Geminid Rocky Road is in La Bella, and it's the smoothest street in the area.

Geminid The Tumblers are at the Cackling Hag Bar, playing pool.

Alice What do I know about the Tumblers?

Geminid That they work for the Crows selling hashish and serving as protection for some businesses.

Alice Any particularly advantageous way to approach them?

Geminid I doubt you'd know of one in particular.

• Alice just walks in then.

Geminid It's a busy joint at the moment. A bokken pounds drums as two Taggaran-Ienovans belt out the blues.

Geminid The Tumblers are smoking their product, by the smell of it.

Alice Can I tell which Tumbler's in charge?

Geminid Seven assorted animalmen stand around a pool table as a caninian lines up a shot.

Geminid Which is the leader is currently undetectable.

• Alice watches for a few minutes.

Geminid The cheetahman is clearly a clumsy dolt. The caninian is the loyal sidekick sort. The greater bat is insane. The others seem too out of it, except the ruari and the ursian. Either could be leader.

• Alice walks confidently up to the pair, then. "Which of you's in charge?"

Geminid The ursian glances at the ruari, who snorts. "Get the fuck out of here, kid."

• Alice turns toward the Ruari. "Who do I talk to about gettin' in to see Boss Crow?"

Geminid The ruari blinks. The ursian and the others all stop what they're doing to stare at you a moment, before busting into laughter.

Geminid "You hear dat? Da girl wants to see 'Boss Crow'!"

Geminid The ruari scowls at you, "Ain't no such person, kid. Scram or we'll gut yer."

Alice "I know for a fact there is. Could be I know 'cause I been sent by someone pretty fuckin' important. Could be 'cause I got business that's pretty fuckin' important. Could be I'm gonna remember who helps me out and who fucks with me."

Geminid They crack up. "Could be we don't know know Boss Crow."

Geminid know no

Alice "Prob'ly /is/ you don't know no boss Crow. You lot ain't impressive enough to know anyone matters. I do know you're lickin' the family's boots though, and /could be/ one of you assholes is smart enough to know someone who might."

Geminid The ruari nods to the caninian, who reaches down to grab you.

Alice Can I turn bat fast enough to dodge that way?

Geminid Roll reaction

Geminid You are a bat

Geminid His hands grapple air

• Alice flies up between his arms. Are there rafters?

Geminid No, just a low ceiling, actually.

• Alice flies back a few feet and changes back, then.

Geminid The whole bar gets quiet, and you hear someone mutter, "Fucking looney."

• Alice grins at the mutterer, then turns her attention back to the Ruari.

Geminid The ruari's ears twitch, and he says, "Well well well. Whatvewegotear. Barker, Paws. This one'll suffer for days if we beat her."

Geminid The ursian grumbles a laugh, and the caninian is still blinking at air. The greater bat screeches, "Not bad for a freak. I say we feed her stink bugs."

• Alice fails to look remotely nervous. "Not likely. Wanna give it a try though? See how long you get to try 'fore my friend finds you?"

Geminid The ruari sighs, "Let's take this out back."

• Alice smiles and walks forward to pick up the pile of ragged clothes she flew out of. "Lead the way."

Geminid They jostle you out back.

Geminid As they get out into the alley, they all noticeably relax, and the bat offers you a cigarette, "You smoke?"

• Alice accepts the cigarette. She doesn't usually, but has tried enough times not to cough when she puts it in her mouth before putting her pants back on.

Geminid The ursian says, "So what makes you think Mr. Crow wants to talk to the likesa you?"

Alice "I got a message for him from his dear old daddy."

Geminid The ursian looks nonplussed as a crow lands on your head. Finally, he says, "Yeah, okay."

Geminid The crow flies off.

Geminid And the ursian looks to the caninian, "Barker, take her to the Pit."

• Alice puts her shirt on and prepares to follow.

Geminid Barker shrugs and tucks his head down and says, "This way, kid." as he walks out of the alley.

• Alice follows.

