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AGELESS Campaign Episode 2 - Temple of the Cat-Goddess
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<blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 4783123" data-attributes="member: 8530"><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-two, “Generous Offers” September 2nd, 1882, 2:00 P.M.</strong></p><p></p><p>Luiz returns and takes out a piece of paper from his suit jacket pocket. He says, "Here is the list of the fifty-two members of the French 'Weekly Wizards' group. This list is in alphabetical order, and was current as of two months ago. Nine of the members are over ninety years old, and even with the slower aging due to the artifact, could still die at any point from natural causes. But given that most are very public figures we would have most likely heard about any of their deaths, so I suspect the list is still accurate." The paper is passed around the table, it reads:</p><p></p><p><em>Listing of the French wizard society’s members as of July 1, 1882 </em></p><p><em>1. Andre-Marie Ampere (born 1775) – Physicist – Established the science of electrodynamics </em></p><p><em>2. Rene Belloq (born 1860) – Explorer and Linguist – Collector of antiquities</em></p><p><em>3. Sarah Bernhardt (born 1844) – World renowned stage actress </em></p><p><em>4. Paul Cezanne (born 1839) – Painter – Merged the classicalism, romanticism and naturalism styles. </em></p><p><em>5. Jean-Francois Champollion (born 1790) – Historian and Egyptologist – Translator of Egyptian hieroglyphic writings and conservator of Egyptian antiquities</em></p><p><em>6. Charles David Chamberland – (born 1851) -Physician and Alchemist – Protege of Louis Pasteur</em></p><p><em>7. Michel Eugène Chevreul (born 1786) – Chemist and Biologist – Master of Alchemy</em></p><p><em>8. Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre (born 1789) – Inventor and Photographer – Created the first practical process of photography</em></p><p><em>9. Jean-Gaston Darboux (born 1842) – Mathematician – Contributed to the Science of Geometry</em></p><p><em>10. Edgar Degas (born 1834) – Painter – Considered to be one of the masters of modern art. </em></p><p><em>11. Alexandre Dumas (born 1824) – Novelist & Biographer – Best known for the books The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo</em></p><p><em>12. Victor Duruy (born 1811) - Historian and Writer for Emperor Napoleon III</em></p><p><em>13. Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel (born 1832) – Engineer – Built several masterful bridges and viaducts. Designed the French canal to be built in Panama.</em></p><p><em>14. Eugenia Maria de Montijo de Guzman (born 1826) Empress of France 1853-1871, Wife of Emperor Napoleon III</em></p><p><em>15. Gabriel-Urbain Faure (born 1845) – Composer – Known for separating French music from German influence</em></p><p><em>16. Jean Baptiste Faure (born 1830) – Opera Singer – Leading baritone in Paris</em></p><p><em>17. Jean Bernard Leon Fouccault (born 1819) – Physicist and Inventor – First person to measure the velocity of light in air. Invented the gyroscope. </em></p><p><em>18. Paul Eugine Henri Gauguin (born 1848) - Painter – One of the founders of modern art. </em></p><p><em>19. Joseph-Louis Gay-Lussac (born 1778) – Chemist and Physicist – Expertise with gases and acidic compounds</em></p><p><em>20. Jean-Leon Gerome (born 1824) – Painter and Sculptor – Paintings inspired through his extensive travels through the Orient.</em></p><p><em>21. Henri Giffard – (born 1825) - Inventor and Balloonist – Invented the dirigible. Recently collaborated with German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin. </em></p><p><em>22. Gaspard Gouraud, Baron (born 1783) – Writer and Soldier – Friend and biographer of Napoleon Bonaparte. Accompanied him to his St. Helena exile and returned Napoleon’s remains to France for burial. </em></p><p><em>23. Francois-Pierre-Guillaume Guizot (born 1787) – Historian and Diplomat – Served as the French Ambassador to England and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1840 to 1848. </em></p><p><em>24. Joseph-Marie Jacquard (born 1752)- Inventor – Devised the use of punched cards with weaving patterns to automate looms. </em></p><p><em>25. Dominique Jean Larrey (born 1766) – Physician and Explorer – Explored areas of Australia and New Zealand. Served with Napoleon Bonaparte </em></p><p><em>26. Edouard Armand Isidore Hippolyte Lartet (born 1801) – Archaeologist. Founder of modern Paleontology. </em></p><p><em>27. Charles Louis Aphonse Laveran (born 1845) – Physician and Biologist – Traveled throughout northern Africa with the French military</em></p><p><em>28. Gabriel Lippmann (born 1845) – Physicist and Chemist – Research focus on optics and thermodynamics. Inventor of color photography. Theorized about time measurement. </em></p><p><em>29. Maximilien-Paul-Emile Littre (born 1801) – Philosopher and Historian – Studied the Greek philosophers. Wrote a 10-volume biography of Hippocrates. </em></p><p><em>30. Arsene Lupin (born 1850) – Adventurer – Gentleman and Acquirer of things</em></p><p><em>31. Edouard Manet (born 1832) – Painter – Traveled extensively throughout South America. Influenced the impressionist school of painting. </em></p><p><em>32. Jules-Emile-Frederic Massenet (born 1842) – Composer – Wrote many operas including the Hunchback of Notre Dame. </em></p><p><em>33. Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier (born 1815) – Painter – Traveled with the French military and sketched battle scenes. Known for his technical eye for minute detail.