Episode 17 - Witnesses

[00:00:01] Speaker A: You're listening to the all night society, an actual play podcast brought to you by Queens court games. When last we left the coterie, all but one of you had departed the grain silo to tend to your own schemes to uncover those last bits of evidence that will leave the court no choice but to accept son Newberry's guilt. Ivy and Maya, with some help from the Umbra, had pried the secrets of the blood from one of Newberry's ghouls. Schmendric had bartered her fair share of boons with the nosferatu, buying their assistance and seeing his victims off to safer, more caring hands. Rebecca, you had managed to extricate yourself from the most recent pile of kindred bullshit. And that, I think, is where our night begins. You left the silo with high hopes. [00:01:25] Speaker B: Yes, and so far it's looking good. Just me and the night sky. [00:01:32] Speaker A: Too many lights, but at least more air than you're used to. Better than the succubus club, better than the prince's house? [00:01:40] Speaker B: League's better than that. And hopefully he'll find the company that I was possibly going to share it with someone who I couldn't not get a lecture about the camarilla's good or how we're kindred. We're supposed to do this. Someone who can listen. [00:01:58] Speaker A: Well, I have to say, I have a pretty complete list of all the kindred in Chicago in my head, and I don't know who you're talking about. Who are you seeking tonight? [00:02:09] Speaker B: As I told Spundric earlier, none other than Anita Wainwright. We've only had that one discussion on elysium, but she's no Genjis. That much I can tell. God, like I tell Genjis anything at this point. [00:02:24] Speaker A: Do you know where to find her? [00:02:27] Speaker B: Her neighborhood isn't actually too far from here, just a midnight stroll away. Maybe if I walk around a bit and peep my head into the right places, she'll show up. And hopefully she'll be open to something other than the hunt. [00:02:43] Speaker A: Well, gangrel can dream, can't she? [00:02:46] Speaker B: This one certainly does. [00:02:49] Speaker A: Well, then, allow me listeners, to introduce Anita. Anita, you're blissfully unaware of the goings on of our coterie, but you still have a night of your own to attend to. In a few minutes, ten or 15, your evening will be interrupted by the arrival of an uninvited kindred into your domain. But until then, how have you been spending your night? [00:03:13] Speaker C: Probably the usual. Making sure that the residential anarchs are not making more of a fuss than they should. [00:03:24] Speaker A: I imagine that your schedule is quite full in that regard. The Chicago anarchs are many things, but I would not count among that list manageable. [00:03:35] Speaker C: Well, I guess that depends on who you're asking. It maybe if you ask Gensha's that, he might have a different answer than I would think. They're quite manageable. As you would say, under the right leadership. [00:03:52] Speaker A: Your leadership? [00:03:53] Speaker C: How'd you guess? [00:03:56] Speaker A: Call it a hunch. So you're spending the night attending to the difficult duties of managing anarchs, when on the breeze, the slightest hint of a threat drips across your nose, drips across your skin. The beast is a predator. It is observant, always ready to leap into action when challenged. And that faintest tingle in the core of your soul tells you someone you did not invite is treading on your ground. [00:04:33] Speaker C: Well, anything kindred within Chicago knows not to step into this area. Well, not unless they're looking for trouble, so I'll follow that hunch. [00:04:50] Speaker A: How does Anita hunt do? You cling to the alleys and the shadows are the rooftops, the vantage points you seek. You know this neighborhood better than anybody. You know all the places to hide. [00:05:05] Speaker C: I'm fairly quick on my feet, so I don't need to stick to any shadows. I just stick to the heights. And I make my way across several rooftops to get a sense of who is entering my territory without being invited there. [00:05:25] Speaker A: You would recognize Rebecca, right? You've met melissium. Had a couple of conversations. You know she hangs out with that banu, Hakeem, who threw ganges off a balcony. [00:05:36] Speaker C: The prince's lap dog coming to visit me. That's fun. But despite her being an acquaintance, she's in my territory, so I don't think I need to go easy on her just yet. [00:05:53] Speaker A: Rebecca, you're walking in hostile territory. Not an uncommon experience for you, both in your life and your unlife. Will you roll wits and awareness for me? [00:06:07] Speaker B: Can do. That's one. [00:06:11] Speaker A: Hmm? One success. No. Not tonight. You are distracted, your senses clouded by anger and frustration. Anita, Rebecca's never gonna see you coming. How do you introduce yourself? [00:06:29] Speaker C: In the best way that I can, of course. I look over the rooftop and I jump, landing on her and pushing her down. It's not like she saw it coming, so I think it's a pretty easy prey. I'm, of course, used to more difficult ones. [00:06:54] Speaker A: Of course. Most kindred who come onto your chairf at least have the dignity to make it a challenge. They sulk, they hide. Normally, they maintain some sense of awareness. Rebecca, you're blindsided by a sudden weight, not merely the muscle and bone of Anita's undead body, but screaming down from the heights. One moment you're on your feet, seeking out a confidante, the next you're slammed to the ground, shoulders against the concrete, staring up into the snarling face of Anita Wainwright. [00:07:32] Speaker B: In moments like these, I would like to say that I'm diplomatic. But when it comes to claws out and sudden ambushes, my first instinct is to try to struggle. Fight back with some strangled cry. I try to recaluse Anita. [00:07:51] Speaker A: She recoils under you. Rebecca is strong, ancient. There are powers of the blood that could make this a much more one sided contest. Do you draw upon your kindred power to put her down properly, or are you interested in a fair fight? [00:08:11] Speaker C: Normally, I would give people a fair fight. However, she walked onto my territory, so I think I'll use a bit of the powers of the blood to assert that statement. [00:08:31] Speaker A: Raw kindred, dominance. The Lasambra used potence in a very different way than the bruja. Anita's frame cannot possibly explain the force she uses. As you struggle, Rebecca, you manage to get your shoulders off of the ground, but only for a moment before a weight that cannot be physically explained, a force that cannot be manifested by this body, slams you back down into the shit. [00:09:05] Speaker B: Anita, it's me, Rebecca, from Alicia. Please let go. [00:09:11] Speaker C: Hey there, little pup. Wasn't expecting you anytime soon. [00:09:16] Speaker B: Yeah, no, I wasn't expecting to be here either. I was just looking for you. [00:09:25] Speaker C: I'm going to lean in a little bit closer and get in up her face and say, so what brings you here into my little neighborhood? [00:09:40] Speaker B: I wanted to talk to you. It's Ivy. And you know how the fucking premiere are and that goddamn lasambra. And I don't know where else to go. Tonight. [00:09:51] Speaker C: I'm going to linger just for a few seconds longer in silence, let her feel the weight of my strength pushing her down. And then I'll lift up, stand on my feet, and hold out a hand for her. [00:10:14] Speaker B: If I still had breath in my lungs, I would be gasping, heart racing. But once Anita's off at me and I see her offering her hand, I. I'll take it with a little trepidation. She did just have me pinned down on the concrete a moment ago. [00:10:32] Speaker A: It's a tenuous offer of friendship, but remember, the last time you spoke, it was on explicit instructions of the prince. As far as she knows, you were nothing but a camera, a lap dog, your leash held tight and close to. [00:10:49] Speaker B: The throne, I do attempt to make light of the moment. Rubbing my wrists. I say, is that how you greet everyone who comes into your neighborhood, or am I just special? [00:11:05] Speaker C: You know, you could at least make up for your lack of bark with a bit more bite next time. It's kind of disappointing, honestly. [00:11:19] Speaker B: Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I didn't come here looking to trade blows. I need to talk to you, and I think you're the only person in the city I can talk to about this. [00:11:31] Speaker C: Well, you're going to tell me