Adventure! RPG: Heroes of Our Time - episode 3: Killer in the Rain (part 1)

[Alex Craft]

John sprints to Brigitte's motorcycle, hopping on behind her, and tapping her shoulder to assert his presence.

"That would be appreciated. Fascinating device you have here. Let's go."

John braces himself for the shock of the ride.

[Alex Craft]

Jameson hears the door above him slam against the wall as he makes his final vault onto the top of the staircase leading to the lobby. A throaty growl rumbles down the stairwell to him accompanied by the sound of some object thumping down the stairs.

What the hell is that? Jameson wonders, as he bounds down the last few stairs and hits the lobby door running. A twist of the handle and he spills out into the hotel lobby, just grabbing the door to keep it from hitting the finely papered wall.

Jameson gets his bearings and looks to the elevator hoping that it has not yet opened onto the lobby.

[Alex Craft]

Within moments of Jameson's entry into the lobby, the elevator doors (about five meters away) open, revealing the attendant and a short, slim man in a putty-colored business suit and a black overcoat.

He seems to see Jameson staring and smiles politely as he casually reaches under his coat - his easy expression and body language implying a lack of wrongdoing even as he extracts a light, small-caliber pistol. Lazily bringing up the gun, he snaps off two shots, firing so quickly that the it sounds like a single gunshot.

Reacting purely on instinct, Jameson dives sidewise, feeling one of the rounds pluck at one of the cuffs of his tuxedo before hitting the ground clumsily. Sprawled on the floor, he recognizes the sound of an approaching engine and, without really pausing to think about it, rolls to the side of the open stairwell door.

Brushing the door with her leg as it slowly swings shut, Brigitte shoots out into the lobby with John clutching precariously onto the back of the tiny vehicle. Seeing Jameson on the ground, she turns and skids to a sudden stop while checking over the lobby - finding nothing amiss.

Jameson leaps back to his feet with a grunt, braced for more gunfire. With nothing of the kind coming, Jameson scans the room for the man with the gun ... but doesn't see him. A few residents look on in confusion, and the man behind the hotel desk appears to be calling the police.

[Alex Craft]

Jameson spins around in place trying vainly to locate the gunman, sputtering guttural curses now that the man has disappeared. "Did anybody see where that man went? The man with the gun?"

It quickly makes itself apparent that no-one had seen the man and that Jameson is wasting his time. Finally he calms himself down and walks over to his compainions, "I suggest that we give our statements to the police and head out the party, there doesn't seem to be much more we can do here anyway."

[Alex Craft]

Quote:

...there doesn't seem to be much more we can do here anyway.

"I agree, I hope we are not late"
John continues, whispering discreetly.
"I have not seen any doors open or close, what ever we do, we had better keep an eye out."

John taps his cane on the floor quietly, anticipating possiblities.

[Alex Craft]

Jameson leans in close to Brigitte and John, "It would appear that you are right John, I hadn't considered that. Unless the man can walk through walls he must still be here. I must admit I was fairly shocked to see for myself that your special talents are not singularly unique to you."

Jameson looks around the lobby and then turns back to his friends, "John you stay down here and keep and eye out. Brigitte and I will go up and collet our things and get Kate, I'll bring your suit jacket back down with us and we can leave.

"Perhaps you may spot something while we are gone. Agreed??"

[Alex Craft]

Brigitte nods, kills the engine and slips off the bike, allowing the bottom of her dress to slip down from her hips once more. She then waits a moment for Dr. Mystery to get off the bike and leans it to the side slightly. With practiced hands collapses the motorbike back into the briefcase.

“Very well. I am not sure what is going on here, but I do not wish to be late to the reception.”

Brigitte collects the briefcase and turns to the stairs, making her way back to her room.

While in the stairwell she comments, “I am not sure what is going on here, but I haven’t seen anybody in the elevator when it left our floor and I did not see anybody when it opened here. I do not think the operator would let somebody exit into the shaft. There is a man dead and you are the only one that has apparently seen the killer. Maybe your mind was playing tricked on you Jameson? And what special talents were you speaking of in the lobby? I must admit, I am a bit confused here.”

