Kenneth laughs, "Well, first, tell Danny tae stop being a drama queen and remind him what tends tae happen when we follow his lead. I was going tae say plan, but I think that'd be tae generous."
He then quickly asks, "Afore I start intae my bit ay news, was there any sign ay physical evidence, other than the smell? A body with magic might use a shaved claw or piece ay skin, as such things are always connected tae where they came from. Wouldnae be terrible to have a way tae track 'em... or mayhap mix up a draught to protect us from them.. or hurt them."
He then says, "I've got in my wee hands the address on a place of business that's supposedly connected tae the strange events, and has the standard layers ay money and legal protection ye'd likely expect... Seems like from what I've been told, they're thinking ay themselves as untouchable - so likely just the right amount ay arrogant tae have wonderfully incriminating and helpful information lying about. A'course, probably also guarded and defended, but that's why we should make a plan instead ay just improvising spectacularly and hoping for the best."
He then laughs, "Ay, Danny, even if that's likely what we'll end up daeing when our plan fails."
"Well, yeah. I mean everyone knows NO plan survives first contact with the enemy!" Danny chuckles.
"So, which do we check out first? Your probably super-secure obvious hideout? Or our walk-in-easy bar down the road? Both have likely leads. Don't know If they left anything you could actually USE behind. All we really found was a stench, and a mess that makes a pig-pen look like a spa retreat. Oh yeah, and a few jars of leftover honey that they didn't get around to eating, or destroying, or whatever." Danny answers Ken's questions in his usual, rambling way.
"And I am NOT a Drama Queen,..." Danny adds grumpily.
"I,... am a Drama KING!"
He's pretty sure that his grin can be seen by Ken without actually using Facetime.
Sal groans and drops back in her seat. "To be entirely honest, we didn't look for any toenail clippings or body parts in that mess. Is slime considered a body part? I guess if it's really valuable, we could go back in and look for... specimens." The thought doesn't seem too enticing.
Suddenly she sits upright. "Hey, the group in the boathouse was the group that went to the park and attacked the Festival. Would parts and pieces be any use to you now that they're dead? And if so, couldn't we get them from the morgue or wherever they put the remains?"
Grimacing at Danny, she says, "I'd rather rob a morgue than go back into that boathouse..."
Danny nods emphatically.
"The stench would be far less at least." He agrees.
"Hey Ken, I never majored in magic, but isn't Sal right? You can't track someone if they're already dead. Hm, BUuuuuuuuut, if you didn't do an accurate track-the-specific-person spell,... but instead did a general Thaumaturgy, you know, 'like to like', 'similar is the same' type of thing, could you track others of the same,... Race? Species? (What ARE they anyway?!?)" He ends in an aside, stage whispered to Sal.
"Gross and disgusting," she whispers back loudly.
Kenneth says, "Well, I could find the corpse quite easily, then.. but since we've an idea where they are, that isnae exactly useful. But, that assumes that the ones at the festival was the lot ay them... could always be some stragglers out there... However, aye, lad, you've been paying attention -- that's where my thoughts were going. A'course, 'twould easier if they're kin - all part ay the same clan, for instance."
Edwyn gives the roll-top desk a sidelong glance, quite certain that he gave it a once-over when he first settled into the room. Recording devices did not seem to be his old-fashioned client's style, but it always paid to be vigilant. Of course, if there really is a vial in there now, it means that someone put it there after the fact. It would not be the first time someone snuck a present into his hotel room; hopefully, this one wouldn't be a pipe bomb.
"Magical mountain dust, got it," Edwyn replies, deciding not to pry for more details; the old man's cryptic explanation was as he was going to get. He briefly contemplates the other options offered to him, the so-called "friend of a friend" and, well, a stick. Ah, why the hell not?
"I'll take the stave if your courier can get it here fast," he answers, checking his pocket watch. He had agreed to meet up with Sal and the others... eventually. Now that hunting down fish people is a part of his job description, they could all be on the same page, more or less. "Speaking of which, I've been meaning to pick up a car; the cab fare here is really doing a number on your charge card. I don't suppose you have an old junker you could drop off?"
"Exactly!" Danny stage-whispers to Sal with a wink.
Kenneth says, "Well, I could find the corpse quite easily, then.. but since we've an idea where they are, that isnae exactly useful. But, that assumes that the ones at the festival was the lot ay them... could always be some stragglers out there... However, aye, lad, you've been paying attention -- that's where my thoughts were going. A'course, 'twould easier if they're kin - all part ay the same clan, for instance."
"Well, I HAVE to pay attention. As a musician that's often the ONLY thing I can pay!" Danny grins.
"Alright, so, where to? We have two leads. Both sound promising."
Danny looks between the phone, and Sal, with an eyebrow raised.
