Royal Crown Commision: Unexpected Visitors
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Jim Roberts
Jul 7, 2025, 7:40:32 PMJul 7
to mikos...@googlegroups.com, mikos-...@googlegroups.com
[Jan 30 PM – Fort Resolute]
> “Not a problem,” Lomi replied easily. “So you two – or however many
> it’ll be – have *fun*. I know *I* sure plan to.”
>
> “Us too!” Mithi happily confirmed. These promises made, the two
> wizards continued their way through the impromptu village and beyond.
> The vardoes of Camp Kurva was their next stop.
Before the two wizards could reach Camp Kurva, however, another visitor
had already arrived and was engaged in a meeting with the Madam of the
establishment. And the meeting was not at all congenial. To nearly any
conceivable observer, Blackswallow looked as calm and collected as ever.
Only the truly *exceptional* at reading people would have been reminded
of a cat backed into a corner, ears back and fur raised. The visitor in
Blackswallow’s office was a study in contrasts. The Flying Tiger that
until recently the Fort Resolute leaders had known as “Yuki” was lounged
back indolently on one of the Madame’s guest chairs, idly looking at her
nails.
“Let me see if I have this straight,” Blackswallow stated curtly, and
only those *very* conversant with human moods would have been able to
have detected the growl in her voice. “Much to my surprise – and I am
NOT someone easy to surprise – you have revealed yourself to be none
other than Sully. If the goody-good blockheads up at Fort Resolute do
not understand what that means, I most certainly do.”
The Flying Tiger now revealed as Sully nodded contentedly. Her demeanor
reminded one remarkably of a cat who’d figured out how to get in and out
of the creamery at will completely undetected.
“Not content merely to surprise me,” Blackswallow continued grimly, “you
have informed me that Fort Resolute is under the Flying Tigers’ – and
most especially YOUR – protection, and you have seen fit to advise me
that you have identified a mole that I am running in what one day will
be the castle. Is that a fair summary?”
Sully pretended to yawn, perhaps not by accident showing some fine
looking but very human – for now – teeth. “That about covers it,” the
Flying Tiger agreed. “C’mon, Blackswallow, everyone loves surprises.
Let’s make this a nice one.”
The part that worried the Madame the most was that the Flying Tiger
leader who was so much more was NOT blustering or making overt threats.
Given the fearsome reputation of the tribal weretigers it was easy to
see why; Sully didn’t think she NEEDED to play the heavy. Yet. The
Majali Madame had thought she had a relatively open field to carefully
entwine her tentacles of influence through the residents of Fort
Resolute and the tribes around them unopposed and set up a power base
allowing her to extend her reach into the bigger settlement of Fort
Lucas where the Abbot held sway. That project was already well under
way, and the network was already reaching into the main settlements.
Her plans had been proceeding splendidly, in fact. Looking back with an
unspoken curse she carefully kept off her face, Blackswallow speculated
they had gone just a little TOO smoothly. She wondered now how much of
what she thought she had learned about this area had been tailored to
lead her to exactly those actions and conclusions, all to insert people
into her building network and ultimately set up this very meeting. With,
of course, the proper setup leaving her dreading the other shoe
dropping. Not a word had any of her contacts among the tribes breathed
of the purported Flying Tiger master scout or spy or WHATEVER she really
was being anywhere NEAR Fort Resolute. Nor, indeed, having much interest
in the settlers at all.
One of the many whispered rumors the Madame had picked up about this
Sully was her penchant for carefully planned ambushes by overwhelming
forces of those dratted weretiger warriors backed up by cheerfully
murderous archers from the local tribes spotted all around the killing
field. She might - or might not - have Blackswallow’s vardos surrounded
at this very moment. The Madame grimly reasoned that Sully might well
have made sure those tales reached her ears specifically so she had to
assume that sort of ambush raid was already in place.
It sure as hell was obvious from some of the casual comments the dratted
woman had already let drop that the camp and the comings and goings
there had been under surveillance for quite some while, and neither she
nor any of her people had picked up even a hint. Blackswallow realized
that for her people’s sake she had to proceed on the assumption the
canny savages were out there ready to sweep in on a moment’s notice with
what they were sure was overwhelming force. Even worse probably with
some sort of deadman arrangement that they would attack UNLESS Sully
called them off before a preset time.
