Conversation · Acele

"This is all good to know... but let's leave it at that." (Leave it off the list.)

"Do. It's for the best."

"I should confront Evrart about this! Maybe I can manipulate him using the information." (Add it to the list.)

"No, I don't think it would lead anywhere with Evrart. He's just going to deny it."

"Yeaaahhhh..." She really draws out the word. "Have you seen Evrart?"

"That's not going to lead anywhere with Evrart. He'll just deny everything. I mean, have you seen the guy?"

"It's a good thing you ended that mess, though. I felt I was turning dad-wise, into a corrupt business-person. Unpleasant."

"I'm kinda hoping you'll end this mess before we get going... I feel as if I'm slowly turning dad-wise, into a corrupt business-person. I don't like it."

"So you're the main drive behind everything?"

"Yeah, kinda. I'm the head of the operation. Coordinated it with the Débardeurs, else they might get... unhappy."

"You don't call a sudden drug lab inside this church organized crime?"

"Yeah... I was kinda hoping you'd end that mess before we got going. It feels like I've been slowly turning dad-wise, into a corrupt business-person.

She's honest.

"A shame you didn't..."

"That's nice to hear. You kids are good these days."

"Gee, thanks. Now, was there anything else on your mind?"

"'Left it all behind.' Are you sure you did?" The lieutenant narrows his eyes at the girl. "Who can tell with all the delinquent behaviour?"

Acele stares at him blankly. Two unflinching stares in collision course.

"That's nice to hear. You kids are good these days."

"Gee, thanks. Now, was there anything else on your mind?"

"I doubt that. You're probably up to no good."

"Who isn't? It's all no good in Martinaise. Now, was there anything else on your mind?"

"Turned you into a new generation drug user, though?"

"Anything to get through." She shrugs. "That's how it is after the fall."

"I'm not going to take you in for such a tiny infraction, but I better not find anything else suspicious going on."

"A life full of suspicion. Perhaps you should talk to Noid, you'd get along nicely... Now, was there something else on your mind?"

"Yeah, no, don't worry, I was just saying... I don't mind drugs, I'm all into drugs myself, yeah, drugs."

"Who doesn't just love drugs? All the drugs." The lieutenant's voice is flat, although with a seeming undertone of sarcasm.

"Good for you. Now, was there anything else on your mind?"

"What happened next?"

"What do you think? The competition came and took everything away. It was like in a war zone..." She's gritting her teeth.

"The silver bird."

The silver bird has already flown away... I will catch it later.

"What are you doing out here in the cold?"

"I'd like to know more about your associates."

"My 'associates'?" She blows on her chilled fingers. "I haven't got much to say about them."

"What do you mean? You must know something about them."

"Of course I do. I just don't tell people about my friends and who they are and so on. I don't provide information on them."

To the cops.

"What about you? Tell me something about yourself."

"Me? I'm a silver bird."

High above and to the east, the cold winds blow over the feathers of an early songbird. She lands on the stone ledge of a tall building. Her beak a silvery grey.

A silver bird... feels strangely familiar. Was it an expression? And if yes, then for what? Then your mind slips and the thought is gone.

"A-ha. Okay. Maybe I'll ask later about all this."

"Don't know what makes you think it'll be any different later, but..."

Feels like you missed something here. What was that about a bird? Forget it. Maybe later.

"Just answer the question, please."

"Sorry. I just don't tell people about my friends and who they are and so on. I don't provide information on them."

"What's your name?"

"Welcome back." She nods to you in greeting.

The girl stands behind the row of pulpits, whistling a melody with the electronic device pressed against the wood. At the sound of your footsteps, she stops what she was doing.

That melody is oddly familiar... Why does it feel like some gang-related thing?

"Hey, there." She gives you a shy smile. "I've been recording some new audio from all these beams and rafters. The sounds travelling through the wood are pretty cool -- creaks and stuff. Like you're underwater, you know... But, like, underwater inside a tree."

"And yes, I'm being more like Contact Mike, alright. Don't even bring it up."

"But Contact Mike is --"

"No-no." She cuts you off before you can finish the sentence. "I actually wanted to thank you. For getting me and my friends in here. And we even found some new... associates, such as they are."

"How's everyone doing?"

"Good, I think. Noid is getting a read on the place, I think he finds the carpentry very impressive. Andre's been setting up the compressor and... dancing. Egg Head's keeping the party up, he's got the stage under control."

"And the crab-man hasn't shown himself much, thank god."

"Soona, the programmer, she's doing... whatever she does, behind that radiocomputer of hers. She doesn't talk to us much. And the crab-man hasn't shown himself, thank god."