that the prince needs his pup to do another task for him, and it involves. [00:11:40] Speaker B: No, this. This doesn't have anything to do with Jackson. It doesn't even have anything to do with the garo. The past few nights have been sigh a lot, Anita. [00:11:54] Speaker A: How often is it that kindred come into your domain? Looking for a therapist? [00:12:00] Speaker C: I would like to think I'm known for a lot of things. Being a therapist wasn't one up until now, surprisingly. [00:12:11] Speaker A: How does this new strength you, then? [00:12:13] Speaker C: I'll brown a little. I wasn't expecting her to show up for personal stuff most often. Wouldn't one of her, well, sects show up? It's not really for a pleasant conversation. [00:12:35] Speaker A: That sounds to me like a guarded distrust of Rebecca's intentions. [00:12:40] Speaker C: Isn't that a little bit what all kindred do? Distrust? [00:12:46] Speaker A: An excellent point. [00:12:49] Speaker C: All right. Color me intrigued. You come to me for what? A personal conversation. Something you cannot trust anyone else with? [00:13:07] Speaker B: Yeah, I guess you could call it that. I'll look around the alley that I was just pinned down in moments ago and say, quebe, talk somewhere else, somewhere more private. [00:13:23] Speaker C: I'll give a little chuckle at that and say, believe me, it doesn't get more private than the alleyways in this neighborhood. Doesn't matter if we walk 5 meters to the right or to the left. People in here know better than to eavesdrop some of my conversations. [00:13:45] Speaker B: I'm certainly impressed by that, but I'll just nod. Yeah. [00:13:52] Speaker A: Well, across the city, a ritual is taking place. The same can be true of Riverdale. A ritual of a different kind. Less magic, more posturing and physical force. Anita, you know that Rebecca is powerful. The basic conditions of her kindred existence prove as much. But there's something a little quiet, a little broken about this gangrel this evening. If nothing else, the trepidation with which she has approached you should give you insight to her mood. You've decided to indulge her conversation. My question is, do you take another step. Do you make this comfortable for her? [00:14:36] Speaker C: I have to say, I'm not used to this whole scenario anymore. It's been quite some time since I've seen someone so disturbed. I'll take a few steps and start walking for her. Motioning her along. [00:14:57] Speaker B: My shoulders will sag with relief and I'll join her. [00:15:03] Speaker A: Just two ladies having a quiet walk in the middle of the night. Nothing suspicious about that. [00:15:09] Speaker B: Definitely not. A few minutes into it, I just look at Anita and say, I'm not even sure where to begin. [00:15:18] Speaker C: Well, you came to me. I can't really tell you where to begin, but how about you tell me what happened since our last gathering? Sure. You're still in the middle of all of this. Well, shit. Does it have something to do with that? [00:15:40] Speaker B: You remember Bedaiman Yama, right? The fire? [00:15:44] Speaker C: I'll give a short nod. [00:15:47] Speaker B: The prince set myself and my codery to look into it. And we tracked him down to a warehouse. You know the place? Gawa territory. Crawling with young ones. And it wasn't him. And it was an Si. Ambush. I'm still trying to recover from that night. But we found out who set up the whole thing. And it's one of the primagen son. Newberry. [00:16:14] Speaker A: Anita, this is quite a bit of new information. You're aware of the diamond Yama fire through your anarch network? You know who owns that building. It makes sense the prince would send off some investigators. Makes sense that Rebecca would be among them. But the rest of these things that she's told you. Oh, those are secrets. Those are things no one else is supposed to know. [00:16:41] Speaker C: I won't let her notice that. Of course, I'll give a knowing nod and say, son, new Larry behind the fires. And you're having to solve this mess because daddy said so. [00:17:00] Speaker B: He's not. Yes, there's an overwhelming amount of evidence that that bastard is behind it all. But no, the prince wants us to turn it into some kind of fucking popularity contest. Make it worth the other primagen's time. Because, sure, he held a bunch of humans in an abandoned building and tore apart their minds. And I had to Zion and blood bond. And we have to make it worth their time. Pretty much not even a proper trial. Although they're going to call it that. Just give them some reason to put his fucking head on a spike, despite everything that he's done. [00:17:41] Speaker C: You have to make it a nice little game, a nice little show for the others. That doesn't surprise me at all. So what are you going to do? [00:18:00] Speaker B: Really? What can I do the others? They're doing unspeakable things to get evidence for them, if you can call it that. Just. I came here. I don't know what to do. The camarilla is supposed to be the thing standing against the Sabat. Ivy told me about the things that they'd done, and if they're really gonna let this man walk free, or at the very least, let him live, I don't know if I can stand with that. I only came to Chicago because there was an issue. There were garu that needed to be slayed, lest they threaten my people, my tribe. But nobody cares. Nobody cares if you're a human, if you're kindred. Just a game to them. [00:18:50] Speaker A: Seems to be. Anita, you've stumbled into a recruit. Rebecca's old, but in Chicago, she's just a lost little girl, pulled in whatever directions the tides of kindred politics decide in that moment. You know how it goes. Kindred will eat people like Rebecca alive the second they realize they can push her around. They will do so until it destroys her. [00:19:18] Speaker C: You're not going to tell me you're surprised that those in the Camarilla are monsters? [00:19:27] Speaker B: I'm not saying that. [00:19:29] Speaker C: You know, kind draws in kind. There's a reason why some of us are separated from them, and there's a reason why some of the less humane ones remained there. [00:19:45] Speaker B: I just thought it was a system in place, protecting the worst parts of us from the rest of them. When I first met them, it was so long ago. Prince of Tucson. I mean, it was a cut and dry deal. You defeat werewolves, help protect your people. And I thought that was what Chicago was going to be like. I was wrong, I guess. [00:20:13] Speaker C: I think you got lost somewhere between the protecting your people, fighting lubines, and then the kneeling down and kissing some egotistical shithead on top his shoes, putting your head there and bowing down. Seems like you're not doing what you want to do. [00:20:36] Speaker B: My face is conflicted because, really, Anita has been speaking to what I have been feeling. I want to help people here. It's why I came to Chicago. But I always just thought that there's a price I had to pay, and I'll tell there's such. I just figured that was the price. The tithe. The prince needs me to handle an errand, and I can make sure that no folks here get torn apart. [00:21:04] Speaker A: Any of that word tithe, it reeks of the kings and the lords and the kindred who imagined themselves to be rulers over all the others. She's speaking the vocabulary of your enemy. She's been in Chicago for a month, and they've already begun to sink their teeth in. [00:21:29] Speaker C: It reminds me of those old bastards who do anything to just save their own skin and sacrifice a few of those down below. I disgust them. But after a moment of silence, I'll answer. Rebecca, you know it's not like that everywhere. They only have those rules and those elders and power up high, not caring about those useless little licks down there. They don't do anything good. All they are is pawns. We can use them when we need them. There is some around here that actually do good. Not just for kindred, but for humans as well. It's not because some like to believe that we became monsters when we were put into unlife, that we need to behave like them. As so many in the camera loss seem to think, we can still help those down on the streets, the disenfranchised, but not within an ivory tower, as. [00:22:43] Speaker B: Anita is telling me about all this. It's like being bathed in sunlight again. It just seems so hopeful and not at all like things the prince has been putting me through. And as she's speaking, I stop her and grab her wrist and say, I want to be a part of it. I can't do this anymore. Not the political games or the posturing or the