Sleeping Gods Quest #31

Then he loses our favor which is huge for him. You forget we have the 'You killed the last Emperor' on him. We are taking her to the Temple just like we are taking Tawn. Same idea, different sides.

Best not to tempt him anyway. He can decide to go all covert on us.

Your information was bad, you tell him plainly, the danger might not be in the south-east after all.

Ra absorbs this new information in silence, a finger tapping quickly against his leg as the only testament to the sudden tension. He takes a long moment to answer – never a good sign. “I presume,” he replies softly, “That you don't know where the next attack, if there is one, might come from?”

It could be anywhere, you admit, even the capital itself. If anything, the south-east might be the safest place in the entire land, now that so many soldiers have been moved there. They need to be brought back, you insist, and spread across the land to cover as much ground as possible. The cult won't ignore the weakness elsewhere – you certainly wouldn't.

“It isn't that simple,” Ra shakes his head slowly, “Those men are under Takino's command now, and he won't be easily convinced to give them up. He would obey a direct order, of course – if not, we'd have bigger problems to deal with – but getting the Emperor to give the order might take some time.”

Once again, Takino is getting in your way. He doesn't care about what happens to the rest of the land, you mutter, as long as his own status is secure.

“I fear that may be the case,” Ra answers, “I'll do what I can, of course, to pass the word around. Even with a quick agreement, moving so many troops to new locations won't be easy work.”

You expected as much.

“Is there any other bad news, while we're here?” Ra asks, “I'd rather know now, so we can begin to draw our plans accordingly.”

There might also be cult agents among the garden staff, you offer vaguely, considering the new influx of staff. Were they checked?

[1/2]

“We searched them for weapons,” Ra tilts his head, “And none of them were recorded – under the names they provided, at least – as criminals. One man was a petty thief, actually, but that was considered... a minor offence, considering. Given the lack of warning we were given, I suspect you might be right – all it would take is for the cult to recruit an otherwise upstanding citizen, and they would have eyes and ears within the palace.”

You think back to Soma's revolver, and wonder just how careful this search for weapons had been. Either the young woman had some cunning way of avoiding the search, or someone in the security staff dropped the ball. The thought, then, of a cult infiltrator easing her through the search process sends a shiver down your spine. Tawn's paranoia, however justified, might be rubbing off on you.

“Well, I have two things to tell you,” Ra concludes with a sigh, “First of all, I have no plans to use you as a scapegoat. If the worst should occur, I have no intention of leaving you in the firing line. We'll deal with whatever happens, even if it requires some rather hasty damage control. Second of all...” He pauses here, “Can I ask where this information is coming from?”

This might be trouble. For Soma, if nothing else.

“I know not to pry too closely,” Ra holds up his hands, palms facing you, “Some things are better left secret. I'd rather not risk you burning whatever contacts or spies you might have, either. However... I'm curious. What means do Wanderers use for getting the answers they seek?”

>You're better off not knowing. Trust me
>I have a disillusioned cultist willing to leak certain things. I can't give you their name, however
>A member of the cult, Soma, has recently deserted. She was working in the gardens
>Other

>You're better off not knowing. Trust me
>It's spooky god stuff

>I HAD a disillusioned cultist willing to leak certain things. I can't give you their name, however
"But like I said that well of info dried up when they gave the informant bad info. Last time I talked to the informant I got them to abandon the cult."

>I have a disillusioned cultist willing to leak certain things. I can't give you their name, however
I got a sending from her while I was in the palace.

>You're better off not knowing, more for Tawn's sake than yours.
If even Ra makes a comment that triggers Tawn's paranoia, his mess will just get bigger.

>>I have a disillusioned cultist willing to leak certain things. I can't give you their name, however
But seconding this Ra should know that we don't have a source any longer.

You had a source inside the cult, you tell Ra carefully, and they had been willing to leak certain things to you. It seems, perhaps, that the cult had grown suspicious of them, however – the information they were given, and then gave to you, had been false, designed for misdirection. One way or another, that well has dried up.

“You suspect that they might be in danger,” Ra guesses, “That the cult might seek to punish them – to kill them, most likely.”

That was your worry, you agree, and so you managed to convince them to get out. Last time you heard from them, they were leaving the cult behind. That was recent, as well – you received their last message not long after leaving.

“I see,” Ra muses this over, “And I presume you want to keep them nameless?”

That's right, you nod, for various reasons. Some things, you assure Ra, he's better off not knowing.

“That is so often the way in this line of work,” a faint smile crosses Ra's face, “It's an ugly business. Well, thank you for telling me this, Ira – I appreciate the courtesy. Another man might have chosen to cut his losses and save himself from the consequences of this kind of mistake. A shame that you don't have someone on the inside, any more, but these things can't be helped.”

He's being surprisingly understanding about this entire situation. You're glad, of course, but it's a little unusual. You keep expecting the axe to fall at any minute, for him to reveal the true depths of his frustration.

“And what good would that do?” Ra raises an eyebrow, “We're in this together, you and I, and pushing away one's friends is never a good idea. Still...” Ra glances across at his desk, at the various papers scattered across it, “I find myself with some extra work to attend to. If that's all, we should part company – until the party, of course.”

>Until then. Goodbye Ra
>There was one last thing... (Write in)
>Other