From the first mate the news spread like wildfire. "Assassins on the ship!" came the whisper from every scullery maid and cook. "After the nobles!" Every lip was wagging, every eye watching and every finger pointing at another. In the hours since they had left London it seems that every noble on the ship had done something that the others were sure singled them out as one of the hidden assassins and the people's paranoia had the peace hanging on a teensy thread. Someone would likely die soon, and each noble intended to ensure it was not themselves.
Bah! Assassins. I fear no man, and I'd gladly beat the answer of who the assasins really are out of each and every one of you. But tha' won't be completely necessary now will it? Theres an obvious assassin 'eer right in front of us! 'Is Wowbagger the so called Infinitely Prolonged. Runnin' about your mout wit your insults. Iss completely unsophisticated! Any sophisticated man might insult but one or two of these snooty, stuck-up bluebloods, but never the entire lot! It is that lac of sophistication that singles 'im out as an obvious assassin.
Wowbagger enters the room a look of sheer boredom evident even on his alien features. He looks at Hamish and speaks with a minimum of effort his voice dripping with disdain,
"Me, an assassin. Haah, that would entirely defeat the purpose. If I was an assassin, I would not be facing the ultimate challenge to my immortality. Why I have no worries, for the assassins will not bother me as they will always know in the back of their mind their assassination may not work. Why assassinate an immortal first when their are plenty of mortals to go after first that are easy prey. My life is not precious to me, but it is dear to many in this room. The assassins will take lives that are valued, not my pathetic one."
"Old boy, that's quite a thing to say." James says casually grabbing a drink from the nearby waitress, with a pat.
"So we must find these assassins from amongst our number, although any man of breeding would take a life face-to-face; not in secret."
"Any man of breeding would indeed only take a life were it face to face. Wowbagger claims that 'ee 'as no worries, that the assassins would not dare go after 'im. These wild statements only solidify my accusations. The real reason the assasins would not be after 'im is because 'ees an assasin 'imself. After all, the mere notion of immortality itself is completely absurd. I propose we unmask Wowbagger and show 'im for what 'ee really is, an Assassin!"
"I too agree that this Wowbagger is a rather suspicious character, although I am hesitant to make accusations before any crime has actually been comitted. Anyway, I am not overly concerned with the whole matter--I will see you all tomorrow."
Ampere downs the remainder of his wine and then hurries off to his room, not to be seen again until the next morning.
"Shocking the frenchman slinks away to his room; to get an early night and get up to murder us in our sleep." James says sardonically sipping his wine.
He looks to Duke Leto; "A man such as youself used to a sword; even if it is bent, should be sure to survive this voyage."
"Well I can promise you that I won't be getting any sleep until the Assasins are brought to due justice!"
Hamish crosses his arms and leans against a nearby wall, glaring at the rest of the masked Nobles.
I say we tie down any assassin we find and turn them into human haggis!
With a gentle lilt of his head James nods to the Scot; "I am sure you won't, especially with that kilt you are wearing old boy. Get a bit of breeze in the Trussocks, eh? Especially on this flying tub."
"Personally I wasn't planning on too much sleep myself." He says watching a young waitress walk across the hall.
Hamish raises his gaze to James
"It seems as though you 'ave a particular fondness for waitresses"
"Well you know how it is, a willing serving girl makes for a fine night, or knight - in this case. May I introduce myself, Sir James Durham-Fairfax, of Her Majesties Cavalry." He says prudently not putting his hand out.
Hamish shifts his gaze to Wowbagger and in a indifferent monotone voice replies to James.
"amish Cunningham. Pleased to make your acquaintance"
Wowbagger peruses the growing assembly.
"You humans, especially Hamish, remind of the young bull and the old bull. Yes, Hamish, you run down to the field and get you your cow. As an immortal, I cease to do much running anymore. While throwing around mindless accusations, no one has noticed I am unarmed. Most assassins carry weapons, even bents swords can be dangerous."
"You seem to know a lot about assassins, sir. Although with your physical condition I am sure you could conceal your weapons easily." James says cautiously.
He looks around the party to see if there are any others, trying to sneak up upon them.
A blond haired man sits quietly half his face hidden behind a half-mask required for Ryuko's mad little game and listens to the rabble as he takes a handkerchief that smells potently of chemicals and breaths in a deep breath....'hyyyuuuuckk "Vyaah... wvell! This seems v'most intriguing. Assassins aboard a this ship, ves?"
