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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 7003009" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chapter 119,  "Complications can be fun",  September 12, 1882, 11:00 PM. "Oh, beautiful city," Abby said, looking out the carriage windows, but at least mindful not to look like a country girl getting her first glimpse of Paris.  "Sleeping Beauty awakes," she chuckled.   Callum sits up, stretches and yawns. "I feel considerably better," he states, adding, "I think that the last time I slept was early on Monday" (it is now Wednesday evening).  Looking across at the other three he says, "I trust that you had a fine journey?"  Abby chuckled and smiled at him. "Delightful. Although I was apparently a much more troublesome child than you were."  "That would not surprise me for one second," he replies.The driver turns onto the Champs-Elysees and soon reaches the front doors of the aforementioned Cabaret le Ledu.  It is brightly lit and there appear to be hundreds of patrons.  Pepe says, "We will be staying in the city with friends.  Have the carriage pick us up after lunch, say around 2:00PM at the Cafe Andre."  "Very good," Callum replies.  The two elves stand to depart as the driver holds the door for them.   "Thank you for your company," Abby said sincerely. "It was a pleasure to meet you.  Enjoy your evening."  "And you as well," Maracita replies. Callum tells the driver "17 Rue de Beaujolais".  He steps back inside. Abby says, "Please tell me that's a restaurant, because if I don't eat soon, my stomach may devour me from the inside."   He replies, "Not just a restaurant, Le Grand Vefour, the first and finest grand restaurant of Paris." "Cal, that's rather extravagant, isn't it? And..." She paused. "I don't know how watched a personage you are in Paris, but reports would easily get back to your father that you were seen in my company." He laughs "Abby, being seen with you is the least of my worries.  Once my father learns of my being discharged from the Queen's service he might disown me.  So allow me this extravagance while I am temporarily in his good graces.  Besides, you may not have ever heard this before but...(lowering his voice) my family happens to be well off financially."  She replies, "Alright, we'll throw caution to the wind and enjoy ourselves. I can't say I mind...There has been a distinct lack of the finer things in my life lately.  I missed all the fancy parties in Egypt, after all." He replies, "Yes, due to your insistence on rescuing archaeologists sentenced to death and stopping royal families from being poisoned.  You miss all the best social functions that way."  They soon arrive at the famed dining establishment.  Abby had heard of the restaurant before.  It was founded in 1820 by Jean Vefour and quickly established a reputation as the premiere dining establishment for the upper classes.  They enter the establishment.  Despite the late hour the room is three-quarters full, although the empty tables that are there ensure that the couple does not have to wait to be seated.Abby says, "To be honest, I wasn't sorry to miss the formal functions.  I can do fancy manners and small talk, but I find it exhausting."  As they were shown to their table she said to him, quietly, "What a beautiful place.  I didn't expect the atmosphere to be so intimate.  And the smells are amazing."   "You deserve it," he states.  They are given menus and Cal is handed a wine list.  "What looks good to you?" he asks Abby. "Something hearty," she said, immediately dismissing the idea of any fish or anything light.  She was far too hungry to play around with light fare.  "Mmm, Chateaubriand.  Good bread.  Perhaps some harico vert or the garlic balsamic roasted brussels sprouts.  Of course the French Onion Soup." The waiter is summoned and the order is given.  He selects a beef dish for himself and orders an excellent vintage red wine to go with the meal.  The wine is brought over by the sommelier, who opens the bottle and pours the wine after Callum inspects the cork and samples it.   Once they are alone again Callum removes a small envelope from his shirt pocket, pouring a fine blue powder into his palm.  He drops the powder onto the candle in the center of the table and says a short incantation. "A privacy spell," he tells her, "Now nobody can eavesdrop on our conversation.  Now tell me, what did you and my elvan friends talk about, aside from my boring adolescence." "How long have you been wanting to ask me that question?" she teased.  "Since I woke up," he answers in complete seriousness.  She says, "We spoke a bit of your cousin Meaghan, who I gather is NOT well-liked among you.  We spoke a bit about your family and who's who, including your Aunt's late-life romance.  Also, what it's like for them to live here and visit Paris as elves.  But mostly it felt like an extended job interview.  They were very interested in my areas of expertise in archeology, whether I was more interested in the history or the science.  