Geminid He walks with his head down through the tangled streets of La Bella, slowly wandering out of the maze of the slums to a lonely parking lot across from a motel. Once he's at the edge of it, it's nearly 5 a.m. He says, "The Pit. Have fun, kid."

Alice "See ya 'round, Barker."

• Alice drops the remains of her cigarette and heads forward.

Geminid The cars here are apparently occupied. In each, drugged out addicts lie in stupors.

Geminid The cars are rundown, nonfunctioning heaps. But they make great hidey holes for addicts looking to zone out in semi-privacy.

• Alice was directed to the lot, right, not across it to the motel?

Geminid The lot.

Geminid A badgerman sits in a chair in the middle of the lot, obscured by cars, smoking a cigarette, reading a magazine, and looking bored.

• Alice walks toward the badgerman.

Geminid He looks up, "Quarter for half an hour use of a car. We got plenty stuff here if you didn't bring your own."

Alice "I ain't here for that. I'm lookin' to talk to Boss Crow."

Geminid He snorts, "Who the fuck are you?"

Alice "Alice Higgins. I got a message for him from his dear old daddy."

Geminid "At dis hour? Scram, kid. Whoever you work for don't know for beans."

• Alice grins, with teeth. "I'll tell him you said so. Anyway, so set it up for when Crow ain't gettin' his beauty sleep."

Geminid "What do I look like, a goddamned--" he cuts off. "Who's dat?" He looks behind you.

• Alice glances back.

Geminid A thin, old man in a grey suit walks up. He has a monocle and a short walking stick, and he looks severe in facial expression. "Good evening. My name is Wyndam Pembleton, and I am the proprietor of the Boxhouse Manor for Wayward Children." He looks directly at Alice. "I am here on a collecting mission."

Geminid The badgerman shrugs, "Sure, take whoever ya want, Mr. Pembleton. You sure do move quiet for a old man, ya know."

Geminid Wyndam says nothing. He keeps watching Alice.

• Alice scowls speculatively back at Wyndam.

Geminid "Child, this is no place for you. Come, and we will cleanse you of the streets."

• Alice shrugs. "Lead the way."

Geminid Wyndam smiles, then says, "I need check the rest of this harvest, and then we will be on our way."

• Alice leans against the side of a car and watches him.

Geminid He drags a few younger addicts out and exhorts them to follow him. A few do, most just lie there. When he's done, he gestures for you to follow him.

• Alice does, for the moment.

Geminid He takes you to an old, beat up early model van.

Geminid He herds a few addicts in, then gestures to the front seat for you.

• Alice makes sure the lock on the door's inside isn't broken and the window's open before she gets in.

Geminid Wyndam gets in and gets the van cranked up.

Geminid He drives off with you if you let him, heading for the orphanage.

Alice "Your name really Wyndam?"

Geminid "Yes, child. And yours?"

• Alice takes a picture of him.

Geminid He blinks away the flash, "Please, child, not while I am driving."

• Alice ignores the question. "We really goin' to a kiddy-farm?"

Geminid "That term is unsuitable to what we do, but yes, the Boxhouse is our destination."

Alice Do I know the Boxhouse?

Geminid It's the orphanage in town.

Geminid That's about all you know.

Geminid The kids there are all miserable, or so it seems

Alice Do I know who runs it?

Geminid Nope.

Alice "Who runs the place?"

Geminid "I do, child."

Alice "Then this ain't what I was lookin' for. Stop the damn car."

Geminid He doesn't stop it. "I'm afraid I could not in good conscience do that."

• Alice opens the door.

Geminid "Stop that! That is dangerous!"

• Alice falls out and either rolls, if we're moving slowly enough, or goes werebat and spreads her wings to brake if we're barreling.

Geminid So you are flying. Wyndam slams the breaks and tries to run after you, but you're well gone.

• Alice flies back to the lot.

Geminid The lot or the Pit?

Alice Er, the parking lot, I meant.

Alice So, both.

Geminid The badgerman glances up at you as you land, then goes back to his magazine.

Geminid The badgerman continues to ignore you.

Alice "That was a fucking waste of time. As I was sayin'... How do I set up a talk with Crow?"

