Session Two, Part Three: The Scene of the Crime
The morning light from outside the warehouse suddenly dimmed as the massive form of Quooral Stonecypher moved across the sun with all the ponderous grace of a lunar eclipse. Startled, the foreman looked up, only to see a pair of badges heading directly for him. He began to sweat.
"Officers..." he said, putting out his hand and hoping the nervousness didn't show on his face. "I'm Garston March, the foreman here." Around him, the workers resumed picking up shattered crates and debris. March held a manifest in one hand and a piece of chalk in the other, and was marking damaged crates for disposal.
Keep calm, there's no way they can know about it...
"There were some men here last night," stated one of the badges - the elf.
The foreman nodded. "That's right. From what I heard, someone was using the warehouse as a base for smuggling." Looking over, he saw one of the workers shifting a crate. "By the door, Saskas," he called. Turning his attention back to the badges, he gave a half-hearted smile. "We're clearing out the damaged property and doing an inventory for the insurers."
The human badge looked around. "All right. We'll leave you to it."
Compiler's Note: I know there was more to this, but my note-taking abilities seem to have failed me...if either Dru or Di'Fier can remind me of the missing parts of the conversation I'll update it. Now I just have to hope that I'm not forgetting a valuable clue or something.
"Wait here," Di'Fier told his partner - and with a word, he faded from sight.
Dru grumbled to herself.
I hate it when he does that. He never tells me what he's doing. She waited a few minutes, watching the workers load crates onto a small cart, then spun on her heel. "Come on, Quooral, maybe we can find a witness or something."
The people of Freeport were not known for their willingness to talk to the Watch, and this time was no exception. Still, Dru got the impression that this time they weren't lying when they said they hadn't seen anything. She leaned against the wall and glared at the street. "Now where the hell did Di'Fier go?"
"...go."
The glare slowly became a puzzled frown. "Quooral, did you hear something?"
"...thing."
The big genasi nodded. "Like an echo."
"...cho."
Dru leaned around the corner, looking into an alleyway littered with trash and debris. At first her eyes passed over the pile of rags - it was only on a second glance that she saw the girl huddled inside. "Oh," she said. "It's you."
"...you."
"You look like hell. I think we'd better get you some food."
"...food."
"Yep. Come on, Quooral. Di'Fier can handle himself."
Di'Fier cirulated among the workers, listening to their talk. Much of it centered around the occurrences of the night before, but they had even less solid information than the Watch.
It was only a few minutes until he noticed something strange. Most of the damaged crates were being loaded onto a wagon, but some were being stacked by the door - and every so often, a worker would carry them around behind the warehouse.
I wonder what they're doing with those... he thought, creeping forward. Behind him, the foreman said, "All right, lads, we've marked them all. Finish up this load and we're for drinks." A ragged approval was the response. One of the workers grabbed the last crate beside the door and carried it down the alley.
Di'Fier was right behind him.
At the other end of the alley, in a tiny side street, was a small pull-cart, with its presumed owner leaning against it insouciantly. The fellow looked up as the worker came around the corner, and helped him maneuver the crate onto the cart.
Di'Fier crept closer, to hear their conversation.
"...more 'damaged goods' to get rid of?"
"Nah, last one. Did you just hear something?"
"Prob'ly a rat."
Footsteps. Di'Fier turned to see the foreman approaching. With a nod, the other worker left, and the foreman turned to the business at hand. "That's all...any more and they'd get suspicious."
Pulling a small bag from under his shirt, the carter began to count out coins. "Well, I must say, it's a pleasure doin' business with ya."
The Watchman crept forward.
If I get on the cart I can find out where they're taking these... He slowly placed one foot on the back of the two-wheeled cart, putting his weight on it...
The cart tilted, and Di'Fier froze. The poles at the front had come off of the ground. Slowly...very slowly...he began to raise his foot.
It slipped. Wooden poles smacked into the street.
The carter spun. "What was that?"
"Don't know. You'd better get out of here."
I guess I follow on foot, then... the Watchman thought to himself, walking after the trundling cart.
Dru looked over at the girl with satisfaction, as she gobbled the food in front of her.
I wonder if she really understands... As she sat back and watched, she noticed Jemis enter the room. The little smuggler headed over towards her.
"Dru," he greeted, joining them at the table. "I did some asking around about Roth and your father, just like you wanted."
"Anything?"
Jemis nodded. "Know a guy who knows a guy who works for Roth, an' he says Tensin has some kind of hold on Roth - blackmail or something. Had it for years." He glanced over at Echo, but didn't ask. "If you're looking for him, he's almost never at home. He's usually at the Gilt Club."
"Thanks, Jemis." Dru looked down at the girl. "You done?"
"...done."
"Okay. Come with me."
She led Echo through the halls of the Watch headquarters until they reached the tiny storage room that served as Glunnyn's lab. A variety of odors assaulted their nostrils as Dru opened the door. "Glunnyn?"
The little gnome was hunched over his alchemical apparatus. On the table behind him, Delithrawien was spread over a formulary. The cat looked up at the two women and yawned.
"Tell them I'll be right with them, Del," said the gnome. The cat merely closed her eyes and laid her head back down. In a moment, though, Glunnyn turned. "Now, what can I do for you?"
"Glunnyn, this is Echo. She's got a very strange problem, and I want to know if you can read her mind."
"...mind."
"Hmm, yes, I see..." The gnome climbed onto a stool to allow him to peer into the girl's face. She looked back with accepting interest. "Well, I did prepare that spell this morning. Let's give it a try." Pulling a copper coin from his purse, the gnome rubbed it vigorously as he chanted.
Echo's eyes grew wide and distant, and she began to chant as well, a perfect repetition of Glunnyn's words, but a moment behind. The surprised gnome struggled to keep his concentration, but he broke off. "I'm sorry..." he told Dru. "I didn't..."
"...expect that," Echo and Glunnyn said simultaneously.
Glunnyn's eyes widened. "She's speaking..."
"...simultaneously now."
"Something must have happened..."
"...with the spell."
"I wonder if she can read my mind as well..." Dru mused. Looking the girl in the eye, she thought with all of her force.
The brown cow lay down in the street.
Nothing.
Glunnyn coughed. "The ring..."
"Oh! Right." Dru slipped the ring she'd taken from the priestess of the Unspeakable One off of her finger and held it in her hand.
The brown cow lay down in the...
"...street," said Echo.
