The History Of Trade

Liz walks downstairs, dressed in that party dress and looking about 22.

Liz sticks her head in the kitchen. "Marath, have you seen Shannen?"

Marath is - it being the supper rush - somewhat busy. She looks up, and shrugs. "Might have gone out. I'm not sure. She's a grown woman. Angel. What the ever."

Liz says "Right. Thanks."

<> Shannen bets some people would argue the 'grown' part.

<> Hitherby says "Shannen is organically grown and naturally caffeinated."

Liz phones Shannen's coffee house.

<> Shannen says "The apartment or the shop? :)"

<> Liz says "Both, until she gets her or runs out of numbers."

<> Demiurge says "In that case, a telephone near Shannen rings."

Shannen idly stares at the ringing phone for a second *brriinng* *brriinng* before putting her book down and across the bed to life the phone from its cradle "Iiiiiiittt's ME!", plopping on the bed. *foomf*

Liz says "H'lo Shannen. It's Liz."

Shannen grins and goes back to leafing through the book "Hiya! Oh, hey, I'm sorry for not sticking around. I was bored and went to the park and then came here. Anything from Tania yet?"

Liz says "Nothing yet. Daimon is here. Azalea is here. I'm waiting for Tania."

Shannen hrms "Okay. Well.. How are Daimon and Azalea?"

Liz says "They're upstairs talking. I haven't heard violence yet."

Liz says "But it probably wouldn't hurt if you came back."

Liz says "I trust everything's all right at your coffeehouse?"

Shannen ohs softly "I guess I could. I'd have to get dressed properly.." a pause "..I could bring my book. And there's a park. So that shouldn't be any problem... Oh, of course! The coffee is good and fresh. Although I didn't check in on the shop this time. Erm..I can catch a bus and be over pretty soon, if you want."

Liz says "I can give you a ride. It'll be faster."

Shannen ohs and shrugs, sitting up on the bed "Well, okay then. I guess I'll be here. Erm, you know where here is, right? Oh..wait..that's a dumb question."

Liz chuckles softly. "Yes, I know where there is."

Liz says "I'll be there shortly."

Liz says "I'm dressed appropriately for the party, in case it happens, just so you know."

Shannen says "Okay! I'll be here! Ohh..hrm.. nope, don't need anything. Okie, I'll get ready. See you soon! Keeeeeeeeeeeep smiling!"

Liz says "'Bye."

Liz hangs up, leaves a note as to her whereabouts on the kitchen door, and heads for the car.

The car is there. Nobody has moved it.

Shannen puts her book down and hangs up the phone, before getting dressed for the party.

Liz gives the car a once-over before getting in and turning on anything.

<> Demiurge says "Per roll, please."

<> Liz says "May I add in my electronics skill?"

<> Liz says "Or for that matter, Engineering (they're both /1)"

<> Demiurge says "Okay. I'll assume you're lifting up the hood and all, then."

<> Liz would, carefully.

<> Liz rolls the d666 and gets 5 2 CHECK: 6.

<> Liz says "Oh boy I needed that /1."

The car is untouched. No wires, no bombs, nothing.

Liz puts down the hood, wipes off her hands, gets in, drives.

Sepharpigeon, on the roof, peers mildly down at Liz and her car...

Sephar ruffles feathers and settles again.

The drive across to Shannen's cafe goes safely.

Liz parks, checks around, walks over to the doorway to the department, assuming all goes well.

Liz is trying not to be paranoid, but is being careful.

<> Demiurge says "All goes well."

Liz rings the doorbell.

Shannen checks herself out in the mirror for a few seconds before skipping over to the door and opening it "Hi!"

Liz says "Hi Shannen."

Liz looks over Shannen

Shannen is dressed in a long, flowing skirt with a matching blouse. Both of which match her eyes as well(!) "C'mon in! Unless you want to leave immeditely. Erm, do you want some coffee?"

Liz says "I'd love some tea, if you have it."

Liz says "I left a note at the restaurant that I'd be here. With any luck, if Tania shows up, she'll call me."

Shannen looks down for a second "Tea. I think so." She opens the door fully. "Oops, sorry. Lemme check the kitchen."

Liz says "Surely."

Liz follows Shannen in.

Shannen closes the door behind Liz and skips over to the kitchen "Tea tea tea. No coffee? Why not?"

Liz says "Caffeine doesn't do anything for me, really, and I prefer the taste of tea."

Liz says "I sailed on some of the India Clippers in a former role, and I developed a taste for it."

Shannen ohs softly to herself, looking around in cupboards and pantries "Not much in the way of tea. I have my emergency supply of whatever plain stuff they sell in the grocery. Is that okay?"

Liz smiles. "I'll manage."

Liz says "My husband made a living as a ship's captain for close to forty years that way."

Liz looks around the room.

