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Post by reasonably_crazy on Aug 9, 2005 20:38:10 GMT -5
I'd imagine.
how can I contact, these friends, by the way? Not that I'm interested in mining info from them, or anything...
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Post by Hobbit-eyes on Aug 10, 2005 12:40:18 GMT -5
What kind of info would you want?? There's nothing terrible in there.
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Post by reasonably_crazy on Aug 10, 2005 14:37:52 GMT -5
There's not? Oh. Well, never mind then.
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Post by Hobbit-eyes on Aug 11, 2005 10:07:59 GMT -5
riiiight....
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Post by Hobbit-eyes on Aug 11, 2005 10:10:47 GMT -5
Evil plotting time!
“Of course, it hasn’t been all my work…” said Bastus, wiping away a fake tear of laughter, “Mantio here, as the King’s personal minister, has raised the taxes several times to anger the peasants even more, and has had to keep him from receiving response messages from the villages which he hasn’t even visited…”
“And may I say, from reading the intercepted messages themselves, our plan seems to be successful so far,” added Mantio with a satisfied smile, “The King’s double has managed to cause much more trouble in the villages than there was before he even visited them.”
“Is he subtle about it?” asked Ronim. His voice was smooth, like black velvet, and Ada wasn’t sure whether she liked it or not.
“Of course, sir. Riots are on the increase – and thanks to our planting of ‘leaders’, the villages are learning that the best way to conquer is to unite,” said Mantio triumphantly. Ada clapped a hand to her mouth to keep from gasping – a conspiracy within the government itself? She listened even harder, trying to commit everything she heard to memory.
“Good,” said Ronim, his tone no longer light but suddenly serious, “But the rest of my ‘party’ do not believe we are moving fast enough.”
She saw Mantio and Bastus glance at each other uneasily. “Faster? But if we organize the peasants any more, the other ministers will begin to suspect higher help-”
“Which is why we must move almost immediately to our next stage of the plan,” said Ronim firmly. If possible, Ada’s ears pricked up even more as she heard Mantio and Bastus gasp slightly in surprise.
“The next stage?” said Bastus in shock, “But we are nowhere near ready, the government is not unstable enough, we have not asserted ourselves-”
“Mantio,” said Ronim disdainfully, “Do you think we are ready?”
Mantio seemed to be choosing his words carefully – or trying to think of the answer. “I think we need a few more ‘crises’,” he said finally, “To allow us time to become indispensable to the government… but I’d say we can proceed to the next stage within three months?”
“Three months?” exploded Ronim, making Mantio and Bastus step backwards in alarm and Ada subconsciously edge away from him in fright, “My people are growing impatient! Do you know how long-” He stopped himself, and took a deep breath. When he next spoke, he sounded calmer. “Make it two months,” he said, “My people will help to speed it along, of course… is the peasants hiring mercenaries from Hespera a crisis enough?”
“But they haven’t hired mercenaries,” said Bastus in confusion.
“Not yet,” said Ronim, and from his voice Ada could tell he was smiling in satisfaction. Mantio laughed, and Bastus followed suit a little more hesitantly. “May I ask, what children does the King have?” asked Ronim, in a light tone once more.
“He has two daughters, and a son,” replied Mantio.
“Just one son?” said Ronim, “Interesting… and how old are the daughters?”
“One is seventeen, and one is eight,” said Bastus, and added, “Neither are married…”
“You read my mind,” laughed Ronim, “Now, I will need you to search for a suitable occasion… any large meetings coming up, where we are likely to be unnoticed?”
“The annual visit of the Nirian ambassadors,” said Mantio, “A large conference followed by a ball… plenty of people milling around.”
“Location?” asked Ronim.
“His country manor,” said Bastus with a smile, “I will suggest it myself.”
“Wonderful! I like this man already,” said Ronim, “When is the conference?”
“Four months,” replied Mantio.
Ronim laughed. “Diveles Eve… how fitting. We must be ready by then. I will sort out contacting these – ah – mercenaries, and you must continue with asserting yourselves into the government.”
“Already well on our way,” assured Mantio, “Bastus is making bribes here and there, and I myself am making close friends with the Chief Minister.”
“Don’t make too close friends, we can’t have a scandal on our hands,” laughed Ronim, “Speaking of scandals-”
“My son, meanwhile, is making very close friends with the Prime minister’s daughter,” said Bastus, winking.
“Very good… how old?”
“Just twelve.”
“Ah! The first love is always the sweetest – and the most painful,” said Ronim, “Gathering evidence, I take it?”
“Due to be revealed any day now. And, of course, when the prime minister is sadly forced to resign in disgrace, who will be next in line for the position?”
“Why – the King’s personal minister, isn’t it?” said Ronim, raising a hand to his mouth in mock shock, “Why, that would be you, Mantio!”
