3/4/07 Who is in Charge? Susan Jane in the big chair, with James & Arnold out (cold) on the town Kissa made her way over to where Ophir was waiting. "I'm glad you're alright. I was hoping you'd understand when I came around the front. Did you have any problems?"
"I ran into enough trouble to make it interesting, but nothing I couldn't handle. What was with all the bells going off?"
"There was a ward on the map." Kissa replied "As soon as I reached up to pull it down, the alarms started."
Ophir was confused "Shar didn't have a map in his hand, so he must have dropped it on the ground. All you had to do was pick it up."
"It wasn't the same map. I didn't want to take any chances, so I took the one off the wall."
"You STOLE the big damn map???" Ophir's eyes were as wide as dinner plates.
"Well, it was invisible... I just sort of... carried it away."
"Holy shit!" Ophir's tone was purely 'what wrath have you brought down on us', but his eyes showed a sparkle that indicated his respect for Kissa had jumped considerably. Just then he noticed someone from Fire Caste exiting the Eye & Beetle. He turned toward the square where someone fromm Water Caste was asking a family some questions. "Uhm, I think we should get moving. Slowly and inconspicuously, but we need to get out of here."
The sun was setting as the pair took a winding path through the square, keeping an eye on the Fire & Water Caste. Each was clearly asking questions and looking for information. Kissa and Ophir assumed they were working together, which was very strange. Worse yet, Water Caste was talking to Sneferu, a friend of Ophir's who knew enough to be dangerous. Thankfully, Ophir hadn't seen him today, so he would be unaware of all the trouble they had stirred up. Things were not looking good.
The safest bet was to get back to The Blue Statue, get rid of this silly basket and put this treasure hunt behind them. They made a looping route past a spot where one of Kissa's friends worked in a kitchen. Their efforts were rewarded with a very pungent pickled collared lizard egg. Strange what the wealthy consider a delicacy. Now all they had to do was get back to the statue shop. Of course, there was the small matter of the thugs.
They devised a plan. Ophir stuck his vest in the basket to make it look full and spread a handkerchief over the top. At a glance it looked as if it was laden. He stripped himself of everything of value and gave it all to Kissa. Kissa protested.
"Look, flesh heals. The important thing is to get all this safely into the shop. Whatever you do, don't stop."
A few blocks away they started walking on opposite sides of the street with Kissa moving inconspicuously a few feet ahead of Ophir. With his purple turban and his ridiculous strutting walk, not to mention a basket with a flag waving off the top, there was nothing inconspicuous about Ophir.
A block away from the shop they were spotted. There was a sharp whistle and hurried footsteps on the roofs above. Suddenly rocks started flying down. Pedestrians on the street scattered and within seconds it was just Ophir and Kissa. They broke into a dead run. As they hit the corner they needed to turn to get to the statue shop, Ophir nearly ran smack dab into the biggest of the goons. It took all he could do to stop short of plowing into him. This brute was nearly a foot taller than Ophir and twice his width. A quick glance confirmed that nothing stood between Kissa and the entrance. She was only twenty feet away. 'Time to make sure their attention is on me' though Ophir.
"Hey Fatso, watch where you're going!" Ophir's impudence was rewarded with a fist to the face. It felt more like a wrecking ball.
Ophir swung the basket hard up towards the bully's face and attempted to duck around him, but the basket's handle broke and the sudden change in balance caused Ophir to stumble.
Kissa hesitated for a minute, realizing Ophir was in trouble. A stone from above hit her hard in the back of the head. Her decision was made. She ran for the gate as fast as she could.
Ophir regained his balance and managed to right himself just in time to see a fist coming at his face. It was the last thing he'd see for a while.
Kissa looked over her shoulder to see Ophir falling backwards onto the street. There was nothing she could do from here, especially not with all she was carrying. She dashed across the statue yard and into the shop itself. Basaram was drinking coffee with a guard. Breathlessly she piled objects up on the counter. "My friend is being assaulted outside! I have to help him, I'll be back." She turned and ran out for the door.
Her sling was out and loaded before she was halfway to the gate. At the gate, she pulled up short behind a statue and peered out at the scene unfolding in the street. The big thug was rifling Ophir's pockets and checking the basket again and again as if he was convinced he must have missed something. He looked up at the rooftop and shrugs. Hand signals are exchanged and one of the roof top sentries was pointing at the statue shop. Kissa felt the lump on the back of her head, 'so you're the one I have to thank for this' she made a mental note of his face. There was little she could do. She was outnumbered at least four to one and attacking would only draw attention.
