Chapter 1 - Summer

Sans whistles at the sight of the classy green building and at its sign. "Not too shabby..."

He looks at the others, "Hmm... I suddenly feel a little underdressed for the occasion... maybe whoever goes in there could bring Gear as a bodyguard... surely it would bring credibility to someone impersonating a rich patron visiting this establishment."

Aloys nods at Sans' comment. "Good idea. 'Appearances' can have a great effect on casual meetings.

"Ah, no offense," he says, remember Sans' scars and Elaine's missing eye compared to his rugged good looks. "Anyway, who's going to be going in...?"

"Whoever it is, have no fear, that even if this is a ruse, I can will still readily kill in my role as body guard."

He turns to look at Elaine.
"Well... You are the better-spoken among us, and seem to have a way with the upper classes..." he leaves the suggestion hanging.

Nodding at Sans's suggestion, "I played a few rich, aristocrats on Years of our Existence, but I believe it would come more naturally to you Elaine. And Gear would certainly be able to protect you."

"That's true, you could also crack this, with your thespian inclinations!" he says, patting Issac on the shoulder.
"Maybe the two of you could make a splendid double act?" he offers, addressing both Issac and Elaine.

Elaine seems to be trying to subtly hide somewhere behind Gear's massive metallic body while they talk, but as the others turns to her she stills and guiltily tugs on her scarf, examining the ground under her feet as if it was going to save her from being the designated public face of the group.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? Sending me?" Elaine visibly shudders at the thought of having to actually put in an effort beyond a simple game of cards. Or perhaps it's because of the fancy house, which despite her noble roots is still somewhat intimidating? It's probably both. "I wouldn't even know what to say to this Julia, even if we meet her. And it's not like we have a reason to just come in and ask for a meeting..."

She leaves her scarf alone, then sighs and looks back at the house. "...I guess if we go together we can at least give each other more time to bluff if needed. But what about you three? Are you going to simply wait outside? Or-" Elaine glances at the trees next to the house. "Or do what Issac did earlier? Investigate?"

With a lopsided grin on his face, Issac bows deeply to Elaine "Madam, meet Ignacio Wilmington Esparanzo IV, theater director extraordinaire, with his trusted protege/executive producer Elana Cordisar, and their stalwart bodyguard, Grut."

Looking over the lovely building, "We can say we're scouting locations for our next play, and came across this exquisite building. Perhaps Julia can be persuaded to give us a tour?

While distracted with our charade, Sans and Aloys, mayhap you can do some investigating as Elaine mentioned."

"Well, it sounds like a plan then," Aloys says as a forelock of hair falls over his eye.

"Pleased to meet you Monsieur Esparanzo," he grins. "And you, mademoiselle Cordisar," he says with a bow over Elaine's hand.

"Mathis and I will follow Sans' lead out here."

Mathis grunts in agreement.

---

...the front door of the stainglass building opens with a creak.

A well dressed valet stands behind that open door, having responded to your knock. Boredom and annoyance writ on his face. He sneers as he looks the undercover Gold Cloaks up and down, and his eyes go wide at the gear.

"Appointment only, I'm afraid. We're not expecting anyone today, so no solicitations thank you very much," he says with confidence in his voice. Confidence that speaks to an above average spirit.

Sans and his fellow Coats withdraw to the concealing shadows of a nearby awning from which they can observe the door of the classy establishment.
"Let's wait here, we need to ensure they gain access first, for the diversion to begin. Then... it's sneaking time..."

Issac walks in through the open door, dismissing the valet at first. He has his hands positioned in a faux camera pose, looking through them as if taking pics, in a low, excited voice just loud enough for the valet to hear, "Yes, yes I think this will be perfect!"

He stops suddenly, turns, and heads back to the valet, putting an arm around the man's shoulder, "Look about you monseur! What do you see?" Not waiting for an answer, "I see the perfect location for our new play, coming this Fall, 'An Imperfect Conspiracy', holding his hands out to display the title as if on a marquee. Arm back on the man's shoulder, leading him further in to the lobby, "Thrills, chills, action, humour! Your establishment will be as famous as the ones from The Lighting and Psychotic!"

His excited tone tempered slightly to a more businesslike one, "Quickly, we must speak to the proprietor of the establishment, Lady Julia I was told?" looking at Elaine for her to confirm.

The valet defensively clutches the door. "Come now, I can't just allow anyone off the street," he says with a glace over his should back into the entry hall. He seems eager to not make the wrong call, here.

"It sounds like that could be a lot of hustle and bustle to endure, and I'm sure my master would be quiet disturbed by all the noise and movement..."

He looks, hard, for money in your words and appearace, glancing over Elaine and the gear as well.

Disbelief leaps into Issac's face, "Anyone? ... Good sir, I am Ignacio Wilmington Esparanzo IV, theater director extraordinaire. I am known for quick, painless, and masterful productions."