"I think we should regroup and get a drink. If we want to talk freely and strategize, the Green Tree might not be the best place... but it's worth a look after. If Kenneth has a place of business in his sights, we need to decide on a daylight fool-'em style operation or straightforward burglary. We'll head back to town now, Kenneth. If you want bits and pieces of our dead friends, there are probably some still in the park. We can meet you at the park if it's worth searching the place - just look for the birds, ya know - and we didn't really get to walk through what happened."
She pulls the jar of honey out of her pocket and sets it on the dash next to the phone. "As far as leads go, we've got two solid ones, yeah -- but there might be a lot more around. Your blacksmith friend might know something by now. And I'm wondering why the Fomor had jars of honey from the same monks that were selling mead at the fair. Did the monks do anything unusual during the attack? I was kinda busy and didn't notice."
"So, to me, the options are: meet at the park or meet at a pub that isn't the Green Tree. Or we can meet at my apartment to talk more privately, but I don't have any beer there."
"Pub." Danny says without needing to think about it.
(And expecting to hear it in stereo from the speaker on the cell phone)
"I'm shocked," Sal says dryly. "Will the Minster Inn suit, Kenneth?"
Kenneth chuckles, "Well, I suppose.... Though you'd think by now a body that's been dealing with the Nevernever and the fae would have learned better hospitality."
The voice pauses for a few moments; "There is a mini cooper, parked on a street around the corner." He gives an address within 5 minutes walk. "There's keys for it on the lintel of the front door. I'll get the stave delivered there." The phone rings off, abruptly.
Taken by surprise, Sal laughs aloud, surprised at how good it feels to laugh after the events of the day.
"You're right; my bad," she apologizes. "I'll have a tap installed immediately. Then we can convene for a council of war, you'll find yourself making agreements you didn't understand you were making, and spend uncounted time playing Call of Duty online and being my love slaves. Then I'll kick you out and you'll linger on my doorstep, palely loitering, realizing centuries have passed. But you'll probably be at the top of the CoD leaderboards."
She laughs again as she starts the vehicle and fastens her safety belt. "You're lucky I'm a lot more like the werewolves than the fey - eat, fight, kill, and f-... um, mate." Slinging gravel, she wheels the vehicle and heads back the way they came, retracing their steps towards York.
"Better catch the phone and the honey, Danny."
Danny reflexively grabs for the items mentioned as they start to slide,...
,... Although Danny first heard the words of Sal's last statement in a completely different order,... possibly because he posses a VERY vivid imagination, and was distracted by the mental images her previous sentence generated,...
"Really? Huh, seems werewolves and Fae have more in common that I'd thought. That pretty accurately sums up the Fae party-lifestyle too." Danny says, holding up the safely captured items.
Then he realizes that he is talking into the honey jar, lowers it, and holds up the phone instead.
"Annnnnnd we're on the way!" Danny says into the phone, smiling.
Pets and pedestrians and cyclists scatter as Sal barrels down the road.
"Can you see anything weird about that honey?" she asks Danny. "I don't understand why they'd have it in the boathouse if they weren't going to eat it. It looks like they avoided it completely. And did you happen to see the monks at the fair? Did they do anything weird in the fight? I'm wondering if they were the target of the attack and the honey was, like, a piece of clothing you'd use to put hounds on the track?"
She shakes her head. "Totally speculation, I know. Just wondered if you could tell anything about it through spooky channels or maybe memory of what happened this morning."
She sighs wearily and runs a hand through her hair. "This morning. Hard to believe. I can't wait to get back and see how the news spins this. My money is on biker gang attack. Any takers?"
"A Mini? You're kidding," Edwyn manages to get out, before realizing his benefactor has already hung up on him. And not just figuratively, like most people these days do with their newfangled phones. This man was old school. Using his top-notch detective instincts, Edwyn connects the dots. We're probably talking the original, and not the remake.
He sits and stares at the phone for a few moments longer before standing up to stretch his legs. There was little point to sticking around at this point, especially now that he had a special delivery pending. He strolls over to the desk and pulls open the top-right drawer where - surprise, surprise - there is a vial of dust waiting for him.
"Apply directly to the forehead..." he mumbles as he gives it an experimental shake, before raising it to eye level for proper inspection. Despite it looking entirely unremarkable, recent experience has taught him that not everything magical glows neon. He slips the vial into one of his inner coat pockets - opposite the horse brass he got at the market - before heading out to pick up his rental.
Danny actually thinks back for a moment before responding to Sal.
"Well, I was, distracted, and then IN the fight, so I didn't see them waving magic wands or anything. But unlike most of the Muggles in the park, they didn't scream and run. They were actually standing their ground and fighting. Like right out of a Hop-N-Chop flick. That's what gave me the idea for the monk-army-reinforcements Glamour."
"But, whether they were actually being attacked directly, like they were 'targeted' like the rest of us? Or if the fish-faces were trying to destroy or avoid the Mead stalls? Don't know." Danny shrugs, then grabs at the 'Oh Snap' handle again as Sal takes a hard left turn,... hard.
