Turn 59

After the meeting, Emmett hangs around, motioning for Ibn Fadil to do so as well. Once Val has finished with the pilots, Emmett pulls him aside with a whisper. "You told ibn Fadil you were tabling his request to go to Janik because it wasn't a new sphere destination. Well, and good, but tabling it then means you have to find a minute to hear him out now."
    "I know," Val says with a shrug. After a moment, he hands a carefully folded letter to Emmett and says, "I don't think she'll be there any more."
    "It was hardly a suggestion," ibn Fadil says uncomfortably. "More of a thought spoken aloud. I feel that the more we know about the people of that sphere, the more likely we are to succeed in our goal. But if no one wants to take the time, and the lady is no longer on Janik in any event ..."
    He shrugs in his turn and changes the subject. "Captain, may I look over the ship's manifest, perhaps this evening or tomorrow before we go hunting? I would like to be familiar with what we are carrying and see if there is anything I might want to add."
    Val exchanges a look with Emmett at the request, but nods his assent nonetheless. "You can go over it with Yestin," he tells ibn Fadil. "Make sure he writes down whatever you think of so we can get it." He reminds himself to speak with Yestin about this later, too.
    "As for going to Janik..." he continues, changing the subject back once more, "I don't want you to think I'm totally opposed to going there, but I currently see no real need to. At least none yet. On the other hand, you seem awfully disappointed for it to be just a thought spoken aloud. Is there something you wish to do there? I would like to think you can tell your captain what is really on your mind." He says this evenly, wearing a mask of indifference despite the feeling in the back of his head that something seems amiss...
    Facing suspicion when he is actually telling the truth throws the Zakharan off-balance. "Do? I would have liked to visit the forest outside the city ..." He stops, tries to start over and obliquely address Valarin's unspoken accusation. "Sir," he says with a certain formal stiffness overlying his perfectly real distress, "I am overreacting to having everyone but the chairs contradict me." Reluctantly, he adds, "Perhaps you do not understand how much this opportunity means to me, or how much afraid I am of failing."
    "More than you may realize," Val says, softening his tone a bit; he is not really surprised by the half elf's reaction. "But if you're going to act like a sulking child every time you can't get your way, it gives me pause to reconsider all our success." He gives the Zakharan a moment to cool down after that, studying his reaction. "I think more of you than that though," he adds simply, truthfully.
    Ibn Fadil looks, not angry, but merely perturbed at being described as "sulking."
    "Forgive me if I seem... overly cautious about Janik," Val says, changing the subject. "After our last visit there and all that occurred, I feel it might be safer to avoid the place for now. However, if you *really* want to see the forest again..." he trails off with a mischievous smile.
    "As for feeling that all are contradicting you," he continues as he places a friendly hand on ibn Fadil's shoulder, "I wouldn't let it bother you. It just means that not everyone agrees. And I have not simply dismissed your ideas outright. I did ask everyone for their opinions, *not* for everyone to gang up on you. Besides, as Captain I *could've* just given an order to go without asking anyone's opinion," Val says with mock severity before softening his expression again, "But I think too highly of everyone aboard to start out that way."
    "Thank you, sir," he says gratefully. "I hope to prove worthy of your good opinion."

* * *

    "A pleasure," the woman says crisply. "I am Selina Arden. If I might inquire as to the nature of the business you wish to conduct?"
    The half man does his best to make his face impassive and somewhat bored, so that they won't suspect that *he* isn't really sure what they're doing here either. While there is little chance of an ambush inside these offices, he fills his moments keeping a careful eye out on how one might attack from within this room.
    "Thank you for receiving us," Val tells Selina with a smile and a half bow, stepping into his business-mode. "I have been told that you may be able to provide something I seek; something I have heard of in my travels and seen once on another. A cloak of Elvenkind."
    A certain light springs to her eyes, and he braces himself for a session of hard bargaining. While his companions stroll about admiring the displayed wares, they play the game, eventually concluding that while there is such an item available, he cannot bring her price below 1900, and that "as a favor to the good captain."

