Patchwork Universe

Captain Isobel DeRainault · Good Joined: 20 Jan 2004 Posts: 100 Location: HMS Justice

Upon her return to the northern shore, the Captain was able to proceed with greater confidence, as both she and the crew were already familiar with the lay of the land. Hay and Rodgers were this time instructed to wait with the boat, and DeRainault led the rest over the low rise to the doors of the main building. Having reminded her men to be on best behavior, she removed her hat and entered the quiet and gleaming public bar, looking about her for the barmaid or, better yet, the proprietor.

Jones · Posted: 29 Feb 2004 10:33 pm Post subject:

As the Captain approached the bar, a person who had been taking something from one of the lower cupboard raised her head at the sound of an arrival. The Captain saw it was a woman, not the cheerful young blonde who had greeted them before, but a tall brunette with olive skin and dark brown eyes whose glossy black hair fell smoothly to her waist.

"Welcome to Jones' Public House," she said, calmly. "How may I serve you?"

Captain Isobel DeRainault · Good Joined: 20 Jan 2004 Posts: 100 Location: HMS Justice

"Good day, madam. I was hoping I might speak with the proprietor, Mr. Jones, if he is available? My colleague Doctor Maria Domenova had the good fortune to meet him yesterday, and I was hoping to introduce myself." The Captain gave a little half-bow. "In the meantime, though perhaps I could trouble you for a glass of claret, or something like? And half pints of small beer for my men." she added, indicating Brewer, Simpson and Habbakuk.

Jones · Posted: 29 Feb 2004 11:41 pm Post subject:

"You must be Captain Isobel," the woman said, with a gleam of interest in her dark eyes. Setting three gleaming half pint glasses and one stemmed wine glass on the bar top with a surprisingly graceful motion, she ducked her head so that the curtain of hair fell forward obscuring her half smile.

Setting about her work she added:
"Jones is my father-in-law, I'm Juniper." She flicked her hair back over her shoulder and offered the Captain a more open smile. "It's an honour to have you visit us again, Captain. I'm sure my father-in-law will be happy to speak with you. Perhaps you'd like me to bring these drinks through to the saloon bar for you, it's more secluded than this will be when the guests arrive for the evening."

She gestured with her head at a door on the right hand side of the long bar and across the bar top itself it was possible to see a corresponding door behind the bar itself next to an open serving hatch through which a glimpse of a smaller serving bar could be discerned on the other side.

"May I ask if you and your men are planning to stay to dinner, Captain?"

Captain Isobel DeRainault · Good Joined: 20 Jan 2004 Posts: 100 Location: HMS Justice

"That would be most welcome, madam, thank you." The Captain gestured to her crewmen, and obligingly followed directions through to the comfortable smaller bar, picking up and distributing the glasses that had been placed there. "If it would be possible to meet with Mr. Jones before too long, I would appreciate it, as the men and I had not planned on staying for dinner. I must get back to my ship, as we expect the imminent return of a scouting party." An expression of concern crossed the Captain's face; she certainly hoped that the Doctor and Lieutenant Stafford would have returned by the time that she did. "But I am sure he must be a busy man, and I can return on the morrow if it is more convenient to make an appointment, so to speak."

Jones · Posted: 01 Mar 2004 12:43 am Post subject:

"I'm sure he'll be happy to speak with you," Juniper said. "The last I saw of him he was in the kitchens. I'll go and tell him you're here, if you'll excuse me." Shutting the door that separated the saloon bar from the public bar she crossed the room to another smaller door and went through it into a nondescript corridor.

The saloon bar was but a quarter of the size of the main room and rather more luxuriously appointed. In place of the wooden trsetle tables there were three small boothes separated from one another with carved wooden screens and furnished with deep padded benches, upholstered in a rich brown leather. Four similarly padded stools stood before the small bar area and a cluster of deep armchairs formed a half circle around a small fireplace in flames were just beginning to lick at a pile of pine-logs. A dining table with eight chairs completed the furnishings.

As for decoration the room had a few items of interest. Objects of various kinds stood on the mantlepiece or hung on hooks on the walls. The only paintings were botanical water colours. However, the room had an air of privacy and seclusion that the larger bar, for all its welcoming ambiance, lacked.

