Steve laughed.

"Then riddle me this, foxy. How come when the Sultan owned the scepter; soulless ones weren't strolling down Elm St talking to cats, flying demons weren't strafing innocent bystanders, darkout zones stayed happily indoors and the only contracts being passed out were by Al Capone? Eventually this ruckus is going to cause a knock on the door and some guy with angel wings will walk in with some God's Fire to toss around."

"I'm going home, you folks can plot, I need sleep. I have no doubt I'll see you and your entourage tonight."

Marianne looked rather happy at the prospect of losing the annoying company of the detective. As far as she was concerned, if he was going to persist in being so shortsighted, they were better off without him. But it just wasn't in her nature to let a statement like that go without comment. The detective thought Rashid was the best protector for the gems? It was his idiocy in bringing them out here that started this whole thing, as far as she was concerned.

"So you had a bad night last night. So did all of us, Mr. Cable. I don't take well to being shot at and chased through the streets of Cairo either. But you're mad if you think it's going to get better. You haven't seen the demon of all demons arise, yet, and that is exactly what will happen tomorrow unless we succeed," she snapped.

"Do you know the Sultan dismissed all the guards the night the scepter was stolen because he fancied himself in love? And he insists on showing them tonight regardless of the danger. He's been doing everything he possibly can to help the thieves, if you ask me. I suppose you trust him to keep the ancient powers contained. How like a man!

Well, take this bit of friendly advice, Mr. Cable. If you truly think the gems are safe with Rashid, stay far away from the ball. For if they are ever used... well, I've been told there are things worse than demons, but I have no desire to meet them. Mr. Gruber, would you please tell our reluctant companion what we may be facing if the gems are used?"

She was well and truly fuming right now. Whoever could protect the gems was the only rightful owner of the gems. And the list of grievances she could lay at the Sultan's feet were growing by the minute. How she would like to meet him and give him a piece of her mind!

She pointedly ignored the detective and turned to Gruber. "I think White is our best chance. When he came to me, he said he was planning to take the gems to a safe place. I think I can convince him that I believe him and would like to help. The vial gives me something of an excuse. By the way, Mr. Gruber, do you know what's in the vial? It was something very powerful.

Brother Clary, what will you do?" She began pacing as she thought out loud.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:13, Mon 16 Feb 2009.

"Rashid's family had it hidden away in a crypt," Hans Gruber replied, with a shrug, to Cable's comments. "It was not easy for Ben Weintraub to get out, that's why he only got the one gem, not both, and not the Sceptre.    The gems are sources of great power.   The safest place for them is back where they came from.   I have become rather fond of this world and would be sad to see it subjugated."

"I know Ben for a long time," Gruber nodded at Marianne's suggestion.  "It is only that he is working for your government that makes me worry, they do not always make good choices."  At the sight of the vial, he stepped back a pace.  "It's very powerful - it is the bone of one of your holiest men, one that had special sight."  It took a while for the other penny to drop, as was typical for the German.  "I will go speak to Ben," Gruber said, scowling again, "Since he knows about me, he will have...questions.  It would be good to have his help."

"Suit yourself, Herr Leutnant. I'll see you tonight."


OOC To home

Marianne turned away from the detective's departure with a sniff. They would all be in for a nasty time if someone managed to get their hands on the gems, and she had been in enough tight spots in the last seven years to know burying your head in the sand never helped. Besides, by nature she just had to be involved in everything, and considered a lack of that quality as a serious character flaw in others.

"You mean he truly works for the Americans?" Marianne was fascinated. She had thought he had been lying about that, but it seemed Ben Weintraub had come a long way from his days smuggling whisky across the border. "Well then, really, if even the Yanks are in on stealing the gems, what's he got to worry about?" she remarked with an annoyed look at the departed detective's quickly retreating figure.

"The Americans might decide to keep it for themselves instead of giving it back, but Ben did say he wanted to put it either on the moon or at the fountain. He might - just - agree to help. Perhaps Brother Clary and I should go first to make sure he's agreeable. That's assuming you agree to come with us, of course, Brother Clary. But wouldn't you say we were on the side of angels on this one?" she tried to cajole the good brother to join in with them. After their adventures at the fountain, she appreciated his steady presence - and his skill with a shotgun.

"But here's another thought. Even if someone stole the gems, wouldn't they need a woman of Ayesha's bloodline to use them? Do you know who they are? Maybe we could just protect them instead?"

Brother Clary pushed his hat back a bit on his forehead revealing a few unruly strands of sandy-colored hair.  He scratched his head, and then replaced the hat to its perch.

"Miss Marianne, I don't cotton to lettin' you outta my sight until this thing is over, since Gruber done said that Grey might have some sorta power over women-folk.  Where you go, we go." He said this last while pattng his shotgun.

"I shore hope the angels are in the middle o' this.  'Twouldn't hurt none to have their help.  But I'm not worried that we'll be abandoned any."

Gruber gave Marianne a puzzled look.  "You TRUST this government ?"

He paced back and forth a little, arms folded across his chest, clearly trying to think.  "There is no way I can stop Grey," he said.  "All I can do is to stay away from him, and he will be at the Ball, I am sure of that.  That means he will be able to cause much trouble.  I will guard Miss Trevors and keep her from harm.  Grey has not seen you, Brother Clary, so he will not be expecting anything from you.  You may be able to approach him and keep him from casting a spell.   I will speak to Ben Weintraub and try to get his help.   If he truly understands the gems' power, he may decide to help me too.  Without the bloodline of Ayesha, the gems cannot reach their full power - but they are still very strong.  But then...."  he paced some more, "Then there is that....Englishman, and maybe others who will try for the Morning Star."

Steve got a taxi home and headed in for sleep been awake 26 hours now, less a couple of hours at Chang's.

