Hey, you ask an engineer to solve a mystery, don't be surprised if some overhyped humanistic concepts like 'being narratively appropriate' get dropped in favor of utilitarianism!
Flotsam doesn't have any underground sewers (the streets are basically an open sewer, which is the reason for the smell). It has some wells which people get drinking water from, but none of them look large or deep enough to house the secret hiding place of the Sea Ghoul cult.
Double drat! Well, this makes it more likely that the sea ghoul cultists are in that bar, but... Can she track soul trails in aggregate? I'm not sure how useful that could be, but if she got line-of-sight on the entrance to people's basements, an unusual amount of traffic could indicate something going on.
Also, I think the way you've written out the vote options looks neater and more efficient than my longwinded way of doing it. (I just don't want anyone to misunderstand what I'm trying to say, so I put in excessive detail. It's a bad habit of mine.)
Double drat! Well, this makes it more likely that the sea ghoul cultists are in that bar, but... Can she track soul trails in aggregate? I'm not sure how useful that could be, but if she got line-of-sight on the entrance to people's basements, an unusual amount of traffic could indicate something going on.
'I hope you hunt down the cultists who did this to me,' he said, indicating his chest wound. 'Good luck finding Moraine. And… goodbye, I guess.'
'I wish you well in the next life,' said Bellona. She took a moment to restore his soul to the state it had been in before she'd summoned it. Afterwards, she sent it back to the Halls of the Forgotten God to await reincarnation.
Kellon Milward's testimony had been rather vague, but Bellona had expected that. It was difficult to get definite information from ghosts; they were only loosely connected to the living world and tended to be unreliable witnesses. Still, Milward had given her a few new leads and helped corroborate some of the things she'd been told before; she now had a better idea of how Moraine had lived since she'd made Flotsam her new home.
Although she strongly suspected that the Sea Ghoul cultists had been involved in Jana's mother's disappearance, there were other possibilities. To find out more, she would have to talk to some of those who'd known Moraine well: the "working girls" who, according to Milward, she'd tried to help. It was possible that she could track them down by walking around and talking to people on the streets, but that would take a long time and might cause some annoying misunderstandings. Instead, Bellona decided that she would return to Flawse's stronghold, relay to him what Kellon Milward's ghost had told her, and ask him for details of Moraine's known associates.
*
'You were right,' she said, entering Flawse's office. 'Kellon Milward was murdered by Sea Ghoul cultists.'
Flawse looked up sharply. 'What did he tell you?'
'Apparently, they've got a few meeting places around town. He didn't tell me exactly where. He said he'd found out that they've been kidnapping people they think no one will miss: homeless people, prostitutes, and suchlike. Before he could report back to you, they caught him and stabbed him. He managed to run away and hide, but then he bled to death.'
'That's pretty much as I suspected,' said Flawse with a heavy sigh. 'Where do we go from here?'
'Milward told me that Moraine had made friends with some of the local prostitutes. He said she was "like a mother" to them. They might have useful information; they might be able to help me find her. How can I find them? What have your informants told you about Moraine's known associates?'
Flawse pulled a notebook out of his desk drawer and leafed through it. 'Some of them are prostitutes who work in a brothel on Lower Beard Street. Their names are Jancey, Kizzy, and Xantha.'
'"Lower Beard Street"?' Bellona asked, aghast.
'Hey, I didn't name it,' said Flawse, throwing up his hands in mock-despair. 'Moraine's other associates include–'
'How many associates did she have?'
'Uh, it's quite a long list…'
'Give me a copy of it,' said Bellona. 'There's no way I'll remember them all, otherwise.'
Dutifully, Flawse copied the list onto a sheet of scrap paper and handed it to her. She glanced at it. 'Thank you. I'll make some inquiries,' she said.
