Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 1121737" data-attributes="member: 1210">ArrangementsZeebo first feels an inkling of suspicion when he runs into Estelias twice in an hour and she’s changed clothes, but it doesn’t blossom into full-fledged worry until he runs into her a third time, only ten minutes later, and she’s in yet another outfit.  Worse yet, he tricks her into revealing that she doesn’t know the details of one of the conversations he just had with her.Is one- or more- of these an imposter? he wonders, and decides to inquire whether anyone else has noticed anything lately.   So he seeks out Adrophillinus the Alienist, who has in common with Estelias and Zeebo both a seat on the Commission on Extraplanar Affairs.“Have you noticed anything weird going on lately?” Zeebo asks.  “Something seems kind of funny about Estelias.”“I always see weird things,” the alienist replies tartly.  “There are things, larger minds than we can perceive, squirming in realities beyond our vision.  I see these things, and more!  Yes, I see weird things.  Bah, from the vagaries of space and time our problems are infinitesimal, nothing.  Whatever strange duplicates, simulacra of us exist shall surely amount to nothing in the cosmic scheme, however empowered they become!  And the pseudonatural, squirmous tentacles that extrude from a realm far beyond this one will caress everything we can see with ectoplasmic splendor, coating it all with the madness that spawns from them…!”  Zeebo lets Adrophillinus rave on, but he’s keyed into one thing.Empowered simulacra, he thinks.  How brilliant- and dangerous.At 7:00 pm, Glaxo receives a message from the Thieves’ Guild.  He is to report for guard duty.  The Auction of Shadows starts in an hour.Cicero, meanwhile, has found his man, the opponent for Sir Alex in Cicero’s Arena.  This man is a dangerous one, a Bleak-worshiper, a friend of evil and chaos and an enemy of all that is light and good. ”Sure I’ll throw the fight,” Brother Vordos lies.  He grins a shark-like grin, having every intention of gutting that Forinthian bastard and wearing his entrails for jewelry.Fonzi and Sonti are simultaneously coming up empty while looking for Sir Alex; he’s off meditating and preparing for the coming bout, and they can’t find him.  Frustrated, they return to Cicero’s office and report in.Here we go, Cicero thinks. “Look, I know you guys want Sir Alex to win,” he begins.  “And you ought to know that I’ve turned up a very dangerous opponent, a follower of Bleak.  Well, this is your chance to help show the strength of Forinthia and to help Sir Alex win his fight!  What do you say, you wanna back him up in the arena?  I’m sure I can come up with more opponents for you…”They agree, and as they leave Cicero exhales softly.  He was afraid he’s overplayed his hand; but no.  They’re going to do it.  Now to talk to Sheva.The twins go to their friend, Fredrick, and implore him to aid them and- especially- Sir Alex.  “If he dies you have to raise him!” they say.  “Or at least arrange for it!”“But I can’t,” he tells them.  “You’ve got to help him!  He could die.  You’ve got to do your part to help Forinthia.”“I cannot aid you,” Fredrick tells them again, firmly.“Brother,” Sonti says somberly, “perhaps we should let him go.  We cannot do everything.”“We can’t just let him die!”“Maybe,” suggests Fredrick, “he’ll win.”At the same time, Glaxo looks over a crowd of rough characters, some hooded to conceal their identities.  He recognizes a few faces- Cicero, for instance, and Sheva; but-Where’s Clambake?Next Time: The Auction of Shadows!</blockquote>

Verification