It's a nightmare. It's got to be. Maybe a storm's blown the candles out, or something, but it's definitely a nightmare, and all he has to do is wake up.
Arthur wakes up, feeling stiff all over, and his legs are securely tied to the chair. Sitting across the room is the same veiled assassin who accosted him last night-- when he was making a fair business deal, no less!
She's still got the knife. And she's looking at him.
~~Good morning, handsome.~~
Arthur desperately wants to wake up.
Arthur struggles to wake up, wondering why he can't see, after a few moments he gets his bearings somewhat and meekly asks, "Are you still there?"
Laughter, chilling in it's alien beauty. ~~I'm not going anywhere just yet. Now, let me sum up. Please correct me if I'm wrong. You want to steal this one artifact, to contact traders from other worlds so that you can control this trade, and gain probably control of the rest of this world as well? Or at least any parts of it that have any meaning.~~
Arthur blinks behind the blindfold and just nods.
Delachiel leans closer, to whisper into one of the deer's ears, lips brushing against the ear trough the silk, ~~And who, exactly, are 'we'?~~
Arthur is obviously not used to this kind of treatment, being a rather pampered male from a well to do family. He mutters, "Well, I'm...Arthur L. Dactyle, the XII."
Delachiel waits quietly.
Arthur purrs, "And there's the squirrel. Ankhl Beiter. A good thief, if rather young."
Arthur is trying to sound more confident than he feels, bound like a ...deer on a pole.
Delachiel leans to whisper to the other ear, after caressing it's rim with her veil, ~~And who else?~~
Arthur swallows carefully and says, "No one else. I want control."
Delachiel draws away, and says, quietly enough that Arthur can barely hear her, ~~I don't think so. It's not nice to tell me things that I don't believe. Or rather, it's not very wise.~~
Stuffit sticks his head out and hangs his head on the edge of Delachiel's pocket, watching quietly, almost as if taking notes.
Arthur swallows, "Listen, what do you want? There's going to be a lot of money from this, so we can pay you off."
Delachiel sits quietly for a while, long enough to give Arthur time to think, and wonder. ~~Who is behind this plan?~~
Arthur purrs, "Ssalmon Picchaise, he's the one who sent me. A friend of my uncle's, okay? He's a councilman in Haven."
There's a gentle pet on Arthur's shoulder. ~~See? I wasn't too difficult. Tell me more about your uncle. Do your parent's know what you're getting into, or do you just want to show them that you're as good as they?~~
Arthur is finally calming down enough to be annoyed a little and says, "My uncle died eight months ago in a boating accident. Salmon said I could take his place if I pulled this plan through. Why do you care about him?"
Stuffit chitters a question to Delachiel, *Possible profit/investment?*
Delachiel shrugs, somewhat uselessly since her victim cannot see her. ~~Oh, I'm just curious. I've always been intrigued by handsome nobles. My condolences over the death of your uncle.~~
Delachiel picks Stuffit up and whispers to him, ~~We'll see.~~ There's a curious, somewhat disconcerting under-tone in her voice though.
Stuffit nods and just mrrrs in Delachiel's arms, happy to be somewhat safe again.
Delachiel sits down close to the deer again. ~~Please tell me more about Salmon. He sounds like a rather powerful and greedy person.~~
Arthur purrs, "He's powerful and very smart. He won't take to you interfering like this."
~~I'm sure he doesn't like it, but I'm afraid he cannot help the matter. Besides, it he is as clever as you say, he will surely see the advantages that new players can bring with them. And a nice young man like you surely should have a nice girl helping him, shouldn't he?~~
~~But never mind that now. I have a few more questions to ask of you. Please think before answering.~~
Arthur nods.
Delachiel asks, more quietly again, ~~Why do you want the power this plot would give you? What do you want to do with it?~~
Arthur blinks, having never questioned 'WHY' someone would want power and wealth before.
~~Take your time.~~
Arthur thinks for the first time about his ambitions, and finally says, "I want my own power. I want the easy life, the prestige that goes with power. I don't want to keep being in such a backwards city when we can have the wealth of the spacers."
Delachiel nods, and cuts the deer free of the chair.
Delachiel leads the deer to the bed. ~~Please lie down now, you must be hurting.~~
Arthur is rubbing his wrists and ankles and nods to the odd veiled creature and her stretched out rat.
Delachiel also pulls out a small pouch of pulver, taking out some of it between her fingers and tossing it towards the deer as he inhales.
Arthur sputters and manages to say, "What???" before passing out onto the bed.
Delachiel undresses Arthur, scattering a few clothes around, and takes a few, not very strategic ones, with her. She makes sure the deer lies comfortable and safely on the bed, as if passed out after heavy partying (which it will feel like to him when he wakes up!), and leaves the room.
Stuffit chitters, *Next bonus/advance/food installment?* to Delachiel after she is out of the room.
Delachiel says, ~~We could go and get some food, yes. What would you like?~~
Stuffit blinks his beady little eyes as he realize he can be choosy. ;) After a moment of thought, (where his little forehead heats up), he chitters, *Meat and cheese?*
Delachiel nods. ~~We'll head for the marketplace. I hope it's crowded enough that the militia will not notice us.~~
Stuffit nods and chitters, *Need avoid hostile takeovers.*
Delachiel nods, and scritchies Stuffit. ~~Indeed we do.~~