"Well, it's a small world." Remarked Julius, pointing to the cctv monitor. "Gabriel and the dear Ms Belvedere."

Eveshka looked up to peruse the image. "They do appear to be rather close, don't they."

"Yes." Replied Julius with an evil smirk. "What an exciting opportunity for a little fun. Shall we go and greet our visitors?"

"Julius, you are an evil man." Eveshka mused, with a raised eyebrow and the beginnings of her own smirk appearing.

Gabriel and Kathy were shown to a comfortable lounge. A collection of high backed armchairs were set up in a semi-circle facing a stack of AV equipment at the far end of the room. Julius stood near the door, ready to welcome the couple.

"Gabriel, good of you to come." Began Julius.

Gabriel nodded, "Julius Darrant, may I present."

"and Kathy!" Interrupted Julius. "So good to see you again." Julius took her hand and delicately caressed a knuckle with his lips. "How are you keeping?"

Gabriel mentally kicked himself. It hadn't even occurred to him that maybe Kathy knew Julius. Slowly he began to acquire a sinking, out of his depth feeling. What was it with this Tremere that he seemed to be always able to place him at a disadvantage.

"I'm well thankyou, Julius." Replied Kathy, wincing internally with sympathy for Gabriel. In all the excitement, he had neglected to mention that it was Julius they were to meet. "Was everything ok, after that incident in 'The Veils'?"

"They trashed my car, but all is well enough for now." Replied Julius amicably.

"Is that Kathy's voice I hear?" Said Eveshka, rising from where she had been seated, deliberately out of sight in one of the armchairs. Eveshka walked to the group, using just enough presence that it wouldn't be noticed, yet enhanced the gifts nature had provided her. Radiant, she embraced Kathy. "Wonderful to see you, my dear. And who is your little friend?"

Gabriel's head began to spin. He had walked into a Tremere chantry to deliver a taped report and ended up in some kind of Toreador social club, where everyone was old friends and he was the new boy. Kathy's mind, in turn was racing. The last time she had seen this pair together, was in Paris, where they had been followed by someone. Whatever had happened that night, she was sure it was connected with what was happening now. She glanced very briefly at Gabriel with apologetic eyes, extremely uncomfortable with the situation being created.

"My apologies." Said Julius mildly. "Gabriel, may I present the Lady Eveshka Shuvolov, Comtesse De Touraine. Eve, this is Gabriel O'Brien, Seneschal of Cascadia."

Eveshka extended a hand and almost mechanically, Gabriel took it. The name Eveshka was familiar to him, formerly Harpy to Prince Rhiannon and now apparently a Prince in her own right. Furthermore, here she was in Cairo and clearly in league with this turbulent Tremere. Once again, Julius had him off balance. It would take him a little time to work through the implications of all this.

Julius smiled broadly and gestured towards the chairs. "Now that we are all acquainted, what have you got to show me today, Gabriel?"

Gabriel merely stammered for a moment, nearly two centuries of social stature slipped from his grasp. For several heart wrenching moments he had lost his ability to act gracefully under pressure. Certainly he had been in worse situations, but something about these two was so.....stifling.

Especially the Toreador. So this was the infamous Eveshka? She didn't look human, the smooth fluid lines of her porcelain skin made her look statuesque. Finer than anything that man had ever produced or possibly even dreamt of.

They didn't seemed surprised at his silence, they almost looked as if they expected it. Gabriel wasn't about to give them that satisfaction. A wry smile pursed his lips as he feigned confidence.

"Well, as we discussed, I've brought the tapes from the digsite. Again, I must apologize for the delay in the delivery, but you've no doubt heard of the complications that arose..." Gabriel paused for a moment as he offered the envelope to Julius.

The Tremere didn't even glance at the parcel, but kept his eyes squarely on his guest. A mere wave of the hand brought an apprentice Tremere over to collect the tape from Gabriel. As the squire set about hooking up the adaptor to the VCR, Julius smiled.

"I've heard indeed Mr. O'Brien." The sick bastard was toying with him. Gabriel sighed, trying to sound remorseful. What was he doing?! He was no Toreador, there was no chance he could fool these two, they were reading him like an open book. Suddenly he felt way in over his head.

"Well, it cost me two valuable operatives...hopefully whatever information you've gathered in return will render their sacrifices worthy." he nodded and gripped Kathy's hand, wishing she was far away from Cairo.

The skin lit up with snow and then the soft green lighting of the desert landscape appeared. Julius watched, his face not registering any particular interest other than his general attention. From his side, Kathy shot worried glances at Gabriel, wondering why he was so petrified.

