Closed Sharp Pittances of Years

[Philomena]

She crumples somewhat after handing over the bundle, leaning hard into the rush-back of the chair. Her hands black hand lays across her belly, and her white runs slow lines up and down her thigh through her dress. She shakes her head, slowly, and begins to speak, her face paling slightly, then falling back again.

//No. No, Minnie Lefting. You shut your damn mouth. You're here to settle business, to make sure everything is taken care of when you're gone.//

//Oh, but I want to talk to someone.//

//No. To this girl? Look at her. You don't think she has trouble enough? You petching shut your mouth, and pull your hands out of her blouse, you gutterslut.//

Finally, she gives up on what she was going to say, mumurs soft, "What... type of repayment, if I could ask?"

[Ricky Maze]

'She really isn't doin what I believe she's doing.' A small giggle came from Hannah as she crossed her legs once again, her hands rested in her lap as she listened to the doctor. Thinking back on it Hannah could've sworn she remembered the name before. Philomena... Not a very common name so not easy to forget either. For Hannah it was a memory she would allow to come on its own, for now she was to answer the next question.

"You must keep this secret from this man, as I have no choice in this matter... yet anyway." She would wait until Philomena would swear not to warn Ricky, so that her secret would remain safe from being known. Which meant she was about to put a big amount of trust in Philomena, a leap of faith as some would call it. "I came to Zeltiva this season because Ignotus wants me to pay off the debt, how I'm to do this is by making Ricky Maze fall for me." Hannah allowed the information to sink in before she continued.

"Our friend has that man in some sort of position where he would like to have 'insurance' of a sort. So that he can use it should Ricky prove... unloyal to him. That's what I've gathered anyway." She shrugged, the casual smile that used to be there a serious expression now. There wasn't a hint of dishonesty in her eyes, as Hannah now looked at Philomena with trusting eyes.

As she waited to hear what Philomena had to say her memory wandered back to the slaves, how they all thanked gods that they were freed. One of those slaves spoke with Hannah before she left them behind, one whose name had the same feel to it as the professor before her. Hannah wouldn't mention this just yet, as she'd find the opportune moment to present the memory.

[Philomena]

The older woman sat up a bit at this, and her face clouded a moment, a dark moment in which anything could have come out - a leer, a sneer, an angry growl. None of these came though. What cam instead was a powerful, personal sympathy.

"Oh.... you... poor creature."

She begin to shift in her chair. She pulled the bag to her side with an arm so frail it seemed likely to snap free, and began to push herself up by the back of the chair. Her legs did not quite reach the ground so when she plopped to her feet, it jarred the chair sufficiently to throw her off her balance, with a sickening series of crunching pops in the joints of her back and legs. But she kept her feet, and taking her stick, turned, to totter weakly toward the woman.

"Child of the streets. You poor creature, that is all you are to him."

[Ricky Maze]

Hannah could only laugh to hide her shame, she couldn't help but find Philomena's pity a cheesy reaction to be had. The woman seemed as though she were going to comfort her or something, Hannah really didn't know for sure considering the woman worked her best to even hobble a little.

"I've no trouble in doing the deed of course, I'm just not ready to give up my independance just yet." She winked as she stood up, she headed back to her dresser and mirror, and pulled out a parchment to see if the name was correct. I will say that Igno has a lot of resourcea for a man, and though he may expect me to follow through with this I will find a loop hole. I may have to string the guard along of course." She spoke so she could provide enough time to skim the note, as her eyes darted to find the signature that waited below. Philomena.

"Say how common is the name Philomena here?" It was a question she had asked, for a reason she had kept to herself. Hannah had several secrets that she thought she would be keeping, but today would unfold into something interesting it seems. For Hannah this could change things in the long run, and she had to guess a few things before she acted freely.

[Philomena]

Minnie tottered forward still while the prostitute spoke, and finally came close enough for her hand to reach forward to touch her thick hair, her pale face. She started to set the stick down to do so, then stopped, stared at the girl with a hungry, frightened, painfully lonely turn whirling around her features. "No... no... no, my touch is as poisonous as my son's now. No, I would bring the mark on her, just like Mara... just like Mara..."

The voice is faint - she is clearly growing tired, the unhealthy wall between conscious an subconscious, between speech and thought, beginning an agonzing defense. She turned, then, swallowing hard, and began to totter back, her own voice wavering slightly with supressed emotion, "Philomena? It is... not a common name. I know of two others. One is dead the other is... more than likely dead, given her age and position. It is an old fashioned name, the sort dying out in Zeltiva. Heavy on the ear."

