The Wages of Sin [Aurin]

[Erratum]

"Sir- SIR!" the man protested, face growing increasingly red as Darus ignored his spluttering cries. "I must insist you leave at once! Frau Allstead does not accept solicitors, nor does she take visitors! Begone with you!"

By the time the butler had caught up to the itinerant merchant and found himself being offered the calfskin, he better resembled some ruddy gourd than a human, and the noises he was making could hardly pass for Kathalan. He stared at Aurin, as if his indignation alone possessed the power of a Kineticist, to sweep the man off and send him hurtling, bodily, towards the upper atmosphere. But Aurin noted that the butler, through his blinding rage, made not the least motion of aggression. He was wholly a creature of civilization, then, too refined a creature to even consider violence in furtherance of his interests.

"Hodgkins, is that you making that racket?"

The door to another room opened and closed--in that flash of time, Aurin could but glimpse walls plastered floor to ceiling with leather-bound books on heavy oak shelves--and a burly man stepped out. "Burly" was, in fact, perhaps an understatement. Aurin had seen only a handful of avialae taller than this Gelarian man, and yet his shoulders were almost as broad as his stature. He was so heavily muscled that he'd probably be barred from most barroom fighting rings, enormous frame belying his plain face, tiny spectacles, and small, manicured mustache.

► Show Spoiler

"What ho, there!" the man cried upon seeing Darus, his face lighting up, "Are you the young man Hodgey sent for, then? Good show, what a fine figure of a lad! I hope you weren't keeping him up here for yourself, Hodge, and letting me while away in the office without even knowing!"

"Absolutely not!" The butler--Hodgekins, apparently--snapped, voice still thick with rage, "This, th-this, this wastrel simply barged in here, looking for the mistress. No invitation, no appointment, brazen as you please! I won't have it!"

"Really?" the huge man asked, turning back to peer down at Aurin again, "Oh, Divines, you aren't a burglar, are you? Oh, that simply wouldn't do."

[Aurin]

At some point, the half-gloves ended up tucked into his vest pocket, as though that had been his attention all along.

Darus noted that Hodgekins was unlikely to use violence, but of course he would still assume the best of him.

"Oh, Mists! I'm hardly a solicitor." He chuckled. "From what I understand, they only come from the capital to find loopholes in order to tax more than the good Emperor is owed."

His eyes took in what was visible in the moment he had before a new man eclipsed the doorway. Darus looked up him and down, vaguely amused. He was just the sort of fellow Aurin Kavafis might have hired, but he wasn't here.

"A burglar?" He seemed less offended by burglar than solicitor, though of course he would react just the opposite were he Aurin and were Valentin present. "Do burglars knock and enter by the front door in Dardouen? How queer." Then, bold as you please, he stepped up to the mountain of a man, clicked his heels together, and offered a half-bow. "Sir, I am but a friendly acquaintance of the late Frederick Allstead, come to pay my respects to his household. I was in the capital, you see, when he passed. Such a shame. We were going to make so much money together."

His hand rose to his cheek and perhaps he did wipe away an actual tear.

"I didn't mean to take up Frau Allstead's entire day, but I thought it only courteous to offer my condolences before wrangling with whichever local merchants might wish to sublet space upon tomorrow's morning train as my own... well, I shan't bore you with business. Are you a member of the family, good sir? You see, Hodgekins seems absolutely apoplectic with grief and I can't get a straight answer from him to save my life."

Darus glanced over his shoulder, then muttered, "Poor sod. He was right about one thing, though: I am a wastrel. At least when business is concluded."

He winked.

[Erratum]

"Ah." The big man quieted, the corners of his lips turning down. "One of Fred's friends."

The giant wore his emotions on his sleeve; or rather, they were like an aura about him, well perceptible even to those without the art of semblance. When he smiled, it was genuinely like the room was brighter. Now, his thoughts focused on such a close and recent death, the effect was reversed. The air from the open door was uncomfortably cool- the embers seemed to gutter in the dark mantel on the wall. When he spoke again, it was carefully, solemnly.

"It was a blow, sir, a great blow and no mistake. The coroner called it an accident, happenstance of inebriation, but I never buy it. What cause had he to be out in the trainyard so late that night? No, it were foul play. Foul play, sir. But you have my deepest condolences."