As for Gabriel himself, he sat doing all he could to contain torrents of blood sweat from cascading down his brow. It took all his willpower and concentration to hold back. That damned Eveshka....

She sat staring at him, never once even glancing at the screen. Her feline eyes gnashing at him, burning holes through his undead corpse. The screen returned to white, the photage ending just several hours before the choppers had arrived. The Ventrue heaved, stood up turning to Julius as he did so.

"Well Mr. Darrant," he said hesitantly. "I hope the tape has been of some value to you. Ms. Belvadere and I will leave you to your studies. Contact me when they're fin..."

"Actually Mr. O'Brien, you'll be pleased to know I've already uncovered several clues to our little mystery." Darrant took several steps towards the door leading to the mid section of the Chantry. "Perhaps you two would like to come have a look?"

It didn't seem like much of a question, more of a statement. Gabriel glanced backwards in the general direction of the room's exit. Eveshka sat idly by, her flawless legs crossed. She smiled a bit...and terrified Gabriel to the core. He turned back to Julius.

"Terrific." he said with a shaky smile.

Alqo walked with a degree of impatience. His courier hadn’t arrived as scheduled. If he didn’t get the package before dawn, he’d have a lot of explaining to do to his buyer, Carlos. He headed towards the shanty town district. Hoping he’d intercept his courier there. He couldn’t have known that death had come to the shanties.

The growling seemed to come from everywhere at once. Alqo laughed it off at first, as the snarlings of a frightened stray. He yelled, thinking the sudden sound would send the dog running. It didn’t.

As he crossed the dirt tracks that fed into the tumbling, crumbling shantytowns, he heard it again. This time it sounded closer, more aggressive. He spun on his heels, trying reluctantly to find the source of the sound.

From behind a fallen sheet of corrugated iron, death stepped on four clawed feet.

[i:82c620b4ca]“Mictlantecuhtli!”[/i:82c620b4ca]

The hound rose it’s massive head, terrible fangs glistening in the air’s humidity. It tensed sleek muscles, readying itself to spring as Alqo started to run. It’s paws extended claws, catlike, increasing each foot’s purchase on the sodden soil.

Alqo’s heart thundered in his chest as he scrambled into the dilapidated village of wood, iron and plastic sheeting. His feet tripping him as he heard the roar in his ears. He never saw his attacker again. Only feeling the sharp pressure in his neck as it brought him down like a defeated Impala.

By dawn’s light, Calder sat in the belly of a plane. His journey to vengeance had begun.

-------------------------------------

The drive from Cairo International had taken place just after dusk. Cairenes scurried to and fro, heading home from long days in offices and the bazaars. The streets were bristling with life, thousands of dark figures moving and standing like the bristles on a dog’s back. The car drove in staggered movements towards it’s own destination. Standing proudly and defiantly against the distant squalor of the less prosperous corners of the city the Le Meridien Pyramids Hotel was a welcoming sight to the travel weary passengers.

Kachuran climbed out first, his suit clashing with the tribal piercings and tattoos that covered his brown face. He ordered the luggage to be taken to the suite before turning his attention to his irritable master.

Calder sat bolt upright. His face was creased with the annoyance of such a prolonged journey. Granted he’d slept the majority of it, but the heat and the sand did his mood no favours. He stepped out as Kachuran held the door open. His silver eyes glancing here and there. He nodded with false satisfaction at the driver and followed his “man” to the hotel foyer.

Palm trees and pools of pumped, freshwater bubbled and roiled as he waited for Kachuran to check in and retrieve the ID card that served as both room key and identification. Kachuran smiled at his grim master, he could see the heat was irritating him. He himself had long grown accustomed with heat, but the dry heat of Egypt was a far cry from the humid jungle he’d stepped from.

They followed the bellhop to their room, Kachuran tipping him handsomely to secure his favours in the days to come. They walked into the expansive, sprawling suite. Calder stepping directly to the balcony as Kachuran unpacked a few essentials.

[i:82c620b4ca]“Kachuran. Leave those for now. The night is still young. Go and relax in the bar. I have things to consider.”[/i:82c620b4ca]

Calder turned his head only slightly, looking over his shoulder at the tribesman. He feigned a smile, but it appeared on his face like a slanted smirk rather than an expression of affection. But it’s appearance didn’t alarm Kachuran. He merely nodded before replying.

[i:82c620b4ca]“Yes Nun'yunu'wi. I shall be available if you need me.”[/i:82c620b4ca] He held up the small cell-phone and left in a false hurry. Calder had merely grunted before turning his attentions to the shower room. He felt sickly with the heat. Time to freshen up he mused.