Set back down a side street from the high-walled Museum gardens, the Inn is subtle in it's promotion. Upon the pavement a simple wooden A-Board sign declares the public house open with "Fantastic deals on food".
Pushing open the door, leads directly to a small bar with a range of decent beers and a host of spirits (particularly the popular gin). The decor is very quaint and traditional, reflecting a Tudor town-house more than a sprawling farm-house pub. Behind the bar is a dark haired young woman, who looks up from the newspaper she's reading.
"Welcome, what can I get you? The beer garden is out-back." she says with the hint of a Slavic accent. However there is a snug to one side with a fire place and low stools or in front of the bar a small room with a few leather chairs and bay window looking onto the street.
Sal gently sniffs the cuff of one sleeve.
"Do we smell of fishy boathouses? Maybe outside is best," she whispers to Danny. Aloud, she says, "It's a nice evening for the beer garden. We'd better check there for Kenneth anyway. He may have gotten here before us." She heads through to the back door and the beer garden, placing an order for a gin and tonic (lots of lime) with the dark-haired barwench.
"Man, I'm starved, Danny. I'm gonna get a pizza. What kind of pizza goes with a G&T?" She looks around to see if Kenneth is already settled in the back. If not, she picks a table away from the others as much as possible and sits facing the door to the pub.
Danny follows Sal to the outside area, looking for Kenneth as well.
He's pretty sure that they do not smell like 'Eu Du Boathouse', but there IS that lingering scent that he can't get out of his nose.
"Man, I'm starved, Danny. I'm gonna get a pizza. What kind of pizza goes with a G&T?"
"Ummm. Yes?" Danny shrugs his shoulders wide-eyed.
"I mean, Pizza IS it's own food group, So it pretty much goes with anything. Unless your one of those weirdos who actually LIKE things like Anchovies on your pizza? Then your on your own. Cuz I'd have NO idea."
"Don't tell me your not familiar with the 5 food groups of the college student? It's fairly universal."
Danny starts counting off on his fingers as he continues,...
"There's Caffeine, Nicotine, Sugar (in General), Chocolate, (Specifically), and of course, Pizza!" He grins.
"Dangit. Now I'M hungry!"
"Ew, nicotine? No way. You mean alcohol." Sal looks at the list of pizzas. "I think we can order before Kenneth arrives as long as we order enough to share, don't you think? Maybe 2 or 3 pies with different ingredients?"
She looks around the beer garden in the warm, mellow evening. "Hard to believe everything that happened this morning. How are your, uh, lady friends? They get through this OK?" She scowls at her phone. "I can't believe Edwyn wouldn't give me his number. Just because I nearly punched him? I mean, talk about touchy."
"Ew, nicotine? No way. You mean alcohol." Sal looks at the list of pizzas. "I think we can order before Kenneth arrives as long as we order enough to share, don't you think? Maybe 2 or 3 pies with different ingredients?"
Danny counts off on his fingers once more,...
[b["Hrm, Caffeine, ALCOHOL, Sugar (INCLUDING chocolate), Nicotine, and Pizza? Yeah, that sounds right. Can't believe I forgot the Alcohol,..."[/b]
She looks around the beer garden in the warm, mellow evening. "Hard to believe everything that happened this morning. How are your, uh, lady friends? They get through this OK?" She scowls at her phone. "I can't believe Edwyn wouldn't give me his number. Just because I nearly punched him? I mean, talk about touchy."
Danny grins, briefly, before resuming his 'solemn' face.
They're fine. Or they WILL be fine. Both. They weren't hurt, but they did make enough of a 'scene' to attract the fish-faces attention. So THAT'S bad, but hopefully not so much that they are primary targets. Yeah, they're good."Sal knows Danny enough that his rambling reveals how concerned he was for the twins earlier that day.
"Wow. WAS it only this morning?!? No wonder I'm hungry. AND thirsty." Danny swiftly downs his own drink (He usually enjoys his ciders.) and signals for a refill.
"Yeah, unless you know what Ken likes, we can do an All-meat, al cheese, and a veggie, that should make everybody happy?"
Sal orders a Margherita, Veggie, and Sizzler Español. "That should keep us busy for a little while. No anchovies, though. I'm done with fish for a while." She squeezes her lime wedge dry over the gin and tonic, then sighs.
"I don't know about you, but I'm down with everything to stop these a~!@@*!s," she tells Danny. "They weren't worried about who they hurt or what they destroyed today. They're only gonna get more dangerous. If we think we should hit Kenneth's office tonight while nobody's there, I'm all for getting some espresso, then a touch of burglary."
"This morning could have been worse. A lot worse."
Danny nods in silent agreement with Sal. His unusually somber face echoing her sentiment.
The faces of the twins, (Yes, he CAN tell them apart. Close up.) flash momentarily in his mind's eye.
