Conversation · Ruby, the Instigator

"And what did she say?"

"She asked me to come upstairs -- the merc she'd been going with was lying on the bedroom floor, dead. I knew she couldn't get the authorities involved. So, yeah..."

"...you made it look... like he'd been hanged..."

"Klaasje found it... weird you came up with a plan so quickly."

"What? No. Faking a lynching was her idea."

She looks shaken. She wasn't surprised to be ratted out -- but framed?

"Her idea?"

"Yeah. In cold blood. It really surprised me -- how quickly she was able to get a hold of herself once we got up there. It was like she was another person. The party girl was gone."

You can see it: her lips, though still white, don't seem to tremble as much anymore. She moves with focus and deliberation.

"She asked me to help her drag him into the shower so she could wind the shower head around his neck. To fake lividity. Then she dressed him while I went to get the Hardie boys."

Klaasje knew exactly what she was doing. You can't remain calm under pressure otherwise.

She lied to you... about that too.

"That's... bad -- that she'd be so calm..."

"Yeah, I wasn't sure whether to admire her -- or be disturbed."

"Do you... think she might have killed the merc herself?"

"And potentially bring attention to herself? No. Besides, the shot was made from a distance -- otherwise we would have heard it downstairs."

"But... even if this is true... " The lieutenant forces himself to finish the sentence: "Weren't you worried this 'lynching' might lead to..."

"...war?" She purses her lips. "The thought crossed my mind. But the mercenary's death was going to have repercussions either way. Although, the way things are going..."

She doesn't want to talk about this, but not because she has something to hide -- she doesn't want the guilt.

"Eh, fuck it." She shrugs. "I'm not responsible for these people after what they did to me."

Her grip on the gun is tight, her arms toned -- her posture solid. Martinaise lost a valuable defender.

"Hmgh... she's right. No one mentioned hearing... shots. I... the shot didn't come from the roof."

We should've factored this in. Damn it.

"Shower head? Resourceful..."

"I don't believe you!"

"I really don't care which one of us you think was more at fault for the 'lynching.' Neither of us killed him, though."

"How can you be sure... Klaasje didn't kill him herself?"

"The shot was made from a distance -- otherwise we would have heard it downstairs. Besides, she had good reason to not draw attention to herself."

"How did you manage to... come up with a plan? So quickly?"

"Klaasje said... you seemed to have a plan... prepared when you got there."

"It's pretty weird... that you came up with this plan right on the spot."

"Klaasje... said you knew something was wrong immediately."

"No, I really didn't. She's not that easy to read. I just assumed she'd done too much blow. It wouldn't be a first for her. But -- no such luck. She was in some deep shit."

"Do you know something about the tribunal... the mercenaries are planning?"

She chuckles. "Tribunal is an awfully fancy word for what they're going to do. But, yeah, I was listening to their frequency. They've finished their 'investigation.'"

"Now they're going to put on a show before meting out punishment." She pauses, biting her lip. "Even though those assholes gave me up... I'm worried for the boys."

"And you -- watch out for yourselves. You seem to have a habit of walking into traps."

"They're planning to set up a trap for us?"

"I'm guessing you don't know that a third mercenary has come to town just in time for the tribunal -- now you do."

If one hornet can kill 40 honeybees in a minute, then three hornets should be able to kill 120 honeybees in a minute... Or more, since they'll also be covering one another.

"A third... Oh, this is bad."

"As I said -- watch out." She nods.

The pain is becoming unbearable now.

Three mercenaries, no doubt armed to the teeth, hungry for vengeance... You've only got muzzle loaders. This isn't looking good.

"Why is everyone always against me?"

"I'm asking myself that right now too. Anyway, I'm guessing you don't know that a third mercenary has come to town just in time for the tribunal -- now you do."

"You said something about a tribunal..."

She sighs. "Yeah. The mercenaries are about to set up a tribunal and execute someone for killing Lely."

"How do you know this?"

"I was listening in on their frequency." She pauses, biting her lip. "Even though those assholes gave me up... I'm worried for the boys."

"Did you shoot Lely?"

"No, I didn't do it. I only helped stage the lynching. Though I doubt that makes much of a difference to you."

So she says she didn't do it -- and she doesn't trust you. Is it you specifically or the Citizens Militia that she distrusts?

"Who ratted me out, by the way? Was it Titus? No," she hesitates, "he wouldn't have broken first..."

"Klaasje. She's clearly a gender traitor."

"Oh." She smiles sadly. "Well, I guess I always knew she was a survivor above all else."

"We arrested her... consider yourself avenged."

"Oh, I wouldn't have wished that upon her... The girl was playing some dangerous games, but even with what she did to me... I wouldn't have wished that upon her."

She frowns. "She had some pretty messed up people after her. She's going to come out of that meat grinder a different person... If she comes out at all."

She'll age even faster in prison than she was partying. A pity.