08:46 <tom> Badawi doesn't get any messages until a day or so after she's back from Wales. It barely reads like Bob's usual schtick; maybe he got help composing it. BG: <Hey, I thought a lot about what you said, and I agree. I'm sorry about the shitty things I said. Can we talk at the GB? I made Manikish.> 08:47 <tom> BG: <I mean Manakish.> 08:50 <Quaker> AB: <Ill be at St. John’s Gardens in two hours> 08:52 <tom> Bob's there in his jacket, carrying a little thermal bag full of warm seedbread, checking his phone and looking suitably nervous about the whole thing. 08:53 <tom> He'll make his way over to a bench and chill out while he waits. 08:53 <tom> At least it's not raining. 08:55 <Quaker> Half a block away, Badawi and Amjad watch the park from the van. “Alright,” she says. “I’ll be back in a bit.” 08:56 <Quaker> She gets out of the car and walks towards the park where he can see her, and leans against a low wall with her hands in her jacket pockets. It’s a nice jacket, nicer than he’s used to seeing her in. And she’s got a haircut - she looks sharper than normal. 08:58 <Quaker> “What.” 08:58 <tom> It's not clear what she wants him to do, so he just lifts up the little thermal bag and pats it. "I made apology bread." 08:59 <Quaker> “Did you tell anyone else about how I lost my temper?” 08:59 <tom> "Still... warm?" He checks it, taking out one of the little fully discs and tearing off a chunk of manakish. 09:01 <tom> He looks a little confused. "No, I- I was gonna ask if you told anyone else I was racist as fuck." 09:02 <Quaker> “I haven’t told anyone anything about our conversation.” 09:02 <Quaker> “I think it would be better if we kept it to ourselves.” 09:02 <Quaker> “And just promised to each other not to repeat it.” 09:02 <tom> He chews the fluffy bread, swallows. "I'm good with that." 09:02 <Quaker> “I get the feeling we caught each other in bad moods.” 09:03 <Quaker> “I apologize for my behavior.” 09:03 <tom> "No need, ma'am. I understand now, I... well I think." 09:03 <tom> He rubs the back of his neck. "I'm sorry about a lot of things, so let's just add this to the pile and try to Be Better, uh, you know." 09:04 <Quaker> “Mm.” 09:04 <Quaker> “I lost my temper because I was stressed about some other things and because you were being fucking annoying after asking me for help with your personal troubles.” 09:04 <tom> "Well I'm gonna eat if you won't," He says, taking out another fluffy piece of bread and tearing off a piece. 09:05 <Quaker> “I figure that if I don’t help you with your personal troubles, I won’t have any reason to care about when you insist you can’t do anything to change them.” 09:05 <tom> "I lost my temper because you saw through my bullshit in half a second and it scared the shit outta me." 09:05 <Quaker> “I’m fine, thanks. I ate already.” 09:06 <tom> He looks away and bounces his knee. "Yeah, yeah... yeah... Well, you did help." 09:07 <tom> "So it gave me the idea of how to move on that- we don't gotta talk about it." 09:07 <tom> "I really only respond to getting yelled at. Must be a Boot Camp thing." 09:09 <Quaker> “I’m surprised. Like I told you, I’m not a therapist.” 09:09 <Quaker> “How did it help?” 09:11 <tom> Bob arrests his restless leg with one of his hands, and pretends to work out some sort of cramp in the joint. "You know... I don't really enjoy being like... that. It's more like a defensive mechanism against feeling any sort of real emotion." 09:12 <tom> "I mean, you know. That's why it spooked me. Because it's so obvious to everyone." 09:12 <tom> "So torching my ass put things in perspective. I mean what's it even good for if that happens." 09:13 <Quaker> “It doesn’t sound like it would be enjoyable.” 09:13 <Quaker> “Sorry.” 09:14 <tom> "Ahhhhhhh, nahhh," Bob throws his hand dismissively. "You were right. That's more important than being nice in this job." 09:15 <tom> "It's so easy to forget you guys didn't sign on to die gloriously." 09:15 <Quaker> “What did you tell Mari?” 09:15 <Quaker> “When all this was weighing on you.” 09:16 <tom> "I told her... well, the advice I got from a different friend, you know... I wanna talk about it, but it's just too hard right now." Bob gulps down another mouthful of za'atar. "Someday." 09:17 <Quaker> “That’s an improvement.” 09:17 <tom> "Are we still friends?" 