The Fall of House Pancrazio Chapter Two

[PathOfDreams]

Goran stops short of the kitchen door and swings his head to face Tuke, "Try not to get ahead of yourself Tuke, just stay in the kitchen for now, as you said, Agna could use the extra hands."

[Irving the Meek]

Tuke snorts at Goran's words. "I'm so short that if I didn't get ahead of myself, I'd go backwards." While the dough is resting, Tuke digs into the larder for some hard cheese. "Grab a bite while you can, Agna. I'll find something to toss on top of that trail dough."

[JMaytr]

Roderigo looks to his son and with a stern voice speaks.

"Goran, I have already seen to the hiring of new servants. Emilio is in town with your sister looking for the right candidates. Tuke," Roderigo walks closer to the halfling, "I'm planning on sending my son here, along with Tristan and Tahl into that tunnel we found in the greenhouse." Roderigo glances towards the floor where Mariabella was discovered.

Turning back to Goran, Roderigo continues.

"I'm also sending Harold with you, he's miss Phebe's Tutor hired by Uncle Saverio. I was told by my mother..." Roderigo clears his throat. "I was told by mother that he is very knowledgeable about things that seem strange to others. An alchemist or mage I assume, though I've only seen him try and educate my cousin in Barovian-a feat she has never accomplished with her infant brain. If you ask me I think my uncle hired him as a way of keeping an eye on his interests in the manor. Ezra knows my mother cared deeply for my cousin and would never see her welfare endangered.

"But that's neither her nor there. I need that tunnel investigated and if there is any sign of what caused that 'effigy' as you referred to it Tuke, to appear and slay poor Mariabella I need to have it erased. I have been informed that Lord Ivan Dilisnya plans on having a dinner party here at Pancrazio manor. Reports of his dinners are well known: I have personally seen his mood swings. I need to make sure this dinner of his goes off without a hitch. The last thing I need is to have a similar incedent during Dilisnya's visit."

From the way he is jumping from topic to topic Roderigo is obviously nervous and stressed about something.

[ewancummins]

Tristan's face jerks just a little when Roderigo speaks of Ivan Dilisnya's upcoming social call.

Ivan Dilisnya is coming here? If even half the stories I've heard are true, then the man is crazy and dangerous in the extreme. How can I protect the others from him and from his men?


Tristan crosses the kitchen and takes a seat near Tahl.

''Hey, Tahl, are you ready to search the tunnel? I have a feeling there's going to be something strange down it....''

[PathOfDreams]

Goran stands quietly as his father speaks, his words cutting into him like a fine dagger. He does not remember his father so stern.

And after the speech is finished, Goran begins in a hushed and solemn tone, "Father, my intention is not to take charge here, please forgive me if you feel I somehow am trying to usurp your command of the family. My intention is to protect this family to no end, that includes those for whom are under your coin as well. I think it safe to say they can all be trusted or they would not have hung around in the face of little to no pay. Furthermore, you should know by now I would go and do what you demand of me at anytime."

Goran stops briefly, then without any room for retort he continues again, "And I extend the earnest of warnings when it comes to the future of this family... your true worries do not lay in the face of your son but in the cold dead heart of your daughter... the very same who goes as we speak to the lair of Lord Enzo, Ezra only knows what scheme she carries beneath her dress."
Turning to Tahl and Tristan, "I am ready when you are, one of you please find Harold and we will meet at the greenhouse."

[Griselda]

Agna accepts Goran's offering and seems to be studying it for a few moments, trying to figure out what she'll do with it. She politely refuses the plum "dare", although it's difficult to tell if she's not hungry or not especially amused with Goran's remark. After all, the plums of last year were her making (albeit under Mariabella's supervision).

More men come into the kitchen, and Agna seems to close off and shrink. She answers questions politely, meeting eyes just long enough to indicate that she's heard, but then averts her gaze, apparently bent to her task. If someone comes within touching distance, she takes a step or two away. Neither looks natural or typical for her, more like she's suddenly remembering something she must do.