And they did tell me that on Queen Mary's land there are ruins to be excavated and studied." He says, "Okay, that's interesting.  Did they get at all specific about the ruins?  Wait, I'm getting ahead of myself.  Do you think that you passed the interview?  And are you at all interested in the position?"  She replies, "They weren't terribly specific, but they asked what I knew about the Carnutes and my experience with Roman ruins, so it stands to reason they're from the time of the Roman Empire.  Whether I passed or not, I said quite honestly that I would need more experience and more study before I would be ready to take something like this on.  I am interested, but I'm not certain.  My current employment... I like the people, but this particular trip to Egypt didn't turn out as planned.  And I get the feeling that this happens with Mrs. Parker's group quite a lot.  When there was a fight there was something... I can't describe it, but something in me got really excited.  But traveling with her group could help me get the experience I need to be ready for this challenge.  I'm a bit at a loss for where I should be." He says, "Well then, let we try to further entice you.  The magical well actually has two origin points, 700 years apart.  Both times were for the purpose of enchanting magical items with a mixture of earth and wizard magics to repel invaders.  The first was by the Carnutes during the 2nd or 3rd century B.C. to help repel the Romans. The second was seven-centuries or so later by the Roman General Flavius Aetius.  The Eagle on his standard was magical and helped him repel the army of Atilla the Hun at the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains, also called the Battle of Chalons, in the year 451 A.D.  That was Atilla's first real defeat, and also the Roman Empires last great victory.  The magical well story of the eagle's creation and enchantment was well known in its day, but everybody assumed that the magical well was located close to the battle site rather than seventy-five miles west of there. All recorded accounts of both stories risked being destroyed in Mary Stuart's time, as both the pro-wizard factions and pro-clerical factions considered it heretical since it referenced both types of magic.  So she collected all books and manuscripts that referenced the well and its origins.  Those volumes are now in our own private library.  From our analysis of the information it appears that there was a small Carnutes village on the site when the well was first created.  During Flavius Aetius's day a Temple dedicated to the Roman God Atlas stood on the site, but it was eventually destroyed when barbarian invaders swept over what is now France." Abby asks, "What do you hope to accomplish with an excavation, Cal?  Is your eventual goal to heal the breach between Arcane and Clerical countries?  If it is, how would what you find here help?  Much as I hate to say it, in the current atmosphere it would more likely cause an outright war over the property, and perhaps its eventual destruction."He answers, "We want to find out what occurred in 200 to 300 B.C. and then again in 451 A.D. to make the well function.  The ancients had the answers, we do not.  Yes, it radiates magical properties and makes magic work in an enhanced way, but the true power is in using the well to create great magical items.  We do not know how to do this.  And yes, we know that the current atmosphere is not conducive, which is why we are maintaining the secrecy.  If we can actually get the well to work, then through what we create, we can then convince others of the importance of blending different forms of magic.  This may not even happen in my lifetime, but I owe it to the family to try." She says, "I'd by lying if I said I wasn't interested.  It's fascinating, and to work on something that could eventually change our world so radically, so much for the better, it's almost irresistible.  But there are issues.  I have an obligation to Mrs. Parker's group just now.  Of course I can always leave the employment, but for the first time in a long time I feel like I could actually make friends.  I know you will say I could make friends here, and I could.  But these people could also be a resource for me, or us, later on.  I'm hesitant to cut those ties yet."Callum says, "Abby, I haven't offered you a job yet.  First of all, I can't, that would have to be a decision of the whole Stuart Magic Council.  And I hadn't told Pepe and Maria to even discuss that topic with you.  I shouldn't be surprised though, Pepe is always twelve steps ahead of me....never play chess with him."   She adds,  "And you and I both know, even Bast knows, that you and I do not have a strictly professional relationship.  I'm not saying that it couldn't all work out beautifully.  But we must admit that it could get complicated." He says, Abby, both of us have uncertain futures.  