Nue Quest 8 - Pagan: A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

> "Might just be, then. I'll ask her next time I see her."
> "Is Patchouli still over at the shopkeep's place?"

>"She's not come back, at least," Meiling says.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I suppose no news is good news, in this case. We'll be heading that way anyway, since we're in a bit of a time crunch. Sorry we can't stick around for too long."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I suppose no news is good news, in this case. We'll be heading that way anyway, since we're in a bit of a time crunch. Sorry we can't stick around for too long."

>"Don't worry about it," says Meiling, making a dismissive wave of her hand. "It's not like I could let you in, anyways."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Say hi to Flan for me. Hopefully she's out here the next time I swing by."
> Turn to Mamizou.
> "Ready?"
> Do we remember where Alice's house is?

[Hello Purvis]

> "Say hi to Flan for me. Hopefully she's out here the next time I swing by."
> Turn to Mamizou.
> "Ready?"
> Do we remember where Alice's house is?

>"Yeah, I'll tell her you stopped by," says Meiling. "She'll be tickled pink."
>You turn to Mamizou and ask if she is ready to go. "I expect there isn't much else to do, if she cannot allow us in to visit."
>Alice's house is just to the north and east; the path that leads around the lake and toward the road will take you right to it.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Let's shove off, then."
> Turn back to Meiling.
> "Later."
> Take flight and head to Alice's house, landing and proceeding on foot once we reach the part of the path that enters the forest proper.

[Hello Purvis]

> "Let's shove off, then."
> Turn back to Meiling.
> "Later."
> Take flight and head to Alice's house, landing and proceeding on foot once we reach the part of the path that enters the forest proper.

>Mamizou nods, while Meiling says, "Keep dry!
>You take to the air, and head toward Alice's house. Being close to the shore of the lake, there isn't really any forest to get the way, though it certainly comes up to the back of her cabin. Approaching it, the cabin seems to be quiet and sedated without dolls swarming on some project or another. You think you see some light through one of the windows.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Land.
> Make our way over to the front door and knock, setting the wood down if we have to.

[Hello Purvis]

> Land.
> Make our way over to the front door and knock, setting the wood down if we have to.

>You land on the porch, and approach the front door. You sent down the wood and knock on it, and it opens almost immediately. Alice stands in the threshold, wearing a neutral expression. "Is there something you-" says, before her eyes settle on the block of wood. Her expression lightens. "Oh, you found one?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Yeah. Hopefully this is enough for whatever you're doing, I'm already tired of lugging it everywhere."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Yeah. Hopefully this is enough for whatever you're doing, I'm already tired of lugging it everywhere."

>"No, I'll more than this," says Alice. "But, this is more than enough to keep me going for...a few months, I'd say."
>She shakes her head. "I didn't really expect you to find any, let alone this much. Thank you."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "You're welcome. You actually got fairly lucky; that wood came from the same region where I got the broken sword repaired, which involved accidentally leaving Gensokyo altogether."

[Hello Purvis]

> "You're welcome. You actually got fairly lucky; that wood came from the same region where I got the broken sword repaired, which involved accidentally leaving Gensokyo altogether."

>"I think I'm going to have to ask you to tell me more," says Alice. "Possibly while I think of something to give you in turn. Actually, is there anything you would like?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Are we hungry or thirsty right now?

[Hello Purvis]

> Are we hungry or thirsty right now?

>You're not especially hungry, but you wouldn't say no to anything. And a drink is always welcome.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Maybe. What do you have?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "Maybe. What do you have?"

>"That's a bit hard to summarize," says Alice. "I have some books of mystical interest, about as much cloth as you could ever want, quite a few mundane dolls, um, I used to have some money, but it is all gems now, as you can imagine..."
>She pauses for a moment, considering.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "The money's still jewels, huh? That's disheartening. I know Patchouli and Eirin are theoretically at the culprit's 'hideout' trying to fix that problem right now...must be pretty hard to undo."

Okay, what do people think of this? We ask for 25-30 back when money returns, and Alice joins us as a surface world tour guide for Mamizou. I can't think of anything else I desperately want right now.

[Hello Purvis]

> "The money's still jewels, huh? That's disheartening. I know Patchouli and Eirin are theoretically at the culprit's 'hideout' trying to fix that problem right now...must be pretty hard to undo."

>"So we have a culprit now?" says Alice. "And, I have to admit, it's rather rare to hear that Patche and Eirin have joined forces."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "We do. Those two are working on reversing the current damage, while my job is to make sure it doesn't happen again."

[Hello Purvis]

> "We do. Those two are working on reversing the current damage, while my job is to make sure it doesn't happen again."

>"Well, who was it?" says Alice. "How did she do it?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Wasn't a 'she', as it turns out. It was the junk store shopkeep. Did it using some sort of bizarre faithy pseudomagic he possesses because he's incredibly devoted to his ideals."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Wasn't a 'she', as it turns out. It was the junk store shopkeep. Did it using some sort of bizarre faithy pseudomagic he possesses because he's incredibly devoted to his ideals."

>Alice frowns. "I feel I should be surprised by this, but I am not. He always was a bit suspicious..."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Yeah. He's been removed from his shop and was stuck in the Temple in the human village. Presumably still there, though I haven't checked in a bit. Gensokyo's money is in his basement, where Patchouli and Eirin are presumably taking a look at it. With some guards at the entrance to domesticate anybody that happens to wander by uninvited."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Yeah. He's been removed from his shop and was stuck in the Temple in the human village. Presumably still there, though I haven't checked in a bit. Gensokyo's money is in his basement, where Patchouli and Eirin are presumably taking a look at it. With some guards at the entrance to domesticate anybody that happens to wander by uninvited."

>She nods. "I suppose that isn't quite as surprising, given the circumstances.  Um...do you intend to stay a bit? I could let you in."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Maybe. I've been thinking a bit, though. How busy are you right now?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "Maybe. I've been thinking a bit, though. How busy are you right now?"

>"Nothing that I cannot set aside," says Alice. "What do you have in mind?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

Well, since no one bothered to comment...>_>

> "A possible repayment plan. But first, I believe introductions are in order."
> Gesture toward Mamizou.
> "This is Mamizou. She and I go back a long way, and she came here from the same place where I got this sword fixed."

[Hello Purvis]

> "A possible repayment plan. But first, I believe introductions are in order."
> Gesture toward Mamizou.
> "This is Mamizou. She and I go back a long way, and she came here from the same place where I got this sword fixed."

>Alice bows toward Mamizou. "I am Alice Margatroid. Please come in, both of you."
>"And I am Mamizou Futatsuiwa," says your companion, returning the bow.
>"And you've mentioned going somewhere else twice now," says Alice. "I have to press you for details on that, if you have time. And, would you mind if I took the block now?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Please do."
> Hand the block over.