Geminid He looks up and sighs, "Get the fuck out of here."

• Alice scowls at him. "You the one decides whether or not I got business with him, then?"

Geminid "I'm the one what decides I ain't messin' with the boss on account of some street rat."

Alice "Then why d'ncha send me up to /your/ boss, let him decide if I'm important enough t'see Crow?"

Geminid He growls, pulls out a pistol, "Scram or die."

• Alice holds out her arms to her sides. "You know it ain't gonna take."

Geminid He shoots you in the head, if you don't dodge.

• Alice doesn't.

Geminid You wake up in the early morning sun, dried blood on your forehead. You're late for work, but only a little bit.

• Alice mutters a few choice curses, then collects her things to head in.

Alice Ok. Back to the bloody Pit.

Geminid It's a pretty thriving place this early in the night

Alice Same badger sitting there?

Geminid Yes.

• Alice walks up to him.

Geminid He glares at you, "I got silver tonight, bitch."

• Alice grins. "So? By the way, message's now fourteen hours later'n it coulda been. You got a name I can give with the number when I do reach your boss?"

Geminid "Fuck you."

Alice "I was half right. I would guessed 'dumb fuck'." She spreads her arms to invite the bullet.

Geminid He fires, and you feel the pain of silver.

• Alice falls.

Geminid You wake up in a cold, sterile room. A cold, emotionless voice asks, "Feeling better?"

• Alice sits up and rubs her arms, looking around. "Yeah."

Geminid "I'll tell Mister Crow." A white coated doctor walks out of the room.

• Alice looks around for her things.

Geminid They're all there

Geminid You have a bandage on your side, and a plate nearby holds a silver bullet, bloody.

• Alice looks under the bandage.

Geminid A stitched hole.

• Alice takes the bandage off, puts her clothes on, and slings the camera strap over her shoulder, then sits and waits with legs kicking over the side of the table.

Geminid A badgerman walks into the room. His fur is grey with red tinges. He has a fine suit on, and he's holding his hands together in a strange but restful looking manner. "Good evening, Miss Higgins. I hear you've been looking for me."

Alice "You ain't what I was expectin'." She shrugs. "I need some spider magic, and your dad thought I should start by askin' you."

Geminid "That explains why my man was mobbed by crows when he shot you the second time." He takes a puff. "It won't come cheap, but since that particular Gentleman sent you, I'll at least let you have the chance to buy it."

• Alice grins at the first, then nods. "I need film can hold a shot of a soul."

Geminid He waves his hands, "I don't care what or how. Price for access to my man is... Call it a twenty-five, friendly prices. What he charges you, that's up to him."

Alice Twenty five bucks?

Geminid So it seems

• Alice blinks. "Twenty-five bucks?"

Geminid "He's a very private person. Access to him is very hard to come by. Supply and demand, you know how it is."

Alice "Ten minutes, I can get that."

Geminid He nods, "Take it to my new man in the Pit, and he'll give you directions from there."

• Alice nods and jumps down from the table.

Alice "Good doin' business with you."

Geminid He shrugs, "While we;'re talking..."

• Alice looks up at him.

Geminid "How's that movie making going?"

Alice "The movie's a damned trainwreck."

Alice "You really care about the actual movie, though?"

Geminid He smiles, "I care to know if they are violating the writing contracts my union has with their place."

Geminid "And I care to know about the union reps they have there."

Alice "What, 'zactly do you want to know 'bout them, and what's it worth?"

Geminid He smiles, "It's worth not getting your money for access to my man. And what I want to know is, everything about the union people, and whether or not any professional writers are there."

• Alice shrugs. "The faggot director's doing what writing there is, which isn't much. Union reps I've seen are..."

Alice She gives what names she has on the reps, including Angela's. She doesn't bring up what she saw in the vision about Angela.

Alice Descriptions of the ones she hasn't got names for.

Geminid He listens, then nods. "Tell me more about what you know of Miss Angela Murray."

