Heart of Artifice: Part I--Engineered Enigma

[Velmont]

OOC: I think it is a good thing to do, there seems to be a link between these four children and we have little clue for now.

 

[Erekose13]

"And to see if they might know more about the connections between the children." replies Aethelus, indicating that he two would like to speak to the two again.

 

[Rystil Arden]

*Heading back to the University grounds, the group knocks again and is anounced by the little construct again. Elizabeth meets them in the sitting room again.*

"Ah, Anvuss, Aethelus, Kharas, welcome back. Did you find out anything more? You're here just in time for me to cook dinner!"

 

[Patlin]

"Indeed, the mysteries confronting us multiply wit further investigation. Solutions, however, remain as yet beyond our grasp. It seems that Lucy is not the only one missing. We are hoping you might know how to locate Suzie."

 

[Rystil Arden]

"Susie? I think she's staying with Sophie's TA while Sophie is on sabbatical. Oh dear, are Pete and Ed in trouble as well? What else did you discover?"

 

[Velmont]

"Very little, except that they are both missing and there parents doesn't know anything about there kids dissapearance. If it wasn't for that construct we had found, we could as much guess the kids would have run away together... we hope to have more luck with Susie. By any chance, do you know any habits the four kids had? Or place they like to go together?" ask Kharas.

 

[Rystil Arden]

"Lucy and I were very close, and we often talked about things together. I wouldn't normally breach her confidence by repeating gossip about her friends, but in this case, she could be in danger. Remember, though, she's just a little girl, so I wouldn't take her value judgments as canon. Let's see, Lucy says that Pete is handsome and smart, and he is brave and a good leader of their usual hijinks, maybe because he is older. She thinks he's the smartest of her friends except herself. I've met him personally myself, and he seems a sturdy young lad, though he doesn't seem to show enough fervour into constructs for Noah's taste. Lucy says that Pete sometimes lets them go to 'cool places' like abandoned buildings and such, but he says she's not supposed to tell anyone because they might get in trouble. Ed is a bit flamboyant--he's very artistic and sometimes a bit brooding or emotional for his age. Susie is easygoing and shy, but she enjoys hanging out with the other kids despite her shyness because she feels like she fits in."

 

[Erekose13]

"As Anvuss said, if we hadn't seen the construct with our own eyes, these children sound like they would run away together. Something that binds them together must be of value to whomever has kidnapped them. I wouldn't think that childhood friends would be taken as a group unless there was something there. We know Lucy wasn't dragonmarked, but was there anything else about her and her friends that you can think of? Would any of the families involved, yourselves included, be targets for blackmail? I don't mean to sound insensitive, we really want to help find these children." says Aethelus with sincerity in his voice.

 

[Rystil Arden]

"I don't know--nothing special I can remember."

"Blackmail? I think you have your terms mixed up, but I know what you mean--you mean kidnapping and extortion, right? If that was the case, the kidnapper would have to contact us at some point with terms of negotiation, and it would make sense for the kidnapper to do that as soon as possible or risk being discovered by an investigation before the targets of the extortion break down and agree to the demands."

*The Professor heads into the room.*

"Ah, our guests are back. Are you making dinner, my darling?"

"Soon, my love. Do you need something?"

"Do you know where I put the arc spanner?"

"Oh, yes--absolutely. Let me go get it for you," Elizabeth excuses herself with a quick apology and comes back with a metal implement.

"You're a life saver--and a breathtakingly beautiful one at that! I'm sure you know that, dear" the Professor smiles.

*Elizabeth blushes:*

"Anything else?"

"With all this talk about little constructs breaking into houses, I've been checking on our things. I couldn't find the Codex Arcanum in the study."

"That's because you left it on the bedroom stand, dear," Elizabeth retrieves the book as proof.

"Oh, so I did! What about the Wyrd Ruby from Xen'drik and the Elemental Crux?"

"The Crux is on the table in the other room after that experiment late last the other night. I don't know where the Ruby is--it isn't in the vault?"

"Oh, maybe--it looks like I wasn't looking carefully enough. I'll go get them now. You're amazing dear!"

"At least one of us is organised, darling," Elizabeth laughs.

*As Digory heads off, Elizabeth smiles and sighs contentedly, then she is brought back to the matter at hand and turns to the three visitors:*

"Any other immediate questions or can I get dinner started for the five of us?"

 

[Erekose13]

"Extortion, yes that was the word I was looking for. I assume then that no one has contacted you besides us regarding Lucy's dissappearance. You haven't had any luck with that compound have you professor? Any ideas where it might have come from or who would have the facilities to create it?" asks Aethelus.