</em></p><p><em>34. Prosper Merimee (born 1803) – Writer – Best known work was the romance novel ‘Carmen’ which the Opera was based upon. Expert on ancient monuments. </em></p><p><em>35. Jean-Franciois Millet (born 1814) – Painter – One of the masters of modern French painting. Known for landscapes of the coast of Normandy.</em></p><p><em>36. Henri Moissan (born 1852) – Chemist and Inventor – Expertise on toxic substances. Inventor of the acetylene torch. </em></p><p><em>37. Claude Monet (born 1840) – Painter – Founder of the school of impressionism.</em></p><p><em>38. Joseph-Michael Montgolfier (born 1840) – Inventor and Balloonist – Conducted experimental balloon flights and derived military uses for them. </em></p><p><em>39. Frederic Passy (born 1822) – Economist and Diplomat – Arbitrator for conflict among nations</em></p><p><em>40. Louis Pasteur (born 1822) – Chemist and Microbiologist – Discovered pasteurization </em></p><p><em>41. Jules-Henri Poincare – (born 1854) - Mathematician – Expert topologist and mapmaker as well as founder of mathematical theories</em></p><p><em>42. Joseph Ernest Renan – (born 1823) – Historian and Linguist – Conducted extensive studies of the Middle East and Egypt</em></p><p><em>43. Pierre-Auguste Renoir – (born 1841) – Painter – Founding father of impressionist painting</em></p><p><em>44. Charles Robert Richet – (Born 1850) – Physician and Alchemist – Known for creating serums and antidotes to most known poisons </em></p><p><em>45. August Rene Rodin – (Born 1840) – Sculptor – Considered by many to be the top sculptor of the nineteenth century – most famous work ‘The Thinker’. </em></p><p><em>46. Victorien Sardou – (Born 1831) – Playwright and Actor – Worldwide reputation for plays of every genre</em></p><p><em>47. Pierre Paul François Camille Savorgnan de Brazza – (born 1852) – Explorer – Traveled extensively in Africa. </em></p><p><em>48. Georges Seurat - (born 1859) – Painter – Developed a painting style using dots of pure color. Developed many theories about the use of color. </em></p><p><em>49. Hippolyte Adolphe Taine – (Born 1828) – Philosopher and writer – Critic of war, made great use of metaphor and sought alternative approaches. </em></p><p><em>50. Michale Jean Pierre Verne (born 1861) – Writer - Son of the novelist Jules Verne. </em></p><p><em>51. Eugene Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc – (born 1814) – Architect – Student and restorer of gothic architecture. </em></p><p><em>52. Charles Marie Widor – (born 1844) – Composer and Choreographer – Wrote symphonies, ballets and organ music and compiled lost works by Bach. </em></p><p></p><p>George asks, “And lastly, how much are you behind or ahead of the Weekly Wizards? Surely they are following the same paths of investigation. The site hear may be safe for a bit, but I worry about the Saturiwa if the Wizards deduce their origins or discover their whereabouts." James says, "We have no way of knowing what avenues the French are looking into. It was only a fluke that we found out about their efforts to form a team to investigate Atlantis. To the best of our knowledge they don't know about us yet. When Luiz's son was conducting his recent investigations in the City of Dieppe there was no indication that any of them were in the area." </p><p></p><p>Alsoomse states, with no small amount of urgency in her voice, "You are correct about the need to protect the Saturiwa. It was only from the rocks and platypus claws from the tunnel that we now deduced their current location. We must remove and bury every ounce of the Australian dirt that is currently in the tunnel, and do so as quickly as possible! On the off chance that the French do find one or more of the gateways we can't have them finding the geologic evidence. Should they discover a potential source of Wolframite, they wouldn't hesitate to kill every one of the Saturiwa to get at it." </p><p></p><p>James states, “Now, unless there are more questions we should get to where I ask if you wish to join. But before I do I suppose that some of you might be interested in hearing about payment. Each of you would receive a weekly salary of $ 500.00. That is over and above the free room and board at any of the Corporation's eight locations. You would also be entitled to a two-percent share of all profits. Essentially, half of all profits will go back into the business and the other half will go to the twenty-five operatives. Those twenty-five are the five officers, the ten managerial people for the Commercial side of the Corporation, and ten of you for the Academic side of the Corporation." </p><p></p><p>Ruby placed the bones back on the table and turned to the group. "Seems like most of the fine people here had already made their decision before last night. After some careful consideration and discussion, I will be joining the Ageless Corporation as a member and I will let George tell you his own decision." </p><p></p><p>James says, “But I also have one other exceptional reward to offer to all of you who are of full or part human blood. Please note that what I am about to tell you is a carefully guarded secret. Paolo da Rosa, Alsoomse’s husband, descended from Portuguese wizards and druids. Centuries ago the Portuguese discovered a method of human life extension using a combination of wizard and druidic magics. Upon reaching adulthood both myself and Wilamina have been recipients of this form of magic. I am currently one-hundred-and-two years of age and Mina is ninety-seven. </p><p></p><p>This magic requires some very rare and tremendously expensive components which can only found in Portugal and its colonies. It also requires multiple treatments over the course of a year, administered by a powerful spellcaster that is versed in both wizard and