That’s how SHE would set up this meeting, after all, when she had that
sort of resources available. Most likely Sully hadn’t bothered, the very
fact that she COULD and had made sure Blackswallow KNEW she could was
good enough. The threat had to be honored as if it were there, even
though it probably WASN’T. The Madame almost felt relieved in a way, she
was dealing with a fellow professional. Which might be another part of
the subtle message being delivered, come to think of it. That shocked
lightning assessment nearly dictated her next words, since she had no
intention of starting an undercover war at so much of a disadvantage she
quite likely couldn’t win.
“Very well,” the dark haired Majali kurva continued in a tone that
suggested that everything was actually quite far from well. “What is
your next step? While admitting nothing, if for the sake of conversation
I were to agree to your hypothetical that I *was* running a mole, are
you commanding me to stop?”
“Oh, nothing of the sort!” Sully replied cheerfully. “I want what
*anyone* in my position wants.”
Blackswallow sighed. “You want equal access to the intel take.”
Sully smiled beatifically at the lead Kurva. “Why, yes,” she agreed. “I
mean, seriously, why *wouldn’t* you LIKE the opportunity to try to
subvert or infiltrate the Flying Tigers? Fun for all!”
Before they could start to discuss, or more accurately wrangle, over the
mechanics, there was a discreet tap on the door. “Ma’am?” the voice of
Keenhare, one of the camp’s menfolk, wafted in. “The elflord and his
girlfriend are outside.”
Sully’s eyebrows raised. “You *do* keep interesting company,” the Flying
Tiger mused.
Blackswallow grimaced, and called back, “See if the girls can keep them
occupied for a bit. Hopefully even a LONG while.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the voice replied.
“Well, HIS timing kinda sucks, or let’s hope that’s all.” Sully raised
an eyebrow. “If I actually had YOU fooled, we both better hope I had HIM
fooled, too, but why take chances. You of *course* have a discreet exit
from here?”
“Of course,” Blackswallow replied, nodding towards the front of her
vardo. So when Finfin and Mithi were shown into the lead kurva’s office,
they found Blackswallow alone, tallying up some account sheets.
> “Not a problem,” Lomi replied easily. “So you two – or however many
> it’ll be – have *fun*. I know *I* sure plan to.”
>
> “Us too!” Mithi happily confirmed. These promises made, the two
> wizards continued their way through the impromptu village and beyond.
> The vardoes of Camp Kurva was their next stop.
Before the two wizards could reach Camp Kurva, however, another visitor
had already arrived and was engaged in a meeting with the Madam of the
establishment. And the meeting was not at all congenial. To nearly any
conceivable observer, Blackswallow looked as calm and collected as ever.
Only the truly *exceptional* at reading people would have been reminded
of a cat backed into a corner, ears back and fur raised. The visitor in
Blackswallow’s office was a study in contrasts. The Flying Tiger that
until recently the Fort Resolute leaders had known as “Yuki” was lounged
back indolently on one of the Madame’s guest chairs, idly looking at her
nails.
“Let me see if I have this straight,” Blackswallow stated curtly, and
only those *very* conversant with human moods would have been able to
have detected the growl in her voice. “Much to my surprise – and I am
NOT someone easy to surprise – you have revealed yourself to be none
other than Sully. If the goody-good blockheads up at Fort Resolute do
not understand what that means, I most certainly do.”
The Flying Tiger now revealed as Sully nodded contentedly. Her demeanor
reminded one remarkably of a cat who’d figured out how to get in and out
of the creamery at will completely undetected.
“Not content merely to surprise me,” Blackswallow continued grimly, “you
have informed me that Fort Resolute is under the Flying Tigers’ – and
most especially YOUR – protection, and you have seen fit to advise me
that you have identified a mole that I am running in what one day will
be the castle. Is that a fair summary?”
Sully pretended to yawn, perhaps not by accident showing some fine
looking but very human – for now – teeth. “That about covers it,” the
Flying Tiger agreed. “C’mon, Blackswallow, everyone loves surprises.
Let’s make this a nice one.”