Captain Isobel DeRainault · Good Joined: 20 Jan 2004 Posts: 100 Location: HMS Justice

The Captain seated herself comfortably at one of the booths with her glass of claret, while Brewer, Simpson and Habbakuk positioned themselves near the exits, with a good view of the room. All had taken appreciative sips of their drink, and Brewer and Simpson started to converse in low voices. The Captain, meanwhile, had fished about in her pockets, and removed both the sheet of paper with her rough diagram and notations, and a stub end of pencil that she had borrowed off the Doctor. Humming "Warlike Seamen" under her breath, she began to make further notes.

Jones · Posted: 01 Mar 2004 08:14 pm Post subject:

The door to the back corridor opened and Jones came in, nodding to Habbakuk as he passed him and coming to join Captain Isobel at her table.
"Good to see you again, Captain," he said, seating himself across from her and folding his hand together on the table. "Did you enjoy the wine?"

Captain Isobel DeRainault · Good Joined: 20 Jan 2004 Posts: 100 Location: HMS Justice

“Yes, thank you, it was capital stuff. The bottle of red was distinctly like a claret, while the white had something the character of a Rheinish wine.” the Captain answered, “Although knowing what I do now, I can but wonder what strange and foreign land it came from.”

She looked pensive for a moment, staring at the glass of wine in her hand. “However, I hoped to raise matters of greater import. I have recently become acquainted with my neighbors, so to speak, one arms merchant named Liason, and a lad by the name of Quickgrip. Both men come from places such as I have never heard, and that are on no map or atlas in my world. Based on what you were so good as to reveal to my dear friend Doctor Domenova, I surmise that all of us were brought into contact by some powerful agency, that you have described as Gods.” The Captain’s expression had become both serious and resolute. “I beg you, if you have any information on how to find or communicate with these powers, please tell me. In my world, I was on a mission of some importance, and war was anticipated within months. It is imperative that I, and the Justice, return there as soon as possible.” She took a deep breath. “ I am prepared to contemplate whatever mission or overcome whatever obstacle these powers require of me, but I have a duty to Queen and Country that I must either fulfill, or perish in the attempt. Have you any clue as to their purpose, or how I might divine it?”

Jones · Posted: 02 Mar 2004 12:42 am Post subject:

Jones considered the Captain thoughtfully. She had spoken her piece with courage but he felt that her concluding words had displayed a more deep-seated anxiety.

He scratched his beard and propped his chin on one fist, meeting the Captain's eyes:
"Listening to you, Captain, makes me remember when I last intended to return to my true world. It might not have been much, but it was what I was used to. Coming out and finding this was not anything that I had ever imagined."

He shook his head and smiled. "But that was a long time ago now. This place is odd, but it's all my children have ever known. It's more real to them than my own world was. They've got young 'uns of their own now and it's a wonder to me watching them grow up, trying to teach them about this world..."

He fixed the Captain with a long stare. "I've accepted that that I'm not likely to be leaving here any time soon. And one thing I teach my family is that it doesn't do to mess with Gods. I serve them, when the come into my inn, but other than that I don't involve myself with them."

He thumped the table for emphasis at that and the sudden sound was jolting in the quiet room.
"I doubt that any of them would care much about your mission, Captain. They brought us all here for their own reasons and they don't much care about what business we might have had back in the old days. At least that's the way I see it..."

Captain Isobel DeRainault · Good Joined: 20 Jan 2004 Posts: 100 Location: HMS Justice

"I do not doubt the wisdom or veracity of your words, but I fear that such a course is not open to me. Besides the fact that I have a sworn duty, life on a man'o'war is not life in a prosperous holding such as yours. Nor, indeed, was it ever my ambition to live at home or raise a family - in my youth I traded a life of luxury, comfort and boredom for one of hardship, intolerance and excitement." The Captain's smile was a bit rueful. "Yet I did so willingly, would do so again. Therefore, I must ask you again if there is any information you can give me on how to contact your Gods, or to gain more information about the workings of this place - the quilt, I believe you call it? They may care nothing for my country, but as you say, they must have purpose in bringing me here. And the sooner I may discover it, the sooner I may complete it, and the sooner come home again."

*If ever* she added, silently. For despite everything, DeRainault knew that even were they marooned forever in this strange place, the Justice would not be the first ship lost to the seas. For example, there had been the tale of the cutter Alicia, which sailed one spring morning into a small patch of mist from where she never again emerged, nor was anything further ever heard of herself and her crew. But while it was in her power to avert such a fate, a Captain could not do less than her duty. And Isobel De Rainault was nothing if she was not a Royal Navy Captain.