Part of me wants to ask Mrs. Parker for employment, although I am also needed here, and working for Queen Neferka is also tempting, not that she's asked me yet either.  For that matter, I don't even know that I've been fired yet from the Queen's service, although knowing Campion Bond as I do I cannot imagine a circumstance where I won't be.  As for our relationship, I can honestly say that I have never asked any of my professional associates to a romantic dinner at Paris's finest restaurant, so consider yourself fortunate.  Plus one other thing that I learned long ago, complications can be fun." A smile split her face. "Oh yes, they can.  But you and your friends can't ask so many pointed questions without raising some expectations," she laughed.  "I know that everything is uncertain now. But as long as you were telling me this much, I felt it only fair to be upfront and honest with you about what I'm thinking.  And now, isn't that enough thinking? After our very well-behaved and proper dinner, we can go somewhere and cause a scandal."  She asked then, from curiosity rather than concern, "How likely are we to end up in the gossip pages?"   He answers, "Not likely at all given what we did earlier today.  We returned the former Empress and Mr. Duruy to Paris, and they are also now both married to each other.  I would be shocked if anything else that happened today to anybody in society is even given consideration for the gossip columns."   She says, "Oh, that's right! And it likely won't take long for word of the defeat of the Weekly Wizard's to start moving around.  A lot of it will be speculation, but Paris loves speculation if I remember her right."  He answers,  "Yes indeed. Given how close we are to the Weekly Wizard's situation I wouldn't dare to try to make any inquiries.  But I did ask Pepe and Maracita to find out what they could while they're here."She asks, "Can you tell me what you've been doing since we saw each other last?  I know obviously you've been working for the Service, but can you tell me about it?  And I do understand if you can't."  He says, "Well, now, that puts me in an awkward position. I told you I would keep no secrets from you, but quite a bit of that is not mine to share and doing so could compromise others who I work with."   She says, "And that's why I said I understand if you can't.  Not every secret is yours, especially when your job is secrets.  I'm sure you understand that anything entrusted to me by Mrs. Parker's group must stay with me, too.It really has been years, hasn't it? I've worked in Egypt, Greece, and Norway since I graduated.  Then of course I spent about a year back home in New Orleans after my father passed, helping my mother adjust and get settled.  She's doing well now, but it was difficult for a while.  I was excited to get the offer from Mrs. Parker's group.  It's a chance to travel to a lot of different places, but home base is in Florida, not too far from Mama." He laughs "And here I thought that I was becoming an international spy to see the world!  You've been to far more places than I have.  The only two countries outside of Great Britain that I have been to since our previous meeting have been Egypt and France, both of which you've been at today!  Essentially I received training at the Pitt Rivers and Petrie Estates, helped my team establish themselves here at the Land of Queen Mary, and then went to Egypt with them last summer. As for my secrets, I can tell you a little about the organization itself.  Torchwood was created by Queen Victoria to investigate threats to the Empire related to wizardry as well as those of extra-dimensional and extra-terrestrial origins.  We are funded through British Military Intelligence, although the operatives are all civilians.  That is primarily to establish plausible deniability in the event that we are caught, so that there will be no international incidents that can be blamed on the Queen.  That separation also gives us the freedom to use magic to accomplish our tasks." Abby raised her eyebrows. "Well, my travel was an unusual situation.  One of my father's friends was able to get me recommended as an assistant to an archeologist who works with a group that had several sites working, so we traveled between them.  But hold on a moment here, extra-dimensional and extra-terrestrial?"   He replies, "Why yes. You just met Bast.  She doesn't live here on Earth does she?"Abby says, "I suppose not. But I'm an American, I don't generally think of gods and governments in the same sentence. Keeping an eye on the actions of gods wouldn't seem... I don't know, necessary to me. Bast is the first time I've seen evidence of them taking any kind of direction action, after all."   He replies, "Not all extra-dimensional or extra-terrestrial creatures are deities, far from it.  Think of most as being mortal minions that the deities command, or in many cases, mortal minions that got tired of being lackeys to the gods so came here to live instead. There are lots of opportunities here.  I know of one man from another planet who works as a butler for a London aristocrat."  