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Pat pays the cabbie for fare to the Court.
<
The cabby promptly drives Pat and company to the Supreme Court.
Daimon simply follows Pat around, because he gets into less trouble that way.
Sarah, in the cab, composes her fax and does her best to scan a certain phrasebook.
Hitherby rotates a bug to look out the window, and feels confirmed in her belief that the world
moves around her.
Sepharmouse peers over Chephirah's shoulder at the phrase book.
Pat just looks out the window and waits.
The phrase book is, yes, for French.
Daimon peers at the phrasebook and says "Do you have the cheese in the bathroom" in
French.
The cab speeds through the streets of DC.
Sephar perks its ears at Daimon.
Sepharmouse sighs.
Pat pages: What're the odds that I could borrow an artifact of Corp Tongues in the Spires?
Sarah says mildly, "Beg pardon?"
Daimon says in French, "Excuse me sir, I cannot find my liposuction. Did you leave it with your
hair?"
Hitherby hums, "Excellent, Daimon. No one will be able to distinguish you from the other
American tourists."
Sepharlabrat hurumphs softly and starts to sing Corp Song of Tongues in the Lab.
<
You paged Pat with 'Depends on how long you want to spend explaining why you want it and
giving a report.'.
Pat pages: Eeeek.
Daimon laughs, and says, "I lived in France for a while, Hitherby. And then again right after
World War II. And there was the bit in Tunis, but that didn't last long. I'm rusty, but not that
rusty."
>From afar, Pat is willing to take that risk rather than rely on Daimon for translation.
You paged Pat with 'Fair enough. ;)'.
The cab jolts to a stop in front of the Supreme Court. The cab driver is clearly convinced you are
all expert witnesses.
Hitherby clicks disappointedly.
Pat tips the cabbie, and steps out without thanks.
Sarah steps out with thanks, and with the phrasebook. AND the fax.
Sephar rides Sarah's shoulder out.
The cab vanishes round the corner.
Hitherby rides Daimon's hair out. Comfy. Stylish.
Daimon just follows everyone out, thinking about wine and drugs.
Pat doesn't feel like tromping through the mortal entrance, so leads the way around to the side
door.
Sarah tucks phrasebook and paper away, and does her best to keep Sephar less than /entirely/
obviously noticeable as she follows Pat.
Hitherby murmurs, "I'm going to drop host; no sense leaving a swarm hopelessly lost in the
Supreme Court."
The Soldier just inside the side door - known to Pat - gives him a nod as he enters. "Looking for
anyone in particular, sir?"
Pat nods to the Soldier. "The stairs."
Daimon is looking for his mojo groove, but he doesn't say that. He just thinks it.
Hitherby, not hearing a "No! Terrible idea!", escapes Daimon's hair and leaves the host just before
entering the building proper.
The Soldier nods, and makes a note, then points Pat towards the Tether-locus.
Sarah says mildly, "I'd be greatly obliged if I might be able to send a fax beforehand, as well."
The Soldier says, "Certainly, ma'am. There's a fax machine in the office just there." He nods to
the room through to one side.
Sephar hms quietly, "Sarah, I think I'll put my mouse in your Vessel's pocket and when you take
your Vessel out on the otherside, I can get the mouse back. Would that be okay with you?" as
they walk to the fax.
Sephar says "I've done it with Daimon's Vessel before, so it seems to work."
Daimon just wanders into the building proper, humming a little bit.
Hitherby drifts along with the others, hoping not to accidentally stun someone important.
Sarah agrees, "Certainly, Sephar," and removes a pen from the pocket to make way for a
mouse.
Sepharmouse wiggles its way into the pocket happily. Calls out, "Thankyou!" from within the
depths.
Sarah nods to the Soldier as well. "Thank you very much."
Luckily, the couple of people that Hitherby passes either don't see her or can cope with seeing
her.
Sarah, if there are no objections, goes and sends her fax.
Sarah pages: To /Tether staff/, thank you, not random Library of Congress machines :)
The fax goes through, and prints off a confirmation slip.
Pat leads the way to the Locus and waits patiently for Sarah to finish her business.
The Soldier says, to Sarah, "No problem, ma'am."
Daimon accomplishes looking distracted.
Sarah takes the confirmation slip, checks it, and disposes of it, then catches up with Pat.
<
The two humans who are on today's duty of guarding the Tetherpoint nod to Pat, and stand aside,
letting him and the others enter the office that is the endpoint.
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Pat rolls his neck. "Shall we?"
Hitherby sings, "Certainly."
Daimon sticks his hands in his pockets. If this is ascent or descent there is no sign.
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Sarah smiles to Pat, and nods slightly.
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Sarah also assumes Celestial form, putting on lion-shape and wings.
