Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Exiting the bar wasn’t a problem, the blurry fezes ensured that he exited with due haste, they were kind enough to give him a flying start. The problem was the man who held a curved dagger to his throat. Carwood kept reaching for a certain political ally that he kept in his pocket. The eternal veto he called it, at least when he had the opportunity to do so, and it looked like this was the perfect opportunity to do so.
“You will pay for your disrespect fool!” Screamed the man atop him.
Carwood gave the man a dashingly rugged grin, “I’d like you to meet a colleague of mine,”
Carwood reached into his jacket,”I call him, the ETERNAL VETO!”
The events that followed confused both parties involved, as the bullet whizzed by the assailants ear and destroyed the lamppost behind them. The ensuing darkness allowed for Carwood to escape the grasp of the man and begin his dashing getaway.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Several hundred miles away, Aaden was discovering just how cold Hyperborean prison cells were. Unsurprisingly, the cell contained less heating than his stateroom.
So, he had underestimated the Foreign Service. He had assumed that Gerald’s incessant pleas were based on some deluded notion of world peace or international law, but the truth was clear to him now. His hosts had little to gain from his plans, but little to lose as well. Conclusion: someone with higher stakes had entered the game. Someone who would prefer to see him rot in a prison cell than ever return to Elwynn.
At least the cell was clean. He would not go mad any time soon. But he had lots of time to reflect, and to plan for when he got out. Something especially devious would have to be set up for Gerald. Thinking about that plan made the semi-darkness and hard cement of his prison much more bearable.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
‘You’ve reached the voicemail of Robert Ziegler. If I’m letting this call go to voicemail, chances are, I hate you. Therefore it’s in your best interest to hang up and not ever call me again.” BOOP
If Robert was ducking calls, then something was seriously wrong. Robert reported directly to to the Lord's right hand man: ergo, something was definitely amiss. Carwood briefly contemplated what his next move was while his coat blew incredibly scenically in the wind. Lord Aaden’s major domo was incredibly creative with punishments for failure. He decided that he should go onward with the plan.
He pulled out a sealed letter from inside his coat. Written in Aaden’s spidery cursive were the words: “Open before entering Eliria”
Agent Barton,
You have reached Eliria. You will enter the city and find the Ducal Palace - it will probably be surrounded by Babkhans with cudgels, but they will not present a problem to someone with your talents of persuasion. Find the Duke and deliver him the sealed letter I gave you. Note his reaction, and report back to Robert with the details. Do not get caught.
- A
Carwood incinerated the letter, as per standing instructions (Maverick’s Esponiage Reader Chapter 3: Handling Evidence), wrapped his cloak around himself ominously, and vanished.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A sign flew by with the seal of the Bastion Union which read 2 mi to Eliria/EHA Border. The border? He was already in Elwynn, wasn’t he? Soon after, the bus drew to halt, and the pneumatic doors opened with a hiss. A uniformed officer stepped onto the bus.
“Everyone out,” he ordered. “Have your documents ready.”
“Ugh,” complained the woman beside Carwood, “this extra security is SUCH a pain! It’s only gotten worse since that whole Senate situation.”
“I have to make this trip twice a week,” said an older gentleman behind them.
“Uh... Senate situation?” asked Carwood, thoroughly confused.
“Where have you been? The Senate was taken hostage by some crazy Babkhan. The whole city’s swarming with cops.”
“Oh... I -” He shut his mouth decisively - he still had no idea what was going on, but he would keep quiet until he could figure it out. That was Chapter 1 of Maverick’s Espionage Reader: “A Spy Says Nothing, But Hears Everything”.
He fumbled for the fake documents in his pockets as he filed off the bus with the other passengers. It was a typical customs check-point, but the sign above the queue of people was disconcerting.
UNION OF ELWYNN, AMOKOLIA, AND HURMU
You are now leaving Shireroth. Please fill out form E-34 (or I-22 for citizens, permanent residents and blue-card holders) and hand it to the agent. It is a crime to knowingly falsify documents or mislead customs officers, punishable by no more than five years in prison or a fine of $150,000.
Carwood, being Carwood, grabbed form I-22 and confidently slammed it down in front of the agent. The agent, looking unimpressed, silently pointed him back towards the form-filling counter. Carwood was confused, and took a closer look at his form. Then, not wishing to nlow his cover, he strolled nonchalantly back to the forms and stealthily exchanged his for a new one. With renewed confidence, holding his E-34 like a riot shield, he stepped up to the window. The customs officer was a young woman who, judging by the four empty cups on her desk, had been working for the past 72 hours. She didn’t even bother looking up at him, but yanked his form from his grasp and stared down at it with red-rimmed eyes.
“Destination?” she muttered.
“What? Oh, uh - Eliria. Yes, my business is to Eliria,” said Carwood, trying to sound official.
“Purpose of trip?” said the agent.
“The recl-” He was about to continue, but then he remembered his customs adventure in Shireroth and pictured Robert Ziegler karate-chopping his solar plexus. He sought desperately for an answer, and, without presenting any hint of his internal panic, said: “Business”.
“Hm,” grunted the woman. She grabbed her stamp and began slamming it down on the papers.
“If you don’t mind me asking, why are there two Elwynns?” said Carwood.
The agent looked at him as if he’d just asked why Babkhans get rowdy after one pint of Shadiq’s.
“Are you serious?” she said.
“Um, yes, I’m not from the continent, I’ve never been here before!” he blurted out.
Her eyes narrowed, and if Carwood had been more attentive he would have seen her reaching for the Summon The Linebackers button. “It was all over the news, even the international news,” she said. “What, you live under a rock or something?”
Carwood sought for an answer, and then inspiration struck. “I don’t really get out much, ah... I’m a watch-maker,” he said.
Her eyes softened. “Oh. Well, I suppose that makes sense. The Elwynn Free State split from Shireroth a while back. It’s independent now. Have a nice stay.”
“Hm. Thank you,” said Carwood, and strolled through the checkpoint.
The city was not what he’d been expecting. By all of Aaden’s accounts, Eliria was a baroque masterpiece, filled with old buildings and cobbled streets. Carwood did not get run down by a horse, but nearly got hit by a sports car. Skyscrapers clogged the streets - he saw no sign of the architectural wonders promised to him. Needless to say, he was very disappointed. He bought a map of the city and found with relief that there was a large pink blob labeled “Ducal Palace”. He neglected to read the legend.
The Ducal Palace made up for the rest of Eliria - it was just as old and distinguished as Aaden had said, if a little run-down. There was no sign of the Babkhan cudgellers, though. As he made his way up the steps, a sign caught his eye.
MINISTRY OF THE UNION FOR THE ARTS, PROTOCOL, AND HARMONY
HISTORICAL SITE - OLD DUCAL PALACE
5$ entry fee - 2$ children
A museum? This was a disaster. The Duke had moved! But an agent keeps his cool (Maverick, chapter 4), so Carwood cooly strolled up to a young man wearing a large blue “i” button on his jacket.
“Excuse me, sir,” he said, “but where does the Duke currently reside?”
The tour guide began to laugh, then realized Carwood was serious and put on his “talking to customers” face.
“Well, there isn’t a Duke anymore. The Ducal line ended shortly before the seccession, and now Elwynn is ruled by the Senate. They sit in the Senate House, which is actually just up the road. You can’t miss it, especially with all the police.”
“Then that is where I shall go!” said Carwood, posing for the non-existent camera. “Thank you.”