SECONDARY QUEST- Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained

Par was back in his rich clothes, facing the Matron of the establishment, taking the measure of her body language; it was clear that she was a powerful woman, one who knew how to use her authority and her knowledge of the city's secrets.

"Why, Bourbon would be nice," spoke the merchant, courteously taking the glass, "and yes, both your boys and girls have taken care of me well." He then looked around. "You must maange them well." A smile and a sigh.

"But, you must already have your suspicions as to why I wanted to attract your attention with this expenditure of wealth." Okay, maybe the Madame didn't, but she surely had them now. A soft stare.

"You see, my parents were killed by the Order back when they were Anti-Trade, and the Order snubbed me when I tried to bury the hatchet with them. This left me to join...a certain faction that would normally be bad for business. And they have an interest in your establishment, the information that can be gleaned from it, and, of course, a certain client." A small wait for the look of shock, disbelief, and displeasure that would grace the Matron's face.

"Sadly, yes, I am here about Ney." Par actually looked sad.

"The Revolution wants him to be their new Minister of Science, and is prepared to use any means, including force, to make sure that he could not be blackmailed by anyone else other than them." Okay, that was made-up, but [i]could[/i] be the truth. "However, I myself do not want the deaths of so many people on my conscience, so I am offering this better deal." 

"I fill in Ney's business, fill in any shortfall that his loss will give you, as well as give you a direct conduit to Napoleon V herself, so as to avoid any more unpleasant conflicts of interest. I will also personally guarantee the safety of this establishment from any measures taken by the Revolution against the Milloux District in the coming war. In fact, I am even prepared to put in a downpayment of 200 caps in order to show that I am financially solvent enough to follow through on my promise." Par didn't know that he couldn't count on Vicksburg anymore.

"So, what do you think?" Par opened his arms wide, giving the Madame a view of his (admittedly clothed) body.

[Cha 9], [Lady Killer] 

[@Ordure], [@Ulstermann]