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→Chapter 2: Mistress Behn's Holiday
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[[Aphra Behn]], languishes on the ship home, to her masters in [[the Service]]. Or. No, she dreams. She's dreaming of this voyage, and of something she's forgotten, a green pillar, with carvings, floating from the sea. The others in her dream, dismiss it, and she wakes up to find the much younger man she was in bed with leaving her alone and disappointed that night. In the light of day she strolls through Paris, until an old acquaintance of hers, Sir [[Samuel Morland]], notices her and chases after her. Oh. Fuck. No, Aphra dances away, trying to avoid Sam, worrying that he might be her contact with [[le Pouvoir]]. Ah, but Morland catches up to her, steering to a nearby cafe where they toast his dead [[Carola Morland|wife]]. The two discuss politics, talk bordering on treason, before Sam tries to pry out of Aphra her purpose in Paris. She relents slightly, admitting to be here on Service business as he suspected, just that she's delivering a letter. | [[Aphra Behn]], languishes on the ship home, to her masters in [[the Service]]. Or. No, she dreams. She's dreaming of this voyage, and of something she's forgotten, a green pillar, with carvings, floating from the sea. The others in her dream, dismiss it, and she wakes up to find the much younger man she was in bed with leaving her alone and disappointed that night. In the light of day she strolls through Paris, until an old acquaintance of hers, Sir [[Samuel Morland]], notices her and chases after her. Oh. Fuck. No, Aphra dances away, trying to avoid Sam, worrying that he might be her contact with [[le Pouvoir]]. Ah, but Morland catches up to her, steering to a nearby cafe where they toast his dead [[Carola Morland|wife]]. The two discuss politics, talk bordering on treason, before Sam tries to pry out of Aphra her purpose in Paris. She relents slightly, admitting to be here on Service business as he suspected, just that she's delivering a letter. | ||
Aphra treks back to her room to find two whores blocking her path. Confronting them, it becomes apparent that the pair is her contact with le Pouvoir. Aphra, placing herself in the mindset of [[Astraea]] - her patron and code name, is taken to a carriage and driven blindfolded to meet a man who names himself Monsieur [[Pantaloon]]. He takes the letter that is delivered, though expresses his disdain for the English and their failed rebellion, unleashing forces that will in a hundred years turn against the French in turn. Pantaloon and his retainers leave Aphra alone in the room, and she promptly decides to explore it, as any good spy would do, stumbling upon three shapes draped in cloth. Uncovering them she finds a trio of mirrors, and the candles snuff out, but light remains, flickering from the glass itself. The mirrors showed Behn possible futures. First a vision of the stagnant future of the [[Pilots' | Aphra treks back to her room to find two whores blocking her path. Confronting them, it becomes apparent that the pair is her contact with le Pouvoir. Aphra, placing herself in the mindset of [[Astraea]] - her patron and code name, is taken to a carriage and driven blindfolded to meet a man who names himself Monsieur [[Pantaloon]]. He takes the letter that is delivered, though expresses his disdain for the English and their failed rebellion, unleashing forces that will in a hundred years turn against the French in turn. Pantaloon and his retainers leave Aphra alone in the room, and she promptly decides to explore it, as any good spy would do, stumbling upon three shapes draped in cloth. Uncovering them she finds a trio of mirrors, and the candles snuff out, but light remains, flickering from the glass itself. The mirrors showed Behn possible futures. First a vision of the stagnant future of the [[Pilots' Coterie]], second a future where humanity has been harnessed by the [[Great House]]s to be disposable armies built to fight an implacable [[The Enemy|Adversary]], and third a dream-like [[Ghost Point|lost future]] of a humanity at peace. More varied visions appear of places beyond Earth and humanity, then the mirrors are filled by a [[Larissa|nymph]] reaching out to her. Aphra is rudely awakened from her trance by M. Pantaloon, insisting she tell the Service that le Pouvoir has the windows of divination - they'll not be taken or duplicated. But as a response for the letter? He's amenable. He'll deliver the rat to her lodgings. | ||
Aphra is taken back to her lodgings blindfolded, where she finds a man gagged and bound in her bed, other members of the Service present to take care of him. She asks who the man is, and learns they consider him one of the most dangerous men in the world. As she slowly sinks into sleep she remembers. She's seen him before, twelve years ago at [[Salomon's House]]. | Aphra is taken back to her lodgings blindfolded, where she finds a man gagged and bound in her bed, other members of the Service present to take care of him. She asks who the man is, and learns they consider him one of the most dangerous men in the world. As she slowly sinks into sleep she remembers. She's seen him before, twelve years ago at [[Salomon's House]]. | ||