parties. I want to be like you. I want to do the stuff that you do. I want to help people. I don't want to be a monster. [00:23:16] Speaker C: I can see passion where it's obvious. You know, I think we have more in common than just lupine hunting. I think this could work, don't you think, Rebecca? [00:23:31] Speaker B: It could farvey on werewolves and Rosa something else. [00:23:38] Speaker C: We could help the people of Chicago. All you need is the right person leading you. I think I'm fit for the job. And I will raise my other hand and lay it on top of hers on my wrist. [00:23:53] Speaker A: A pact is sealed, then, not with blood, but with secrets. Rebecca has come with honest intent. Time alone will tell if Anita indeed. [00:24:04] Speaker D: Keeps her promise of something better, or. [00:24:08] Speaker A: If she'll merely be the most recent kindred to take advantage of our gangrel's trusting heart. In the meantime, trusting and heart aren't words we hear associated with our next protagonist very often. We join Maya the following evening, after another cycle of sun and slumber. You've kept your secrets close in dealing with the coterie. Now you head out into the night, ready to conduct an off the books meeting with a friend. It's time to see that plan put into action. Well, first things first. You do have a plan, right? [00:24:48] Speaker E: I do. [00:24:50] Speaker A: All right. [00:24:50] Speaker D: And this is a plan that you don't want to share in front of the rest of the class? [00:24:54] Speaker E: Not so much in front of the rest of the class. It's more that I don't want to unnecessarily bother them. [00:24:59] Speaker A: Fair enough. [00:25:01] Speaker E: They tend to have strong opinions on things. [00:25:04] Speaker A: No, you're absolutely right. All the more reason to keep them out of the loop until necessity dictates otherwise. [00:25:11] Speaker D: So, that said, do I get to know the plan? [00:25:15] Speaker E: I think there's a ventru that might be interested in knowing what's going on. [00:25:21] Speaker D: Oh, I think that describes almost every. [00:25:23] Speaker A: Ventru in the city. [00:25:24] Speaker D: Prince is a ventru. [00:25:26] Speaker A: That's just kind of a ventru thing, isn't it? [00:25:29] Speaker E: It is. I'd say it's annoying, but la somber do the same. I just thought perhaps Horatio Ballard might have a vested interest in what's going on. [00:25:38] Speaker A: Ah, no, you're not wrong. At the moment, the Federal Bureau of. [00:25:43] Speaker D: Investigation is tracing chemicals that came from. [00:25:46] Speaker A: His factory to the scene of the crime. [00:25:49] Speaker E: How long until they trace the chemical receipts to the vampire? [00:25:55] Speaker A: Can't, uh. [00:25:56] Speaker D: I can't possibly comment on the nature. [00:25:58] Speaker A: Of an ongoing investigation. You know that. [00:26:01] Speaker D: That's the line, right? [00:26:04] Speaker E: I guess we'll see what Ballard says. [00:26:07] Speaker A: Well, then, I have two questions for you. [00:26:09] Speaker D: First, how do you arrange a meeting. [00:26:11] Speaker A: With someone like Horatio Ballard? He's a busy man. [00:26:15] Speaker E: It's cheeky, but I'll have my people call his people. There's simply no way I could do it myself because, a, I am a busy woman, and b, phones, and I don't get along. [00:26:28] Speaker A: A very valid point. The second question, then. What are you going to wear? [00:26:33] Speaker D: I know it's not Schmendrick's hoodie because it's been more than 4 hours since you had to wear that. I'm assuming that you got rid of that right away. [00:26:41] Speaker E: Naturally, I'll have it dry cleaned and sent back to her, but there's nothing that's going to help it. [00:26:48] Speaker D: And this definitely isn't a business casual kind of meeting. [00:26:53] Speaker E: No, you dress for the job that you want. And who says I don't want to rule a city? [00:27:01] Speaker D: Well, you are right. [00:27:02] Speaker A: Horatio Ballard is the kind of man who wants to know what's going on in the city. And you have plenty of delicious carrots to dangle in front of him. By way of incentive, your people contact his people. Tale as old as time. He can see you in two days. [00:27:21] Speaker E: Two days is too long. Never underestimate the power of a good assistant. A schedule should be easy to acquire. Anything on his. Anything. The next evening, I can distract him from. [00:27:35] Speaker D: Well, you'll be happy to know the information that comes back from your underground personal assistant. And Secretariat does lend credence to him blowing you off? He keeps late hours. He's in board meetings most of the night. Save for one small valiance. [00:27:52] Speaker A: We'll say. This is something that's been on his calendar for quite some time now. He is seeing Don Giovanni at the civic opera. [00:28:01] Speaker D: You know the one I do love Mozart. Don't know. [00:28:06] Speaker A: It's a bit on the nose for. [00:28:07] Speaker D: Aventru to be seeing the opera about the rake who goes to hell for being a seducer. [00:28:13] Speaker A: That's more of a thing, huh? [00:28:15] Speaker E: It is. But I can't imagine Aventru who doesn't at least want to identify with a young, licentious nobleman. [00:28:23] Speaker A: Forget Ventru. [00:28:24] Speaker D: Storytellers have that urge as well. Point being, insofar as his schedule reveals he will be attending alone, an enterprising. [00:28:36] Speaker A: Losambra could no doubt find a way. [00:28:38] Speaker D: To infiltrate this performance. You could buy a ticket. [00:28:43] Speaker E: I am, if nothing else, a virulent patron of the arts. I'll see him tomorrow night. [00:28:50] Speaker D: Well, this is going to be good. Take me to that moment. Horatio Ballard, given his condition, isn't going to be sitting in the orchestra section. [00:29:00] Speaker A: This is the kind of man who. [00:29:01] Speaker D: Lives for private box seats. You arrive, what, late, in the first act? [00:29:08] Speaker E: It's rude, but I can come in midway through the first act. I wouldn't want to spook him. Take the seat next to him. He seems to have a few extra seats in the box anyway. Surprising. As the show reaches its intermission, I will place a hand on his shoulder and ask if we may talk outside. [00:29:30] Speaker D: You know, Miss Lagassi, I appreciate the kind of balls it takes to pull. [00:29:34] Speaker A: What you just did. And anyone else, I'd have you thrown. [00:29:39] Speaker D: Out of this building hell into the sun. [00:29:42] Speaker A: But you know what you did. You respected the art, and I appreciate that. So I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that whatever you wanted to meet about is important enough to interrupt me now. [00:29:59] Speaker E: Incredibly important. Or I wouldn't have done such a thing. I love the opera. [00:30:05] Speaker A: Well, then you have 20 minutes. We can speak here. It's safe. What's on your mind? [00:30:15] Speaker E: I glance over. I assume there are ghouls watching the door. [00:30:19] Speaker A: Indeed. Horatio Ballard travels nowhere without a thick curtain of security. [00:30:26] Speaker E: I have a proposal for you. [00:30:28] Speaker A: I don't normally like to mix business and art. It feels impure. [00:30:33] Speaker E: You're not a toriodor. Business mixes with everything with you. [00:30:41] Speaker A: That's a great point. All right, what's the proposition, then? Real estate deal. Something industrial. Maybe a steel mill. Maybe you want to take your hand in journalism. [00:30:55] Speaker E: Well, print media is dead. I'm on an investigation for the prince, and I would love to give you the opportunity to get in on it. [00:31:05] Speaker A: I see. Well, I can only think of one thing that a Lasambra would be investigating around here that no one else would know about. A certain structural fire? [00:31:18] Speaker E: Yes. You want to make my life easier and tell me you did it. [00:31:23] Speaker A: Oh, I wish I'd had the idea. No offense. [00:31:27] Speaker E: None taken. I have need of a man of your talent to talk to some witnesses for us. [00:31:34] Speaker A: Is that so? [00:31:39] Speaker B: That's all? [00:31:39] Speaker E: Just a conversation? Maybe a little extra motivation. [00:31:45] Speaker A: Why don't you do us both a favor, and we'll cut to the chase on this one? Because I know you have friends who can get the information out of a couple thugs. And you know I'm a very busy man. You're too smart to have walked in here without a plan. What's the bottom line here? I know what you need