(Molly) @Claudia inclines her head (Molly) (@Claudia) Same as usual? (Molly) (Morgan) absolutely... the Graf may appear, I suspect ranting since I broke his door... he's not to be let in (Molly) * @Claudia nods (Molly) (@Claudia) Physically, if needs be? (Molly) (Morgan) If needs be (Molly) * @Claudia nods (Molly) (@Claudia) Alright * @Morgan nods to her and heads off deeper into the house (Molly) **guards and maids cross his path as expected (Molly) *Upon pondering, he realises Isiah could have gotten the 4pm ferry and arrived in Seeufer around 7pm, the 7pm to arrive by 10pm, or have stayed in Fischler somewhere until 7am, almost two hours ago. The next ferry to Seeufer would be around 10am * @Morgan makes a decision and heads to the docks (Molly) **As expected, town is filled with the two competing noises of singing in both churches. The buildings are right across from each other, doors stood open. Though inside the parishioners only hear their own service, in the middle of the street, these competing sounds are loud * @Morgan mutters to himself as he continues (Molly) **There's no one around on the streets, and his progress to the dock is uninterrupted (Molly) **here it is also fairly quiet, aside from an argument that seems to be occurring between a man and woman, neither of whom look familiar * @Morgan glances around to see who's about before watching the man and woman (Molly) **They are the only two on the dock, stood by a small stone building that has a sign saying "harbour master" above it (Molly) *the voices carry over on the breeze off the lake* Woman: But it is a Sunday! You shouldn't be working at all! Man: And if Theus wanted me to waste the day in church, he'd have let the Vaticine lot win the war, wouldn't he? * @Morgan heads towards them (Molly) Woman: *She puts her hand on her hips* People talk about us, you know, because you don't go! *The man shrugs* Let them. Just go yourself, Cara, I'm busy. (Molly) **The woman storms off, right into Morgan's path* * @Morgan doesn't deviate from his path (Molly) *scowling, she neglects to look up and bumps into him. She's in her fifties, non-descript* Oh, I am sorry, sir (@Morgan) I shouldn't worry madam, I'm fairly easy to miss (Molly) **She smiles a little* Good day, sir *She moves to walk past him* * @Morgan continues to the harbour master (Molly) *he's muttering to himself about Having to sit in a boring bloody church with people you don't even like * @Morgan watches him for a moment before speaking (@Morgan) Thats an interesting attitude (Molly) *he looks Morgan, and his usual prosperous merchant attire, over. The harbour master looks fairly smart, also in his fifties, but has a deep, red scar on his cheek (Molly) I've never held much of a good opinion about church. (@Morgan) whys? (Molly) To be frank, it is boring, and wastes time I could be using better. (@Morgan) get much trade on a sunday? (Molly) *he shrugs* Not until the ten o'clock crossing. (@Morgan) how about yesterday afternoon? (Molly) Saturday is always busy, what with the markets * @Morgan nods (@Morgan) get anyone special yesterday afternoon? * Molly shrugs (Molly) Graf Seeufer went over, but he travels there quite a bit. Didn't take his new wife this time though (@Morgan) I see... (Molly) But aside from that, no one of note. There was a man with a fancy black horse in the morning, and a goatherd with an unusual coat. But that's all really * @Morgan nods (@Morgan) Thank you, you've been very helpful (Molly) *he nods, lighting his pipe* You're welcome * @Morgan nods to the man, turning to head back to the house (Molly) **The church services are ending as he passes, bells loud, and people gradually exiting into the road (Molly) **he spots Yensid leaving the objectionist church * @Morgan walks towards him ** You're now known as Yensid * Yensid doesn't notice him. He looks slightly hungover * @Morgan strides up beside him * Yensid nods briefly at him (Yensid) Morning. (@Morgan) So it seems (Yensid) Didn't see you in church (@Morgan) No, you didn't. I was busy making enquiries * Yensid looks interested (Yensid) Need any help? (@Morgan) Our dear Graf has decided to go