The Black Gate is Closed

[Dracos]

"I think our biggest advantage is that they expect us to play their game.  That we would go through networks and the flow of nobility.  While Jennings is probably not the mastermind, having him out would likely ruin any plans of revolt in the short term due to a lack of suitable personage to stick on the throne.  The more we wait, the more they begin to understand us.  So let's simply see what Aliester knows of his allies and go directly for Jennings."

[Bjorn]

Bjorn snorts.  "I don't understand me, so best of luck to them.  Having said that, I'm with you.  Let's beat Jennings til answers pop out."

[Brian]

The timid young page (he's got to be twelve, at most), scurries back shortly after vanishing.  "This way, Masters," he says, his voice cracking as he leads the would-be priest and swarthy (yet miniscule) savage to Maester Sondheim's quarters.  Aliester's room is less impressive than the King's Workshop, but not by much.  The door is open as the page shows the way to it, allowing Bjorn and Phil to see in long before the Anabarist is visible himself.

The area is actually set up much like the King's workshop, with tables everywhere, festooned with small mechanical looking gadgets, arrays of humming crystals, precious metals and jewels being assembled into who-knows-what, and on one giant, hall-spanning bench, a clockwork miniature world, a ten meter wide disk that has working city streets with wagons, a palace in the center with automated royalty that step out onto the bannisers of their tiny palace to salute the people....  The intricacies of this are amazing, and even though it appears to be working, it's also obviously only half-assembled, by the gears and rods sticking haphazardly out of the base of the scructure.  Or maybe it's half disassembled?

Regardless, Aliester himself is speaking to another servant, though all that Bjorn and Phil can hear before the page announces them is faint orchestral music.  Until the page nervously announces the two, and the music appruptly fades.  "See to my cousins," Aliester concludes, before turning to the two brevet Inspectors.  "I presume there is some way I can facillitate your investigation?" Aliester asks, surrounding the three with a curtain of music so the servants can't hear.

His voice carries across the hall, and he turns his attention to some tiny, pocket-watch sized medallion that he's working springs and crystals into.  Presumably, he can hear over the same distance.

[Dracos]

"Indeed, your assistance would be most useful...is this room secure, Aliester?" Dracos wondered first, taking a quick appreciative gaze around his workshop. "Magnificient workshop you have here."

[Brian]

"We cannot be overheard," Aliester answers.  "And thank you.  I put what small time I can salvage into these works."

[Dracos]

"As you know, there has been a plot to overthrow the young king since likely before his installment on the throne.  We have become aware of some of the conspirators for this plot as well as a piece of technology that they have which lets them freely transport themselves from here to the world the ship landed on.  There one of them was working on acquiring an army of men like Tom in order to attack and have the king killed in the confusion.  Specifically, I believe Jennings to be if not the orchestrator of the plot, then their intended replacement for the king."

He paused to let Aliester consider that.  "We're going to confront Jennings and likely discover their co-conspiritors, but with such a tool, it is indeed possible that they could strike at any time and at any place.  They are able to draw resources from any place where they have managed a marker.  It is likely when we confront him, they shall be forced to use whatever is in their hand."

[Brian]

"More plotting," Aliester says with a grimace.  "There's a plot -- there's always a plot."  He leans close to one of his devices, and starts setting a tiny red crystal in the device he's working on.  After a moment, he sets the device and the fragment down with a sigh, and rubs at his eyes.  "If I were half of the mechanic that Timothy is," he grumbles.

He dusts off his hands on a shop rag, and turns to regard the oddly matched Inspector-duo.  "You'll want backup, then?  Jennings ... hmm.  Some private guards, possibly anabaric weapons, though no more than a dozen ... well, more, by this."  He frowns.  "I'll see to arranging a force to move in quickly and decisively, however, Jennings is never alone in society.  The noteworthy and notable are always within easy summoning distance, and he has no small standing with the King, to say nothing of his influence in the Greater Council.  For the rest, you will need to find some suitable social distraction, and that is the sort of nonsense I don't trouble myself with.  Timothy or Catherine could probably fill that role admirably, as well as justifying more guards for the entourage, considering their recent absence."

[Bjorn]

"I am not inclined to patience in this situation," Bjorn says thoughtfully.  "We do not know how far advanced the plots have gone.  They can cross beyond the Gate; what have they done there?  So let them feel the same doubt.  The King's Spark has just been demonstrated, the Starflare has just returned. They will be feeling doubt.  If we strike boldly and quickly at Jennings, then the rest will be wondering: who is next?  What else do we know? 

"But how to strike quickly?  If we simply use force, then they will reply in kind if they might, and we do not know yet what resources they have at hand.  If we can make it seem as if Jennings came to us of his own volition, that he was turning evidence... that would be best, but might be most difficult to arrange.  Failing that, we want a way to cut Jennings out of the herd.  To get him alone, out of sight of others, but in such a way that his co-conspirators remain uncertain as to whether the reason has anything to do with them.  That will give us the hesitation we need to determine what we face."

He begins to pace back and forth, and would look very serious if he wasn't, you know, a voodoo midget.  "I assume that is unreasonable the King invite Jennings to a private lodge or hunt or the like.  So.  You say he travels everywhere with notables.  Who are these notables?  Most particularly, if you might excuse my bluntness, which of them are the most odious bootlickers likely to be wrapped up in the conspiracy?"

