[Jack_Spade]

Isaint had wanted to say something about not splitting up, but gave up on it. Instead he said: "Wait here, I'll go for Jackhammer."

As Al had prophesied, finding Jackhammer was no problem: The big ork had practically cut a swath through the park and was now engrossed in a fight against a tree, a fight which the tree was evidently losing - badly.
Isaint tried to calm down his chummer: "Jackhammer. Stop. It's me."
Which were evidently the wrong words. The ork turned towards him, foaming at the mouth and with blood shot eyes. His knuckles were bleeding where he had punched the tree.
Jackhammer charged. Isaint reacted without thinking: He drew his Ruger in one fluid motion, the cylinder turning by mental command: GEL
The shot hit, but barely slowed the huge ork down, Isaint had to tumble to the side, to avoid being felled. With his free hand he drew one of his tasers. The shot went off and hit, but either the rage had shut off his pain receptors or he was just that tough: Jackhammer ripped out the tines before they could do any more damage.
'Alright, gel, electricity, only one thing left.'
Isaint evaded again - narrowly - a series of swings. With flying fingers he produced his Savalette Guardian and managed an impressive reload within three quarters of a second before shooting a short burst at the ork. The bullets just splashed against his barrel like chest. With a cry full of anger and pain Jackhammer charged again, but now his steps were getting irregular, he began to stagger, lurch from side to side, before he fell: Hands outstreched towards Isaint, face first into the ground.
Isaint let out a huge sigh of relieve. Good old Narcoject. Quickly he gathered up his various weapons.

Now, all he had to do was carry the 140 kg ork back...

Isaint appeared a short while later with Jackhammer over his shoulder, moving slowly but steadily. Then he lost patience and just levitated Jackhammer before him.
"Let's leave before anything else happens."

[adamu]

"Amen ta that," Al said, wishing Isaint meant "Below" when he spoke of leaving, but knowing he didn't.

Regrouped, he took the opportunity to put a hand on Rick's shoulder. "Can't say I much approve o' your callin' onna forces o' darkness, kemo sabe, but reckon I'll have ta allow yer little wall o' devilry done gone a long way toward savin' our collective bacon. This coulda ended a helluva lot diff'rent," he said, nodding at Jackhammer and Iris.

[Mercy Merchant]

Robyn bows low to the etherial woman and bids her a farewell, turning to follow the others.  She tracks the 'links of Iris and Jackhammer and sends that information off to ISaint and the others even as she moves closer to Tamsyn and the other girls.  Robyn feels a need to try to salvage something from the event by sticking with the three Iron Company girls for a few minutes and as they leave the park, she sends a message.  >>First off, that was not very polite and you do not know if she would have been willing to help us.  She stood with us and fought against the Nephim and I thought that she deserved at least a polite farewell.  There is no way that she did not already suspect something just from the close association of three Iron Company girls and a well known First House member talking together in an out-of-the-way place.  Your knowledge and experience Below is affecting your thoughts and actions just as my experiences here affect my own thoughts and actions.  If you keep this a secret from everyone, are you not in danger of accomplishing nothing?  Anyway, I am standing with the Iron Company girls and wondering if you would still like to chat them up a bit?<<

[Jack_Spade]

>>First off, that was not very polite and you do not know if she would have been willing to help us.  She stood with us and fought against the Nephim and I thought that she deserved at least a polite farewell.  There is no way that she did not already suspect something just from the close association of three Iron Company girls and a well known First House member talking together in an out-of-the-way place.  Your knowledge and experience Below is affecting your thoughts and actions just as my experiences here affect my own thoughts and actions.  If you keep this a secret from everyone, are you not in danger of accomplishing nothing?  Anyway, I am standing with the Iron Company girls and wondering if you would still like to chat them up a bit?<<

Isaint started to compose an angry message of his own but stopped. He felt the adrenaline receding, bringing a slight tremor to his hands. No need to rush. Instead he made sure the team had gathered and that Iris was alive if not ok.

Only then he composed his answer:

<<Robyn, at the moment I am very angry.
This is the third time you ignored my command to disengage instead of talking to a stranger. If you want to be the team lead, please say so and give the others a chance to affirm your choices.
Because you and I are not just deciding for ourselves but for the well being of the whole team. I admit that I don't have a spotless track record - partially because two of our members did not stay with Rick as I told them.

This is not about you being polite, this is you needlessly exposing our affiliation.

Point in case:
The flower woman is the only source of information we have regarding the Nephilim. Her saying we awakened them is not necessarily the truth. Every con man knows it's easiest to get the mark to do what you want if you create a crisis and than step up to help.
Because from my perspective she didn't disrupt any spirits but only sent them away.
And unlike you she didn't introduce herself or explain her affiliations - so you were under no pressure to tell her - or tell her the full truth at that.