back to Seeufer without letting anyone know... fancy going and keeping an eye on him? * Yensid nods (Yensid) Not got much else to do (@Morgan) hard times eh * Yensid smirks (Yensid) Certain people don't generally work on a Sunday daytime (@Morgan) Harbour masters are not certain people apparently * Yensid laughs (Yensid) Shouldn't imagine many want to pay a harbour master by the hour! * @Morgan shrugs (@Morgan) You'd want to pay this one for at least three hours... getting dropped off after two isn't idea (Yensid) It'd be plenty wet though (@Morgan) catch the next ferry over would you? (Yensid) You want him brought back, or just snooped on? (@Morgan) snooped on is fine for now... he's less of a nuisance over that side of the water, but let me know if anything interesting occurs * Yensid nods, and starts whistling the rudest song Morgan heard in the navy as he walks towards the docks * @Morgan shakes his head and heads back to the house (Yensid) **it's half after nine by the clock in the entrance hall. * @Morgan goes in search of Fuchs (Yensid) **After direction from the guards, he finds him in an elaborate pale blue bedroom. Even before he enters the open door, he can smell Alarice's perfume * @Morgan frowns before opening the door ** You're now known as Fuchs * Fuchs is stood in the middle of the room, frowning. Its rather untidy (@Morgan) problem? * Fuchs nods slowly (@Morgan) that being? (Fuchs) She has almost no jewellery, only a handful of dresses, no sentimental items... * Fuchs frowns again (Fuchs) I've seen her wear jewellery and dresses that aren't here (@Morgan) asked the maids? (Fuchs) That is my next job. (Fuchs) **The blue and cream rug in between him and Fuchs looks more worn in one corner than the others * @Morgan walks to the corner and kicks it over * Fuchs watches him. Underneath, the varnish on one edge of a floorboards looks slightly more damaged than the others (@Morgan) well now... * Fuchs comes to watch with interest (Fuchs) What have we here? * @Morgan takes out his knife, crouching to pry at the corner (Fuchs) **he easily removes the floorboard (Fuchs) **There's nothing immediately visible * @Morgan sighs, trying to see inside before putting his hand in the gap (Fuchs) **all he can see is a hint of fabric bundled at arms reach * @Morgan reaches for it (Fuchs) It's soft, well-worn, and there's clearly something heavy wrapped in it * @Morgan pulls it towards him to pull it out (Fuchs) **it's awkward but manageable (Fuchs) **As soon as it is in the light, the fabric is recognisable as the household staffs uniforms * Fuchs crouches down for a better look (Fuchs) **it's bundled up, still heavy (@Morgan) oh now thats interesting (Fuchs) What would she want a maids uniform for? * @Morgan unpacks it (Fuchs) **inside the uniform is a brunette wig, a very heavy wooden box around 6"x4"×4", another box the same size but lighter, a bottle with liquid in it, a scrap of paper, and a familiar, blue-gripped pistol * @Morgan takes a good look at the pistol (Fuchs) **he has seen and fired it before, in the summer that he was 9. It belonged to his uncle Hans, and they were in the garden at Innesbruck, the day as fine as Eisen summers often are. With a empty barrel and a target painted on it, his unflappable uncle defied Adalbrechts insistence that Morgan was too young, and taught him to shoot * Fuchs looks at it also * @Morgan smiles faintly (Fuchs) Nice piece * @Morgan nods (Fuchs) What does she have a pistol for? (@Morgan) it was her fathers... I'm working on a theory... * @Morgan looks at the paper (Fuchs) *It's a few years old, tatty. It has Karstens handwriting, but it's coded * @Morgan sets it aside, looking at the boxes and liquid (Fuchs) **the heaviest box contains balls and wicks for the pistol. The lighter contains gunpowder. The bottle is different to the pennyroyal bottle they found two nights ago, but half empty (@Morgan) so... * Fuchs nods slowly (Fuchs) That looks like a world of trouble (@Morgan) It does rather... * Fuchs sighs (Fuchs) I dread to think what she was planning (@Morgan) I think we both know what she was planning * Fuchs nods again (Fuchs) There's enough