| Logs |
2001-02-11
| Starfall |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
 |
Planning
Everyone is woken early the next morning, and the emergency meeting continues over breakfast. Ludmilla is now in lion-skin again, and the Heiress is present as well. Young Katrina is visibly upset but is doing her best to hide it. Morgana opens the morning meeting.
Alex is not thrilled, but has allowed herself to be stuffed into one of the queen's dresses, to keep up the facade. The mouse nods to the rest. "All right. The first order of business is to decide who besides the six of us needs to know exactly what has happened."
Horatio says, "If at all possible... nobody else." Alex nods, a little grimly.
Carroll nods, "I concur. The fewer who know, the better off we are."
Alex thinks a moment, then murmurs, "Um... actually, won't we have to let Rishali know, if she's to help us find Arianna?"
Ludmilla shakes her head. "Not possible to be zero. We needink to talk to Ambassador Rishali to be knowink if she can track the Queen t'rough t'is magic. And needink someone to be makink Sir Alex look exactly like Her Machesty."
Alex looks a bit glum at that, "Um... do we have any idea how long this will take, or how much effort?"
Carroll asks, "She doesn't look enough like her yet, does she?" and considers his sister. He then asks, "Could the Ambassador help with that, as well?"
Alex says, "Or Baroness Morgana?"
Morgana just looks at Alex. "I'm not a mage, Sir Alex. But... it is possible that Rishali would be able to do both jobs."
Alex looks a bit relieved, "So... we're not talking like... piles of makeup or anything here, right?"
Carroll reassures his sister, "Magic would be more effective, I think." He grins and teases, "You will probably still have to wear the dress, though..." Alex gives her eldest brother an amusedly exasperated glance.
Morgana shakes her head. "Different faces, in detail. You've got her coloration, which would pass at a distance, but you'll need to deal with folks close up."
Alex nods to Morgana, "All right. Um... do we have any idea how long we're talking about me not being me here?"
Ludmilla shrugs. "Not yet."
Alex sighs softly, then nods again. "Okay... so, when's Rishali due? She was sent for last night already, right?"
Horatio says, "If Ambassador Rishali can do both, so much the better. If we can keep them as the only person outside of this room who knows about... the situation, and if we can have Alex look as much like the queen as possible so that casual inspection, and even non-casual glances, does not reveal anything amiss outside of anything we can say is 'sickness' or 'illness,' then we will be able to seek the real queen quicker without having to worry about Alex being discovered. To that end, I think we should contact the Ambassador immediately. We should also be getting all the reports from the constabulary here this morning, I believe?"
Morgana is paging through a stack of papers. "Or worry. So far, the constabulary hasn't turned up any hints or rumors that indicate this was known beforehand. There is considerable magic residue around the area from all the potions expended."
Ludmilla nods to Horatio. "Ve sent message last night. Not vorded too urgently, but expectink her t'is mornink."
Horatio taps his chin again, thoughtfully. "They used a great deal of magic last night. And the drugs... Once Alex is properly disguised, we should contact the Alchemist's Guild. Unless they were all mages -- in which case we are very much in trouble, but I doubt it -- they must have used potions or talismans of some sorts. Either way, we should be able to find something as to what they did: the invisibility, the fog, the sleeping poison..."
Alex looks interestedly at Morgana, adding, "-some kind of communication dealie, and also... was there anything non-magical left over? Darts in the walls, tracks, whatever?"
Carroll asks, "Is revealing the demand at all a good idea? Is this something the Queen would even consider agreeing to?"
Ludmilla looks glum, and Morgana looks definitely uncomfortable as the big tigress growls, "Not takink t'is wrong vay, Sir Alex... but, no, not really. She vould do vhat ve have suggested last night... tryink to look like ve agree, to buy time. Hopink t'at t'ey not realizink t'is."
Alex tilts a curious ear at the baronesses, smiling ruefully, "Did you really think we'd believe the queen would endanger her entire country... for the youngest sister of a foreign noble?"
Carroll nods and says, "That's what I was expecting. We should do no more than that now, if that. No response to the note might well be the correct one, especially if we can find her quickly."
Morgana shrugs. "Sometimes people have trouble with being declared expendable. I'm glad you're not one of them."