from me. I don't know why you picked me. [00:32:11] Speaker E: I don't need you. I'm offering you the opportunity to get in on this. Besides, sort of your fault we're in this mess. [00:32:23] Speaker A: I beg your pardon? I was a vocal proponent of the Lasambra being admitted to this city, despite the obvious conflict to the interests of both my business empire and my clan. [00:32:37] Speaker E: Afraid of a little competition? [00:32:39] Speaker A: Squashing competition takes time. We have plenty. But court permits, political dances, all that takes extra. [00:32:54] Speaker E: How long did it take you to destroy Gary? [00:32:57] Speaker A: You see him smile wide, jowls folding back in this hideous grin. It's not monstrous or ugly. It's just unsettling to see a man. [00:33:10] Speaker D: With those rich, white porcine features folding his jowls up into a smirk. [00:33:19] Speaker A: Oh, from start to finish. Seven years. Seven and a half. It was easy to convince the banks to get out of there, to make new investments on this side of the border. It took longer to scare away all the community organizations and to break up the save Gary campaigns. [00:33:40] Speaker E: And yet you didn't think of the. [00:33:41] Speaker B: People you left behind. [00:33:43] Speaker A: I don't think that's something either of us bother to consider very often. [00:33:48] Speaker E: Miss Lagasse. Therein lies the difference between you and I. I know what happens when unsetled people are given an opportunity for revenge, for example. Some disaffected kindred climb out of the wreckage of Gary, maybe steal some chemicals and start a rather large, rather public fire. Maybe something so big that it's worthy of FBI investigation which gets the second inquisition involved. And to think none of this would have happened if it wasn't for one jason fucking newberry. [00:34:26] Speaker A: You see him shuffle just so underneath. [00:34:31] Speaker D: All that meat, something landed. [00:34:34] Speaker A: You know what it is, but he's. [00:34:36] Speaker D: Not going to give you the satisfaction. [00:34:38] Speaker A: Of a full reaction. He continues. Look, if you want to lay Gary at my feet, that's fine. [00:34:48] Speaker D: But there need to be a lot. [00:34:49] Speaker A: Of other people in that line. [00:34:52] Speaker D: Sovereign was in on it. [00:34:53] Speaker A: Loden was in on it. Half the primigen made heaps of money on tearing that place apart. And if that insolent cocksucker Modius had put his ego aside for just a minute, none of it would have need to happen. So no, I don't take the blame. [00:35:10] Speaker D: For what happened to Gary. [00:35:12] Speaker A: Gary had it coming. But that said, I have received some interesting reports about a break in at one of my industrial facilities recently. You're telling me these things are connected? [00:35:31] Speaker E: Very much so. [00:35:33] Speaker A: Well then, Miss Lagassi, that makes your angle a bit easier to pin down, doesn't it? All right, you have my attention. What do you need and who am I supposed to do it to? [00:35:47] Speaker E: I just need you to convince some arsonists to tell us who hired them. I just need you to make them cooperate. [00:35:57] Speaker A: What? Nobody up in the top of your clan willing to take that on? [00:36:01] Speaker E: I'm doing you a favor. And I need an air of neutrality. A lasambra. Getting information for the Lasambra doesn't always fly at trial. [00:36:14] Speaker A: Yeah. No, you raise a good point there and it's comforting to see that you've thought of the eventualities. He looks down at his watch. You don't think you've ever seen metal protest quite like that? [00:36:29] Speaker D: The way the band is screaming for its life stretched wide around his wrists by the look of things, you've got. [00:36:36] Speaker A: About 7 minutes left. Here's the problem, Miss Lagassi. I don't sign contracts with people I don't know. First rule of business, if you're going to get into bed with somebody, you have to know who they are. [00:36:49] Speaker E: Buy me dinner first. What do you need to know? [00:36:55] Speaker A: Nothing much. Nothing too personal. Two things. One, I've never seen you in this city before. Never heard of you. Which means either you've been hanging out here, flaunting the traditions, or you came from somewhere else. Where is somewhere else? [00:37:20] Speaker B: Out west. [00:37:21] Speaker E: Some anarch territories. [00:37:24] Speaker A: You don't have the stink of la on you. [00:37:27] Speaker E: A little further south, San Diego. [00:37:31] Speaker A: Spent some time in, ah, Tara's turf, then couldn't hold it. It was quite the sabat stronghold. Why'd you cut loose? [00:37:44] Speaker E: Things changed, and I wanted to stay in the States. My sire wanted to go back to Tel Aviv. I became a freelancer. [00:37:55] Speaker A: Working for the amici then. [00:37:59] Speaker E: You could say that. [00:38:01] Speaker A: I could. But for your sake, I won't say it too loud. [00:38:06] Speaker E: Discretion being the better part of valor. I understand. [00:38:10] Speaker A: All right, Miss Lagassi, here are my terms. You and a friend of your choosing. [00:38:17] Speaker D: Kindred ghoul. [00:38:18] Speaker A: Doesn't matter to me. [00:38:21] Speaker D: Location at my discretion. [00:38:23] Speaker A: Probably a warehouse on the east side, but I'll have my people let you know. You get me for 30 minutes, no more. I'm in the room the entire time, and I get to ask my own questions if they come up. [00:38:41] Speaker E: That all seems fair. [00:38:44] Speaker A: In that case, he extends his hand. [00:38:47] Speaker D: Thick like a tree trunk. [00:38:50] Speaker A: We have a deal? [00:38:54] Speaker E: I'll take it and shake it. Thank you. The La Samberg will remember this. [00:39:00] Speaker A: I certainly hope so. In the meantime, since you're here, do you care to join me for the opera? [00:39:07] Speaker E: Why not? [00:39:09] Speaker D: So that's how you spend at least. [00:39:10] Speaker A: The next hour or two. Basking in the art. And the silence. Sharing an evening with Horatio Ballard. [00:39:19] Speaker E: Let's hope some other kindreds saw. [00:39:23] Speaker D: You're not long for this city, but. [00:39:25] Speaker A: You'Re still playing the game. [00:39:27] Speaker E: Can't be helped. [00:39:29] Speaker A: What can I say? It's a Lasambra thing. Well, then, from Lasambra things to Nosferatu things, ho, schmendric. What a few nights you've been having. [00:39:44] Speaker F: It's a lot more babysitting than I've ever done in my life. So, yeah, it's a bit of a. [00:39:50] Speaker A: Circus in here for several nights. The rest of the codery have been off doing God knows what. Rebecca hasn't come back since she stormed out. She asked you to take care of these folks, take care of Zion. You figure. What? Yeah, you'll be back by midnight? [00:40:08] Speaker F: No, there's a point where I have to start worrying about whether or not sleeping next to these people during the day will result in my death, so it feels like there's a bit of a crunch. [00:40:22] Speaker A: Well, in that you can offer small thanks to Jason Newberry. His victims are incredibly docile, disturbed, agitated, but broken. Zion, on the other hand, is becoming increasingly unnerved by the distance, both physical and emotional, from his regnant. You can see him. You can see the discomfort rising in him. It's a child who misses his mother. [00:40:58] Speaker F: From what I understand of Rebecca, she probably has no desire to feed him again, so this is probably just part of the process. [00:41:08] Speaker A: Well, I appreciate your positive mental attitude about it. It's not something that you want to be doing, but you're being a good sport. I wonder if that attitude is going to change as you rise up from the day's sleep, not to the sounds of birds, the sounds of the river that gurgles nearby, but to the sounds of screams, panic somewhere below. Zion's up to trouble, and you only need peer down the ladder, through the hatch at the roof of Rebecca'silo to see what's going on. Zion, possessive, a toddler's mind, but immense strength, is struggling with one of the victims. Fang's beard. Ready to feed. [00:41:53] Speaker F: Yeah, that doesn't really fly with, uh. I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner. If I'm honest and without much hesitation, I'm going to basically slide down the ladder rather than step down and intervene as quickly as possible. Given the state of these people, I want to make sure he can feed from someone who can actually handle it. [00:42:17] Speaker A: How