A landing Fabian spent a sleepless night turning this way and that in his bed, trying to get comfortable. Everytime he sighed, turned over and tried to relax the thought of the Maestro doing something with the Staff of Five Elements with catastrophic consequences started running through his mind. First he wondered if the Maestro would try going to the Halls of Sunset himself, until he remembered that the Maestro was unlikely to know that the Staff was a key. Then he spent half-an-hour worrying that the Maestro would figure it out anyway. Then he found himself considering that he didn't know what the Staff did, and that maybe he'd find the Museum burned to the ground, or flooded to the top or looking like a hurricane had hit it. When he finally fell asleep his dreams were no better and he found himself jerking awake, drenched in cold sweat, with images of the Maestro using the Staff to summon an army of Umber Hulks that Cass was issueing employee numbers and badges to and instructing them to take everyone at the Director's Meeting hostage. It was a relief when light started to peek around the edges of the curtains and he felt he could get up, shower, and go and sit in his office where, at least, he would have advance warning of any disaster the Maestro might cause. It was slightly disappointing to find that the Museum was still standing when he arrived, and even more disappointing to see the Maestro hurrying in just ahead of him, indicating that Fabian's fears that the man would spend all night there were also unfounded.
Halfway through the morning, in the middle of a tedious meeting with Cass about expected staffing figures for the upcoming year, made more annoying by her constant snide remarks about how they ought to be planning for staffing the Halls of Sunset too, a message pinged through on his tablet from Dread. Fabian knew perfectly well he should wait until he'd finished meeting with Cass to respond to it, but he excused himself anyway and checked it. "Lunch?" was all it said, but Fabian gratefully set a time and place for it and returned with a half-smile to tell Cass that they needed to conclude their meeting within the next hour and a half. She frowned, pressing her lips together firmly as though preventing some accusation or sharp comment from emerging, and then nodded her head. "Though," she said, clearly unable to completely contain her comments, "it would be nice to think that you cared as much about the Museum as you your lunch engagements." "Admiral Dread is senior in the Navy, the Mages College and the Empire," said Fabian. He gazed at the ceiling as though thinking hard. "I think I would need a substantial excuse to turn down his request for a meeting, even if lunch is tagged on as an incentive. I am not sure that telling him you disapprove is a landing I -- or you -- could walk away from." Cass's icy demeanour wavered for a moment. "That is not how I would recommend deferring such an invitation," she said, so slowly that Fabian was sure she was choosing each word with exceptional care. "I... perhaps we can conclude our meeting tomorrow, Director?" Fabian allowed himself a small smile and decided that this counted as a win.
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A landing
Fabian spent a sleepless night turning this way and that in his bed, trying to get comfortable. Everytime he sighed, turned over and tried to relax the thought of the Maestro doing something with the Staff of Five Elements with catastrophic consequences started running through his mind. First he wondered if the Maestro would try going to the Halls of Sunset himself, until he remembered that the Maestro was unlikely to know that the Staff was a key. Then he spent half-an-hour worrying that the Maestro would figure it out anyway. Then he found himself considering that he didn't know what the Staff did, and that maybe he'd find the Museum burned to the ground, or flooded to the top or looking like a hurricane had hit it. When he finally fell asleep his dreams were no better and he found himself jerking awake, drenched in cold sweat, with images of the Maestro using the Staff to summon an army of Umber Hulks that Cass was issueing employee numbers and badges to and instructing them to take everyone at the Director's Meeting hostage. It was a relief when light started to peek around the edges of the curtains and he felt he could get up, shower, and go and sit in his office where, at least, he would have advance warning of any disaster the Maestro might cause.
It was slightly disappointing to find that the Museum was still standing when he arrived, and even more disappointing to see the Maestro hurrying in just ahead of him, indicating that Fabian's fears that the man would spend all night there were also unfounded.
Halfway through the morning, in the middle of a tedious meeting with Cass about expected staffing figures for the upcoming year, made more annoying by her constant snide remarks about how they ought to be planning for staffing the Halls of Sunset too, a message pinged through on his tablet from Dread. Fabian knew perfectly well he should wait until he'd finished meeting with Cass to respond to it, but he excused himself anyway and checked it.
"Lunch?" was all it said, but Fabian gratefully set a time and place for it and returned with a half-smile to tell Cass that they needed to conclude their meeting within the next hour and a half. She frowned, pressing her lips together firmly as though preventing some accusation or sharp comment from emerging, and then nodded her head.
"Though," she said, clearly unable to completely contain her comments, "it would be nice to think that you cared as much about the Museum as you your lunch engagements."
"Admiral Dread is senior in the Navy, the Mages College and the Empire," said Fabian. He gazed at the ceiling as though thinking hard. "I think I would need a substantial excuse to turn down his request for a meeting, even if lunch is tagged on as an incentive. I am not sure that telling him you disapprove is a landing I -- or you -- could walk away from."
Cass's icy demeanour wavered for a moment. "That is not how I would recommend deferring such an invitation," she said, so slowly that Fabian was sure she was choosing each word with exceptional care. "I... perhaps we can conclude our meeting tomorrow, Director?"
Fabian allowed himself a small smile and decided that this counted as a win.
Greg - nice to see Fabian get one up on Cass for once. I'm sure he'll pay for it later though...
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