Alex gives Morgana a dry glance, "Oh, don't get me wrong, baroness. I do object, strongly, to being considered expendable. But I also understand responsibility and noblesse oblige."
The mouse continues. "Let's see. Potion magic, they think. They did retrieve some of the darts, and that was straight drugging. Effective stuff, but no permanent effect."
Carroll smiles and comments, "I noticed how effective they were, yes."
"The fog seems to have been an actual weather mage."
Horatio perks his ears. "Potion magic? I'd like to know what kinds, please, if possible. And also a sample of the drug. Preferably one of the darts..."
Morgana nods. "If you want. I was planning to have Mistress Thorn come by later anyway. I'll ask that she bring one along for you."
Horatio nods, "Thank you. But... it might be best if she come by after we've all had a chance to confer with Ambassador Rishali..."
Carroll frowns, and finds himself something he can write a few notes on, thinking about what the best words to use for a tricky message are. Alex looks more and more worried as the list of mages and magical effects increases. Finally she turns to her alchemically inclined brother, "Horry... how expensive would all that be, d'you know? I mean... who could afford all this?"
Horatio hrms. "Very. I mean, even if there were mages involved, mages are rare and expensive and difficult to train to those heights. This could only be done by a very rich individual or nation-state."
Alex frowns, "Like... a country? Or an assassin's guild? But... not an individual noble?"
Horatio says, "Only if that noble had a very great many resources available to them."
Morgana shrugs. "Some of our nobles -- and Starfall's, for that matter -- are rich enough to qualify. But not most."
Alex drums her fingers lightly on the arm of the chair she's sitting on, "This was well-planned out, I must say. It must've been in the works for a long time. So... how could something this well planned be connected to a bunch of thugs attacking me, like happened earlier? Or... is it connected at all?"
Ludmilla rumbles, "Could be earlier attack done as probink of defenses, da? Vantink to know exactly how tough you vere."
Alex growls softly under her breath, then muses aloud, "So... was Don Carlos really there just by coincidence?"
Horatio says, "Excuse me for a moment... but a thought occurred to me..." Alex looks up inquiringly at Horatio. Carroll's ears follow conversation as he writes a draft of a letter. When Horatio speaks, he also looks up, listening.
Horatio says, "If it was known to people relatively close to the queen -- if a local noble is involved -- that she would not hesitate to consider Alex expendable to the welfare of her country... why would they try to use Alex as a lever against her? Alex, no offense, but even though you are friends with the queen, they could have chosen a mark more important and personal to the queen. Such as Katr-" He half-glances at little Katrina. "Er... such as... Baroness Morgana, for example," he finishes quickly and lamely.
Alex nods quietly, "Excellent point, Horry... why choose Alex St. Genevieve for kidnapping... to extort the queen? That would work for our family, perhaps... but not necessarily here."
The young fox-cub just snorts at Horatio. "I'm the heir, milord. My sister has pointed out that I'll need to be tough enough to avenge her if something should happen." Alex smiles quietly at Katrina... although it's not a happy smile.
Carroll says, "The simplest reason is that those people who are obviously important to the Queen are better protected against things like that. It is a good question, though, as to why they'd ever expect it to work. Why didn't they kill all of our guards, rather than spending so much effort putting them to sleep?"
Alex nods slowly, "That's... a damn good question too. It's... almost like they cared what folks thought..."
Morgana nods. "If they expect her Majesty to work with Westmark, they know that they'd better not be killing her people wholesale."
Horatio errs, and smiles sheepishly to Katrina. "Uhm, my apologies, your Highness." He looks around. "That does, however, leave a disturbing notion: they don't expect the queen to give in to the demands. In fact, doing something like this would, for some nobles, I don't know if the Queen is one of those people, though... doing something like this might almost garauntee that she would not do what they wish, even if she was seriously considering something like it."
Morgana ponders this for a minute. "But... yes. It was either a target of opportunity, or they were actually hoping to drive a wedge between the queen and you... and, in effect, a wedge between Maidstone and Starfall again."
Carroll says to Horatio, "That's somewhat possible. I can't believe they wouldn't have a fallback plan should the Queen refuse. It is a disturbing idea... and I can't see Starfall being happy about this, which is why I'm writing the Count, myself."
