Julian escorts Robin out into the garden, nodding politely at the guards standing at the door as they go by. The guards acknowledge his presence with a crisp nod; there's no pretense of lack of recognition any longer.
Once they're outside, and out of the immediate hearing of the guards, Julian stops and places his hand on Robin's arm. Unusually, he's bare-handed; normally he wears gauntlets or gloves almost all the time. His skin is warm, a contrast to the cool evening air.
"You had something urgent you needed to tell me?" he asks.
For the space of a few blinks, Robin is still caught in the currents of what just happened. And her speculations thereof. Then the context of her father's question comes home to her.
"Oh, Dad!" She throws herself into a hug with him, miraculously keeping her hands untangled from his wings. "You are the best!" That, in the middle of everything - the chaos, the pain, the hunt and the loss - he still remembered. And carved out this one little moment for themselves. "Thank you."
Julian returns her embrace.
Then, knowing that the time is fleeting, precious and bought with her brother's pain, Robin gets right to the point. With one arm still around her father's waist, she looks up at him with glimmering green eyes.
"Sir? I know you know. But still, I wanted to speak to you of it. It's like this - I find myself hunting Vere. And he seems to have 'tripped in the undergrowth.'" Robin uses a common Ranger metaphor for letting oneself be caught.
A quiet happy smile illuminates and her eyes shine with a warm glow out of the darkness of her face-paint. But despite that, she finds herself biting her lip anxiously as she gazes at her father's face.
Julian arches an eyebrow and considers her comments. "As long as the boy didn't break his neck when he landed," he says, finishing an old Ranger joke.
Robin snickers. "He hasn't yet." The Ranger grins back to her father. And hugs him again. "Thank you, Dad." Fondness and gratefulness pour through her words and her heart like the flow of a golden sunset over Arden.
"You also mentioned Reid. What did he say that disturbed you?"
"Verde!" Robin swears professionally. "It's an ugly one, sir." She releases her father and makes her report like the Ranger she is.
"Reid mentioned that some citizens of Amber have gone missing and it was his suspicion that they were moving out into Shadow through Arden. He said he was investigating with a friend along a trail that began from that elm grove just north of Rainer's Point when they came across a band of civilians doing exactly that. The en route soon-to-be-ex-citizens said that they had been led by a man, who had abandoned them earlier that evening. Later that night, Reid and the STBE citizens were attacked by a disciplined mounted band, followed by a wave of trained armed footmen. Reid indicated that it seemed like a C&C [OOC ^V Ranger shorthand for 'Contain and Capture'] instead of a hunt.
"He managed to take one prisoner as he and his friend Trumped out, a man named Turf. Under questioning, Turf indicated that the leader of this little human poaching enterprise was a man named Girth."
And there Robin leaves it, with a grim line to her mouth.
"I see," says Julian.
After a moment, he adds, "Arden is closed. You are to liaise with Reid to make sure no more 'soon to be ex citizens' come into Arden and that no more poaching of men takes place. You will ascertain who is behind this and mete out appropriate justice."
Because, after all, Rangers take care of their own.
"Yes, sir." Robin nods, completely satisfied with that answer. The girl ruffles her wings a little in preparation as names and places start trickling through her mind. Not exactly planning yet, more like tasting contingencies and possibilities.
"Have you had a chance to speak with Solange yet?" Julian asks.
"Noooo." Robin's voice drifts off as she looks back toward the pile of stones that is Amber Castle. A disgusted tch of the tongue is followed by a rueful head-shake. "I... don't even know what to say."
The girl's button nose wrinkles in disgust as several very bad examples run through her mind.
'Hey, Solange. You, me, sisters forever.' Eeeeeewww.
'So what do you think Mom did that got her name wiped even more thoroughly than Unkie Brand's is going to be?' Probably not.
'Well, so you're the one that killed her. Not me.' Yikes! Definitely not!
"You may approach Solange with a message from me. I would deliver it personally, but I suspect she has concerns about my evaluation of her work with the Rangers during the Regency. Don't tell her that, of course. You may tell her on my behalf that she is welcome in Arden at any time, whether to visit or to work with the Rangers. The closing of Arden does not apply to her," says Julian.
"From there you may see where the conversation takes you."
He adds, "I must speak to Jovian. Is there aught else you need, and are you ready to go back in?"