does a nosferatu babysitter talk down a vampire with a child's mind? [00:42:25] Speaker F: I'm not exactly the strongest. I could not take him in a one on one fight, so I use the only leverage I have in this situation. Did Rebecca say you could eat that person? [00:42:37] Speaker A: Her name cuts through his consciousness like a knife. You can see the very moment that the simple mention of that word resets the circuit breaker in the back of his head. The hunger disappears from his eyes. He turns to you, Fang still bared. No. But I feel it. And I know what I need to do, because the other thing inside of me, it says that I need to help it. [00:43:16] Speaker F: I know, Zion. I get the same thing. I have to eat, too. But let me help you. We can't kill any of these people. We're trying to help them. So you need to find someone who can give you some blood without getting too messed up about it. [00:43:31] Speaker A: Oh, no, I don't want to kill anybody. No. [00:43:35] Speaker F: I give him a kind of a pat on the shoulder at that and a broad smile and say, all right, step in the right direction. [00:43:42] Speaker A: There are a great many morsels here, but the pickings are slim. Finding one of these creatures who could survive Zion's hunger. Ooh. There's some uncertainty in that. Who do you choose? [00:44:00] Speaker F: I know I've been taking care of him on and off as well. But there is the security guard. I know that Ivy bit him, but she didn't take much. Perhaps he'd be a decent candidate. [00:44:14] Speaker A: No, you're quite right. He's an ordinary man, just working a job, earning a paycheck. Until recently, he's been well rested and well fed. And unlike the now missing female ghoul, he wasn't injured in the process. He's as plump a peach as any. [00:44:36] Speaker F: As awkward as it might be. I take Zion's hand and I lead him towards our security guard guest and point him out and say, take only what you need, but he's a good one to take. From right now. [00:44:52] Speaker A: Zion has no need for words. Once you've given your approval, he crosses the short distance between your guiding hand and the guard's pulsing neck and proceeds to satiate those atavistic urges burning up from the inside of his soul. You're fortunate that the hunger has not had time to linger. He can contain himself. The beast does not threaten his self control. But there's plenty of room between a safe dose and murder. Zion isn't going to put this man in the hospital. But based on the amount of time he spends drinking, you know there are going to be medical consequences in. [00:45:37] Speaker F: Mm hmm. I am there, arms crossed, watching and waiting for where I can tell is a safe amount. It's not exactly a science. I'm not exactly well versed in feeding from humans directly, but I don't know, some sort of innate sense of. [00:45:58] Speaker C: That's good. [00:45:58] Speaker F: That's as much as he can handle. You need to stop now. [00:46:03] Speaker A: Have you ever known a child to put down the sippy cup just because you asked? [00:46:09] Speaker F: I have not. [00:46:12] Speaker A: Then what do you suppose would happen if you ordered the toddler to put down his drink? But the toddler was possessed of a free thinking beast. [00:46:20] Speaker F: I imagine some degree of defiance. [00:46:24] Speaker A: He gives you a look. I hesitate to use the word sneaky, but it's that familiar flicker of childlike mischief stopping, judging how serious you are before turning back to the wound. [00:46:40] Speaker F: Yeah, I've already told you that. That's enough. I don't want to hold it over your head. Zion, you're free to make whatever choice you want, but Rebecca will hear about it either way. [00:46:54] Speaker A: God, that name. It's disgusting. The power it holds over this man. And weak and pitiful. Crawling on all fours, he distances himself from his victim. I'm sorry. I'm just. It's hungry. [00:47:14] Speaker F: I understand it's hard at times, but you did the right thing. And I am going to tell her you did a good job. [00:47:25] Speaker A: Yeah, I want to do a good job because she's really nice to me, and she took me away from that place. And you were there, too. You're also a good person. I'm sorry. [00:47:41] Speaker F: No need to apologize. Just. Maybe you could help me this morning. Get people cleaned up, little bit of food in their bellies. What do you say? [00:47:50] Speaker A: Yeah, okay. I can do that. And then you'll tell Rebecca that I helped you and that then she'll be happy? [00:47:57] Speaker F: Yeah. I'll tell her you did a great job and you did everything I asked you to. [00:48:03] Speaker A: There's honest to God glee on his face. A kind of self satisfaction that you don't see on kindred under normal circumstances. [00:48:12] Speaker F: I almost want to high five him about it. [00:48:15] Speaker A: I'm not familiar with childhood development. Are toddlers capable of high five, or are they still waiting for their eyes to catch up with their limbs? Zion proves a dutiful helper, and the night continues anew. Once again. It's become a dull cycle at this point, separating those who attempt to fight, quietly retrieving those who attempt to flee, dealing with all the small problems, the hunger, the cold, the discomfort from being asked another night to sleep on a hard silo floor. [00:48:49] Speaker F: Yeah, at this point, I'm starting to go through alternatives in my mind, but I really am not coming up with much. [00:48:56] Speaker A: Then how fortunate for Schmendrick that once again the silence of the silo is interrupted by the arrival of a vehicle. It's a big engine, a diesel engine, the kind you'd find in a truck, a school bus. [00:49:11] Speaker F: I initially am worried because I don't recall any Diesel engines or large truck people coming by. But the moment I begin to pick it out as a school bus, there's this excitement, and I rush towards the door to take a look outside to see who has arrived. [00:49:31] Speaker A: Excitement with reflexive revulsion. No one can look at Cedric Calhoun and be entirely still. You know better than anyone else what happens when Nosferatu age, when the potency of your blood brings you closer and closer to the Antiluvian whence you spring a comical, twisted, and fanged face wearing a bowler hat and an ill fitting suit. [00:50:01] Speaker F: One of those little reminders to hold on to what I have left, I guess before I age out to look as wondrous as Cedric does. Regardless, I will greet him with a wave. Oh, you actually came. [00:50:20] Speaker A: Yeah, I got the message from Khaled. He said there was trouble. He filled me in. Is there anything else going on, or are we still dealing with what we're dealing with? [00:50:32] Speaker F: How much do you guys know the situation? I can try and explain what I can. [00:50:40] Speaker A: Well, after you called our mutual supervisor, a tattooed little bird referred to a number of victims. We'll say, that need sequestering in a safe place. [00:50:54] Speaker F: Yeah, it gets a little deeper than that, though. And listen, there's going to be a trial and we're going to need some backing from, hopefully Khaled or you or any of the Nosferatu that. How do I explain this? [00:51:14] Speaker A: Well, I'm happy to help, Schmender, but I think you should start at the beginning. [00:51:19] Speaker F: So you were called the fire, right? [00:51:22] Speaker A: Oh, whole city knows about the fire. [00:51:25] Speaker F: Yeah. So given that he understands about the fire, I will catch him up on basically everything. I understand up to date and why these people are in the condition they are in. And who exactly is responsible for it. [00:51:41] Speaker A: He listens intently, all the while stroking that patchy, mangy strap of facial hair on his chin. Well, then you've been a busy, busy little bee, haven't you? Okay, well, you're in luck. You said the magic words. If this helps bring that bastard Newberry down, I'm behind you 100%. I'll talk to him about it, but I know. College answer. He'll agree. [00:52:09] Speaker F: There's relief on my face. Finally, some backing from someone in this pretty bad situation I'm in. If we can bring sun down, having that kind of closure is going to be excellent. [00:52:28] Speaker A: Well, you always had an inkling that Khalid would be on your side, right? Of all the primogen knowing what you know, he'll be the easiest to convince of Newberry's crimes. [00:52:40] Speaker F: I always suspected he was a lot like me. In his own unique way. Of course, no two people are ever exactly the same. [00:52:48] Speaker A: No. For one, he has a cooler. [00:52:51] Speaker