Alex shakes her head, "A target of opportunity, planned ahead this thoroughly? It sounds more like something designed to make Maidstone and Starfall unhappy with each other again." She looks thoughtful, "So... why do our hypothetical kidnappers want the two cities upset with each other? What do they stand to gain?"
Horatio says, "No... I can't see this being a target of opportunity. You wouldn't waste enough resources to buy and maintain an estate on a target of opportunity. That leaves..." he frowns, thinking. "Blast... this is politics again. I'm not terribly good at that..." he murmurs.
Alex sighs, resting her chin on her small fist, her ears drooping slightly. Katrina looks like she thinks the answer is obvious. "Disrupting the League? If this is the same crowd that you dealt with before, milady, it may just be a play to keep us internally occupied while they do something somewhere else."
Alex nods unhappily to Katrina, "S'what I was thinking too."
Horatio blinks, perking his ears. "But... where? They've involved Starfall, Maidstone, Hamasura, and Costa Yermo in this. They'd have to expect we'd be looking into leads from all four of those angles, so they wouldn't be doing anything in any of them..."
Morgana nods. "And with that consideration in mind... they must know we can make that calculation. And a Starfaller -- one close to the Maidstone crown -- then makes it a better target. The Queen couldn't sacrifice an ally as easily as a subject."
Carroll says, "I doubt they'd have gotten what they wanted. As unhappy as I or our Father would have been at the situation -- and we would have tried to find Alex ourselves -- I can't see we'd expect the Queen to accept these demands."
The mouse nods again. "I thank you for that, milord. But that would be less certain to the other side."
Alex is looking more and more glum... she's not thrilled with being casually discussed as quite so expendable... and she's getting more and more worried about how the real queen is likely to be treated by kidnappers that don't expect their ploy to work! Carroll says to Morgana, "We might ask for assistance in finding Alex, though, such as any information or to seem to accept the bargain, to gain some time. I do know we would mount our own search -- which is what I'm scripting to my father right now."
Morgana notices Alex's discomfort. "It's not as bad as that yet. You're valuable in your own right, Sir Alex, and kidnappers this well organized would know that."
Horatio nods quietly. "I still feel we should have the two-layered search for 'Alex': the overt search, and the real, covert search."
Alex murmurs quietly to Morgana, "I certainly hope so... for Arianna's sake. She's in their hands right now." She nods to Horatio, "I'd have to agree."
Carroll nods and says, "Yes, Horatio, I agree. It seems to me that the overt search should be starting soon, and driven by our family -- it's our loss. I would suggest covert search begin when we can reach Ambassador Rishali, and be led by the Queen's staff, with its real objective."
Alex gives Carroll a concerned look, "Hey, wait. Am I stuck here while you're all going out looking for Arianna?" She turns her gaze to Morgana, "Arianna's not always on display, is she?"
Morgana shrugs. "Well... a lot of the time she is."
Ludmilla waves a paw in the general direction of the waterfront. "Overt search startink last night. Ve vould not begrudge official help for t'is."
Carroll adds, "We'll have to tell the crew something as to why Alex hasn't returned, too." He looks at Alex and says, "Not entirely, Alex. When the Queen isn't needed here, you can help search, but I don't think you'll be able to return to the ship if we want to maintain any facade of security."
Alex sighs morosely, looking around the opulent room with a less than thrilled expression... then she sighs again, straightening a bit, "All right. Just... find Arianna, okay, Carya? -and... reassure Pablito that he's still got a job, even though I'm not there, please?"
Carroll reassures his sister, "I will, Alex. We'll do our best." To Ludmilla he says, "We'll visibly and officially assist, of course. I'm sure I'll have more authority and confirmation when we get a reply from the Count. I'm not certain whether or not to let him in on the secret, honestly." He grins at this-- a sneaky, foxish grin.
Alex adds to Carroll, "Do please at least let Daddy know I'm all right, okay?"
Carroll says, "If I do that, how can we get him to worry the genuine worry that someone watching him for his reaction will be expecting to see?"
Alex raises an eyebrow at Carroll, "Oh, please, Carya... he taught you."