Robin looks up at Julian with admiring eyes. He is soooo good. "Thank you, father." She stretches up on her tiptoes and kisses him on the forehead. "I will carry your message to Solange." She says with a grateful smile.
Then she looks around the garden, gathering such calmness from the captured air as she can. After a moment, she nods. "Yes. I'm ready."
(And for time's sake, assuming it's okay with Julian) the Ranger accompanies her father back into Great Hall. Once through the doors, her green eyes search the room, before coming to rest on the rows of wounded being lined up before the bandstand. Well, she's no surgeon, but she certainly knows how to patch up injured men.
Julian accompanies her into the hall, and then breaks off to meet his son in another thread.
With a thankful squeeze to her father's forearm, Robin ruffles her shoulders and sets herself back into the currents.
"Crap." Jerod says, now saying it out loud. "We need a room so we can get a look at this." he says quietly, making a glance over to Folly to come help. She'll know why Jerod wants the room, and so will Martin.
Merlin gives Martin a significant look and waggles an index finger at him. Martin shakes his head and sheathes his blade. The shattered remnant of his papier-maiche helm lies on the floor where he dropped it when Jerod clasped his shoulder.
[Jerod] takes hold of Martin's arm lightly enough to nudge him in the proper direction, towards a private room close by that can be used.
Folly can't help but smile as she approaches them. She has nearly regained her composure after her little outburst, and the sight of Jerod tending to Martin like a well-armed mother-hen puts her in the mood to offer up her own subtler form of medicine.
"I'll bet that crap you usually drink would burn the nasties right out of his wound," she says to Jerod with a smile and a wink. She lays a gentle hand on Martin's sword-hand.
Jerod looks almost hurt. Almost. :)
"Hey, the crap I drink would invite the little buggers to stay." Jerod says, not really miffed but going with the flow of humor. "It's good stuff."
"Your majesty, there is a matter you need to be informed of. I would be grateful if you could come with us." Jerod says to Random.
As Brennan moves off to get medical kit, Random says, "Jerod, I'm pulling rank. There's no time for that. Tell the Queen. She's in charge. I'll take care of Martin." He interposes himself between Jerod and Martin and takes his son's arm from his nephew. He catches Folly's eye and gives her the signal to get the gear out right now.
As his father starts to lead him away, Martin turns back and says over his shoulder, "Jerod, we need to find out who else Dara might have talked to while she looked like Cambina. And if she has Madoc's dossier on Cambina, she has the one on you, and Vialle. Tell Lilly that, and be careful. And Merlin, careful of traps on that guard."
"Tell the King there's been a murder while all this has been going on." Jerod replies, knowing full well that Random can hear him. "Tell him that Dara might not have done it either."
There's a muttered expletive from Martin. Random doesn't say anything.
Merlin frowns as Random and Martin (and presumably Folly) head out of the ballroom, leaving him with Jerod and the momentarily-returning Brennan.
[Karen, if Folly is coming with, let us know and we'll move you along in the hallway.]
[Novak, when Brennan turns around, he sees Random and quite likely Folly dragging Martin away. Your action can go in a new post.]
Jerod frowns for a moment, looks over at Brennan and Merlin. "It's good to be the King, I suppose." he says, to no one in particular before he looks over at Merlin, as Brennan makes his departure.
Brennan is departing, but he hears it. He pauses, turns and gives Jerod a commiseratory nod of a shrug before departing for another thread.
[Jerod, to Merlin]
"You'll be needing to check on the guard I take it? Can you let your
father know what Martin said. And do it while my sister can hear
you? She'll know who to start questioning about who spoke to Dara
while in her form. I suspect she'll be rather pissed someone
imitated her and want to know why. I'm afraid I have to go look at a
body at the moment."
Merlin says, "I shall do so."
Assuming a positive response from Merlin, Jerod takes his leave of him and heads over to the champagne fountain and into another thread. He makes a mental note however to check up on the Chaosian spy - to see just exactly what kind of information it was sending back that would allow Dara to imitate his sister, or him.
Brennan stifles a momentary urge to bounce the medical kit off someone's head, or, more subtly, to toss it to Martin and make him catch it, to see how badly he's wounded.
Then he realizes that everything from missing Dara and Redheaded Boy with those knives has been a distraction getting between him and Cambina. So realizing, then, he turns to scan the room looking for her, starting with where he'd had to leave to help prevent Martin from killing Aisling.