"Yeah. It could have been. MUCH worse." He echoes solemnly.
Then he takes a long pull of his fresh cider.
"SO,... Unless you know the number of a Pest Control that specializes in 'Piscene' Pests,... I guess that leaves US." Danny says with a much more typical, Danny-Esque cheerful expression.
"It's up to us to do the dirty work again," she nods. "I wish they had a special police unit for this kind of stuff. CSI. SVU. Guess we'll have to do. I think Edwyn was going to get in touch. He might be able to help. I don't know that he was involved with these before or if his being here is coincidence, but he did a great job helping me in Amsterdam... once he decided to do it."
She downs half her drink in one long pull. "I shouldn't have flown off the handle at him. I've just been pretty paranoid about how my Amsterdam name got to the military and the cops. I thought it was clean. Then, when I saw him, it hit me... must have been him who spilled." She finishes the drink and waves for another.
"But he looked so confused. I think he'd have looked guiltier if he sold me out." She grimaces into her glass. "I should be more trusting."
Shaking off the mood, she laughs. "Hey, did you get the job? Gonna start dong some honest work now?"
Danny tilts his head and looks at Sal.
"Well, I havent known him for long of course, but I have pretty good sense of people. He doesn't seem like the sell-em-out type. That still leaves he might have done it, but unwittingly I suppose?" Danny shrugs.
"I think your right, If he HAD sold you out, he would have panicked when he first saw you, not looked confused when you mentioned it. Trust is under-appreciated. Try it, you might like it!" Danny grins.
Shaking off the mood, she laughs. "Hey, did you get the job? Gonna start dong some honest work now?"
Danny actually raises his head to the ceiling and laughs.
"What?!? And ruin my reputation as a lovable free-loader?! Next thing you know your gonna try to start making me,... RESPONSIBLE!"Danny shudders in horror at the thought. Then he winks at Sal.
"They're hiring because the office manager is so preggers I thought I might have to help deliver it as part of the application test!" Danny declares dramatically.
"Seriously, I get the impression that she knows more than she let on, but only in the 'Being -a-good-employee' way. Not in the 'I know my boss is in cahoots with fish-people and I'm helping him hide it', kinda way." Danny explains.
"But,... um,... yeah. Actually, I THINK i got the job. If I were to,... you know, go back and actually TAKE it!" Danny sticks his tongue out and pulls a face at the idea.
Sal cranes towards the kitchen, wondering how long the pizza takes, and starts her second drink on an empty stomach. Feeling the booze a little, she chuckles at Danny's clowning.
"Delivering babies and doing office work? I don't think I see ... DAMMIT! I was supposed to meet Letty tonight!" Scrambling for her phone, she quickly hits one of her speed dial numbers and listens to the phone ring.
"Hey there, hot stuff,"she says when the phone picks up...
There's a soft rich chuckle from the other end of the line, as the Warden of the North answers; "Hi, I've been meaning to give you a call - what with all the commotion, seems that other aspects have taken some troubles in York as a signal to screw around elsewhere. So I cannot make tonight?" Her breath comes out in short gasps, as it seems she's doing some exercise.
"Yeah, me either. I was calling to beg off. We're having a little war counsel at the Minster Inn tonight after the running around we did today. We're either luckier than you, because we're drinking. Or we're unluckier because we're not making whoopie," Sal needles with a grin. "Either way, remember I'm around if you need someone to commit extreme violence with high-velocity plumbum."
Months back, Edwyn learned the hard way that touch screens no longer seemed to respond to the touch of his clammy fingers. Fortunately, mobile phones with keypads were still a thing. Unfortunately, his impeccable spelling and grammar had to be damned.
hey sAl its edwin# where u at?? he punches in one-handed. He briefly takes his eyes off the road to proofread his message before hitting send, grumbling all the while. He wasn’t so sure he could edit it even if he wanted to.
Without a destination, Edwyn rounds the block again, his third since first picking up the Mini Cooper. Luckily, he knew how to drive a stick. He was not exactly expecting a new model, but he wasn’t expecting the car to look like it had rolled right out of the sixties, either. Fashionable, if lacking in technological gizmos and, well, safety features.
At the soft "whoom" of her messaging alert, Sal peeks at the screen, keeping the phone near her ear so she can hear Letitia. How does everyone coordinate all calling simultaneously? Never fails.
She clumsily enters Minster In Marygate beer grdn and quickly taps SEND so she doesn't miss any of the call.
"Hey, not to be a side seat driver, but eyes on the ROAD!"
Danny squeals a little at the end, flinching at how close they seem to be coming to the oncoming traffic.
It COULD be he is still just an American in Europe, still used to driving on the RIGHT side of the road. BUT close is close!
He has complete faith in Sal's mad driving skills. Doesn't mean he won't flinch.
Fortunately for Edwyn there's plenty of parking spaces on the side road where the pub is located and he quickly parks without even needing a ticket. He then goes inside to join Sal & Danny in the Beer Garden.