[Brian]

Aliester's eyes track Bjorn unerringly, as the clockwork contraption is totally forgotten.  "Hmm.  You make good points.  As far as who he travels with, whoever is the best singer in the actor's course, the best dancer, and so forth.  Those are notable, but not noble.  The danger there is only that when they speak, many will listen.  His greatest ally, I would expect, is the Greater Council Secretary, Archibald Kennington.  He's of minimal influence, ideally, but when he manages the record of the council....  And, when Kennington is not around, it will be Harold Massif, or Terrance Voynich.  Massif is the Greater Councilman of Agriculture, and Voynich the Greater Councilman of Public Wellness.

"I would like to think that the secretary would keep his hands clean, but in a nightmare scenario, all three of them are enemies, allied with Jennings.  I would gladly have rounded them up years ago, excepting that His Majesty does not approve of such overt measures."  A faint smile comes to Aliester's lips.  "I will be attending him when this plan is carried out.  That seems it may be for the best, especially given any petty revenge plots borne up over the last futile moments of you stopping their sedition.  Tell me when you will go, and if required, you may borrow my ornithoptor, and as many armed and able men as it can carry."

[Dracos]

"Thank you, Aliester.  Hopefully as few overt measures are necessary to eliminate this," Dracos considered.

"Suggesting we should pick off one and let the others stew for a bit to encourage them making mistakes?  Too long and we'll be endangering folks though due to them getting desperate.  Then again, one of them did make a trip to another world recently.  Within the last few months.  Do we know if any of these nobles may have gone on a vacation for a bit, Aliester?  Perhaps instead they could have a sudden problem come to their door because of it, unrelated but providing an opportunity to put them down."

[Brian]

"I have the Inspector to manage questions like that," Aliester responds dryly, though he does begin pacing.  "You make an interesting point, though.  If Jennings surrounds himself at nearly all times, then his jaunts must either be in the small hours of the morning ... or his close allies are aware of his absences and are covering for him.  Hmm."

Further discussion with Aliester is interrupted by a soft chime.  The anabarist jerks his head up and turns to look between Phil and Bjorn, allowing the curtain of orchestral music to drop.  "Your majesty," he says with a short, but courteous bow.  "What brings you here?"

The young king is standing in the doorway, attended by a pair of guards.  "A picnic," the boy declares.  "We shall have a picnic in the palace gardens, and we believe that cousins Tim and Catherine should join us, and we should invite the crew of the Starflare, as well."

"Is that so?" Aliester asks, glancing at Bjorn and Phil meaningfully, before a whisper in his voice says, "Attend your investigations, and allow the Inspector to answer questions while the King and I are otherwise occupied."  At the same time, Phil and Bjorn also hear Aliester say in conversational tones, "Well, that has the beginings of a fine plan, but I don't know that the crew of the Starflare is done seeing to the ship ... and you must also allow our cousins consideration for their own duties and restoration.  All the same, there is no harm in asking, so, lead the way, your Majesty."

The child-king grins broadly and takes his uncle's hand as they begin walking down the corridors of the palace.  Aliester doesn't so much as glance after either of the brevet-inspectors as they leave, even though another whisper suggests: "Good luck."

[Bjorn]

"Man," Bjorn says wistfully, "I wanna picnic."

[Dracos]

"We can picnic with the Inspector.  And Jennings, and possibly Harold, Kennington, and Terrace.  It'll be great fun, I'm sure.  We can have the very finest fruits and cheeses, and then finish it off with a deep red wine.  And if they're insufferable to it, we can dine on top of their corpses...always the finest of fests, if I may say," Maddened he was, but Dracos responded, leading out the other way.  "And while we will not partake of such fine ice creams, we shall instead partake of amusement of a more macabre fashion.  Come, let us find the inspector who shall have answers to our questions~"

And so he lead off to find Inspector Holmes....

[Brian]

Finding the Inspector is a trial in urban tracking.  Not only has everyone seen him, no one knows where he's headed.  But, he went in "that" direction!

Eventually, after slightly longer than an hour, Phil and Bjorn corner the eternally busy Inspector as he's headed to his office.  Timing is just perfect enough to see that there's a woman (probably a noble?) dressed in an elaborate black and green gown with two servants following her waiting at his door.

Holmes looks less than enthusiastic to see her.  "Mistress Fawning," he says, smoothing his expression to a bland mask.  "Fortune must indeed smile today.  I would gladly assist you as soon as I finish the King's business."

The woman blinks, dark eyes widening slightly in surprise, then going over to the priest and the midget.  "Well, the King's business is the business of the country," she agrees politely.  "I shall arrange a picnic for us, and wait for you there."  She flashes a triumphant smile before turning about, an expertly practiced move that causes her skirts to trail behind her, swaying and sending a mass of tiny ribbons waving before she vanishes around a corner.

"Delightful," Holmes says quietly, in a pained voice.  He shakes his head and opens the door to his office.  "Let us discuss, then," he says, not looking behind him as he strides in.  "Close the door behind you, if you don't mind."

[Bjorn]

"Any chance you suspect her of being a conspirator against King and country?" Bjorn asks, doing as the Inspector indicates.  "Or knowing anything of the Gates at all?  I kinda want to hit something."