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Post by Anna Stutler on Feb 19, 2011 14:07:35 GMT -5
Anna nodded slowly. "Okay then. Why not take this info to the man himself? Why come through me? You said you owed him a favor--seems it would be better to repay that favor in person, don'tcha think?"
She knew she was egging the guy on somewhat. But part of her just wanted to see if she could shake him. If he thought she was just going to play the excited little messenger girl and run back to her master, with information that could very well be leading him into a trap, then this pencil pusher had another thing coming.
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Post by Puck on Feb 19, 2011 14:15:05 GMT -5
The blush was replaced by a rueful little smile. "Maxim Horvath has referred to me as 'dry as an old stick, and not nearly so interesting'," Owen replied. "He prefers not to have to deal with me when he can avoid it."
And it was true- in a sense. Horvath wouldn't want to deal with the Puck. And he had met Owen once when Xanatos had sent him to see if the sorcerer would be interested in an alliance. The offer had, of course, been refused.
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Post by Anna Stutler on Feb 19, 2011 14:25:25 GMT -5
She wasn't sure if she bought it--Horvath would certainly find this guy dull, but was that really a good enough reason to avoid him? Still...her boss was pretty scary. She had to take into account that not everybody was in his good graces. To not be in Horvath's good graces was not a fun place to be.
"Alright," she said, crossing her legs. "Let's say I buy all of this. You still haven't told me where the book is, and not to sound cliche, but how do I know this isn't one big trap?" Plenty of people didn't like her boss. And sending him into the arms of a pissed off faerie would please a lot of them to no end.
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Post by Puck on Feb 19, 2011 14:34:51 GMT -5
"I wasn't certain you'd be interested," Owen pointed out. "The book is now in France, in the hands of a beast who is, shall we say, notoriously unstable. I personally do not care for the idea of such power in the possession of someone just a few steps up from a madman."
He spread his hands out entreatingly. "Your master has gotten himself out of plenty of traps over the many years he has been alive, Miss Stutler. I wouldn't dream of trying to ensnare him in one. I am not so clever- or so foolish- as to try."
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Post by Anna Stutler on Feb 19, 2011 14:39:14 GMT -5
That wasn't much of an explanation. But she supposed that it would be up to Horvath what to do with this information.
"Okay. You give me the specifics, and I'll take it to the boss. Can't say what he'll do, but I'll take it to him."
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Post by Puck on Feb 19, 2011 14:46:28 GMT -5
She called him the boss. Charming.
Owen nodded and pulled an envelope from his suit's breast pocket. "The full details as I know them are in here," he said, sliding it across the table to her. "Also contained inside are a couple of amulets that should help you turn aside any protective spells that have been placed on the book- and as this is Maleficent you're dealing with, I would advise you suspect protection spells."
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Post by Anna Stutler on Feb 19, 2011 21:20:34 GMT -5
Anna accepted the envelope and slipped it into her messenger bag. "Yeah, we'll do that." She grabbed her laptop, putting it away as well. She stood, and shifted her shield so that it would move to guard her as she left.
"Thanks for the info." She hoped that it worked out. For his sake. It would be a pain in the neck to track him down to kick his tail.
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Post by Puck on Feb 21, 2011 1:25:10 GMT -5
"I am always happy to be of service," Owen replied politely. He didn't even bat an eye when she moved her shield to keep it between them. Horvath had instilled a healthy sense of paranoia in his apprentice, it seemed. He had expected little else.
Well, mission accomplished. He'd sowed the seeds of interest for Maxim Horvath. Now all that remained was to wait and watch the fun.
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Post by Anna Stutler on Feb 21, 2011 1:49:10 GMT -5
Anna unlocked her bike outside the cafe, keeping one eye on the door to make sure Mr. Tight Pants didn't try to follow her and attack in a less public place. Once she was clear, she made quick time getting to her master's apartment. Something about this guy and the information seemed hinky...but on the off-chance that it it was legit, they would want to act on it fact.
Leaving her bike in the lobby (she was eternally grateful for magic locks that kept people from being able to steal it) she ran up the stairs, taking the key from the chain around her neck as she cleared the last flight. Her ring glowed slightly as she activated the security spell within the key that would let her in.
"Boss?" she called, entering the apartment. She sent out a light detection spell to make sure he wasn't working on anything that might take off her eyebrows if she walked in on it. "I got something you're gonna want to hear..."
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Post by Maxim Horvath on Feb 21, 2011 1:58:13 GMT -5
"In here," Horvath called from the kitchen, where he was currently attempting to give his new food processor a trial run by making hummus. Though a very good cook, the old Morganian had never quite gotten the hang of modern culinary appliances.
Horvath raised an eyebrow slightly. That wasn't normally news Anna walked in the door with. "What is it?"
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Post by Anna Stutler on Feb 21, 2011 2:04:40 GMT -5
Anna entered the kitchen, sliding onto a bar stool on the other side of the island that Horvath was working at. "Whoa, boss, don't lose a finger with that thing," she said. She just smirked at his look, and pulled out the envelope from her bag.
"Got an interesting visit today," she said, snagging one of the celery sticks he was chopping. "Some guy named Owen? Said he owed you a favor, and trained under Justin Morningway in Chicago? Gave me some information on a grimoire he says belongs to an evil faerie and thought you would be interested."
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Post by Maxim Horvath on Feb 21, 2011 2:14:04 GMT -5
Owen. Horvath frowned, trying to place the name. There weren't a whole lot of Owens he knew that were sorcerers. The name Justin Morningway did ring something of a bell though... Morningway... hadn't he been the troublemaker down in Chicago the last few decades?
When you where almost thirteen hundred years old, it got hard to keep track of individual names.
Wait...
"Owen... Burnett?" Horvath asked. "Tall, blonde fellow, glasses, stick up his arse?"
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Post by Anna Stutler on Feb 21, 2011 2:18:54 GMT -5
Anna shrugged. "Didn't mention a last name, but the rest of it fits," she said, munching on the celery stick. "Especially the stick up his arse. Said that this book belonged to a faerie named Maleficient. Thought it was up your ally. You saying he's legit?"
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Post by Maxim Horvath on Feb 21, 2011 2:26:04 GMT -5
The old sorcerer scowled. Yes, he knew the name.
"Owen Burnett is the right-hand lackey of an especially annoying businessman and entreprenuer named David Xanatos. As a pair they have a finger in most pies in the tri-state area. He's odd, for a sorcerer, but legit enough."
His scowl deepened. Not only was he dealing with something Xanatos had undoubtedly set up for him, but there was a damn faerie involved. Horvath quite heartily disliked the greater fae. "I know the name Maleficent as well. She's nasty, even for a faerie. What did Burnett say about the book, specifically? Does he have it, or is he sending us on a wild goose chase?"
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Post by Anna Stutler on Feb 21, 2011 2:32:50 GMT -5
Anna pushed the envelope towards him, and snagged a pita chip. "Could be a chase of the wild goose. He says an unstable beast in France has it, and he would prefer it in better hands. Though...I have to say, the guy was definitely setting off my hinky meter."
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