"We're all good here," Jack said. "Y'all can talk more on the way there."

Several minutes later, Maeve and Liam sat in the back of the Winnebago. Caleb was up front with Jack, behind the curtain. Dogs, credulous as they are, did not seem to be a big concern with regards to Paradox.

"There are some complicating factors at play in the city," Maeve said. Because of course there were. "Long before we found her, Robyn was already working with the Black Hand. They've been providing her with reagents and protection, and they're going to expect a copy of her research. I believe you're familiar with at least one of them. Goes by the name of Nex."

“Ah, yes,” Liam replied. “I know Nex.” There were few Kindred Liam feared, and equally there were only a few he truly respected. Nex had the ignoble distinction of falling into both categories at once. He knew better than to trust the Nagaraja with anything beyond its own inscrutable interests.

“So I can expect company.”

"Ohhhhhoho yeah," Jack guffawed from behind the cabin curtain. "That creepy tin grin motherfucker's the least of your worries."

"Mm," Maeve mumbled assent. "Something very old and very powerful has been guiding her hand since the very beginning. And I'm not talking about that creeping horror that sleeps beneath the city."

“Oh?” Liam inquired. This would be Book almost assuredly. “To what end? Does Robyn know?”

"She knows," Maeve said. "She doesn't trust him, but he came bringing assistance she couldn't refuse. From what I can determine, he's an extradimensional being trapped in linear time. He calls himself Book. From what I observed, he's not even capable of direct action. He seems to interact with our timeline through the manipulation of others." She paused and met Liam's gaze.

"You've travelled through time before, correct?"

Liam smiled. "I was whisked away right under Jack's nose," he replied. "And had to endure a long sleep in the ground on a spit of land in the middle of the Atlantic to get back."

Maeve nodded. Her thrashing tail belied the interest in the topic. "Then I'm sure you were aware of how locked you were in this timeline. You weren't able to change the past so much as fulfill your role in it. To my knowledge, no magic or supernatural ability has been able to travel through time in any fashion other than forwards or backwards along a single trajectory. Simply put, one cannot move from one timeline to another. This creature, however, sees multiple timelines at a given moment, and anchors himself onto whichever outcome suits him best. He moves across the scale of probability the same way you or I walk across a room. What this means is: if you're seeing him, then whatever he's after, he's already gotten."

Maeve could see she was getting carried away with the topic, and caught herself. "The reason I'm telling you all this so you don't go trying to fight him. You can't. We've tried, and it was disastrous. Frankly, I'm not convinced he's truly corporeal. The worst you can do to him is thwart his plans, and the only indication you'll get that it worked is that you'll never see him again, because he's in the outcome where you failed. Be very careful how you deal with him."

"I told Hasan I would have been just as happy to stay awake and make my own way back to the present, but he insisted," Liam said with a grin.

"Anyway I'll keep that in mind." What did it say that Book kept popping up in his own timeline then?

"Presumably he's already gotten whatever he wants out of Robyn then, at least if we stay the course?"

Maeve studied his face for a moment as he spoke about time travel. Her vulpine features made her inscrutable. "I think Hasan made the right choice. Knowing the tragedies that befell the world, and being powerless to stop them. I do believe that'd break someone."

"As for the Old One, I don't think it's that simple," she said. "He may in fact be counting on you straying from a path. I don't know for certain what his ultimate goal is, but it doesn't take a genius to make a pretty good guess."

Liam thought long and hard about what to say next, but he could tell from Maeve’s probing gaze that she already had an inkling. To say nothing was to erect a barrier, and Jack and Maeve had come to him out of trust.

“Book used to haunt the Old Verdant Falls as well,” he said, turning back the years in his mind’s eye. “He may be able to cross timelines but I guarantee you he doesn’t stray far from Verdant Falls in any one of them. It was a smaller community back then. Hard to miss.”

“I didn’t know what he was back then but he knew what we were, and he let us be. Don’t worry, Maeve. I’ll be careful.”

"I had my suspicions," Maeve replied. "Thank you for your honesty, Liam."

"We're about fifteen minutes out," Jack replied. "Local time is about 4:45 am."

"You should have enough time to get yourself underground," Maeve said. "Or we can drop you off in a box if you'd prefer. We've remained in the city since you left, so if there's any other information you need, I'll be glad to help you out."

"Do you know where I can find Pockets?" If there was anyone who could get him plugged back into Verdant Falls in a hurry, it was her.

"Oh, she's around," Maeve said. "From what I understand she's cracked the code that the Camarilla is using to text its orders to the city. Jacob and Hasan have her running surveillance."

Jack cleared his throat from the cabin.