Phonecall
With a raspy chuckle, Letty replies; "Plum bum, you're my gal." She teases; "Unluckily no whoopie, some card decided to animate the Liver bird. So I'm tracking it down... I'd much rather be drinking or something..."
Sal gives Danny a weird look, slides his drink away from him and a pizza closer.
"Bummer, I was hoping you could join us. You did hear about the Fomor at the Viking Festival this morning, didn't you?" If Letitia had not heard, Sal gives her a brief rundown of events. "The Usual Suspects have been investigating today. Anything you might know would be helpful! I can brief you on our findings when you have time."
Danny shrugs and picks up a piece of pizza.He obviously enjoys it as he listens to Sal's side of the conversation. Then he signals for another drink as he reaches for another slice.
;P
He snickers at 'The Usual Suspects', but a look from Sal silences any Danny-Commentary before it escapes his lips. He stuffs in an extra large bite of Za' for good measure.
;P
Kenneth scans the patio, and flags a waitress for a pint of dark before starting to walk to his companions. Catching the last bit of the conversation, not knowing who it's with, but realizing Sal's referring to them, he adds, "Ach, I always ken that Danny was Kaiser Soze.. it explains so much.", before dropping into a chair, and pushing the thin folder in his hands -- the one from Laura -- onto the table. He shrugs, "There isnae much there, just enow tae suggest we need tae gae and take a gander... but you cannae say that I dinnae share what little information I have."
He sighs, but then remembers that's not the only thing he's got to share, and smiles as he reaches for his sporran, "That said, I have some better goodies for us, which I'd rather share now, so we might actually use them. Had tae dae my enhanting 'round a visitor, but I still managed tae finish what we needed... Unlike certain people that spent their afternoons lazing about by the waterfront."
He passes everyone a short, twisted wire. "Right, so, if we be needing tae spend some time underwater, give the wire a full-twist. The Flame ay Kildare will surround you, making a bubble ay air 'round your heed - so we can see and breathe for a mite... Useful, but I need tae warn everyone that I took a shortcut when I made 'em -- so they're all connected - really, it's just one item in sections. Means that if any one ay them activates, they all dae. A'course, the flames wouldnae really have an effect on anyone nae in the water, so if you need it, dinnae fret about using it."
He nods at the auburn-haired waitress who drops off his pint, then smiles, and watches her walk away for a moment, Aye, well, another fine reminder ay why we fight, that.. That's the sort ay figure that inspires ballads... He shakes his head, and brings himself back to the sack of goodies and chuckles, "Aye, and, I got ye each a gift - you can just think of me as a more handsome Father Christmas -- one who prefers tae reward those that has been naughty, at that."
He slides a sprig of holly-berries to Sal, "This should help a mite with any walking fishsticks that may be less than swayed by your usual leaden argugments. Each ay the five berries is filled with the same holy fire as surrounds my blade, so they should hurt pretty much anything. Can throw the whole lot at once, or as many as ye need - depends on the size ay the baddie you're staring at."
He turns with a smile, "And for ye, laddie, your bestest friend in the whole world went and did you quite the solid." He slides over a small flask and says, "Last time I was a sessional at the U, one ay the classics profs I had tae endure in order tae be paid kept going on and on about synergy - 'twas bad philosophy, and there's nae the links between Celtic and Greek myths that he kept inventing -- but it gave a body an idea. So, here it is - drink this, lad, and you'll have a touch ay Brigid's fire in ye -- for a while, anyhow -- enough that, one at y the times you use your own powers, what ye build will be FORGED IN FIRE. That is tae say, it'll be at least partially real - so a body cannae just ignore the illusion... and it'll pack more ay a punch that usual.... A'course, this should come with a warning label - because the reality ay what you make can have consequences that you're not used tae thinking about. So try nae tae cut off our escape or burn down anything priceless."
His gifts distributed, Kenneth takes another long pull from the brown, Ach, I'd hae expected something a mite more nutty... should have gotten the porter... Hmm... that would give a body a reason tae call back the waitress... and grabs a slice of pizza, asking, "So, then, Sal, did ye manage tae make a useful start ay a plan, or did ye need tae spend tae much time babysitting this one?" before taking a bite.
Danny takes the small flask and holds it up almost reverently.
"That,... is COOL! Thanks Mate!" Danny finally says with a grin.
"I've always thought that my magic was pretty, but only 'helpful' in a tight spot. Not really HELPFUL, if you get my drift. Always wondered what it might be like to be like you, or a wizard." Danny is still looking at the flask.
Danny blinks and looks at the others, looking a little embarrassed.
"Thanks. I'll be sure to put it to good use." He says in his more-usual Danny-tone and tucks the flask into an inside pocket of his jacket. He examines the wire and tucks it into a pocket as well.