Suddenly there was a sharp whistle behind her. Guards came running across the lot. By the time they reached the gate, the thugs had disappeared without a trace. The guards ran out and dragged Ophir's body back into the shop. Kissa thought he was dead.
Once they were all back in the shop, they spread Ophir out on a counter - he was quite unconscious, but not dead.
"What happened?" asked Basaram.
"You tell me," said Kissa. Her adrenaline was flowing and a hint of temper sounded in her voice. "We were simply returning to your shop, we have been participating in your contest and we were assaulted on the way in. What is going on?"
"I have no idea." Basaram sounded genuine. "I didn't know anyone was lurking outside. I don't understand why anyone would behave like this."
"My friend has nearly been killed for participating in your contest! The least you could do is summon a healer."
Basaram called a guard over. A few hushed words and the guard headed off purposefully. He turned his attention back to Kissa and the pile on the counter. "I take it that you have completed the contest?"
"That depends," said Kissa. "Will the objects be returned after judging?"
"The rules say nothing about the return of the objects."
"Well, that would affect our participation. We have six of the seven items, but there are several that we would need returned or we wouldn't be interested in submitting them."
"Perhaps an arrangement could be made, but it is not my decision," Basaram said hesitatingly. "You said six, which item are you missing?"
"The Fairy Star, but I sincerely doubt that anyone else will find it either."
"That would be... unfortunate"
"Lets be honest. Most of the items on this list are, quite frankly, readily available. To someone of your means they are all easy to purchase. All except the Fairy Star, which no one seems to know anything about. The more questions we ask, the more attention we garner from the Water Caste..."
"Water Caste?" Basaram gasped interrupting. He seemed genuinely horrified. Surely he had to understand the stakes... or did he?
"Yes Water Caste," Kissa continued. "We have been followed and observed ever since we started inquiring about the Fairy Star. Now my friend is nearly killed on the way back to your shop. What is the purpose of this contest?"
"I don't know," Basaram's voice was thin and weak. "It is really beyond my control."
"How could it be beyond your control, it's YOUR contest"
"It has never been my contest. I was told to run the contest and given the list. I was left no choice in the matter. They made threats to things very dear to me, and now Water Caste is involved," his voice trailed off.
"Who made threats?"
"I can't tell you that."
"Look," Kissa patience was wearing thin. It had been a rough day and the lump on the back of her head was throbbing. She was worried about Ophir. Other than a few gurgles he'd been silent for nearly half an hour. It was eerie not to hear his constant bluster. "We have been all over town on this crazy chase. We have expended a fair amount of money and used up a number of personal favors. I think you owe us an explanation of what is going on!"
"I've told you all I can tell you."
"Well who do I need to talk to then? Someone has to be able to give me some answers."
"Perhaps someone was here yesterday that could answer your questions."
"Can you tell me who was here yesterday?"
"I cannot tell you that." Basaram was nearly pleading "You must understand, I was already worried for my safety and the safety of those I love. Now you tell me the Water Caste is involved. My situation only gets bleaker."
"We would like to help you, but there is little that we can do without more information."
"My hands are tied."
Kissa was exasperated. Only the arrival of the healer spared Basaram from her wrath. The healer went first to Basaram to agree on terms and then to Ophir to tend to his wounds. After he was salved a strange smelling tea was brewed and dripped slowly and carefully into Ophir's mouth. After a few long tense moments, Ophir blinked his eyes and looked around.
"Did we win?"
"We haven't even agreed to the judging yet," Kissa responded "The items are not to be returned."
The healer exchanged a few words with Basaram and exited.
Ophir groaned "How long have i been out?"
"About 45 minutes, you got hit pretty hard"
Ophir turned to Basaram. "We were of the understanding that the items were to be returned. Several of these items have been borrowed and must be returned to their owners. None of these items were stolen you understand, but we do need to get them back to their owners."
"It is not my decision to make."
"Who do we need to talk to to straighten this out?"
"I can't tell you that."
"We have invested considerable effort and capital to complete your contest. The items we've obtained have real value. To submit these for a chance of winning would be foolish."
"I was led to understand that you do not have all the objects."
"I may have something better, that would be of even more interest to you. Based on your conversation with Yuhanna, we have located a sculptor for you..."
Basaram eyes brightened for the first time.
"Kissa has found the work of a three fingered sculptor who has a shop in Rat's Revenge, just south of Starvation II. The work is similar and the sculptors hand is patient and skilled. With very little direction he could be trained to produce a parallel line of work that would suit your shop well."
"I'm afraid that will not be enough to make up for the lack of the Fairy Star."
Ophir upped the ante "Additionally, I have made some promises which I still need to do some manipulation to live up to, but by this time tomorrow I should have the name of a sculptor whose work could pass for your wife's."