clerical magics, of which Luiz is one. By pooling together our knowledge, resources and connections made in the establishment of this Corporation, Luiz and I are able to make this generous offer to most of you." </p><p></p><p>Ruby clapped her hands and squealed as she bounced up and down a little. "Oh That's SO great!! George and I were just talking about doing that, I want to do it SOON so I can... well, I just want to do it soon!! I'd get to spend more time with everyone I love!! Sqquuee!!!!!" Her hair bounced up and down as she celebrated the good news. She stopped bouncing suddenly and her brows furrowed together. "Nana, you are ninety seven? NINETY SEVEN?? How did that happen? How old is mama, isn't she forty something? How old were you when you had her?" </p><p></p><p>Wilamina replies, "Your mother was born in 1837, which would now make her 45 years of age. I was 52 at the time. With this Portuguese method of slowed aging you remain youthful in physical appearance but for women menopause still sets in when in would have chronologically. However, long before we ever met James and his wife my first love Andrew and I had both previously used a French method which had de-aged us each several years, so my childbearing years lasted until I was chronologically in my mid-fifties." James interjects "Actually, that French method is very dangerous, with potentially lethal side effects. When I heard that Mina and Andrew had done something so foolish as to use that I insisted they needed to switch to the much safer Portuguese method instead. That is what we are offering to all of you." </p><p></p><p>Fish decides this is too much personal information. He gets up and nearly stumbles to the bar. He pours himself a stiff drink and remains standing, avoiding glances at either Wilamina or her granddaughter. Ruby exclaims, "You can DE-AGE yourself? My world gets bigger every damn day. Hey Ben, can you get me one of those?" "Of course!" says Fish, affecting breezy cheer but not yet meeting her eyes. He reaches for the bourbon. "Wedge of lemon or a cherry?" "Cherry of course," Ruby said with a grin, striding over to Ben. As the others continued to speak, she leaned in close and whispered, "Can you believe all this crazy stuff?" </p><p></p><p>Fish can feel the tops of his ears getting very warm. "Yeah, I feel a little in over my head," he whispers, "but I figure the Parkers have their reasons for recruiting a clever monkey like me!" He manages a glance and a wink in Ruby's direction. Ruby sipped the drink Ben made for her. "Yeah, me too. I'm not smart like the rest of them and I've been wondering why I'm here too." She smiled at the young man next to her. "Clever monkeys are always needed and useful. I'm not sure you can say the same about singers." "Don't be so sure, Miss West, " says Fish softly, "I'll tell you what I told Chernoviz: the deliberate use of distraction can be a beautiful thing to behold -- and the gods know you possess ample powers of distraction!" He drops his eyes, suddenly worried he's been too forward.</p><p></p><p>The corner of Ruby's lip curled into a smirk as she flipped her long red hair over one shoulder. "Yes, I won't deny I am good as distractions and the like. Aphrodite has blessed me with ample," she glanced down to her chest then back up to Ben, "Gifts, of that there is no doubt. However, my looks aren't going to move that dirt. Well, I suppose...," she pretended to be thinking heavily, "I could charm someone into doing my share..." Then she giggled. "I guess we should just leave the heavy thinking to the smarty pants, huh? We get to work on the other stuff." Fish mouths the words and motions toward the table: "Finish your drink, Miss West. We oughtta rejoin the others!" "Yeah, you're right, we should." She took her drink and drank it fast, coughing a little at the end. "Thanks for that Ben." She squeezed his arm then bounced back over to George.</p><p></p><p>George asks, "So, how long a life span does this entail? And at what functionality? I don't know that an extra three decades without a memory would be enjoyable. Does it slow down the aging process then or merely prolong the life span and to what degree within each portion of the recipient's life?" </p><p></p><p>James replies, "At it's full potential the magic will slow down your aging by half from the point that you receive the treatment. However, to achieve this magic’s full potential there are some geographic limitations, dependent upon the ley lines of the Earth. One would need to spend half or more of your time at places where wizard magic ley lines and earth magic ley lines intersect. There are also around two dozen such places in the world where these lines also intersect, including many of the great cities. It is no coincidence that all eight port cities chosen for offices of the AGELESS Corporation are at these locations.” </p><p></p><p>George asks, “Mina said it does not prevent the onset on menopause, it is merely physical appearance then? Surely without the natural rhythms of a woman's body, she would be prone to more ailments and disorders? Are there any side effects or risks associated with this process?” George is wringing his hands as he speaks. "Fastidious fella, ain't he?" thinks Fish to himself, "I bet he was potty-trained before the age of two!"