Widjgleeby watches as Ham and Lirassa leave the compound and then turns her attention to the grounds. The garden in the middle looks to be in a bit of disrepair.
Too much green stuff, she thinks irritably. Nothing new there. She knows well that both Yangae and Hergoth have a weird obsession with the stuff. It's almost like a shared psychosis, or something like that. All that plant matter everywhere, mucking up perfectly good rocks! Ah, well; four-limbed creatures rarely make sense. To make matters worse, some of the green stuff would be considered valuable, or at least keepable, while others are treated like a disease. "Weeds," they called them. The Her-Galad word for it, "Kel'dae," at least has a nice, aggressive ring, especially with the shortened vowels and that weird glottal aspiration they put on the "l'" sound. It makes it clear that the unwanted plants are just that, unwanted. On the other hand, the Yangae word, "Ywani," sounds almost beautiful, as if even unwanted plants still had desirable qualities.
How ironic that the Hergoth tend to value nature while Yangae seem only too happy to build game courses and factories in it.
Definitely too much green stuff. The garden needs weeding. The trouble is that Widjgleeby isn't quite sure which are the weeds and which aren't. Mon'Fargret probably wouldn't be happy if she made a mistake. Still...maybe just the ones that don't look good...
Actually, NONE of them look good, but maybe...
Widjgleeby's musings (and attempted start at ornamental horticulture) are interrupted by the sound of a vehicle easing up the alley. No emission smell; obviously electromotors with an onboard non-combustive powerplant. Almost no sound, either. Either its "safety noise" generator is shut off or it doesn't have one. The faint wheeltrain sound suggests retractables. There is also a hint of the odor of recently-used repulsorjets.
A VTOL hybrid?
Widjgleeby immediately goes on her guard. She soon relaxes it, though. She can see the Peace Force logo through one of the one-way windowslits next to the gate. And there is no mistaking the smell of that pair!
Nekshi's attempt at singing a Hergoth Song of Calling is quickly interrupted by the Farbett opening the door so exuberantly she almost tears it off its hinges. Granite Spear then reminds Nekshi that Mon'Fargret is Foldorian, and Foldorians don't sing Hergoth greeting songs.
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Mon'Fargret sets his laser to continuous beam and hoses down Widj, Nekshi, and Granite. He then eats the muzzle and pulls the trigger.
Oops, I misspoke a little bit there. In reality, this is what happened...
Mon'Fargret hears the percussive crink of Widj opening the door and looks to see a couple of familiar forms. He then scrambles to find an appropriate food or beverage for either or both Nekshi and Granite. Instinctively, he begins heating water again, then starts cupboard & fridge surfing.
Zeton goes to investigate the commotion and sees the arrival of Nekshi and Granite. "I must have been in a dead zone and unable to get a signal to Nekshi, that's why she never responded to my call. Oh well..."
Zeton realizes he is a bit hungry and would like some tea as he moves to greet Granate and Nekshi. He also wonders where the hell they've been.
"Nekshi! I hope you have a wonderful story to tell, because we've plenty to tell you."
Dabid comes out on an upstairs terrace and looks down silently. There's no sign of anyone else.
Where is Mey? Did she leave the flat?
No, she's still there. She's cleaning up the mess Lirassa made, grumbling all the way.
Granite goes to nearest source of water plumbing and proceeds to wet her skin down with a towel.
[Dang it, DewKid. I can't tell you how nice it is to have you back. You too, Seymour.]
Mon'Fargret addresses Mey'Luskar, "I can take care of that Mey, and I apologize, but I think Bina could use your help. She is in a grief trance down in the shop. If not, you can find something suitable for our returned Zorlan and Shurian friend in our larder, that would help too."
(Actually, there is a small pond in the garden...and a Hergoth-style bath in the house. Either would be at least as readily accessible than a towel.)
Mey'Luskar pauses in her cleaning and looks up with an unreadable expression. "So THAT'S what I-uh..." She glances at Nekshi. "I mean...grief trance. Yeah. Hergoth do that, don't they? When they're...um..." She looks at her hands and grits her teeth. "In the shop, huh?" She gathers herself together, takes a breath, and starts to leave.
When she passes Nekshi she pauses long enough for a brisk nod and an, "I didn't think I'd see thy face again!" Then she slips outside.
Nekshi watches Mey leave with some interest, but decides not to interfere.
She bows to Mon'Fargret, Zeton and Widj. "May we come in? Or will I be forced to sing at you a second time?"
Zeton smiles at Nekshi and then looks at Mon'Fargret wryly, "So, are you going to make her serenade us, or should we just go in and hear their story?"
Granite stops imagining how hilarious it would be to wet herself down with a towel in front of these land creatures, and instead excuses herself to take a dip in the pond.
It isn't long before Mey'Luskar comes back looking rather jittery.
"Um," she says sheepishly, "the shop is, like, locked. Can you...you know...blip it?"
"As much as I enjoy your dulcet tones, Nekshi, I can't make you stand at the door. Come in," replies Mon'Fargret.
When Mey'Luskar returns, he replies to her, "Good point, but I wonder how Bina got in then...I think the story needs to wait for just a short time. Please make yourselves at home and I will be right back. Let's go, Mey. I want to take a quick look with you."
With that, Mon'Fargret grabs his big bag of somethings and heads out the door (presumably with Mey).
Mey looks surprised. "You don't have a remote...ah." She clicks her tongue with embarrassment and turns to go.