If it was possible for a vampire to have a hangover, Morathi was coming close...

During the days waiting for her equipment to arrive she had indulged the wraith within her with a banquet of sensual experiences, such as the one she had just indulged in - feeding from the finest specially prepared mortal specimens that a setite could supply from her herd, the mortals having served their purpose had been ordered by their mistress to leave and give them privacy until called for again...

No doubt the Setite had obliged her considerable hungers thinking that she was helping corrupt another low-ranked Tremere from the stuffy academic and inexperienced bookworm type she had presented herself as into a creature that would be willing to betray her house and clan. A presumption Morathi was content to let the Setite believe whilst she was mixing business with pleasure, an exceptionally heady mixture that the wraith inside her was feasting on.

'Another' was the key word here, as part of her investigation of the occupants of the Cairo Chantry she had discovered certain errors in the archives records. Somebody had tried to use the recent flooding to cover the loss of several tomes on the basic principles of Rego Vitae. They were low level texts used as primers for young neonates, however Tremere were not the only kindred to know something of the magics of the blood, Assamites Setites and Tzimisce were high on the list of potential buyers of such information to supplement their own understanding of the art.

Morathi had quickly eliminated the possibility the tomes had been lost during Julius' breakout, the flooding had triggered protective measures in the archives that would have prevented such removal. they had been missing beforehand, and their loss reported when it was realised the archives would be carefully inventoried in the flooding's aftermath.

A quick unofficial check on the credit histories of the Chantry's occupants quickly highlighted those individuals that might need to use the tomes by way of barter, this was narrowed down to those with access to the relevant part of the archives, in fact the trail that had finally led Morathi to the setite she was currently being entertained by was depressingly too easy to follow, having clearly been well worn with repeated use. The offending apprentices would soon find themselves summoned to Vienna closing up the leak, meanwhile she was going to recover what had been sold...

Gently rolling in the embrace of her Setite 'Corruptor' she allowed herself to be kissed, teasingly letting her fangs brush against the intruding tongue just hard enough to suggest their owner was considering intentionally drawing the vitae from another vampire. An opportunity to corrupt a Tremere's blood bond that no good Setite could pass up. The Setite quickly opened her eyes to assess Morathi's intent. It was only then that the Setite realised her mistake as unprepared she gazed fully into the emerald depths of the eyes of an Astor dedicated to reclaiming House secrets. A brief contest of wills between the Setite and Tremere waged between their locked gaze, but Morathi's blood was stronger and the Setite had been caught offguard by underestimating the one she had attempted to corrupt...

Pulling out of the kiss with her now thoughoughly dominated victim, Morathi maintained eyecontact to preserve the domination as she collected her thoughts, as long as she was brief and made little noise she doubted the Setite's retainers would be aware of the peril their mistress faced. The retainers were probably weak from providing their service and resting, however Morathi relied on her auspex to warn her if they or anybody else attempted to evesdrop...

[i:89eb4ca07c]"Now listen very carefully... I have some very specific questions... You will give me very specific answers.... Depending on how helpful you are... I may make you forget you ever met me... Trust me... That is better than my other option..."[/i:89eb4ca07c]

Carefully and methodically Morathi interrogated her victim, extracting the location of the missing tomes, then having broken the Setite's mind for the moment, proceeded with the complicated process of rebuilding it to her desire, erasing the nature of her own involvement from the Setite's memories and in its place planting a false memory of the Setite having sold on the tomes to an interested buyer that she had entertained to explain their disappearance and the evening spent with Morathi. She then left the Setite to 'sleep' off the domination and remember her new memories of the evening...

*********
[b:89eb4ca07c]Later[/b:89eb4ca07c]

Her mission complete, upon her return to the Chantry she returned the recovered tomes to the Archives. Then made her way to report to Julius that she was ready to start on the special project he had assigned her, discovering Julius, Eveshka, Gabriel and an unknown woman in a meeting...

[i:89eb4ca07c]"Ah... Mr. O'Brien... So nice to see you again... I regret I was unable to join you earlier I had a prior meeting in town to attend..."[/i:89eb4ca07c]

Willing to wait until privacy presented itself to report to Julius she was ready to start her new project now that Willow had delivered her initial equipment, Morathi smiled as she gracefully sat next to Eveshka, and watched in bemusement as Julius offered to show Gabriel and his guest something...

[i:c322792ed5] Somewhere in Baghdad at the same time [/i:c322792ed5]

"Do we know who sent the Helicopters?" asked a voice from the shadows.