</p><p></p><p>The physician Luiz jumps into the conversation at this point and says, "There is one major side effect for both men and women, it generally limits reproduction to only one child, or two in some cases like James, although each of those was with a different mate. There is no medical reason for either that or the early onset of menopause out-of-sync with the physical body." </p><p></p><p>Alsoomse jumps in here with "Because the answer isn't medical, it's spiritual. The nature gods will allow for the longer life span on the one hand, but limit the reproduction cycle in order to create an overall balance. Think of it this way, each family is only allowed so many total years, if you're taking more for yourself than they will be subtracted from future generations by reducing the number of children in those generations."</p><p></p><p> George asks, “Can it be reversed if needed, or against our will? “James says, "It can be reversed, but to do so would also require a year of special treatment. There is one other aspect of this that you should consider, the next generation also inherits a lesser version of this enhanced aging from the parents. Thus, they will live longer, but will also have fewer children. That is the reason behind the current estrangement between myself and my daughter. She feels that I had no right to do that to her." Ruby whispers to George, "Does all the technical stuff matter babe, really? Just think, me, you and all that extra time together," she purred. George squeezed Ruby's hand and gave her a weak smile but said nothing as he turned back to his notes. </p><p></p><p>While the conversation about the age-extending magics continued, Thomas quietly shuffled through his notes and journal, making a pretense of note-taking and calculations, trying to hide his discomfort at the topic being discussed. Gulping a large swallow of his bourbon, Fish casts his gaze across the room. He observes Thomas fumbling with his notes but fails to notice his unease.</p><p> </p><p>Abigail stayed quiet for a moment, then said, "Mr. Parker, you'd have to drag me away from the chance to investigate these ties between Atlantis and the native tribes. As for the aging... I'll have to consider it. I've never thought of myself as the mother type, but I may be a little young to be making that decision forever. It would be fascinating to see how the world would change, though." James says, "The aging magic is optional, no need to make an immediate decision. So, now that all of you know the details and can make a more informed decision that's one yes to joining the AGELESS Corporation. What about the rest of you?" </p><p></p><p>Thomas looks up, and into the eyes of everyone in the room, and then stands up. "As my father often said, "in for a penny, in for a pound. You will, of course, have whatever service and labor it is within my means to provide for AGELESS, Parker. I say yes unreservedly." "Oh, count me in!" replies Ben cheerfully, lifting his glass. "It beats shoveling elephant poop!" Hardin tugs at his chin. "Sounds interesting, James. I will think on it, but the thought of making it most of the way through the next century is awfully intriguing. I think you will be able to count me in..." </p><p></p><p>Nanuet stands and says "As I said previously I will join AGELESS, the people in this room seem like the people I can be proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with and it is an easy decision for me. I for one though am glad that I do not have to make the decision regarding the extended life, that is a tough one." Lawrence scratches his chin. "I'll have to think about it. It's tempting, but I'm still leery about this kind of thing. Anyway about the Saturiwa. If we want to beat the wizards to it, we'll need to find this portal." </p><p></p><p>Ruby took a finger to George's chin and gently forced him to look at her. "What. Is. Wrong?" George squeezed her hand again "Nothing my love." "George Eastman, you are lying," Ruby said sternly, "What's wrong? What happened? Did you ask so many questions you convinced yourself something is wrong? Are you not going to join AGELESS now?" she pouted. George turned to Ruby and quietly said "Nothing is wrong, nothing has altered my original decision Constance. Don't fret." </p><p></p><p>"I can't help it, you're acting all strange." She sat back in her chair, unhappy at the new turn of events but tried to not show it. "So that's me, Abby, Ben, John, Larry, Thomas, Nanuet... who else? Roy, are you still in?" She didn't turn her head to look at her fiance. "George?" </p><p></p><p>Ruby's question woke him up from his nap. He had dozed listening to folks go on and on about history, magic, and whatnot. Less talk, more action; that was Roy's motto. "Wha.... Oh, yeah. Count me in Ruby," Roy said as he rubbed his eyes. "So when do we leave?" Ruby's smile popped back onto her face and she laughed. "Well, I'd like to know that myself! But, I think for now we will just be digging." Roy smiles. "Digging? Fantastic! It's not often that I get to use my talents in that nature. What are we digging for, exactly? I have some friends who may be able to help with that." </p><p></p><p>George finished a few last notes and closed his notebook. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. Giving Ruby's hand a last squeeze he says "Well it looks like I am the last to state my standing. I have given this a good deal of consideration. And while I have a great deal of responsibility back in New York, I find that the current situation could lead to a great destabilization in world security. Between the risk of that, of genocide, the potential for new knowledge, as well as the thrill of adventure I will admit, I find that I too must through my hat into this pool of extraordinary people as well.''</p><p></p><p>"Additionally, I have been giving it a great deal of thought, and have decided to establish my own separate trust for the AGELESS Corporation, under the same terms as our Portuguese benefactor to ensure that we never need be beholden to him or his government. I shall endow this trust with one and a half million dollars to ensure that we have all the funding we need." adds George. "Give that man a drink!" yelps Fish, standing up with a grin and returning to the bar.