Hemlock: "Sir Ali seems our obvious first lead. Sir Mercucio tells us that Sir Ali has a place in the capital, Archeon, but he's known to visit family and his club on Ravenna, and often travels the Jumpweb to secure things for his collection.
"The obvious step is to investigate his home in Archeon, as we might find something of interest there. Other options are to contact or investigate the Ravenna coven, that is, if Mal can find a way to them. More complex still, we could present an interesting artefact and see who turns up to buy it.
"We also need to know more about who he is and who his family is. Where might that be discovered? Simply investigating his home might give us clues."
Hemlock pauses, changing topic.
"On the framing for antimony, since the perception of truth is more important than actual truth (which itself raises questions about anything and everything claimed as fact by our religion), we need a counter-narrative. Another perceived truth. Chastity, do you have copies of the doctored pictures? If we could edit them to remove the doctoring, and leave them and suggestions of doctoring at Sir Ali's place (or another patsy's) together with documents showing purchase of the planted items, that would give a narrative for a set-up."
Anton De Havilland: De Havilland turns suddenly to look at Hemlock, "Who are you and what have you done to Sir Hemlock? I haven't seen this scheming side to you before now. Perhaps our proximity to Al-Malik space has done something to awaken in you a little of your families pedigree and mannerisms... I certainly agree that our focus remains with Sir Ali. If we cannot find him in Archeon then we will need a covert way of escaping back to Ravenna as we are most of us wanted criminals. Even worse now that we have been sprung from incarceration in an attack. Archeon is a good choice, also likely to be abandoned. If this man is clever he will have his place watched knowing at some point that an enemy will seek him out there. A trap is very likely. We need to get there early enough to monitor the place beforehand."
Mal: "The way I see it, we could try and use the fork to draw him out, advertise it as being owned by a known psychic and possible friend of Ali. In a way it is a "psychic artefact", we are just using a different definition of artefact.
And if we wanted to get into contact with the club on ravena, if it becomes known that I'm on ravena looking for the club I that might draw them out. Hasimir warned me they had their eyes on me before, so it might be fair to assume they would still want to keep a tab on me..."
Anton De Havilland: "Do we know any faction who isnt monitoring you Mal, our journey here has sprung up a good number of your fan club?"
Mal: "Yes actually, we do. Currently the Al'malik aren't monitoring me... as far as I know. I believe the decados aren't either"
He turns to look at Chastity.
GM - (Chastity): "Who are you again?" Chastity says with a sneer and a glint in her eye
Anton De Havilland: "Surely Chastity you have heard of the Kitchen Fork Fiend of Ravenna, the Salacious Scourge of Silverware.?" Responds De Havilland in a like minded mood
Mal: Mal glares at De Havilland
"That was one time. And anyway, if it wasn't for my magpie nature you wouldn't know what happened in Austrum"
Anton De Havilland: "Yes, kleptomania seems to have an impact on destiny. Steal enough material and eventually one of it will be essential. But I jest of course, the message from Hassimir was clever and I am grateful of your revelation."
Hemlock: "I think it also worth tying my fate and reputation to Chastity's. If the inquisition is my mother's doing, then she may have the means to stop it. We can give her a reason to do so, and even make it easy for her by implicating Sir Ali as a patsy. I was considering a letter along these lines to the Ravenna Town Crier."
Hemlock reads from a scrap of paper he'd written on:
My return to the known works came with mixed feelings. I was overjoyed that a marriage had been arranged between myself and the Lady Chastity Decados. Despite the popular perception, Lady Chastity has proved an impeccable guest, excellent companion and stalwart ally. I was, however, distraught to discover the obviously falsified charges against her. It seems that some in the church, and society at large, have been taken in by doctored photos and planted "evidence". I hold out hope of finding a priest with sufficient perspicacity to perform the wedding ceremony.
Sir Hemlock Justinian.
Anton De Havilland: "I admire the cunning here. My only thought is whether your mother is going to simply suggest that your marriage has been orchestrated through the use of nefarious means and that it should be null and void on that basis. "
"Suggesting that your mind were taken over by a known Antimonist "
Hemlock: "From what I understand, marriage is quite hard to annul. That would cost some political capital. And the marriage had already been agreed and arranged by my family. Going through with it would hardly be surprise eloping.
