2/25/07

Revenge is a Dangerous Business

(The real world claims two more. That leaves Susan Jane
in the big chair, with James & Arnold out on the town)

 

Ophir was still fuming. Yuhanna had suggested a bookstore as well as a map shop, plus there was still the idea of finding out more about the Fairy Star from the travelling merchants. So they made the half hour trek down toward the bookshop near the merchant area. Kissa spent most of the walk from Sky Plaza just trying to calm him down. It wasn't working. About halfway there, Ophir devised a scheme to not only get a map, but exact revenge on Shar. His mood brightened noticeably.

After a few wrong turns, they found Irana's house of pockets. The store was stylishly appointed with displays of fine leather goods elegantly arrayed everywhere. The proprietress Irana was tall and beautiful and wore vestments with many small pockets that bulged slightly. Clearly the best goods were kept close to her heart. For the rest, the store was unremarkable except for one odd fact. In the back there was a wooden door. Wood is rare in Hopeless, so a full size wooden door is a unique extravagance in and of itself, but what made this one so odd was it had no handle or lock of any kind. Very odd. Ophir did his standard introduction and schmooze routine, which was met with indifference until Yuhanna's name was dropped

Irana perked up "Is she well?"

"She is." Ophir reassured "unfortunately other business prevented her from coming with us today."

"She's a good friend, worth more than her water"

"To both of us"

They made small talk for a few minutes. Kissa used the opportunity to ask about the Fairy Star. While Irana, didn't know about the Fairy Star, she said she could make some discreet inquiries.

"What can I do for you?" Irana switched back to business.

"Well, I'm always on the lookout for fine leather goods, especially those of an enchanted nature. But our more immediate need is somewhat more mundane. Yuhanna led us to believe that you had books available for sale. We are looking for one with a red cover, perhaps something that might be suitable for..." Ophir droped his voice slightly "keeping spells in."

Irana looked at Ophir and Kissa apprisingly, hesitated a moment and then turned toward the door. "Please, follow me." As she reached the door she knocked twice in mid air and the door swung open. There was no one inside. She descended a flight of stairs into a basement. Neither Ophir or Kissa have ever been in a basement before (such things are against the law, strictly speaking). Both were captivated by the experience and refreshed by the respite from the late day heat it provided.

In the half light Kissa made a startling observation. Not only was Irana wearing a nearly invisible necklace, there was also a shape approximately half her height moving invisibly beside her. It was only a shimmer or a disruption of the light and the outline was impossible to determine, but there was definitely something there. Who is this woman?

The stairs ended in a small rounded room lit softly with butter lamps. Four passages extended off the room, two straight ahead and one to each side. Beaded curtains hung over the openings making it impossible to see what lay beyond. Irana lead the pair to the passage on the left. It was a long hallway with recessed alcoves, each with a book prominently displayed. She stoped and pointed out a beautiful book with a blood red cover. She explained the details of the binding and noted that the page edges were dyed to match the cover. The dye was made fromthe blood of a creature found only in the wastes. It was a very nice book.

"Is this what you were looking for?" Ophir said to Kissa with a tone that implied a more intimate relationship and quick look that suggested she play along.

"Well, I wouldn't mind seeing what else is available"

Irana showed them another book, this time with a gray cover. The covers can be switched she explained, the real treasure here is the paper. The quality was stunning, finely sanded parchment with an almost imperceptible grain. Clearly Irana's clients are not merchants looking for a new ledger.

"This is nice," Kissa dragged the words out in a way that made the compliment almost backhanded "but.."

"I think she was hoping for something that already contained writing" said Ophir.

"I'm afraid those might be out of your price range" Irana replied.

Ophir pulled out the bag of gems and poured half the bag into one hand "I believe we could come to some arrangement."

"I beg your pardon," Irana sounded genuinely humbled. Perhaps she was concerned about questioning the intgrity of a friend of Yuhanna's. "What were you looking for specifically?"