Carroll says, "I'm not certain I'll be able to portray the worried brother-Captain as I should, Alex." Alex gives Carroll another of those amusedly exasperated glowers! At her stern glare, he caves in and says, "I'll make sure he knows."
Alex hmfs... then sighs again. "All right. So, what's the plan? Carroll will notify Daddy, we'll get Rishali to make me look more like Arianna, Horatio will talk to Rishali about drugs, Carroll will start the 'overt' search for Alex?"
Carroll nods, "Yes. I'll set in motion the things I must do. Also I'll tell the crew something."
Alex nods, then sighs, "I wish you could tell them not to worry... but no matter. Do what you have to do."
There is a knock at the door, and Matthew ushers in Ambassador Rishali. She bows. "Your Majesty. What can I do for you..." She trails off as the door closes. "What happened?"
Alex raises an amused eyebrow, "Well, that didn't take long."
Katrina hmphs. "You don't really look all that much like my sister close up, Sir Alex." Alex gives the young kit a slow stare, but is polite enough not to snap at her.
Rishali looks a bit upset. "I take it this is more than a stuck spell?" Alex nods quietly to Rishali, giving her the ransom note.
Horatio says, "And hopefully we can change that, Alex. At least for the short term; as long as it takes..."
Rishali's reaction to the note is remarkably predatory for a caribou, and is followed by a string of evil-sounding phrases in some unknown language. "Vashtri! Well, the Society at any rate. This is not good."
Carroll says, "Is that what that odd mark means?"
Horatio blinks. "The Society...?"
Alex sighs again, "I was afraid of that. Don Carlos or Westmark are known and manageable quantities... the Society's a big unknown to us."
The caribou nods. "It's Vashtri's personal emblem, and is used when the Society of the Mountain wants to make their presence known."
Alex rests her chin in her small paw, looking morose, "So... can you make me look more like Arianna, at least temporarily?"
Horatio frowns. "Oh, dear," he murmurs.
Carroll hrms, then says, "It certainly is a tangle of people involved. Do you think they expect there's a chance Arianna will concede to these demands, or are they planning on a failure?"
Alex says, "And can you do anything to help us find her? Can we track the spell somehow? Is there any traceable link between us, perhaps?"
Morgana says, "I suspect that they consider it a win-win scenario. If we comply, they get our backing for Costa Yermo and a paw in the Maidstone government. Another paw, I suspect... and if we don't, they can still try for concessions from Starfall, or let the incident drive a wedge between us."
Alex nods, "About what we'd concluded here also." She looks hopefully at Rishali.
Rishali grins. "I can't. You can. I can arrange the necklace to work on tracing the magical link. That means that you'll have to do the tracking, though, since anyone else will be tracking both ends of it."
Alex blinks, thinking about that... then nods, "Excellent!" She's not about to pass up a chance to get out of the palace -- she turns to Morgana, "So, is there anything the queen needs to be doing today, or can I get out and start helping in the search for 'Alex'?"
Rishali continues, "As for improving the disguise... I think I can manage that. If you want it to stay concealed, though... the spell is a little painful to initiate."
Alex gives Rishali a dubious glance, "Want what to stay concealed? Will this rebound on Arianna at all?"
Horatio glances between Rishali and Alex. "'Painful...?'"
Carroll raises his eyebrows and asks, "And the innumerable hours of practice with the rapiers didn't also have its painful moments? I'm certain that Alex can do what is required, if she feels it important."
Rishali shakes her head. "Won't affect Arianna at all. A magical glamour is easy to do, but it's also easy to spot. A spell that simply alters your face to look like Arianna is much less detectable, but the alteration is... uncomfortable. Just for a minute or two."
Alex nods to Carroll, "Yup. That's not what worries me... it's if Arianna will- ah, good." She thinks for a bit, then adds, "Can I, er... 'slide' this look onto someone else for a while if necessary, or will the 'queen' be out looking for our kidnap victim?"
Carroll asks, "Or is this something Alex can learn to do and use herself?" The trader in him can't help but see other useful uses -- and the elder brother in him can only thank all the forces of nature she couldn't do it while they were growing up, but that he doesn't say aloud. Horatio remains quietly, his ears and eyes following the conversation.
Ludmilla looks at Morgana. "Am thinkink the queen is indisposed today -- vorried about friend, da? Fix face later."