Hodgekins, having apparently had enough time to recover from the intolerable interaction he'd just had with Darus, took advantage of the more solemn atmosphere to reassert himself.

"Condolences, you may have- but permission to stay in this house, that is a very different matter! Now see here-" the butler drew himself up to his full height, which put him a bit beneath Darus' eyeline and was downright comical next to the enormous form of Hodgekins. "Lady Allstead's own grief is quite incompatible with visitors waltzing in at odd hours. I am afraid your condolences will grant her no comfort, and she is in no fit state to see strangers."

The giant coughed, almost apologetically.

"Indelicately put... but in essence, correct. I'm afraid Lady Allstead has little love for company; she is rarely in fit health for it. It were better if you left her a note, only do not expect much in the way of a reply."

If Hodgekins was a liar, he was a talented one. The man's kind face and soft eyes fairly radiated sincerity, overwhelming even the cold and angry glare which the butler kept trained firmly on Darus. It would be easy, so very easy, to go along and take the out the huge man was offering. Sadly, it was also quite incompatible with Aurin's business.

[Aurin]

Thankfully, the giant gave him a reason to stay.

His own arcane senses were slowly expanding throughout the house. He had been able to scan when he had come to have his last meeting with Frederick, but time had been of the essence then as well. More time meant more information, whether or not he got any gold along with the dross. He hadn't been able to confirm that Lady Allstead was even alive, so perhaps now he could while also figuring out how to make the giant's business also Darus' business.

"Foul play?" he asked, aghast, offended.

Darus was ignoring Hodgekins, instead stepping closer to speak more conspiratorially with the man who knew things he wanted to know.

"Do tell. You really must tell. I might seem little more than a well-dressed merchant, and I am that, but I travel. I can help. Foul play in such circumstances simply cannot stand!" Brown eyes blazed with indignation. He was betrayed, bewildered. Nothing made sense!

"Freddie ought to have justice, poor old boy."

He looked saddened, seemed sincere. Aurin had always told Arry he was no actor; certainly, he wouldn't do well on a stage. The world was his stage and, in some ways, Aurin Kavafis was as much a role as Darus of Haqs. And Darus took the burly man's arm.

"You simply must take me into your confidence, sir. Please. I will help you move whatever it is you are moving in exchange."

[Erratum]

The butler began to re-inflate with anger as Aurin's senses quietly plumbed the manor. His co-conspirator, Valentin, had been quite clear that Fred's sister was dead, and that one (or all) of these men were the murderers- but he'd never actually come to the house, it was all forensic accounting which had led to that conclusion. The lawyer seemed certain of this conclusion, but a detective preferred to know these things for certain.

"Listen, you, you-" Hodgekins sputtered as he tried to settle upon an epithet which could convey the depths of his disapproval without overstepping a majordomo's station when confronting someone who might well be their social superior, "You roustabout! What right have you to blunder into the home of a grieving woman and play detective? If the Kathar-"

"The Kathar," The large gentleman interrupted, his voice calm, but warning, "Have formally declined to investigate the matter. Can't spare anyone from the Duke's personal defense."

By this point, Aurin had come to understand that there were a circle of subjects concerning the Imperial family which the people of Gelerand simply would not speak openly of. Valentin, of course, had explained part of this when Frederick's treasonous party had come to light- even the smallest whiff of rebellion carried outrageous sanctions, not just upon the would-be traitor but upon the entire community. Naturally, this made for an atmosphere where it was never safe to discuss the Emperor frankly, even with friends. Apparently matters concerning the Kathar were held in similar terror and awe.

"Listen, sir, don't mind Hodgekins. I can understand your oats in this sir, really I can, you bein' friends and all. I like to think of myself as a friend of Frederick's too- blimey, it just occured to me that I haven't introduced myself, have I? Well, I do apologize." The giant drew himself up and gave Darus a surprisingly serviceable bow, with the sort of practiced motion bespeaking some level of experience at court. "I'm Louis, at your service sir, Louis Gerhard, certified accountant. I manage the family's finances, ever since Sir Tupin passed. Managed Frederick's too, when he had any. Man couldn't keep two avens to his name, bless his soul."

Lous chuckled, though there was a tinge of genuine sadness to it. Aurin got the distinct sense that the man had, in fact, thought of Fred as a friend.