F: Oh, he does have a cooler hat. But I'm thankful for the like minds. And if there's nothing more we need to talk about, I help him get these people situated into the bus. [00:53:07] Speaker A: Well, Cedric on his own might struggle, but you're there. Zion's there. The three of you can wrangle this crowd easily enough. It's not too long before looking down the aisle of the bus, you see your erstwhile captives all lined up, ready for transport. [00:53:23] Speaker F: I'll give Cedric a look once most of the people are inside and say, there's one more. A security guard we managed to take in alongside a ghoul. He's not like the rest. His mind is still intact, but he's seen far too much at this point. [00:53:46] Speaker A: When it rains, it pours. You got a bus full of victims and now a witness to a masquerade violation. [00:53:54] Speaker F: Yeah, it's not exactly a good thing. I'd rather. I know the normal protocol is to kill him, remove the evidence. I'd rather not do that. So is it possible we can get him on board with these people? Wipe his mind? I don't know what you guys plan on doing. [00:54:13] Speaker A: My instructions are to take these poor souls and drop them off one by one at different homeless centers around the city. God willing, social services will be able to handle them. This is too much for any one of us to fix. [00:54:27] Speaker F: Yeah, that makes sense. [00:54:29] Speaker A: As for your guard, if he's seen onto the other side of the veil, we'll say that's a different kind of problem. [00:54:39] Speaker F: Off the top of your head, are you aware of anyone that can remove some long term memories? [00:54:46] Speaker A: Come on, Schmendric, you're one of us. You know, anything's possible for a. Hmm. [00:54:53] Speaker F: And it's apparently quite a steep price I'm about to pay, but I think it's worth it, so might as well add a little bit more on top of that, I suppose. [00:55:04] Speaker A: Well, you're lucky. You're choosing people who like you to become indebted to. [00:55:09] Speaker F: Can agree with that. [00:55:11] Speaker A: Khalid's willing to do this as a favor for the clan. It helps that it lines up with his interests. But favors are favors among family. You know how it goes. That someday I might require of you a favor. All that. All right. Load that guy up, too. I'll see what I can do. [00:55:34] Speaker F: Thanks. And I'll go get him. I assume the guy's not doing so great anymore, considering he's been bitten twice recently. But hopefully that means he's just pliable enough to get into the bus and sit. Nice. [00:55:47] Speaker A: He's pretty woozy, has difficulty moving under his own power, but he's not. So, uh. That's it then, huh? [00:55:58] Speaker F: That's it. Thank you, Cedric, so much. And I hold up my hand, kind of give him a handshake. [00:56:07] Speaker A: Of course. Your family. [00:56:10] Speaker F: I'd give him a hug if I didn't think it was awkward. This will have to do for now. [00:56:15] Speaker A: You have this stuff to take care of here, or you want to come for a ride, help out? [00:56:21] Speaker F: I'd be happy to help out, but if I come along for the ride, he's going to have to come me and I point over to Zion, but I'm also considering it, like, maybe he'd be fine. Just waiting for Rebecca on his own. But maybe he wouldn't. [00:56:35] Speaker A: What's your gut instinct say? What would Schmendrick do? [00:56:40] Speaker F: Zion can come with us. He's a good helper as well. And I'll try to get him back to Rebecca as soon as possible. [00:56:50] Speaker A: So it goes. You only need mention Rebecca's name to ensure Zion's compliance, and he joins you on the bus. You'll spend the remainder of your night transferring different victims into different vehicles. A school bus full of the infirm is suspicious, even in Chicago. So Cedric takes you to a quiet place where, over a period of time, you take them, one by one into a different car, drive to a different shelter, drop them off on a corner, leave them somewhere the police might find them, direct them to services. You deposit this human refuse on the social services garbage system. It's a little funny that the best thing the kindred can do is hand them over to the least that the humans can do. [00:57:43] Speaker F: Sad. But maybe we can change that in the future. [00:57:48] Speaker A: All things in time, one hopes. But however lofty your goals, they have to wait. You are already tasked by higher powers. Maybe after you've done the prince this last favor. Right. It has to be the last favor. Then he'll be amenable to your interests. [00:58:07] Speaker F: I keep telling myself it's the last favor, but it never is. No, the issue I think we've run into at this point is we've become reliable. [00:58:21] Speaker A: There are worse reasons to have the prince's attention. Although those reasons do come with significantly fewer responsibilities. No sooner have you helped distribute Newberry's victims around Chicago than you are called upon for yet another errand. Maya has arranged a meeting with a friend and communicated its location and time to you. The sun will rise and set once more before you head out into the night in a familiar volkswagen, retrieve your Lasambra ally and begin driving. What happens next? [00:59:03] Speaker F: Now, if all the pieces come together correctly, we should all be meeting at a warehouse. I have Maya in my car with me. Damien's going to come there with the suspects, and this mystery person who's going to help with domination is going to be there as well. I'm curious. So I turn over to look at Maya, and I say, who did you get for this job? [00:59:29] Speaker E: I thought I'd bring in Horatio Ballard. [00:59:33] Speaker F: Okay. Horatio Ballard, really? [00:59:38] Speaker E: He has a vested interest in helping us. The Gary Coterie stole from him, and he's dealing with his own issues. That might be solved by taking out Newbury. [00:59:47] Speaker F: Yes, that's, uh. Horatio Ballard has a reputation from what? Understand? Hopefully he's agreeable. [01:00:00] Speaker E: What reputation is that? [01:00:03] Speaker F: He's a ventru. First of all, he's just super slimy businessy cutthroat. [01:00:10] Speaker E: Do you have a problem with cutthroat businessmen? [01:00:14] Speaker F: I'm not one of them. So perhaps I just don't understand crawling on the backs of the impoverished. But. [01:00:25] Speaker E: The nice thing about cutthroat, slimy business people is that you can usually count on them to be cutthroat and slimy. [01:00:35] Speaker F: Well, since sun is on his bad side, I guess he makes a good enough ally for us in that regard. [01:00:46] Speaker E: The enemy of my enemy is my friend. All that nonsense. [01:00:51] Speaker D: Yeah, and perhaps a little more importantly, it doesn't cost you anything. You've already made this advantageous for Mr. Ballard, so he's not going to extract a boon out of you in return. [01:01:05] Speaker E: That's exactly how I like it. [01:01:08] Speaker D: Schmendrick, I know this information is new to you, but you would have found out anyway. The warehouse you arrive at belongs to one of Horatio Ballard's innumerable subsidiaries. Property owned through a chain of shell corporations and stock exchanges by the man who has agreed to help you. The parking lot is deserted. Maya's certain she has the right address. And it looks like the kind of place you would do this kind of thing. No windows, no witnesses. Middle of the night, empty neighborhood. You could do whatever you wanted here. You have arrived early. Horatio Balor does not tolerate tardiness. And neither one of you want to end up on Damien's bad side by arriving late to the party. [01:02:01] Speaker A: What do you do in the meantime? [01:02:04] Speaker F: I'm gonna find a way inside. I assume that that's where everyone's going to be gathering. So no need to sit in the car. [01:02:13] Speaker E: Makes sense to me. [01:02:15] Speaker D: No need to sit in the car and no need to jimmy the lock. Things have been arranged in advance. Like the parking lot, the building is also empty. It's not clear to you whether it's just unused or whether it has been emptied out for your purposes. But you find yourself in a warehouse devoid of wares. Row after row after row of empty shelves springing up from polished concrete like so many little metal trees. [01:02:44] Speaker E: Does make me a little concerned for Ballard's industry, but that's not my business. [01:02:52] Speaker D: The time passes in silence. Not too much of it, though. After 510 minutes, you hear the rumble of a van coming into the parking lot as well. Peering