He gets in close to the valet's face, eye to eye, "But more importantly, I am known for making those who work with me quite profitable afterword. Think of me as the Guillermo Ferrari of theatre, minus the eccentricity."

In the doorway to Malet & Magnier Money Lenders & Investors...

The valet smiles at the mention of coin, and the happines coin will bring his master.

He squints at the party one more time. "Very well...follow me. But don't touch anything."





*

---

The valet leads you through the building, the stain glass casting colored prisms on the lightly stained wood. You arrive at a small, spartan office. A woman sits at a desk, working from a ledger.

The valet introducers you all to her.

She casts a thoughtful look. "As Gaston noted, we usually work on appointment only... so be quick--I'm busy." She studies the three before her with a piercing gaze.

She is obviously less believing than her servant, and like to test her spirit against anything that rings as a lie to her ears.

"They're in... let the show begin..." he tells Mathis and Aloys. "Let's see if this place has a back door, or basement windows..."

He sets off followed by the others, pretending to be a casual passer by, but reconnoitering the perimeter of the fancy building in search of an alternate way in.
He looks for basement windows, loading trapdoors, service doors, or even guttering to climb to a higher window.

With a smile, Issac gives a bow to the woman and sits at the chair in front of her desk. "Lady Julia, I presume?". Without waiting for confirmation, and with a piercing gaze to match her own, "As I told your man servant, I want to use your location for our next play. I see you're a businesswoman, so let me get down to specifics. Every previous location we've used has seen at least a three fold increase in their customer base. People are always curious about celebrity, and this is no exception. Even if my play is a spectacular failure..." at this he leans in closer, "and I assure you madam, it will be the opposite, you will still get business."

Issac leans back "I'm quick, in and out, this will take at most a few days. We need some exterior shots, a few interior shots, we'll take care of lighting, setwork, teardown and cleanup after. We can provide food and drink, non-alcoholic, for your people while here, as a courtesy."

Giving a genuine smile, "That's my pitch, as they say. I can get the paperwork soon. Do you agree?"

Walking the outside of the building Sans and Co. avoid any unwanted attention.

A thorough walk around finds no discernable entrance to a basement, but there is a back door that's accessible from a small garden. There is also a solid looking drainpipe that leads all the way up to steep roof, passing three floors of windows on its climb.

Aloys whistle appreciatively, squinting his eyes and as he looks up. "You fancy a climb Sans," he asks the masked musketeer.

"An' that door is surely locked," Mathis comments, still in his foul mood.

In Julia's office the woman smiles with patience at Elaine, Issac, and the Gear.

She steeples her fingers under her chin, elbows on desk and listens. "Why not," she shrugs. "I'm leaving town on business anyway, post haste. My servant, Richard, will let you in and see that you don't 'wander off' where you're not welcome," she says, referring to private rooms.

"Of course, I'll need to see the paperwork as soon as possible, as I don't intend to be in town in even two days hence."

"Yes... a climb seems worth a try. The door is likely to get us in a pantry, or other workroom... if we want confidential documents, upstairs is the way to go! "

He tries the sturdiness of the gutter, then begins his climb, taking his time at each foothold..."Wish me luck, comrades..."

Elaine is completely content to follow Issac's glorious lead, nodding at appropriate times and trying her best to project a famous celebrity bored with business matters which are completely below her notice aura. In fact, she'd say she manages to pull off a very convincing holier-than-thou attitude by almost completely ignoring the valet and only giving Julia herself a quick curious look before going back to glancing around with a haughty expression, twirling her scarf with her hands in a manner she'd seen dancers do at capital theatres. Hopefully between Issac's propositions and her own busy-ness, Julia Sardou won't notice that the alleged actress is actually looking rather hard for anything suspicious in the office; Elaine can't say that she fully trusts the information dealer.

"Now, Ignacio, we haven't even seen the whole place yet! You're being way too quick to proposition, like always," she finally decides to interject, flipping her hair (on the left side) over her shoulder. "You remember that the shadows must have this exact shade of crimson in the final scene? Not to mention that we need to check the roof for the trapeze setup, as well as ensure that there is space for five different light sources to be in the scene... And the building history, of course!" Elaine stares at Julia. "I'm sure you can free few minutes of your time to show us around. And always working is horrible for the blood pressure, dear, it will do you some good to take a break from paperwork. This level of illumination can't be healthy for your eyes."

Hanging to the side of the building via piping Sans reaches one of the corner, top-most rooms.

It's a stuffy affair, cluttered with shelves, casks, and chests. Peering in would net Sans a curious sight: a beam of sunlight from the window lands directly on a coat that's been folded over a chest at one side of the room. A very specific, and easily distinguishable Gold Coat...