UHopping - The Scientist and His Cat

* * *

Waldgrave's skin goosebumped slightly as the chill of the room pierced his clothing, but everything around him remained pitch black.  The soft whisper of cloth against skin reported the presence of at least one of his party behind him, but he dared not move without first confirming his location.  He blinked, but the absolute darkness remained.

A low chuckle rolled through the dark.  Waldgrave stood stock-still, alert to any indication of motion or direction.  Behind him, there was a slight scuffing -- he noted the sound of familiar boots.  Jackson, likely.

"Rillyavanaiyo, i'lyiaatch languages... ah, I see the adjustments have already been made.  Good sir, please lower the artificial light.  It will do you no good."  The voice was nearly laughing as he spoke.  "You are blind, not surrounded by darkness.  Now, if you would be so kind as to seat yourselves... ah, forgive me for not providing proper seating, but I fear injuring you, and the gods only know what sort of harmful interactions might stem from too much contact between materials from such different worlds?"

There was a sharp clatter and a quick yelp, followed quickly by a low, angry growl.  The man sighed heavily.  "I do apologize for the uncivilized manner in which you are being treated, but there is no need to go about brandishing weapons.  Please do not upset the kitty any further?"  The hair on the back of Waldgrave's neck prickled as if he had just stepped through a wall of static electricity, and then he could see.

As his eyes adjusted to the sudden onslaught of light, he recognized some of the usual paraphernalia of a laboratory, definitely further behind than the technology he was accustomed to, but with an alien bent to the designs.  

Curious.  His target was not supposed to be even this advanced.  

He turned his head slowly, carefully looking around.  His feet were rather firmly attached to the ground, but he had full range of motion throughout the rest of his body.  A quick glance revealed the condition of his party; the men were sound asleep on the floor, and the Ada replica was sitting cross-legged, a beatific smile gracing her otherwise blank expression.  The man he had been hearing was seated on top of a long metal desk, his pose carefully casual.  He tilted his head slightly, his glasses catching the light and obscuring his eyes as he smiled.

"I do beg your pardon for the rude handling, but I had to make sure nothing would harm the integrity of my labs."  He pursed his lips together, then slid off the table and stood.  "Now that your companions are comfortable and conveniently unaware, I'm sure we can have a rather civilized conversation, yes?"

"...Yes."  Waldgrave steeled himself as the man approached.  He was incredibly tall, his dark hair styled in an intricate series of knots and braids.  He stopped a short distance away, then waited, watching Waldgrave with the sort of curiosity normally reserved for interesting specimens.  He simply returned the regard, his calm, composed mask firmly in place even as he felt tiny claws march their way up the back side of his body, followed by a wet nose in his ear.

The man grinned warmly, presumably at the small feline now perched on his shoulder, purring and making very deliberate stabs at his shoulders as it kneaded.  "Introductions are in order, I suppose?  I am Ebrelle Xaillyndesse," he said, his wrist turning with a flourish, "and the darling young lady on your shoulder is Mischief."

The kitten meowed and dug a set of claws deep into his shoulder.  He couldn't entirely contain the grimace as the spot burned.  "Aaron Waldgrave.  I can't say it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise, considering the circumstances."  Ebrelle's smile hardened.  "Care to explain why you were attempting to access the Nursery?"

Waldgrave raised one eyebrow, his chin lifting a touch.  "As a matter of fact, no."  The kitten's tail lashed against the back of his neck.  He tried to raise an arm to dislodge the feline, but his arms refused to move.  His jaw tightened.

Ebrelle laid a finger against his chin, studying Waldgrave.  "Interesting.  Are you sure?  I'd really recommend you volunteer the information in the spirit of scientific exchange.  Mischief is unfortunately getting rather hungry."  His mouth quirked upwards in a smile.  "It's been a while since I've let her enjoy a fresh meal, as well."

Waldgrave glanced sideways.  The tiny Siamese stared back at him with immense blue eyes, then deliberately licked her chops and purred.

There was a chance that this was merely a bluff.  On the other hand, the way the cat kept staring at his eyes was rather disconcerting.  The animal was obviously intelligent, and seemed to be waiting for him with a fixed curiosity not unlike her master's.  The cat raised a paw, and he watched as she delicately washed it, flexing her claws, keeping one eye on him as she groomed. A spot of blood near the base of one claw disappeared, and he thought her purring might have increased in volume.

