Changelings part I: 27 Charity Street

[steveflam]

Gorn is neither impressed or taken aback by the house or the valet or anything else. Once settled in, he asks. "Have yer got any ale? It'll go nice with my stogey. AN yeah, whut she said. Why we here? Kin yer get a massage back to Anya in Pont A Museau for me?"

[kintire]

Mr Witherington absently waves a hand, and in a few moments, ale appears.

"I assure you, madam, your questions are far from banal. I am afraid, however, that I can be of small assistance. I did not, ah, "pick you". One of the specialities of our firm here is to provide legal advice for foreigners who are engaging in sizable transactions here, especially purchases of property or setting up new enterprises. We were engaged in this capacity on your behalf to purchase 27 Charity Street and to arrange the legalities of your move to this city, as well as to handle the payment of your assorted expenses from your trust fund and the investment of the capital. As to the reasons for your move here..."

He pauses, and smiles slightly

"one of the services that we provide our clients is that we do not waste their time by asking - unnecessary questions."

[steveflam]

Gorn downs his ale in one gulp, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and belching rather loudly. "Awright, Clyde. So seein as yer not tellin us anythin we wanna know, whut we sposed ta do in town? I can't even go out without a stinkin permit ta boot."

[VAN]

Sara looks Witherington really surpised.

"How you were engaged to purchase 27 Charity Street on our behalf? We have never met each other and none of us asked this to be done. Also how we were transported here? I was in St. Ronges, Gorn in Pont and Halfierd in Falkovnia! How we arrived in same place same time and how none of us remember anything? And what is this trust fund you mentioned and what investment of the capital? I didn't have any trust fund and doubt the others had either? So who arranged the payment? You may not ask unnecessary questions but you do know who paid you for this and how we got here."

Catherine realizes that has asked like 1000 questions. So gets a deep breath to calm down a bit and says:

"I'm sorry for asking that many questions, but you do realize that we wake up in a strange house in a strange city having no idea what is going on. So please just tell me what you do know, like who paid you for the transfer, what is that trust fund and how you moved us here."

[steveflam]

The big caliban scratches his head now. "So, basically yer can't tell us why we is here. I need a piece of paper to get around this two bit joint. Well I don't like an don' care fer this crud, Clyde." Gorn rises from his seat. He points at the man "Lissen up ya paper pushin dweeb. Gimme an the rest o us answers or kiss the stinky end of my behind, got it? Good. I'm leavin now, Clyde. If yer kin help us out, tell Catherine cuz I don't got time for your crap." The big caliban walks out of the room and exits the home back to the house they were at to begin with. He keeps his permit in his hand, showing it to everyone he passes by.

[VAN]

Catherine sighs, this wasn't the best way to get an answer. So tries to soften a bit Witheringoton.

"I'm sorry for that Mr. Witherington. Please forgive him, he just speak what passes from his mind without putting some thought in there and he is clearly not used to the presence of lawyers like yourself. But as you may understand from my previous questions we are very confused and we will love to have some answers or at least a name of someone that can provide us these answers. Afterall the trust fund and the capital you mentioned were ours, so we have the right to know the amount of it, who give you the authority to get it and the details of our transfer here."

[kintire]

Mr Witherington seems to be only mildly annoyed with the Caliban, nodding politely to Catherine

"Of course I shall provide you with any assistance I can. A few months ago... let me see... yes two months almost to the day... I was visited by your; well, perhaps I should now say a person representing himself as your agent. His name was Sir Vathek, a native of Darkon, which is our closest mainland realm as you may know. He informed me that you would be coming here, that you wished to purchase 27 Charity Street, and that you would be maintained by a trust fund that we were to administer. I took the commission, of course, and this is my first intimation that anything odd is going on. As for the trust fund, it is held according to the provisions of a quite restrictive trust, based in Darkon and accessible only to your... well, a person described by Sir Vathek as your Guardian. You have access only to the interest. Still, the principle amounts to shares in a very wide variety of concerns amounting in market value to around a quarter of a million sovereigns, and the income will be around a thousand sovereigns per month. Your last two months and this one were largely consumed in purchasing the house: I think there were some eighty sovereigns left over which you may have found in the house's strongbox: but if you have any short term expenses we would be delighted to advance you some of next month's dividend. It is payable at the end of next week."

[kintire]

He pauses, allowing his clerk to finish the translation into Falkovnian, and sips some tea looking thoughtful.

"Under normal circumstances that is all I would say, but given that the situation is so unusual I might venture a short excursion into speculation. Sir Vathek arranged your arrival here, and made no statements about your purpose. However, it did strike me as... noticeable... that he specified 27 Charity Street s you desired abode. With your income you could afford a much finer and more fashionable place. The house... has an odd reputation. I had assumed your intentions were to investigate it."

[VAN]

Sara listens carefully and then says:

"So aparently we have a trust fund of a quarter of million that we don't have access to it but we can keep the interests that are around a thousand soverigns per month right? What else can you tell me about this Sir Vathek Mr Witherington? How does he looks like, where does he live, was he involved in any out of law actions, any particular troubles etc? I don't want us to get in trouble by living in a house someone else purchased on our behalf. I'm sure you can understand that. Also may you tell me more about the house's reputation? Why would someone hire us or anyone else to investigate it?"

[BigBadQDaddy]

Helfried seems stunned by the whirl of information at first. Shortly into the conversation though his demeanor turns to scrutiny.

*assuming the clerk translates for Helfried I will type in English

"It would seem our only contact other than you is this Sir Vathek. Did he leave a local address on record?"

[kintire]

"Sir Vathek was a tall man, not massivly built, but unquestionably a knight of the old style, fit and with a few scars. A soft spoken man, though. He dressed in Darkonese style. He seemed respectable, I never heard of him being involved in anything shady. He lived in a hotel not far from here, but he has returned to Darkon, i believe.

As for the house... yes. Well, you must understand that the lower sections of the Bowels have a slightly eerie reputation. Folk do not travel them at night. All superstition in my opinion, but rumours are very persistant. That house in particular has a doubtful reputation. Previous owners have departed quickly. In a couple of cases... very quickly. So quickly in fact that they... were not noticed leaving. In short, it is supposed to be haunted. Hogwash, I'm sure."

[kintire]

it is necessary to head down the street almost to the house before one can find a tavern willing to serve Caliban. At the sign of the Cornsheaf, however, Gorn is welcomed in with what passes for a smile. the bar is dim and dingy, and the clientelle quiet and furtive. The innkeeper himself is a fat man who smiles often. However you would not describe him as jolly: there is more than a hint of cynicism about that smile, and he has a habit of licking his lips at odd moments, as if savouring a remembered taste. Still, his ale is good.

[steveflam]

"Ah, finally a drinkin hole! Thanks fer tha ale. I'm Gorn by da way." Gorn overpays a little, happy to have found a place to drink.

He looks around at the clientele, trying to gauge what types of people drink here, from what walks of life they hail from.

[VAN]

"I see, may you tell me the hotel's name please? As about the haunted house, well I don't realy believe in ghosrs but can you tell us anything about the house first owner or the one that built it? If something is wrong with the house I guess should be related to one ofthem."

[BigBadQDaddy]

Helfried seems only slightly crestfallen at the news of a possible lead having left town. No doubt his hotel room would have been turned over for another possible renter, so ransacking it for clue was out of the question.

*assuming the clerk translates for Helfried I will type in English

"Your translator is rather good." He says in Falkovnian to Mr. Witherington. "I assume he is too busy to take on commission at this time. Is there another who you could recommend for such a task?"