Jovian does not [follow Jerod]. Instead, and if unhindered, he makes his way out of the ballroom to the nearest location that still has a page, liveried servant or guard at loose ends. He orders him to the Infirmary to retrieve a field medical kit, or the contents of one if a jump bag is not available, and bring the lot back to the ballroom five - no, ten minutes ago.
Jovian has to go into the inner castle to do this, but he finds a page quickly and sends off for the supplies. One hopes he remembers to ask for the painkillers for that headache of his.
If a standard field medical kit doesn't include pain killers, Jovian is going to bust somebody down. Preferably from a mister to a miss.
[Novak]
Do painkillers work/stay fresh in Amber?
Beyond medicinal paint thinner?
[Medical tech stays fresher longer than anything else. Jovian probably has heard that. Don't know about Brennan. As for the headaches stuff, the question is how good the painkillers are. Jovian hopes they're very good.]
By arbitrary GM fiat, Jovian goes the opposite direction down the hall and misses Martin's perp walk.
Well, crap.
Momentarily, Jovian re-enters the ballroom, catching Brennan's eye. "A runner will be down from the Infirmary with a full medi--" At that point his gaze over the rest of the room, including various expressions, catches up with him. "Crap. Where'd he go, and is he coming back?" From his own drawn expression, it seems other things are catching up with him as well. He glances about to see if Reid and Random left that brandy bottle somewhere useful.
[It is not present. RHIP: Random Has Imperial Prerogatives.]
Brennan, on his way back to Cambina, pauses to give Jovian a credible and not unkind impression of Jerod saying, "It's good to be the King." Then, in his normal voice, "You just missed him-- King Random took him away."
"Well, fine then," Jovian responds wearily, closing his eyes and pressing at his forehead in some evident pain. "He can do his own crewelwork. I suppose Vialle's regency is effective immediately? Where is she, anyway...." he trails off.
Aisling squinches her eyes shut, pained, or 'oh crap', or something like that. Her left hand rises to rub her forehead, and she slips off the mask and the silver fronded headband, and she looks old and tired for a moment as her hand drops back down.
"Come, then," she says quietly, turning. "Lady Paige, if you would tell me of the condition of this guard as we walk, I would be most honored." And she sets off for the bailey doors.
Paige didn't seem surprised by Aisling's reaction to her hand, nor the Prince's injury. She's already turned to see if she can locate Venesch in the crowd, directing things. If not, she makes for the first guard she sees.
Venesch is not immediately obvious. There are guards at the doors into the innards of the castle and the gardens, plus guards helping with crowd clearance.
Aisling's willing to sway her course as she listens.
"I don't know much more than I've told you. Our suppositions are just that at the moment," Paige explains. "He was found unconscious and several of us are concerned that, well for lack of a better term, that the Duchess or her allies may have done that to him and may have 'eaten' his knowledge."
Aisling looks amazed. "She ate him? I--" she breaks off.
Stopping, slightly baffled, she says, "I... I don't think there's much I can do about that. I mean, if she left his life, it shouldn't slip away from him..." Her brow wrinkles. "I think I ought to see to the people Jovian mentioned, first, and then if he hasn't woken up yet, I can try to see if his knowledge is still there..." Aisling is a bit unsure.
"Won't that be rather apparent in simple things like knowing his name, or wife, or whatever?" Paige asks. "I suppose if she actually left for somewhere else and isn't using the guard's knowledge against us already, it's not a priority."
"Do as you feel best," Paige says. "I'll find Merlin." She begins unwrapping her Trumps.
When confronted by a guardsman or Venesch, she'll explain that they need to examine the injured guard and that she'd be appreciative if someone could direct them toward him.
Whichever guard Paige approaches will have to send for Venesch to be certain, but there's a guard infirmary, and that's where a wounded guard would most likely be. He offers directions for Paige's benefit.
"Thank-you," Paige says.
Aisling, who paused indecisevely to hear the guard, tries to explain once he's gone, "If she ate his mind, the only way I could get it back would be to eat her, and then-- it would be messy," she summarizes the sex step. "But if she ate just his mind, in Amber, she's a lot better than me at eating. ...And I need to see to those people Jovian spoke of." She frowns at the inadequacy of that, smiles to try to apologize to Paige, and then moves to flee.
I imagine Aisling will end up heading out to the bailey to help triage.
[Paige]
As she leaves, "Cousin. If you need to talk later, please call."