"My studies have mainly been focused on protection and defense, it would be wise to broaden my horizons and study something with some offensive power should the situation ever merit it" Kissa tiptoed choosing words judiciously.

"What is your circle of knowledge?" Irana asked.

"I am only beginning my studies," Kissa relaxed a bit, finally sure they were speaking the same language. "I would be seeking something first circle, perhaps Phantasmal Force or Shocking Grasp."

"I might have something that would meet your needs. Please, follow me" Irana led them back through the main room and into the passageway on the right. More books, this time on stands each with its own lamp suspended above it. "You night find this one interesting." She passed her hand over a seemingly blank book and suddenly the page contained writing.

The text was completely indecipherable to Ophir, but it was all Kissa could do not to gasp out loud. The book was open to a table of contents of sorts with six separate lines under the heading 'First Circle', only one of which Kissa recognized. Even more tempting to Kissa were the four lines under the heading 'Second Circle.' Up to this point Kissa studies had constituted furtively copying whatever she could lay her hands on and studying it later. These hasty copies were not always the best to work from. Here, however, was a text she could study from for a long time to come. It represented not only three times the number of spells she knew, but also spells beyond her abilities that would help her progress as a mage.

"Of course, this will cost more than gems" Irana said "this will cost water."

Ophir knew that they needed a red covered book, more importantly he knew that there was no way to deny Kissa this book. "How much water?" he asked hesitatingly.

"Truth be told, I would prefer to trade magic for magic."

Ophir fished out the golden apple "Would this be of interest to you?"

Irana looked very curiously at the apple "What can you tell me about where you got this?"

"Obviously you will respect the fact that i must hold my sources in the closest of confidences" Ophir replied smoothly.

"Tell me what you do know about it"

"Truth be told," Ophir said "you have me at a bit of a disadvantage. I know that it is healing magic, and powerful healing magic, but more than that I don't know. I'm offering it to you in good faith, as we share a common friend."

Irana thought for a minute, her eyes drifting up and right as if making calculations in her head. "This would get you most of the way. Some gems, assuming sufficient quality, would do the rest. As fate would have it I have a commission to deliver on King's Day that requires stones embedded in leather. Do you have any blue gems?"

Ophir, thrilled at the opportunity to get rid of the golden apple and get the spell book at the same time all without parting with his precious water, didn't hesitate. In hopes of closing the deal swiftly he offered high. He fished out four medium sized blue gems and handed them to Irana.

"Do you mind if I have these inspected?" asked Irana "Gems are not my specialty."

"Be my guest" said Ophir.

She left them alone in the room with all the books on stands. Kissa made a quick check to insure that the small invisible shape left with her. It did. Then she made a disturbing observation. Behind one of the stands was another similar shimmering outline, this one man size or slightly larger, it was hard to tell. Of course that was precisely the stand Ophir was headed toward. She cleared her throat pointedly, but Ophir was oblivious.

The book was incredible. Hieroglyphic writing in real gold, with an ornate level of artistry that was beyond anything Ophir had ever seen before. He didn't dare touch it, but stared closely, as if somehow staring would grant him the ability to read the secret language of the Water Caste. He was still staring when Irana reentered the room.

Ophir looked up sheepishly "Your collection is truly incredible. This book is remarkable, I've never seen its equal."

"I value my privacy," Irana said.

Ophir let the rebuke hang unanswered, but moved back to the book they had been discussing. His curiosity over the hieroglyphic book would have to go unsatisfied.

Irana offered a warning "Stop asking after the Fairy Star, you're attracting attention from the Water Caste." As for the gems, she had disappointing news "this one is just glass, these others, while nice, are not of sufficient quality for the customer in question." She returned them.

"There are others," Ophir said hastily "I merely chose four of similar size and color."

"Perhaps there is another solution," Irana said and turned to Kissa "How's your handwriting?"

"Not as good as I'd like, but I am working to improve it" said Kissa.

"The reason I ask is I have occasion to need things copied, and would benefit from having a reliable source for transcription. Might I be able to see a sample of your writing?"