"No, Sire," answered a terrified man facing standing in a beam of artificial light. "We know they came from Israel, and if the tape feed from that Irishman are to be trusted, they most likely did not involve him as his man seems to be getting shot at as well."

"Rule nothing out," said the icy voice. "Anything from our friends in Cairo, have they made any inquiries?"

"It seems that the Comtesse and Pontifex Darrant have been making quiet inquiries into through their channels to ascertain just who DID make the strike," said the terrified man.

There was a moment of silence as the man in the shadows moved slightly, the merest bit of skin visible under a shroud. "Very well," said the shadowy figure. "Return to your duties."


[i:c322792ed5] Back in Cairo at the chantry [/i:c322792ed5]

Eveshka sat motionless with a soft smile lighting her features. Normally she would have put on a bit of a human affect to make herself look, well, more human. This time was different however. Over her long unlife she had developed the ability, through her finely tuned auspex powers, to nearly read minds. With weak the willed, including some Cainites, she COULD read minds. Gabriel however was not so easily tapped in to.

She could tell that he was hiding all sorts of information on the issue of the attack. He plainly knew something more about it than he led on, but she didn't quite know what. In the long run, if he WAS the one who destroyed the Tabernacle, it really didn't matter all that much. They would just use their slow methodical inquiries and find the next clue. In her mind, it was a win-win situation. He seemed overly distraught when dealing with Julius and she. Overly distraught minds tended to make rash decisions and suffer grave consequences.

KAthy on the otherhand.... what was she doing here? Eveshka was disappointed in her choice of pets. Kathy was quite lovely really, and Gabriel was, hmmmm, like a wannabe Sorenti. Though she'd always thought Sorenti to be an ass, he was a very cultured and refined ass who could actually get things done in an admirable fashion. Truth be told, the only difference between Sorenti and say, Tromador, was a conflict of interests. Gabriel, however, well he was no Sorenti, much less a Tromador. But he was fun to toy with. She kept putting mildly effecting him with Dread Gaze, not enough for him to know that it came from her, or to even know that his fear came from anything other than himself. It was just enough to make him very uncomfortable.

Eveshka stood and sauntered back over to the chair she occupied when Gabriel first arrived. She had enough of toying with the whelp, and started contacting some friends of hers in Israel to try and determine just who ordered the mission.

He slept for the greater part of the day. Kachuran had filled the bath with cold water, which over the course of the day had become lukewarm to the touch.

Calder had slept in the water. Pulling himself in so as to completely immerse his body in the cooling liquid. Kachuran however, had spent the day making enquiries. Firming contacts, and testing those seemingly affirmed by Evan before their trip here.

Kenamun it seems, had become aware that Ossian’s employer. A Mr. Calder, had survived the crash. He had begun to sever ties with his dozen or so dealers. The sale of drugs gave him a constant supply of money, the sale of rare artefacts gave him considerable financial boosts. So considerable, as to allow him to bask in luxury. The drug deals merely paid the bills.

Kachuran had tailed Thoth, one of Kenamun’s contacts to a club. The Haroun El-Rashid served as both a nightclub, and a favoured restaurant during the day. Thoth, oblivious it seemed, to the attentions of the khaki garbed tribesman. Only briefly checked for prying eyes before disappearing within the modern walls of the building. He faded from view as the glittering glass entrance shimmered, reflecting the sun’s merciless rays as the doors closed.

The disappearance prompted Kachuran to relinquish his pursuit. He headed for the bazaars, and after perusing the numerous stalls he settled on a small cafe. Since his emergence from the jungles, Kachuran had developed a substantially sweet tooth. He beckoned the waiter to his table, ordering a dish of Louqm al-qadi. The sweet doughy balls would wash away the gritty, sand taste in his mouth. And so he sat, two blocks west of the nightclub, watching the entrance with eyesight honed to a hunter’s perfection in the thick foliage of the Amazon. Chewing each ball slowly, he washed the syrupy taste away by drinking strong Turkish coffee. His acquaintance with Mr. Calder had exposed his palate to the “finer things in life”.

He smiled with self-satisfaction as Thoth re-emerged. Waiting for his prey to pass on foot, before the chase began again. Thoth led him to a number of “drop points”, before he left by taxi for Heliopolis. He climbed out of the taxi in the Empain district, named after the Baron who built Cairo’s Tram system. Kachuran sent a text message to his master’s cell-phone.

In the hotel suite, a wet, decreasingly black furred hand reached for the beeping phone. And shimmering eyes smiled as they read the message.

