#earthrunes

"Though perhaps I lie. Perhaps, Purrrrhaps, good Magnus, practically my own son, fine lad, might glance to see if my recollection be true."

Quietly. "My Oath is unbroken."

"Oh allow me" Magnus almost pleads "Please" A look to Miss Zara "This might be one time to 'share' the scene?" Hopeful, and she knows he means not just backwards glance but sharing it with others

"At least one lion here stands ready to see if what I said was true. Doth any other?" He says, quite breezily, and not quite looking at Sir Ashhole.

Jebel whispers into Ashtok's ear

Zara nods.

"The truth will out, aye."

Even as Zara hears the Eiluned whispering 'We must apologize or we shall be outed...'

but it is too late, as magnus snaps dross...

And the SCENE unfolds...

August has been around long enough to know when someone has been set up for a sting, as a legal mind, this has entrapment all over it.

Lord Ashtok gets insulting, first taking offense. Then offending the DeBukes, then .. to provoke a reaction, he insults Zara, and Earth Runes, and hints that the library is hers only because she 'curried favor' with August

Ashtok and Jebel look like they wish they could hopscotch out of here, but neither seems to have that knack, as they watch their crime to cause a duel be exposed, as well as their very BOORISH behavior

"That bitch" Tziporah mutters, forgetting she was supposed to be a stranger

Ashtok mutters "Our..apologies to Miss Zara, and to your library, baron"

"Yes, yes" Jebel says

"SIr. Dame. I will have the name of your master or masters, please, their rank, and place of domain."

"But, my duel." Vince says, regretfully... but perhaps very quietly.

They name their baroness in low voices, one Baroness Lythia Bloomflower. August knows her reputation is that she is openly 'proper' for a Fiona, lots of note passing in her hold for romance, less open trysts than EaRth Runes but not a bad woman even if she finds Liam a touch unseemly. Bloomflower would be aghast by this behavior, not just pretending to, she'd be pissed

Earl's eyes are less dark, and now he just looks ..confused. He whispers to Zara "Why would she do this in the first place? Why would THEY do this?"

Zara shakes her head.

"I know neither of them, aye?"

"me neither" Earl admits "yet she knew my heraldry, sought me out"

August actually jots it down in his ever present notebook. "-Why- did you do this?" because it -is- on everyone's mind. And some elements must be considered; intent, mitigating factors, the possibility of a higher crime....

OOC He didn't say crime. Just asked the question.

OOC: Mea culpa BIC: "Apologies were made. We've done nothing against Escheat" The are definitely avoiding the question

OOC All August said was "-Why- did you do this?"

The rest is narration.

He closes the notebook with a snap. "We will be in touch." he says, and from a lawyer, that's something of both a threat and a promise. "Please, don't let me detain you." he says, dismissing them.

A whisper, unlikely to carry past the Earth Runes folk. "Thank you."

The two actually look nervous at August's threat/promise. They were not ready for THAT approach, and they scurry off

As does a small spider... a swashbuckling hero

Magnus grins at August "That was really well done. I think you scared a Fiona. That's rare" Speaking as one

"Yes," Earl says "Thank you" He says then adds "I think I understand why Gerd of Rivervale likes to drop people in lakes."

August turns to Earl and Zara. "Are you alright?" he asks both of them softly.

"Oh, can we?"

"Livid" Earl admits "But better" he acctually smiles a bit at Vince's comment though

Zara places a hand on her chest. "Aye. I am now."

"Pray, forgive me for calling on you, but... pardon, but all I knew was that Earl was in trouble..."

Earl blushes but says 'maybe I could have taken him?"

"No offense, Earl, but I doubt they'd have set that up if they thought you were better at sword play" Ivory frowns

Tziporah the eshu moves up into the ER crowd "Sis? You okay? Oh the stories I'm going to tell of this, I am gonna EVISCERATE that Jebel and her boy toy... rep wise, of course. How do I find that Quin guy? I need a song made"

"Please think nothing of it; I was honored to be called on. Would you like me to follow up with their Baroness?"

"I do not yet understand what they wished to accomplish here..."

"But I do believe that it has been made most clear that neither myself, nor mine Love, are philanderers..."

Earl looks at Zara to let her decide

"Feh, and to imply that you would seek out bed-favors."

Earl grumbles "Yes, Magnus, thanks for that spell. I hated hearing it again but..."

"Quite all right" Magnus says "I may drive your lovely paramour nuts with my 'knowledge should be be free' attitude, but she's always been a firm believer in the truth and so am I"