Kissa took the hint, "I have several scrolls that I could transcribe for you." She listed her spells. "Would any of those interest you?"

"Sleep" Irana replied "I had it once, but was forced to part with it..."

"I'd be happy to transcribe it for you. I could bring it by after King's Day."

"I would like that."

Ophir weighed in "Our need for the book is immediate, will the apple and the promise of a handwriting sample be sufficient to complete this transaction today?"

"I would need some collateral" said Irana.

"Of course," said Ophir. He checked his gems and found a rich blue stone slightly larger than the previous four. He managed to come up with five smaller stones which were a passable match in color though all a bit lighter than the larger one. He handed them to Irana.

"That is fair," said Irana, turning toward Kissa. "I look forward to your writing. Hopefully it will be of sufficient quality that we can work together in the future." She turned back to Ophir "now... there were some other items you were interested in?"

"I'm always on the lookout for fine goods. Enchantments that help with mobility and speed are always appreciated. My friend, well, you can see she is quite beautiful. It generates quite a good deal of unwanted attention from men. Anything that would help to make her less visible or conspicuous would no doubt be welcome. Unfortunately, we are on a bit of a tight schedule today." He points to the gems in her hand. "I trust you. Those are merely collateral. If however, they should prove high enough quality to be included in your work, feel free to use them. We can call them a deposit on future business."

She led them out of the basement and they said goodbye, promising to give her regards to Yuhanna. Then headed out into the street. In the shadows across the way someone from Water Caste was waiting and watching. As they turned and headed down the street his eyes remained fixed on the entrance. I was as if they were an insignificant detail. Kissa made a snap decision.

"I forgot something," she said as she whirled and headed back inside. "I felt you should know your shop is being watched," she cautioned Irana.

"Really?"

"Water Caste, in the doorway across the street. Just wanted to give you a heads up." She turned and headed back out the door to join Ophir "Thanks again!" she called innocently.

The pair decided to skip Turtle Soup (the map shop) in favor of exacting revenge on Shar. Despite Irana's admonition, they decided to pursue the Fairy Star in the travelling merchant area. Travelling merchants are surprisingly tight lipped and without Yuhanna's contacts, few were willing to talk to them. It didn't help that the pair now seemed to have acquired a Water Caste shadow.

When they finally found the statue seller, she was less interested in showing her wares than in getting rid of them and the Water Caste attention they brought upon her. Ophir assured her that the trouble would leave with him. Oddly, this offered her little comfort.

In an attempt to gain some privacy she brought them into the tent and treated them to a bedouin coffee ceremony. They asked her about the Fairy Star. She claimed to have actually seen a fairy once, during her travels. She seemed genuinely troubled at the memory. She knew nothing of any connection between faeries and celestial phenomenon however. She was curious as to why they were seeking something they knew so little about. Ophir explained that they were being pursued because the Water Caste felt they knew something about the Fairy Star and that, because of the pursuit, they had begun searching for the star figuring that if they found it they could use it to get the Water Caste to leave them alone. She wasn't buying it, and didn't trust Ophir at all. Still, under the ruse of seeking statues for the courtyard of a client of Ophir's, the pair managed to see some of the inventory. In truth, she realized it might be the only way to get them to leave (throwing them out would have attracted even MORE attention).

Kissa managed to find a piece of exceptional quality. The artist had a patient hand and a great deal of mastery. She recognized the craftsman's skill and realized that with a little direction the same artist could produce work similar to the Blue Statue's. She made small talk and found out it was the work of a three fingered sculptor with shop in the capital. Ophir found a piece that was virtually identical to the pieces made by Basaram's wife. He probed for information on the name of the sculptor, claiming his client wanted to work with the artist to create a set of four pieces and hinting of a commission for the statue seller. She stonewalled. She claimed the statue was part of a lot of goods she had bought together and she didn't know it's provenance. She did know of a mage however who could use magic to determine the statues creator, but that would be costly. With the goal of using the information to bribe Basaram and win the contest, as well as gain his confidence and find out who was behind the contest, Ophir went out on a limb. He promised two tickets to the Masala's Toe performance on King's Day in exchange for the information. The statue seller quickly agreed. In order to protect her livelihood from the unwanted attention that seemed to follow Ophir like a plague of locusts, they agreed to meet tomorrow afternoon in Sky Plaza. Great... now in addition to the treasure hunt, Ophir had to get a pair of tickets to Masala's Toe as well. Why couldn't he think with his mind instead of his mouth? At least he had a few extra hours to get the tickets.