[Aisling] turns and smiles a little, a little surprised, a little sad, and she nods. Then she heads out to the bailey.
Worth pushes his way through the crowd, and Solange follows in his wake. They leave the hall and wend through the halls, out into the outer bailey. Many of the guests are already leaving the castle grounds, making way for those still coming out of the hall. Royal guards, Rangers, and some naval officers wander among those who remain, guarding and tending the walking wounded.
Worth heads straight to one little clump of former partygoers. Solange sees Felicity and several of the ladies of her circle, who are attempting to console her. On the ground before them is her Uncle Fleet and a young guardsman, pounding desperately at him in what Solange recognizes as some sort of CPR technique.
Does it look like the guardsman knows what he's doing?
Yes, but it's not the technique Solange knows.
"Breathe, damn your eyes!" Solange hears him say as he works on the desperately-ill man.
Solange kneels down beside the guardsman and her uncle. "Want some help? I've had the training," she offers. She turns her head to Worth. "Papa? There's people running around with medkits. Can you see if anyone's got something we can use?"
"He's had that," says the guardsman. "You take the chest and I'll keep him breathing!"
It's too much to hope for that the castle would contain a working defibrillator, or even nitroglycerin tablets, but maybe there's SOMETHING.
[OOC: I remember a bit from the Belgariad series, where Polgara revived somebody by brushing their tongue with a stimulant leaf, one that was so toxic that she handled it with tongs, and afterwards had the leaf and the bowl she put it in burned, warning people NOT to breathe the smoke. Can I hope for THAT?]
[No.]
[I figured as much... but I had to ask.]
Solange and the guardsman work furiously to revive her uncle. They can keep Fleet alive by continuing the CPR, but his heart is not beating and he's not breathing without their aid. The guardsman will continue with CPR as long as Solange likes.
A physician arrives and will oversee, but there's nothing he can do, and he's not going to tell a royal daughter to stop if she thinks there's anything to be done.
[Card draw: the Lion, reversed. Sorry.]
[Them's the breaks...]
After several minutes of futile effort, Solange accepts the obvious.
"You may as well stop," she tells the guardsman. "It's no good."
He looks frustrated and upset. "I'm sorry, my lady, I wish I could have done more."
Worth looks at the man and says "Thank you, we know you did your best."
Ignoring the fluttering ladies, she goes directly to Lady Hardwind, and takes both her hands.
"I'm sorry, Aunt Felicity," she says. "We did everything we could, but he was already gone."
Worth leans down and shuts his brother-in-law's eyes.
If her aunt seems so inclined, Solange will embrace her and let her cry on her shoulder, but she is not so forward as to initiate an embrace, just in case Felicity prefers to give her friends a display of quiet dignity instead.
Felicity leans on Solange heavily for a minute. She seems quite fragile. Then she stands up and says, "There are people who'll have to be notified, things to do--I, I'll have to go home and take care of them ..."
She's clearly in shock.
"Let me take you home," Solange says. "You'll need some time to collect yourself. Writing notes, making arrangements -- I'll help you with those, if you like."
Worth says, "The roads back to the city will be crowded. Solange, do you think Felicity could stay here with you tonight? Arrangements can wait until in the morning."
"No trouble at all," Solange says. "Come with me, Aunt Felicity. I'll get you settled, and have them bring us some tea..." and starts steering her aunt towards the Family Wing.
She figures that Worth will see to poor Uncle Fleet's body, and get it into the ice house until they can bring him home to lay out in the parlor. :(
Worth does remain with the body.
Good, good. Do the local midwives also function as layers-out of the dead? Who do I hire?
She'll also stop the nearest handy page.
(assuming this is no problem)
[It'll need to be a squire for age reasons. But otherwise, yes.]
Right, mustn't let the pages out alone after dark, too young and vulnerable -- pity the poor link-boys...
"I have an errand for you. Please go to the Hardwind town house, and inform the staff that Lord Hardwind has died, of a sudden attack of illness. Tell them that Lady Hardwind will be staying in the castle overnight, and ask them to give you a change of clothes for her, for tomorrow. Her lady's maid would probably be the best person for that. In fact, if the maid would like to come to the castle to see to her mistress, that would be welcome -- but by no means required. Go on foot, or horseback -- the streets are sure to be choked with carriages, and I'd like to leave the Hardwind's coach here for the night, so Lady Hardwind can ride home in it tomorrow. Do you have all that?"
