From: aaron@helios (Aaron Humphrey)
Subject: [MI] Alfvaen[MI HQ]: Interrogation
Organization: University Of Alberta, Edmonton Canada
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 1992 05:36:34 GMT


As Alfvaen turned to go downstairs to question Little Rat, Moriarty turned and
put a hand on his shouder.  "Hey--you think you're gonna need some help on this
one?"

Alfvaen turned, puzzled.  "Like I said, this is personal.  Probably ain't gonna
make the agency any money."

"Yeah, well, I gotta protect my investment.  Tell ya what--you can take Q along
with ya if you want.  I'd love to go myself, but I never was so shit-hot on the
rough-and-tumble, know what I mean?  But look--I'm a certified summoner now, at
least with my little toy.  I'll see if I can whip something up for ya, OK?"

Alfvaen grinned.  "Okay, Moriarty.  Sounds good to me."  Then he went
downstairs to the storeroom.

Alfvaen saw Delmara standing with her hand on the shoulder of a little girl. 
Suddenly it hit him that this girl was the Little Rat minus a few years of
street dirt.  She smiled gently upon seeing him.  "Hey, M'r Elfman, you is ok
ain't ya?"

"Yes, I'm fine Rat, why do you ask?"  Calling this little girl 'Rat' suddenly
seemed inappropriate in her new form.  The clothes that she now had made her
seem a little less scrawny than before.  Her hair was light brown and wavy. 
Instead of being matted to her head, it hung lightly about her face making her
blue eyes seem all the more bright.  In a way, she looked innocent, but those
blue eyes had seen enough to give her a cunning beyond her years.

"Nuffin', Delmara just had a bad sleepin' and thought you was hurt or
sumfin',"  Little Rat lied, but Delmara let it pass.

Alfvaen sat down on the mattress.  "Are you ready to answer some questions
now?"

Little Rat nodded.  This was, after all, what Mr. Elfman had brought her here
for the in the first place, and why he was being so nice to her.

"Okay.  First--you remember the woman in the statue that the man made.  You
said you had seen her before.  Where?"

"She was with a bunch'a guys who was takin' her inna house--one a' them houses
where's lots a' wimmen in fancy dresses and the man make 'em do the nasty thing
grownups do."

"A brothel?" Alfvaen asked.

"Can you describe it?" Delmara said, as the child only looked bewildered at
Alfvaen's question, never having heard the word before.

Little Rat described the house in detail, and soon Delmara started to nod. 
"Sounds like Yirma's to me.  Was there a lady out front, not wearing much,
dancing?"

Little Rat thought.  "Not when the stachoo lady was there, no.  It was too
cold, I guess.  But I seed one 'fore that."

Delamra sighed.  "Yirma is the most unscrupulous bitch in Low City.  I'd get a
lot of runaways from the brothels coming to the Temple all the time, but the
ones from Yirma's were always on the verge of death, and there was little I
could do for them.  She works her women like packhorses, and keeps them all
drugged on Joystix to boot."

"Great.  Now, Rat--do you know about the gangs in Low City?"

Little Rat nodded.  That was a stupid question--no kid could survive to her age
without knowing all the gangs.  Especially if you weren't in one of them.

"Do you know the Demon Spiders?"

Little Rat thought about it.  "I dunno any Spiders.  My brother warned me
'gainst 'em.  Said they were bad.  But I know 'nuff to stay 'way from them."

"Were the men with Elstree--the statue lady--from the Demon Spiders?"

"They wasn't wearin' da symbol, but I thinks I seed one a' them with the
Spiders 'fore."

"Was there a dark elf with them?"

Little Rat shook her head.  "I didn't seed him.  Akchally, nobody's seed the
Spiders round for a while.  Some a' da Spiders guys went to other gangs.  One
a' dem's runnin' da Alley Creepers now."

Alfvaen sighed.  "Okay.  Elstree was taken to a place that Delmara has
identified, from your description, as Yirma's Brothel.  You say that at least
one of the men that brought her there was a Demon Spider.  There was a Demon
Spider symbol left where Elstree was kidnapped, you see, which is why we think
that they did it.  The question is, why did they do it?"

<Maybe the Demon Queen wanted them to,> Lassiviren spoke up in his head.

<What?>

<I would have gone to Her when I died, if this amulet had not prevented me. 
Perhaps She is trying to strike at you, the possessor of the amulet, through
your lady-love.  If She gets the amulet in her possession, perhaps She can
overwhelm the Trickster's magic and take both my soul, which is rightfully Hers
to being with, and yours.  And if She can take this Elstree, who appears to be
a chosen of the Lady of Hurtful Love, then that is more to her benefit.>

<So you're saying that this Noctu character is a pawn of Lol-->

<Stop!  Do not even think Her name!  Not even the Chosen of the Demon Queen
dare speak her name with impunity.  Nonbelievers are signing their death
warrants.  And yes--I would think it obvious that this Noctu is seeking to
regain favour with the Demon Queen through these actions, and thus regain his
place in the Underwurlde.  Trust me, halfbreed.  You know nothing of these
things.  They were my life, once.>

<Okay.>

Little Rat looked curiously at Elfman.  His eyes suddenly lost their focus, and
he seemed to be talking to someone else, except he didn't make any noise or
move his lips.  Delmara didn't notice, for she was herself lost in thought, and
not watching Alfvaen closely.  Finally Little Rat said, "Mr. Elfman, you okay?"

Alfvaen started back to himself.  "Sorry.  Just...thinking.  It occurs to me
that Noctu, the Demon Spiders' leader, might be doing this for religious
reasons.  Elstree, being a chosen of Aditi, and myself, being apparently alive
through the grace of Azpiazu, are his targets.  And Noctu may be doing this to
try to regain his favour with L--the Demon Queen of Spiders.  So we may be
talking about a sacrifice here."

Delmara gasped.  "Then we have no time to lose.  I can lead you to Yirma's.
Little Rat, stay here.  This is no place for a little girl."

Alfvaen smiled.  "May I remind you, Delmara, that this 'little girl' has
survived for eight years in Low City.  I think she can come if she wishes,
although she can also stay here if she wishes.  She's earned that, if she wants
it.  Queriche will also come with us, and Moriarty is right now summoning
something up to help us.  Don't ask me what.  I don't want to interrupt him if
he's doing that, but surely he can send it after us if we leave before he's
done.  So--let's go!"

They went back upstairs.  "Queriche, is Moriarty finished yet?  Well, we can't
wait for whatever it is that he's sending us.  It'll catch up, hopefully. 
C'mon.  Do you know where Yirma's Brothel is?"

--
---Alfvaen(Canadian SF Quasi-Activist)
"And when the thunder breaks, it breaks for you and me."
   ---This Mortal Coil
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