out through the door, you can see Damien there, driving alone. Through the windshield, you see him pointing. [01:03:10] Speaker A: Over at the overhead door. [01:03:13] Speaker F: I'll go find the way to open that for him so he can drive right in. [01:03:18] Speaker D: Not going to do this in the parking lot after all. [01:03:21] Speaker E: I prefer being able to control for any other witnesses. [01:03:26] Speaker D: So Damien pulls the vehicle up through the loading dock. Inside, he hops out, silent, never one for extra words, circles around to the back of the vehicle and pulls open one of the doors. Schmendric, this is not the condition you left these two gentlemen in. They're emaciated, pale, shivering, trembling. Eyes sunken back, halfway between. Delirium, perhaps fear. [01:03:58] Speaker F: I did not expect that giving them to Bronwyn would make them healthier. I anticipated something like this, and I feel that pang of guilt welling up inside of me. I knew this was going to happen, but I was absolutely powerless to stop it. And now here we are. [01:04:19] Speaker D: Multiple pangs of guilt, I imagine. One for each of the needle marks you can see walking up their arms. You know what she's been doing to them? [01:04:29] Speaker F: Yeah. I actually look away. [01:04:34] Speaker E: Getting cold feet, Schmendric? [01:04:37] Speaker F: I made a promise I shouldn't have. I told those two I would get them out. I'm not sure why I made a promise like that. Seems so fucking stupid now. [01:04:49] Speaker E: Well, maybe the lesson is learned. You don't make promises you can't keep. What were you going to get them out of? [01:04:56] Speaker F: I knew who I was giving them to, and I knew that person would do this. [01:05:02] Speaker E: Who had them? [01:05:05] Speaker F: Bronwyn. She runs the circulatory system. [01:05:13] Speaker E: Fascinating. [01:05:14] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:05:15] Speaker F: So if you want people chained up like cattle and drained of all their blood until they expire, yet that's the woman you talk to. [01:05:23] Speaker E: I nod and smile. Good to know. [01:05:30] Speaker F: Don't get any ideas. [01:05:32] Speaker E: I would never dream of anything. [01:05:35] Speaker D: Your quiet conversation has taken your attention away from the parking lot, so you don't hear the black sedan with fully tinted windows arrive, but you do hear the boom of the door being blown open as a rolling tidal wave of ego and girth comes stepping through. All right, I'm here, and my time is precious. What are we doing today? Your eyes turn to meet Horatio Ballard, tall and hugely corpulent, fat in ways you have never seen a vampire achieve. The man from head to toe is a corpse like waxy sheen held in stark relief to the black business suit he wears. You know, if you ask Big Bob to draw you a picture of what a vampire looked like, Horatio Ballard's pallor is what would lead to his mind. [01:06:38] Speaker E: Mr. Ballard, thank you for your time. And I will walk over and give him the two kisses on each cheek. [01:06:45] Speaker D: He returns the gesture politely. He's a man of etiquette. And you have correctly deduced the right way to impress, yes, yes, Miss Lagassi. And I will remind you now that I charge by the minute. So are these them? [01:07:02] Speaker F: These are the guys. Considering that everything was all set up for us, I'm going to assume there are chairs, and I will lead these fellows, weakened as they are, to their chairs, to sit. [01:07:16] Speaker D: That is a level of dignity that Horatio Ballard does not give to humans. He points to Damien, snaps his fingers and gestures towards the open concrete. The sheriff escorts will say politely. The prisoner is out of the back of the van and arranges them kneeling. [01:07:36] Speaker A: In front of you. [01:07:38] Speaker D: Ballard turns to Maya. Standard question and answer. That's what we're doing, yes. [01:07:46] Speaker E: I look over to Schmendrick. I want to see her reaction when this is done. [01:07:51] Speaker F: I have a question before we begin. [01:07:55] Speaker E: Yes? [01:07:56] Speaker F: We lack evidence beyond what people have told us. Damien, would it be okay for me to record this interrogation? [01:08:08] Speaker D: Damien's eyes shoot a little wide. Excuse me? [01:08:13] Speaker F: The prince wants hard evidence. I can't bring back to him that we've just got more people speaking out. I need something a little more concrete. [01:08:24] Speaker D: Ballard rumbles to life. There's no way you're putting my face on camera. [01:08:30] Speaker F: Keep your face out of it. I need their faces and their confessions. [01:08:34] Speaker D: He turns to Damien, talking past you. In a way. You're the sheriff. You know the prince's rules. But you can see Damien chewing on it at least. [01:08:46] Speaker E: The other option is that Ballard comes to the trial with us and verifies their answers. [01:08:52] Speaker F: Yeah, after Maya says that, I give Horatio Ballard a look like, do you want to do that? [01:09:01] Speaker D: Oh, to be in the room when Newberry finds out. I wouldn't fucking miss it. I'll clear my calendar. [01:09:11] Speaker F: I guess that waves the need to. [01:09:13] Speaker E: Record truly the highest honor in Aventur's lexicon. Clearing their calendar for you. [01:09:20] Speaker D: That is, of course, contingent on our prince's permission. Damien I'm sure that could be arranged. [01:09:27] Speaker A: Damien nods. [01:09:29] Speaker D: Horatio turns back to Schmedrich. Any more suggestions, or can I get to work? [01:09:36] Speaker F: Whenever you're ready. [01:09:42] Speaker A: Mr. Ballard does not respond. You've given him permission, so his bulk merely shifts in the direction of the two men on their knees. It's unsettling to watch him move. You've seen bodies carrying that kind of bulk well north of 350 pounds. The way human muscle work, they tend to waddle. But Mr. Ballard isn't bound to the laws of kinesiology. He's dead and as such, he glides towards the captives on a confident stride, not at all befitting his physique. You can't help but be reminded of a japanese horror film. Watching him move, he arrives in front of the pair, taking a moment to size them up, searching their eyes, measuring the strength of will that yet remains so he might sink his metaphorical teeth into the weakest of them. Horatio does not deign to stoop as he makes his choice, instead grabbing the man's face with sausage like fingers and forcing it up to meet his gaze. You. Yeah, you'll do. Look at me. My friends here, they're gonna ask you some questions. You see him pause, reaching into his suit jacket and retrieving an ornately carved folding knife. He presses it into the man's palm. You're going to tell them the truth. Ballard's eyes take on a familiar, unnatural tinge, and you can recognize the beast behind them. You will not use this knife for any purpose until you tell a lie. If you answer any question with a lie, you'll take this knife and stab it as deeply as you can into the meat of your thigh. That's going to hurt, my friend. It's going to bleed real bad. And judging by what you've been getting into recently, you don't have much blood left to keep that little heart beating. None to spare. The hostage was already in poor shape, but his gaze turns dead, his jaw slack as Horatio bulldozes his way through the human's flimsy mind. Maya, you recognize the strategy. Dominate cannot compel a human to reveal information as a tool. It's simply too blunt. If you command a human to tell me everything you know, they'll merely reply everything you know. The simplest path to fulfilling the command. A conditional statement, though a threat against one's own life that only honesty can diffuse, novel and effective. Horatios smiles. You can tell he's proud of himself. And he folds his arms across his girth. Well, time to see if it was worth it. [01:13:03] Speaker F: I'll take my hood off and walk over to these two guys. And my first question that comes out is, do you remember me? [01:13:12] Speaker D: The feeblest voice you have ever heard come out of a human's mouth answers, yes. [01:13:18] Speaker F: Do you remember burning down my sky hotel? [01:13:23] Speaker A: Yes. [01:13:25] Speaker F: Who hired you to do that? [01:13:27] Speaker D: It was a man. He didn't tell me his name. [01:13:32] Speaker F: What did he look like? [01:13:35] Speaker A: He was taller than most people. [01:13:38] Speaker D: Over 6ft, but not by much. I remember he was wearing a green shirt, a small neck, long arms. [01:13:50] Speaker A: He had a sharp, pointed