Sime~Gen Roleplaying on IRC: Snake River Dam Scenario
Episode #117: Customs Agents My Eye (2/5/01)
Edka crouches behind a boulder just past a sharp turn in one of the three main smuggling trails between the lake and the camps.
Edka has spent the past two days disposing of the competition on this route, by intimidation or forced alliance, and is now ready to go into business.
Edka has installed Snake's trap on a particularly steep section of trail, after modifying the trip cord to be inconspicuous.
Edka has also installed a half dozen of his followers--a mixed bag of troops and renSimes--in hiding, and had the renSimes confirm that nobody is likely to be zlinned before it's too late.
Edka waits for the lookout's warning of approaching travelers.
Petrushka snaps the whip, keeping her hardy mountain pony trotting smartly up the trail.
Petrushka is a middle-aged Gen woman bundled up in home-knitted sweaters, mittens, hat and scarf, and a wolf-pelt cloak.
Petrushka's ample bottom is planted on the seat of a small sleigh heavily loaded with corded firewood.
Petrushka's firewood conceals a lead-foil-lined chest containing jars of strawberry jam and pickles, foil packets of smoked salmon, salt, herbs, and other light weight valuable dried goods.
Petrushka lives on the south shore of the Reservoir, slightly inside of Sime Territory although she considers herself a Gen Territory citizen.
Petrushka was a hermit like her family before her, but has recently awakened to the possibilities of trade.
Olfiv spots Petrushka and gives the warning, modified for "vehicle" rather than foot traffic.
Petrushka wonders what a Baltimore Oriole is doing in this area.
Petrushka: I tell ya Mishka, this woods gets odder and odder each passing day.
Petrushka's pony flicks an ear back.
Edka signals for the trip wire to be loosened, and the net raised partway to stop the horse.
Petrushka's pony flicks his ears forward again as he detects the scent of human beings.
Petrushka: What is it, boy?
Edka checks once more to see that his crew is in place.
Fleddy holds his half of the net steady as he hears approaching hoofbeats.
Fleddy shakes the net violently as Petrushka's pony comes around the curve, while one of the others jumps forward to grab the bridle.
Edka smiles and makes his way down the hill.
Edka: Well, what have we here?
Edka: This is a rather odd time of year to be gathering in firewood.
Edka eyes the pile of lumber on the sled speculatively.
Petrushka looks at Edka like he just grew a second head.
Petrushka: What do ye mean this is an odd time of year to be gathering firewood?
Petrushka: It's the middle of the winter.
Petrushka has never had much truck with highway robbers.
Petrushka: Mind you keep your hand from the bridle, sonny.
Petrushka: Old Mishka doesn't take kindly to the scent o' men.
Petrushka's pony does seem to dislike having his head held.
Fleddy's buddy holds fast; he's not going to let go while Petrushka is still holding the reins.
Edka: Now, now, there's no reason for trouble here. We are... customs agents, of a sort. Have you anything to declare?
Petrushka: Custom agents? Ye gotta be kidding me.
Petrushka: Next they'll be calling the ones as nabs ye going to Salmonton as "border inspectors".
Petrushka: Listen here mister Custom Agent, I don't have time for this fooling around.
Petrushka: I got deliveries to make, and back to milk me cow before dark.
Petrushka: Now are ye going to rob me or not?
Edka: I assure you, we are not thieves. However, we have taken it upon ourselves to do something about the smuggling problem hereabouts. Fleddy, check that load for contraband.
Fleddy has been carefully instructed in protocol, and so he is careful to stack the wood he removes from the sled neatly.
Petrushka: What a load of nonsense. [to herself]
Fleddy doesn't take long to uncover something that isn't firewood.
Fleddy: There's a box here, under the load.
Edka looks at Petrushka.
Edka: A box? And what might be in such a box?
Petrushka: Why don't ye take a look, if yer so curious?
Petrushka appears bored with the procedure. She is clearly used to more brutal robberies.
Fleddy opens the box at Edka's signal and takes a brief inventory.
Fleddy: It's dry goods. Food, mostly. Definitely imported from Gen Territory.