[Alex Craft]

Jameson chuckles to himself a bit, "Pardon me ma'am, I wasn't thinking. Of course since you have just met he lot of us you don't know about some of our 'unique' talents.

"John, well I don't know his background but he seems to be a stage magician fallen on hard times, I could be wrong on that though. What I can tell you is the man possesses a gift to disappear from sight, and I don't mean he's good at hiding, I mean he turns ... invisible."

Jameson smiles as Brigitte reacts, and chuckles, "I'm a lot of things but I am not crazy believe me he can do it. He makes a great scout for the rest of us, he's got other tricks up his sleeves and in his pockets as well.

"Myself, I swear I saw a man get into that elevator and when the doors opened into the lobby he was there and took a pot shot at me ... then I lost him.

"I've got my own skills, nothing as incredible as John though. I'm good with guns mostly. There's no way to tell you without sounding pompous but I'll be honest I've not met many men who shoot half as good as I can.

"Suffice to say we all fill a niche in the group and i think you'll fit right in. Tony seems to hire he best people to work for him, so from that I can guess about you."

Jameson smiles warmly as he tells her all this while they walk back up to her room.

[Alex Craft]

Brigitte and Jameson reach Brigitte's room soon enough, finding Kate absent. A moment's searching, however, leads the two of them to the next-door room, where she is kneeling over the body.

Kate looks up at Brigitte and Jameson as they walk in, and rises, saying, "Don't touch anything. Is Mr. Frederickson still downstairs, or is he ... ?"

Then turning away from the body, she goes to wipe slightly blood-flecked hands on her dress, reconsiders, and asks Jameson, "Could I borrow a handkerchief?"

She meticulously cleans her hands, surprisingly comfortable with sharing a room with a corpse. She tells our heroes:

"I called the desk, and they've alerted the house detective. I expect he'll be delayed by whatever you three did in the lobby - motorcycle and all. By the way, Brigitte: nice engineering. Your work?"

"It doesn't look like this has anything to do with us. I chalk this up to a gangland murder. The victim is - was - Lucas Falcony, an enforcer for the local mob. Um, the only reason I know that is because he was one of the guys sent to work over Blaine the day Blaine brought in Carlos Sapetti. I have a good memory, and I've, ah ... seen your files."

Kate seems to be somewhat uncomfortable referencing her superior rank, but continues after a sight pause - pointing a thumb in the direction of the deceased Mr. Falcony:

"Definitely not suicide. His isn't really a heavy caliber, but the entry wound is still too small. Also, that gun would've made an exit wound. Here, the bullet went in and never came out - probably just bounced around in his skull once or twice. Not too many guns will do that, even at a longer range than would've been possible in a suicide."

"His gun's been fired, which would be the gunshot we heard next door. There was only one shot, however, which means that the killer used a silencer, which pretty much means that he was a professional. Also, if the killer had a silencer screwed onto his gun, that pretty much rules out the possibility of him acting in self-defense."

"While Mr. MaCallister's tangential relationship to the victim could mean something, I doubt it. We will probably have to talk to the police about this, but we ought to get out of here as soon as possible. Wouldn't want to keep the others waiting."

Straightening out her dress, Kate offers Jameson back his handkerchief (still fairly clean), asking, "Do you want this back?"

* * *

In the lobby, John sees nothing out of the ordinary, despite his suspicions. Within a couple of minutes, a pudgy man in a baggy suit and a seal-brown toupee approaches, puts out a plump finger, and says, "Hey. I'm the house man, and the desk tells me you've been up to something. Where're your friends?"

[Alex Craft]

John gazes at the house detective in a rather irritated manner, brows furrowing, as his cane taps impatiently on the floor.

"Yes. We pursued a gunman. The victim is in the room directly next to that of Ms. Lefevre. My companions, including Ms. Lefevre, shall be returning shortly with our things. We were on our way to a gathering of sorts."

Paying little heed to the detective, John waits calmly, if perhaps a bit frustrated by the loss of the suspect.

[Alex Craft]

Jameson walks out of the murder scene and back into Brigitte's room with the two women, "Ladies, I belive that we should be going now, we're likely to need to answer some questions regarding this incident and I'd prefer not to keep Locky and Blaine waiting."