Once she is assured that the page understands the errand (Go. Tell them he's dead. Bring back clothes. Maybe bring back lady's maid. Avoid traffic jams.), she will continue escorting her aunt to her rooms.
[If you want to gloss this, you can move to the next morning timewise.]
Consider it glossed. Loan Auntie a nightshift, get a soothing tisane into her, tuck her in, and sack out on the couch... take it from the morning.
Solange will stay up all night talking if Aunt Felicity seems to need to, but she's encouraging sleep.
Once in the bailey, [Aisling] will make a quick pass to take in the conditions of the people there, and see if there's anyone she can help; and if there is, she will figure out the order of people to help in her mind, and then plunk down and get to work on that.
While there are a large number of injured, for the most part few of them are critically injured. There are perhaps a dozen dead, some of whom, like Lord Hardwind, did not take the attack well. Scars will apparently be fashionable this season, because so many of the best people of Amber will have them.
Sargeant Barrell of the Castle Guards is in charge here, and is glad for the help. There are some knights present, also helping.
One mentions to another that this attack would have been devastating against a mounted charge.
Aisling pictures this, and mentally agrees. ~Yeah, you didn't run into personal opposition from the royal house of Chaos before. I wonder how Corwin survived?~
Since by now most of the patchable people have been bandaged, her aid will mostly involve the "laying on of hands", general aid flowing into those in danger of infections, or, as a whole, those who cannot be helped by any other Amber means, with comforting words for those still conscious. If there is any bandaging remaining to be done that the people already on the scene can't get to yet, Aisling will help some on a more mundane level, as well. However, she is looking to turn her steps towards the guard infirmary once she has done what she can on her specialized level.
She will spend a few moments trying to track down Ce'e, hoping that he can attend her if he is done herding people out of the castle with the other knights, before she heads down to visit the unfortunate Mustard.
Ce'e finds her, just as she's deciding that she can do no more here.
[Always a pleasure to talk to Ce'e. Eheheheheeheeee!]
Aisling notes the looming presence of her affine and stands from where she had kneeled to check once more the condition of an unfortunate unconscious journeyman. She lifts up her skirt with one hand and brushes bits of straw and dirt off of the soft fuzzy cashmere with the other, and looks around the bailey one last time, and then smiles up at her homely fellow-traveller in enemy lands, where he blends into the background in his costume of night, a smile just for him. She's pleased to see that he (or someone with him) has had the wit to take off his mask.
Then she frowns, her expression guarded, her tone direct, her volume conversational, and she has ever in mind that others will hear, "Ah, excellent. Sir Ce'e. Attend me; there is a guard I have been asked to look in on." She sets off for the guards's infirmary, without a doubt that he will fall in alongside her.
Once back amongst the better lighting of the halls of the castle, though, away from the sharpest of the chill of the spring air and the loudest of the bustle of the disturbed populace, she slows her pace somewhat, gaining time, and delaying facing once more Paige and Merlin and helpless frustration. "O my creature," she murmurs, fondly. She is an animate stack of pointy-edged questions, but she asks first, "Are you all right?"
"I was not seriously injured. The Lord's weapon seemed much more of a threat to the single-formed. She seemed even more impressive than before. Is she still our enemy?"
Later, Aisling my recall that this is one of the longer speeches that Ce'e has attempted. He is apparently learning how to converse.
She will be pleased to see that Crane is aiding him.
Aisling looks over, hawklike, to locate in the better light this minor injury he intimates.
Closed. There is a small indentation.
Having done so, she replies Socratically (with some curiousity), "Why would she no longer be our enemy?"
He looks at you as if you have said something that doesn't make sense in Thari. "I... lack understanding of such things, but lords do change enemies, and we affines must ask."
Aisling's head tilt pretty much says "Indeed." "It seems more likely now that Dara is our enemy, for it is somewhat more likely that she did not wish for Merlin to come here. The greater change, though, is that we are now her enemy, and the enemy of those who with her caused trouble tonight. Their display has made it far more difficult for us to survive." Aisling's tone is quiet and fond, but her eyes are narrow and glinting. "You will be even more careful in the coming weeks. I would like you at all times possible to be with at least one other being who would aid you if you were attacked." Aisling glances hawkishly at the approaching infirmary. "We will speak more later."