"Babysitting?!?! Hey! I'll have you know that got a . Almost. Pretty much mine if I went back and took it. Yeah. MEANWHILE, Sal here was about to sweet-talk herself into a date with the burly hired help. But we both managed to get permission to check out the boathouse. And then wished we hadn't,..." Danny pinches the bridge of his nose and grimaces in distaste.
"What was left behind was NAS-TEE. The place looked, and smelled, like an army of frat boys had partied in there for a solid month. The only thing they hadn't eaten was these. I can't figure out what they were doing with them in the first place, much less why they didn't eat them. They devoured everything else they could get their hands on it seems by the wrappers."
Danny places one of the small jars of honey on the table in front of Ken, and snags one of the last slices of pizza in exchange.
"Later, dear, we're about to have a brain trust meeting. Gotta run. Be safe." Sal pushes the end call button and gives Kenneth a smile as he settles at the table. God, please let me not reek of fish slime.
He passes everyone a short, twisted wire. "Right, so, if we be needing tae spend some time underwater, give the wire a full-twist. The Flame ay Kildare will surround you, making a bubble ay air 'round your heed - so we can see and breathe for a mite... Useful, but I need tae warn everyone that I took a shortcut when I made 'em -- so they're all connected - really, it's just one item in sections. Means that if any one ay them activates, they all dae. A'course, the flames wouldnae really have an effect on anyone nae in the water, so if you need it, dinnae fret about using it."
Sal leaves the folder on the table but takes the little twist of wire to examine. She finds herself highly tempted to give it a twist to see if it works, but refrains since it's a one-shot item. She quickly tucks it into the watch pocket of her jeans to avoid the temptation.
He slides a sprig of holly-berries to Sal, "This should help a mite with any walking fishsticks that may be less than swayed by your usual leaden argugments. Each ay the five berries is filled with the same holy fire as surrounds my blade, so they should hurt pretty much anything. Can throw the whole lot at once, or as many as ye need - depends on the size ay the baddie you're staring at."
"Ooh, fishface napalm? Thanks, Handsome Santa!" She winks at Kenneth and turns the sprig in her hands for a moment, looking for anything weird, but can't tell diddly about it. Shrugging, she fastens the little sprig into her curls with a couple of bobby pins to have the berries close at hand and ready for action.
"Babysitting?!?! Hey! I'll have you know that I got a JOB. Almost. Pretty much mine if I went back and took it. Yeah. MEANWHILE, Sal here was about to sweet-talk herself into a date with the burly hired help. But we both managed to get permission to check out the boathouse. And then wished we hadn't,..." Danny pinches the bridge of his nose and grimaces in distaste.
"What was left behind was NAS-TEE. The place looked, and smelled, like an army of frat boys had partied in there for a solid month. The only thing they hadn't eaten was these. I can't figure out what they were doing with them in the first place, much less why they didn't eat them. They devoured everything else they could get their hands on it seems by the wrappers."
Danny places one of the small jars of honey on the table in front of Ken, and snags one of the last slices of pizza in exchange.
Sal grins at Danny's indignance. "That pretty much sums it up. Our tour of fabulous luxury Yorkshire beachfront properties ended up charming the locals and scoring several business opportunities. I'd call that a rousing success, not 'lazing,' Mister Finley." She flags the passing waitress and orders a repeat of the little Margherita pizza, then gestures to the others in case they want something different.
Once the waitress has the orders and is out of earshot, she resumes. "As far as planning, we can make a random visit to the Dawnay Arms or The Green Tree, where my latest broken-hearted swain's Da hangs out. Old Da's the one that allowed some fellow named Brackenthwait to use the boathouse the fishsticks trashed. Brackenthwait might be there, or Da might give us his digits. Or..." she pulls her new lucky horseshoe out of her jacket pocket and sets it on the table next to the little jar of honey. "... we could ask the blacksmith that made this shoe or the monks that made this honey what they might know. The blacksmith witnessed the attack, as did the monks. And why was this honey from Lindesfarne at the boathouse if the fishy f$+$s couldn't stand it? OR..." She touches the little folder. "... we could check out this place. OR we could wait for Edwyn to get here and see if he has any leads."
She surveys the objects on the table and touches the folder, sliding it to the table in front of her. "My gut feel is to gather intelligence in this place tonight, carefully. This attack was planned and staged for some time. There could be more coming quickly. It was pure luck we were all there to stop the kidnappings. We need info fast, and this is something we can do now."
She touches the cross hanging at her neck with a silent sorry about the pure luck thing to the Divine.
"Oh, nearly forgot. Letitia and her crew were drawn out of town tonight by someone who animated the Liver Bird. Interesting timing, hmm?" She sips her gin and tonic with a thoughtful scowl.
"That,... is COOL! Thanks Mate!" Danny finally says with a grin.