Jameson slides his coat back on and helps Kate with her own fur-trimmed coat before helping Brigitte into her's. "Now my dear," he says offering an arm to Kate, and with a nod of his head to Brigitte, "And you madame, I think we should enjoy the rest of the evening to the best of our ability."

Once the two women are fully ready the three of them head downstairs via the elevator. Inside the elevator Jameson does his best to inconspicuously look for evidence of the invisible man's passage.

[Alex Craft]

After slipping into her coat with Jameson’s help, Brigitte grabs the bag with her and Dr. Mystery’s change of clothing in one hand, drapes the coat he left in her room over her arm and then picks up her briefcase with her other hand before heading to the elevator to accompany Kate and Jameson down.

On the short trip in the elevator, Brigitte looks about somewhat casually, mostly for the bullet casing that would left if the invisible mad had indeed fired a shot.

[Alex Craft]

If the small elevator holds any clues to the passage of the unidentified gunman, they are lost in the accumulation of scuffs and marks from hundreds of similar passengers. Interestingly, even though Jameson spotted the gunman both in the elevator and down in the lobby, a little judicious questioning of the elevator attendant reveals that the young man has no recollection of the man ever entering.

Downstairs, the Jameson and the two women approach John just as the police arrive - doubtless called when the first gunshot was heard. For the most part, Kate takes care of the police, dropping the K.I.S. name and carefully describing the incident and the crime scene. Our heroes provide input as needed, but are generally glad that she is running interference.

Kate wraps up her lecture by exactingly detailing her brief examination of the body to the pair of police officers who responded to the call, and John retrieves his topcoat from Brigitte and changes back out of his much-patched trade coat.

As all of this happens, Jameson wanders over to where he last saw the gunman, hoping for some sign of the man's passage. Catching a whiff of spent gunpowder on the air, he looks around in all directions, hoping for some kind of trail. Turning, he sets a foot on something small and hard, which - when he lifts his foot to check - turns out to be a casing from a small caliber bullet.

After a little thought comparing the caliber (7.65mm) to the glimpse he got of the man's gun, Jameson finds himself unable to identify the make of the gun. This is odd, and probably means that it is a custom job. Looking up, he realizes that the police officers seem to have been placated, with the others waving him over to the exit. Shrugging, he pockets the casing on his way out - wondering if maybe Blaine will be able to do something with it.

[Alex Craft]

(shortly before the reception)

Janos takes a last look in the mirror, making a couple of minor adjustments to his clothes. Earlier, he had met Tony for a friendly fencing match - both men appreciating the presence of a challenging opponent. Tony has clearly had a great deal of training at some point in his life, and he doesn't seem to be slowing down appreciably as he reaches middle-age. Really, it might be the opposite - Janos and Tony haven't sparred very often, but it seems that he gets better at slipping under Janos' guard with every meeting.

After the workout, King offered Janos a room to use for cleaning up and changing for the reception. Making one last adjustment to his collar, Janos heads out walking through the mansion (grown somewhat familiar after many visits) to meet Tony downstairs.

Finding the sitting room where they were to meet empty, Janos guesses that Tony must still be changing. Shrugging, he steps out the French doors onto a back porch, taking in the cool evening air. A deep overhang shelters the porch, supported by vine-covered brick columns. Dormant rose bushes line the edge of the porch, leaving a narrow gap out onto the dark lawn.

Thinking back to the fencing match, Janos' mind wanders, calling up memories long left gathering dust. His father's voice comes to him - something he said during one of Janos' first fencing lessons:

The most important aspect to any conflict, is not your weapon, not your skill. It is your understanding of the enemy. If you study your enemy - understand everything about him - he will cease to be a challenge. By knowing him, you may anticipate his every action. You will be able to avoid his strikes, coax him into exposing his weaknesses ... anything is possible once you understand. Remember this, and it will serve you well. Whether you are wielding a blade or an army, this is the key to any battle.

A voice breaks the evening's stillness: "Rosa damascena versicolor."