"But, at this stage at least, I'm not getting married, but expressing the intent to marry. (Actually getting married would involve finding a willing priest, which could currently be very hazardous.)"
"Hopefully that's enough to worry my mother: she doesn't know where I am exactly, my state of mind, what I've done or whether I've gone through with it yet. It might have already happened by the time she sees the letter."
GM - Chastity meets Hemlocks gaze. He cannot place the emotions he sees there, he was never that good with reading people, after all
"A priest is easy. I have one of those. The question is whether you want to really put the grashk cat amongst the urrocs and do this properly or just want to throw out a bunch of rumours and idle threats."
Hemlock: "Yes!"
Hemlock gives a strange, cracked laugh.
"But... you should know, on Antioch I ..." a flicker of something disturbed, maybe panic, "I was not myself. I was under a comfortable delusion and forgot many things. And I was married.
"I have left that false life, and I think it far enough away not to trouble us. And the priest need not know. But you should."
Mal: "Did I set a trend? Do the church like any of us at this point?"
GM - Chastity chuckles and stares off into the middle distance, for a moment she seems almost wistful
"Some of the priesthood adore me... But the Church as a whole is not so keen..."
Hemlock: "Who are the priests that adore you?"
GM - (Chastity): "Heh. At many of my soirées the names given by the guests are very rarely true... If I had ample time and resources I could identify who they truly were... But I can certainly trust my old confessor. He's not of the Urth Orthodox but he is a priest of rank and good standing."
Hemlock: "Then as soon as we have conducted our business here, if it pleases my lady we should go to him and be wed."
Pandemonium Max: Max bursts into the room from wherever he had been lurking. There is the smell of burning about him, and his hands are thick with some sort of black chemical. In his arms he cradles a large transit box bearing the words Intergalactic Cutlery Delivery, 1500 forks (misc assrt.).
"Guys! Guys!" He says breahlessly. "Guess what's arrived? Only the fo..." He stops talking as he finally glances around the room and notices the severe looks directed at him.
He fumbles the transit box behind him trying to keep it out of sight now. "Oh, er... Don't worry. I've, er... Have you seen my '101 Things You Never Knew About How To Hack Jump Gate Keys' book?" He smiles, awkwardly. "No? Er, never mind."
"I'll be in my... er..."
And with that Pandemonium Max sharply turns and leaves, almost fumbling his hidden box, the door closing behind him. Suddenly, the sound of many pieces of cutlery falling to the floor is heard a little way down the corridor.
"Damn cheap bloody boxes. Oh goddamn."
GM - Chastity stares after Max, somewhat dumbfounded and then suddenly, with a deep inhalation, her composure returns.
She takes a step towards Hemlock and extends her hands to gently take his.
"At present, nothing would give me greater pleasure than to be your wife, and I can think of no other that I would trust to be my husband."
Hemlock: Hemlock seems nervous but happy; resolved.
"Then I am blessed."
Mal: "I love weddings, drinks all around!"
GM - Mercucio pipes up "Well isn't this adorable! You will need to let me know the date in plenty of time as I'll have to speak to my tailor about a new suit."
Anton De Havilland: "Well unless we want to invite the Inquisition to the service I guess we need to figure out how we get them to start looking for Sir Ali instead, and we also need a way off the planet because at the moment our only way off is impounded and likely now to be under increased security."
"Implicating him seems interesting. "
Hemlock: "Chastity, do you have a copy of any of the doctored images of you?
"Is anyone skilled in forgery? I hesitate to cast such aspersions, but is it within your capabilities Mal?"
GM - (Chastity): "I don't have any of the images with me, I am loathe to travel with potentially incriminating evidence when attempting to avoid possibly fatal indictment by the authorities.. But as I mentioned before, I do have a ship, with a loyal crew, currently hidden in the woods to the west of the city."
Mal: "I'm afraid forgery is not something I've ever attempted"
Anton De Havilland: "Not sure which is the shorter list we should keep a record of; things tou have or things you haven't tried yet"
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