*
Compared to most of the other buildings in Flotsam, the brothel on Lower Beard Street was elegant, sturdy and well-kept. Nothing could be seen through its shuttered windows. There was a red lamp hanging outside, currently unlit. Sitting underneath it, there was a large man resting a crossbow on his knees. When he saw her, he gave her an oily smile and said, 'Hey, beautiful. Looking for work? I could put you in the room next to Jancey, if you like.'
Bellona tried to conceal her distaste. She didn't want to antagonize the man before she had a chance to ask him a few questions. This is the sort of thing women in Flotsam have to put up with every day, she reminded herself. You can put up with it, for now. At least now I know I've come to the right place. In an impassive voice, she said, 'No, I already have a job. I'm King Gareth's court mage.'
As expected, when he heard that she was an important public figure, his attitude towards her completely changed: his smile became ingratiating; he bowed his head; and, in a stuttering voice, he tried to apologize: 'F-forgive me, your ladyship. I… I had no idea y-you were such an eminent personage. Uhh, I meant no disrespect! Take it as a compliment?'
Frowning at him, Bellona said, 'You sound educated. How did you end up as a brothel keeper?'
He laughed nervously. 'Ah-heh, you think I chose this life? Nah, when I first came to this town – as soon as I got off the boat – I met two women who asked me if I wanted to watch them having sex. With each other, I mean. Of course, I said yes. What red-blooded man wouldn't? Because girl-on-girl is hot, y'know? Or maybe you don't? Uhh, forget I said that. But… um, after that, one of those women asked me to rough up one of her clients. We agreed on a fee, I did what she asked, and after that they had other jobs they wanted me to do. It was weeks later before I realised I'd become a pimp.' He shrugged, nearly dropping his crossbow. 'Sometimes you go looking for a job; sometimes the job finds you.'
'That's very interesting,' Bellona said politely. She wasn't sure she believed his story, but there didn't seem any point in saying that. 'I'm looking in to some recent disappearances. Have any of your…' She hesitated, trying to think of the right words; she didn't want to imply that this man owned the women who worked for him. 'Have any of the women who work here disappeared recently?'
Evidently, he had no such compunctions. 'Yeah. Kizzy. One of my best whores,' he said, scowling. 'Dunno what's happened to her. I've been half-expecting a ransom note these past few days. Wishful thinking, I know, but…' He patted the crossbow on his lap and pursed his lips. 'That's why I'm out here. Gonna make sure it doesn't happen again.'
'How?'
'Uhh… well, anyone tries to hurt my girls, I'm gonna shoot them!'
Bellona nodded. 'What's your name?'
'People 'round here call me "Hefty",' he said.
'Very well, "Hefty". Do you know a woman named Moraine?'
'Moraine? Yeah, I hired her as a cleaner. And sometimes she'd cook for us. Pretty good cook.' He looked at her, saw the thoughtful expression on her face, and must have misconstrued what she was going to say next. 'I know, you'd expect my girls to be able to do that for themselves, but…' Under his breath, he muttered the words, 'Bunch of dozy whores. I'm the only reason anything gets done around here.'
'Do Jancey and Xantha work here?' Bellona asked.
'Yeah.'
'May I speak to them?'
'Go ahead,' he said, indicating the front door.
'One last question, Hefty. I spoke to someone who said that one of the "working girls" here in this brothel wanted to leave. Apparently, Moraine offered to give her the money she needed to start a new life somewhere else. It was suggested that you might have had something to do with Moraine's disappearance. What do you say to that?'
'Preposterous! You think I force these women to work for me, like I'm some kind of slave-owner? No!' His face flushed red with anger. 'I have rules, you know. No underage girls, no unwilling women, and no one's allowed to hurt them – not even me. Unless they're into that sort of thing – in which case, no one's allowed to seriously hurt them. Yeah, I take a cut of what they earn, but in exchange I make sure they're fed, that they've got a roof over their heads, and I protect them. I'm not the bad guy here! All of my girls work for me by choice. Because they know this is the best they're gonna get. I mean, what else have they got to look forward to? Drudge work, marriage to some unpredictable brute, having to wipe up after a litter of snot-nosed brats? At least here they get paid for what they do. Here, they get to feel beautiful and desirable; they know that they're very much in demand. Later on, when they're old, I bet they'll look back and remember this as the best time in their lives!'