((nice posts! i want to post too, but i'm sort of at Julius' and Eve's mercy...and since Eveshka isn't planning on doing anything...

((I think it's a bit too presumptuous for me to have Eve do anything major at this point as i am the ST as well))

((wasn't intended as a slag Petey...was more a implication for Julius to post. :)

[i:decca8feb8] [b:decca8feb8] DATELINE SEPTEMBER 3, 2003. CNN HEADLINE NEWS: SHOWDOWN IN THE GULF [/b:decca8feb8]

After an unprecedented apppearnce before the United Nations, Prime Minister L____n of Israel seems to have convinced Egypt that Israel had no knowledge of a terrorist attack upon Egypt. Both countries have begun to work together to track down the parties involved and bring them to justice. Measures have been taken to facilitate inquiries as both countries' borders have effectively been sealed. Civilian Aircraft have been grounded. The only aircraft that are allowed up are government aircraft.

Russia has resumed air operations against Iraq. Turkey has not made an official statement as to its stance regarding the new developements. [/i:decca8feb8]


Eveshka sat the paper down again and telephoned Madame Guil on one of the Tremere's ultra secure encrypted lines.

"Julius and I have discovered that the orders came from within Egypt itself," said Eveshka to her Justicar after the preliminary niceties.

"I see," said the Justicar.

"Yes, but it was not made to look like any sort of attack to divert attention away from the war with Iraq. It almost seems as if it was just a particularly stupid move by someone interested in the Scroll," said Eveshka.

"Well, who do we know that is looking for it," asked Madame Guil.

"Who isn't," responded Eveshka. "Well, this fits no known pattern to the former players, it must be somebody relatively new, and relatively young."

"Who fits that description," asked the Justicar.

Eveshka was silent for a few moments. "O'Brien does, but I still can't imagine that he'd be as stupid as that."

A slight snigger came from Madame Guil, "Well, I think i will place a call to Lucinde and have her snoop around. The Vizer of Jerusalem has called for somebody's head before the Inner Circle today. He is in a real tizzy, let me tell you. It seems that everything is locked down and security, which was already high, has been made worse. Israel has declared Martial Law. Someone is going to fry." She continued laughing.

Eveshka said, "Well, it could be him, but I really don't think so."

"The Ventrue have ways of getting information from their minions. I shall urge Lucinde drop him a line. If nothing else, it will make the Vizier of Jerusalem happy if it seems they are doing SOMEthing," said the Toreador Justicar.

Ms. Troy had made an unexpected return, even surprising Eveshka and Julius to some extent. She elected to stay out in the viewing room with the Toreador however, and took her position by the door. The Toreador nobility herself sat chatting on a cellular phone. From the distance and volume of her voice the conversation should have been audible, but even though Gabriel was certain she was speaking English, he couldn't understand a word.

The smart blue three button suit he wore seemed to strangle him from all sides. He reached up to smooth out his nearly platinum blood hair, which even now was beginning to take on a scarlet tint as tiny droplets of blood sweat permeated his scalp.

[i:548f64c8d4]...no Sorenti....[/i:548f64c8d4]

The phrase blasted through his mind like an airhorn, apparently an offshoot of the Comtesse's thoughts. Gabriel's powers of telepathy and auspex were admirable for one his age, but he had difficulty believing he had the ability to tap into such a potent Toreador's mind, especially with no effort.

The tone of the phrase had been filled with hatred and disgust...nearly pity. Gabriel's temper flared. Apparently the Comtesse regarded him as a buffoon. He felt his undead pulse come alive, as scores of stolen blood heated for conflict.

He had no idea how she knew about his relationship with Sorenti, but it didn't matter. He wasn't about to allow some pompous age old windbag make a fool out of him. The faintest shimmer of gold flashed momentarily in his green eyes, like the sun reflecting off a passing car. His heart filled with rancor, Gabriel followed Mr. Darrant towards the door.

"Actually Mr. Darrant," he offered as they approached the doorway, "I'm sure Ms. Belvadere would much prefer to keep company with those of her own clan...and as they seem to know one another already it should be a comfortable environment."

Kathy raised her hand in protest, striding towards the two men. A stern look from Gabriel quelled her objections however, and being the perfect Toreador actress she was, she pulled off being content in the decision.

"Of course, I'd probably be bored to tears with your business. I'll stay here with the Comtesse." she turned towards Eveshka, who barely batted an eye. Apparently the stuffy methusaleh didn't care one way or another who stayed and who went. Her gaze caught Gabriel, and he could feel her cold eyes upon her.