Marianne smiled. "Oh, I wouldn't advocate telling Mr. Weintraub straight off. We'll sound him out first. I'll tell him I saw your true form and ran for the hills," she replied with a twinkle.

"Brother Clary, it'll be just like old times! Although I'll wager Mr. McCurdy, wherever in the world he is, is glad to miss this one. Let's go find the redoubtable Mr. White, shall we?"

At the mention of the Arkansas PI, The Texan grinned broadly.  "Y'know, I was just thinkin' 'bout him.  This other fella ain't nothin' like McCurdy, is he?"  Growing somber again, he creased his brow in reflection.

"As I said, Miss Marianne, I'm goin' with you to make sure nothin' happens.  I know, I know, you kin take care o' yourself, but as the Good Book says, Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.*"



*(Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)

Marianne looked a little skeptical. Stubborn, slightly slow, thought of himself as a tough guy. In some ways he sounded almost exactly like McCurdy to her.

"You don't know how much I appreciate it, Brother Clary," she replied with a secret grin. The good preacher might think he was only accompanying her to 'protect' her, but he would soon find himself well and truly involved in the situation. People who hung around her nearly always did.

"Well, let's go find Mr. White before he leaves for the ball. Mr. Gruber, we'll meet you there and then discuss the plan."

OOC Back at the fair


Steve arrived a few minutes later at the Sultan's tent.

There was a great deal of hubbub at the tent; four Caucasian security guards, wearing the badges of A-1 security, were interspersed with more dark-robed, veiled, horribly beweaponed Arabs, all stationed around the Sultan's front door.  The annoying Ali was sighing heavily, sitting on the doorstep with his chin propped up by his knees.  At the appearance of Steve Cable, he sighed again.
"Oh most noble and delightful of detectives, it is the joy of my eyes to see you approach," he greeted Steve, with a complete lack of enthusiasm.  He looked exhausted.
"I'm sorry, Sir, there's no admittance right at this time," the head security guard said, in a very polite tone.

"Ali I need to see the Sultan and or his Aunt, and I mean like six hours ago. I'm late and this clown troop here won't get done what needs doing."

"He is on the approved list," Ali said, as the guard started to think up reasons to deny Steve admission.  With a slow, creaky motion, the 'boy' stood up.  "I will take you to Ayada, Mr. Cable.  Rashid is -indisposed-."

With minimum fuss, Steve Cable was shown inside.  There was plenty going on in there, too; more robes hustling about, with crates, heavy chains and the like, packing up the treasures, and a very harried looking Aunt Ayada fussing about in the background, with two handmaidens about her age following after her, one with a clipboard, one with a pitcher of something to drink.  Ayada was gabbling on a mile a minute in Arabic, which the one with the clipboard was noting on the clipboard.  It was only after a moment that she noticed Ali and Steve Cable, and fluttered her plump hands.  "Oh, Mr. Cable," she said, in her accented English.  "It is most distressing.  We have had terrible news that someone will try to steal the Morning Star."

"Succeed is most likely.  Like every guest on the list and a few gate crashers for good matter. Even better some folks have been dabbling with things man weren't meant to know, so some of your crashers will look like they stepped out of that Buck Rogers movie the Fair has been showing, only with better make-up."

"So if you want to keep that jewel you'd best head for home. Like yesterday. Train, plane, automobile or kick scooter."

"I need a favor too, that ring. I can cause a disturbance if needed during the party tonight."

Ayada stared at Steve Cable for a moment, then fluttered her plump hands in a complex pattern, as if shooing invisible chickens.  "Is impossible !" she declared.  "We promised.  Honour is at stake.  And - " she stopped then, staring at Ali, who looked as if he'd just been slapped.   Then she spoke in Arabic to Clipboard Lady and Other Lady-in-Waiting, a rapid singsong of words.

Pitcher Lady offered Steve Cable a cup of the blackest coffee he'd ever seen, in a delicate enamelled brass cup, while Ayada fretted.  It was clear she was torn between helping Cable, and dealing with whatever else had cropped up in her life.

Steve drank some coffee.

"Whoa, that clears some cobwebs."

"Trouble's coming, you need make decisions. unlike President Coolidge's motto, this won't roll off the road before getting here either."

Ayada had stopped her fussing and was standing there, thinking, her dark eyes as set as a general's on the dawn of the big battle.  "I will give you my ring for the day, if you will help me," she said.  "You must return it by dawn, tomorrow, for I will give Ali his freedom, if the Star stays in our possession when we return home.  But here it is, Mr. Cable; we must display the Gem, or at least give the appearance of doing so, just as we must be present at this Grand Ball - a matter of diplomacy.  There is no one I trust to take the gem away now, either; not at this time.  There have been too many troubling bits of information that have come my way."

"I'll get your ring back to you.  But Dark forces are afoot. Technically Light Forces are afoot too, it should get interesting."

Ayada nodded.  "Then we have an accord," she said, formally, and drew the ring from her finger as if unsheathing a sword, and offered it to him in the palm of her hand.  He could have sworn the ruby winked at him, and he noticed Ali staring at him as if measuring him up.

The ring was heavy gold, butter-yellow, and just barely fit on the smallest finger on his left hand.  Ali stood and offered a salaam to him. "The genie of the ring is yours to command," he said.

"Salaam Alikiem Ali. Think I'll go see if any characters have showed up yet. Where will my violin case be safe but reachable."

It was about time to dress for the ball.  Ali shrugged.  "I can hide it in the ballroom easily enough.  Do you want it taped to the underside of your table, by the front door, or near the stage where the Star gem is displayed ?"

"Under the table please."

Steve adjusted his tuxes bow tie.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:24, Wed 29 Apr 2009.