The woman in green sighed. "I would normally dance, but tonight I have exhausted myself in my current task in pursuit of the Name, and I seek only rest, combined with suitable friends…" she raised her glass in the general direction of Table 1, then turned to regard the members of Table 11 who were not yet dancing.
She raised the glass to her lips…and realized that it was empty. Since she had been holding it in a death grip since her confession, it had not been filled when the airag was first decanted. "And a suitable anodyne for my pain would be in order!" She grabbed the bottle of airag, hastily filled her glass, and downed a large swallow. Then, eyes wide with distress, she turned and fled out the front door of Caligula’s. One with keen hearing and keener ability to distinguish multiple types of sounds in a noisy place would have detected prolonged retching.
About five minutes later, she returned, wiping her lips with a small handkerchief. She walked unsteadily back to the table and sat down abruptly, as though her legs had suddenly lost all strength. "That was awful!" she cried. "I never thought I’d find anything worse than laudanum. Is there no DECENT wine left?" edited by cathyr19355 on 11/3/2016
While the lady in green was away, Greycoin turns to Eleonor. “Don’t know much about da Cause or da University stuff – but underminin’ sounds fun. I’d be ‘appy to ‘elp with da disruptin’. Just let me know what ya need.”
When the lady in green returns, Greycoin points to the lady’s unfinished glass of Airag, “You don’t mind if I finish dat, do ya? It runs me five cellars of wine ta get a bottle and I’d hate fer any ta go ta waste.”
She looks at Jo thoughtfully. "Do you suppose your Weasels could chew through fuses, if trained? Failing that, destroy given books and blueprints with relative quietude?" She then frowns, "Unless that would give them indigestion. I shouldn’t want to give the little creatures indigestion."
[quote=Catherine Raymond] "That was awful!" she cried. "I never thought I’d find anything worse than laudanum. Is there no DECENT wine left?" edited by cathyr19355 on 11/3/2016[/quote]
"It’s not to everyone’s taste, I suppose. There might be some honied absinthe serve with dessert, if you’re willing to wait. And risk the wrath of that maitre d’ by asking for it. Is Gremlin still awake, do you know?"
Lady Catherine pushes the glass toward Greycoin. "If you truly want the vile stuff, have at! Lord knows I never want to so much as smell the stuff ever again." She gasps, and heads back toward the front door.
Greycoin nods to Eleonor while finishing Lady Catherine’s glass, “Weasels are resourceful little creatures. Dey can be trained ta do all sorts of tasks – fuses would be no problem. Chewin’ through papers, consider it done. Dey might be a little indiscriminate – as long as da target papers are surrounded by papers dat could also be lost in da process.”
[quote=Catherine Raymond]"That was awful!" she cried. "I never thought I’d find anything worse than laudanum. Is there no DECENT wine left?" edited by cathyr19355 on 11/3/2016[/quote]
With a an expression between amusement and sympathy, Vena pushes the bottle of madeira surface wine over to where the woman in green was sitting for when she returns.
She turns to listen to Eleonor’s confession. As the American mentions being a revolutionary, the young woman’s gaze turns gelid, but as the story continues, her look softens with satisfaction, and she keenly nods along. "The Liberation of Night. I have heard about it, but I didn’t know the sheer horror it involved."
[quote=Akernis][quote=Catherine Raymond]"That was awful!" she cried. "I never thought I’d find anything worse than laudanum. Is there no DECENT wine left?" edited by cathyr19355 on 11/3/2016[/quote]
With a an expression between amusement and sympathy, Vena pushes the bottle of madeira surface wine over to where the woman in green was sitting for when she returns.
She turns to listen to Eleonor’s confession. As the American mentions being a revolutionary, the young woman’s gaze turns gelid, but as the story continues, her look softens with satisfaction, and she keenly nods along. "The Liberation of Night. I have heard about it, but I didn’t know the sheer horror it involved."[/quote]
The woman in forest green with the red-furred Fox mask steps up to the table, stumbling slightly. As she takes in the presence of the madiera, her eyes widen. Then she grins. "A thousand thanks to whoever procured this, and left it here for me!" With the exaggerated care of the physically frail or the very drunk, she seats herself, fills her glass, and lifts it to her lips. "An elixir fit for the Heavens themselves," she sighs.
Indomitable Gremlin shudders slightly at the mention of the Liberation, muttering something about the Zee. He’s long since ceased writing, and is pensively listening to the others.
"I assure you, I have no intention of repeating anything said here. I may be publishing a paper, at present, but the ink isn’t worth anything if it comes with a betrayal. I once published an issue dedicated to revealing a secret concealed by one of the Masters: but it wasn’t their secret to keep. No, I won’t be repeating anything." edited by Gremlin on 11/4/2016
"Its a dreadful balancing act, I can tell you, trying to get good done and keep the Liberation at bay when the Cause has so many Unionists and Suffragists in its ranks. At least its not government. I don’t envy Jenny in the least, and that’s conceding that we might’ve brought Abbey Rock and Presbyterate influence in with her election. Best of the lot, really. Couldn’t have the Contrarian trying to hack a middle way with February breathing down his neck. That woman likes inflicting suffering, I think. And that Bishop." She sighs. "Poor wretch, still living in '68." She turns to Mr. Gremlin "All thanks to you for your discretion."
[Quote]"I once published an issue dedicated to revealing a secret concealed by one of the Masters: but it wasn’t their secret to keep. No, I won’t be repeating anything." edited by Gremlin on 11/4/2016[/quote]
Pillbox walks back to the table in time to hear the tail end of Gremlin’s admission.
"My, aren’t you a daring reporter. Did the batty little things have anything to say in response. Oh! Do tell me you asked for a quote!"
She glases around the table. Revolutionaries, con artists, and renegade academics. The best kind of company. If only they had a priest to scandalize.
“I got a bottle of da surface wine from da bar, so our hostess is da one ta get da credit fer dat bottle.” Greycoin offers, having drunk enough from other bottles, to not be entirely sure of the current location of any specific bottle. "I 'ave seen da Maitre D delivering some surface wine ta other tables as well."
To Pillbox, “You danced well with dat colonist. Do you know ‘im from prior ta dis party?” edited by Jo Greycoin on 11/4/2016 edited by Jo Greycoin on 11/4/2016
Greycoin shrugs, “Any bottle dat folks will pay fer is a good wine. Who knows what sort of folk might develop a taste fer a wine like dat? But I am sure da wine merchants would find dem.”
"I have payed for or been gifted many bottles of wine in my day. Some were very strange. I have to say human fungus wine would not be the strangest thing I have drank."[li] edited by Sajach on 11/4/2016
“Perhaps,” muses Captain Gremlin, “Though there are a number of substances that disturb me just as much: Water from Polythreme. Gaoler’s Honey. Cantigaster Venom.”
Sajach slurs back "I am more confused as to how we started talking about terrible drinks while drinks a liquor that is fit for a king" He pauses to think for a moment and says "When I said fit for a king I meant it figuratively, but I can say for a fact that this is literally fit for a king."[li] edited by Sajach on 11/4/2016