Storm's Brewing (E 1.1, C 1.2)

"Tha’ could’ve gone betta." I could hear Princy sigh from his lavish chair in the den. From my present angle, I could only see his stygian silhouette framed by the brilliant crimson of the setting sun against the Den’s side wall. He appears to be resting his head in his hands He has been doing that a lot lately. Particularly since his mistress, I believe she went by Robin – though I can’t say we’ve been formally introduced, disappeared. Princy’s wife, Parker, had taken their daughter Paisley for a weeklong visit with her parents in the Chicago area along with Janelle, Parker’s personal attendant. They had contracted with a private seaplane to make this trip, so I can expect their travels will go smoothly and according to plan.

Today we hosted a meeting with several families of relatively high status. Fifteen were invited, and 13 showed. Which meant close to twenty individuals were present, including the 3 representatives that brought bodyguards. Those three belonged to Mr. O’Connor, Ms. Arness, and Mr. Soth. Each of these three families was still working to make a name for themselves and hadn’t quite understood the etiquette of the families of the Towers yet. Simply put, if you have an invitation to a house in the Towers, your safety was being promised by that family. Our reputation for hospitality was Sterling.

Of course, the bodyguards knew this, each face was familiar to me, and each one was eager to let their master be the one to suffer the blow to their perceived reputation. After all, they knew that this would mean several hours of being taken care of by me and my staff without having to worry about getting their hands dirty.

By now all the guests had left, but Princy was speaking with an advisor, Lucius, in hushed tones.

Questions bounced around my mind as I prepared a final drink to bring to Princy and Lucius: Is Princy trying to set up an offensive? Is he on the defensive? Is one of the other big names in the towers making a move? Why did we invite those we did? Why did Mr. Santized (fountaineer) and Ms. Luxxe not attend?

I open a small cooler and removed a couple of leaves of sage I had grown in my private garden to add to the cocktails I was stirring up. Gin, amaro montenegro, and some leftover tea I had brewed earlier this afternoon would make a perfect drink to bring Princy’s long day to an end. I slap the leaves on the corner of the counter before placing the verdant leaves delicately into the two ornate glasses. Let’s see what we can learn.

I begin speaking a couple of paces before entering the recently remodeled den. "Some drinks for you two to enjoy while you discuss. Anything else I can get you?" The view from these new windows is breathtaking, but I immediately shift my gaze to Lucius and Princy to see what I can piece together.

"Yes, Edmund, that'd do nicely." Princy doesn't mention what drink he wants - you know his tastes. As you serve the pair, Princy looks out the windows, "That delivery is coming in soon, Edmund. Please do head down to th' docks an' make sure it's brought up here safe. It's important." His eyes flick over to you for a moment, "An' if any o' the dock folk might know why we were two short tonight o' th' guest list, I'd appreciate knowing." He, of course, is sending you off to ferry some crates from Canary's delivery. But more importantly, he's asked if you can find out exactly why Luxxe and Sanitized didn't bother to show up tonight. He only mentions the dock folk, but you know he'll want you to hunt until you find the reason. Or, you can find the right greedy hand to bribe for intel - he doesn't care about your methods, does he? He trusts they're proper enough.

What do you do?

Ms. Ana tilts her head to the side, peering at you for a moment. "I'd be glad to do so, Mr. Sterling. But I thought you were receiving Canary shortly? Is someone else meeting her then?"

"Of course, Mr. Sterling," Ms. Ana replies cordially as she smooths a wrinkle on her shirt as if it might bother you. "I'll hold the ferry until you're ready." She gives you a polite smile and a nod before moving to stand by her ferry with its quiet outboard motor, leaving you alone on the dock among the folks loading and unloading a half-dozen barges, boats, and even a yacht.

You spot The Refuge approaching and recognize Canary by her slicker. There's another person on board as well, it seems. Perhaps she's taken on a crew after all.

