[Taocow PBEM] Fwd: [Talas] Chapter IX - The King Of The River

[Aaron Clausen]

OOC: Not sure what is going on with the mailing list, but I'm
reposting Talas's turn without all the weirdo spam detection cruft.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Troy Imlach <troy_a_i at yahoo.ca>
To: The Tao of Cow Rifts PBEM <taocowpbem at zork.net>
Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2008 05:27:51 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: [Taocow PBEM] Chapter IX - The King Of The River


> [GM]
> Max takes a moment to compose himself, wiping the
> tears from my eyes.
> "She was my best friend's daughter." he says softly.
>  "After Arty died
> I took her in.  She was just a girl, nine years old.
>  Arty would never
> forgive me for this.  I know I won't."
>
> He turns to the company.  "I told you all I had a
> thing or two to talk
> to you about, and well, I'll say my piece and then
> be about my
> business, as you will be yours."
>
> "The first strange thing happened about two weeks
> ago, a few days
> after Christmas." Max says.  "It was a quiet night,
> just a couple of
> Dwarfs on their way to one of their mining colonies
> up north, and a
> few regulars without families who make this their
> home during this
> time.  In walks two men, a short fellow with thick
> red hair and a red
> handlebar moustache, at least half-orc or I never
> saw one before in my
> life, and a tall man, and I mean tall, seven feet at
> least; pale-skin,
> wide dark sunglasses even though it was seven
> o'clock in the evening
> and as dark as a cave outside.  I'll tell you right
> now they gave me
> the shivers, and I've seen plenty of dark and deadly
> things in my
> day."
>
> "The tall man never said a word, but you could feel
> his eyes piercing
> right into you.  The little man says to me 'We need
> to contact some
> friends that will be coming here in a week or two.'
> The way he said
> 'friends' was chilling, like he meant 'enemies' or
> perhaps 'prey', but
> it wasn't unusual that my inn serves as a message
> delivery service, so
> I agreed.  'What sorts of people should I expect?' I
> asked."
>
> "'There'll be a whole company of 'em.  Two pretty
> women, one with hair
> as red as mine, a mutant dog, a lizard man, and an
> Elf dressed in red.
>  When they come, send a message to 22-B Warden's
> Street.'"
>
> "The fellow hands me two hundred credits like he was
> throwing apple
> cores to a swine.  'There's five hundred more where
> that came from if
> you do it quiet-like.  It's private business and the
> Doctor and I
> don't want it getting around.'"
>
> "'I'm not a bounty hunter.' I said firmly.  'You
> call these people
> friends, but it sounds more like you're setting them
> up.  I'll give
> the message, but you'll find Maxwell Sigurd Stein on
> you like a ton of
> bricks if you cause any trouble.  I've got big
> friends, and even
> bigger arms, and I'm not afraid to use them.'"
>
> "The little orc-fellow seemed taken aback by this,
> and vowed it was a
> business dealing and nothing more.  The pale-skinned
> giant started to
> laugh the most awful laugh, like it was coming from
> a tomb.  They both
> turned and left, and I haven't seen them since."
>
> "Now some of you look like you're what this creature
> described.  But
> then again, there's Lady Sialillion here, and she's
> well-known around
> these parts, and then there's the mercenary, the
> Cyberknight and that
> bald mage fellow, none of which were described.
> I'll leave it with
> you people to know who he is.  I never delivered
> their message, and
> when they come back, they can have their money."
> [/GM]
>
> [Osiris]
> "Hmmm..." Osiris says.  "These people only knew
> those that entered Old
> Chicago through that dimensional door.  I never did,
> I stayed on the
> other side when you guys fled Ireland for Old
> Chicago.  Carlos joined
> us later, and so did my good friend Alister here.
> But a seven foot
> tall pale fellow sounds very familiar to me..."
> [/Osiris]
>
> [GM]
> "That was the first incident." Max says.  "The
> second came last night.
>  Those two hooded men who I'll wager are the
> murderers appeared.  Dear
> dear Lissa met them, and she hadn't been right since
> then.  When I
> came in, I pushed her aside and demanded to know
> their business with
> her.  One of the fellows answered 'You haven't
> forgotten your deal,
> have you?'"
>
> "'What deal's that, stranger?'  I replied.  'If you
> want to talk to
> me, you talk to me.  You leave my staff alone.  Now
> be gone.'"
>
> "'Remember you're agreement, old man.' the other
> said.  'He's
> watching, and you'll pay dearly if you don't deliver
> the message.'"
>
> "I confess I had some inkling as to what they were
> talking about, and
> when I saw you folks come walking in with Major
> Pournelle and Lady
> Sia, and some of you looked just like that short
> orc-man described, I
> felt a great terror, but none of these visitors look
> like friends of
> good people, and I won't sell anyone out for a few
> hundred credits.
> But look at what it has cost me.  I've paid dearly
> alright, so what I
> demand from you is justice.  Lissa died because of
> me, and because of
> you people."
> [/GM]
>
[Talas]
Talas steps up to Max, looks him square in the eye,
and not even trying to hide his anger. He says in a
tone filled with venom. "And you shall have your
justice Mr. Max. Tell us were is 22-B Warden's
Street?" Talas then looks around at the rest of the
group and says "My friends I feel that this tall pail
man is the same demon we met in the city ruins."
[/Talas]