The Enclave of the Blue Pearl

Hastily Laid Plans

The next Sunday morning, December 16, was much like any other. The docks and many other businesses were closed, the taverns would fill up with patrons enjoying their Sabbath, shoppers filled stores, and faithful flocked to churches to the clear ringing sound of tower bells.

At around ten o'clock, Soren and Robert were sitting at a table in Jenkins, faithful to what had been decided the afternoon before. They were both eating breakfast, Robert was smoking a pipe, and Soren was reading the bi-weekly newspaper. The headline read Rebel Army Moves on Weinaught, which was a city only a few miles inland. "It looks as though the Josephina's rebels were doing well and Karl's supporters were getting the worst of it," Soren commented. Robert grunted and withdrew his pipe to murmur, "t'won't matter who wins anyway, least not to us. Bunch o' wise guys, fighting a civil war to kill more people and wreck the economy, just after losing the Tarkhanate War."

Soren looked over his paper at his sailor friend. "Isn't the war good for your business though?"

"You don't hear me complaining about it, do you?" Robert replied. "I'm saying they're dumb for it, but there's no law that says you can't criticize something and take advantage of it too."

Soren grinned. The next moment, peering again over the newspaper, Soren saw Ame and Katoa walk in through the door and over to the bar, apparently not noticing him and Robert.

Ame was suffering from a mild hangover, the natural result of yesterday's exploits. Behind the bar, Jenkins walked over to Ame and wished her a good morning. "Jenkins, would you get me a vodka?" she mumbled, not a morning person to begin with. "Just enough to get my mind off of this hangover."

Jenkins shook his head. "I don't know about vodka, lass. Why don't you have some tonic water instead?"

Ame glared at him. "Thanks for your kindness, but I didn't ask for tonic water; besides, it's nasty."

"No, Ame, Jenkins is right," Katoa said. "That's not how drinking works. You're just going to cause yourself more pain by drinking more. A tonic water for her, a coffee for me, and eggs and toast for us both."

Jenkins nodded. "Coming right up."

"You're a butt head, Kat," Ame grumbled, resting her forehead on the counter.

"You're welcome."

"... Thank you."

At this point, Rudolf walked in the tavern. He was looking handsome in his Sunday best, and almost upper middle class. He looked around for a moment before seeing the two at the bar and the two at the table, and walked over to them. "Morning, all," Rudolf said warmly.

"Oh no..." Ame hid her face in her arms a second before standing up. "I'll be right back." Before Rudolf reached the bar, she slipped into the restroom. Once the door closed behind her, she screamed in frustration, and punched the wall. This immediately caused her intense pain, and she screamed again, clutching her fist. A woman stared at her with an expression of utter bafflement. "Oh, hi there," the girl said through a clenched smile.

When Ame returned, she saw the party had moved from the bar to the table at which Soren and Robert had been sitting. She saw that Jenkins had brought two plates of eggs and toast, and a coffee for Katoa and a water for her. She sat self-consciously, but managed to squeak out to Rudolf a "hi," which he returned with a "good morning" and a smile.

"By the way, Soren," Rudolf said, "what did you do with the prisoners?"

"I turned them in."

"Last night, to the police station?"