Sephar bursts into silver cloud. A little one, to match the size of the mouse.
Daimonique looks around with detached interest.
Hitherby sneakily fluffs around Daimon for a moment!
Hitherby then whirls away.
Mazpatiel turns its eyes upwards, and in an eyeblink is gone from this plane.
Sephar flashes and then is gone to follow.
In Heaven, Mazpatiel steps into a room of ivory and gold, with Dominic's sigil embossed upon
the wall and shining bright. The Cherub guard, a winged rhinosaurus, rumbles a greeting.
Chephirah half-hovers, wings stretching, and turns her shaggy head toward Daimonique.
Hitherby moves all her eyes and mouths to her underside and *blows!* Whoosh! Knocking herself
right up into Heaven.
Daimonique has her hands stuffed in her suit pockets, a mimic of her last stance on Earth. She
looks neither happy nor sad, simply detached. And willing to silently follow Mazpatiel.
Mazpatiel nods to the Cherub, noting "I bring Chephirah of Destiny, and Sephar and Oboth of
Lightning and Animals." Daimonique needs no introduction. Gossip is efficient.
The Cherub lowers its horned head. "It is so noted. Walk in justice."
Mazpatiel nods again, leading the way out.
Hitherby basks. Heaven. She doesn't even make fun of the potential ambiguity in Mazpatiel's
comment.
Chephirah follows Daimonique, bringing up the rear.
Daimonique follows Mazpatiel in silence.
Hitherby tags along.
Sephar follows Mazpatiel cheerfully.
The corridors are pale ivory and white marble, veined with gold. A bead curtain in red and blue
clatters as the group moves past it.
Sephar blinks mildly at the bead curtain.
Hitherby pokes the curtain with a finger.
Mazpatiel blinks, peers into the doorway blocked by the curtain.
The Mercurian in the office beyond calls, "Can I help you?"
Daimonique eyes the beaded curtain with interest. Finally, someone in this place with a little bit
of taste in decor.
Hitherby looks embarrassed and hides her poking hand.
Mazpatiel says "Our apologies."
The Mercurian says, "Is it the curtain? I was told they were coming into fashion."
Chephirah twitches an ear, blinking slightly.
Mazpatiel looks as pained as a space alien can.
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Daimonique breaks into a fairly wide grin, and shoots Pat a look of moral victory.
Hitherby says, "It's excellently stylish."
Daimonique says "It certainly is."
The Mercurian goes back to his work.
Sephar nudges people on, gently.
Chephirah says aside to Daimonique, as she pads ahead at Sephar's nudging, "Curtains?"
Hitherby floats forward.
<
Daimonique says "Very 70's retro. Next thing you know, lava lamps will catch on."
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Hitherby floats high and does upside-down handsprings along the ceiling.
Chephirah looks as puzzled as she can manage, given her current features, though not everyone
is skilled at interpreting ear and tail positions.
Mazpatiel says "Heaven forbid."
Chephirah says "I suppose for Fire, perhaps..."
Daimonique says "Heaven doesn't forbid. I saw them on sale-"
Mazpatiel gives Daimonique quick directions to the terminal point of the Louvre. "I will meet you
shortly."
Hitherby peers around. "Did this thing get built by an Archangel or did it just appear when God
wanted it to?"
Chephirah tips her head to one side. "Very well, Mazpatiel."
Chephirah pauses, and blinks mildly at Hitherby.
Daimonique says "You know, I have no idea Hitherby."
Hitherby finishes a handspring, and instead of doing another simply looks down at Mazpatiel with
some curiosity.
Mazpatiel says "I never thought to ask, Oboth."
Daimonique follows the directions.
Chephirah follows Daimonique following the directions.
Mazpatiel takes its own path, heading for the equipment storage wing.
Hitherby says, "It might be interesting to know," and then scurries off after Chephirah and
Daimonique.
Chephirah agrees, "I should imagine so."
Sephar hrms, looks at Pat, then at the rest of the group, then just follows the main group
quietly.
Daimonique figures that Pat is off doing some unfathomable Elohite foo.
Hitherby confides to Sephar, "He probably had to get his French hat and fake moustache."
It is easy enough for Daimonique to follow Pat's directions, to where a wolfish Cherub guards a
Tether-endpoint room.
Sephar says "Hm... and the European style trenchcoat?"
Chephirah nods toward the Cherub, deeply.
Hitherby bobs vigorously. "And a baguette."
Hitherby says "For camouflage."
Sephar bobs a Kyriotate bow to the wolfish Cherub and chuckles at Hitherby.
Daimonique gives the Cherub a vague self-conscious grin and says "Hi."
The Cherub returns the nods, and growls, "Ahh. Daimonique, this party is with you?"