"I've always thought that my magic was pretty, but only 'helpful' in a tight spot. Not really HELPFUL, if you get my drift. Always wondered what it might be like to be like you, or a wizard." Danny is still looking at the flask.
Kenneth shakes his head and says, "Trust me, lad, there's nae a body that wouldnae like tae be me... But, given that ye've literally saved my bacon - hell's the whole bloody ham and pig, tae -- or more than one occasion, I wouldnae start worrying about whether or nae you're helpful."
He takes a pull from his beer and chuckles at Danny's mock-outburst (and his seizure of the last slice of pizza) and says, "A job? Ach, lad, watch out. Look what happens tae a body when they start accepting responsibilities. Next thing ye ken, there's a goddess that expects ye tae defend her entire island against things and ye've got a flaming sword in your hands and a compulsion tae go find her bow that just willnae go away..." He winks, then adds, "That or, you'll just have the nice folks from the Ministry asking about your work visa, and another lot looking for their share ay taxes."
He smiles again and says, "As for Sal, I've nae doubt that she's impressed the men at the boathouse. Or anywhere, really...." He trails off as he looks at the jar, taking a moment and then lifting it, trying to see if there's any strange reaction between it and the tiny sliver of the Flame burning within him... or if it triggers any sort of memory about rituals, summoning -- or mythical tales of the Formor.
He shakes his head and turns to Sal, and nods, "Well, 'tis more a pack ay silver bullets than napalm. Was originally thinking I'd make something that goes boom, but then I remembered how the monsters were woven intae the crowd - and decided 'twas better tae have some finer control... Though, if ye've further requests, you're always welcome tae sit on ol' Father Christmas' lap."
He pauses a moment, admiring the way the small natural sprig only reinforces Sal's beauty, then sighs, Ach, really. Waitress, Laura, Sal... all a body needs now is Lae---, then starts laughing at himself as Sal finishes her statement, --on the phone, aye, a'course. Well, I suppose better that than her being here in person - there's only so many hearts a body can juggle at the same time. Truly, Lady, I wonder if this is the result of my heart being broken intae pieces when Cait died -- or is loving all fair creatures your way of ensuring that no one ay them could ever take your place? At a certain point, when the heartbreaks come, I dinnae ken how much damage I'll be leaving in my wake - and how that balances against those I've saved.
He shakes his head from that thought, chastising himself for how often it seems to be coming back to him, and says, "Well, now, if the Wardens were drawn out ay position, that certainly suggests there's more afoot here than we first thought. Having the sense tae distract the poxy wizards means we're dealing with someone canny enow tae plan, and clever enough tae know they need tae. 'Tisnae a good combination in an opponent. I much prefer when they're so simple and straightforward that even Danny kens what they're uptae."
Sal pulls herself from an involuntary daydream of how naughty she could be sitting on a certain Father Christmas's lap in time to hear the end of Kenneth's jibe at Danny and chuckle appropriately.
She glances quickly at her phone to be sure her message to Edwyn actually went through, hoping she's not blushing. "Looks like Edwyn will meet us here sometime. Maybe he discovered something useful. I hope."
"Do you think the wizards... I mean, 'poxy wizards'... were deliberately drawn away? Could just be coincidence. I didn't ask Letitia when they went to Liverpool." She grimaces in disappointment. "That would be good to know." She taps in the question to Letitia's phone, hoping it gets through the annoying magical interference and actually reaches the Warden.
"What do you guys think of stopping by this office tonight and having a quick look around? She may not be supernatural, but Laura's got some connections. You guys can see things her people might not."
Danny smirks at the jibe and salutes Ken with his own mug of cider.
"I like it that way too. I'm yer 'Han Solo' 'Give me a straight fight to all this sneakin' around'" Danny does a passable imitation of a young Harrison Ford.
"Well, I vote to check it out. I would LOVE to be on the 'ahead of them' side of the equation for a change. And If they were smart enough to draw off the old fogies, I mean 'poxy wizards' deliberately? Yeah, then this was likely the first strike/ snatch and grab part of the operation."
Danny takes another large swig of his cider.
"Well, asides the fact that the Fae will take things to the bloody extreme, MOST well-planned operations have at least 3 phases. PLanning, already done, we're too late to stop that. TEsting, which is likely what the raid was about, and the 'big score' itself. THAT is what we need to stop. ANd I get the impression we shouldn't count on us being lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time for it either."
Edwyn ends up walking into the Beer Garden looking much like he did earlier. Namely, like the victim of a back-alley mugging. Evidently, he neglected to do anything about his tousled hair, much less his clothing. A trip to a tailor and dry cleaner could still save the poor suit, but he might have been better off remembering that he had spares in the closet. Or I can just stop dressing like I'm going to a job interview.
"Sorry I'm late," he says when he finds Sal and Friends, sounding about as genuine as a cop crashing a party. "Getting into touch with my contact took longer than I thought... and I might have gotten lost on the way here."