'All right, Hefty,' said Bellona, holding out her hand in a placating gesture, letting his words drift past her. 'I'll take your word for it. What happened to Kizzy? When did you last see her?'
The brothel keeper's mouth opened and shut a few times. No sound came out. Finally, he said, 'Ask Jancey. Or Xantha. They know more than me.'
Pushing open the door, Bellona went inside. In the foyer, there were thick rugs, padded seats, and smutty pictures on the walls. They had been painted by an amateur with little talent, who had only a loose grasp of anatomy and proportion, she noted. All that was pretty much as she'd expected. What she had not expected was a bronze statue of a five-headed dog which appeared to be snarling at everything around it. She couldn't help wondering: what was the purpose of this statue? Surely it wasn't meant to get anyone in the mood for sexual activity? In fact, she wouldn't be surprised if some prospective clients had been put off by it. It seemed incongruous.
A young woman entered the room. She was heavily made-up, with ruby red lips, kohl-rimmed eyes, and a flawless complexion which appeared to have been painted on. Her hair was braided and tied back. When she saw Bellona, she gave a little start. 'A woman? I've never done a woman before, but–'
'I'm King Gareth's court mage. I'm here to investigate the recent disappearances,' said Bellona quickly. 'I need to talk to Jancey and Xantha.'
'You're here about Kizzy? That's great!' the young woman enthused. 'I'm Jancey. I'll see if Xantha's available.'
She bounded out of the room. There was a repeated thumping noise as she ran up the stairs. Bellona waited a few minutes until she returned.
When Jancey returned, there was another woman with her: Xantha, presumably. Whereas Jancey was young and perky, Xantha was older – but not so old that her beauty had faded – and moved with mature grace. She wore a pale green silken gown and her dark hair was hanging loose. Her eyes were heavy-lidded and the expression on her face was one of abstracted superiority: bored, haughty, and contemptuous. Bellona could easily imagine a man seeing that expression, taking it as a challenge, and wanting to win her over. No doubt she had no shortage of clients.
'Jancey said you wanted to talk to us,' said Xantha. 'About what?'
What did Bellona say to them? (Choose four. Sub-options don't count towards the total.)
[] "Apparently, you're friends with Moraine.'
-[] "Tell me about her."
--[] "Did you know that she's missing?"
---[] "When was the last time you saw her?"
----[] "What do you think happened to her?"
[] "Tell me about Kizzy."
-[] "When was the last time you saw her?"
--[] "What do you think happened to her?"
[] "I heard that Moraine offered to help someone leave this place and start a new life somewhere else."
-[] "Was that one of you?"
[] "Tell me about Hefty."
-[] "Does he treat you all right?"
--[] "He says he's got rules: no underage girls, no unwilling women, and no one's allowed to hurt you. Does he keep to those rules?"
---[] "Do you think he might have had anything to do with Moraine's disappearance?"
[] "Jancey, tell me about yourself."
-[] "Why are you here? What's your story?"
[] "Xantha, tell me about yourself."
-[] "Why are you here? What's your story?"
[] "So… those pictures on the walls…"
-[] "Do you know who painted them?"
--[] "Um, maybe now isn't a good time for impromptu art criticism."
[] "Why do you have a bronze statue of a five-headed dog?"
-[] "Where did you get it?"
[] Say something else (write in).
Hmm. Lot of obscure references in this chapter. Or maybe not so obscure. I dunno, what do you think?
The original title I had planned for this chapter was 'Everyone Imagines Themselves as the Hero of Their Own Story'. Although I'm not sure that title makes sense grammatically, it would at least explain why I gave the brothel-keeper his own self-justifying rant, so maybe I should have left it as it was.
