Insanity

[Rezantis]

"And just," Nathan complains, "when I thought I might be getting on top of things he has to do this."

Nathan waves for the ghost to come, and chases Holmes out the door and down the hall - beckoning Molly along if he spots her.  If not, though, he doesn't have the time to go looking.

EDIT: Sorry I'm so slow guys.

I'm at work during the days now.  I can post, but slowly, and I can't get on IRC, so if possible let me know there's postage happening over AIM?  If you want a timely response, anyway!

[Brian]

Molly has an uncanny knack for popping up when least expected, but doesn't seem to this time.  Holmes leads the way, dashing into the very elevator that Aliester and his honor guard are taking up to his ornithopter.

"Fortuitous," Aliester remarks, eyeing the Inspector.  "Your thoughts?"

"This was largely expected," Holmes says with an easy smile and apologetic shrug.  "With some easily explicable variance in precise timing."

Aliester raises an eyebrow.  "I see," he says thoughtfully.  "And is there anything I should be expecting of the crew of the Starflare when we meet them again?"

Holmes coughs as the elevator reaches the top of the shaft and opens.  Gesturing to Nathan, he says, "I think we should speak with one more qualified.  The elder Shuker, who didn't fit in the elevator shaft, reappears on the landing pad.  The same one Nathan landed on after escaping the asylum, it appears.  The ornithopter's wings are still, but two pilots are busy punching at the control panel and working levers.

Aliester motions for Nathan and the Inspector both to follow, and climbs aboard the ornithopter.  "I shall need this to be concise," he says, glancing upward.

Distantly, the bulk of a much larger airship than Nathan has seen before is drifting downward, trailing smoke.  Disconcertingly, smoking debris drops off from the ship, raining down almost directly towards one of the city's numerous spires.

[Rezantis]

"I can't tell you very much," Nathan says as he clambers into the ornithopter, "All I really know is that Christianson is aboard it - and that the voice telling everyone to stand down was him."

[Brian]

The ornithopter takes off in a thunderous crash of noise -- until Aliester waves a hand, whereupon it falls totally silent.  "I would like to know more of this Christianson," he says, steepling his hands together beneath his chin, and swiveling his seat around to face Nathan.  "I am curious -- I have never met an anabarist with mastery of sound outside of the royal family.  Is it possible he carries the Spark from his own sphere?  Is he royalty there?"

He smiles grimly, lowering his hands to his lap.  "I apologize if I sound unkind," he says, "but I must know everything that I can before I speak with him.  Knowledge is a power, and besides anabaric energy, the greatest power."

A brass tube projecting from the wall near Aliester's seat buzzes, and the Minister flips open the cap.  "Yes?" he asks, glancing at it in irritation.  "Minister," one of the crew says, perhaps apologetically, "one of the spires was directly hit with the falling debris -- shielding is out.  Additionally, the Starflare is signaling that it will be making landing in Heldgrim foundry instead of the merchant's berths."

Aliester grunts.  "Allow it," he says after a moment of thought.  "They'll need repairs; have them met with a full compliment of royal guards.  No, make it two.  We should land before they do, unless they do something suspicious."  He snaps the tube shut with a click and shakes his head.  "More pertinent questions," he says.  "Is this Christianson likely to oppose our king?"

[Rezantis]

"Not likely," Nathan answers immediately, "He's more likely to be polite and hedge his bets so as not to offend anyone until he knows where he stands.  He'll follow my lead, though."

He pauses a moment.

"And while I know he's not an anabarist I don't know precisely what he actually is - just that it's not something Anabara is familiar with."

[Brian]

"This should be interesting," Aliester says with a frown.  "I suppose you've never been to the Heldgrim facility?"  The speaking tube buzzes again, and Aliester flips it open.

"We're making landing now," the pilot says, almost apologetically.  "The Starflare has about two minutes left on its descent; maneuvering thrusters seem to have been damaged by the initial assault."

"Good."  The cover is snapped shut.  "Does he have any habits I should be aware of?  Anything I should avoid doing, lest I offend him?"

[Rezantis]

"Don't try to shoot him out of the sky," Nathan says drily, "but I don't think you'll have too many problems, he's a reasonable sort."

Usually.

[Brian]

Aliester snorts.  "Not my doing," he says with an apologetic shrug.  "The Shroud ceiling should be lower, however.  Curious ... we'll need to look into it later.  An apology can be made."

The craft's doors open, the wings slowing down and halting.  Aliester removes his safety belts and jumps out -- Holmes is just behind him.  The ornithopter has landed on a pad in some sort of rectangular well.  The walls are lined with large pieces of idle machinery, likely to maintain some larger craft.  The bay looks, on closer inspection, large enough to accomodate a craft the size of the Starflare, which is even now limping into sight, trailing a stream of dark smoke.

The two groups of royal guards are standing in formation on opposite sides of what appears to be a giant landing cradle.  It doesn't take too long for the ship to come to rest on the series of giant cushioned posts, which creak a bit ominously, but hold.  There's a good possibility that this is actually the place this craft was originally built, come to think of it.  After the ship comes to rest, the circle of cannon ports around the center stops spinning; many of the running lights wink off.  The distant whine of the engine shuts off, too.

A walkway lowers to the ground, and shortly after it extends fully, a blone man in military uniform strides out with a relaxed pace and an easy grin.  Behind him, at the top of the walkway, Nathan sees three of his friends, and a total stranger.

There's a short, swarthy, half-naked Bjorn.  There's a buff, massive looking red-skinned Tom.  And there's an average-guy-looking Phil.  The stranger is dressed in the robes of a priest, at a glance, with the symbol of a Gate on his chest.  He looks very nervous, and follows Phil like a lost puppy.

This thread now closes, and Nathan moves to Space Oddity.