together soon enough. /OOC:]

Layla had just finished nursing Zachary, one of her daily activities that she found most satisfying, when Jamie woke up. "Did you sleep well?" Layla asked, a smile on her face.

Jamie blinked groggily. "I guess. Did anybody, uh, take advantage of me while I was out?"

"I don't know, I wasn't here, but I don't think so," Layla answered.

Jamie blinked again, shook her head. "Damn."

[Kincaide]

Rhett snatched the coins out of the air as Kitaura vanished, "You boss is a barrel of laughs," Rhett said to the various goons, "I hope you guys at least get dental for this gig," Rhett grabbed the flare gun and stood up, popping his back before putting a hand to the side of his mouth and shouting, "We're done here!" to the shrubs around the pavilion. Out of the underbrush a five men in face masks and dark clothes, carrying rifles rose, they kept the rifles pointed away from Kitaura's goons. When Rhett reached the men he said, "You guys can head back now, you've done enough for me. Could use a ride though Cap'n," One of the men nodded and the others moved off.

Soon two dinghies rose up over the park. The one carrying four of the masked men headed off toward the airship docks while the one with Rhett and the Captain headed back out toward the vineyard, "I'll see to it your men are paid for their trouble,"

"It's no trouble, boyo, we take care of our own," The Captain replied, peeling off his mask. They finished the rest of the flight in companionable silence until Rhett pointed out the vineyard below. Ritter circled overhead once before setting the dinghy down in the front yard.

[Graybeard]

[OOC: That seemed a bit over the top, and I don't want to get into a game of "my d*ck is bigger than your d*ck" here ... but let it pass.]

Layla watched as the improbable flying dinghy landed in the front lawn of the vineyard ... reminding her that a certain airship pilot hadn't been heard from for a few days. She'd have to give Ace a good ration of crap about that when he did get in touch. (Along with other things.)

"What did you learn?" she asked Rhett as he disembarked.

------------

The same question, concerning the same encounter but with very different intent, was being asked on the other side of town as well.

"He's an interesting character," the young woman answered Gryffyd, trying to ignore both the amphibious man's appearance and his ... odd ... quarters. "He seemed to be traveling with something of an entourage. Pretty strange for a claimed loner, I'd say. He's got moxie, though, takes no crap from nobody, nohow. He just generally seemed pretty much as advertised."

The Seeadler chief nodded, reminding her curiously of a dolphin breaking the surface out in the harbor. "Very well. Continue to keep an eye on him, but do nothing to expose yourself. We've invested too much effort in getting you into your current position for you to go and get yourself killed." The girl paled slightly, then recovered her composure, smiled, accepted the offered coin purse, left.

Gryffyd nodded again and sank beneath the surface of the pool; his gills had been out of the water long enough to itch. Yes ... they'll be pleased with me for this. I think we may have found our replacement Terror of the North.

[kagome_kino]

Maya sat straight up from her sleep he eyes widening suddenly "i'm going to burn the cake again!" she said panic written over her face. "..... were am I again?" she asked looking around and seeing nothing her medicen having worn off again making a face "is it night yet?!" she called out not sure if she should go back to sleep or not.

[Graybeard]

"Yes, it's night time," Layla said. "Go back to sleep."

[OOC: Should we assume that the debrief by Rhett has happened, and fast forward to next morning? It would work from a continuity perspective, and also allow us to open a new thread, as this one has reached the usual maximum length. Of course, we'd be picking up right where we left off. Any objections?]