</p><p></p><p>Ruby mouth dropped open, shocked. "George! Are you serious?" He replies, "I am very serious Constance. The matters here go beyond mere academic pursuits or even the thrill of exploring. We are dealing with Machiavellian wizards who circumvent the law and threaten the existence of entire peoples. I will help ensure that they are foiled, both by my actions and my finances." She exclaims, "B-but but that is a LOT of money! A MILLION AND A HALF dollars???"</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Silver Moon, post: 4783123, member: 8530"] [B]Chapter Twenty-two, “Generous Offers” September 2nd, 1882, 2:00 P.M.[/B] Luiz returns and takes out a piece of paper from his suit jacket pocket. He says, "Here is the list of the fifty-two members of the French 'Weekly Wizards' group. This list is in alphabetical order, and was current as of two months ago. Nine of the members are over ninety years old, and even with the slower aging due to the artifact, could still die at any point from natural causes. But given that most are very public figures we would have most likely heard about any of their deaths, so I suspect the list is still accurate." The paper is passed around the table, it reads: [I]Listing of the French wizard society’s members as of July 1, 1882 1. Andre-Marie Ampere (born 1775) – Physicist – Established the science of electrodynamics 2. Rene Belloq (born 1860) – Explorer and Linguist – Collector of antiquities 3. Sarah Bernhardt (born 1844) – World renowned stage actress 4. Paul Cezanne (born 1839) – Painter – Merged the classicalism, romanticism and naturalism styles. 5. Jean-Francois Champollion (born 1790) – Historian and Egyptologist – Translator of Egyptian hieroglyphic writings and conservator of Egyptian antiquities 6. Charles David Chamberland – (born 1851) -Physician and Alchemist – Protege of Louis Pasteur 7. Michel Eugène Chevreul (born 1786) – Chemist and Biologist – Master of Alchemy 8. Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre (born 1789) – Inventor and Photographer – Created the first practical process of photography 9. Jean-Gaston Darboux (born 1842) – Mathematician – Contributed to the Science of Geometry 10. Edgar Degas (born 1834) – Painter – Considered to be one of the masters of modern art. 11. Alexandre Dumas (born 1824) – Novelist & Biographer – Best known for the books The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo 12. Victor Duruy (born 1811) - Historian and Writer for Emperor Napoleon III 13. Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel (born 1832) – Engineer – Built several masterful bridges and viaducts. Designed the French canal to be built in Panama. 14. Eugenia Maria de Montijo de Guzman (born 1826) Empress of France 1853-1871, Wife of Emperor Napoleon III 15. Gabriel-Urbain Faure (born 1845) – Composer – Known for separating French music from German influence 16. Jean Baptiste Faure (born 1830) – Opera Singer – Leading baritone in Paris 17. Jean Bernard Leon Fouccault (born 1819) – Physicist and Inventor – First person to measure the velocity of light in air. Invented the gyroscope. 18. Paul Eugine Henri Gauguin (born 1848) - Painter – One of the founders of modern art. 19. Joseph-Louis Gay-Lussac (born 1778) – Chemist and Physicist – Expertise with gases and acidic compounds 20. Jean-Leon Gerome (born 1824) – Painter and Sculptor – Paintings inspired through his extensive travels through the Orient. 21. Henri Giffard – (born 1825) - Inventor and Balloonist – Invented the dirigible. Recently collaborated with German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin. 22. Gaspard Gouraud, Baron (born 1783) – Writer and Soldier – Friend and biographer of Napoleon Bonaparte. Accompanied him to his St. Helena exile and returned Napoleon’s remains to France for burial. 23. Francois-Pierre-Guillaume Guizot (born 1787) – Historian and Diplomat – Served as the French Ambassador to England and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1840 to 1848. 24. Joseph-Marie Jacquard (born 1752)- Inventor – Devised the use of punched cards with weaving patterns to automate looms. 25. Dominique Jean Larrey (born 1766) – Physician and Explorer – Explored areas of Australia and New Zealand. Served with Napoleon Bonaparte 26. Edouard Armand Isidore Hippolyte Lartet (born 1801) – Archaeologist. Founder of modern Paleontology. 27. Charles Louis Aphonse Laveran (born 1845) – Physician and Biologist – Traveled throughout northern Africa with the French military 28. Gabriel Lippmann (born 1845) – Physicist and Chemist – Research focus on optics and thermodynamics. Inventor of color photography. Theorized about time measurement. 29. Maximilien-Paul-Emile Littre (born 1801) – Philosopher and Historian – Studied the Greek philosophers. Wrote a 10-volume biography of Hippocrates. 30. Arsene Lupin (born 1850) – Adventurer – Gentleman and Acquirer of things 31. Edouard Manet (born 1832) – Painter – Traveled extensively throughout South America. Influenced the impressionist school of painting. 32. Jules-Emile-Frederic Massenet (born 1842) – Composer – Wrote many operas including the Hunchback of Notre Dame. 33. Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier (born 1815) – Painter – Traveled with the French military and sketched battle scenes. Known for his technical eye for minute detail. 34. Prosper Merimee (born 1803) – Writer – Best known work was the romance novel ‘Carmen’ which the Opera was based upon. Expert on ancient monuments. 