Kendal is somewhat surprised of Piotrs reaction, pleased, but still surprised.

He raises an eyebrow and slightly tilts his head to the side "Please, tell me more. What kind of groundwork have you come up with?"

"You know we belong to clubs, yes?  Boxing, fencing, macrame, cooking...  We've been feeling this out for some time.  Many of us are fed up with the standard politicians.  We don't agree that the Exalts are no longer human.  What are they, if not the most human?" He gestures at Kendal's forehead. "We've had our eyes open for this for a while.  We're not the only big guys but we know the ones who are.  Posters.  Speeches in bars.  You know.  Things like this."

"Well, maybe you can go and invite these people of influence to the meeting for my constituents we are about to make happen." He gives Xene a look. "I think we can make room. If there are people who already think like that it's great news for me, so this might not be my last term as a Senator after all."

He looks at both of them and claps his hands one more time. "Unless you have something more to add, go make stuff happen! Spread the word and let us get this done so we can all celebrate afterwards!"

"There should be plenty of space," Xene grants.

"We'll get them sir." He says, starting something that might look like a salute, "We are very very happy we finally have an ultimate human voice in the Senate."

He nods again awkwardly and steps out, leaving him alone with Xene.

As Piotr leaves, Kendal sits back down again, runs his fingers through his hair and breaths deep. "How much overwork you think this body can take? I somehow get the feeling I will be hoarding those vacation days for a while."

He turns to Xene. "Well i'm going to work you harder than before so prepare yourself."

"Well if Lucifer is any indication, a decade or more with the occasional bout in the hospital."  She replies deadpan, "Sir, if you work me any harder I'll be forced to ask for additional bonuses and raises commensurate to the position of Personal Secretary to a Solar Exlated.  I only require, hmm, three whole decks all to my own.  Sound good?"

"I'm afraid that the additional bonuses require increased performance, not a new title, or would you prefer to be someone else's personal secretary if the job suddenly gets harder?" He replies. "It's not like your contract had ready terms in case I Exalt."

It's not like he would be against it. Lets just stay in office first.

"I'm just giving you a hard time you ass,"  She rolls her eyes and laughs a little, "Roger that, boss.  I'm off to take care of the troops."

She leaves Kendal alone.  For a few moments, he's there, blissfully alone in the quiet.

He only sighs as a reply to Xene as she walks out.

When he is alone, he takes good use of the situation and goes to pours himself a drink, sits back down on his chair and leans back, closing his eyes, assesses the whole situation in his head again. Trying to spot things he missed or didn't figure out in all the hurry. But unless some random assassin falls through the roof or what ever, he just prepares for the next thing to do, which seems to be the constituent meeting most likely.

Kendal spends some time writing speeches, fielding phone calls, and doing the millions of minutiae that take up his time.  And that's when he gets the phone call from Sanctuary.

"Senator Raines," The voice on the other line isn't familiar, "This is Orderly Worendi from Sanctuary.  The patient Torvald is awake and is asking for you.  He's refused to speak with anyone else before you- can you come in at your earliest convenience?  The Ilmorijo need to discuss with him the incident at his office."

"Right, I'll be there momentarily, just a moment." He sets his desk in a neat order. "Just need to set my timetable straight, but this takes top priority." he listens if Worendi has something to say and hangs up, now he just needs to find Xene again and inform her of this so she wont lose her shit when he is gone again.

"He'll be on the fifth deck, room 8," Worendi responds to him, then hangs up.

Xene listens to him and tells him to be careful- though not without the suggestion that perhaps he should inform Battles.  She also slips him a small envelope, "Open it later when you're alone.  Nothing important."

Sanctuary is not the most pleasant place to be.  It smells of antiseptic, desperation, rot even at the best of times.  He's directed through the checkpoint only after going through a rigorous investigation by the warrior-orderlies, each of them giant slabs of unhappy muscle with shock prods.  They take cheek swabs from everyone who enters, puts them through some eerie glowing machine, and then direct him through.

Orderly Worendi is a strange god, vaguely Middle Eastern, like Iranian or Azerbaijani if Kendal is any judge.  He gives Kendal a quick nod, "This way, sir."

Torvald's room is a mass of machinery, tubes, red blood splashed across walls and ceiling, and a full squad of Ilmorijo watching over him.  His eyes are crusted red when Kendal opens and he gives a smile.

"Ah... Sena...tor..."

He puts the envelope in his jackets pocket and sends a text to Battles informing him as well about him going to the Sanctuary.

After arriving to Torvalds room he raises a hand in greetings. "you should save your breath for the important parts, don't care about the formalities for now, but first I have to thank you for your notes, they were really enlightening." Kendal rubs his forehead, this time trying to be just a bit more descreet.