Edwyn sighs at the admission - alas, the voice recognition on his phone's GPS had failed him. He could have just taken a cab, but it was hard to beat the autonomy having one's own vehicle offered.
With a conspirational tone, he then skips straight to business. "So. Are you all still planning to go... fishing?"
Danny snorts as he raises his mug for another drink.
"Heh. 'Fishing'. I like this guy."
Kenneth says, "Aye, I fear you're right, lad. Would be tae much tae hope that we've messed up their plan, rather than given them a good idea ay what they need tae be ready for - or tae distract - before the 'real' plan."
He nods, "I think we might want tae suggest tae Laetita that their current fun may have been a deliberate misdirect. Willnae change the fact that they're there, instead ay here where they'd be helpful, but it's never a bad idea tae at least look like we're playing nice with the poxy wizards.... and who knows, mayhap they'll decide they dinnae need an 8-week study ay what's happened in Liverpool and could get back here tae help with the clean up."
A stray thought hits him and he nudges Danny, "So now I've suddenly got an old Bangles song in my head. We should call in and dedicate it tae the Wardens."
He nods at Edwyn's arrival, "Thinking it might be more ay of a midnight trip, Edwyn. I cannae help but think Laura's lead is more about the brains and why -- the sort ay thing that could let us see the bigger picture, so it strikes me as a best first stop. Especially since I have tae think that the timing would work out well after we finish our pints and dinner."
Sal gently slides the latest pizza delivery in Edwyn's direction. If he hadn't had time to change or groom, he probably hadn't had time to eat, either. She quickly recaps the findings about the possible police lead, the boathouse, the honey, and confirms that they're thinking of checking out the office immediately after dinner.
"Unless you found out something better to check?" There's a definite query in her tone of voice.
With a nod to Kenneth, she fires off a couple more texts to Letitia, indicating that she might leave cleanup and investigation to others and hightail her fine tail back to York, just in case.
Danny outright laughs at Kenneth's song dedication suggestion.
"Oh yeah. I'm sure they'd LOVE that! I know I would!" He grins and pulls out his own phone.
He punches a digital button or two, (no one at the table seems to be surprised that he has the local radio stations on speed dial) and murmurs a request for the evenings play list. He dedicates it to 'Those who have put all of the MAGIC into my life!' And grins at the others as he hangs up.
"What? It's the little things in life that make me happy!"
Danny nods sagely at Sal's observations as well.
"Well then. We need to be properly prepared for our evenings endeavors!"
Danny orders a large platter of chicken wings and another cider.
:)
Edwyn regards the pizza as though it were a sweaty old sock. He purses his lips, debating on whether it would be worth risking it. It certainly looks and smells like good eats, but his track record with taste hasn’t been great. Not wanting to arouse anything in the way of suspicion, he murmurs his thanks and proceeds to devour the pizza in as gentlemanly a manner as possible, short of breaking out a fork and knife.
It tasted, well, great.
Maybe it is all in my head, he tells himself as he listens to Sal’s rundown, nodding every now and then to affirm that he is otherwise paying attention. Frankly, it sounded a lot more like actual detective work than what he’s been up to lately.
”Sounds like you found their clubhouse. Or one of them, at least,” he remarks, after finishing his slice. He considers Sal’s query carefully before answering. Strictly speaking, not everything he learned involved his client, so he didn’t have to compromise his professional standards.
”Well, I might have a ‘why,’” Edwyn says, eyeing Kenneth. ”I don’t know if it’s something we can really check into, per se, but a little bird gave me an inkling of what the Fomor are after, though I can still hardly believe it. You’re, uh, going to have to bear with me on this one.”
The detective sighs, deciding to break it to them all at once. He knew precisely squat about magic, but with any luck, it'd make a lot more sense to them.
”You were talking about places of power earlier today, yeah? Well, apparently there is one around here that has a seal on it. According to my contact, the Fomor tried to break it open a millennium ago, but failed.
"Back when that happened, some fellow called Balder pried the thing open and shoved one of their masters into it, before closing it again. Probably seemed like a good idea at the time. Only, the seal wasn’t made to be opened and shut again, much less sit around for a thousand years. It's like... trying to pop the cork back into a bottle of wine. So the seal has gradually been getting weaker and weaker. But now the Fomor are trying to speed things up. To do that, they need blood. Magical blood. A lot of it.”
Edwyn pauses, looking at everyone sheepishly. "Any of this making sense to you guys yet?"
Kenneth pales, "A leader of the Formor? Ach, that cannae be. 'Twasnae Baldur that defeated Balor, 'twas the Tuatha Dé Danann. Balor killed Nuada of the Silver Arm, and then was in turn killed by Lugh, who became the King of the gods..."
His head starts to spin as myths and stories that he grew up learning about smash into Edwyn's statements with the energy of a semi. Finally, he mutters, "I think we might be having a call tae make... strangely, I happen tae have Baldur on speed-dial."