Alice "Looks half-knuckledragger. Vicious." She grins unpleasantly. "Ready to kill a kid, anyway. Prob'ly kisses the cow-god's ass."

Geminid He nods, "Knuckledragger?"

Alice "Big as one, anyway."

Geminid "Oh, you mean our trollish friends. I see. No respect in you, is there, kid?"

• Alice grins. "Nope."

Geminid He shrugs, "Respect can be useful sometimes. Very well. Go to 333 Moonlit Lane, in La Bella, and tell the greater crow there that Bartholomew sent you."

• Alice looks up at him and tilts her head. "Thanks." She starts out.

Geminid He nods, then opens the door for you. You're in a vast, expansive mansion in Uptown.

• Alice leaves, turns back to snap a shot of the mansion, and goes looking for 333 Moonlit Lane.

Geminid Flying?

Alice If it's far, yes.

Geminid It is.

• Alice flies, then.

Geminid This part of La Bella is always dark as night, but at night, it's dark as the inside of a shadowkin.

Geminid You /have/ to get by by echolocation in here.

• Alice likes that.

Geminid But a small lamp burns in a random window in one of the broken down buildings, and you can spot the address of 333.

• Alice goes up to the door and knocks.

Geminid It opens, slightly, but no one answers

• Alice pushes it the rest of the way open, then gives a wordless call to sound out the open areas of the place.

Geminid Dozens. It's full of holes.

Alice Any sign of anything living?

Geminid The room with the light on

• Alice steps back to take a shot of that one light in the darkness, then starts up toward that room.

Geminid "Who goes there?" a shrill voice calls out

Alice "Bartholomew sent me."

Geminid "Good to know, but that didn't answer my question."

Alice "Name's Alice."

Geminid "And what do you want, Alice?"

Alice "Film as can hold a shot of a soul."

Geminid He comes out of the shadows a bit and says, "What is your intended purpose?"

• Alice scowls. "You need to know?"

Geminid "I do."

• Alice pauses, but decides to err in favor of having no clue how magic works. "Gettin' information on people. And I wanna know what they look like."

Geminid "Which people?"

Alice "Anyone as might be interesting to see."

Geminid "How much of this film?"

Alice "Much's I can get."

Alice "How much a roll?"

Geminid He twitches, "Five hundred dollars."

• Alice scowls. "One damn roll f'r now, then. More later, though."

Geminid He shrugs.

Geminid "It will be ready by Uqtium."

Alice "I'll be back then." She turns, pauses, and turns back. "I got another thing, maybe."

Geminid He cocks his head

Alice "Say I want to poison an ink doctor. So's he knows what's happening, but can't do squat about it. Could you help with that?"

Geminid The crow... crows. "What is this doctor's name?"

Alice "Roman Earl."

Geminid He snorts, which is hard for a beaked one. "If you carry the device, I will make the device for free."

Alice "What's it gonna do?"

Geminid "I haven't decided yet."

Alice "Depending on that, yeah. 'D love to be the one gives the bastard his painful death."

Geminid "I will have more information Uqtium, then."

Alice "See you then."

• Alice turns and leaves.

Geminid He caws.

Geminid Where to now?

Alice Beach. I should probably give my report.

Geminid The beach is windy and slightly cold tonight

Alice "Crow?"

Geminid He appears as thirteen crows coalesce. "Good evening, Miss Higgins."

Alice "'Lo."

Alice "First hellhound was on the set last night. Wasn't there t'see it this time."

Geminid He nods, "Interesting. Go on."

Alice "But 'pparently the knuckledragger bitch pissed herself over it, 'cause now they got some holy knight on the lot waitin' for it to come back."

Geminid The Gentleman nods, "A reasonable reaction. The hitwoman is war faithful, and thus largely useless against a Demon Lord."

Alice "Still funny to 'magine."

• Alice pauses. "Hitwoman? Really?"

Geminid "She works for the Ulldagger family. She's not Made yet, but I imagine she'd like to be."

Alice "Your son was int'rested in her."

Geminid "She works for his rivals."

Geminid "Go on."