[X] "Tell me about Kizzy."
-[X] "When was the last time you saw her?"
[X] "I heard that Moraine offered to help someone leave this place and start a new life somewhere else."
-[X] "Was that one of you?"
[X] "Tell me about Hefty."
-[X] "Does he treat you all right?"
--[X] "He says he's got rules: no underage girls, no unwilling women, and no one's allowed to hurt you. Does he keep to those rules?"
---[X] "Do you think he might have had anything to do with Moraine's disappearance?"
[X] "Why do you have a bronze statue of a five-headed dog?"
-[X] "Where did you get it?"
This seems like a hook somehow? Although I'm torn between that and asking if they know Moraine, or asking about one of them in more detail.
I'd almost prefer to look into Kizzy, but moraine's disappearance is likely related anyway and that dog statue looks interesting.
[X] "Apparently, you're friends with Moraine.'
-[X] "Tell me about her."
--[X] "Did you know that she's missing?"
---[X] "When was the last time you saw her?"
----[X] "What do you think happened to her?"
--[X] Do you have any idea where she would store food or other supplies?
---[x] I've been told she had been planning on making a cake for her daughter. Do you know where she would do that?
[] "Tell me about Kizzy."
-[] "When was the last time you saw her?"
--[] "What do you think happened to her?"
[X] "I heard that Moraine offered to help someone leave this place and start a new life somewhere else."
-[X] "Was that one of you?"
[X] "Tell me about Hefty."
-[X] "Does he treat you all right?"
--[X] "He says he's got rules: no underage girls, no unwilling women, and no one's allowed to hurt you. Does he keep to those rules?"
---[X] "Do you think he might have had anything to do with Moraine's disappearance?"
[] "Jancey, tell me about yourself."
-[] "Why are you here? What's your story?"
[] "Xantha, tell me about yourself."
-[] "Why are you here? What's your story?"
[] "So… those pictures on the walls…"
-[] "Do you know who painted them?"
--[] "Um, maybe now isn't a good time for impromptu art criticism."
[X] "Why do you have a bronze statue of a five-headed dog?"
-[x] "Where did you get it?"
I think asking about their friend whom they already expressed an interest in first would be a good opening and it can lead into Moraine and potentially their treatment depending on what they think happened with Kizzy hence me opting not to go with those questions.
[X] "Tell me about Kizzy."
-[X] "When was the last time you saw her?"
--[X] "What do you think happened to her?"
This was one of the main reasons we came here I feel its important.
[X] "Apparently, you're friends with Moraine.'
-[X] "Tell me about her."
--[X] "Did you know that she's missing?"
---[X] "When was the last time you saw her?"
----[X] "What do you think happened to her?"
If the above don't lead into Hefty, more specific questions could maybe help.
[X] "Tell me about Hefty."
-[X] "Does he treat you all right?"
--[X] "He says he's got rules: no underage girls, no unwilling women, and no one's allowed to hurt you. Does he keep to those rules?"
---[X] "Do you think he might have had anything to do with Moraine's disappearance?"
Figure tying back into the cultists might be best.
[X] Do you know anything about recent disappearances, individuals, locations, the types of people, or perhaps you've seen some suspicious or unfamiliar faces hanging around?
[X] "Tell me about Hefty."
-[X] "Does he treat you all right?"
--[X] "He says he's got rules: no underage girls, no unwilling women, and no one's allowed to hurt you. Does he keep to those rules?"
[X] "Tell me about Kizzy."
-[X] "When was the last time you saw her?"
[X] "Apparently, you're friends with Moraine.'
-[X] "Tell me about her."
--[X] "Did you know that she's missing?"
---[X] "When was the last time you saw her?"
----[X] "What do you think happened to her?"
-----[X] "Do you think Hefty might have had anything to do with Moraine's disappearance?"