Verify than trust: Giving away information without learning everything you can beforehand about the trustee is incredible irresponsible. Even if it turns out she is the secret resistance within the house and pro marriage your handling of this situation is unacceptable to me.
This is a secret mission, one that the Old One explicitly wanted a group of outsiders for.

And do not chat like friends with Iron Company girls while the flower spy is still around. Not only could you divulge more of our agenda, but also you are telling them that this was a cordial meeting and not a business one.

I hope I have made myself clear.>>

[Mercy Merchant]

Robyn considers several responses, finally settling on one that she hopes is the best.  >>ISaint, you are the team lead and are, of course correct.  I will do my best to not let myself act against your wishes again.  As it is, I and the Iron Company girls are already out of the garden and away from the other woman and I have not said anything to them.  I see that you are making your way in the direction of my house and will join you there.  What, if anything, do you wish me to tell Tamsyn before leaving her?"

[adamu]

As they shepherded their hors de combat comrades back to Robyn’s place, Al waxed philosophical.

As was his nature.

“To thine own self be true. That’s what she says inna Good Book,” he proclaimed, cigarette bouncing in the corner of his mouth as he spoke. “Goes right ‘long with the first an’ great commandment ta know thyself afore all others. Ya see, that whole fracas back there coulda all been avoided with jist a bit more self-knowledge. All comes down ta drugs. Drugs’re bad. Rob a man o’ who he is. Less’n yer a damned hippie, I s’pose, in which case they make ya who ya are. But I digress. Drugs’re bad. They’s the very opposite o’ self-knowledge. Now parallel ta that, demons is bad. Righteous bad. Toxics, bugs, twisted, fairy, ol’ Al’s done ‘em all an’ then some. An’ they’s all bad. But them back there, that was the crème de la crème of evil. That kinda evil can only be had when ya got demons on drugs. That’s right folks. Only explanation for it. What with they sex perversions an’ mind-poisonin’ ways. Them demons was helpin’ theyselves ta the Flowers’ stash. That’s why they was so repellent ta our human, self-knowin’ souls, cuz their own diabolical nature plus the degradation of imbibin’ the unnatural created an evil greater’n the sum o’ the damned parts. Come right down to it, what we had back there was hippy demons. Which is precisely why it were so critical ya had ol’ Al around. My natural anti-disposition to any an’ all drug use combined with my higher level o’ self-knowledge was a sure-fire anathema ta them freaks. Reckon we find a way ta git these here Underdwellers ta awake from they opiate-addled slumbers and come ta some knowledge o’ theyselves, hell, we could make this whole bedezined place Christian yet.”

[Jack_Spade]

Despite all the horrible, horrible circumstances Isaint had to grin behind his mask. Damn it, this small man was unbelievable. Stuff like this made Isaint feel as if he was friends with Al for years instead of the two months. You had to be made of stone not to be amused.

With his mood drastically improved he answered Al: "I sure am glad to have you with me on this case."
Then he composed his message to Robyn:
<<Good. For one thing you can tell them that turning this meeting into a test was a very stupid move. It cost all of us more than necessary. Getting access to the flower girl is now our most important next step - without anyone of her house getting wind of it.>>

[adamu]

"I sure am glad to have you with me on this case."

"Yeah, them such as survive my association are gen'rally glad of it. Jist don't go try holdin' my hand or nothin'."

All the time he talked, Al was taking careful note of their path. He'd been keeping track since coming back down here. After spending the last month studying maps of this hell on the unthinkable but now materialized chance he could ever be cajoled back down here, he was determined not to be left at the mercy of another psycho local guide.

By his reckoning, they should be linking back up with Alyce soon...

[Mercy Merchant]

Robyn turns to the three Iron Company girls.  "Tamsyn, if this was a test, I hope that you are satisfied with our abilities.  Do you have any means to get in contact with your fiancee?  We would like to talk to both of you together, if that is possible to arrange.  Can you make that happen?"

[adamu]

As they wound through the passageways, Al ducked into a food kiosk and came out with a six-pack. Tossed cold ones to any takers, then let the remaining cans hang from his fingers by the vacated plastic rings. Sipping as he walked, his thoughts grew deeper, more contemplative. Enlightened and illuminating.

And, as was his nature, he shared his insights.