Edka: Is there a customs stamp?
Petrushka has already counted the number of men visible in the woods surrounding her and it is obvious there is no escape unless she resorts to the loaded shotgun under her seat and the sixguns in her ample bosom, but with the net and the narrow spot in the trail that would be a pretty long shot indeed.
Petrushka shakes her head.
Petrushka: I made all that myself.
Petrushka: And I live this side o' the border. You can ask anybody.
Petrushka: Petrushka Lada.
Petrushka: You sell that and no one'll know where it came from, save the pickles and jam.
Petrushka would rather lose the cargo and waste the trip than either become the subject of a gang rape or lose the pony and sleigh.
Petrushka therefore simply waits to see.
Edka makes a note of the name, then evaluates the cargo with the help of a battered copy of "Tariffs and Fees for Imported Goods, Year 27"
Edka was unable to steal a more recent copy, but figures that's not serious.
Petrushka can't read, even numbers, luckily for Edka.
Edka: Well, your total tariff on the goods here comes to...
Edka names a figure, amounting to about 15% of the value of the goods at normal times.
Petrushka: What? Is that all?
Petrushka thinks Edka has cottonwood fluff in the noggin.
Petrushka: Son, I don't mean to tell you your business, but if yer going to rob a woman, you should take enough to make a profit.
Petrushka: How you going to pay all these men on that?
Edka: Easily. Given the barter economy hereabouts, we will collect the tariff in goods. According to the values listed here, that would be....
Edka starts removing salmon and pickles.
Petrushka shakes her head to herself.
Edka: Then there's the fine for failing to declare at the border....
Petrushka has never been robbed by a more incompetent group of crooks.
Edka continues taking goods out, until he has relieved Petrushka of about a third of her cargo.
Edka: There, that should suffice. Here is your notice of tariff paid.
Edka hands Petrushka a receipt.
Petrushka forbears to mention that she hadn't actually crossed the border; Edka obviously cherishes his "customs agent" role.
Petrushka: I suppose yer going to be here on the way out as well?
Edka: Quite possibly.
Petrushka decides to look into alternate routes.
Petrushka grunts.
Petrushka looks at the handwriting on the receipt, then stuffs it into a pocket.
Edka: Get that net out of the way.
Edka: Do have a good day, Ma'am.
Petrushka flicks the whip, and the pony trots off, scrabbling a bit on the snowy incline.
Edka is looking forward to that salmon: it's been much too long since he's had meat.
Nick presents himself at Riyyh's office in the bath house, signaling politely outside of the open door.
Nick: Riyyh?
Nick zlins a bit worried, although only Arat or Snake would find it irritating.
Riyyh starts wildly, and scrambles back up from the floor and onto his chair.
Riyyh tries to smooth back his hair and gather all his scattered papers before Nick can enter.
Riyyh: Yes? Who is it?
Riyyh winces at how lame this sounded.
Nick blinks at this overreaction, then wonders if Riyyh has already heard the news.
Nick hopes so; the information he has been able to gather himself is limited.
Nick: It's me. Nick.
Riyyh: Oh, Nick! Do come in. [grinning weakly]
Nick enters the office, projecting a bit of ~~ calm soothing ~~
Riyyh ignores a paper that had somehow become stuck to a door frame, which drifts down and slides over his head into his lap.
Nick: Are you all right?
Nick: ~~ concern ~~
Riyyh: Why yes, yes, why do you ask?
Nick: You seem awfully jumpy today.
Riyyh: Oh, well, that was just... anyway. May I help you?
Riyyh: You seem worried.
Riyyh means, about more than just Riyyh's state of mind.
Nick: I was wondering if you know anything about the present whereabouts of Sergeant Edka and his demolitions crew?
Nick: They appear to have disappeared from their camp. With the explosives.
Riyyh: Perhaps they went home?
Riyyh is obviously attempting to believe the best.
Nick: That's possible, I suppose, although they weren't having much luck getting a boat to carry their ordinance.
Riyyh: I don't understand why they didn't just sell it to that nice Mr. Birch.
Riyyh isn't exactly a master of military law or the politics between Birch and Edka.