"Yes, Lord."
[Actually, the doctors are busy and he's in his quarters. Someone hoped it would help his memory to be with his own kit.]
With Jerod distracted, Llewella steps over to Reid's side. She's half-watching the confrontation between Martin and Aisling, like everyone else in the room, but her primary attention is on Reid.
"Reid, Queen Vialle recommended you to me as a solver of mysteries. The Crown finds itself in need of your services tonight. One of the King's guests has been murdered--and not by Dara."
"Anyone I know? The victim, that is?" Reid asks before...
[Without quite intending to, Folly takes another step forward and, in a loud, clear voice that cuts through the commotion, says: "STOP IT!"]
[And in the moment of stunned silence that follows Folly's command, Random grabs Jerod's hand to look at the sticky red tracery that covers Jerod's palm. "Hey!" he says accusingly to Martin. "You're bleeding!"]
Reid glances to Vere and anyone else currently in need of bandages before telling Llewella, "They sure don't make 'em like they used to..."
[if she wants to react to the commotion, we could go that way, but Reid isn't particularly interested in getting involved since there are so many other busy bodies around. He'll hold his position and continue the conversation.]
[Nope, as soon as she sees that nobody's dying and nobody's killing, she's ready to move on.]
"Princes of Amber, or coronations?" Llewella asks wryly, as they head towards the champagne room.
She continues, "The victim is Demond Haraga'rel. His family has merchant concerns here and in Rebma. It's a very sensitive case politically. Harga'rel is the former husband of Jerod's mother and the father of Jerod's sisters. He's also the fellow who helped Conner and the Gatwegian ambassador escape Rebma. The one we were just telling the Rebmans was alive yesterday. Now he's not."
Reid feels Llewella may be in a bit of shock.
They cross the hall and enter the room with the champagne fountain. A tall, craggy-faced fellow who was an invited guest by his costume stands waiting for them. There are several royal guards as well.
The dead man has been removed from the pool and lies on the floor. The front of his shirt is wet with champagne. One of the guardsmen also reeks a little.
"Vista of the Rangers, at your lordship's service," says the craggy-faced fellow. "Blister here found this fellow in the drink when he came in here to dummy walk the place. He tried to save him, but he was already drowned. They grabbed me because I was close and senior, and I sent for Her Highness."
Vista is at ease with the presence of royalty; he's not lacking in deference, but he's not awed by royals the way some of the commoners are.
Reid gives the body a once over looking for anything out of place, before rolling it over face down and performing a closer inspection on the back, neck & shoulders. "If he went in face first, as is evidenced by the liquid on his shirt, his attacker would have spun him and held him down from behind," he explains to anyone who's listening.
"Our attacker would have gotten his hands wet, and as we can tell, the bouquet of this vintage is fairly strong. It's too bad most if not all of the guests have departed. Even then, with the chaos we've had elsewhere, an escape would have gone unnoticed."
Vista says, "That's what I thought, too, your lordship. I've already put word out among the guards and such that anyone who reeks too much of champagne should be put aside for questioning on the pretext that they may be too drunk to make it back down to the city. I don't know how much good it will do if the murderer slipped out early."
Llewella says, "I almost hate to tell you this, but it's possible that a Rebman magician could have held him under without touching him. I think a magician from Gateway could have, too."
Reid scans the floor for wet footprints or signs of slashing from the fountain, which might lead him to his next course of action.
There's some splashing, which could be a sign of the struggle. Some of the glasses were knocked off as well. That could be from pulling Harga'rel out of the drink.
[Assuming Jerod is arriving, as mentioned previously in another thread]
Llewella adds for Reid's benefit, perhaps in case he didn't hear the approach, "Jerod is probably going to have to talk to his sister tonight, so he'll need to hear your initial conclusions."
"Which I will be interested to hear." Jerod says as he approaches. "Don't eliminate any suspects simply because of family connections either. That would include my sister."
(he means Valeria).
[thanks for clearing that up. I didn't THINK Cambina had been on any killing sprees lately...]
Don't be too quick to assume...:)...Cambina is not as one might think.
[Not since she helped Caine kill his double, no...]
"Tell Valeria that I'm working on it." Reid doesn't seem too pleased by the prospect, of either the work ahead of him, or the word of his lack of immediate success spreading too far.
Jerod does not appear inclined to do so, though for different reasons than Reid might suspect.
