Lirassa grabs Mon'Fargret's first aid kit and sets to work on his shoulder.
"I can't do anything about that bone," she says, "but you'll be able to travel."
Ham mutters something in Biton as he has a look at Dabid. Clicking his tongue with annoyance, he seals the stump of the severed leg with celluplasts from his own first aid kit.
Meanwhile, Widjgleeby pokes around the various bits of the Yoti's body (and casually snacks on at least one of them).
Granite Spear bursts through the bead curtain ready to fight, but then she is left looking in bewilderment at the floating cursor point.
"Flaming trickster!" yells Betham at the cursor point angrily. "What kind of sick game are you playing? Show yourself!"
"Show myself?" replies the voice lazily. "Why would I want to do that? I mean...I have a badge-less cop and a brooch-less priestess here, and either one of you'd tear me apart in a second! And if you didn't, there are a lot of very angry people with you. Verrrrry angry..."
"Well, of COURSE we're angry!" Betham shoots back glancing quickly at the others. "It's bad enough that you've turned this old mansion into a stinking cesspool of...drugs and...and..."
There is an annoyed sigh. "See? You're jumping to conclusions! You always jump to conclusions! Anyone with a badge or a brooch...even in past tense. Blinded by rules, rules, rules! You have no idea what's going on, or how much we've suffered to keep you people safe!"
"S-safe?" Betham stammers, clenching his fists. He glares down at Dabid and Mon'Fargret.
"Like I said," the voice goes on easily, "I had nothing to do with any of this. I'll even say I'm very, very sorry if it'll make you feel better. Look, I asked my people to...discourage you from coming in. No one was supposed to get hurt. I never wanted them to shoot at anybody, especially one of my own guests...and I certainly didn't know that one had a killer zombie implant! Now I have to wonder what they really wanted."
While this dialog is going on, Zeton steps through the bead curtain with Gemma in his arms.
"Ooh, I've only been up here a couple of times!" she coos happily. Then she wrinkles her nose. "I don't remember it being so messy!"
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Zeton gingerly stands Gemma on her feet, preferably close to something she can lean against, or sit on, without being too near the now squished Yoti. He quickly surveys the scene and then asks the floating curser, "Gol'br'in, are there more substantial medical supplies somewhere in the house? We have some seriously injured people here."
While he awaits an answer, Zeton sits down on the floor, clears a space for his pocket computer and checks to make sure Little Brother is fully functional, along with all the other computer defense and offense programs he can muster.
There are a number of chairs in the vicinity since it is right in front of the wet bar. (The veranda is also immediately outside through the smashed door.)
As Zeton and Pru both help Gemma sit, she finally notices Mon'Fargret and Dabid. First she gasps. Then she cries, "Ouch! Ow! Oh, the pain! That's it! Oh, no! Oh, I thought it was the come-down! Oh, ow! Somebody help them, please!"
Bina, who has just entered with Mey'Luskar, closes her eyes, clenches her fists, and sobs.
Mon'Fargret's pain stops as suddenly as a light switched off.
There is a pause, and then the voice replies, "I suppose it's the least I can do. Stay where you are. I'll have someone bring it...assuming not everyone here has turned against me."
Zeton's software battery seems fully functional.
Zeton continues in Her-galad, "Gol'br'in, we don't have much time, so I'll make this simple. We believe a friend is being held captive at the Eye of Tann and we are on our way to rescue them. Now that our group isn't in any shape to continue with this plan, we need to delay whatever might be happening at the Eye from here. You must have been watching the Eye for a while now, do you have any suggestions to a weakness?"
Zeton begins to work with this computer while waiting for Gol'br'in response.
There is a pause. Then the voice from the cursor says, "You're serious! So...you weren't trying to...then again you were, but...but that does answer a few...hmm." There is another pause. "If your friend really is at the Eye of Tann, they're probably in grave danger, but there's still time. The guests are still arriving. I know they're much more desperate now, and it seems you have something to do with that. I'm curious to know why."
"Can you help us get there?" asks Betham impatiently.
"You're asking for my help?" counters the voice with a hint of surprise. "Now that's interesting! I don't want to be crass, but...what's in it for me?"
"Don't trust him!" growls Bina in an agonized voice, her eyes still tightly shut and her face contorted. "Polluted mensr'ein! HE probably let the flaming Atlanzi out!"
There's a sigh.
"I figured you'd try to blame me for that," says the voice, "but you've got it all wrong. No one let it out. At least not yet. Don't you know? That's what this is all about! My master spent his whole life preventing it from happening. In fact, he wound up giving his life for it. That's why I'm here now, but unfortunately my skills are limited. I can't even call the Fire without help."
"He uses our energy," says Gemma absently.
Zeton stops working and looks at the floating cursor. "What's in it for you?" Zeton subtly shifts his tone of voice to be as diplomatic and convincing as possible. "Well, two items spring to mind. For starters, you'd be helping us stop a terrible event from happening, a couple terrible events if you include stopping the Atlanzi. Umm..., well the second one should be pretty obvious. I'm sure you're aware we have a Farbett with us, yes? Do you know what she's doing right now? She snacking on the remains of the Yoti. Mind you, she hasn't had a proper meal in some time so I don't blame her, but what if the Yoti only whets her appetite?"
Zeton allows his voice to trail off and he returns to his work for a moment.
After a bit of typing he asks Mon'Fargret, "Do you really think we could finish our task with our party in the shape it's in? I realize we could leave Dabid here, but what about you?"
"Oh, you have a Farbett!" retorts the voice mockingly. "How nice! Would you like to know what I have? Of course, you could always just go into the tunnels and find out! But that wouldn't help either of us, would it? No, my question was aimed at your cop friend. Why should I help if he's just going to come back later with a badge and a posse and ruin everything?"