The part that worried the Madame the most was that the Flying Tiger
leader who was so much more was NOT blustering or making overt threats.
Given the fearsome reputation of the tribal weretigers it was easy to
see why; Sully didn’t think she NEEDED to play the heavy. Yet. The
Majali Madame had thought she had a relatively open field to carefully
entwine her tentacles of influence through the residents of Fort
Resolute and the tribes around them unopposed and set up a power base
allowing her to extend her reach into the bigger settlement of Fort
Lucas where the Abbot held sway. That project was already well under
way, and the network was already reaching into the main settlements.
Her plans had been proceeding splendidly, in fact. Looking back with an
unspoken curse she carefully kept off her face, Blackswallow speculated
they had gone just a little TOO smoothly. She wondered now how much of
what she thought she had learned about this area had been tailored to
lead her to exactly those actions and conclusions, all to insert people
into her building network and ultimately set up this very meeting. With,
of course, the proper setup leaving her dreading the other shoe
dropping. Not a word had any of her contacts among the tribes breathed
of the purported Flying Tiger master scout or spy or WHATEVER she really
was being anywhere NEAR Fort Resolute. Nor, indeed, having much interest
in the settlers at all.
One of the many whispered rumors the Madame had picked up about this
Sully was her penchant for carefully planned ambushes by overwhelming
forces of those dratted weretiger warriors backed up by cheerfully
murderous archers from the local tribes spotted all around the killing
field. She might - or might not - have Blackswallow’s vardos surrounded
at this very moment. The Madame grimly reasoned that Sully might well
have made sure those tales reached her ears specifically so she had to
assume that sort of ambush raid was already in place.
It sure as hell was obvious from some of the casual comments the dratted
woman had already let drop that the camp and the comings and goings
there had been under surveillance for quite some while, and neither she
nor any of her people had picked up even a hint. Blackswallow realized
that for her people’s sake she had to proceed on the assumption the
canny savages were out there ready to sweep in on a moment’s notice with
what they were sure was overwhelming force. Even worse probably with
some sort of deadman arrangement that they would attack UNLESS Sully
called them off before a preset time.
That’s how SHE would set up this meeting, after all, when she had that
sort of resources available. Most likely Sully hadn’t bothered, the very
fact that she COULD and had made sure Blackswallow KNEW she could was
good enough. The threat had to be honored as if it were there, even
though it probably WASN’T. The Madame almost felt relieved in a way, she
was dealing with a fellow professional. Which might be another part of
the subtle message being delivered, come to think of it. That shocked
lightning assessment nearly dictated her next words, since she had no
intention of starting an undercover war at so much of a disadvantage she
quite likely couldn’t win.
“Very well,” the dark haired Majali kurva continued in a tone that
suggested that everything was actually quite far from well. “What is
your next step? While admitting nothing, if for the sake of conversation
I were to agree to your hypothetical that I *was* running a mole, are
you commanding me to stop?”
“Oh, nothing of the sort!” Sully replied cheerfully. “I want what
*anyone* in my position wants.”
Blackswallow sighed. “You want equal access to the intel take.”
Sully smiled beatifically at the lead Kurva. “Why, yes,” she agreed. “I
mean, seriously, why *wouldn’t* you LIKE the opportunity to try to
subvert or infiltrate the Flying Tigers? Fun for all!”
Before they could start to discuss, or more accurately wrangle, over the
mechanics, there was a discreet tap on the door. “Ma’am?” the voice of
Keenhare, one of the camp’s menfolk, wafted in. “The elflord and his
girlfriend are outside.”
Sully’s eyebrows raised. “You *do* keep interesting company,” the Flying
Tiger mused.
Blackswallow grimaced, and called back, “See if the girls can keep them
occupied for a bit. Hopefully even a LONG while.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the voice replied.
“Well, HIS timing kinda sucks, or let’s hope that’s all.” Sully raised
an eyebrow. “If I actually had YOU fooled, we both better hope I had HIM
fooled, too, but why take chances. You of *course* have a discreet exit
from here?”
“Of course,” Blackswallow replied, nodding towards the front of her
vardo. So when Finfin and Mithi were shown into the lead kurva’s office,
they found Blackswallow alone, tallying up some account sheets.
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