Chapter 1 - Summer

In the office Julie Sardou furrows her brow at Elaine.

It's clear she's torn between suspicion, the promise of easy coin, and her desire to leave the town as soon as possible.

"Very well," she states. She stands and moves out from behind her desk, addressing Elaine and Issac as she goes. "I don't have much time. Let's be quick about this, and then I'm sorry I'll need to see you out right after."

She heads to the doorway and awaits the parties decision--will they follow?

Not exactly the type of garment one can purchase at the town market... What have you been up to, Julia? He thinks letting the significance of the detail sink in. He feels rage surging within at the thought that these cowardly conspirators could have harmed or killed a fellow Gold Coat.

He looks for a way to open the window in question and to gain access.

"Elana, my dear, that's why you're the best! You keep me focused on the tasks at hand, instead of business and all the money we could be making."

With a flourish of his hand toward the exit, and a slight bow, "Ms. Julia, please lead the way?"

Upstairs, with a slip of the window, Sans gain entrance to the room.

Other than the Gold Coat, there is not much of interest to be discovered--it appears to be more storage than anything else. If Sans was to look under the lapel panel inside the coat he'd find the secret only know to those of the order--the initials and insignia of the member who was given the coat. In this case Jonathan Jullien, the missing musketeer.

Sans would also be able to hear...

---

Downstairs Julia leads Elaine, Issac, and The Gear through a sitting room, past a small kitchen, and by a lavish dinning hall that's beside a staircase that winds upward.

"As I was saying," she says loud enough to be heard on all floors of the building, "I purchased this building only a few years ago. It used to be a private residence, and now it's our offices. We entertain...clients."

She smiles, big and fake, hoping the quick tour was enough to satisfy the group.

Issac talks to himself as they walk through the different rooms, doing the camera thing with his hands "Yes, yes, the lighting here, an edit there, Fabio will be most pleased with that section there..."

He walks over to and starts going up the staircase, "And up here, my dear? We must see it all, and your clients will never hear a peep. In fact, the background...ambiance...might even play into the show's favor."

Sans Visage grabs Julien's Gold Coat in a rage and bursts out of the room door, heading towards the incoming voices. He intercepts Julia just as she is finishing climbing a ramp of stairs to his floor, leading the two thespians.

"What have you done with him? Where is Jonathan Julien??" he bellows furiously, raising the Gold Cape high for the woman to see. "Speak now, Julia Sardou, I command you in the name of Queen Isbel!!" he unsheaths the Judge, his trusted rapier, and points it at the woman!

On the landing, with the "producers" and their bodyguard behind her, Julia Sardou's eyes widen at Sans' proclamation.

She tries to read the situation, her eyes fixing on the brilliant gleam cast on The Judge's edge from the stain glassed windows.

She calculates her response...

The sharp tip of the rapier describes intricate patterns in front of Julia, sapiently driven by Sans' wrist play...

She grits her teeth at the fantastic display of blade control......and in an angry rush she shouts at Sans. "I've done nothing with him; your goons have probably already slain him, you boot licking assassins! Has her majesty sent you to take my life as well?! Jon was--IS--my love; and if he'd taken my advice and left your world of 'honor' and 'duty' he'd still be alive," she says.

"That's right: he uncovered your vile scheme's and we both suffered for it..."

Sans is taken aback, but keeps the Judge poised to strike.

"What?! You are mistaken. We are fighting a vile scheme, not part of it! What is your relation with the Dyers' Guild? We have proof Jullien was sent here on a false mission, to be delivered in their hands. Were you the one to facilitate this act? Speak, woman!"

Issac's facade drops almost immediately at the news that this might not seem to be what they originally thought. His hand instinctively drops to the hilt of his sword, curious where this will go.

Elaine is taken aback by the sudden appearance of Sans and the following exchange of accusations between him and Julia, not sure whether she should keep playing the role of a guest prima donna or jump to apprehending the information dealer. She looks over at Issac, trying to figure out what he is planning to do, and since he doesn't do anything yet, Elaine follows his example and simply takes a few steps back. Just as the minimum effort to maintain their disguise, she purses her lips and makes her best expression of an affronted aristocrat. Still, her hand also inches towards her concealed weapon, ready to act if the shouting match becomes a chase... or a fight.

As Julia Sardou screams back at Sans, Elaine leans towards Gear and whispers to him quietly: "Go find the valet and make sure he doesn't get an idea to leave the house and alert the town guards. Just keep him inside the house, as well as anyone else who might be here, please."