"Well, why shouldn't I?" demands Betham evenly. "It's bad enough that you've turned this historic building into a filthy squat, but a vine garden?"
"None of the vine made here gets to the street," replies the voice. "We don't sell it. What we don't use ourselves goes to help keep people alive. And besides, I'm not squatting here. Look at the property deed if you still have access. See whose name is on it."
"What?" Betham turns on his wrister and punches around. Then he lets out a befuddled moan. "I don't get it. How..."
"My master went incognito thirty years ago," the voice goes on, "after the ones under these hills came after him and killed just about everyone else. But he left the place to me when he went on his last mission. I just never bothered to change the 'abandoned' label. It keeps nosy people away."
As this dialog trails off, shuffling footsteps can be heard in the passage beyond the west bead curtain. Lirassa, Ham, and Pru have their weapons out in an instant.
"Don't shoot!" cries a feminine, Fasion-sounding voice in thickly-accented Yangae. "Don't shoot! Please! I'm unarmed!"
"Slowly," snarls Lirassa.
The curtain parts, and a very terrified-looking Fasion steps through holding what looks like a medic's bag. It has the Hergoth Geishana symbol on it.
"I brought this for you..." the Fasion says hoarsely.
"Gol'br'in, there's also the simple fact the folks at the Eye of Tann aren't stupid. With or without your help we're going to recuse our friend. When the leaders at the Eye realize where the recuse originated from, I think you'll need more than whatever you have in your tunnels to protect this house."
"Oh..., the medical supplies have arrived. Thank you, Gol'br'in, for helping us with our wounded."
With that, Zeton types a few other commands onto his keyboard before he starts to rummage around in his satchel for some of paper and a pen. Once he has those items, he begins to write something in Yangae.
Lirassa grabs the bag from the Fasion and looks inside.
"Oh, good," she says, pulling something out. "Bone splicer! Next question: Who among us knows how to use it?"
Bina's eyes open a little.
"It's okay, Dear Sister," says Gemma melodically. "I'll take it."
"...can you...?" asks Bina hoarsely.
"The Vine, Dear Sister! The Vine! I can share it, I can bear it!"
Bina gestures understanding. Then she jumps as if something were yanked out of her body. At the same time, Gemma tenses up and sobs.
Bina walks purposefully up to Lirassa, snatches the bone splicer, and turns to Mon'Fargret.
"No promises," she says. "Maybe you heard me talking to Par'deth before. I took level three Geishana training, but I didn't pass it."
"I'm sure you'll do fine," says Lirassa. "Besides, I know a few things about fixing bones...if I use more primitive tools."
Nekshi starts a monologue about the intricacies of sharing pain on different levels, or something of the sort.
Bina manages a smile as she starts the work. Then she stops with a gasp.
"What is it?" asks Mey'Luskar.
Out on the veranda there is a swirl of orange light. As weapons start to be drawn, Kiel'i walks into the room giving off an aura of calm.
Bina drops the bone splicer, which Lirassa immediately catches. Unable to face her former circle-mate, Bina stammers, "Why...wh...b-but you..."
"Your prayer was heard," says Kiel'i. She offers a quick bow to everyone and then hurries to Mon'Fargret. "I can't stay long. Start the mending. I'll finish it."
"Y-you shouldn't be here at all!" protests Bina, glancing around. "This place is..."
"...the coven of a Mensr'ein," interrupts Kiel'i. "Mountain-Eye knows. We're to leave him alone...at least for now."
"What the..?" Zeton stammers at the appearance of Kiel'i.
"Mensr'ein? Gol'br'in is a Mensr..." a slow laugh crescendos as Zeton slaps his thigh, "Of course! Gol'br'in is a follower of Gameye."
Zeton takes the note he'd been writing and puts it in his satchel along with his pen and paper. While Bina and Kiel'i attend to Mon'Fargret, Zeton gets up and heads over to Betham.
"I'm not sure Gol'br'in will help us, so I'm working on creating a diversion at the Eye of Tann. Honestly, I have no idea if I can pull this off, but if I can cause everyone to evacuate the building, I'm thinking we could get Adulie that way. I'm just not sure how far away we are from the Eye and how long it will take us to get there. What do you think?"
the Farbett mutters "I don't eat Hergoth." in her own language and watches the proceedings with interest.
Bina and Kiel'i work as a team, combining spiritual power with skill and technology. After only a few minutes, they finish working on Mon'Fargret's shoulder.
"There," says Kiel'i, patting the shoulder. "Good as new." Despite her smile and placid demeanor, however, she seems mildly troubled.
Next they turn to Gemma. After thanking her for her help, the pair work on her leg using only their spiritual power. Since Bina already did most of the work before, they finish in a matter of seconds.
Gemma drops to her knees in a formal show of supplication, whining about how unworthy she is. Kiel'i touches her matted locks and reminds her that all souls are equal in the Oneness.
Finally, they turn to Dabid, but Kiel'i only sighs. "I fear this is beyond us," she says. "He'll have to be brought to the Geishana for help."
"I'll look after him until then," says the voice from the cursor...but it's not coming from the cursor. It's coming from the west bead curtain.
[And we never realized we were off to see the Wizard...]
Mon'Fargret had been concentrating on blocking the pain, but now is visibly relieved with his bones mended.
"Strange. I am usually not that clumsy," he says to nobody in particular.
To Kiel'i and Bina, "Thank you. I am thankful for Kiel'i's arrival and your help."
He then hears the voice and the clacking of the beads and cranes his head to take a look.
(And now we move on to a new post.)
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