Janos returns to the present as Tony steps onto the porch, elaborating: "The roses. When in bloom, the blossoms are mingled red and white. Supposedly, the cultivar dates from the end of the War of the Roses, when the red rose of Lancaster and the white rose of York were plucked from the same bush."

Tony is silent for a moment, then continues in a quieter voice, saying, "They were Amurra's favorite. The original bush is out by the pond - she liked them so much that I took cuttings and started a hedge here."

Walking to the edge of the porch, Tony kneels by one of the small bushes, testing the tip of a thorn with his thumb.

"They've flourished."

[Alex Craft]

"The only failure is in forgetting," Janos says queitly. "Tianna told me that. She was our older sister. Did Ammura talk about her much? She pretty much raised us after mother died."

Tony mouth twists sourly at that, and he rises, replying, "Tianna? Not much. It seemed to be a topic she wanted to avoid, considering what happened. She had nightmares about that, some nights. It seems some things are better forgotten."

Janos nods, but certainly doesn't look ready to forget what happened to his sisters while he lay in a coma.

"One man can not stand against a nation, even one drenched in madness," he muses. "Not openly, anyway."

His open palm runs across the sleeping rosebuds.

"But, we both must keep on, no?"

[Alex Craft]

Janos smiles at Anthony then bows, saying, "Again, I thank you for all you have done for my house, Anthony. I hope I have done some good in repaying our debts to you?"

Tony shakes his head, answering, "You don't owe me a thing, Janos. All I ever did was bring the two of you across the lake, and if any repayment needed to be done, your sister set the balance more than straight."

Breaking into a slight grin as he staggeringly 'taps' the younger man on the shoulder, Tony adds, "But still, you've done nothing but good by me, Janos. It's a hell of a load off to know you're with the team."

[Alex Craft]

After a moment, Janos asks, "With this Baron Zorbo character dead, or at least highly inconvienanced, and the engine safely in your hands, what's next for the King Empire?"

Janos seems on edge. While is has proven himself more than capable of a social night out, the previous weeks' actions appear to be were he is most comfortable. Janos the soldier is at odds with Count Rakozi the socialite.

Nodding, Tony tells Janos, "What's next? Doing business. The damage to the New York building is an irritation, and I still have some loose ends to clean up with the English government, but the company will continue on as usual. There's also some business I might have to take care of back in the Orient, but the field team will be inactive for the next few months, at least."

[Alex Craft]

"Hm ... do you have anything you need to take care of during that downtime? If not, I may have something for you to do - could get you back to near your old stomping grounds. It seems that some of the foundries we absorbed in Germany aren't producing as much as they could. I'm sending someone to look things over, and that could be you. Of course, steelworks aren't in you area of expertise, but I suspect that the problem is morale, anyway."

"If you're interested, I'd be sending you on a company ship - we have one leaving for Greifswald to pick up a cargo fairly soon. Someone made a mistake and took it off of its normally assigned route. Big fiasco - left the ship sitting empty, so it'll be a net loss to send it across the ocean. I'd have it loaded here, but it's such an out of the way port that the captain wouldn't be able to unload enough to take on what we have waiting there."

"We might be able to make some profit in cut rate passenger berths, but I'm not really counting on it. After all, how many passengers'd take a berth on a cargo ship?"

Janos nods and smiles slowly. He gives Anthony a sidelong look.

"Fiasco, eh?" he murmurs.

"Germany sounds good. I need to renew some contacts in this new Hungarian regime. Being close by, but on legitimate business might help put their minds at ease that I have not hostile intentions. I should ask Kate if she can recommend one of her young firebrands to keep me abreast of the technical issues. It would also be nice to see Linz and Vienna, if time permits."

"So, enough about me and my plans. What's this business in the Orient? I can barely remember the last time I was in China, and if you are expecting skullduggery, you know I will want a part in it."

Tony seems to be thinking about something else as he elaborates, saying, "Mm. Well, we have some business in China. The main office there has been reporting back dubious numbers for some time, and it seems that someone I trust may be skimming off the top. Depending on how far the problem runs, I may need to deal with it personally."