[X] "I heard that Moraine offered to help someone leave this place and start a new life somewhere else."
-[X] "Was that one of you?"
[X] "Tell me about Hefty."
-[X] "Does he treat you all right?"
--[X] "He says he's got rules: no underage girls, no unwilling women, and no one's allowed to hurt you. Does he keep to those rules?"
[X] "Tell me about Kizzy."
-[X] "When was the last time you saw her?"
[X] "Apparently, you're friends with Moraine.'
-[X] "Tell me about her."
--[X] "Did you know that she's missing?"
---[X] "When was the last time you saw her?"
----[X] "What do you think happened to her?"
-----[X] "Do you think Hefty might have had anything to do with Moraine's disappearance?"
[X] "I heard that Moraine offered to help someone leave this place and start a new life somewhere else."
-[X] "Was that one of you?"
[X] "Tell me about Hefty."
-[X] "Does he treat you all right?"
--[X] "He says he's got rules: no underage girls, no unwilling women, and no one's allowed to hurt you. Does he keep to those rules?"
[X] "Tell me about Kizzy."
-[X] "When was the last time you saw her?"
[X] "Apparently, you're friends with Moraine.'
-[X] "Tell me about her."
--[X] "Did you know that she's missing?"
---[X] "When was the last time you saw her?"
----[X] "What do you think happened to her?"
-----[X] "Do you think Hefty might have had anything to do with Moraine's disappearance?"
[X] "I heard that Moraine offered to help someone leave this place and start a new life somewhere else."
-[X] "Was that one of you?"
[X] "Tell me about Kizzy."
-[X] "When was the last time you saw her?"
--[X] "What do you think happened to her?"
[X] "Apparently, you're friends with Moraine.'
-[X] "Tell me about her."
--[X] "Did you know that she's missing?"
---[X] "When was the last time you saw her?"
----[X] "What do you think happened to her?"
[X] "Tell me about Hefty."
-[X] "Does he treat you all right?"
--[X] "He says he's got rules: no underage girls, no unwilling women, and no one's allowed to hurt you. Does he keep to those rules?"
---[X] "Do you think he might have had anything to do with Moraine's disappearance?"
[X] "I heard that Moraine offered to help someone leave this place and start a new life somewhere else."
-[X] "Was that one of you?"
Because I assume it's a statue of a god, and if said dog-god was evil and connected to crimes or some sort of cult I doubt they'd just put a statue of it out openly.
Also because we went here to ask about Moraine and the working girls, not about the architecture.
Because I assume it's a statue of a god, and if said dog-god was evil and connected to crimes or some sort of cult I doubt they'd just put a statue of it out openly.
[X] "Tell me about Kizzy."
-[X] "When was the last time you saw her?"
--[X] "What do you think happened to her?"
[X] "Apparently, you're friends with Moraine.'
-[X] "Tell me about her."
--[X] "Did you know that she's missing?"
---[X] "When was the last time you saw her?"
----[X] "What do you think happened to her?"
[X] "Tell me about Hefty."
-[X] "Does he treat you all right?"
--[X] "He says he's got rules: no underage girls, no unwilling women, and no one's allowed to hurt you. Does he keep to those rules?"
[X] "I heard that Moraine offered to help someone leave this place and start a new life somewhere else."
-[X] "Was that one of you?"
Makes sense to me. Though, I'm not sure if it's worth asking much about Hefty. He seems sketchy but honest.
Also, I'm tempted to include the art criticism option. Gotta have some art criticism during a fantasy mystery investigation. ^_^
[X] "Tell me about Kizzy."
-[X] "When was the last time you saw her?"
--[X] "What do you think happened to her?"
[X] "Tell me about Hefty."
-[X] "Does he treat you all right?"
--[X] "He says he's got rules: no underage girls, no unwilling women, and no one's allowed to hurt you. Does he keep to those rules?"