09:17 <tom> "Sorry for giving a shit. I know it's just a job." 09:18 <Quaker> She thinks for a while. 09:19 <tom> "Before you answer that, there's another thing." Bob wrings his hands. 09:19 <Quaker> “I think it would be best if you didn’t think of me as your friend, Bob.” 09:19 <Quaker> “Because I’m your partner.” 09:19 <Quaker> “One of them.” 09:19 <tom> "Sure. That's right." 09:20 <tom> Bob: "We have evidence suggesting some of Ruth's victims survived when the vampires stormed her hideout. I could follow up on it... But I don't want to if you're not okay with it." 09:20 <Quaker> “Friends can come and go and it’s no skin off your back. But we need each other to be on top of things.” 09:20 <Quaker> They’re definitely talking past each other. “What?” 09:20 <tom> Bob: "No, you're right. You're right." 09:23 <tom> "I meant," He kneads his nose, which is starting to turn a little flush in the cold. "You're right, we need to be functional. Which is why I'm not risking any more blowouts." 09:23 <Quaker> “You should probably talk to somebody.” 09:23 <Quaker> “Including your romantic partner.” 09:23 <tom> "I'm following up on it." 09:24 <Quaker> “Just a suggestion.” 09:24 <Quaker> “The people the Gardeners turned into vampires to take their blood?” 09:24 <tom> "They didn't, is the thing. Cutes-Cutsworth said they were breathing when they took them." 09:25 <tom> "I know it's only downsides to do anything about it." 09:25 <Quaker> “Who has them now? VI?” 09:25 <tom> Bob nods. "That's right. I want your and Aster's permission to try to at least send some feelers out- see if it's even safe to look into it." 09:25 <tom> "If it's not, we bounce. If you aren't cool with it, we don't do it." 09:26 <Quaker> “Huh.” 09:26 <Quaker> “So VI is just…abducting people now? Isn’t that a WASC thing? Violating one of their laws?” 09:27 <tom> "It makes sense to debrief them, find out what they know. After that... not a lot of happy endings." 09:27 <tom> He shrugs. 09:27 <tom> "I hope you don't feel like I'm trying to pressure you." 09:27 <Quaker> “But why would they debrief them if they already had Ruth?” 09:27 <Quaker> She waves her hand. “I’m thinking about it.” 09:28 <tom> "They could read their minds to tell if Ruth was telling the truth, I guess." 09:28 <tom> "They may simply not have wanted them to fall into anyone else's hands after seeing what they saw." 09:28 <Quaker> “Do you know who the people were? Specifically?” 09:28 <tom> "I've got files back at the Greybox." 09:29 <tom> "I know it's goony as fuck but I try to learn the names, just to... well it puts things in perspective, doesn't it?" 09:29 <tom> "I'm not here for the money. You know..." 09:30 <tom> "But that doesn't mean it's fair to put that on other people." 09:30 <Quaker> “It’s fine. I’m not really here for the money, either.” 09:30 <Quaker> “But from my experience, learning their names doesn’t help very much.” 09:30 <tom> "It just... that's a person, you know? They matter." 09:31 <tom> "I didn't used to think that. So it's a big deal." 09:31 <Quaker> “I know what you mean.” 09:32 <Quaker> “But overcorrecting isn’t the right idea, either. Not that you are. Just saying.” 09:32 <tom> "Sure." Bob takes out a piece of bread and tears off a chunk to throw at a curious crow rooting through the wet leaves in the grass. 09:33 <Quaker> “That’s something shitty about life. Catharsis looks easy in the movies. But…” 09:33 <Quaker> “Well. About the vampire thing.” 09:34 <Quaker> She scratches her nose. “I know Aster and Wellesley are already committed to it.” 09:34 <Quaker> “And they already know our names. It’s a bit too late for prophylactic measures.” 09:35 <Quaker> “But you were there in the little trial they had at the end of this last thing.” 09:35 <tom> "Well like," Bob licks his chapped lips. "This is the big revelation." 09:35 <tom> "I wanna try and save them... because you know... overcorrecting." 09:35 <tom> "But you aren't obligated to fall on that sword with me." 09:35 <tom> "So I don't wanna push it." 09:37 <Quaker> “Well, what I mean is…say they passed a death sentence on you at that trial. And that was that. Was there anybody in that room who could have done anything about it?” 09:38 <tom> Bob: "With Aster and Willie there, it wouldn't be without a few casualties on their side, I think." 