If Torvald has figured that out, Kendal can't tell.  The Blood Ape is in terrible condition after all- he's not going to die but it's definitely not pleasant for him, and his eyes are still pretty gummed up with blood.

"Least... could do..."  Torvald gasps out, "Fornic...ations... pain... shouldn't... hurt so... much."

He tilts his head to the side.  There's a little bowl by him containing the bloody remains of a few bullets.

"Demon...killer...rounds."

"Seems like you are lucky or just too stubborn to die." Kendal says with a genuine smile on his face, it was good to see that he will live. "Anyway, sorry if i'm being too straightforward, but you had a reason to summon me before telling anything about what happened to the Ilmorijo, can you tell me what it is?"He asks even though he has a slight idea of what Torvald has to say, but he still needs to hear him say it.

He looks at the squad of Ilmorijo and assesses their willingness to leave the room.

"Or too... stupid..." He coughs.  "... Yes."

The Ilmorijo are not willing to leave.  They keep a close eye on him.  Makes sense- Battles probably gave them very specific marching orders.

"You... must be... next," He answers, "No... idea how... they could have... known.  Maybe... a mole.  Yours.  Mine.  Need... warn you... not just... Holftan."

"Tell me as much as you can, I have already taken steps towards my own safety so don't worry about that, just any details you can share, but don't overextend yourself now." He crosses his hands and listens carefully what he says, he wants to hear all Torvald has to say without interruptions, letting him take his time.

He takes a deep, painful breath.  It causes him to have a serious, wracking cough that culminates in a glob of clotted blood the size of a coffee mug blasting out of his mouth and hitting the ceiling.  The rattling in his lungs seems to cease.  The clot remains stuck to the ceiling.

"I think that's part of my lung," Torvald says faintly. "Oh."

The machines attached to him beep away at the same pace as before.  Nobody looks particularly anxious and no alarms sound.  So... he's probably not going to die?

"There were three of them,"  His voice is steadier now, "The Senator Holftan opened the door and we welcomed him.  He was ... a friend.  Of mine.  Maybe not my boss, but to me.  He had two humans with him, I think they were humans, dressed in black suits and- I noticed the black masks.  Before I could say a thing he was on us like a whirlwind, the humans standing back and watching.  I rushed back to the Senator's office to put together the file and tried to hide it but Holftan was there.  He... apologized to me.  Didn't seem to know what I was doing.  But one of his friends lifted his gun and shot me..."

"Do you think he was forced to do what he did? Normally betrayals are not followed by apologies unless the is some inner conflict in the act I think." It's good that he can speak more clearly.

He glances at the Ilmorijo. "Nonetheless I think this is a suitable time to inform Battles about Holftan."

"If he was forced-" Torvald tries to shake his head and rejects it, "No, he was... willing.  Willing participant." 

The Ilmorijo raises a phone and starts texting.

"Regret, though, yes.  Like you humans, killing a pet for consumption or else you'll starve..."

"It's also regretful for a god to sink so low, but I had my doubts already, so it was good to get confirmation." He frowns as he remembers another important topic "How about the Senator? Everyone else was found but him, was he present at the time?"

"He had just stepped out of the office.  I can't say," Torvald tells him, "It could be they were waiting for him, isolated him, then swept the office... I don't know what's happened."  He closes his eyes, "Senator Raines, may I admit a bit of dishonesty to you?"

He doesn't wait for a reply.

"My esteemed colleague was, at best, a figurehead.  As I'm sure you understand.  I did most of the work in the office.  So, you might understand why I find Senator Mxotichtlatl's disappearance disturbing?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:33, Mon 11 Feb 2019.

"Come on now, dishonesty has a part in every politicians career, like your secrecy just might have saved your life for one, it's unnecessary to feel bad about making smart moves. But what comes to Mxotichtlatl, he at least had information, what else are you thinking of?" He replies.

"No, the point is he didn't have any information.  He was a figurehead, a rabble-rouser, good only to get the crowds crowing or laughing, a known - ugh- a known quantity.  Anyone who'd attack our office would almost have to know that..."  Torvald trails off, fighting droopy eyes.  His EKG seems just fine, though. "... they want the demons to be mad.  And active.  If he was dead, they'd just... accept it."

"So, what do you suggest I do about it? I'm a bit hands full even without pretending to be a detective so I'd rather leave that to the professionals. Do you think they are going to do some public stunt or something along those lines or rouse the masses more discreetly?" The last thing Kendal needed right now was an angry mod of demons roaming about.