35. Jean-Franciois Millet (born 1814) – Painter – One of the masters of modern French painting. Known for landscapes of the coast of Normandy. 36. Henri Moissan (born 1852) – Chemist and Inventor – Expertise on toxic substances. Inventor of the acetylene torch. 37. Claude Monet (born 1840) – Painter – Founder of the school of impressionism. 38. Joseph-Michael Montgolfier (born 1840) – Inventor and Balloonist – Conducted experimental balloon flights and derived military uses for them. 39. Frederic Passy (born 1822) – Economist and Diplomat – Arbitrator for conflict among nations 40. Louis Pasteur (born 1822) – Chemist and Microbiologist – Discovered pasteurization 41. Jules-Henri Poincare – (born 1854) - Mathematician – Expert topologist and mapmaker as well as founder of mathematical theories 42. Joseph Ernest Renan – (born 1823) – Historian and Linguist – Conducted extensive studies of the Middle East and Egypt 43. Pierre-Auguste Renoir – (born 1841) – Painter – Founding father of impressionist painting 44. Charles Robert Richet – (Born 1850) – Physician and Alchemist – Known for creating serums and antidotes to most known poisons 45. August Rene Rodin – (Born 1840) – Sculptor – Considered by many to be the top sculptor of the nineteenth century – most famous work ‘The Thinker’. 46. Victorien Sardou – (Born 1831) – Playwright and Actor – Worldwide reputation for plays of every genre 47. Pierre Paul François Camille Savorgnan de Brazza – (born 1852) – Explorer – Traveled extensively in Africa. 48. Georges Seurat - (born 1859) – Painter – Developed a painting style using dots of pure color. Developed many theories about the use of color. 49. Hippolyte Adolphe Taine – (Born 1828) – Philosopher and writer – Critic of war, made great use of metaphor and sought alternative approaches. 50. Michale Jean Pierre Verne (born 1861) – Writer - Son of the novelist Jules Verne. 51. Eugene Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc – (born 1814) – Architect – Student and restorer of gothic architecture. 52. Charles Marie Widor – (born 1844) – Composer and Choreographer – Wrote symphonies, ballets and organ music and compiled lost works by Bach. [/I] George asks, “And lastly, how much are you behind or ahead of the Weekly Wizards? Surely they are following the same paths of investigation. The site hear may be safe for a bit, but I worry about the Saturiwa if the Wizards deduce their origins or discover their whereabouts." James says, "We have no way of knowing what avenues the French are looking into. It was only a fluke that we found out about their efforts to form a team to investigate Atlantis. To the best of our knowledge they don't know about us yet. When Luiz's son was conducting his recent investigations in the City of Dieppe there was no indication that any of them were in the area." Alsoomse states, with no small amount of urgency in her voice, "You are correct about the need to protect the Saturiwa. It was only from the rocks and platypus claws from the tunnel that we now deduced their current location. We must remove and bury every ounce of the Australian dirt that is currently in the tunnel, and do so as quickly as possible! On the off chance that the French do find one or more of the gateways we can't have them finding the geologic evidence. Should they discover a potential source of Wolframite, they wouldn't hesitate to kill every one of the Saturiwa to get at it." James states, “Now, unless there are more questions we should get to where I ask if you wish to join. But before I do I suppose that some of you might be interested in hearing about payment. Each of you would receive a weekly salary of $ 500.00. That is over and above the free room and board at any of the Corporation's eight locations. You would also be entitled to a two-percent share of all profits. Essentially, half of all profits will go back into the business and the other half will go to the twenty-five operatives. Those twenty-five are the five officers, the ten managerial people for the Commercial side of the Corporation, and ten of you for the Academic side of the Corporation." Ruby placed the bones back on the table and turned to the group. "Seems like most of the fine people here had already made their decision before last night. After some careful consideration and discussion, I will be joining the Ageless Corporation as a member and I will let George tell you his own decision." James says, “But I also have one other exceptional reward to offer to all of you who are of full or part human blood. Please note that what I am about to tell you is a carefully guarded secret. Paolo da Rosa, Alsoomse’s husband, descended from Portuguese wizards and druids. Centuries ago the Portuguese discovered a method of human life extension using a combination of wizard and druidic magics. Upon reaching adulthood both myself and Wilamina have been recipients of this form of magic. I am currently one-hundred-and-two years of age and Mina is ninety-seven. This magic requires some very rare and tremendously expensive components which can only found in Portugal and its colonies. It also requires multiple treatments over the course of a year, administered by a powerful spellcaster that is versed in both wizard and clerical magics, of which Luiz is one. By pooling together our knowledge, resources and connections made in the establishment of this Corporation, Luiz and I are able to make this generous offer to most of you." Ruby clapped her hands and squealed as she bounced up and down a little. "Oh That's SO great!! George and I were just talking about doing that, I want to do it SOON so I can... well, I just want to do it soon!! I'd get to spend more time