* * *

    Volant awaits reply....
    "*That* would be the contingency plan," Val mutters quietly to nobody in particular, though he is inwardly pleased by Sidney's praise for the party. It is otherwise apparent, however, that he will be content to let Brother Pham present their argument to Master Volant.
    Pham smiles at Master Volant's joke, then dives right in. "I apologize for the somewhat opaque message, but it seemed the best way to get in to see you. The 'civic improvement' is actually a hunting expedition.
    "As I was wandering the streets of Bral after our return, I caught, ... well, a scent. This was something that I hoped never to see again. Somebody has brought ghouls to Bral, and the problem needs to be dealt with now before they spread.
    "I have a duty to help and destroy such things. I cannot get rid of them all myself; the authorities need to do that. But given the political situation here on Bral I didn't see any other way to force the oligarchs into action without proof - the best proof I could think of is to hunt down and bring back a ghoul body and make a big public display.
    "This plan is completely of my own devising; friends have agreed to help but I have no intention of interfering with out departure. But, again, due to the politics on the Rock that I am not privy too, I was told it would be best to inform you of our plans."
    Volant's expression changes through surprise to concern to something approaching incredulity. He sets down his scone."I'm certainly glad you decided to inform someone before going ahead with--what exactly were you planning to do?" he inquires dryly.
    "Hunt down a ghoul. Bring it back dead... well, dead again. Try not to get killed in the process. If I have a body, then the people will know why there have been so many disappearances. They can then prepare. And hopefully the oligarchs will be forced to send in troops to clear them out."
    "I see." Rather than seeming annoyed by this somewhat manipulative revelation, Volant merely looks thoughtful. "Well, if nothing else it seems Theo was right about this crew," he murmurs before going on, "Of course this is a very serious thing, if indeed there are such creatures here. It should be relatively simple to locate them, however, and then our forces can take care of them. Where is it that you came across this... scent?"
    Pham gives directions to the point where he noticed the spoor, a narrow street between a couple of nondescript warehouses. 
    "Then we shall investigate at once," is the brisk response.
    "Does this mean you wish to assist in my hunt? Or would you prefer I stay out of the way?"
    Sidney shakes his head. "Let our security earn their pay for a change. No reason to delay your departure. I am puzzled," he admits. "One would think ghoulish depredations would have come to our attention immediately, as they are not known for restraint... no doubt we will uncover the situation in due time. There has been a rumor or two of people gone missing, but these things happen--a child falls into a sub-basement, or some fool gets lost looking for those tunnels they insist lie in the depths of the Rock." He makes a tsking sound. "I will inform the others at once, and we will organize a search. Thank you, Brother Pham, for bringing this to my attention. You are certainly a credit to your... tradition. And my thanks to you as well, Captain. "

* * *

    Emmett keeps an eye on Val's back until he's well inside the enclave, then departs, heading back to the docks that hold the Lazy Cat. It should only take a few minutes to track Inez down, he thinks, and in fact a few quick inquiries serve to point him in the direction of her inn.

* * *

    While Pham and Valarin breakfast with the oligarch, ibn Fadil and Yestin examine the _Distraction_'s cargo hold. Slightly paranoid by both nature and training, the half-elf keeps his nebulous suspicions regarding Seven Suns to himself, as well as his worries over the Victor, who has yet to make any open move. While making himself familiar with the stores and their locations, rearranging a few things as he sees fit and with Yestin cheerfully providing heavy lifting as required, he undertakes to search as best he can for any sign of something amiss, not entirely sure what he is looking for but uneasy nonetheless. He takes his own notes, in Zakharan, something his assistant gracefully overlooks without comment. The chore takes the entire morning, and uncovers nothing suspicious, though this does not give him a great deal of comfort.
    Afterward he makes a quick trip to Dominic's shop to pick up the item he commissioned, which he finds entirely to his satisfaction.
    

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