The pair left in high spirits. On the way back up to Sky Plaza they reviewed their plan for acquiring the map. They would need a third person. Hopefully they could locate Many, otherwise they'd have to drag someone else in to their charade. The third person would be innocent of any wrong doing so they weren't worried about getting them in trouble, but still it would be far easier to do this with Many whom they knew they could depend on. The plan was simple. Ophir and another person walked in the front door. Apologized for earlier and offered once again to buy the map. When Shar went in back to get the map. Ophir would cast a hide cantrip on the big map on the wall, making it invisible for roughly ten minutes give or take. When Shar emerged Ophir would hurl insults implying that he'd stolen the map on the wall and run out of the shop. Chaos would ensue with everyone chasing after Ophir. Kissa would take advantage of the commotion, slip in the back, and leave with the smaller map. If for some reason Shar failed to drop the smaller map, Kissa would steal all she could carry and slip out the back. A perfect plan. What could possibly go wrong?

As luck would have it, Many was still in Sky Plaza. They briefed him on the plan and he was game, although he seemed disappointed there was no red book in the deal for him. Had he known of the book Kissa had tucked inside her vest he would have surely held out for more. As it was, he was happy to get the group one step closer to the treasure hunt objective. When everything fell apart, he would just stay in the shop, apologize profusely for Ophir's conduct, distance himself from Ophir and stall until the map reappeared. Sure, he would probably get patted down for the missing smaller map, but he had nothing to hide so he'd simply argue that Shar must have misplaced it in all the furor. Once the map on the wall was back... there was no crime, just really inappropriate behavior from Ophir, which was to be expected given his outburst earlier in the afternoon. All agreed the plan should work perfectly. Ophir gave most all his worldly possessions to Kissa (including the two days water) just in case he was caught, retaining just enough gems to complete the transaction.

Kissa slipped around the back as Ophir & Many headed for the front door. Almost immediately she spotted a problem. Someone from Water Caste was watching the back door. These goons were everywhere (or were they just everywhere Kissa and Ophir had been and were going?). She sashayed up nonchalantly "Hello."

"Go away little girl," the guard's eyes never left the back door.

Clearly improvisation was required, Kissa flipped the plan in her head and hoped she could alert Ophir & Many in time. She headed around front.

Many and Ophir were barely six inches in the door when Shar sprang up and began shouting at them to get out. The door guard whirled and was about to physically remove them from the shop when Ophir spoke up.

"Relax, my friend. I've come to apologize. My words earlier were hasty and ill chosen. I wish you would forget them. I'm hoping we may yet salvage our business relationship. It would serve both of us. I've come to realize that your maps are indeed the finest quality available and i'm hoping you are still willing to sell me one."

Shar balked "the price has doubled... and NO book!"

Ophir poured four medium gems into his hand "done."

Shar's expression was somewhere between annoyance and confusion. Many could all but hear him thinking 'I've got to retire, customers get crazier every day' as he disappeared into the back room.

No sooner had Ophir finished vanishing the big map on the wall when Many tugged at his sleeve and nodded out the front window to where Kissa was strolling around aimlessly. Ophir gathered the situation immediately and checked his path to the back door. It was clear (from his vantage he could not see the Water Caste watcher). Just then Shar came out of the storeroom.

Ophir started in "You know what???? I changed my mind. I don't need your shitty ass map! I already got one!" He pointed to the blank space on the wall "FUCK YOU!!!" Stopping briefly to salute with both middle fingers, Ophir turned and bolted toward the back door, all the while shouting epithets over his shoulder.