She replies, "Oh, now you can't be serious.  I can believe someone would become tired of being bossed around by a deity, but to become a butler?  That's one too far."   Callum says, "He also serves as the aristocrat's bodyguard and nurse, putting his prior military training to work.  He if from a race that is dedicated to profound loyalty and honor, so serving another does him well."  "Mmm, hmm, and next you'll be telling me he looks like a potato and aristocrat is a pre-historic lizard," she teased.The food is delivered to the table and looks wonderful.  Callum must also be rather hungry as table conversation is at a bare minimum for the next twenty minutes.  When the last of the plates are close to empty and the wine bottle is near the bottom he says, "I think I made the restaurant choice."  Abby says, "I think you may be a little tipsy.  You left out a very important word.  Right or wrong choice?  I've quite enjoyed it, myself."   Callum replies, "Then it is the right choice.  And you may be right about the wine, it has actually been over a month since I had anything alcoholic, I seem to be out of practice."  She answers, "I think you  should have some more; it'll make it easier for me to have my wicked way with you later."  He smiles and says, "As if either of us need alcohol for that.  But once this meal is finished we do have a piece of business to take care of, a telegram to Queen Neferka letting her know that we will be delayed for a few days."   Abby asks, "What do you plan to tell her?  Minor repairs seems like the obvious choice.  You plan for us to be here several days?" He says, "Now here is where it gets interesting.  We need to keep the message cryptic enough for Neferka to understand, but vague enough that if it falls into the hands of the French Ruling Council or the Weekly Wizards they will not understand it.  We could leave tomorrow, but I would prefer to go on either Friday or Saturday to give my staff time to fully examine the dirigible, especially the levitation devices on the gondola." Abby says, "That will be a challenge.  Any message going to the Queen, or even to Egypt could be suspect.  I don't suppose there's any third party you trust to send the telegram to, and then have them send it on?"   He replies, "Ah yes, that would work. Paris to Cairo by way of Glasgow."  She suggests, "The wording will still have to be cryptic, but it's less likely to be looked at.  Minor repairs then?  Or perhaps a suggestion that we need to lay low?  I'm not sure about that one; if we had started back right away we should have been fine."He says, "Yes, but if we had started back right away you would not have a full picture of who I am.  That is very important.  I was dishonest with you before, I do not wish to do so now.  The Land of Queen Mary is not something I could have just described to you, it needed to be seen.  Plus, no matter how old I become I am still a boy who likes to play with toys.  After flying the dirigible all of the way from Egypt to France how could I not want to have one of my own?"  She reached across the table and took his hand. "Cal, the Land of Queen Mary is obviously an enormous part of who you are.  But it's not all you are.  It will take a long time to get a full picture of this man."  She smiled and shook her head. "Not many boys can just decide to copy the dirigible they were lent."He says, "Yes, but if I can then why shouldn't I?  Torchwood's research indicated that the French had four working models.  Three of those were now destroyed.  But those four were constructed somewhere, so there will probably be more built in the same location going forward.  The remaining one will be staying  with Queen Neferka.   She will need it to control the flow of ships in the canal if she wants to maintain her threat about countries not using it until Egypt's treasures are returned.  So that means I need to make another, just as I am equally sure your Mrs. Parker is going to do the same with that Dreadnaught gondola that she commandeered."  The waiter comes and brings them the dessert menu.  Abby looked of the menu until the waiters left the table.  "I didn't say you shouldn't.  But it's true I'm not used to being around people who can just casually decide to build their own dirigible," she laughed.  "Mrs. Parker may do the same with the Dreadnaught, but it's not exactly the most subtle way to travel.  Mmm, I think pot de creme today."  "Make that two," he tells the waiter.  After the man departs the table Callum says, "Okay, so how about this.  I send my Uncle Lord Galloway a cable asking for him to notify Egypt's new monarch that we plan to arrive in Egypt on either Friday or Saturday to discuss future archaeological expeditions in Egypt, and that we will be bringing a wedding present for her."  She paused for a moment. "My urge to over-explain wants to add more, but you are right I think to keep it simple."</blockquote>

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