The shop is indeed locked. Once inside, everything looks in order. There is no evidence of a break-in.
Bina is in the gallery seated on the floor holding her knees. As the two Foldorians approach, she slowly looks up, her movements stiff and heavy. Her eyes look vacant.
"Hey, there," says Mey'Luskar in Her-Galad. "Are you okay?"
Bina makes a dry sound in her throat as if trying to speak. Then she manages, "What time is it?"
"Please bring her up when she is ready. I am going to tend to the new arrivals," Mon'Fargret addresses Mey.
"Also, I do have a remote entry, but if you can solve Bina's entry, I would appreciate it."
With that, he exits to return to the flat.
Nekshi waits till Mon'Fargret returns before telling her story.
By the end of her tale, nearly everyone is screaming with excitement or weeping with joy.
Okay, maybe not everyone. In fact no one is, but it's a good story.
(Does anybody besides you and Robin even know what the story is?)
Zeton for one does not know the story and is looking forward to learning why he should be screaming with excitement or weeping with joy.
In any event, while waiting, Zeton helps himself to food and drink and offers those around, (and awake), refreshments as well.
Ham hustles into his flat after a precursory inspection- making sure no one is outwardly watching or out of place. He keeps the lights off and feels for the hidden floor release under the sofa.
He pulls the two "camping equipment" bags out (it actually says "camping equipment" in Ibitonian), pauses with a quick passive sweep with the scanner. Satisfied that there is no activity, stealthily moves out of the flat.
Seeing a the equivalent of Yangae ankle biter pooches he pulls out the heavy carbine and lays waste to the whole leashed train and handler and moves on....
Oops thats what his long lost uncle would have done....as it is ... there was no one actually here...
it was just an idle thought.
Nekshi smiles, as if reliving a strange joke and accepts a glass of tea.
"I must admit, our story is not very interesting, yet it may throw some light on how deep and perhaps how desperate our opposition is."
"I'd first like to apologize to all of you on abandoning you at perhaps a crucial nexus in our investigation. I take full responsibility for this lapse, and would hope this will not tarnish any future collaborations. Please remember that I am first and foremost an intelligence operative and not a military specialist. I was completely overwhelmed by events and instinctively sought the voice of command to continue to function."
She looks around the room and hangs her head. "We must work with what resources we have, no matter how spare."
"I was able to contact my superiors via Hyperwave and transmit what information I had gleaned. The speed of the returned directives caught me off-guard and only confirm how dire a situation we face. Nothing moves through Zorlan bureaucracy that quickly unless it heralds an extinction level event."
"Upon exiting the Hyperwave booth, Granite had discovered a Zorlan spy named Zofan who I had encountered loitering on the Temple grounds hungry for information. We gave chase. Granite cornered the fellow in the parking lot. I had encountered another operative, a Hertessk named Tilo lurking in a shopping kiosk. In a brief exchange with him, he warned me of Zofan's treachery and gave me his card. A strange fellow, probably working for the enemy, yet he had rough honor I could trust."
She finishes her tea and puts the cup on the table.
"Zofan had Granite at a disadvantage. He used all the subliminals and word games we've programmed into the Shurians for centuries. He abased her. I was so angry at that point that I actually confronted him, physically. The only thing that stayed my hand was the arrival of another operative!"
Nekshi laughs, "Imagine, all this trouble for a headstrong Zorlan female and her bodyguard! Although Zofan may have been bait this new face was clever and resourceful, and Zofan was not happy to see her.
Perhaps something you had done had spurned the enemy into committing more resources. She was tall and well-built like a Besteeng, but I couldn't place her. And she was dressed as a servant, almost a slave, yet she bit back Zofan's insults and almost had us. But Granite saw through her subterfuge and Attacked! Granite took her like a wallowing mud-adder and kept her from using her cleverly disguised stun-wrister on us."
"Naturally the Temple guards responded quickly, Bless them, and the matter seemed well in hand until a speeding ground effect car intervened and sprayed the area with high velocity slugs. Zofan was killed, the woman escaped and Granite and I were reduced to hiding behind the Temple's fine shrubbery."
"It seemed much later that Inspector Par'ai and the rest of the Temple guards came to our rescue, although it may have only been a few seconds. I will not be surprised to learn that the attack vehicle and its deadly cargo escaped unharmed from the scene, Yet I will not judge too harshly. Our enemy is extremely well motivated and equipped. They play this game to win, and were only slightly off-key this afternoon. Otherwise, both Granite and myself would be in their clutches."
"I will accept questions at this time."
"Slightly off-key...," comes Mey'Luskar's voice from the doorway just before she emerges. "Funny, that's what Bina said!" She glances around at the blank expressions, whispers a quick apology, and moves quickly to Mon'Fargret's location.
"Nekshi, as usual, your narrative style is succinct, yet very compelling. I'm glad to hear you and Granite were not harmed."
"So, who wants to tell Nekshi and Granite about our little adventure?"
(Mon'Fargret can do this, but his overlord is on the busy side until about Thursday eve, so the narrative would need to wait until then...however, others can feel free to chime in)
Mey'Luskar edges up to Mon'Fargret uncertainly. "Um," she says in a half-whisper that is heard by almost everyone, "about Bina: She said something about the whole world singing, and she went kind of off-key, and that's how she got in. Or something like that." She wrinkles her nose and shakes her head. "She's being kind of weird. It's a Hergoth thing, I know but..." Realizing everyone's attention is on her, she bites her lip and dismisses herself with a curt, "I'd better go back."
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