That wasn't the only sense he got, either. As his Semblance penetrated the manor, he suddenly found what he'd been looking for. The house was almost devoid of life; outside of the two other men in this room, he got the sense of a handful of fish in aquaria, a small dog (or perhaps a mink? those were popular in Gelerand), and a shockingly huge terrarium with a large reptile of some description. But, several rooms and a staircase removed... was a human presence. A woman.

[Aurin]

The longer he remained, the more details were cast before him: Kathar; Duke; Louis Gerhard; ah!

"If the Kathar decline to investigate, Mister Hodgekins, then somebody ought to!" he declared, scandalized. But he quickly swallowed that to bow in return to Gerhard. "Mister Gerhard, a pleasure despite the circumstances. I am Artur Darus, originally from the City of Fields, though I consider myself a citizen of the world."

While he spoke, his arcane senses focused on the woman somewhere on the premises, trying to gather as much as he could about her. He had already proven that he could enter this house in the dark of night and do as he pleased; if he knew enough about her, he could decide whether he ought to make another house call in the wee hours, if it would advance Valentin's plans.

And he certainly hoped they didn't have a baby dragon or something similar in that terrarium...

"And you, sir, a man of ledgers, a man after my own heart..." So far, he hadn't taken the bait of a way out for contraband. Perhaps he needed to stoke the fires. "Ah, you must be in a state. Grieving while preparing for an Imperial audit." He clucked his tongue sympathetically. "If only there were something I could do to help other than distract Hodgekins from his own feelings by..." He glanced at the man. "...giving him a stroke."

Brown eyes widened, then looked concerned. Hodgekins really was beside himself. Darus wasn't, but Aurin was certainly tickled by the looks on his affronted face. 'Fucking rich people,' he thought to himself, even though one might consider him wealthy at this point.

[Erratum]

The room grew quiet, Darus' question practically echoing. Louis' big stupid smile faded away, his eyes getting harder. Hodgekins ceased hyperventilating, some of the implications of the query making its way through his insulation of pomp and puffery and infiltrating his thick skull.

But what implications were those, exactly? It was hard to say. It wasn't really a secret that the manor was about to be audited, but it wasn't something that had been widely advertised either. That Darus knew meant that he had connections, either with the town or with the government, and that in turn meant that he wasn't like some of the dearly departed Frederick's dumber friends, a wild young man turning up out of nowhere, possibly high, full of passionate words about a dead friend.

No, this man was hunting for money, in some way.

"Imperial Audit..." said Louis, voice much less boisterous than it had been a moment prior, "You've been indulging in gossip, have you, sir? Dangerous stuff. Well of course as the Allstead estate's accountant, I can state with authority that our books are in good order..."

He might have left it off there, but there was always the chance that Darus was actually some sort of spy for the OIR. It really didn't matter how good Louis' accounting was, there were going to be problems with the books- there always were, the taxmen made sure of it.

"...but given the changes in ownership, the sad death of Sir Tupin, his brother's untimely demise, and the mistress not being one for math herself, well. I won't say I don't worry that there could be certain accidental irregularities."

"Louis!" Hodgekins hissed, then turned back around on Darus. He was no longer choking on his own words, and the expression on his face had shifted subtly, from blind rage to something more calculating, but no less malicious. "Why have you come here, sir? The finances of this estate are no concern of yours."

[Aurin]

When the temperature of the room and the men's faces changed, so did Darus'. He was still quite himself, but speaking more in earnest.

"The last time I was in town, Freddie was worried about an OIR agent skulking about. He worried there would be an audit. Whether his worries were gossip or not, I leave to you to decide. I am certain he wouldn't employ a fool to balance his ledgers, but as you say: upheaval can lead to irregularities."

His warm brown eyes were cooler when he glanced at Hodgekins. Perhaps they were playing a game of Good Cop, Bad Cop on him. That wasn't so terribly clever or difficult to work around.

"I liked Freddie, but now he is dead. He had a bad habit of worrying aloud when the night grew late. He had a bad habit of saying dangerous things. I kept his misspoken words close to the chest, and now I am here. I want to know who killed him and why. I want to ensure that, if nothing is left of the man but his reputation, that it remain sterling. So, if Frau Allstead will not see me, that is her prerogative. If you need help ironing out irregularities, I can be gone this evening and I can make things disappear."