Hitherby rolls in place, acknowledging the Cherub as well.
Daimonique says "More or less. More I think then less. We're missing one."
Hitherby says "Have you seen him? He's very nondescript."
At the equipment storage wing, another Elohite sits at the requests desk. It looks up with pale
blue eyes as Mazpatiel approaches.
The Cherub rumbles, "I have no idea whether or not I have seen him, as I don't know who he
is."
Mazpatiel nods to its sibling. "My duties are taking me to a new area of Earth. I have no working
knowledge of the common language there."
<
Hitherby sighs slightly.
The Elohite considers. "Unfortunately, we are currently a trifle short of transducers. The best that
I can manage is a talisman that will let you understand languages, though not speak them."
Mazpatiel nods. "I have others with me who can speak as necessary."
Daimonique says to the Cherub, "Um, an Elohite. He'll be along shortly."
The Cherub nods, and settles back on his haunches. "Urgent business?"
Hitherby bobs, remaining low for a good three seconds.
The Elohite nods to Mazpatiel. "Please fill in your name and details on this form while I fetch
them." It passes Mazpatiel an ivory tablet, then heads into the racks of equipment.
Daimonique says "More or less. And once again, more then less."
Mazpatiel begins filling out the form. Just another day in the life of a Dominican.
The Cherub shrugs a wing. "I await it peacefully."
Chephirah rumbles a soft, brief purr.
The Elohite emerges just as Mazpatiel is finishing filling in the form, and offers him a pair of what
look like tiny hearing aids. "Insert these when you are corporeal."
Daimonique shifts her weight from foot to foot.
Mazpatiel takes the devices, and slides the completed tablet over. "Thank you. I will return these
when I finish."
The Elohite nods, and takes the tablet in return.
Mazpatiel walks out, and moves to catch up with the others.
Hitherby lowers an extended index finger to touch the floor, retracts her other hands into the
cloud, and rotates slowly with that finger at a right angle to the plane of rotation. Her golden mass
roils and brews like a storm, eyes appearing and disappearing, some covered momentarily with
shining wings.
It is not long before Mazpatiel gets there.
The Cherub lets Hitherby rotate in peace.
Mazpatiel drifts up. "My apologies."
Daimonique looks vaguely relieved. "Are we ready to go?"
Mazpatiel says "I believe so, yes."
Daimonique waves a hand. Lead on, MacDuff.
The wolfish Cherub watches as the angels make their way into the Tether-endpoint.
Chephirah's ears prick slightly just before she enters.
Mazpatiel nods in passing to the Cherub, and steps forward to reach Earth again. KLM has
nothing on the speed of this trip.
Daimonique steps forward to descend to Earth.
Hitherby pours through the Tether and into France like rain.
The angels appear in a museum room, the centre of which is the Codex of Hammurabi. A
middle-aged man in the uniform of a museum guard stands beside it. The room is otherwise
empty, save for some similar-date exhibits.
<
The man says, to the air, "Greetings, fellow servitors of Heaven. I am Deuteronomy, Seneschal
of this Tether.
Sephar lets Chephirah go first, then flows after in order to flow into her pocket after arriving.
Mazpatiel asks "Is it safe to take flesh here?"
Deuteronomy says, "It is. I have disabled the cameras for the moment."
Daimon manifests, and walks over to the Codex, and checks it out.
Hitherby sinks to the floor in a long, deep Kyriotate bow. (Number 6, with the ancillary signs
generally associated with a greeting to a Seraph, although mistakes are frequent in such occasions
as this.)
Mazpatiel nods, condensing itself into its Vessel.
The Codex is - naturally - old.
Sephar hesitates, rolls a bow at the Seneschal, sings greeting softly and awaits Chephirah
patiently, peering quietly at the Codex to see how its Song is working.
Daimon wows at it. Coolness.
Sarah manifests likewise, with a deep, mute curtsey.
Sephar flows into Sarah's pocket and possesses the mouse in there once more.
Astonishingly, the Codex is _legible_ to Sephar. It can read the ancient laws graven into it.
Pat slips the devices into his ears, as soon as he has ears to place them in. "Thank you. I am
Mazpatiel, and these with me are Chephirah, Daimonique, Sephar, and Oboth." He indicates each
of the other angels in turn, including the empty space where Hitherby floats.
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Deuteronomy nods. "Will your Kyriotate require a host? There are some visitors through in the
room two doors away." He nods to the north.
Pat says "She serves Jordi. An untended pigeon's roost may be preferable to her."
Daimon stuffs his hands into his pockets, and wanders around, looking at the other antiquities in
the room.
Deuteronomy says, "It is a pity that we are underground, then."