On the stairs Sans' blade holds steady as Issac's hand drops to his hilt and Elaine grips her blade and orders the gear.

"Of course my lady," they say in their hollow rumble to Elaine's request.

Julia watches the Gear leave, the stairs creaking under their considerable weight.

She turns to Sans and his extended blade. "Of course I had no part in delivering him into anyone's hands," she spits. "I would give my life for Julien; but not pointlessly--which is why I plan to flee this town before this conspiracy turns its gaze on me."

"I've little relation to the Dyer's Guild at all. I've brokered information to them in the past, but until now they've mostly been harmless folk who kept to themselves."

"But someone has been radicalizing them. Pumping their purses with coin to finance their actions and pumping their heads with big ideals of rebellion and just deserts."

Sans lowers the rapier slightly.
"If, as you say, you care for Jonathan, then we might have the same goal. I want to find him, and rescue him if it isn't too late. Why do you have his Gold Coat? Was he here? And who is this shadowy instigator of the Dyers Guild?"

Sans looks for signs that might betray a bluff, in the woman's demeanour.

It's clear to Sans that she speaks the truth.

Her face takes on a sad cast. "He left his coat here to reamin inconspicuous," she says. "He was here the night he disappeared..."

A single tear rolls down her cheek but she wipes it away as fast as it appears. "I know not who is instigating the guild, nor what they've promised them..."

She looks stubborn but sad as she waits to see if there are more questions.

"Maker no! Unhand me," the valet shouts.

The gear appears at the bottom of the stairs, holding the valet aloft by the back of his shirt.

"I am keeping him in the house my lady. I've found no one else."

Issac puts his hands up in the air in a non-threatening gesture, "It seems we are both concerned for the safety of Jon. You mentioned brokering information with the Guild. Is there a contact available, someone you've worked with before?"

"Thank you. And you can put him back on the floor, just keep an eye on him," Elaine responds to Gear, then nods apologetically at the valet. "Apologies, sir, this is simply a precaution. I believe we have already found a common ground with your employer, so I'm simply ensuring that there are no unfortunate misunderstandings." The musketeer gives her best slightly-threatening-but-mostly-polite smile she picked up from her father, then looks back at Julia. Elaine's hand is still on her rapier, but her posture is not quite as tense - it seems that Sans and Aloys got this.

"Did Julien tell tell you about his mission, what he was planning to do? I'm sure you have tried looking for him before, but perhaps we will have more success since we are closer to a different side of the conflict. Or were closer, at least." Elaine pauses, then adds thoughtfully: "You thought that we were assassins of Her Majesty, specifically. Do you have any reason to believe that she is actually behind this whole scheme, and it's not merely someone from her court?"

Julia relaxes a bit when it's apparent Sans won't slay be slaying her this moment. First she answers Issac's question:

"I do have a contact--someone who I'd meet with when the guild wanted to buy information on possible competitors: Paul Trouvé. He's a resident of this town. We'd often meet at a warehouse down by the river."

She looks to Elaine next and responds to her enquiries:

"He was planning on confronting those he believed were taking foreign coin in a conspiracy against our duchy. He went out that night to meet with some contacts (known criminals) who'd lead him to the people he suspected of the conspiracy. He assured me he could 'handle' the thugs should something go wrong..."

"As for my words about assassins -- I have no reason to believe the queen in involved... But Jon--Julien-- was working on someone's orders, and I think he was set up. And you Gold Coats are supposed to answer to only a select few, including the queen..."

"As for looking for him, I'm fairly certain I know where they took--"

The front door burst open with a bang!

Aloys stubbles in, an angry welt on his face. "Ma-Mathis. He smashed me in the side of the face and ran off," he shouts.

"I was stunned, on the ground, for a good minute, but I'd wager I saw him heading for the sky docks..."

He looks at the scene on the stairs sheepishly. "Good. I didn't blow your cover..."

Sans reacts in shock at Aloys's interruption.
"What?!? Is there anyone who isn't in the pocket of these conspirators?!" he exclaims in frustration, feeling hurt at the betrayal of someone he considered a friend.

He lowers the rapier and reluctantly gives Julien's coat to Julia, adding an apologetic, mumbled half-promise " Here. If Jonathan is alive, we will try to rescue him from this nest of traitors... Tell us, where do you think they took him? "

He then hastily adds for the others, "We must try stopping Mathis, before the whole town knows who and why we are here! Time to split up? " he asks his allies, one foot already on the descending steps leading out.

"I was just starting to like him." Issac growls. Nodding at Sans, "If you're going after him, I'll help."