Lugwaude waives off the waitress who's brought him his beverage dismissively as he continues "Vis, while it seems most dangerous also presents opportunity" he mutters while adding a splash from a vial labeled embalming fluid to his drink and taking sip of his coctail. "Vwile, we begin to drop like flies aboard this fanciful ship the less attendees to Ryuko's function the larger our portions of the inheritance grow." 'hyyyyuuuckk' he breaths in deeply through his foul smelling handkerchief and lets out an effeminate giggle "If we survive this voyage the natural selection of de assassins blood letting should increase our proposed fortunes, greatly yes?"
After a long pause he seems he looks around absentmindedly a confused look on his face as if he's forgotten where he is. "Wvell, Wvell, va'where are my manners do believe it pertinent to make introductions, vyes? I am Dr. Lugwaude Lächelnschiefe world renowned scientist. It's a pleasure to meet you all I do hope our acquaintance vis not too brief." and he settles limply into his leather armchair mind spinning in drunken haze.
As the Frenchman scurries off to his quarters, a woman dressed in an exquisite saffron colored dress made of silk twill and velvet saunters up to the circle of gentlemen and listens to their banter for a time. She is mostly content to listen, until Sir James's boorish comment.
"Hmph. Speaking like that in the presence of a lady, I'd not have guessed you an officer or a gentleman. Really, "Sir" Durham-Fairfax, such crude language is more fit for a tavern or brothel than for distinguished company..."
She lets the rebuke hang for a moment before moving on to a different topic. "I must say though, I agree with you about the Frenchman. Quite suspicious behavior from that Ampere fellow; I've heard a few things about that family. I don't trust him at all! Why, did you know..." Lady Devries proceeds to relate a story about the Ampere family's business interests in the darkest heart of Africa and the lurid things that are rumored to happen there.
"Oh, my dear Lady, if you doubt my being a gentleman I'll happily give you the pleasure. I have been called a few things in my time, but never by one as you." he says with a roguish grin.
Upon hearing her story about Ampere's in Africa; "Good god, my dear, sounds like I should visit there."
|
"All know of my kingdom and within it the sand is seperated from the spice. Or to use a term better suited to most understanding seperating the wheat from the chaff, one is used to make bread the other is pointless and a waste."
"Perhaps that is the assassins role in this trip, however I think brandy, cigars and perhaps even a bit of fencing is in order, exactly how I intended to spend this trip and no groundless speculations will interefere."
Lugwaude jumps from his stupor in excitement "VES! I KONKUR! WITH THE DUKE!" letting out a slight giggle he ponders "Assassins aboard this ship seems too much of a coincidence. I speculate vis may be all a part of Ryukos mad little game, vyes?"
He takes a huff of his rag before adding "Should v'we be in the business of hanging our peers I can think of no better candidate ven ah dirty frenchman!"
He orders another cocktail before asking "Shall we see if vis frenchman can fly. Vie calculate our altitude should be more dhan sufficient fvore our purposes, yes?"
Hamish, getting obviously impatient moves from his post and steps out to the center of the crowd.
"Do we even know 'ow many assassins made it on to the ship? 'ow many of us are going to 'ang before we weed them all out?You want to see if the Frenchman can fly Doctor? You should be wondering if you, yourself 'ave wings!"
Hamish, realizing he might be drawing too much attention to himself abruptly calms down.
He pauses.
Then walks over to Wowbagger, looking him right in the eye he asks calmly.
"So tell me friend, 'ow many are there?"
Robert sits back in his chair and sighs softly. 'This bloody great balloon is gonn'ay pop and I'll never eat another Dodo egg again!' Sighing, he pushes himself to his feet and looms over Hamish.
"That'll be enough of that now laddie. Your running your mouth like a sheep with its tail caught in barbed wire. No sense in pointing the finger hey? Hows about we all just calm down and have a drink? Maybe hit a few balls off the sky deck?" Robert gestures towards the bag of golf clubs, sitting beside his chair.
With thoughtful body language James pushes himself away from a steel column where he was artistically lounged; with a little roll of his shoulders he moves further towards the other. "We have to be careful; we don't want to be Hartlepudlians! Even if they do kill their Monarchy."
He nods his head to Robert the Red, "A game of golf is that how you make your killings?"