[X] "Apparently, you're friends with Moraine.'
-[X] "Tell me about her."
--[X] "Did you know that she's missing?"
---[X] "When was the last time you saw her?"
----[X] "What do you think happened to her?"
[X] "I heard that Moraine offered to help someone leave this place and start a new life somewhere else."
-[X] "Was that one of you?"
Order is important, this segue into asking about Moraine feels a bit more natural, which is the best option for getting information about her.
[X] Do you know anything about recent disappearances, individuals, locations, the types of people, or perhaps you've seen some suspicious or unfamiliar faces hanging around? No. of votes: 1 Zam
-----[X] Do you think Hefty might have had anything to do with Moraine's disappearance? No. of votes: 3 Hye, veekie, RideTheWalrus
..Gah, forgot to remember to ask if they have any idea where Moraine would store her supplies/bake a cake.
[X] "Tell me about Kizzy."
-[X] "When was the last time you saw her?"
--[X] "What do you think happened to her?"
[X] "Tell me about Hefty."
-[X] "Does he treat you all right?"
--[X] "He says he's got rules: no underage girls, no unwilling women, and no one's allowed to hurt you. Does he keep to those rules?"
[X] "Apparently, you're friends with Moraine.'
-[X] "Tell me about her."
--[X] "Did you know that she's missing?"
---[X] "When was the last time you saw her?"
----[X] "What do you think happened to her?"
--[X] Do you have any idea where she would store food or other supplies?
---[x] I've been told she had been planning on making a cake for her daughter. Do you know where she would do that?
[X] "I heard that Moraine offered to help someone leave this place and start a new life somewhere else."
-[X] "Was that one of you?"
[x] "Apparently, you're friends with Moraine.'
-[x] "Tell me about her."
--[x] "Did you know that she's missing?"
---[x] "When was the last time you saw her?"
----[x] "What do you think happened to her?"
[x] "Tell me about Kizzy."
-[x] "When was the last time you saw her?"
--[x] "What do you think happened to her?"
[x] "I heard that Moraine offered to help someone leave this place and start a new life somewhere else."
-[x] "Was that one of you?"
[x] "Tell me about Hefty."
-[x] "Does he treat you all right?"
--[x] "He says he's got rules: no underage girls, no unwilling women, and no one's allowed to hurt you. Does he keep to those rules?"
---[x] "Do you think he might have had anything to do with Moraine's disappearance?"
Bellona should consider detective work as a side-job. She seems really good at it! All she needs is a sweet hat and maybe a cigarette.
When Jancey returned, there was another woman with her: Xantha, presumably. Whereas Jancey was young and perky, Xantha was older – but not so old that her beauty had faded – and moved with mature grace. She wore a pale green silken gown and her dark hair was hanging loose. Her eyes were heavy-lidded and the expression on her face was one of abstracted superiority: bored, haughty, and contemptuous. Bellona could easily imagine a man seeing that expression, taking it as a challenge, and wanting to win her over. No doubt she had no shortage of clients.
'Jancey said you wanted to talk to us,' said Xantha. 'About what?'
'Kizzy,' said Bellona, observing the two women and how they reacted to this topic of conversation. 'What can you tell me about her?'
'She's lovely. She's my best friend,' Jancey said earnestly.
'She's a darling. A butterfly. A silly girl who made mistakes and washed up here with nowhere else to go. A not unfamiliar story: I've heard it many times,' Xantha drawled. 'We all have our own variations of that story.'
'Oh…' Bellona shifted uncomfortably; she was well aware of her privileged position and how much luck had been involved in getting her there; all those years ago, if Gareth and Yslena hadn't rescued her from the slavers who'd murdered her uncle, her life would have been wretched, miserable, and short. 'I'm sorry,' she said feebly.
'"Sorry" doesn't feed a hungry belly,' said Xantha with a sneer. 'It won't get you a cup of water when you're thirsty or darn a pair of tattered stockings. In fact, "sorry" isn't worth a clipped copper bit. It means nothing.'