[Alex Craft]

Tony pauses for a moment, taking on an almost pensive appearance before continuing, "However ... I spent a great deal of time in China, several years ago. When I left, there was ... much left unfinished. There are related matters which I may need to address, should I return. Everyone faces their dragons eventually, I suppose."

"Sorry about being so vague, but it's just some leftovers from my roaming days. However, if 'skullduggery' is needed, you'll be the first to know, Janos. If nothing else, there are a few old ... friends of mine you might find it useful to know. Spend much time in China, when you were there?"

Thinking back to his youth, Janos tells Tony: "I was in China back in 1902-'03. The end of the Boxer Rebellion ... and what happened afterwards. Possibly not the best time to get a positive impression of the Orient, but there were some good times as well. I was there with my father."

The last sentance is spoken with a bit of pain behind it.

On a slightly lighter note, he adds, "It would seem you also looked past the silk screens and oily politeness into the nature of the beast."

Tony: "Ha. Yes, you might say that. I spent a while there, so they had time to get used to me. Arrived in '10 and stayed 'till my dad died in 1916. I had to take up the reins of the company, and that took precedence over obligations I had in China ... Excuse me."

[Alex Craft]

As Tony was speaking, the butler, a rake thin man of indeterminate ancestry, arrived - standing by the doors into the sitting room. As Tony turns to him, he says in a measured voice, "Ms. Langley has arrived, sir."

Nodding, Tony steps back through the French doors into the sitting room in order to meet a young beauty dressed formally. At first, Janos assumes that she's just the first guest to arrive for the reception - an assumption he is quickly disabused of as Tony takes her hand, saying, "Good evening, my dear. You're early."

Janos enters quietly, giving the couple social 'space', and will only introduce himself if Tony beckons.

[Alex Craft]

After a few moments, Tony introduces Janos to the newcomer - Maria Langley, a New York socialite and the lady Tony is escorting for the evening. Janos is polite but distant, fading into the background after the introduction. Tony doubtless notices this, but it goes unremarked.

A few other early arrivals begin filtering in, and Tony points out a few key company men to Janos as they arrive. Tony, in turn, is kept fairly occupied by dividing his time between Miss Langley and the early arrivals - many of which came early because they had something they wanted to address with their boss. Left to himself, Janos stays on the edges of the slowly expanding gathering - capable in this setting, but not comfortable.

Rhiannon gets to the reception about a half hour after the first arrivals. She is greeted by a servant at the door, but he doesn't know where Tony would be. The reception is spread throughout much of the expansive King family mansion, limited only by the occasional locked door. Tony is somewhere in the building, probably engaged with one or another of the early coming employees and politicians drifting through the rooms.

Rhiannon goes in search of Tony, but doesn't have much luck at first. She does, however, find Janos, who has found his way back to the same rose-girdled porch where he had spoken with Tony earlier in the evening.

[Alex Craft]

Rhiannon arrives to the reception in a dress of jade-green Chinese silk brocade, gathered just below the breasts in the old-fashioned Empire style but otherwise cut in straight lines like the current fashion, baring plenty of white arm that she covered with an exquisite hand-made forest-green silk lace shawl. Her hair was twisted into an elegant chignon, fastened with the Jade Flower comb - which until now, no one had even seen or heard of, and to the common eye appeared to be a pretty hair-ornament, nothing more. She is wearing plain forest-green heels and no jewelry.

After searching fruitlessly for Tony, she locates Janos at the porch and approaches him, her heels clicking against the floor.

[Alex Craft]

Janos turns with a distant and slightly bored expression on his handsome features. Seeing Rhiannon, his face comes alive and he gives her a warm smile as she approaches. He glances over her attire, stopping on her comb.

"You look absolutely devastating, Ms. Lewis," he says with a smile. He clicks his heels together as he comes rigidly to attention, then makes as if to kiss her hand.

Rising, he adds with a conspiritorial wink,

"With you here, I half expect the americans with their guns to come popping up out of the potted plants, or something. Gangs All Here and what."

"Seriously, it is good to see a familiar face. Care to brave the party until Tony reappears, or shall we stay outside until something foul surely comes for us?"

[Alex Craft]

Rhiannon allows Janos to kiss her hand politely, her lips curving in the faintest of smiles before she assumes her mask of professional serenity.