Alex grins in relief at Ludmilla, "Sounds good to me! That means we can go searching for her too, if Rishali can set things up quickly." She brightens at Carroll's suggestion, "Oh, that's a good idea, yes!" She looks hopefully at the caribou.
Carroll says, "I really do not think that saying the Queen is worried about her friend is a good idea. If this threat is unknown, we are better off."
Alex hms... then nods slowly, "That's a good point, Carroll."
Horatio says, "Ill, then. Those who don't know will commiserate and get on with their lives. Those that are in the know about the kidnapping will nod, and -- for those who did it -- will smile about how they've affected the queen."
Morgana nods. "We can just say indisposed, then. Let furrs draw their own conclusions."
Rishali shakes her head. "I might be able to teach you, but this is not the sort of spell you should ever do to yourself."
Alex looks surprised, "Really? Why?"
Carroll ahhs, "Like dentistry. Perhaps she would be more comfortable with it if she understood it." He glances at her and hopes she gets the hint.
The caribou looks serious. "Because your bone structure is quite flexible while the spell is in effect, and it's difficult to see your own face to control the change."
Alex nods slowly, "All right. Then... shall we do that tonight, and for now we'll try tracking Arianna down?"
Ludmilla nods. Carroll says, "Finding the Queen would be very good. What has to happen to do that?"
Horatio blinks. 'Bone structure is quite flexible...' Oh, good heavens, she wasn't jesting. That just sounds painful...
Rishali says, "That part is easy. May I have the necklace?" Alex nods, handing the necklace to the ambassador. The caribou makes a few gestures and mutters a few arcane words over it. Alex is the only one who can detect the flow and shift of magical energies as she works. After a short time that seems much longer, Rishali sits back. "There we are. I can feel primarily your direction, Sir Alex, but you should feel a pull in the direction of the queen."
Alex concentrates a bit, trying to 'feel'… then points unerringly, "She's that way. I'm sure." She opens her eyes, looking at which direction she's pointing.
Horatio says quietly, "We should check again, in a place relatively far from here, to pinpoint the position she's in."
Alex nods at Horatio, "Triangulation, right. Good idea." She looks around, "It feels very strong, guys. Shall we go searching? I need to change first if so."
Carroll murrs, "We should triangulate. And, then maybe we can search a bit. I'm worried they'll put her in a ship and take her someplace hard to get." Alex trots hastily off to change, looking relieved. Boy, royalty sure wear heavy dresses -- must be all the decorations they plaster all over it...
Horatio thinks for a moment, then nods. "We should find her location soon, and... not strike immediately, but put a secret watch on the place. But if this is the society... Baroness," he addresses Ludmilla, "-forgive me for saying this, I don't mean to cast insinuations upon your people, but... if this is the Society we're dealing with, they're professional assassins, and the only reason Carroll and the others aren't dead is because they didn't want them dead. Any watch we put on the location of the queen would be running the distinct risk of detection and possible death within seconds of being discovered by the queen's captors."
Carroll nods, "If she is still on the island, we should act quickly before they can move her or realize we know where she is…- if possible using as much magic against them as they wielded against us to make the chances that much better for us -- and using a number of trained people to get in and immobilize them."
The tigress nods. "Da. Bolshoye opashniya. Only volunteers, and only my most skilled at stealth."
Alex struggles out of the ornate dress with much wriggling, twisting, and quietly breathless swearing... then straightens, tossing the detested thing on the bed for someone else to deal with. She shakes once, thoroughly, to settle her fur neatly back into place... then happily and quickly slips into her normal, working clothes. As a final precaution she pulls a hooded cloak on, and tucks the necklace securely into a pocket... then comes trotting back out, looking much more cheerfully perky already, "Hiya! I'm ready to go!"
Horatio nods quietly to Ludmilla, then looks to Carroll. "I would also be careful with asking for help from the Alchemists' Guild. I am not fully convinced that the captors did not get some help from someone within, for all the magic they threw at you. Unless... well, unless the Society has such resources already available to them.
Alex glances back and forth between the conversing people, then adds, "Who's going with us? We don't want to attract attention on this first part, where we're just triangulating to see if she's still on the island, right?"