"Been givin' a fair 'mount o' thought ta what could reduce a whole damned community to such depths o' degeneracy as we done witnessed down here. Now I speak the truth here, I seen novacoke whores workin' the streets o' Berlin with more good sense an' dignity than any dozen o' the molefolk I done run into so far down here. So it can't be jist the steady diet o' drugs. So then I'm moseyin' 'long an' wishin' fer a bit o' real sunlight, an' she hits me. Ever'thin' down here's damned artificial light. Now stay with me, boys an' girls. We all know light-emitting diodes can be programmed ta oscillate in binary code. Ain't no doubt in my mind the big chiefs of all these Houses an' whatnot're usin' the lights ta program these underdwellers with subliminal messages. Stuff like, 'take more drugs,' 'sex slavery's okay', an' 'whaddaya need the sun for, anyway?' is streamin' steadily inta what's left o' these lost souls' minds. Now don't think fer a second that makes 'em any less culpable, cuz it don't. Hell, they wouldn't all be susceptible ta this mind control if they hadn't already weakened they own wills by gladly accepting Satan's own blindin' corruption into they noses an' veins. So now they's bound by chains o' they own contrivin', wallowin' in a downward spiral of ever greater abomination an' depravity."

He glanced up at a light inset over a shopfront and upped the light filtration on his flare compensation system.

"Ol' Al's thinkin' a few well placed subtacticals could open up a few holes, flood this place with real sunlight. I mean, sure, there might a bit o' co-lateral damage, but what price a soul saved, right?"

[Jack_Spade]

"I can't deny that I'd like some sunlight too - but I have to remind you that we entered this place after we got into a little high speed chase followed by a slight shoot out with the London Metropolitan Police. Personally I'm quite content with the fact that there are no holes over my head at the moment.

The slavery part is what irks me the most - we should see if we can't influence the little flower princess to direct her house away from those practices."
Isaint had accepted the can and even sipped it, but was immediately reminded why he usually avoided those brands. Still, he nodded his thanks to Al, holding on to the open can.

[adamu]

"Direct her house away....Franklin fuckin' Roosevelt on a pogo stick, kemo sabe, she's one of 'em. What part o' marryin' after her own sex an' out of her own kind makes ya think she's any less degenerate than the rest? Jist cuz she's the poor misunderstood protagonist o' this little tragicomedy we done got ourselves roped into? Hell, sum total of anything we achieve down here like as not gon' strengthen the damn hippy slavers as soften 'em up. Babel in reverse, that's what this place is. Old Testament they was a blasphemous bunch o' rubes, but at least they sin was tryin' ta build a tower up ta Heaven. These mole people, they's tryin' ta dig they way down ta Hell. Damned aspirational sinners is what they are, an' the only way they gon' git Saved is ta git rid o' the subliminal signals from these here lights."

[Jack_Spade]

"Al, who those two fancy really is only their concern. God knows how often I've had to see my elven lady friend reconfigure faces when some ass spouted something about elf-orc race disgrace.
And as much as I'd like to clean up here with fire and steel, the fact remains that permanent change for the better needs understanding and education more than violence. Shooting someone is easy, but it's seldom a good idea to change a society by shooting all of them.
It's a rough hand we were dealt from the Old One. It would make me quite happy if we could leverage that to our advantage while keeping our contract to the letter."

#461

[adamu]

"Well, I'll allow my opinions on what y'all Spocks, halfers, an' tuskers do are my own, but as fer the other thing, the Good Book ain't no damned buffet - ya don't jist go pickin' an' choosin' which commandments yer gon' keep. But I ain't said nothin' 'bout shootin' no one, much less all of 'em, Straw Man Amigo. Now reprogrammin' these here lights, that's where we start. 'Course all that's assumin' I got two minutes ta spare fer this cesspool, an' reckon I don't."

He paused to toss his empty beer can aside and light a new cigarette before opening the next. "But don't worry 'bout the job. Ol' Al's only down here ta back you an' Sleepin' Beauty here, since y'all seem to've made the all-too-common mistake o' thinkin' what that ol' geezer says makes a lick o' sense. So I'm in it till yer happy he's happy, an' then good riddance ta this crypt fer the half-livin'." 

[Mercy Merchant]

Robyn looks at Tamsyn as the girl apparently wars with saying something.  [color]"Look, I can maybe understand some reticence on your part to discuss this sort of thing, but we really are here to help you and it would be nice to actually sit and talk with one or both of you.  This charade or test or accident, whatever it was, did not get much accomplished and we really need to get some planning done. You have my com code, so please come to a decision and let me know.  We would love a meeting, a real meeting, with you both, but right now, I need to get back to my companions.  Call me, please."

Robyn nods at all three girls and leaves, headed back to her house.  Along the way she spies a beer can on the ground and picks it up, putting it in a nearby rubbish bin.  >>Team.  Robyn.  On the way to meet you at my house.  I left Tamsyn to decide if she wants to help us get this thing moving.  I asked her to contact her lover and see if she can set up a meeting.  I hope that is OK?<<