Whether they would look a gift horse in the mouth, he didn't know. If they were desperate enough, they would have to take him up on his offer. Hodgekins might have been as histrionic as he seemed, but Gerhard seemed level-headed enough; numbers men usually were.

"I am a merchant and a pragmatic man. If I can turn a profit while protecting a friend's good name, then I don't see how I am your worst option, gentlemen."

While they considered, he continued to scan the aura of the woman in the house. If that was Frau Allstead, he did want to speak to her. If that was not Frau Allstead, he wanted to know what the fuck was going on—all of which he would dutifully report to said OIR officer as per their arrangement.

Both Artur Darus and Aurin Kavafis were ready for this long game to pay off.

[Erratum]

"I'm certain I don't know what you mean by that." Louis responded with a bland smile, the gregariousness gone, "But there is much to do today, so if you wouldn't mind-"

"Hold on!" the butler snapped, "To see Frau Allstead is out of the question, out of the question, but did you hear what he just said? He was at one of Fred's ludicrous parties, Louis."

The giant let out a long breath, plainly more rattled by that than any of the other implications- and it was easy to see why, now that Aurin knew a bit more about the dynamics of the Imperium. From what Valentin had told him, cheating on taxes was common, expected even. Murder (if these men were murderers in truth) was a graver matter, of course, but Freddie's abortative, sophomoric attempts at fomenting rebellion were catastrophic. Aurin had been forced to kill him and jeopardize their entire scheme just to shut him up, lest the Inquisition purge the whole city. Doubtless the absurd danger of that weighed more heavily on these men's minds than anything else.

"I must make it perfectly clear, at the outset, that neither of us know anything about what Frederick might have been saying at his soirees, yes? Not the least conception." All of the outrage and priggish indignation were gone from Hodgekins' eyes now, and there was only the quiet intensity of a predator, trying to size up potential prey. "And we would appreciate it if you made no more reference to them at all, out of respect for his memory. It would be a grave insult to insinuate anything."

It was a ludicrous warning coming from the comical butler, but his demeanor was totally serious. And, after all, if Valentin was right, one of these men was a killer. The fact that one was seven feet tall and built like a bank vault and the other was a portly house-servant did not necessarily establish who was comfortable with violence.

There was a lengthy pause, then;

"...I still don't like the offer." Lous said at last, "I don't know Darus here from a common bandit. Have you any real proof of your trade, sir?"

[Aurin]

"Of course you don't," he murmured dryly.

Then he watched both men shift. Where Louis had seemed the easier in, now Hodgkins had let a bit of his mask fall. Both he and Darus seemed to be affected airs, but if a bit of the mask was falling, that could be a leverage point.

Darus, at least, remained calm. It was easier given a portion of his attention was not in this room, but in another, perusing the aura of a woman for clues.

Darus was no killer; Aurin was. If they could inevitably smell their own, it would be a game of who sussed the other out first. Thankfully, there was no reason for either of them to assume that the foppish Darus had been the one to end his "friend."

With a long-suffering sigh, pulled a slim leather wallet out of his vest, opened it carefully so the others couldn't peruse what it contained. When he found the correct document, he held it out for Louis' inspection, though he would pull it away with all the grace of a streetwise sleight-of-hand performer should anyone make a snatch at it. His papers were signed and sealed by appropriate officials. Everything was on the up and up.

Artur Darus of Haqs had been fabricated years and years ago, and existed officially on the census roles in the City of Fields itself. Aurin's alter egos were figments of his imagination, given—if no flesh other than his own—personhood by paperwork. All this had been accomplished within the Imperium without Valentin's assistance; indeed, before Aurin Kavafis had met Valentin Valentin.

As a veteran investigator, Aurin knew that no secret was inviolable, but it would take better men than these a long, long while with more clues than they had at their disposal to pick apart this gordion knot of a spiderweb.

"I would not want to be connected to any ugly rumors either," he assured them. Then, with what seemed like infinite patience and pragmatism, "Look. I can help you move what needs moving. I can get paid to do so. No trouble. No scandal. No Kathar or other unpleasant people looking into things. If you pass me by, you may run out of options when you run out of time. Do the intelligent thing, gentlemen. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."