balls there to take out most of the staff, and his Grace * @Morgan nods (@Morgan) I need some paper * Fuchs gets up, brushes off his trousers and gets some * Fuchs hands it over * @Morgan picks up the scrap of paper and tries to decode it (Fuchs) It says : My lovely Alarice, Though it pains me to be apart from you, I swear to you that once we are wed, nothing and no-one shall ever come between us. I will give my every breath to make you as happy as you've made me. I will always love you. Forever your adoring future-husband, Karsten * Fuchs watches him decode it, impressed (@Morgan) sweet... but disappointing * Fuchs reads the decode (Fuchs) But she had him killed * @Morgan nods * Fuchs frowns (Fuchs) Why keep something like that? (@Morgan) I don't know * Fuchs shrugs, Though the nonchalance is a little forced (Fuchs) Who can understand the minds of women? (@Morgan) anyone who tries, generally speaking... just not this one... her mind is like a bag of cats * Fuchs frowns very briefly, before looking at the bottle (Fuchs) Poison perhaps? * Fuchs picks it up carefully, looking it over (Fuchs) No labels or markings * @Morgan nods * Fuchs very carefully opens it slightly. The smell is strong, immediate and unpleasant, like stale water mixed with spent matches (Fuchs) Ugh! *Fuchs quickly screws the lid shut* (@Morgan) I knew a man who drank tea that smelled like that * Fuchs looks intrigued (Fuchs) Did it do him any harm? (@Morgan) No, but it was an actual tea blend, rather than some vial of liquid * Fuchs 's lips curve down in disgust (Fuchs) Why would anyone do that? * @Morgan shrugs (@Morgan) Some say the same about Blockers * Fuchs laughs (Fuchs) That takes some getting used to * Fuchs looks over the collection on the floor (Fuchs) You'll be taking the pistol? (@Morgan) I'd like to... its the first one I ever fired * Fuchs nods slightly solemnly (Fuchs) I didn't fire my first pistol until basic training. It was all bloody muskets til then. * Fuchs folds the dress back up, not making eye contact. (Fuchs) I suppose we'd best let our General know about this (@Morgan) Will the service have ended? (Fuchs) He takes his service very early, and usually just sits there for a bit. Mostly he talks to Maguerite then. * @Morgan nods (@Morgan) I've located the Graf, by the way * Fuchs looks impressed (Fuchs) Where is he? (@Morgan) Seeufer * Fuchs frowns (Fuchs) Any idea why? (@Morgan) Not yet. Maybe to get away from everything thats going on... * Fuchs nods (Fuchs) Couldn't really blame him, I suppose (@Morgan) I'm not sure though... (Fuchs) If he believes that she's carrying his child he could be a huge problem for us (@Morgan) still, at least we're not still scrabbling for a location.... and I have something you might find useful * Fuchs looks a little diatracted (Fuchs) Oh? (Fuchs) Distracted * * @Morgan holds out the note from Marta * Fuchs takes it and reads it. His expression is a mix of surprise, embarrassment and grimace (Fuchs) I...uhhh.... I wonder if any of those three servants can read? * @Morgan looks confused (Fuchs) Maybe I can just give them the list and they can write the answers *he looks significantly more uncomfortable than one would expect from a man who has been married for many years* (@Morgan) Would you like me to do it? * Fuchs nods slowly (Fuchs) I can't say it's something I am comfortable with * @Morgan takes back the list (Fuchs) **Marta's list: Ask about whether she has bled at all since her arrival, even light bleeding or just brown blood. Check for recently stained clothing, bedding or rags. Ask about how frequently she urinated, if she was sick, tired, complaining of cramping pains, swollen breasts, changes in the fit of her dresses, any fainting or dizziness, unusual interest or aversion to foods, mood swings * Fuchs still looks uncomfortable (Fuchs) It's rather... personal * @Morgan nods (@Morgan) yes it is * Fuchs frowns (Fuchs) If you can ask about her other activities here, I'll go and check the nursery security * @Morgan nods (@Morgan) as you wish * Fuchs looks at Morgan (Fuchs) Thank you. * Fuchs inclines his head (Fuchs) You know where to find me. * @Morgan nods