Carroll says, "True, Horatio." He asks the Ambassador, "Do you know a secure source of a lot of magic like this? It would be nice to simply put their whole building to sleep and go in and tie them all up."
Alex grins at that idea -- very nice! She giggles softly, "Poetic justice!"
Carroll looks to Alex and says, "True." Looking back to the others, he asks, "Who'll go?"
The caribou looks thoughtful, but shakes her head. "Not that much sleep magic... but there are possibilities..."
Horatio says quietly, "I'd like to go. If possible, there may be some things I can do to help."
Carroll nods, "Something to think about. A way to incapacitate them would be a great advantage."
Alex says, "Hey, how about the drugs? Something to put them to sleep, like they used on the darts? We could dip our daggers in them... or um... well, how about something that made them all sick that we could put in the water? Even if it affected Arianna, we can carry her out -- and that's the real goal here, right?"
Horatio arches an eyebrow to Alex. "Daggers with sleeping drug on them? Uhm..." He blinks, though. Water supply... that might work, too...
Ludmilla shrugs. "Dependink on their water supply. First ve find out vhere."
Alex's comment about potion-coated daggers draws no comments for a long moment. Finally, Morgana says, "Well, Mistress Thorn is our authority on such things. How much do we want to let her know about the situation? She has met the queen often."
Alex hms... "How about just asking her why the assassins used darts, instead of, say, daggers? Ask if they'd give the same effect, or something worse?"
Carroll asks simply, "Do you trust her with the Queen's life?
Ludmilla and Morgana both nod. Katrina says rather fiercely, "She saved Ari once before from a poison."
Alex frowns thoughtfully, "Actually, darts and daggers have different skill sets... it's going to have to be daggers, I'm afraid. So... next question -- can we get the drugs?"
Carroll says, "It sounds to me like she's trusted. Would her knowledge and skills be useful to us?"
Morgana nods. "She'll know what's available, and she might be able to come up with something. She's a gentle sort, though. She's not up to coming along on a rescue mission."
Alex says, "Good enough. How long to get her up to date? Sooner we get going, the better, I'm thinking, if we're actually worried about the kidnappers leaving the island."
Carroll smiles and says, "As long as she's a little devious and willing to help us plan, that is much more important than actually going. We can find people to do that. We should triangulate as soon as possible, yes." Horatio nods enthusiastically.
Morgana nods. "If they're not off the island already, they won't make it. The Navy has orders to seal off the island as of last night."
Alex says, "Excellent. Let's cross our fingers that they're still here then."
Morgana steps out to send for the alchemist, returning after a few minutes. "She should be here within the hour. Now... what else do we want to do about the ransom note? We've sent Ludmilla's double off to her estates, and we've sent a note summoning Westmark to the capitol... anything else?"
Alex blinks, "Whoa... why did we do that?!"
Carroll murrs, "Do we want to do even that? That would make it appear we are agreeing to these demands when it is not something the Queen would do? Is that something we need to do? Even if the demands are met, instant agreement hardly seems necessary." Alex nods at Carroll's words.
Horatio perks his ears. "They may have concealed it, but... is there anything that we can pull magically from the note? An imprint or something...?"
Alex frowns, "Well... what's done is done, I guess. How soon is Westmark due to arrive? Can we keep him cooling his heels for a day or so, or will it take that long to arrive?"
Horatio says dryly, "I'm inclined to let him cool his heels for as long as practicable, just on general principles."
Morgana nods. "He won't be able to get here for a few days; he's not in town. And he can sit around after that for as long as necessary."
Ludmilla adds dryly, "The courier was instructed not to hurry."
Alex looks faintly relieved, "Good. Seeing him, much like seeing Don Carlos, gives me an intense desire to... to whack him a good one!" Alex adds grimly, "With a dueling glove -- and to demand satisfaction!"
Carroll tchs, "Calm, Alex, calm." He smiles wryly and says, "Pity we can't spring the 'we-know-what-you-did-to-the-queen" on him..."
Ludmilla growls. "Vill not beink anythink left after I challengink him." Carroll grins a nasty grin at the tigress.