More than anything else, he could sense her apathy. She probably wasn't concerned about him one way or the other, and it was driving Gabriel mad.
She went back to her telephone conversation, leaving Gabriel to burden the resentment.

As he disappeared into the hallway with Mr. Darrant, he could already feel the bitterness smoldering in his gut. There were few things Gabriel took more personally than an insult involving his mentor and patriarch, Sorenti. But the thought served as a silent reminder...he had indeed been shaming himself.

Sorenti had spent countless nights training the young Kindred, molding him into a mirror image of himself. At one time Gabriel had inherited that very cunning and calculation that made Sorenti so dangerous. But time spent away from the Elder had served Gabriel poorly. As he rose in the Cascadian ranks, he grew accustomed to the direction of brute force. The expenditure of resources became his primary weapon, instead of intellectual tactics of subtlety.

As he made light conversation with Mr. Darrant, he shuddered to think what Sorenti would make of his current predicament. He'd most likely burst in and apply the appropriate amount of pressure to have Gabriel and Kathy released. The Ancillae would be disgraced and then rebuked.

Gabriel stared hard at Darrant as they walked. The Tremere knew the score exactly. He was toying with Gabriel like a neonate.

[i:548f64c8d4]Very well Darrant. You wish to exercise my patience? You have my full permission. Do what you will with me, I will disgrace myself no further. I'll play your game and prove myself worthy to my Sire, my Clan, and most of all to you.[/i:548f64c8d4]

"But what do you think Mr. O'Brien?" Darrant said idly.

"I apologize Mr. Darrant, what was the question? I'm afraid I've been a bit preoccupied. All this activity with the digsite has greatly hindered my travel arrangements."

"I simply asked if you thought this situation with Iraq was necessary or if the coalition is making an error." Julius turned to his companion, who stared back, exuding a bit more confidence...whether it was justified or not.

"Oh on the contrary Mr. Darrant, sometimes conflict is the greatest necessity of all."

"Well then Gabriel." Began Julius after they were seated in a nearby office. "You asked me to see what I could learn of this scroll." Gabriel nodded slowly, wondering what Julius' next move would be. "I have come by a little information. You should know that this scroll appears to be a most obscure text, there are very few references to it, hard to find. Nonetheless, I am able to give you something."

Gabriel smiled, maintaining his outward facade. "Any help you can give would be appreciated, Mr. Darrant."

"Julius, please." Came the smiling reply. "First of all, I do not know what the text tells of. I do know that it was written in some ancient dialect of Farsi, yet encrypted with a cypher. It is possible that this cypher was once broken. All I can say on that score is that the scroll in all probability refers to some relic from the Shal-Ka-Mense incident detailed within the Chronicle of Shadows. I will not be able to say more, unless I have the scroll to work on directly." Julius paused a moment. "May I offer you a drink, Gabriel?" He asked at length.

Caught slightly off guard by this change of tack, Gabriel nodded vaguely, then answered, "A brandy, if you have one."

"Of course." Julius opened a cabinet and produced a bottle of Delemain 1959 cognac, pouring the liquid into two large baloons. "I hope this is to your taste." He continued, passing a glass to his guest.

Gabriel took a sip of his drink. He would need to purge his system later, but meantime, in this game of cat and mouse, appearances were everything. It was also excellent cognac and served to settle his nerves somewhat. "Exemplary cognac, Julius. Thankyou." Said Gabriel, savouring another sip.

Julius nodded, placing the bottle within easy reach. "You asked me also, if I could determine who might have an interest in this scroll."

"Yes." Replied Gabriel. "Did you have any success?"

"Beyond your enquiries and my own research, I have determined that there are a group of assamites who appear to have an interest. Two names I can give you. The first is one named Ali. I have no information on this character, save that he is likely very powerful and almost certainly high within the ranks of the clan. Frankly, the one sure thing I can say about this Ali, whoever he is, is that he is interested in the scroll. For what reason, I cannot say, but he desires it's secrets. The second is one Salah Al-Hudin. In his case, I cannot be one hundred percent sure if he is interested. I crossed his path in my past and certain coincidental occurrences could lead me to believe he has an interest. Indeed, he may even be connected with this Ali. Again, I emphasize I cannot be at all sure of Salah's interest, but it is just possible. About him, I can give much information."

Gabriel looked at his glass, realizing that he had finished the drink. Julius refilled the baloon. "So, what you are saying, Mr.. ah.. Julius, is that you know of one Assamite who wants the scroll, but nothing about him, and another Assamite you know much of, who may or may not want the scroll."