nose. [01:13:53] Speaker D: And bright, bright red lips, brown hair swept back, kept short, and a mole at the. At the right corner of his mouth. [01:14:07] Speaker F: At this point, I'll take out my phone and go to that picture of the vita paintings that I've shown. Feels like so many people at this point. And I'll show this guy and say, is this the man you remember? [01:14:21] Speaker D: His eyes narrow, trying to focus on it. You can tell that he's sleep deprived on top of everything else that's wrong with him. [01:14:30] Speaker A: He leans in, squinting. Yeah, that looks like him. [01:14:38] Speaker E: So how did he contact you? [01:14:40] Speaker D: We're for hire for that kind of thing. [01:14:44] Speaker E: We? [01:14:46] Speaker D: He starts to turn his head over to look at his companion, but you notice he can't. He's physically incapable of breaking his gaze away from where Ballard is standing. [01:15:00] Speaker E: You and your friends are arsonists for hire? [01:15:05] Speaker D: No, not arsonists. B e mostly. But he offered us way more than our going rate. And since we had to break into the place anyway, why not just add a little bit on top of that for the money? [01:15:24] Speaker E: So there are a lot of you, then. [01:15:26] Speaker D: I know it's a tight team. There's only four of us, but, I mean, you know. What happened to the other two. [01:15:36] Speaker E: I look to Schvendrick. I don't, actually. [01:15:41] Speaker F: Well, as for your comrades, one wasn't so fortunate, and the other one managed to get away from us. So be comforted in that small bit of knowledge. Has this man asked you to do anything else in the past? [01:15:59] Speaker D: No. We don't get a lot of repeat business. It's best if people don't stay in contact this long. He went through one of our contacts. Said that he needed a good team to break into a place on short notice. The job seemed okay. The money was great. Wasn't until after we'd already started to agree that he mentioned the second half of it. He told us there'd be five or six people staying in this rental and that we were supposed to go in, douse the place and light it up. Aside from that, he was just insistent that we find the woman with the black hair and the man with the beard, that those two had to go up no matter what. [01:16:49] Speaker E: Sierra and melancholy. [01:16:51] Speaker D: If you press further, he'll confirm additional features. The woman's green eyes, full lips, what she was wearing. Based on his response, Newberry provided a very exacting image of his targets. [01:17:08] Speaker E: Oddly specific, odly geared towards the La Sambra. Not great for him or us. I agree at Shrendrick, though. At least he doesn't hate you. [01:17:20] Speaker F: Personally, I'm sure he does now. [01:17:24] Speaker E: Oh, he definitely does now. [01:17:27] Speaker D: Ballard's looking down at his watch. Is that all? Ladies, I'm a busy man. [01:17:33] Speaker E: What do you think? Is that enough? [01:17:36] Speaker F: I mean, it proves a pattern of behavior. If nothing else, it's still not concrete evidence. I look to our fellow again and say, do you have proof of him hiring you a check, anything like that? [01:17:52] Speaker D: No one. You don't give people a receipt for crime. [01:17:58] Speaker E: How does he contact you? [01:18:01] Speaker D: Through a mutual acquaintance. We have a fixer. Had a fixer. [01:18:06] Speaker E: What happened to your fixer? [01:18:09] Speaker D: I don't know. Remember, we didn't get a chance to finish the job. [01:18:14] Speaker E: Astoundingly useless. [01:18:17] Speaker D: Ballard is chiming in. Look, ladies, everyone in town knows that Newberry hates the Losambra. That part he's been totally clear about. You got him in the primaging council. You got him at the vote. That's nothing. This guy here, he says Newberry hired him to ice the Lasambra delegates before they made it to elysium to talk to the prince. That's a pattern of fact, right? That's motive enough. You're not taking this guy to court. You're putting him in front of the primaging council and seeing if you can get enough to stick to dust him. [01:18:50] Speaker E: I just need enough to stick. I always worry with these people. [01:18:55] Speaker D: Ballard is smiling again. Oh, it sounds to me like our friend here just said that Jason Newberry hired him to kill two diplomats under the prince's protection. And also some neonates. Is that right? He leans forward just a half of an inch. Are you telling my friends here that son Newberry hired you to assassinate two diplomats? He gives the description. The man nods yes. I don't know their names, but the man in that picture, he paid us to burn down where you were staying. [01:19:36] Speaker F: And then he goes ahead and pays other people to burn down a whole. [01:19:41] Speaker D: Hotel, open and shut to me. Ballard says, you got your motive. You got a pattern of behavior. [01:19:50] Speaker F: Let's hope it's enough, then. [01:19:52] Speaker E: Well, thank you for your cooperation to the men, knowing full well what we've done. [01:19:59] Speaker D: Yes, he replied. His brain is empty. [01:20:04] Speaker F: I turn to Damien and I say, did Bronwyn mention wanting these back? [01:20:10] Speaker D: You can tell just the mention of Bronwyn makes Damien a bit uncomfortable. And it's not until you lean forward and narrow your eyes a bit, insisting on the question that he responds yes. The condition of these gentlemen's release is that I would have them back before the morning. This is a favor for the prince, nothing more. [01:20:36] Speaker F: I chew my lip a little at that. [01:20:39] Speaker E: They're criminal, Schnendrick. [01:20:42] Speaker F: Yeah, I know. Part of me doesn't want to think they deserve this, though. [01:20:47] Speaker B: They're alive, aren't they? [01:20:49] Speaker F: For how much longer? [01:20:52] Speaker D: All right, well, I will leave you two to your moral quandaries. But in the meantime, here, in about 3 minutes, you will be trespassing on the property of Ballard industries. So if that's all, I do appreciate your time and your cooperation with me in this regard. [01:21:12] Speaker F: I understand. Thank you. [01:21:14] Speaker D: Damien is gentle but firm as he loads them into the back of the van once more. [01:21:18] Speaker F: Before we head out, I kind of bark at Damien, and I say, I want them. I don't know how to facilitate that yet. [01:21:27] Speaker D: Damien is sliding into the driver's seat, and you can see him shaking his head. It's not up to me, Schmendric. You know you have to talk to. [01:21:36] Speaker F: Yeah, I do. Thanks, Damien. [01:21:39] Speaker A: Oh, anytime. [01:21:41] Speaker D: Damien exits. You close the door to the loading dock again. Ballard is already gone at this point. [01:21:48] Speaker F: Pulling my hood up. I get back into the car, and we start driving. I don't know where to yet. I'm just kind of stewing over what we've learned. [01:21:59] Speaker E: As we start to drive, I'll turn to Schmendric. What would you have done with them if you didn't have to give them to Bronwyn? [01:22:07] Speaker F: Put them in the same place I'm putting 40 other people. And that is with Khalid and his fellows, once they get back in contact with me. [01:22:19] Speaker E: And you trust him to do something better with them? [01:22:22] Speaker F: I do. I don't know why. I do. Maybe it's because I've just heard that he has a similar feeling to people as I do. But I'm pretty sure he would help them in whatever way he could. [01:22:40] Speaker E: You are very good with computers, correct? [01:22:44] Speaker F: Yeah. [01:22:46] Speaker E: You can see Maya's thinking. Interesting. Anyone can be bought. Maybe something will come up. [01:22:55] Speaker F: Maybe. [01:22:57] Speaker A: There she goes, our la somber friend setting her mind to task on another scheme. In this moment, Maya wonders if something might come up. But we all know something is coming up. A trial for one of Chicago's esteemed primigen, a friend to the city's prince and loyal servant of the Camarilla. On paper, anyway, the coterie has gathered a weedy portfolio of evidence. Any one piece of it. Enough to see an ordinary kindred put to final death for gross offences against the laws of your kind. But son Newberry is no ordinary kindred. And the corrupting icker of kindred politics have more than once let similarly accused kindred walk free. I have faith in our coterie and the strength of their cause. But will the primaging council agree and condemn one of their own? That's a story for another night. 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