Jerod does not get too close initially, instead looking over the whole scene for a moment to get an idea of the layout of the area, the fountain in relation to entry and exit points, areas of concealment, places people could have hidden and watched, either as witnesses or as the killer and possible accomplices. "Is there any sign of magical activity?" he asks, having considered the mage approach. "Who pulled him out?"
Reid kneels down in a dry spot and pulls out something to sketch on, then works on getting the overview committed to paper, and listens for the retelling of Vista's account, for any new information, or anything omitted.
"Can't say as I would now about any magical stuff. What we have of that in Arden isn't safe to trouble with." [Vista] shrugs. "Blister was looking to see if anyone needed help getting out, as we were ordered to do. Found his nibs here, not needing any help any more. Blister pulled 'em out and tried to resuscitate him, but..." He shakes his head.
Blister is almost certainly the guard who has the most champagne on him.
There is a gasp from the doorway. Standing in it are Valeria and Kaia, the former's eyes are wide, while the latter's are narrow.
Jerod sees his sister but nods thanks first to Vista for his report. Given the confusion of the situation, this is sizing up about as expected. Then he quickly moves over to Reid and leans in to speak so only he can hear.
"Keep your breakfast open tomorrow. We'll talk about what Harga'rel spoke to me about previously. And see if you can find out where Ambassador Harper is." Jerod says. "She knew I was going to be speaking to Harga'rel. In the meantime, I've got damage control now."
Then, [Jerod] moves off to intercept his sister and the ambassador, to keep them from interfering with the scene and to give some comfort to his sister.
The ambassador stays in the doorway, taking in the scene. Jerod's sister is making squid-line for her father's body. She seems intent on getting to it. How strongly do Reid and Jerod want to stop her?
Jerod stops her. Unless she's a lot stronger and faster than she looks, she's not going any further. He's not brutal about how he stops her - he works more to get in her way if that will do the trick, but if he needs to, he will physically take hold of her. Out of everyone here, he's probably the only one who could get away with doing that, regardless of how strong they were.
[You're going to have to grab her.]
Reid is visibly relieved that Jerod is going to keep the latest arrivals away from his crime scene. He turns back to the body without giving Valeria or Kaia a second look.
Once the room has become less crowded again, Reid turns to Blister and gives him a once over. Not that people who find dead bodies in champagne fountains are always subjects, but, well, yeah, they are. Once he's determined if there's any more evidence on the guard's body...
[Nothing that visually or intuitively strikes Reid as significant. Prompt us later if you think of something while you're questioning suspects.]
...he turns to Vista and asks, "Could you find Ambassador Harper for me please? I don't think she'll have left yet."
Vista nods, very slowly. "Aye, my lord. We'll bring her here."
Again, his eyes sweep the room, landing briefly on Llewella and any other guards still present, searching for anything out of place, or any undue reactions.
Llewella seems to be waiting to see if Jerod needs help with Valeria.
[She'll come over if he seems to need or ask for help, but otherwise, she's just watching her grand-niece.]
Vista has walked to the doorway and squatted down in it. Were he made of stone and perched atop a gothic building, he would look more like a gargoyle, but not by much.
Reid, too, sits and waits, looking between the scene at hand, the stonelike Vista, the waiting Lllewella and trying not to see who will blink first.
"There's nothing you can do here." Jerod says quietly [to Valeria]. "They need to investigate what happened." There is sympathy in his voice for her, having been where she is now.
"Jerod, Let go of me. Father..."
[It's pretty clear that if you don't keep holding her, she'll go where she plans]
"...is dead." Jerod says, still quietly, the sympathy fading from his voice and hardening a bit. His grip hardens as well, bringing her to a quick stop, the kind that can jerk a person's focus if done properly.
"You can't help him now. And if you go over there you'll interfere with finding out who caused his death. If I have to I'll carry you out of here and you won't be able to stop me. Don't make me do that Valeria." The unspoken 'please' can be heard though.
Llewella comes up and puts her hand on Valeria's shoulder. She offers the girl a handkerchief. "Come, Valeria. you can stay in my quarters tonight. There's nothing you can do here and Jerod needs not to be distracted."
[If Jerod and Reid let her, Llewella will lead Valeria away.]
Reid makes no protests and continues to ponder the scene unless otherwise interrupted.
Jerod goes with Valeria...he does not intend to stay at this time.
Last modified: 13 August 2003