09:38 <tom> "But yeah. Not much we could do." 09:40 <tom> "If it makes you feel better, officially the Victus are criminals in the eyes of the WASC, so we might be able to get some kind of official sanction... but I'd hope it doesn't come to that." 09:41 <tom> "I hope we can just find out Emily and her gang just wiped their minds and are preparing to set them free." 09:41 <Quaker> “Well. It’s not just a monster hunt with them. It’s a whole political thing. And you don’t have a patron. In fact, going about on your own, even with an official sanction, is just going to make all of them angry.” 09:41 <tom> "Yeah. We don't know enough. That's why I wanna play it cool, just ask a few people out on the margins if they know anything." 09:41 <tom> He shrugs again. 09:42 <Quaker> “There’s extra steps with vampires. Extra levels of really fucked up work.” 09:42 <Quaker> “Otherwise you just get your head ripped off.” 09:43 <Quaker> “Are you ready to do that?” 09:43 <Quaker> “Do you want to?” 09:43 <Quaker> “And there’s only going to be more stuff that you get pissed off at.” 09:43 <tom> "I wanna do what I gotta to bring those people home safe." Bob nods. 09:44 <tom> "But I won't do anything if you don't think it's worth the risk to the cell." 09:45 <Quaker> “That’s what I mean, though. Those people are going to be the very tippy-top of an iceberg. There’s always going to be something else with them. And to learn how to get around in their world, you’re going to have to take sides. It’s not a missing persons incident. It’s like, ‘yeah, I’d like to get involved in Syria circa right now.’ 09:46 <tom> Bob: "You know I'm always ready to dive in the deep end. That's why I'm asking the people I'm roped to first." 09:46 <Quaker> “I don’t know if you can actually retire from this job. But you definitely cannot retire from that job.” 09:47 <tom> "Yeah. Well, you already knew what my original retirement plan was. I'm not about that, but, I can't just let them disappear in the rear mirror now. That'd be... a betrayal of a really important promise to myself." 09:48 <Quaker> She smiles. “You know the funny thing? I’ve got something that would make you drop it.” 09:48 <tom> He looks a little wary. "Oh, yeah?" 09:48 <tom> He squints a bit, like he's not sure what he should be feeling. Trepidation? 09:49 <Quaker> “And I’ve definitely lied to you about something.” 09:50 <tom> Bob seems uncertain. 09:51 <tom> Swallowing: "What about?" 09:52 <Quaker> She pulls out her blue binder reading ‘C.W.I.’ and opens it, pulling out Document #25 and handing the top sheet to him. 09:53 <Quaker> ’12 interrogations of the subversive Celestino Izurieta — Interrogating authors: Cpt. E. Costa, Sgt. S. Linares — Integrity assured by R. Bonnard attached to I Corps — Sessions lasting from Jan. 3rd to Mar. 7, 1981’ 09:54 <tom> He squints stupidly, breathes on his hands to warm them; it barely helps, but he takes up the sheets of paper. 09:54 <tom> Is it all like that? He scans the document. 09:56 <Quaker> She just showed him the title page. He can see strange hand-drawn markings above the typed lettering. Little whorls and dabs, like larger accent marks. 09:57 <tom> He scowls, handing it back to her with a questioning look. "What's it mean?" 10:08 <Quaker> “R. Bonnard was a pseudonym for a French Army officer named Marcel Maignon. WW2 veteran and paratrooper. Reached the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Algerian War. Very ugly record. Very ugly. Big star in the SAC, the Gaullist paramilitary group. Went all over Africa in the 1970s. Worked all over with the Safari Club. Spent several stints in Argentina as a police and military trainer and interrogation specialist. ‘Interrogation.’ He kind of 10:08 <Quaker> faded away when the SAC got broken up in 1981 after a pretty ugly little internal fight went public.” 10:10 <tom> Bob shrugs. "Seems like a real piece of work." 10:11 <Quaker> “You’ll never guess which newly established board of directors he ended up on when he switched to the private sector.” 10:14 <tom> "You're right," he confesses, his anxiety mounting again. 10:17 <Quaker> “Le Group Cheiron?” 10:18 <tom> He raises his head, eyes flashing. "For real?" 10:18 <tom> "Hold on, what- where did you get this?" 10:24 <Quaker> “Where did I get the paper?” 10:26 <tom> "Yeah um, what... what's this about?" 