"Thank you, and if I may say, you look quite handsome yourself, my lord," she replies smoothly. She glances over the roses for a moment, her green eyes gleaming.

"My grandmother loved roses," she half-murmurs, then shakes her head. "My apologies, I was caught in the grip of childhood memories."

The brunette gives Janos a direct gaze. "I think you and I need to have some frank speech between us, so I would prefer to stay here for a little while. Apart from myself, you are the one member of our little band who is closest to Mr King, my lord, and a fellow foreigner in this rather rude and occasionally uncivilised land. If I'm not mistaken, that gives us two things in common."

[Alex Craft]

Janos nods in agreement

"True, we are both foreigners in this rather ... brisque land, but I am coming to like it among these Americans. As for your Grandmama; you used the word loved. She has passed? If so, you have my condolences. You sound as if the two of your were especially close."

"I have no problem with frank speech, but I have this one piece of advice, Ms. Lewis. You are too strong a woman by half."

There is no hint of condemnation in his voice as he says this. Continuing, he adds,

"You remind me of my sisters. They were both very special ladies ... but, the world is harsh for such women."

"Now, what is it you wish to discuss?"

[Alex Craft]

"My grandmother died shortly after I took employment with Mr King," Rhia replies quietly. "She virtually raised me. Thank you for your condolences."

The brunette glances over the roses again. "I've had to be strong, my lord, especially since I've come to America. I've experienced things that would probably shock you were I to tell you. I am intelligent and capable, and certainly see no need to defer to a man who is of lesser ability, not paying me or not put in command over me by the person who is employing me."

Her eyes flicker to Janos. "That 'were' has the same ring as my 'loved'. My condolences, and yes, the world is harsh for women. Men have made it so, when once it was not."

She shakes her head. "My apologies. I can be bitter at times. I'd like to ask you for your frank and unvarnished opinion concerning our fellow team members, if you don't mind telling me."

[Alex Craft]

"Opinion? As people, or as team mates?"

Janos holds up his hand forestalling an immediate response.

"Truthfully, I hadn't yet formed an opinion of them as people. As members of Mr. King's team, I find them competant and flexible. As a soldier, that has in the past been my primary concern."

"Hmmm ..." Janos rubs his chin in thought.

"They are basically an independent lot, I will give them that, but nor are we in an army so I don't resent it like I would have."

A few more seconds of thought then,

"Jameson and Blaine are comfortable with violence and killing. Locky and Fredrick, less so, but I didn't see either of them shrink from violence. In a greater sense, that can tell you much about them as individuals."

Looking directly at Rhiannon,

"Tell me what worries you."

[Alex Craft]

Rhia returns the direct glance. "That fits my impression of the others as well. I, myself, am not comfortable with killing but I am certainly not afraid to keep myself and others alive by any means necessary."

She tilts her head. "As for yourself, I respect your compentency and intelligence, and sincerely hope that you return it. As for what worries me, nothing does, but my first loyalty is to Anthony King. Until I get a better grip on what the others are like, I will watch them closely."

[Alex Craft]

Janos listens then shrugs nonchalanlty.

"Trust Tony's judgement in picking them, Rhiannon. Also, I suggest trusting the various team mates until they give you a reason not to trust them. In my experience, if you are going to operate in an environment of great personal danger, you have to give a degree of trust to those whose lives are both in your hands, and who hold your life in their hands. If you get a really bad feeling about someone, let me know. I will kill them if necessary."

Janos' tone is calm and conversational. He doesn't look like a man talking about cold-blooded murder. That may be somewhat unnerving.

"I do suggest you not push these Americans, though. I get the impression Jameson and Blaine can be prickley if pushed. Locky and Fredrick are less so, but still not people I would wrong and turn my back on."

"Tony has faith in you and that is enough for me. I am not a complicated man. I like the others, but I am here for Tony and to work his will upon the world. It is the best way I see for advancing my own goals."

"Trust Tony, Rhiannon, even if you trust no other man. He is no normal human being, which I am sure you know, but he is also a man who puts great faith in loyalty and honor. That speaks highly of him as a person. He will see us through. Have faith."