"There's... one more thing we need to talk to you about. How well do you trust Jacob Holloway, Liam?"

Liam paused to reflect on the question before answering.

"I've always trusted Jacob to do what was right for the city. Unquestioningly. Even if that put him at odds with an ally."

"Now that the city does not belong to him any longer... I don't know. It's been years since we met face to face. I can't imagine they've been kind to him."

"He's in rough shape," Maeve said. "Keisinger has been wearing him down. Pointedly. He may be nigh invincible, but his heart breaks just like yours and mine. Watch your back around him. Hasan, too. Where one goes, the other follows."

Liam nodded. He still kept the messenger stone close by, but he relied on it less and less and even then Hasan often did not answer.

"I'll keep my distance," he assured. "Will the two of you be reachable in St. John's? Or should I assume you're off the grid for now?"

"Keeping the book quiet will keep us busy," Maeve said. "But you have our number if you need it."

The Winnebago rolled to a stop. Caleb slipped his way past the cabin curtains, followed closely by Jack.

"We're here," Jack said. Then, after a short pause, he added. "Outta curiosity, what did Book have you doin'?"

"Way back when?" Liam asked, pausing for some indication from Jack. "He wasn't called Book back then. At least, not until I found the Book hidden in the altar of the old church quite by accident. Presumably that's what he needed me for - can't influence the timeline directly and all that - although ostensibly we were hunting game. The colony struggled to feed itself. I brought in meat and they let us live out in the woods."

"Pockets didn't take well to colonial North America, you can imagine. And Cyrus - he just snapped. Tried to kill Pockets one night. I had to put him down with a stake through the heart."

This is my best recollection of events. If I'm mistaken I'll amend.

"That tracks," Maeve said cryptically.

"Cyrus got what he deserved," Jack added. "He was like a child with a gun." He opened the door to the Winnebago, and stepped out into the night.

The RV was parked by the side of a gravel logging road. Liam wasn't sure where exactly it was, but there wasn't a streetlight as far as he could see. There was a mailbox by the side of the road, with no apparent driveway to accompany it. Beside it was a small square of wooden decking, with a hand-painted sign that said 'DELIVERIES HERE'.

Jack held out a key attached to a small leather fob. "The keychain ain't special in case you're wondering," he said. "Just don't lose that key."

Liam shouldered his pack and reached for the key, casting a questioning glance towards Jack. Stepping down from the wagon he patted his thigh for Caleb to follow.

"Am I the delivery then?" he asked wryly, wondering what sort of box Jack proposed to drop him in.

"Your call," Jack said. As soon as Liam had taken the key, he spied a driveway in the trees. Funny, he could have sworn it hadn't been there before. "You can plant yourself in a plywood box, and she'll wheel you in during the day, or you can hide under the ground and introduce yourself in the evening. I suppose you can make it to the house tonight, but she's uhh... Celebratin'."

He popped open the belly compartment and slid out a large wooden shipping crate. 'FRAGILE' was stencilled on the side.

Liam nodded after a moment and beckoned Jack forth. "Lets have it," he said.

"And you, Caleb. The nice lady is bringing us inside. I want to hear you were on your best behaviour, understood?"

Caleb grumbled a little as he sized up the crate's interior. It was roomier than it looked, but not by much. Hooded vents in the top would allow air to circulate without letting the light inside. After a moment's hesitation, he stepped inside.

"Guess you're all set then," Jack said, and sniffed. He nearly moved in for a hug, but settled for slapping Liam on his shoulder. "Take care, bud. Good to see you again."

“That’s frightfully kind of you, Caleb, but you can have a seat next to the box and look handsome,” Liam said with a smile. “No need for both of us to be sealed up all day.”

At Jack’s farewell Liam turned and hugged the Texan whether he was expecting it or not. “It was good to see you too. Take care of yourself, Jack. You too Maeve,” he added as he pulled back. Stepping into the box with one leg and then the other he laid down and allowed himself to be sealed in. In a few hours he would be meeting Robyn.

Jack returned the hug when offered. Maeve, lacking the arms to do so, merely leaned against Liam's leg for a moment. When the three parted, Jack cleared his throat, and went back for the crate's lid. Caleb, feeling left out, went and snuffled Maeve goodbye.

"Oh, and Liam," Jack said as he affixed the door of the crate. "Don't forget to check the fridge in the garage."

Once the crate was nailed and secured, they said a final goodbye and the next sound Liam heard was the crunching of gravel as they drove away.

[ 2 XP for the scene. For Char sheet purposes, consider your willpower refilled and your BP at -1. Don't forget you have a level of aggro to heal, too.]