Loss of a Name: 18C
Thursday, April 15, 2004 (05:24:00)

Posted by TerishD

Chapter Eighteen - Part 3

The evening was not unpleasant. Some of the people were nosey, and stopped to chat to the travelers. Few claimed ever seeing an elf. A number of the men complimented Sylvia on her appearance. She was friendly to everyone that approached. All noticed that her two companions were protective of the lady, so she was treated with respect.

Oggelly found himself watching the people. He originally started just because he was uncertain of his surroundings. The people were friendly enough however, and his sister was wonderfully managing the conversations, so he simply started watching the people because they were keeping tabs on the strangers. He knew that there was lot about this world he had yet to learn, so analyzed a lot of minor details simply to try and get a better understanding about those who had grown up in this culture.


Our heroes act on a plan to hurt the outer network of the forces that brought them to this world and changed them.


Chapter Eighteen - Part 3

The evening was not unpleasant. Some of the people were nosey, and stopped to chat to the travelers. Few claimed ever seeing an elf. A number of the men complimented Sylvia on her appearance. She was friendly to everyone that approached. All noticed that her two companions were protective of the lady, so she was treated with respect.

Oggelly found himself watching the people. He originally started just because he was uncertain of his surroundings. The people were friendly enough however, and his sister was wonderfully managing the conversations, so he simply started watching the people because they were keeping tabs on the strangers. He knew that there was lot about this world he had yet to learn, so analyzed a lot of minor details simply to try and get a better understanding about those who had grown up in this culture.

Sylvia found a lull in the conversation. A number of people were leaving stating the need to get some sleep before work in the morning. She was glad to be able to have her mouth free to drink more of the beer. When she went to set her mug down, she noticed that her brother had placed a number of peach pits on the table before her.

As she looked at him, he whispered, "Your poison."

This was the wrong place for the conversation and especially an argument, but she tried a quiet counter. "Are you crazy?"

He finished his mug, and as he stood to get him and his sister a refill, he breathed into her ear. "Cyanide."

When he sat back down, she was ready to argue. "What do you think the chances are of it working?"

He smiled at people while softly stating his rebuttal. "If we fail, who will know?"

Sylvia waved at a few people, but this was her brother and if she wanted to privately speak to him then she would. "What process are you going to use?"

"I thought you could use your magic to remove the impurities."

"There are no impurities. Everything is earth, air, fire, or water. Cyanide is a mix just like everything else."

Damn, Oggelly realized that this was not going to be as easy as he first imagined. Okay, he took a number of courses in chemistry. He set his mind to work on the details. He first tried to chemically rationalize the elemental mix of cyanide for this world. Cyanide was a combination of carbon and nitrogen. Carbon was earth, and nitrogen was a component of air. He used the logic to consider a good methodology, and whispered it to his sister to see if she could help.

"We can grind up some seeds and put them in some hot water, then strain out the particulates."

"How much potency are you expecting?"

His whisper was forced between his teeth, "Work with me. This was your idea."

Clark had gone to college knowing that he was going to become a plumber. He had grown up helping Mr. Ricker, and the elder man had early on realized that his children were not wanting the family business. Promises were made to the younger Eglet boy, and Clark had thus gone to college majoring in architecture and business management to keep his end of the agreement. Courses in chemistry and biology were part of the basic undergraduate requirement, but Clark had wisely taken advanced classes to aid him in understanding certain aspects of sewage.

Stephen had also gone to college. He was originally going to aid his younger brother in advancing Mr. Ricker's business to a more complex operation. The older brother was going to study electrical engineering, then work at the trade gaining useful experience while Clark finished his education.

It was their high school wrestling coach who had Stephen join the college wrestling team. He never was serious with his wrestling though, so really thought little of taking advantage of an invitation from the professional wrestling association when they came to town. The other guys Stephen practiced with considered themselves 'true' wrestlers and would not associate with the 'clowns.' Stephen went and worked with the professional wrestlers learning enough to appear in an event at a local show. The men saw some promise in him, and told him how to start in the business. Stephen lowered his college expectations and finished with only a degree in business management while he started to advance his career in professional wrestling. He thus did not have the science background of his brother, but the now lady had studied some magic.

"Oggelly, is cyanide a liquid or a gas?"

The minstrel was working hard to solve the problems, and poured out information to better gain Sylvia's aid. "I am pretty certain that it is not fire. Pure cyanide is unstable being negatively charged, so combines with alkalines. It depends on what it combines with whether it is a solid or a gas."

This was a hard topic to whisper, but she did. "You can't think like that. Magic cannot support unstable chemicals. Either the mixture of earth, air, fire, and water holds or it continues to mix."