“Of course, I will reluctantly accept my position,” said Mantio solemnly, “And give it up when a new candidate can be found…”
“I think I can imagine some friends of mine who would be eager to take the role,” said Ronim, laughing.
Ada was starting to wonder whether she really had knocked herself out when she fell over and was dreaming all this. A conspiracy – treason – being plotted just two metres away from her? It didn’t seem normal. She hoped that they would stop talking soon so that she could get back to the bonfire in case people came looking for her.
“I can see you have this under control,” said Ronim when the laughter subsided, “But all the same, I am sending someone to join the government and oversee everything. They ought to be arriving within a week.”
Mantio and Bastus’s laughter stopped immediately. “But-” said Mantio.
“I assure you that’s not necessary-” blustered Bastus, “We have everything under control-”
“Really? If you had this ‘under control’, this would already be over,” said Ronim sternly, “But perhaps if you think you have this so ‘under control’, the Alliance could withdraw its support? Its supplies? Or perhaps we could go to the King, and let him know how hard two of his ministers are working for a ‘brighter and better tomorrow’?”
Mantio and Bastus did not reply. “My friend will be arriving by the end of the week,” said Ronim, in a quieter and yet somehow more threatening voice, “Mantio, you will fall ill and be forced to leave the tour and return to the capital, where you will introduce them to the rest of the government as a new minister, promoted from local management by the King to help with the revolt. And Bastus – you will suggest to the King tomorrow about what a good idea that would be, so by the time he arrives back he will be under the impression it was all his idea in the first place.”
“Yes, sir,” murmured Mantio and Bastus nervously. Ada couldn’t blame them.
“Good!” said Ronim, bright and cheerful again, “Now, you’d better get back to this party or whatever is going on back in that field – what’s happening?”
“Nomafya night,” said Mantio, “Performances and dancing girls and the like…”
“Nomafyas, eh?” said Ronim, in a thoughtful voice, “I’ve heard of them… masters of fire and darkness, aren’t they?”
“That’s what they’re called,” said Bastus, a smile daring to creep back onto his lips.
“Amateurs,” said Ronim scornfully. Ada saw him look around and instinctively shrank back. “Well, I wonder where Storm has got to…” he said thoughtfully.
“Storm?” asked Mantio.
“My… associate,” said Ronim, after considering which word to use, “I don’t think ‘pet’ quite fits.”
“Storm’s an animal?” said Bastus, trying to sound interested, but even Ada could see he was quite nervous.
“Oh yes,” said Ronim, “One of the rarest… a lupunox.” He raised his voice. “Storm! Where are you, you silly creature?”
Ada froze in fear. Lupunoxes were almost legendary, renowned for their sense of smell and vision in darkness. In fact, most people thought they were legendary – they hadn’t been seen in Fallamor for over a hundred years, but Nomafyas still told horror stories of them to their children to keep them from straying from the fire. Ada had assumed that, however dangerous and terrifying lupunoxes were, they belonged in the darkness of stories – but she could already hear the heavy pad of feet in the darkness coming towards them.
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Post by reasonably_crazy on Aug 11, 2005 14:46:55 GMT -5
Oh goody. A big supposedly-nonexistant creature with a great sense of smell! Spectacular!
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Post by Hobbit-eyes on Aug 11, 2005 15:08:24 GMT -5
Bonus points to those who can translate the Latin roots!
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Post by reasonably_crazy on Aug 11, 2005 22:22:35 GMT -5
Oh! So on it! Lupu- as in dog or wolf... and nox as in dark or night...
Right? I've never taken a latin class in my life.
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Post by Hobbit-eyes on Aug 12, 2005 5:04:42 GMT -5
Yes, that IS right! Very well done.
At first I thought it was way too unsubtle, but then I re-read Harry Potter...
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Post by reasonably_crazy on Aug 12, 2005 15:54:48 GMT -5
LOL.
HP helped me out some. Latin runs rampant through those books.
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Post by Hobbit-eyes on Aug 13, 2005 13:58:48 GMT -5
I know it does. Though it did make reading HBP interesting. I mean, I guessed what Felix Felicis and Levicorpus both did before Harry found out, and when I first read the sectumsempra spell, I immediately tried to to remember what Latin roots it must be from... then realized I was losing valuable reading time and gave up.
Was extremely shocked to find out, btw.
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Post by reasonably_crazy on Aug 14, 2005 1:02:35 GMT -5
yeah- me too. I like it, though. It makes me feel more smarter.
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Post by Hobbit-eyes on Aug 14, 2005 7:33:12 GMT -5
It meant I won the school 'Harry Potter' quiz, anyway... did you know that 'Furnunculus', the warts spell, translates as 'oven hook'?
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Post by reasonably_crazy on Aug 15, 2005 12:13:02 GMT -5
*snerk*
No, I didn't know that...
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Post by Hobbit-eyes on Aug 16, 2005 14:18:45 GMT -5
Well, ya do now.
You learnt something today! Feel special!
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