"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"It's as I said, is it not? I watched from afar. It took out the Flames, as expected; but then, adventurers."
"Ah. You weren't seen? They weren't putting on a show?"
"Being seen is your business, is it not? I do the opposite."
"True enough. And by the by, these seats are intolerable."
"They're in the dark."
"Precisely!"
Silence, but if eyes, when rolled vigorously enough, make a sound, then that sound can be presumed to appear at this point. Further silence.
"Fine. So nothing, then."
"Near to nothing. It was still a rogue voidsent, as far as Ossuary and Ul'dah alike are concerned. None of them seemed eager to report the news of the truth."
"There was no body? Dragon's body would be a stir."
"None."
"What, did they obliterate it that thoroughly?"
"Hardly; they fixed it."
"Fixed it." A pause. A sip. "Fixed it."
"As I said."
"Is it a fixable thing? These things can be mended?"
"Not by the ignorant."
"And yet."
"Indeed. And yet."
Silence again. "So what did they do with the, ah, what would you call it - "
"The vessel?"
A snap of the fingers. "Yes, that's the word."
"Took it home with them, near as I can gather. His Dubiousness has it. He can keep it for now."
"Well, that's it then, isn't it? That's all we can do."
"What do you mean?"
"There's nothing left to distribute. The markets are tapped, and this has been the only little play, to, well, play. To have an audience. And nothing."
"Nothing."
"So we wait, don't we? Wait for another accident. If they can fix it - "
"Then I can't take the risk again, yes."
A heavy sigh. "Well, it was a good role."
The patting of a hand upon a shoulder. "It has yet to end."
"What else is there?"
"The Dravanians, for one. They're skulking about. They need only kill the wrong person, or try to. Then everything proceeds."
"If they need goading, then fine. Others?"
The tapping of finger, soft, but quick, upon a chin. "Then there was that woman."
"Which woman?"
"I beg your pardon."
"Look." Exasperation in the tone. "I haven't wanted to say, because it's not as if I'm one to judge, but the way you're so vague. Always 'that man' and 'that woman' and 'the organization' and so forth. I understand the need to keep things secretive but you could at least use a false name or similar. Pronouns confuse the issue."
The tapping stopped. A clearing of the throat. "Er, that is, it just confuses me, you understand." The words are hasty. "Makes it harder for me to do my job, you see?"
"I see."
"It's not, well, an insult. It's practical."
"Very practical, I agree." The tapping continues. "You've seen the woman. The fracas at the Southerland estate, for example - "
"Now there was a wasted opportunity."
"Agreed. And she was at Highbridge. She'd be hard to miss. Always passing out her little pamphlets."
"She's a possibility?"
"Among others."
"How should I handle it?"
"Do as you do. I'll talk to that man - " A pause. "Our employer."
"Which employer?"
"The right employer." The tone brooked no further questioning. "We'll put on a show. Mayhaps it will be sufficient. Then we'll speak. I'll talk to her."
"Who?"
"Her."
"Which her?"
"That woman!"
"Which woman?"
Silence. "Get back out on the streets and make an ass of yourself already."
"Fine, fine." A chair slides back. "I just can't stand the vagueness."
"Nothing?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"It's as I said, is it not? I watched from afar. It took out the Flames, as expected; but then, adventurers."
"Ah. You weren't seen? They weren't putting on a show?"
"Being seen is your business, is it not? I do the opposite."
"True enough. And by the by, these seats are intolerable."
"They're in the dark."
"Precisely!"
Silence, but if eyes, when rolled vigorously enough, make a sound, then that sound can be presumed to appear at this point. Further silence.
"Fine. So nothing, then."
"Near to nothing. It was still a rogue voidsent, as far as Ossuary and Ul'dah alike are concerned. None of them seemed eager to report the news of the truth."
"There was no body? Dragon's body would be a stir."
"None."
"What, did they obliterate it that thoroughly?"
"Hardly; they fixed it."
"Fixed it." A pause. A sip. "Fixed it."
"As I said."
"Is it a fixable thing? These things can be mended?"
"Not by the ignorant."
"And yet."
"Indeed. And yet."
Silence again. "So what did they do with the, ah, what would you call it - "
"The vessel?"
A snap of the fingers. "Yes, that's the word."
"Took it home with them, near as I can gather. His Dubiousness has it. He can keep it for now."
"Well, that's it then, isn't it? That's all we can do."
"What do you mean?"
"There's nothing left to distribute. The markets are tapped, and this has been the only little play, to, well, play. To have an audience. And nothing."
"Nothing."
"So we wait, don't we? Wait for another accident. If they can fix it - "
"Then I can't take the risk again, yes."
A heavy sigh. "Well, it was a good role."
The patting of a hand upon a shoulder. "It has yet to end."
"What else is there?"
"The Dravanians, for one. They're skulking about. They need only kill the wrong person, or try to. Then everything proceeds."
"If they need goading, then fine. Others?"
The tapping of finger, soft, but quick, upon a chin. "Then there was that woman."
"Which woman?"
"I beg your pardon."
"Look." Exasperation in the tone. "I haven't wanted to say, because it's not as if I'm one to judge, but the way you're so vague. Always 'that man' and 'that woman' and 'the organization' and so forth. I understand the need to keep things secretive but you could at least use a false name or similar. Pronouns confuse the issue."
The tapping stopped. A clearing of the throat. "Er, that is, it just confuses me, you understand." The words are hasty. "Makes it harder for me to do my job, you see?"
"I see."
"It's not, well, an insult. It's practical."
"Very practical, I agree." The tapping continues. "You've seen the woman. The fracas at the Southerland estate, for example - "
"Now there was a wasted opportunity."
"Agreed. And she was at Highbridge. She'd be hard to miss. Always passing out her little pamphlets."
"She's a possibility?"
"Among others."
"How should I handle it?"
"Do as you do. I'll talk to that man - " A pause. "Our employer."
"Which employer?"
"The right employer." The tone brooked no further questioning. "We'll put on a show. Mayhaps it will be sufficient. Then we'll speak. I'll talk to her."
"Who?"
"Her."
"Which her?"
"That woman!"
"Which woman?"
Silence. "Get back out on the streets and make an ass of yourself already."
"Fine, fine." A chair slides back. "I just can't stand the vagueness."
Verad Bellveil's Profile | The Case of the Ransacked Rug | Verad's Fate Sheet
Current Fate-14 Storyline:Â Merchant, Marine
Current Fate-14 Storyline:Â Merchant, Marine