Riyyh: Or perhaps they did?
Nick: I don't think so. At least, we haven't noticed the sort of increased blasting injuries I'd expect, if they were using military grade explosives.
Nick has only a vague idea of the differences between the various explosives, but does recall that the charges Edka was using to blast the cliff were more powerful than the ones that are being used on the tunnels.
Nick: Can you split explosive rounds, to make them less powerful?
Riyyh: My heavens, I have no idea.
Riyyh's personal experience of explosives was limited to frantically paging through musty Ancient books trying to figure out what the chemical constituents of "diesel" and other arcane alchemical substances were.
Riyyh is certain that the panic he was feeling at the time had something to do with the fact that the walls were shaking and stone dust coming down in his hair, and perhaps the thought that soon Gens would be running through the paths of Naros gunning down his family and friends, but it might also have been because explosives are just not his scene.
Nick: Well, I suppose I'll have to ask Mr. Birch.
Nick: Edka was asking Arat about interceding with Borgmann to get supplies from the IDAS camp without actually living there, not long ago. At that time, he didn't seem to want to part with his ordinance.
Nick: So whatever happened, it was very recent.
Riyyh: Well, I shall certainly ask around. [smiles at Nick]
Riyyh: Somebody must have seen or heard something.
Riyyh's peoples' gossip ears are everywhere.
Nick: Have you heard anything that might be related to the disappearance? Or just struck you as very odd?
Nick is well aware of the efficiency of the Narosian gossip grapevine.
Riyyh: I will let you know if I do. [kindly]
Nick: Thank you. I admit it makes me nervous, to have a dozen Gen Army soldiers and a shed full of high explosives unaccounted for.
Riyyh: Oh, my, yes.
Nick: With any luck, though, we'll get at least some warning of trouble.
Nick recalls his manners.
Nick: How is the effort at the IDAS camp going? Are your volunteers doing a good job?
Riyyh: Oh, everything is going nicely. It's not at all as we planned of course. But when one must depend upon the government, what ever is?
Nick chuckles.
Nick: That's true enough.
Nick: Are there any truly pressing problems Arat should know about?
Nick is well aware that Riyyh finds it more relaxing to communicate with Arat through an intermediary.
Riyyh: No, I think his people have stayed on top of the selyn issues quite nicely.
Riyyh: And we have been more than pleased with our share of the schedule.
Riyyh and his fellow Narosians have, in fact, been somewhat overwhelmed by it, since none of them are used to working the way Arat is used to assigning: to within an inch of a channel or Donor's life.
Nick smiles.
Nick: Yes, there's no shortage of work here.
Nick having worked mostly with Farris channels, he thinks this is a positive thing.
Nick: Is Ali learning quickly enough to keep up with you on the more difficult functionals?
Nick would hate for Riyyh to be harmed by his Donor's inexperience.
Riyyh: Oh yes, he's simply marvellous.
Riyyh: I must confess I was a bit worried about taking one so young, but he's come along nicely - at least as a Companion.
Riyyh is afraid Ali is still very much a teenager, and will be for some years yet.
Nick lifts an eyebrow at the qualification.
Nick: And in other ways?
Riyyh grins sheepishly.
Riyyh: Well, he lets me get away with things an older Companion wouldn't dream of.
Nick: Too many sweets?
Riyyh: And he does tend to put himself in danger even more regularly than Racknie.
Riyyh: It's quite exhausting, to be honest.
Nick: Danger? Just what has he been doing?
Nick is ~~ concerned ~~; finding an alternative Donor for Riyyh would be difficult under the circumstances, and he doubts that Riyyh could take a satisfying transfer from either Arat or Snake, with the way he feels about both of them.
Riyyh: Well you know, the sorts of things teens tend to do. He has so much energy, and of course he is full of ideas and things he wants to learn about.
Riyyh doesn't think Nick really wants to know about the attempt to build skis, or the "improvement" to the stove in Riyyh's tent.
Nick: He'll be more responsible in a few years, I expect.
Riyyh: I am certain of it.
Riyyh: [smiles]
Go on to Episode #118: Peon Problems
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