10:29 <Quaker> “It’s just what it says it is. An interrogation of an Argentine prisoner, shortly before his execution. I got it from my father-in-law in 2002, when he was just my boss. It was a reward for an extremely difficult job. I followed up the leads as best I could through the years.” 10:29 <Quaker> “I lied to you about knowing the Cheiron Group.” 10:31 <tom> "You've worked with them, then?" 10:31 <tom> He just looks tired, not mad. 10:32 <Quaker> “No, not at all. I’ve hunted them.” 10:32 <Quaker> “The Cheiron Group is just a name, though.” 10:33 <tom> Bob realizes he's fallen into a hunched pose with his elbows supporting his chin. He sits up straight, narrowing his eyes slightly: "Why hide that? You know I'm not a fan." 10:34 <tom> "Shit, we could trade tips. You ever see what happens if fire hits a Vitriol Pump? Phew," he whistles. 10:36 <Quaker> “What do you think the Cheiron Group does?” 10:36 <tom> "I can only tell you what I saw..." 10:37 <tom> Bob tugs his collar. "It was pretty sick shit." 10:37 <tom> "I mean, I did some... research..." google searches. 10:37 <tom> "They're like big pharma, right. Merck? Drugs." 10:39 <Quaker> “Let me put it this way. You’ve seen all the vampires, all the wizards and everything. The ones who claim to run the world. You ever wonder what people like us get up to in the midst of all that?” 10:41 <Quaker> “The mummy cultists? The freemasons? Ex-TFV? All the people who have seen something but get cut loose? Like a shipping container falling off a ship. They don’t disappear.” 10:41 <tom> Bob is starting to worry again. 10:44 <tom> "....So?" 10:45 <tom> "Do you know something?" 10:45 <Quaker> Badawi takes the paper back. “If you talk to the mages they’ll tell you all about the War in Heaven. But there’s a war in Hell, too.” She puts her things away. “Cheiron is in England, isn’t it? Or in Europe, at least. Just a thought. If you want to overcorrect in the right direction.” 10:45 <Quaker> “I used to know something. Then I moved to England.” 10:46 <tom> "Yeah. They're all over. I have been informed not to start a war." 10:46 <Quaker> “Why?” 10:47 <Quaker> “There’s already a war.” 10:47 <tom> "Aster and the others would rather stay out of it." 10:47 <tom> "I get it." 10:47 <tom> "But..." 10:47 <tom> Bob, smiling. "If you ever need help hitting them... job or no, I'm in." 10:48 <Quaker> “They’re welcome to stay out of it.” 10:49 <Quaker> “But I work for my House, at the end of the day.” 10:49 <Quaker> “Just something to think about. I’ll see you around, then. Got to fill in for a volunteer shift.” 10:49 <tom> He taps out a little ditty on the bench. "Oh uh, one last thing." 10:51 <tom> "Uhmm..." he rubs his neck. "Mari's starting her first like... medical practice next month. I want to move outta the city but all we've got to drive is the truck, and she's not super comfortable with it..." 10:51 <tom> "I was thinking about asking if I could hire Amjad to drive her but... he probably thinks I'm a real fuckhead, huh." 10:52 <Quaker> “Amjad works for me and isn’t interested in working for anyone else.” 10:53 <tom> He nods. "All good. See you around, Badawi." 10:53 <Quaker> She thinks about it. 10:53 <tom> He gets up and brushes the crumbs and loose thyme off his jacket. 10:54 <Quaker> “I’ll ask if somebody from his Islamic Center wants the work. Lots of aunties who would be happy to help a young Muslim doctor and get paid doing it.” 10:54 <tom> "...Thanks. I mean that." 10:54 <tom> "I'll go one and half the standard rate. I've got cash now, get someone reliable and... really nice." 10:55 <Quaker> “Then I’ll ask him if he knows a really nice auntie with a car.” 10:55 <tom> The remaining disks of seedbread go to the birds, which have been slowly gathering around the dumb American and his bread. 10:56 <Quaker> She waves goodbye. “Hwyl for now.” He can watch her cross the street and get into the van, which shortly drives away. 10:58 <tom> "Later, Badawi." He gets up and, unless there's anything more from Angostina, he'll head off. He walks off down the road past Amjad's van. The man gets finger guns as Bob reaches up to snatch a matte-black drone as it swoops down from above. He clucks his tongue and folds the wings into his backpack on his way to the bus station. 10:58 <tom> She didn't shoot him after all! Great success!