"Tuke, the dough's on its second rise. Just leave it, please, or you'll set it back at least half an hour. My bread's not that bad."

As Roderigo speaks, Agna busies herself very quietly with clean-up and the like. This is never the time to catch the master's attention; certainly not to make him realize she overheard his exchange of earlier with Dilisnya's men. Goran's mention of Enzo and she stops mid-stroke, her eyes suddenly lighting with comprehension, promptly followed by a shiver of revulsion. The man's name alone conjures unpleasant remembrance of his visit yesterday. Magenta's remarks earlier in her dressing chamber take on a great deal more significance.

So she's off to seduce that creature?! She wanted me to choose her a dress for that? Did she take his measure yesterday, or was this arranged previously? What on earth use could they have for each other, beyond the obvious? She said the man she was looking to seduce thought she was a wicked woman, and that she needed to lower his guard. If Enzo thinks she's wicked, there must be a tale to tell.

[JMaytr]

Roderigo takes a few quick steps towards Goran and strikes him across the face. Anger covers the face of the elder Pancrazio.

"How dare you speak of your sister that way to me. Her father. You are her brother and you will not forget that! Understand me son?"

Roderigo takes a few steps back. He looks to the casual observer to be ashamed of striking his son in front of others.

"Now, Goran. Straighten up. Lead these men into the tunnel with haste. I'll not have any suprises during Dilisnya's visit."

[PathOfDreams]

Goran silently retrieves his gear from the servant's table and leaves the kitchen.

[ewancummins]

Tristan does his best to ignore the angry words and the slap delivered to Goran by his father. The houndsman hops up out of his seat and quickly exits the room.


'' I'll fetch Harold.''

Tristan searches the house for Harold, starting with Miss Phoebe's room [knocking politely at the door rather than barging in, of course!].

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Who is it?" a guarded voice calls from inside. And -- is that the hooting of an owl?

[JMaytr]

Miss Phebe is eager to allow Harold to wash her hair though she doesn't release her bear as he does this.

As Tristan enters Miss Phebe's room he notices it is a few degrees colder than the hall, though no window is open in this room.

[ewancummins]

''Harold, Miss Phoebe-''

Trsitan gives the Pancrazio woman a polite half-bow. He speaks to her tutor-

''I've come to get you, Harold. The boss wants you to come along with me and some of the others. We're going to search a strange tunnel that Julian found last night. ''

Tristan tugs his coat snug about his upper body as he speaks.

It's cold in this room. There must be a draught coming from someplace or another....

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Harold heaves a heartfelt sigh ... but proceeds to towel Phebe's hair dry. "I won't be a moment," he pronounces in a grave tone of voice. "Miss Phebe, while I'm away, why do you not please read the book I brought you last time? The Barovian book about the little dog seeking its home, yes? When I come back, maybe you will show me how far you got."

As soon as Phebe's hair is both clean and dry, Harold towels off his own hands, and moves over to one of the chairs in the lady's room. A vicious-looking crossbow (the safety securely on) is lying there, waiting for him. A stout quarterstaff is leaned against the chair's back. Harold collects them both. A fluttering of wings, and a fairly large barn owl launches itself from the top of a cabinet and lands on the scholar's shoulder. The animal gives Tristan an unpleasantly canny look.

"I am ready, then," Harold announces dolefully. "Ready as I'll ever be. Mists know I did not expect I was signing up for tunnel excavations when I took the job of tutor, but let us be on our way."

[ewancummins]

As they walk to the kitchen, Tristan adds-

''We might need your talents and knowledge. There might be more of those...umm...ghouls, down in the tunnel. That is, if that priest fellow was right about what that monster really was. It wasn't Luisa, it would seem. I saw her corpse myself, just a few hours ago, laying in her coffin.''

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"How appalling," Harold grumbles. "Well. This is hardly my area of expertise, but I would assume this means someone is deliberately targeting this household with foul magic of some sort. From what I know of ghouls, they are not naturally inclined to playing dress-up."