Robert laughed softly, before shaking his head. "Use my nations game to kill a few ponsey English men? Nay laddie. I use golf to relax. But think what yeah like. Tis no skin off my behind!" Grinning fiercely at Sir Fairfax, Robert moves to the bar and orders a double whiskey, before downing it in one gulp.
"But to be fair... I would probably be looking to hiding my OWN dealings, were I you. Does tha be the corner of a rose tattoo I see under your mask?"
"I think not, dear boy, your national drink must be clouding your sight. But let me join you in a stiff one; then clouting a few balls would be fun." His tone light-hearted.
James brings a fine sterling silver lighter out of his pocket - lighting the Dukes cigar. "Don't mind if I do. Thanks."
Hamish backs down from his stand against Wowbagger and accepts the Dukes invitation.
"The names 'amish old man incase you missed it. I'm not named after a swine."
Putting the trinket back in his frock coat and pulling a long drag upon his cigar Fairfax replies; "Won it in a poker game with a Captain at Horse-guards, damned bad player with a damned fine wife. This brandy is awfully sharp isn't it?"
Robert laughs softly and pats Sir Fairfax on the shoulder, before ordering another drink. As the Duke joins them, Robert raises a glass to the man in a salute, before taking a sip.
"Aye laddie the balls can wait for awhile yet!" Pulling a large, slightly bent cigar from his pocket, Robert lights it with a match, before taking a deep pull and exhaling a smoke ring.
"We are gentle folk, one and all. Hard to credit that some of us are blood thirsty no good-uns isn't it?"
Robert laughs softly, taking another pull on the cigar, before taking a sip of whiskey.
Vote before you're lynched!
"Either the frenchman can't hold his liquor or he returned to his room to sharpen his dagger. Both reasons are enough for me to suspect him (and that ignores his frenchness). Plus I have a history of doing things alphabetically. The two A's seal his doom."
Change Vote from Colin McBride to Wowbagger
Sir James sits taking a sip of his drink and enjoying a good smoke; "So once we get to our destination, how are you to spend the dosh?"
Robert pauses for a moment, weighing up the young Lord before him, before pulling a pristine set of plans from his sleeve and leaning forward, unrolling it on the small table between them. "Top secret stuff this laddie. Best keep it under your hat. I plan on building this!" Robert grins and taps the side of his nose while winking.
If James looks at the plans, he will see they detail the dimensions for constructing a Flat Caber, the new McTavish invention.
"You mean assuming we all make it out of this ordeal alive? I plan on building my fortune from the ground up. If it weren't for my terrible parents pissing away my inheritance, I would 'ave never accepted Von Ryuko's generosity."
"We're intelligent gentlemen, as shown by Red Roberts' plans here' he says gently nudging the fllow in the ribs 'we can find the assassin or assassins and bring them to justice."
Robert laughs softly and takes a long swig of whiskey, before signalling a waitress to bring another glass. "Oh aye laddie we can. All we need to do is think. This has turned out to be a far better trip than I had hoped!"
Hamish eyes The Duke suspiciously.
You seem a bit complacent Old Man. All you are preoccupied with is 'aving a good old time.
Hamish leans in close to the Duke and lowers his voice to a near whisper.
Alessandra accepts the Duke's invitation and joins the group at the bar. She gives a mildly disapproving glance when he indicates he doesn't know who she is, but decides that it might be her impressive mask that is causing the confusion rather than a deliberate social snub. "I am Dame-Professor Alessandra Devries; scholar, fashionista, and benefactor to the poor. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." She politely declines a cigar and pulls out her own hand-rolled cigarette which she smokes from a stylish ten-inch cigarette holder. It has an earthy, herbal scent quite unlike tobacco. She also declines the brandy as too... pedestrian. "In France they say that brandy is the heart of the grape- but grappa is the soul of the grape. So saying, she helps herself to a liberal libation from Von Ryuko's stock.
In answer to Fairfax's question, she gets a distant, dreamy look and offers "Oh! There is so much to be done with the proceeds! Hospitals, orphanages, schools- why, just last month I visited a city in the heart of Lithuania to deliver supplies to the orphans- such darlings! I spoke with a charming fellow over a few mugs of Kvass and he arranged a letter of introduction to the rector at Vilnius University, if I can just arrange for a stipend they should be able to dispatch an instructor within the year and..." She rambles on at some length about her pet projects, unless interrupted.