Julius nodded, "Together with ourselves, that pretty well sums up the interested parties I know of. I'm sorry I can't give you more at this time."

Gabriel nodded considering. This information was greater in both quantity and quality than he had expected. After all his contact with Darrant so far, he had truly expected to be fobbed off with more conundrums and Tremere riddles. All this, if it were true, was far more direct than he had hoped for. "Thankyou Julius." He answered sincerely. "I would appreciate your information upon this Salah Al-Hudin. I will consider if I wish to follow up on him."

Julius leaned back in his chair, fixing Gabriel with a gaze that seemed to pierce his body, examining the depths of his soul. "May I be frank with you, Gabriel O'Brien of Clan Ventrue?" He enquired.

Again a change of tack, but an intriguing one. The more Gabriel saw of this Tremere, the more layers there appeared to be to his personality. Gabriel placed his glass on the table. "By all means." He replied.

"If you are determined to learn more of this scroll, you will need allies. Allies of the right sort. Trust breeds trust and honesty is it's own reward. For my part, everything I have told you is true."

Gabriel shifted uncomfortably, immediately cursing inwardly for doing so, damn this Tremere and his oh so fine cognac! "I'm not sure what you mean, Julius." Yet he did. Even if Julius was not telling the whole truth, Gabriel could see in his eyes that he had, at least, told no lies. His own testimony, however, had been spiced with a few falsehoods.

Julius sighed. "As you wish, Gabriel. Then let me at least advise you of this. Private armies will attract the wrong kind of attention. Go softly and stay alive." Julius paused, a sad expression flowing across the handsome features for a moment. "And Gabriel. If you must lose operatives in this way, which to my feeling is a waste of good material, then please don't bring them here."

Gabriel winced internally. It didn't matter how he could do it, but clearly Julius could see right through him. Maybe the rumours were true and Julius did indeed have powers beyond the pale of your average Tremere, or maybe he simply had instructed some apprentices to search the car. Either way, he had lost another few points in the game.

Julius smiled, a little wistfully and a little sadly. "Shall we return to the ladies?"

Gabriel nodded. "Yes, thankyou for your time and the information, Julius."

"My pleasure Gabriel." Said Julius rising and moving toward the door. "Should you wish to visit me again, perhaps if you recall some details of recent events which you think may help me to help you..." He trailed off.

"I will consider your words." Gabriel told the Tremere Pontifex, who nodded, pulling an envelope from his jacket pocket. "Here is all the information I have concerning Salah, his habits and his haunts. I hope it may prove useful to you. Now, let's go back. Doubtless Kathy is concerned for you and I suspect Ms Troy needs to speak to me."

[i:db2de05d4f] The following day in Cairo [/i:db2de05d4f]

The phone at Eveshka's and Julius' haven rang. It was one of the ultra encrypted Tremere phones. Eveshka picked it up. "Hello," she said.

"We've found your culprite My Little Firebird," said the voice of Madame Guil. "The Grand Vizier of Israel did some digging around. His spies were also monitoring the tidbits of info that you stumbled across. Didn't you wonder why Israel and Egypt de-escalated so quickly?"

"The question had crossed my mind," said Eveshka with a touch of annoyance.

Madame Guil giggled. Getting a rise out of the tempestuous "Firebird" was one of her favourite past times. "Evidently," continued the Torrie Justicar. "He found tower logs and arming logs at Ben-Rizer for a mission placed from one young and impulsive Ventrue in Cairo named Gabriel O'Brien."

Eveshka merely rolled her eyes and listened.

"The basic plan was actually kind of neat, he used American made helicopters.... you know... those ones in all the Vietnam movies. Well, anyways, they were painted in the colour scheme of the Egyptian Army, not very pretty I am afraid." Madame Guil was enjoying this for some odd reason. Apparently she thought the whole thing to be incredibly funny. Eveshka did not, but humoured the Justicar anyways. It did not do for a mere Prince to piss off a Justicar.

"Anyways, they were never meant to be seen taking off from Israel. Unfortunately for Gabriel, with all of the tensions going on in the Gulf region at present, Egypt had agents watching all airbases around the border region. You can imagine the surprise when they saw Israelis changing the appearance of their helicopters to look Egyptian," said Madame Guil.

"So what did Lucinde have to say, if i may ask," asked Eveshka.

"Ohhhhh. That was the best part. She went into a tizzy that one of hers was the unfortunate bastard to have caused an international incident. Se is not pleased with Mr. O'Brien. She immediately called Morkalov, who immediately called Sorenti, who vouched that he would NOT have done anything like that were he under HIS watch still. She also assured her that O'Brien has great potential to serve Clan Ventrue and that to destroy him as she initially wanted to do would be a waste of a tremendous asset. He just needed tempering. He begged her to allow him to "temper" him a bit."