Janos reaches out and pats her on her upper arm in a very brotherly fashion. Though Rhiannon is both very attractive and dressed to the 9's, she gets the impression that some gulf seperates them.

[Alex Craft]

Rhiannon nods slowly.

"Thank you for the advice, Janos. You are correct in many things."

Her jaw tenses subtly as he pats her on the arm, but she says nothing.

[Alex Craft]

Janos arches an eyebrow slightly at Rhiannon's response.

"Correct about many things, but not about everything, eh?"

Janos leans back and folds his arms.

"It may be a good thing to remind you that I have been in a coma for the past five years," Janos says, half-jokingly. "Before that I spent four years as a soldier. All in all, some of my life experiences have been ... how would you say ... lacking."

[Alex Craft]

Rhiannon allows herself a cool smile.

"Very true, my lord. Still, I choose to trust you because Mr King does."

The brunette looks over towards the door to the building. "Shall we return to the party?"

[Alex Craft]

Janos shrugs then sighs.

"If we must."

He stands, straightens himself out and offers Rhiannon his arm.

"Shall we?"

[Alex Craft]

Rhiannon and Janos step in off the porch, leaving behind the dormant roses and chill night air. Inside, the mansion has become more crowded - the reception is well begun. Already, the air is becoming noticeably warmer as people begin filling the building.

Rhiannon and Janos make an handsome (if clearly platonic) couple as they wander among the other guests. However, few people present can actually identify them, so they attract no more attention than might be expected of two attractive people moving through a party.

King is still nowhere to be seen. Rhiannon recognizes some of the guests as employees of the Baltimore and NYC branches, as well as a few from other branches she is somewhat less familiar with. Most of the guests, however, are not local - having made the trip from Europe, Asia, or elsewhere in the Americas. It doesn't look as if the other team members have arrived yet, but they shouldn't be too long off.

One face, in particular, stands out of the crowd. As Rhiannon and Janos enter the ballroom, they hear the familiar voice of Leslie Cornish from somewhere nearby. Locating the source, they see that he is talking to a small group of suits clustered toward the center of the ballroom. The group has gained a small audience, as well - miscellaneous guests paying attention out of idle interest.

Our heroes are coming in on the middle of the conversation, but they catch Leslie saying, "... costing more than it's worth. The damage from the first venture alone will be cutting into profits for the next few quarters, and it doesn't look seem that we'll be getting any profit from the thing. Ms. Schafer - you are familiar with her work, I trust? - has concluded that the machine cannot be reproduced without access to the technologies the inventor used to create it in the first place."

"Further, the venture proved that this project will place us at odds with groups we are ill-equipped to deal with. This last time we narrowly escaped losing Mr. King along with the entire New York branch ..."

[Alex Craft]

Janos glares rather imperiously at Leslie, then turns a curious glance to Rhiannon. He turns back to the small gathering and clears his throat, getting ready to speak.

[Alex Craft]

Rhiannon graces Leslie Cornish with a look that could have left scorched flesh in its wake, her green eyes veritably blazing with rarely shown anger. "Mister Cornish," she enunciates clearly, her voice chill in constrast to her gaze, "I was not aware that you were the head of King Industrial Steel. If you have problems with the field team, I would very much appreciate it if you brought it to myself or Mister King - not try to garner popular support by complaining in public when failing to succeed in private."

[Alex Craft]

The knot around Leslie breaks to look toward Janos and Rhiannon, and the onlookers scattered around the ballroom appear to be enjoying the drama of the moment. Leslie grimaces momentarily, then half turns away from the men, responding to Rhiannon in a bored voice, "I'm sorry, Ms. Lewis, but I don't believe that you speak for Mr. King. Perhaps you are unaware that the field team's status is still very much under review."

"Regardless, I have consulted with Mr. King several times on the topic, and it is entirely within my responsibilities to discuss the matter with other concerned parties. It is understandable if you do not recognize these gentlemen, considering your limited role in this organization, but I assure you - they have no small stake in the company's finances."