---

Your master sent you to fetch the cargo, which is a very expensive and rare wine supposed to have mystical qualities. You get the feeling that someone here on this dock knows about this shipment and aim to steal it in transit.

Blue Light notices the two of you whispering and he tries to play it cool. "My captain made a guarantee that Princy would get these crates."

"Edmund, is it?" the blond man says as he looks over as you're trying to find a place to sit. "I'm Blue Light, an officer on The Eurydice. It's the big freighter your man Princy hired to bring him the cargo Canary's got." He doesn't move to offer you a hand to shake, but his greeting is courteous enough.

"There she is! Canary, it's so good to see you!" Millions moves away from his table and walks up to offer you a hand, Canary. "Come, come and sit. Let me offer you some coffee, please." He doesn't address you, Edmund.

What do you do?

Millions summons a worker as he gestures for you to take a seat, Canary. He doesn't seem at all concerned with Blue Light and he's ignoring Edmund for the moment. "The lady would like a cafe mocha, piping hot. And ask Rufe to add some whipped cream and chocolate sauce on top. For fun. Are you hungry, dear?" he asks, then as if you answered, he turns to the worker again, "Some grilled salmon for both of us. And see what the other two need." He takes his seat again. "How is The Refuge handling lately? What brings you to The Tower tonight?"

"Hey Edmund," Blue Light whispers as he stands near you, a protective hand over the crates as they sit on the cart. "Do you think we could leave Canary here and deliver these things, then swing back around for her?"

Edmund,
John mutters into her hand, then listens to the white thing in her ear before she looks at you and Blue Light. "I'm supposed to come with you, Mr. Sterling. Is that a problem?"

Edmund,
She shakes her head curtly, "No, everything’s fine," she answers smoothly in a manner that indicates she’s been trained to give assurances like this. "Mr. Millions wants to make sure you arrive safely. That’s all." Millions wants to talk to you specifically, you can tell.

Canary,
Millions nods as you list off your needs. "Fifty cal I can help you with. As for Diesel, I know somebody who'll give you a good price." A worker brings your coffee and puts it on the table. The cup is clean and has a little logo on it for this cafe. "Do you... want a shower? Maybe rest here tonight?"

He brushes off your concerns with some idle chatter until two plates of grilled salmon are brought to each of you. It looks incredible and tastes so delicate that your mouth can barely stand it. Your tummy screams at your mouth because it wants you to chew and swallow it faster.

After a few bites, Millions says, "Canary, do you remember my son Dinero? He's about your age.. he was one of the divers that one time." He mentions it casually, but there's a certain weight to that favor you did for him. It's important. You do remember Dinero, a handsome and athletic young man who seemed a bit younger but probably the same age as you chronologically. But his hands were so smooth and his teeth so perfectly straight.

He nods slowly, enjoying your simple appraisal. "I don't like mincing words. Canary, I want you to hire him on as your assistant. I know you run The Refuge alone and it's a risk to you. I assume you keep it lean for cost considerations. But let me pitch you this... I pay you to pay him. He works for you, but it's free of charge." He nods like he wants you to simply agree, then he asks, "What do you think?"

"You pocket what you pay him," he answers smoothly, talking like he would to someone about to run away. "I'd get the jingle to you each time you return. Why don't you try it out for a couple of months? It would... you'd be doing me a favor, really. Helping my son get out from under his old man, letting him earn a living. You've got to know that any work he does in The Tower will always be under my shadow. Out there? He could be his own man. And learn a trade from the best I know."

"He works for you," Millions repeats firmly. You mention safety and see a tiny flicker of worry in his eyes, but he tamps it down. "I understand there's danger. I trust you'll tell him what he needs to do. My son will learn the trade, Canary. He'll make us both proud. And yes, you're the captain and he will respect that."

A smile spreads over Millions' thin lips and he rises to take your hand and give it a firm shake. "Good. I'm glad. Now, finish up your meal and I'll have someone escort you to the showers and secure a room for you. We're having a small get-together later - Dinero will be there. Are you up for a little gathering? It should be fun."