with everyone I love!! Sqquuee!!!!!" Her hair bounced up and down as she celebrated the good news. She stopped bouncing suddenly and her brows furrowed together. "Nana, you are ninety seven? NINETY SEVEN?? How did that happen? How old is mama, isn't she forty something? How old were you when you had her?" Wilamina replies, "Your mother was born in 1837, which would now make her 45 years of age. I was 52 at the time. With this Portuguese method of slowed aging you remain youthful in physical appearance but for women menopause still sets in when in would have chronologically. However, long before we ever met James and his wife my first love Andrew and I had both previously used a French method which had de-aged us each several years, so my childbearing years lasted until I was chronologically in my mid-fifties." James interjects "Actually, that French method is very dangerous, with potentially lethal side effects. When I heard that Mina and Andrew had done something so foolish as to use that I insisted they needed to switch to the much safer Portuguese method instead. That is what we are offering to all of you." Fish decides this is too much personal information. He gets up and nearly stumbles to the bar. He pours himself a stiff drink and remains standing, avoiding glances at either Wilamina or her granddaughter. Ruby exclaims, "You can DE-AGE yourself? My world gets bigger every damn day. Hey Ben, can you get me one of those?" "Of course!" says Fish, affecting breezy cheer but not yet meeting her eyes. He reaches for the bourbon. "Wedge of lemon or a cherry?" "Cherry of course," Ruby said with a grin, striding over to Ben. As the others continued to speak, she leaned in close and whispered, "Can you believe all this crazy stuff?" Fish can feel the tops of his ears getting very warm. "Yeah, I feel a little in over my head," he whispers, "but I figure the Parkers have their reasons for recruiting a clever monkey like me!" He manages a glance and a wink in Ruby's direction. Ruby sipped the drink Ben made for her. "Yeah, me too. I'm not smart like the rest of them and I've been wondering why I'm here too." She smiled at the young man next to her. "Clever monkeys are always needed and useful. I'm not sure you can say the same about singers." "Don't be so sure, Miss West, " says Fish softly, "I'll tell you what I told Chernoviz: the deliberate use of distraction can be a beautiful thing to behold -- and the gods know you possess ample powers of distraction!" He drops his eyes, suddenly worried he's been too forward. The corner of Ruby's lip curled into a smirk as she flipped her long red hair over one shoulder. "Yes, I won't deny I am good as distractions and the like. Aphrodite has blessed me with ample," she glanced down to her chest then back up to Ben, "Gifts, of that there is no doubt. However, my looks aren't going to move that dirt. Well, I suppose...," she pretended to be thinking heavily, "I could charm someone into doing my share..." Then she giggled. "I guess we should just leave the heavy thinking to the smarty pants, huh? We get to work on the other stuff." Fish mouths the words and motions toward the table: "Finish your drink, Miss West. We oughtta rejoin the others!" "Yeah, you're right, we should." She took her drink and drank it fast, coughing a little at the end. "Thanks for that Ben." She squeezed his arm then bounced back over to George. George asks, "So, how long a life span does this entail? And at what functionality? I don't know that an extra three decades without a memory would be enjoyable. Does it slow down the aging process then or merely prolong the life span and to what degree within each portion of the recipient's life?" James replies, "At it's full potential the magic will slow down your aging by half from the point that you receive the treatment. However, to achieve this magic’s full potential there are some geographic limitations, dependent upon the ley lines of the Earth. One would need to spend half or more of your time at places where wizard magic ley lines and earth magic ley lines intersect. There are also around two dozen such places in the world where these lines also intersect, including many of the great cities. It is no coincidence that all eight port cities chosen for offices of the AGELESS Corporation are at these locations.” George asks, “Mina said it does not prevent the onset on menopause, it is merely physical appearance then? Surely without the natural rhythms of a woman's body, she would be prone to more ailments and disorders? Are there any side effects or risks associated with this process?” George is wringing his hands as he speaks. "Fastidious fella, ain't he?" thinks Fish to himself, "I bet he was potty-trained before the age of two!" The physician Luiz jumps into the conversation at this point and says, "There is one major side effect for both men and women, it generally limits reproduction to only one child, or two in some cases like James, although each of those was with a different mate. There is no medical reason for either that or the early onset of menopause out-of-sync with the physical body." Alsoomse jumps in here with "Because the answer isn't medical, it's spiritual. The nature gods will allow for the longer life span on the one hand, but limit the reproduction cycle in order to create an overall balance. Think of it this way, each family is only allowed so many total years, if you're taking more for yourself than they will be subtracted from future generations by reducing the number of children in those generations." George asks, “Can it be reversed if needed, or against our will? “James says, "It can be reversed, but to do so would also require a