You know, sometimes older siblings had to be taught things. "You don't want stable chemicals. The mixing is called a reaction, and we want a reaction. Basically we are looking for hands going to the throat and eyes bulging type of reaction."

This was not going to be easy. The two started discussing chemistry of both their old world and this one. Sylvia had taken basic courses in college, although not with any intent to actually learn what was being lectured. She had been paying attention to the magical theory in her book and those she had read in the castles. Neither she nor Oggelly knew if the magical chemistry was actually the correct science for this world, but each understood that using magic was basically their only method. An alchemist's lab would be nice at the moment, but neither was going to act in a way that would cause any to think they were thinking of doing what they were thinking about doing.

Feladin had even been left out of the discussion, so innocently interrupted their debate. "This is Letail. He has offered us the use of his barn for the night."

Both of the Eglets immediately stated a positive. The priest was surprised. He fully expected a negative from the two. Sylvia went into gracious lady mode and started thanking the farmer for the offer. Oggelly went to the owner of the establishment and had him fill some skins. Feladin did not know what plans the Eglets had been concocting, but he suddenly felt a need to know.

Sylvia kept a smile on her face and cheerfully spoke to the farmer as they left the building. The lady clung to Feladin, and he played his part wondering what was occurring around him. Outside the building, Letail answered Sylvia's inquiry concerning basic directions to his home to help her follow in the dark. It was dark enough that Feladin was certain Sylvia was having about as much difficulty seeing as he, but considered following the farmer to not be a problem. The priest turned to check on the minstrel, and when he did not see him Feladin understood the lady's motive for the question.

The farmer did not like making the lady sleep in the barn. If it had only been men, he would have just shown the travelers the barn and gone to his own bed. He stopped to actually consider ways to be more hospitable to Sylvia, but she poured on the charm to get Letail to understand that she would be fine.

As soon as the farmer entered his home, Sylvia started checking certain supplies. Feladin asked her if she needed help, and she told him to look and see if there was a hammer somewhere. She lit a fire in a brazier, so the priest was able to recognize a mallet hanging on a wall. He brought it back to the lady.

Sylvia handed Feladin what few peach pits she had acquired and told the priest to crack them. She told him to keep the husk and throw away the seed. He had to ask why.

"You do not put poison in the baby's food, but only where those trying to get to the baby will encounter it. I want to poison the wine. Oggelly and I have a plan."

He felt certain that he was being watched. "I don't know if I want to be associated with this."

The elf was not going to force him, but she would like his cooperation. "Listen, Feladin, we are at war. We are in the middle of a very developed game. We are not yet able to strike openly, but we have a chance to strike all the same. I am going to take it."

"Is it just?"

She sat down on the floor of the barn. "Make your decision. Are we going to fight this war or not?"

He really was not certain about his involvement in this plan. "I am a priest now. I have to make certain that what I do is proper."

Sylvia was not backing down. "Are you with Oggelly and me, or not? I don't want to keep secrets from you, but make your declaration now."

He stood over her as he pleaded, "I do not want to commit mortal sins."

She had seen his notes, and knew that he had created a goddess that understood the occasional need for action. "Keir Terfay stated that we somehow caused the destruction of the machine that created us. It was not perfect, Feladin. We were lucky, because the god in charge was alert enough to make certain that we were done properly. Another machine will be built. What we did was not a complete answer to the process. More orange shirts will be made and the gods will again not be inspecting each and every one."

Feladin was still not sure. "And this is a complete answer?"

"Yes, because we are going after the builder. Right now it is an attack upon the outer fringes of the network, but we will find our way to Caidemon and stop his little operation."

Oggelly was stinking, but he held a sack of peach pits as he joined the conversation. "You have a choice, Feladin. You can find yourself a place to settle and live another life. Enjoy your leg."

"I was hoping to have life go on after I die."

Oggelly was as committed as his sister, and worked to explain that to the priest. "There is no in-between here, Feladin. I read the holy books with you. We either win or lose. Truthfully, I do not see any difference in being destroyed or returned to the great mix. The only way to play this game to win is to shoot the moon."

Feladin was having a tough time making a decision. "My goddess supports justice. We may have a righteous cause, but is it just?"

Sylvia replied, "The scales are not balanced. They are heavily tilted against us."

The priest found his decision, "Unless my goddess tells me to stop, I am in."

Oggelly sat down his sack and said, "Good. We are more than able to make mistakes, or go too far. Let us know what Jerusalem thinks, and we will let you know what we think."

Sylvia voiced an agreement with her brother. Feladin accepted their words. He found a stone, moved the sack of pits over to it, and began to crack the seeds.


The results of the experiment coming up next time.