Alex sighs, adding, "Which... would be entirely inappropriate, of course." She takes a deep breath, straightening slightly, her earring'd ear making a faint chiming noise, "So." She blinks slowly, then grins wickedly at Carroll, "Actually... that might not be a half-bad idea, Carya, for Don Carlos! Isn't he supposed to be from a culture that believes in 'genteel courtesy' towards women?"
Carroll hmms. "I wonder what his reaction would be, in fact. Interesting."
Alex grins slowly, admitting, "Wouldn't bother me at all, actually, making him squirm some..." She adds pragmatically, "But it'd have to be a 'we know what you did to Alex' accusation, yes?"
Katrina snorts. "Gentle courtesy, meaning protect their females from anything resembling freedom of action. I've met a few of their embassy staff's wives and daughters."
Alex sighs softly, looking disappointed, "Are they that irredeemably a waste of time?" She's silent a moment, thinking, then sighs again, "What a pity..."
Morgana gives Katrina a quelling glance. "Mistress Thorn should be the last person we need to let in on the whole situation for now. Agreed?"
Horatio nods quietly, a little bewildered by the tangents, but keeping track of the conversation as best as he can. Alex shrugs, "Ah well. So, we can dump them, since there's nothing at all useful to be gained from either Costa Yermo or Westmark..." She nods to Morgana, "Yes. Let's get things rolling here, please."
Carroll nods and says, "I think so. If we need to hire muscle, I can do it on the pretense of rescuing Alex."
The alchemist arrives, ushered in by Matthew. "Your Excellencies. How may I serve you?"
Alex nods politely to the doe from her heavily hooded cloak, then says, "Ambassador Rishali, could you please give the note to Mistress Thorn?"
Rishali passes the note over to Thorn as she takes a seat at the table. "Oh, my. This is what the business by the waterfront was all about?"
Carroll nods and says, "I'm afraid so, Mistress Thorn." Alex doesn't put her hood back. She's more than willing to let Thorn continue in happy ignorance as to whom precisely is sitting there, if it will make things simpler... and the master alchemist doesn't need to know it's Alex, not Arianna, in order to come up with useful ideas.
Thorn shakes her head. "This is awful. Sir Alex struck me as such a nice girl, too. What do you need from me?"
Alex covers a small grin, and lets Carroll do the talking. Horatio does manage to hide a grin; the near-absurdity of Thorn talking about Alex, with Alex right there, is almost too much... but the seriousness of the incident, the rather horrible consequences, dulls his humor. Carroll asks, "If we can find where they are holding her, we would like to get her back. This would be much simpler if her abductors were unconscious or in some other way incapacitated. We were wondering if there were a way to put an entire building to sleep, or to infect their water with something which will make them sick. This couldn't be anything fatal, though, as we're quite likely to blanket Alex with the same effect." He adds, "She's been kidnapped, so I presume she's already having an unpleasant time." Alex looks much less amused, remembering that poor Arianna is in the hands of kidnappers who may well consider her expendable. That also puts a damper on any humor Horatio might have felt a moment ago.
Thorn shakes her head. "Using alchemy? The amount of potion necessary to do a whole building would be quite heavy. A few bottles to take out specific guard posts are all that we have on hand. The water supply is perhaps feasible, if they use a well or a cistern... the trick would be getting it in there in the first place. I'm not sure we have any dart poison lying around, either. Not the sort of thing there's much call for in legitimate work."
Alex nods, "Good. We should have more information soon. How long to make enough to take out the whole building?"
Carroll nods, and says, "We'll have to know more before we plan any farther, then. Finding the hideout becomes more important."
Thorn taps the table, working something out in her head. "Depends on how big the well is. I could run something up in a few hours once we know how much we'll need. Getting it there is still the problem, though."
Rishali clears her throat. "I think I can provide concealment for someone to get it there if we know where it's going."
Horatio says, "If I might suggest, then... Mistress Thorn should prepare the concoction, as much as she can. We'll know more after we pinpoint, then scout the location. Then we have the... volunteer... guards, and some way of telling if they've been... discovered. Then we retrieve the sleeping draught, use Ambassador Rishali's concealment to let someone apply it to their water supply... then pull back, and wait a day or two."
Carroll nods and says, "Thank you Ambassador. That is very useful to know. Now all we have to do is find them. I hope our... other sources... find us something useful."