Shannen blinks a few times to herself and sets some tea up on the stove before making her way out "You had a husband?"

Liz smiles. "Two husbands. One before the other."

Liz says "The first was another angel in a role. Then he 'died' and I became a widow."

Liz says "I met John that way. He was an ambitious and talented lieutenant. He'd hoped to make captain but had neither the connections nor the money to manage it. A Servitor of Destiny pointed him out to me."

Liz sighs softly. "His fate was to be hanged as a pirate, I think it was."

Liz says "Instead I married him, and brought him in as captain on the ship I inherited from my husband, and we spent the next few decades sailing."

Shannen oohs softly, melting into a chair "You were married.." She curls up a bit in the chair "What..was it like?"

Liz says "It was surprisingly nice."

Shannen says "Surprisingly?"

Liz says "I was very young then, and I didn't believe I could be in a 'relationship' with anyone for that long."

Liz smiles. "My Choir is not noted for their long term perspective."

Liz says "John was, if anything, even more energetic than I was, though."

Shannen nods "Oh yeah. Right." and smiles "More energetic?", giggling softly to herself through a hand-covered mouth "Right."

Liz says "He always wanted to see the next horizon, the next port. I don't think the cargo much mattered to him. I handled most of the business."

Liz says "And he taught me about sailing and about the kind of care you need to survive on the high seas."

Liz says "Lessons, I might add, that are even more important when you fly."

Liz says "And he loved me, and I him. I think the only disappointment in his life was that we never had children, for the obvious reason. But he never blamed me, and never said a word about it."

Shannen nods slowly and thoughtfully, sighing softly "No children.. I know. Was it better than..your first marriage?"

Liz laughs softly. "My first marriage was something of a sham, Shannon. Enough to let me establish my role as the young wife of an older merchant, and allow said merchant, a very senior Servitor of trade, to gracefully exit his role and get on to the next long term assignment.

Liz says "It lasted, oh, about six months."

Shannen nods "So you weren't in love, then? That's.." she nods "I understand.", sitting back and frowning thoughtfully.

Liz laughs. "Hardly. He was more a teacher than a husband. A very good one, I might add."

Shannen smiles "So that's whom you learned to bargain with Lilith from? I must mention this to him sometime.."

Liz makes a face.

Shannen puts on a look of innocence.

Liz says "For that little mistake, I think he'd have made me do a decade's worth of penance in the most boring Tether in Canada."

Shannen oohs "You were in Canada?"

Liz laughs softly. "No.'

Liz says "England, to begin with, and then all over the Indian Subcontinent and the Pacific."

Liz says "Canada was my idea of Purgatory on Earth. Nothing ever happened there that I could tell."

Liz says "India... India was brilliant. All the colors of the world."

Liz says "The fastest ships, the most amazing trade. Smugglers of any stripe. You can't imagine."

Shannen oohs, leaning forward in the chair "I wish I could travel. I sometimes hate being stuck in one place.."

Liz says "In some ways, I was a better merchant then than I am now. More practice. Now days it's a lot easier, really. International standards. Customs. Even in the middle of a refugee evacuation, the U.N. wants their forms filled out."

Liz smiles. "I thought you got down to South America just recently.

Shannen nods "Yeah, but that was business." She closes her eyes and leans back, "I'd like..I don't know..You know.."

Liz says "To be in India?"

<> Eduardo says "... to have wild passionate monkey sex?"

<> Shannen YES!

<> Demiurge laughs.

Shannen opens an eye "No. But to see the world. Not on business. A vacation." She sighs softly and opens her eyes, smiling faintly "But we've all got jobs to do."

Liz nods. "We do."

Liz sets down her tea. "And, if you're ready, we should be getting back to Sistine's to see if Tania's there.

Shannen nods slowly and rises "Yup, we should. Do I look alright, do you think? I mean, I'm not that old anyway, but I don't want to appear any older." She grins.

Liz looks over Shannen. "You look fine to me. We'll see what Tania says."

Liz walks over to the door, waits.

Shannen follows Liz "Yup. Oh, it's going to be fun. A night of rampant socializing!"

Liz laughs softly. "If we're lucky, yes, that's all there will be."

Liz says "And if we're very lucky, a new product, perhaps."

Shannen nods and closes and locks the door "Well, yeah. Although I think a nice break would be good, too."

Liz says "I would welcome a new Trade opportunity as something very near to a vacation just now."

Shannen blinks "Well..erm.. different people!" and nods suddenly, smiling.

Liz smiles back, and unlocks the car for Shannen, and runs the same quick check she did before.

<> Demiurge says "No bombs visible, or other weird stuff."

Shannen slides into the car and relaxes into the seat.

Liz slides into the driver's seat, and, God and Physics willing, drives back to Sistine's.

They return safely.

---

Fiat Justitia