'You're being very harsh,' Bellona protested. 'I'm here to help.'
'Harsh? Us? Nah,' said Jancey.
'All of us hookers have hearts of gold,' Xantha said sarcastically. 'Didn't you know?'
'I remember one of your clients was utterly besotted with you. He swore he'd marry you and take you away from this,' said Jancey. 'What happened to him?'
'Ran out of money,' said Xantha, pokerfaced.
'Heh. Yeah, I remember someone said you really do have a heart like gold: cold, hard, and difficult to find.'
'I'm a pragmatist and a realist. Not a woolly dreamer like you and Kizzy. I had my soft romantic ideals kicked out of me years ago.'
'All right,' said Bellona, taking a deep breath. 'What I meant to ask was: when was the last time you saw Kizzy?'
'She's our friend. She disappeared a few nights ago. After we went out to the Drink,' Jancey said, wringing her hands together. She was trembling slightly. 'When it was time to go home… I was a bit drunk. Kizzy was worse off. We were stumbling home in the dark. I don't why it was so dark; I didn't think it was so very late at night. I thought someone was following us. I couldn't be sure, but… by the time we got home, she was no longer with us. We'd lost her.'
'We? Who else was with you?'
'The three of us. Reeta, another of the working girls here at this house of ill repute. And Moraine. She does odd jobs around here: cooking and cleaning and suchlike,' said Xantha. Her face was an emotionless mask, revealing nothing.
'We've stayed away from the Drink ever since,' said Jancey. 'Maybe Kizzy's disappearance had nothing to do with that place. Maybe it was just a coincidence. But we didn't want to risk it. Anyway, the bartender's a creep.'
By this time, Bellona was convinced that the Drink was a meeting place for the Sea Ghoul cultists. 'Did you report what had happened to the town guards?' she asked.
'We did,' said Jancey, grimacing.
'And what did they say?'
In a harsh tone, Xantha replied: 'They didn't care. Why should they concern themselves with a missing prostitute? Worse crimes happen every day, so they told us.'
'Hmm.' Bellona knew that Flawse had found it difficult to fill the ranks of his town guards. Over the years, as age and attrition whittled away at his former crew, he had been forced to lower his hiring standards: to employ men who were no better than those they were supposed to police. Some of them were corrupt, some had unpleasant prejudices, and some had been presumably subverted by the Sea Ghoul cult. Jancey and Xantha had been unfortunate; for whatever reason, the guards they'd spoken with had been negligent in their duties and failed to report Kizzy's disappearance. She made a mental note to tell Flawse about this later. When all this was over would be a good time to get rid of any of his men who weren't doing their jobs properly. 'You mentioned Moraine,' she said, after a moment. 'Did you know that she's missing too?'
'Oh no!' Jancey squealed. 'Not her as well!'
'For how long has she been missing? She was here only yesterday,' said Xantha.
'She baked us a cake. Actually, she baked two cakes – she was going to give one to her daughter – she was so looking forward to seeing her!' Jancey sighed. 'It's such a shame. She was trying so hard. She wanted to improve herself, to be a better person, so she didn't have to be ashamed of herself anymore. Poor woman.'
'May I see the cake?' asked Bellona. She admitted to herself that this wasn't entirely necessary, but she wanted to have confirmation.
Xantha gave her a distrustful look. After a moment, she shrugged. 'If you think it will help.'
They showed her into the kitchen and then into the pantry: a small, windowless room, little bigger than a cupboard, where it was cool and dry. Here, they stored food in cheap pottery containers: bread, eggs, cheese, fruit, and various other comestibles.
Jancey lifted a cloth to reveal a much-depleted sponge cake, barely a quarter of it left. 'That's ours,' she said. 'Pretty nice.'