Sarah casts a longing glance toward the Codex, then attempts quietly to get her bearings.
Pat says "Hm."
Sephar clambers up onto Sarah's shoulder and goes, "hm."
Deuteronomy asks, "To what do I owe this visit?"
Hitherby says, calmly, "I thank you for your consideration; I believe I can afford a human host,
if Mazpatiel feels it would be more useful than my celestial form. There are benefits and
drawbacks to each."
Sarah glances toward Pat, now.
Sephar curls up quiet then.
<
Pat nods to Hitherby. "I think it would be useful, yes." Turning back to Deuteronomy, he notes
"Intersecting courses, primarily. There is an artifact located here that must be studied. Its
companion in America was destroyed under suspicious circumstances."
Deuteronomy says, "Interesting. What is this artifact, and why must it be studied?"
Pat gestures to Sarah.
<
Deuteronomy looks puzzled.
Sarah glances back from Daimonique, and blushes slightly. "A funerary stele, I believe, sir."
Deuteronomy asks, "What period? And is it likely to have attracted attention from Theft?"
Hitherby floats to the door, in the direction Deuteronomy indicates, but does not go through;
instead, she waits where she can listen.
Daimon is off in his own little Creationer world where fine art of any kind is the coolest thing in
the entire goddamn world. He's in danger of just wandering off, but so far hasn't located the
passage out.
Sarah says "I'm informed it should be with the Babylonian and Assyrian artifacts. Ahh,
Shalmaneser's court, I believe. It may have attracted attention from someone; whether or not that
group is associated with Theft specifically, I don't know."
A passage out opens in the wall next to Daimon.
Deuteronomy says, "Ah, that should be with the general stock, then, yes. Go two rooms to the
east, then south, and start looking round there. What precisely do you need to know about
it?"
<
Daimon wanders, following the trail of wonders.
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Hitherby fails to notice Daimon wandering off.
The trail that Daimon is taking, round to the north-east, leads past carvings taken from the palace
of Darius at Susa.
<
Sarah glances down after Daimon, and replies, "We need to know whether it's still here or not,
to begin with. All else proceeds from there."
Hitherby says, "I'll go grab a host now; be right back."
Deuteronomy says, "The Tether of Theft is on the first floor, to the south-west, round the other
side of the pyramid, centering on the Mona Lisa. It should not be near any Babylonian
artwork."
Daimon looks at each individual piece. This slows him considerably, but he's still on the wander.
This still is so _old_, and all so human.....
Hitherby heads towards the visitors, hoping museum folk are less tenacious than opera divas.
<
There is a family studying some Egyptian work that Hitherby can see, a teenager with a
sketchbook and Walkman, and two old women chattering briskly.
Hitherby takes only a moment to reflect, and with a tad of regret jumps for the larger of the two
old women.
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Sarah looks remarkably relieved at Deuteronomy's news. "That's a positive sign, at the least.
Thank you."
Granny Hitherby waits for a temporary pause in the other person's dialogue, holds up a hand, and
says, "I need to use the facilities. Can we continue this in a few minutes?" Her words are in
English, which may or may not be bad.
The other woman blinks at her, and says something rapid in French.
Deuteronomy says, "No matter. Now, why is it that you seek this stele?"
Granny Hitherby offers, helpfully, "Eh?"
The other woman repeats the same sentence in French, again.
Granny Hitherby nods rapidly.
The other woman takes Hitherby's arm, trying to pull her towards the exit.
Sarah says "There may or may not be a text carven into an underlying layer of stone. Someone
took great pains to see the text in the stele's twin destroyed; given the possible context, it is
exceptionally desirable to determine whether or not a message is contained in this one, and to find
some way of accessing it if it is."
Hitherby shakes her head rapidly, gently removes the other woman's hand from her arm, and
makes the "OK!" sign with fingers and thumb. Then she walks towards the center of the room in
hopes the other woman won't follow.
Deuteronomy says, "I see. Do you have any means of checking this, short of damaging the
stone?"
The other woman follows Hitherby, chattering faster. She sounds actively worried now.
Daimon slowly but surely wanders on, making little comments to himself.
In Hitherby's room, the family have left. The teenager is still sketching in the corner.
There are people all around Daimon. And art. Loads of art.
Daimon finds any groups who seem to be really interested in art, and tries to get himself into
conversation about it.
Sarah says "I believe that there are several possibilities."
Hitherby decides this is getting out of hand. She skips into the other old woman long enough to
turn around - she would like a confused situation rather than a 'you had a stroke!' and then into
the teen.
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The two old women are left chattering to themselves worriedly, as Hitherby takes possession of
the teenager, who is busy trying to sketch the marble statue in the corner, and not doing a very
good job of it.
---