Eveshka gulped, glad that she was not one of Sorenti's "childer." He was nothing if not proud of his Line.

"But," continued Madame Guil. "She refused. She said that she would pay him a visit when it was practical for her. She also has sent word to him forbidding him to leave Cairo for the time being."

The conversation continued on a bit, eventually turning to events in France and the Royal Court, the antiquities of Egypt and Israel, and the parties and love making she had been engaging in with her Tremere hosts.


[i:db2de05d4f] A letter arrived at Gabriel's Haven in Cairo which read:

My Esteemed Seneschal of Cascadia,

It has come to Our attention that you have been involved in an "incident" that sheds a rather bad light on Our House before the Camarilla. You are to remain in Cairo until you are summoned before Us in Berlin. You will be summoned at Our good pleasure. Be thankful you have such a benefactor as Mess'r Sorenti to vouch for you else you would now be forever a part of the Egyptian sand to which you have shown a great affinity of late. Mark Our wishes.

Yours,

Madame Lucinde, Ventrue Justicar. [/i:db2de05d4f]

Gabriel looked at Tyler who handed him the note. A bead of blood sweat ran down his temple as he said, "Oh, fuck."

Gabriel was genuinely surprised in Julius. For all his obvious plotting and scheming, the Tremere was astoundingly straight foward. In a Kindred that was something to be admired. As the two walked down the hallway back towards the Toreadors, Gabriel considered his proposition.

The Tremere had seen through all of his falsehoods, and with apparent ease nonetheless. Perhaps it had been more futile than he had imagined to challenge a Tremere on his own ground. Still, the frankness in which he had dealt was refreshing. And no doubt, in this game the young Ventrue needed all the help he could get....

"Julius," Gabriel offered, glancing over at Julius with a cocked eyebrow, "I must commend you. I underestimated you."

Julius grinned, glancing down at the floor in mock modesty as the two walked. Gabriel continued.

"But then I suppose that's a fairly common occurence. The information you've provided me with may prove helpful...and for my part, I'd like to repay you." But how much to give...?

"Well, I apologize for the brusque tone in which I was forced to confront you in the matter..."

"Completely justified Julius." Gabriel cut him off. The two walked momentarily in a comfortable silence, either one measuring the other and wondering how sincere this conversation truly was. The Ventrue broke the silence at last. "I wonder if you and the Comtesse would be my guests tomorrow night. One of my business ventures is sponsoring a local boxing match which I'll be attending with Ms. Belvadere. Perhaps I could persuade the two of you to join us?"

"A boxing match?" Julius stated more than asked.

"Yes, a bit violent for my tastes, but I should like to show you exactly what we found at that digsite...to see what you make of it." Gabriel caught the twinkle in Julius' eye. So at last he had uncovered something that the Tremere had not known of.

"I'll discuss your offer with the Comtesse." With that, Julius opened the door to the waiting room, where the three women sat idly.

[i:202d4980af]The Following Evening[/i:202d4980af]

Kathy's soft heartbeat was soothing, exactly as she intended it to be as Gabriel lay upon her naked breast. He appreciated the gesture, most vampires didn't particularly care for reviving their heartbeat...painful memories he supposed.

At the moment, he feared that's exactly what he would become to Kathy if he didn't locate and summon Sorenti immediately. So despite his resolve to handle matters on his own, he found himself in the mercy of his Sire once more. Had the infraction been brought about by one of his underlings they would be staked and left for the sun by now.

"Have you any idea where he is?" Kay asked. It was the first word either of them had spoken is some time. Her voice wavered a bit, obviously she was concerned for his well being. He sat up slowly, basking in the moonlight, and tracing the sumptuous curves of her naked body with his fingers.

"Sorenti? I've no clue...who does?" He could not meet her gaze, his ridiculous ploy had placed both of them in danger.

"The Inner Council apparently does." she said. Gabe smiled slightly, half chuckling. "You're completely sure it's authentic? It's not just Eveshka toying with you?"

Gabriel could only wish. He had made some very expensive phonecalls to his connections. Lucinde was apparently fuming over the matter.

"It's real. I have to find Sorenti...and quickly...."


((okay, Eve's last post was supposed to take place THIS night...the night AFTER Gabriel and Kay went to the chantry. tonight, they're all supposed to attend the boxing match, if Eve and Julius agree to go.