Winter 40th, 513AV, The Simpering Seacow
Gad sipped his Sunberth Shanty. It was versatile beverage served as cool as it could be in Summer and Spring, and warm in the winter. The heated liquor went down smooth, and helped to calm his nerves as his eyes darted left to right over the brim of his mug. This wasn't really his scene, he was more a Pig's Foot guy. He didn't really fit in here. Well, he never really fit in at the Pig's Foot either, but at least it was dark and crowded enough for him to not catch too many eyes. Everyone here knew one another, and none of them really knew one another. Whatever, it didn't bother him too much; it wasn't like he was here to make friends. Though, judging by the stacked waitresses sashaying around, this wouldn't be a bad place to make some friends. It would certainly have helped him blend in. Gad was sitting at table alone, near the center of the room. Besides a wealthy looking man reading a torn up, but probably nonetheless expensive, book in the corner, Gad was the only one who was here alone. A hands-on waitress came and leaned her hip against Gad's shoulder and asked him if he needed something, around this time a few sultry twangs rang through the air.
Gad's gaze shifted to the direction of the bar, where the noise had come from. Leaned up against it, with one thigh draped over it, was a tall, tanned, six-armed Ephyrian. The cords strung out were low, somber sounds the fit the dark cold season, though they were played in the desert style, Epyhrian mode. A few others in- or at, considering it was an open air cafe- the establishment turned and looked on as the proprietor played his melancholy tune. One of the full-bodied waitresses leaned against the bar, and set her tray down. She closed her eyes and a broad smile materialized on her soft features, she rocked and swooned to the song. Gad observed the patient longing in the Ephyrian musician/bar-tender's eyes as the girl sat absorbing his tune. Gad drew the conclusion they were in some kind of romantic relationship, or at least some sort of physical one. Gad took another sip of his warm mixed drink and yawned. When the music was over, and the eyes of the patrons had returned to their own tables and business, Gad walked over to the bar.
"Hello."
"What can I do you for, Gad?" The wizard grinned. He hadn't told the Ephyrian his name, and he didn't know anyone in this establishment.
"Wow, you're good. I was wondering if you could help me find something-"
"-Stop right there. If it is not tattoos, a song, honey, or another Sunberth Shanty, I can not help you. Speak to Linellia the lovely." The bronze skinned multiarmed man gestured to the lady who rolled her eyes at the title but clearly enjoyed the compliment. Gad turned to the girl.
"She can help me?"
"If you can be helped." Linellia chimed in. Gad narrowed his gaze as he walked over to her. What was that supposed to mean?
"So, I was wondering if you knew anything about those guys."
"When you want information, be specific. I assume you mean the guys on the roofs with the cloaks who just seem to appear and disappear randomly?" Gad nodded. "No, I don't know anything about them, other than what I just told you." Gad looked up and down the tall building.
"I just figured-"
"You just figured that since this is one of the only three story building is Sunberth we must've seen something from up there huh? No, it's all just bees."
"What do you mean it's all just bees?" Linellia picked up a tray with drinks on it and moved to take it to one of the patrons.
"Up on the third floor. It's just Trayto's bees. No one goes up there ceptin Trayto, so whoever those hoods are, we aint seen them around here. Don't wanna get stung, see? Trayto's bees are the stinging kind."
"Well, yeah-"
"No, they sting, and they sting, and they sting. Most bees sting until they're dead. Trayto's, he's got them imported from Ekytol. His bees don't stop stinging till you're dead." She set the drinks down at the old reading man's table, then looked over he shoulder at Gad with a look of daggers. Gad raised his hands in placation.
"I"m just curious is all. Come on, you must know something." Gad pulled out a gold Miza, Linellia just rolled her eyes before snatching it.
"Must I? How about instead of selling you a fish, I teach you how to hold your rod?" Devilishly, Gad replied.
"I'd like that."
"Yeah I bet, creep. Don't make me bring Trayto over here. Now, the first thing you're going to need is a little thing called discretion. If you want to know something, Gad, you don't go telling everybody what you want to know, at least not all of it. It's a good way to get lied to, or killed." Gad nodded. "The next thing you need is- can you write, read?" Gad nodded again, hesitantly. He followed her as she walked briskly back to the bar, and reached behind, pulling out a large bound ledger. "You need one of these." He reached for it but she snatched it back. "Ah ah ah! No, this one is mine. If you want information, you need to keep track of what you've got already, who you got it from, where, how. Most importantly is to not let anyone see it, except someone you trust."
"Who should I trust?" She looked him up and down and didn't seem to appreciate what she saw.
"Some one like you? No one. Remember, when it comes to gathering intelligence there's three ways to get it. What people tell you without your asking; you get that from watching, waiting, listening, observing. What people tell you only after you ask; you get that from interviews, questions, investigating. And last, what people tell you, but don't know you asked." Gad looked confused. "Poke the sleeping bear, run away, see how it acts. Want more?" Gad nodded, and Linellia held up her hand for another coin, and Gad placed a piece of gold in it. "So, say you wanna rob a shop? Toss some rocks through the window one night when the shopkeeper is gone. When he comes back, watch for him to run to his safe. There, now you know where the safe is." Trayto beckoned the serving girl to get to work. "Alright, lesson's over. Shoo." Gad went back to his table and threw down the rest of his drink. Then he wrapped his green shawl around his head and marched away from the place, considering what he'd learned.
In his mind, he tried to reconcile the goings on of Sunberth. There was always something amiss around here, and nothing was ever what it looked like. Gad burped up the taste of sweet honey and rum, and smacked his lips casually. He considered all he'd seen. There was the Hound. Despite all the hubbub there was, Gad didn't see much mystery in a man who'd invited people to come look for him. The dogs, though, that was nagging at Gad. He felt there was a connection there. If the dogs hadn't come from a man calling himself, "The Hound", who else could be responsible. Then, the most ominous of all, were the men on the rooftops. This morning he'd woken up to see one standing on a roof a few apartments over from him, but the figure seemed to vanish into the alleys before anyone could get a good look. Gad couldn't be sure all these things were connected, but finding out how or if these oddities were connected was how he planned to spend the day. He sniffed the air. Smelled like wet dog. He looked down in the snow beneath his feet and saw dog prints of various sizes. He observed that water had pooled in the bottom of the prints, and guessed that the snow must've been depressed recently if it was still melted from the animal's body heat. They were out of sight, but he was sure there was a pack of strays nearby. |
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