The watcher from the Water Caste meanwhile, having heard the commotion, was approaching the back entrance. Ophir plowed into him and they both went sprawling into the alley, with Shar and the guard right behind. Kissa slipped in the front door. Shar had in fact dropped the parchment in his hand, but the cheap bastard had not brought the beautifully interleaved ribbon tied map they had looked at before. Whatever this was, it wasn't nearly as nice. Kissa made a snap judgement 'how hard could it be to carry a 3 foot wide invisible map through a crowded plaza?' She reached up and tried to yank the picture off the wall frame and all. Immediately an alarm bell started sounding loudly and repeatedly.

Ophir rolled off the watcher, bounced to his feet and sprinted down the back street, turning to shout more insults and make sure attention stayed focused on him. The guard hearing the alarm turned and headed back inside. Shar was more concerned with the Water Caste helping him up and dusting him off while apologizing profusely. Time to up the ante. Ophir took out a dart and hurled it at Shar. In his haste it was poorly aimed and landed solidly in the shoulder of the watcher. Oooppss... well, he definitely had their attention.

Kissa had only managed to pry the picture halfway off the wall, it was firmly attached. A second yank and it still refused to come free. Many jumped in and with one yank the whole thing came off the wall.

The back street was filled with shouting and chaos, the alarm was going off incessantly, the guard was about to round the corner and when Kissa and Many turned toward the door they saw a crowd of curious shoppers descending on the entrance.

"He went out the back," Kissa yelled waving her arms frantically and awkwardly given the three foot invisible frame and map she was holding. "Block off the streets, he's getting away." The throng parted like the sea and headed in opposite directions. Many joined one of the groups in pursuit and disappeared into the crowd. Kissa headed out into the plaza. She made her way to the opposite end of the plaza and slipped into an alley. There, she hid behind a pile of refuse.

Once Ophir was sure of pursuit, he sped up and then ducked into an alley. He jumped on to a old vendors cart and swung up onto the roof. Doubling back, he jumped from roof to roof until he was convinced he had lost the crowd. Silently, he dropped like a feather to the street. It was only then that he realized they had failed to plan on a rendezvous point. Safest bet was the corner of Fishbone Square across from the Eye & Beetle where they had regrouped earlier. Taking a winding route and cutting back several times to insure he wasn't followed, Ophir took the dangerous path across town. He went through the flood damaged area. Not only had the flood breached the city walls that were the demarcation line between civilization and The Wastes, the ruins had become free lodging of last resorts to the more desperate of Hopeless's residents. Most everyone steered clear of this section of town, effectively turning the city that once ringed Water Caste's walled enclave into a crescent. Fortunately his journey through no mans land was uneventful.

Back in the alley Kissa waited patiently for the map to become visible. It seemed to take an eternity. Finally, it reappeared. Now that it was visible she quickly pried the frame apart, rolled up the map and concealed it in a pant leg. She left the remnants of the frame in the alley and moved swiftly to put distance between herself and Sky Plaza. She too realized their failure to plan for after the theft was complete, but she reckoned that even if Ophir didn't meet her in Fish Bone Square, she was safer on her own side of town. She breathed a huge sigh of relief when she saw Ophir waiting casually for her.

What an afternoon! With a little more than four hours remaining, all they needed was a pickled collared lizard egg and they were done. Of course, they still needed the Fairy Star, but they would have to negoitiate with Basaram about that. The whole afternoon of searching for it and asking about it had brought them nothing but trouble and unwanted attention. Looking back on the afternoon she was almost giddy about the spell book. She couldn't wait for a private moment to study it. Her excitement was dampened somewhat by the knowledge that no gift from Ophir was ever truly what it seemed to be. There was a little voice inside warning her. She was to euphoric to listen... she'd stolen the finest map of Hopeless in the whole city! Surely they were bound to win the scavenger hunt now.

 

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