• Alice nods. "S'about all happened on the set. Also, I worked things out for the spider magiced film. And I'm gonna kill the ink-doc."

Geminid He nods, approvingly. "A good use for all that excess cash."

• Alice scowls. "I'm off the set next three days. 'll be huntin the pictures for my lenses."

Geminid He nods. "Keep your eyes and ears peeled all the same. Big things are afoot." He pauses, "Actually, I may have a commission for you, if you've free time."

• Alice looks up at him. "I'm listenin'."

Geminid "A nightingale with black wings--not a crowe, mind you, but a nightingale--is in town to meet some... associates. I want pictures of her meeting, if at all possible."

Alice "When and where? And what's in it for me?"

Geminid "There is a small catch, before we go into the details: if she catches you, she will kill you. Permanently. So might her associates."

Alice "She especially alert?"

Geminid "She was once Emperess of Srisia for over a century, and is one of the Prophetess of the Webweaver's most powerful and trusted servants." He leans down, "And she's my daughter."

• Alice scowls up at him, more than a little nervous but covering it to the best of her ability. "Gotta be worth somethin pretty damned nice then."

Geminid He smiles, "I'll show you how to find the First Camera. Getting it will be up to you, but the information on where to find it... Is worth this risk."

• Alice blinks, then resumes her scowl. "Tell me bout the First Camera."

Geminid "The Gifted First Camera? The Mother of Vision's Own Camera?" He leans forward, "It's better if you let your imagination run free about it."

Alice "Better for which of us?"

Geminid "For your experience with the camera. Like all vision Gifts, inspiration and imagination are important... fuels for it."

Alice "How 'bout I do it for the info and a thousand bucks up front?"

Geminid He shrugs, "Money?" he asks, derisively. "Very well." He drops thirty silver coins at your feet.

Alice "I'm gonna need some new parts to get the pictures from a safe place, and I just spent all I got available right now."

• Alice doesn't take the coins yet. "You got a better idea for it, I'm listenin'."

Geminid He shrugs, "She'll be staying at the Evanescent Ten Hotel in Uptown, tomorrow night until next Riaxhium. She will be meeting a necromancer and a jester dressed in red, orange, and black. Possibly others, but if you get photos of her with those two, our deal will be done."

• Alice takes the coins now, glancing at them and pocketing them. "Anything else about them I should know?"

Geminid "The Evanescent Ten is a very low key but expensive place. Don't let the staff notice you--they might notify their guests a photographer was caught on the grounds."

Alice "They won't."

Geminid He nods. "Anything else to report?"

Alice "That's all tonight."

Geminid He nods, "Good luck with your murder."

Geminid He crows away

• Alice stands thinking a few moments, then bats away herself, to the lot.

---

Geminid She heads for the lot?

Alice Yeah.

Geminid A few cops guard the crime scene, and the big eyed aberration is fixing the wall.

Alice What's the scene look like?

Geminid Just a broken wall.

Geminid Pretty big hole, but nothing else.

• Alice takes a picture of it.

Geminid Then what?

• Alice heads for a hole to get some sleep before tomorrow.

---

• Alice asks the darkness, on the chance Sam's listening, "So if I go back to sleep, do I just end up back there?"

Geminid No aswer.

• Alice lies there a few minutes. It really is seriously tempting to take the death route. She's so damned exhausted. She falls asleep again.

Alice "Crow, need fucking out again."

• Alice mutters, "Crow, please get me out of here."

Geminid A crow is sitting on you, pecking your face with savagery. You feel blood and pain

• Alice puts up her hands to try to ward it off.

Geminid The crow hops off of you, and caws.

• Alice tries to rub blood out of her eyes with the back of her hand.

Geminid You can get cleared vision, but your face is a mess.

Alice She scowls and looks away from the bird. "Sorry."

Geminid "Caw!"

Geminid It'll be a few hours before you heal.

Alice "No I'm not. I fucking asked if it was safe, so how was I supposed to know?"

Geminid "Caw!"

Alice "I got a promise to keep."

Geminid You go put a brick through Smiley's window?

Alice Yes.