"Threatening is such a crass way of exchanging information, particularly between learned men such as ourselves.  Very well.  I am surveying worlds and collecting information.  The reports surrounding that nursery were particularly intriguing, and I wished to explore them for myself."

Ebrelle nodded, and the cat abruptly jumped down and trotted out of his vision.  "That was a dangerous move, Jhe Waldgrave.  Had you been any less lucky, you might have actually reached your destination, and would have promptly been annihilated."  He studied his fingernails, then buffed them against his sleeve.  "It so happens that we had reason to suspect an attempt like this was being made, and considering dear Katherine's rather unfortunate track record in preserving her life, we felt it prudent to take certain measures."  He looked up, his eyes twinkling.  "In the interests of furthering my research into certain areas, I took it upon myself to add a few extra measures to the ones already in place."  He swept one hand in a smooth arc.  "Such as making sure any unexpected guests were routed here first."

"That wouldn't be noticed?"  

Ebrelle laughed.  "Oh, it's been noticed.  I suspect we only have another minute or so before the Judge figures out who was behind this unexpected development, and then I'm afraid it's the end for you."  Ebrelle's smile widened.  "On the other hand, losing another valuable mind would be such a tragedy."

Waldgrave found himself grinning in return.  Familiar ground, detestful as it may be.  "And what is the price on my head, Mr. Xaillyndesse?"

A long blink was the only sign that Ebrelle had even noticed the mangling of his name.  "Quite simply, I want to know exactly what you are after, and I would love a sample of your blood.  Untainted, of course.  Mischief's digestive system does nasty things to life samples."

Waldgrave paused, then nodded.  "I am after something quite similar, then.  A simple skin sample from one of the extraordinary children in that Nursery."

"Katherine is the only child currently in the Nursery."

"One is enough."

Ebrelle crossed his arms, cupping his chin in one hand, and stared.  He was quiet a moment, then nodded.  He waved a hand, and Waldgrave's knees buckled slightly.  He straightened, automatically straightening his clothes as well.

"Follow me," Ebrelle said, turning and walking.  Waldgrave found he had to move at a rather undignified trot to keep up.  "Move quickly.  Time is running short, and unfortunately that is one factor I cannot control."  He glanced back and grinned.  "Yet."

Ebrelle led him through a maze of pipes and steamwork, and various shelves filled with all manner of curious artifacts, until they came to a low bench strewn with small tools and vials.  Ebrelle reached for one, turning it over in his hands and adjusting it.  "Your sleeve," he said, his voice clipped, never looking away from the device.  Waldgreen hesitated, then obligingly rolled up his sleeve.  He felt a moment of icy sting, and then Ebrelle was tilting the instrument into a larger vial.  It sealed itself with a hiss, and then joined several other bottles on the rack.  

"Take this."  Ebrelle pressed another vial into his hands.  "It's the sample you came for."  He smiled.  "I'm sure you'll find it rather interesting.  Now..."  He looked up, and Waldgrave followed the direction of his gaze, back towards the others.  "Now, you might want to get out of here.  If you're caught with that..."

Waldgrave nodded, then jogged around the machinery, leaving Ebrelle at the table.  The men were sitting and blinking, and the Ada replica was at her feet, tensely surveying the room.  "Get us out of here, Smith," he growled.  Smith just nodded, and the laboratory vanished.

* * *

The Poet King sighed at his brother.  "You do realize what you have done, don't you?"

Ebrelle grinned.  "Certainly.  I provided a clear sample of the Advocate, which I presume will be used to create either some sort of hybrid or clone."

"What do you expect will happen?"  He didn't bother to disguise the weariness in his tone.

Mischief jumped onto Ebrelle's shoulder.  He scratched her chin and grinned.  "It will be curious, won't it, to see what becomes of a world where the countries that form the Treaty do not exist?  If you do write about it, you simply must share.  It would be such valuable information!"

The Jhe h'Logos sighed and buried his face in his palm.  "By the golden breast of the Void... Dearest brother, would you be so kind as to prepare tea?"

Ebrelle raised an eyebrow at his other guest. "Would you care for a cup, Jhe h'Akribastes?"

The Judge grinned.  "Indeed I would, thank you.  Jhe h'Logos, do provide me a copy of any documents as well?  I find the topic rather lifts my spirits."

The Poet King groaned.