'And this one she made for her daughter,' said Xantha, lifting another cloth. Underneath, there was a cake. Plain sponge and jam. Fairly simple, but well-baked.
'Thank you,' said Bellona with a nod. 'I heard that Moraine offered to help someone leave this place and start a new life somewhere else. Was that one of you?'
'No. I think that was Reeta.'
'Shy girl. Absurdly modest. Unsuited to this business,' said Xantha. 'She'd be better off out of it.'
'May I talk to her?'
'She's busy with a client right now. You'll have to wait.'
'Some men like that kind of girl,' said Jancey, by way of explanation. 'They like to imagine they're doing it with a blushing virgin.'
'Right,' said Bellona noncommittally. She began to walk back the way she'd come. 'Tell me about Hefty. Does he treat you well?'
'Well enough,' said Xantha, following close behind.
'Hefty's all right. He's harmless. More or less,' said Jancey.'
The older prostitute gave a raucous laugh. 'He'd be even better if he didn't think he was the gods' gift to women everywhere.'
'He says he's got rules. Does he keep to those rules?'
'Oh yes, the rules – we've all heard them. Time and time again, he tells us. "No underage girls, no unwilling women, and no one's allowed to hurt you,"' said Jancey, mimicking the brothel keeper's deep voice.
'To his credit, he seems to obey his own rules. I've never heard of him breaking them,' Xantha said thoughtfully. 'He's not what I'd call a good man. But he's not a bad man. In this town, that's good enough,'
Back in the foyer, Bellona pointed to the bronze five-headed dog statue. 'What is that?' she asked. 'Why is it here?'
'It's a statue. Of a five-headed dog,' said Xantha, rolling her eyes.
'It's always been here. It was here before this house was a brothel,' said Jancey. 'I think it's a foreign god. A forgotten god, possibly.'
'Why do you keep it around? I can only imagine your clients find it disconcerting.'
'It's interesting. It's a talking point.'
'In what way?'
'We're talking about it, aren't we?'
'Well, I can't argue with that,' said Bellona, sighing.
Sorry, guys. Not everything you see is relevant to the plot. The statue of the five-headed dog is actually a red herring. In any mystery, you've got to have some red herrings, even if they're made of brass and look like dogs.
(Also, it's a reference to one of my favourite short stories.)
What did Bellona do next? (Choose one)
[] Go to the Drink and confront the bartender.
-[] What will you say to him? (Write in)
[] Assault the Drink singlehanded.
-[] Summon spirits to help in the fight.
[] Go back to Flawse.
-[] Ask him for a squad of soldiers to help Bellona assault the Drink.
OR
-[] Ask him if there are any other places that are probably meeting places for the Sea Ghoul cult.
--[] Ask him for enough soldiers to assault multiple sites at once.
[] Report back to Gareth and Yslena.
-[] Tell Jana the truth about her mother. (I.e. Moraine was trying to be good, hadn't slipped back into bad habits, and was waiting for her with a cake.)
--[] Give her the cake.
---[] Ask Gareth and Yslena for help in assaulting the Drink.
I think telling Flawse and the guards would be a bad idea, because of spies. Aside from that I'm not sure.
If we're being followed, maybe we should preserve the element of surprise and just assault the bar directly. If we're not being followed, then maybe reinforcements? Gareth and Yslena.
How're Bellona's sneakin' skills? Do you need a warrant to search a premises around here? I feel like she wouldn't need to even do a frontal assault on the bar if she could scout around on her own without being noticed, if she could do it legally.
[X] Thank the women for their time and wait to interview Reeta. (Maybe pay for some time to avoid ruffling feathers.)
[X] Report back to Gareth and Yslena.
-[X] Tell Jana the truth about her mother. (I.e. Moraine was trying to be good, hadn't slipped back into bad habits, and was waiting for her with a cake.)
--[X] Give her the cake.
---[X] Ask Gareth and Yslena for help in assaulting the Drink.