Jones · Posted: 02 Mar 2004 02:13 pm Post subject:

"You're certainly brave enough, Captain," there was an approving look in Jones' eyes. "And I've no desire to make your life any harder than it is already. I'll tell ye what I know about the Gods, although it's little enough... and perhaps before you go you might tell me something of these two people you've met. Their names aren't familiar to me and I like to know a little bit about potential customers before they arrive here."

He paused and added reassuringly. "And in fact, I'm always willing to take messages and such for any friends or associates you make in this world. Most folks wind up at my place sooner or later. We're in the middle of the map, as near as I can reckon it, most of the time. I reckon it suits them to have some kind of meeting place and as long as I'm here they don't have to attend to the work themselves."

He nodded at the Captain's look of fascination. "Aye, they have a use for all of us, like it or not."

"Now, as for contacting them," he thought for a while before speaking. "There are five of them, that I know of anyway. The one that people see the most of is a chap who wears grey. Doesn't talk much, seems to be doing most of the work such as it is. They've all got places of their own somewhere about the Quilt but I don't know anything about his."

"Another one we see quite a bit of is the old woman. She's a..." he caught himself up suddenly. "Err, well, better to speak without prejudice. But she has an odd sense of humour. Her place is supposed to be a kind of shop, but I've never been there myself."

"There's a child, and she's even odder than the old woman. I can't tell you anything about her. Something of the idea of a creatures that looks like a little child to be protected but is actually more powerful than any King, doesn't sit right with me. Her place is a stone circle on a hill top."

"The next one is the one to watch out for. He's the one that takes an interest in fights. Nothing like a ding dong row to catch his attention. He's supposed to have some kind of fortress somewhere but no one I know ever managed to find it."

"Finally there's the holy man. At least that's how I think of him. He's wears some kind of robes, like a priest, and he's very polite. Always talks about himself as if he were someone else, if you get my meaning. If you have to talk to one of them, I'd pick him, just because he doesn't seem to have the sense of humour that the rest of 'em do. He has a little village somewhere, supposed to be quite pretty, nothing much to show you he's a God."

He paused, waiting for the Captain's reaction.

Jones · Posted: 02 Mar 2004 03:50 pm Post subject:

(OOC NOTE: I've updated the Public House sticky with a map of the Pub)

Captain Isobel DeRainault · Good Joined: 20 Jan 2004 Posts: 100 Location: HMS Justice

For a long moment, the Captain was silent, and then she took a deep breath. "I thank you, Mr. Jones. I realize that you are reluctant to involve yourself in the affairs of the powerful, but your willingness to share information will no doubt prove invaluable to me. If I may be of assistance to you in future, you have only to ask." Hurriedly, the Captain scratched down a few notes, highlighting the descriptions of the five Gods that Jones mentioned, and giving them shorthand names: The Grey Man, The Old Woman, The Child, The Spectator, and The Holy Man. "As for the men that I've met so far - one is a merchant who calls himself Liason, and he comes from a place called the Foundry in the Illuminated Empire. The other is a vagabond (or rogue, I've little doubt) who calls himself Quickgrip, and claims to come from the Slums of a city called Peerblind. The former wishes to locate more cutomers, and the latter to locate more visitors to the city, that he might fleece them. I have little doubt that you will be seeing them both soon." The Captain smiled again, this time more cheerfully. "But, if you will permit me one more question, Mr. Jones - you mentioned earlier that you have been living as part of this world, this quilt, as you call it for some time? Long enough for your children to grow and marry, and have children of their own. Just how many years had it been, and how have you survived all this time? Your supplies and such surely cannot all be home grown, and yet it seems that contact with your own world would be difficult."

Jones · Posted: 03 Mar 2004 01:40 am Post subject:

"It has indeed been a long time," Jones admitted. "Long enough that I have seen many people come and go through this patchwork quilt of worlds. I've made arrangements with a few, traded across borders, and my own patch isn't that badly provisioned when all's said and done."

He sighed. "I could tell you stories of the time I've spent here and the people I've met but I don't think you'd be interested in my life here. You want to be up and doing, an understandable reaction from someone new to this place. It's only after time that people become resigned to our fate, and, in truth, some never do."

He smiled. "I'm a patient man, Captain. I'm in this for the long haul and I accept that. Over time, many things are possible. I can't answer your question any better than that."