year of special treatment. There is one other aspect of this that you should consider, the next generation also inherits a lesser version of this enhanced aging from the parents. Thus, they will live longer, but will also have fewer children. That is the reason behind the current estrangement between myself and my daughter. She feels that I had no right to do that to her." Ruby whispers to George, "Does all the technical stuff matter babe, really? Just think, me, you and all that extra time together," she purred. George squeezed Ruby's hand and gave her a weak smile but said nothing as he turned back to his notes. While the conversation about the age-extending magics continued, Thomas quietly shuffled through his notes and journal, making a pretense of note-taking and calculations, trying to hide his discomfort at the topic being discussed. Gulping a large swallow of his bourbon, Fish casts his gaze across the room. He observes Thomas fumbling with his notes but fails to notice his unease. Abigail stayed quiet for a moment, then said, "Mr. Parker, you'd have to drag me away from the chance to investigate these ties between Atlantis and the native tribes. As for the aging... I'll have to consider it. I've never thought of myself as the mother type, but I may be a little young to be making that decision forever. It would be fascinating to see how the world would change, though." James says, "The aging magic is optional, no need to make an immediate decision. So, now that all of you know the details and can make a more informed decision that's one yes to joining the AGELESS Corporation. What about the rest of you?" Thomas looks up, and into the eyes of everyone in the room, and then stands up. "As my father often said, "in for a penny, in for a pound. You will, of course, have whatever service and labor it is within my means to provide for AGELESS, Parker. I say yes unreservedly." "Oh, count me in!" replies Ben cheerfully, lifting his glass. "It beats shoveling elephant poop!" Hardin tugs at his chin. "Sounds interesting, James. I will think on it, but the thought of making it most of the way through the next century is awfully intriguing. I think you will be able to count me in..." Nanuet stands and says "As I said previously I will join AGELESS, the people in this room seem like the people I can be proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with and it is an easy decision for me. I for one though am glad that I do not have to make the decision regarding the extended life, that is a tough one." Lawrence scratches his chin. "I'll have to think about it. It's tempting, but I'm still leery about this kind of thing. Anyway about the Saturiwa. If we want to beat the wizards to it, we'll need to find this portal." Ruby took a finger to George's chin and gently forced him to look at her. "What. Is. Wrong?" George squeezed her hand again "Nothing my love." "George Eastman, you are lying," Ruby said sternly, "What's wrong? What happened? Did you ask so many questions you convinced yourself something is wrong? Are you not going to join AGELESS now?" she pouted. George turned to Ruby and quietly said "Nothing is wrong, nothing has altered my original decision Constance. Don't fret." "I can't help it, you're acting all strange." She sat back in her chair, unhappy at the new turn of events but tried to not show it. "So that's me, Abby, Ben, John, Larry, Thomas, Nanuet... who else? Roy, are you still in?" She didn't turn her head to look at her fiance. "George?" Ruby's question woke him up from his nap. He had dozed listening to folks go on and on about history, magic, and whatnot. Less talk, more action; that was Roy's motto. "Wha.... Oh, yeah. Count me in Ruby," Roy said as he rubbed his eyes. "So when do we leave?" Ruby's smile popped back onto her face and she laughed. "Well, I'd like to know that myself! But, I think for now we will just be digging." Roy smiles. "Digging? Fantastic! It's not often that I get to use my talents in that nature. What are we digging for, exactly? I have some friends who may be able to help with that." George finished a few last notes and closed his notebook. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. Giving Ruby's hand a last squeeze he says "Well it looks like I am the last to state my standing. I have given this a good deal of consideration. And while I have a great deal of responsibility back in New York, I find that the current situation could lead to a great destabilization in world security. Between the risk of that, of genocide, the potential for new knowledge, as well as the thrill of adventure I will admit, I find that I too must through my hat into this pool of extraordinary people as well.'' "Additionally, I have been giving it a great deal of thought, and have decided to establish my own separate trust for the AGELESS Corporation, under the same terms as our Portuguese benefactor to ensure that we never need be beholden to him or his government. I shall endow this trust with one and a half million dollars to ensure that we have all the funding we need." adds George. "Give that man a drink!" yelps Fish, standing up with a grin and returning to the bar. Ruby mouth dropped open, shocked. "George! Are you serious?" He replies, "I am very serious Constance. The matters here go beyond mere academic pursuits or even the thrill of exploring. We are dealing with Machiavellian wizards who circumvent the law and threaten the existence of entire peoples. I will help ensure that they are foiled, both by my actions and my finances." She exclaims, "B-but but that is a LOT of money! A MILLION AND A HALF dollars???" [/QUOTE]
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