"This brings me some small comfort," Basaram chose his words carefully, "but it may not be necessary. I'm facing the loss of all that I have."
"Look, I have made a lifetime out of seeing that the blame fell somewhere besides me. We can help you, but you need to trust us. Tell me who is behind this contest and I will do all I can to make sure that you survive this ordeal."
"Please understand, I fear for my daughter. I can't tell you what you need to know."
"Clearly someone is pressuring you, why?"
"I don't know. Powerful people came into the shop and told me what to do. I was not in a position to ask questions. I just did as i was told and hoped they would be satisfied."
"When did this all begin?"
"Yesterday."
"Who, besides you was in the shop yesterday?" Ophir began to see an opportunity.
Basaram stammered, "my daughter, and a few guards."
"Are any of those guards here today?"
"Syran... he's outside."
Ophir groaned as he rolled off the table. He headed outside to located the guard. Ophir moved awkwardly across the statue yard to where the guard was. "Were you here yesterday?"
The guard took his time before answering as if trying to decide if the answer put him at risk. "Yes," he said slowly.
"Tell me who was here yesterday."
"This is a busy shop, there were many people here yesterday." Clearly now he was uncomfortable with Ophir's directness.
Ophir tried to soothe him. "Your boss is in trouble. I can't help unless I have some information. Did anyone come into the shop yesterday who wasn't a customer?"
"I suppose it can't hurt." the guard seemed relieved. "There were two women, beautiful, twins I think, sisters maybe. Fire Caste. Long braided hair tied with red ribbons."
Ophir had all he needed, he headed inside to round up Kissa. "How much time do we have before the contest ends?"
"Less than three hours" Basaram replied.
"What's the plan?" Kissa couldn't help but worry as to what Ophir would get them into next.
"I don't know, I'm making this up as I go."
"Then we should travel light." Kissa turned to Basaram "Do you have a place where our things can be kept safely, away from those who are threatening you?"
Basaram thought for a moment "There is a spot or two they would never think to look."
Kissa made two piles on the counter. The first pile was the egg, quill, slipper and gate latch. The second, the map and red book. She pointed to the second pile first "put these somewhere safe." pointing to the first pile she said "this is all we choose to enter in the contest at this time. Hopefully we will be back by midnight, but if not this entry will have to suffice. The other items are to valuable to not have returned."
"If anything happens to us, use what you can to save yourself. We are off to try to get you out from under this and that could prove very dangerous." Leave it to Ophir to be melodramatic, but he was trying to butter up Basaram, still convinced that he could get one of the prizes that way.
The pair left the statue shop and made a beeline for a leather merchant a few blocks away. The shop was closed of course.
After a few minutes of banging on the door, a little bribing by Ophir and an impassioned plea from Kissa, an agitated merchant reluctantly opened the door.
"I need some red leather barrettes and red leather hair ties, and I am willing to pay handsomely" Ophir cut right to the chase.
The perplexed merchant gathered a few items from the store and returned.
Ophir flipped him a tiny gem worth at least ten times what the good were worth. "These will do perfectly. Thank you very much for your trouble we do apologize for disturbing you at this hour."
The merchant was still staring at the gem in disbelief "That's... uh... quite alright."
On the walk over to Fish Bone Square Kissa and Ophir worked out the plan. Kissa would watch from a discreet distance while Ophir pretended to be a desperate merchant looking for the sisters to sell them hair adornments. He would go directly up to the Fire & Water Caste searchers and ask if they knew where the sisters could be located. This worked on three fronts. It would inform the watchers of the sisters activity, it might help Kissa and Ophir to locate the sisters, and with a little luck Ophir might be able to determine what they were searching for. Of course, if it was Ophir & Kissa they were looking for, they might be walking right into big trouble.
It was fully dark by the time they reached the square. Not being the type of neighborhood that was safe after dark, the square was deserted except for the occasional person sleeping who had no where else to go. There was no sign of the two searchers. Ophir tried without success to gain entry to The Eye & Beetle. They claimed (quite rudely) to be closed despite the fact that he could hear voices inside. When he pressed the issue, the door opened a crack and someone brandished a knife. Even Ophir knew when to leave well enough alone.
Time to invent plan B. They headed to the Fire Caste district to try asking at random. A much safer district, there were still people out on the street even though it was now near 10PM. Of course, getting those people to talk to a badly beaten, desperate lower caste merchant was somewhat difficult. It took nearly an hour, before they found someone who was not only willing to talk to them, but had seen the twins. They got directions to a smoke cafe a few blocks away.
With just over an hour until the contest ended, they headed that direction, with absolutely no idea what to do when they got there.
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