[Alex Craft]

Rhiannon inclines her head to the gentlemen. "My apologies, good sirs. I am Rhiannon Lewis, liasion and member of the field team. I leapt to the defence of my people."

She smiles warmly at the gentlemen, her green eyes sparkling. "No offence was meant. Please forgive me."

[Alex Craft]

In a slightly bored voice, Janos chimes in,

"Mr. Cornish, are you the kind of man who blames the passangers on the Titanic for drowning?"

Not waiting for an answer,

"Because that is exactly how it sounds. We did not invite this Baron Zorbo character to Number 1 King Plaza. He came for his own deranged reason, unless you consider invading by airship to be standard practices in your world?"

"Mind you, while we were risking our lives rescuing An-ton-ee{heavy Hungarian accent}, Ms. Shafer, her staff, and the device, you were doing what, exactly? I imagine you were running for your life, or hiding. That is what any sane Chief Financial Officer would do. We were doing what we are here to do, and that is to serve Mr. King."

"Mr. Cornish," he continues with a bit more menance, "I don't seek to comment on you, or your job performance in your area of expertise, which is book-keeping. I imagine you are not only competant, but exceptionally so. That is the kind of person Mr. King places in positions of importance. You really should think about the ramifications of that."

"Think about this as well. We were sending a very clear message around the globe that anyone who threatens Mr. King, his holdings, or any of his personel will pay the ultimate penalty. Tell me, Mr. Cornish, how much is that reputation worth in a world filled with both revolution, turmoil, anarchy as well as exceptional opportunity?"

"To triumph ... and profit in this New World requires risk and someone who decide on what risks are acceptable to take. Why shouldn't it be Mr. King making that judgement call? Has he not led the rest of you ably in the past?"

"If you want safety, invest your fortunes in government bonds. If you want to earn fortunes on a world-spanning scale, you will need to risk as the other great tycoons have. Empires, and fortunes, are not made by the timid."

[Alex Craft]

Growing visibly irritated, Leslie responds to Janos: "Please. Perhaps you didn't request that the baron attack, but his actions were the direct result of your activities in Cairo. As I was saying, the attack two weeks ago clearly illustrated that these ventures will put us at odds with groups we are not equipped to deal with. Your team lucked out this time, managing to salvage the situation with only the greatest financial and material loss in our company's history."

"What about next time, hm? It matters little how 'exceptionally competent' you'd like to suggest yourself to be. The fact remains that six - or seven - men and women are not sufficient to protect this company from private armies. And let me tell you - it really does not help your case that your group's activities are the cause of that aggression in the first place!"

Readopting a stoic face, Leslie adds, "Besides, you misjudge your audience. Everyone here works in the steel industry. We are not in this business to see if fortune favors the bold. We are here to do this business, nothing more. This is hindered to no small extent by being associated with a group of adventurers traipsing about and antagonizing everyone from mad scientists to the British Empire."

The gentlemen gathered behind Leslie nod in agreement. It seems that Leslie has hit upon the crux of their uncertainty, something which Janos is only beginning to get a handle on. Rhiannon, though, has a more keen understanding of what is going on - K.I.S. is a large, entrenched organization with long-established lines of income. For these men, there is no need to take risks, since the company is already on top of the world.

As such, Janos' more radical position (which, oddly, seems to actually be more in line with Tony's attitude toward the company than that of his top men) goes more to push his audience into solidarity with Leslie than anything else. Still, Leslie's personality is less than magnetic, and some of the men look less than pleased to be siding with him. The youngest of these, a reasonably handsome young blade (rather surprisingly young, given his position), steps past Leslie and bows briefly to Rhiannon, addressing her in a soft British accent:

"If I might interrupt? I'm Cedric Wing - regional supervisor to the English isles and, you might say, informal liaison to the Empire. I think that, really, no one here questions the competence of you or your people. However, we have to wonder if what you may accomplish is going to be worth it, when all is considered."

"After this adventure in Cairo, the Empire has been, well, rather displeased. We will be able to iron matters out, of course, but the quarter's profits will doubtlessly be depressed ... and then there was this attack on the New York branch. More cuts into profits, you realize. A string of such problems could be more than the company can absorb without long-term loss. What are we to think, then?"