From: aaron@atlantis.uucp Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Subject: [MI/SQ] Alfvaen: Reporting Date: 6 Mar 93 19:38:32 GMT Elstree glanced quickly at Moriarty as he entered the Dragon's Inn, then looked away. So he was finally here. She waited a few minutes and then stood up and left the Inn. She walked into a nearby alley and found there an imp. "Hello there," she said. "What's your name?" The imp groveled. "If it please you, Mistress, I am most unworthily named Ibidin." Looking around quickly to ensure that no-one else was present, Elstree disappeared, to be replaced by Alfvaen. He proceeded to tell the imp about what he had seen and heard from inside the amulet on the trip to the Cartographer's Guild. He concluded, "So it looks like Ornigan and his friends are planning some kind of jailbreak. You can watch them, and I'll go talk to Urcohea. And then I think I'm going to take the night off. I'm sure that Nijorik will be happy to give you any assistance you may need tonight." Then he said, "Report to Moriarty." Ibidin groveled again. "Yes, master." He disappeared in a cloud of blue smoke. Alfvaen waited impatiently. The imp returned a few minutes later. "My master Moriarty has this message for you." Then, in Moriarty's voice, he said, "Okay, sure. Go off and have fun. You've been working too hard. Leave me to deal with a bunch of crazy adventurers. Tell Nijorik not to hurry, okay? That guy gives me the creeps." Alfvaen grinned. "Thank you, Ibidin. You may return to your master." The imp nodded and disappeared again. Alfvaen emerged from the alley and set off up the Arcade of Fountains towards the Mage Guild. He took the special entrance Urcohea had recommended he use, and after a short but gut-wrenching walk through what seemed to be a large number of strange dimensions, and several nasty-looking creatures that looked like they would rather eat him, or worse, if they weren't enjoined against it, he walked through a mauve portal into Urcohea's office. The Archmage looked up at him. He had been aware of Alfvaen's imminent arrival since he had entered the door. "So, what do you have to report?" "Followed this Ornigan around all morning. He and his companions were headed off to the Cartographer's Guild, so I accompanied them, and even got them a guide." He didn't mention that Elstree had actually done this--it wasn't all that important. "Once we got there, Ornigan seemed most interested in finding maps of the Gaps that led to the dungeons beneath Glorshanned Keep. I think they may be planning a jailbreak." Urcohea raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. I wonder who they would be trying to break out?" He pressed a button on his desk. "Archmage Rivy, please," he said. Then, a few seconds later, "Could you please get me files on current prisoners in Glorshanned Keep? Posthaste. Thank you." Turning back to Alfvaen, he said, "Now, I can't think of anyone offhand that Thorn would want to liberate from the dungeons, but you never know how his plans will reach. He tries to stick to legal means--in fact, he's invented a few himself--but he will sink lower if necessary. But the question is, why would he be doing this for Thorn?" He thought for a minute, then said, "Tell me your impression of his companions." Alfvaen thought for a minute--or, rather, he listened to Elstree's descriptions. "Maleiu, the black warrior, we had met before, in the Buff'. I get the impression of honour and loyalty--he's on some kind of quest, that sounds mind-boggling, but he's still planning to complete it. Something about walking all the shores of the world. But he apparently still thinks on a tribal level, and on a debt-exchange basis. "Mistletoe is very unpredictable. She looks like an airhead sometimes, and is insatiably curious, but she's smarter than she looks. She and Maleiu seem to be very much in love. "Bronwen is almost certainly an airhead. She was working with Ornigan, and seemed almost more interested in the maps than he was. So the possibility arises that there are personal reasons for the break. "And the Kelsie--I'm not at all sure. From comments Bronwen dropped, I think she's a creature of Faerie, bound to Bronwen because she knows her truename. She's definitely not human. She was the one who memorized the maps, so she is probably going to be their guide in the Gaps." "Interesting," Urcohea murmured. "This part of Nexus rarely comes into contact with Fairyland, so we don't see many of their creatures here. I'll have to do some research on them. I presume that Moriarty is still keeping tabs on these people?" Alfvaen nodded. "I'm taking the night off. I really need a break." Urcohea raised an eyebrow. "As you like. I'll send Nijorik down as backup." Alfvaen grinned. "Thought you would. Moriarty's looking forward to it." A package flew out of a tube in the wall and landed neatly on top of Urcohea's desk. "Ah, here we are." He opened the package and flipped rapidly through the papers within. "A couple of suspects in the Rameshander killings. That's a possibility, with Amaan's involvement. Some halfling caught for burglary a few months ago. Not likely. A couple of pirates awaiting trial by the Seaguard. Brought in on the Arcas, only a couple of days ago." He looked up thoughtfully. "Ornigan and the others came in on the Arcas, didn't they? Hmm. Maybe they want to take personal revenge on them for some reason." "Or maybe they befriended one of them," Alfvaen countered. "My impression was that they weren't that vindictive." "Still, I can't see anything that Thorn would be too interested in. The evidence on the Rameshander suspects is strictly circumstantial. No, I think that it's more to do with the pirates." "So what are you going to do about it?" Alfvaen asked. "Nothing," Urcohea said. "If Thorn's not involved, then all we would gain by interfering would be getting Ornigan and the others thrown in jail, where we wouldn't be able to see what he was planning for them. I think it's more important to let them run free. Of course, if they get caught on their own, then that's not our problem either. Remember, I have the security of the Mage Guild to worry about. I can't go solving all the crimes in Generica. Of course, you're free to report them to the Guard yourself and perhaps even get a reward. After all, you're not a permanent employee." Alfvaen nodded distractedly. "I'll think about it." He turned to leave, and then paused. "Is there an easier way out?" Urcohea smiled. "No, not really. It's not so bad the other way, though. I'm not as worried about people leaving." This was little comfort to Alfvaen's digestion, though. When he stood once more on the Arcade of Fountains, he vowed not to eat anything else for a week. Now the question was, what to do that evening. He wandered back to the Dragon's Inn, in time to see Rowan Littlefair stepping out the door. "Where are you going?" he asked the bartender. "Oh, hi, Alfvaen," Littlefair said. "I'm off to a housewarming party. Luthor and Serene--you may remember Serene, and I don't know if you've met Luthor." Alfvaen shook his head. "In any case, there's an open invitation for all Inn patrons--even most of the Rabble are going, and most of the adventurers, too." "Thanks, Littlefair," Alfvaen said. Exactly what the doctor ordered. "I'll see you there, maybe?" "Sure thing," Littlefair grinned and set off down Dragon's Lane. ADMIN: Yeah, so I'm a little late getting into the Party thing. I love flexible time-tracks... ---Alfvaen(1883 Books, 1060 Albums, And Counting)