She returned to her chair, and set the walking stick back in place, turning to grab the back of the chair. Her leg buckled with the turn, and she stumbled, hard gripping as quickly as she could at the edge of the wooden chair, falling to land hard on one knee, breathing hard then as she recovered herself.

[Ricky Maze]

Hannah turned as she wondered what Philomena murmured, the woman definitely appeared to be getting tired out just by being here. Hannah only had one small thing to take care of before Philomena would leave, should the information have satisfied the good professor.

"So you wouldn't by any chance know the Minnie cakes that wrote this now, would you?" She flashed the parchment out before Philomena, and held it out so the doctor could take it without hopefully making contact. Last thing Hannah needed was to get ill on the night everything was to come into play.

Hannah held a smile though, her eyes still showed she was curious. She was possibly gathering her thoughts on Ignotus while she waited for Philomena to speak after she'd read the note, but then again she was also likely crafting a scheme that she could later use should she find a way out of Zeltiva soon.

[Philomena]

Minnie took the letter, with a frown. The handwriting on it was completely unfamiliar, a poorly educated scrawl. The paper was coarse, and torn, likely taken illicitly, and the ink was smudgy and unblotted, of a poor quality to start with. These things were not, however, what made Minnie gasp, visibly. It was the name scrawled across the top:

"Shiress"

Minnie shuddered, visibly, the fever flush draining from her face. Her hands shook as she opened the letter, then, and scanned through it, her brow furrowing, deeper and deeper. Then, her one good hand, drifted very, very slowly to her lap, and she closed her eyes. Her voice came out very, very soft, a queer emotionally pitched but utterly confused soup of a voice. Higher pitched than before, with a thrilling nasality to it, that grates weirdly on the air, with its warbling tremolo of phleghmy throat.

"I know... who this letter is intended for. Yes. I... she... I believed her dead. Maybe she... I don't know. Maybe she is. I will make sure she receives it, if not."

Her quivering hand begins awkwardly to fold the note back up.

[Ricky Maze]

Hannah listened as she found Philomena's reaction interesting, to her she found there was a deep history at work here; a story that twisted even further then the info led on. She judged from Philomena's reaction that the two knew each other closely, and even though Hannah could hardly recall the face of the writer, that note was the second to last piece of history she had to hold on to.

"I've not read the contents of the note of course, she just asked me to deliver it should I come back here. Turns out I did, and here you are." She smiled at the irony of the situation, she didn't plan on ever returning to Zeltiva but had to do so anyway. Fate worked in the most mysterious ways sometimes, but this would be the last time she answered its call. Once She was done and out of the city she would only go her own way, whether fate decided against it or not.

"I suppose you have what you need, I just... have to ask; before you leave..." The smile went away once more as Hannah held her casual frame, her hands folded together as the rested in her lap. "If you can, keep this meeting a secret between us. I'd rather Ricky not know this happened, nor anything else for the matter. Should it come down to it I'll tell him everything." It was a farce, though for some reason truth still clinged to it. Somehow Hannah would have to talk with Ricky about Iggy, should he prove a more curious bloodhound then he lets on. Hannah didn't believe it would come to that, not when she was only here for the time she would be. She already had an idea on what to do, she just needed to find someone else to sucker punch. Someone Ricky could end up with that would make a far better trade for the bargain she and Ignotus struck.

[Philomena]

Minnie frowned, sensing the meeting was over. She said nothing for a moment, staring at her empty hand, but then, very slowly, very quietly, she nodded.

"I can... promise you, I will say nothing of this to your Wave Guardsman or to Mr. Everto. Does this satisfy you, Madame?"

She uttered the question, and slowly, painfully began to stand. She panted by the time she reached her stick again, and looked at the girl, once more, sadly. Lonely. She would, perhaps, have liked the conversation to have been more than simply business. But she dropped her eyes, and nodded.

"We... will likely not meet again, Goody."

[Ricky Maze]

"Thank you. It's been a pleasure to speak with you." Hannah's casual smile came back around once more, as she opened the door in her curteous matter. She could see that Philomena had a slight disappointed look, and gave a honest smile as she spoke. "I honestly do hope we get to meet again, this whole story with Iggy is definitely one I'd like to see end. You certainly seem capable enough to end it, or at least I hope so."

She waited to hear Philomena before the professor would hobble out, and when she would be gone Hannah would go out about the town herself. It wouldn't do any good to remain shut in here; not when there were plans to be made.