The Chronicles of the Illuminati

[TinCow]

CHAPTER XVI: She-wolf

Brothers,

I have an unusual event to relate to you. I require your guidance immediately.

You enter your command tent and nearly step on a small dirty bag on the ground. You look quickly around the tent, then momentarily out, but see nothing. You return to the bag and examine it for a moment, then pick it up. Inside you find a small well-trimmed parchment, tied with a blue ribbon, with words written in an intricate, swirling hand.

My dear Lothar. I know of you and your secret society. The Kaiser's brother has spoken to me. He was not very impressive. Perhaps we can work together instead. I have some skills that you cannot possibly possess, but which you will find useful. Meet me in Rome, at the inn called Il Fissato Gallo, on the eve of 12 October. I will be wearing a bliaut of the same color as the ribbon you are probably still holding. And do not make me wait.

As you can see from my story, my agents are clueless as to whom this person is, though I have a strong suspicion that this has something to do with Hans. My initial instinct is to meet with the man and see what he wants. I am the Voice for a reason. If our existence is known, then I should be prepared to deal with those who would petition us.

Lothar

*a letter in a trembling hand*

Brothers, and Grand Master,

I have let the order come under scrutiny for the first time in its history. If the Order wills it, I will fall on my sword at the first opportunity. Simply say the word and it will be done.

But I thank you deeply for this chance to make amends. I have had a letter from this lady, who says that she prefers to use her meeting with Lothar to speak of these matters. She assures me, though, that she wrote a very small note to Hans, and mentioned only the boats. I can only be grateful she did not tell our secret more widely.

Again, Brothers, I offer you my life if it will help heal this wounding of the Order.

Your servant,
Fritz von Kastilien

Fritz,

I personally feel such actions are not required though honourable. The action has been done and we will have to see what really has been compromised to the Order.

I wait for Lothar's meet to give us a good assessment. What really intrigues me is this "lady's" boldness to take such initiative. If possible she can be of use to us for our own work.

I see Hans supporting Lothar in the Diet on Lothar's strategy. I wonder if he has concluded a connection?

Karl

Fritz,

I do not believe such an action is necessary. In truth, this error is far less grievous than the one that I made when I revealed myself to Ansehelm many, many years ago. That incident has plagued us far more deeply than your actions ever could. It would be useful to know exactly what you told her, though. Clearly she has a general idea of our Order and knows that you and I are both members. Does she know the identity of any other Brothers? What does she know of our past deeds?

Regardless of the answers, I assure all of you that I will handle this matter properly. If this woman can be of use to us, I will train her to be more subtle and manipulative, as is our way. If she is not of use to us, I will make sure that she is never seen again. At least, no sizable pieces of her...

Lothar

Brothers,

I know it was you, Fritz, I know it was you. Did you think spinning the exploits of the Illuminati as a "fictional" tale to a Viking tavern wench would not escape my notice? It seems she might be an agent for another group, or has delusions of grandeur, for she has taken it upon herself to "aid" us. Your efforts to impress her have cost us dearly.

After all this you still wish me to carry out an attempt on Hans life? Until we know what has been whispered to Hans, and the extent to which we have been compromised, I will do no such thing. God only knows the precautions he has taken, what I have passed onto the group might only be the tip of the iceberg. If we move against him and fail, it will serve to verify his suspicions and confirm the validity of whatever his source has told him. Our order would receive undue notice, leaving us unable to act freely.

I offered to arrange an accident for Hans when the whole thing could be accomplished quietly and without notice. The situation has markedly changed. The first goal we should have now is finding this Viking, co-opt her for our own use or eliminate her. Hans is secondary, and I now regret proposing an accident in the first place. We are a *secret* society. Bloodlust and loose tongues do not serve our goals.

Our greatest strength is that no one knows that we are a group. We can act in concert when others expect bickering individuals and act that way themselves. As soon as we are exposed as a united front, we will loose that, our foes will unite against us seeking to oppose what they now know exists. This must not happen.

Matthias

Brothers,

I agree with Matthias.

Fritz, you have made an error in judgment. You must quickly find out exactly what has happened and then report back to us immediately.

Once this is done we can make decisions on the matter.

Need I remind you that you have broken RULE 1 of the Blood Charter with your admission.

Do not make me require punishment from you Fritz.

Carry this task out now and things can be put right.

Grand Master.

Brothers,

We need more information, so I will get it. I will contact this person immediately and attempt to discover both what she knows and what services she can provide us with. I will then report back immediately so that a decision can be made.

Lothar

Brothers,

This is most disturbing and I have to agree with Mathias. Fritz what were you thinking, a Viking, a Dane! Do you know what grief they have caused the Reich? You must locate this woman and find here true intentions. Is she a spy or some mercenary? Did she actually warn Hans?

Lothar, I think it would be prudent to follow up on your ribbon invitation to find out who is behind this. Are we being mocked by Hummel or Ansehelm he’s mentioned enough of your “secret” friends in the Diet.

These are unfortunate events and what we did not want to do we did. We decided action against Hans with no debate yet that has been our correspondence. I wish the whole matter did not come up. However, it has let’s get it finished so we can move on to other matters; this has carried on to long. As our Order been compromised lets what the actual damage has been done if any.

Karl

Brothers,

Thank you for your trust. I cannot say what a relief I feel because of it.

Lothar, you ask what exactly I told her. She knows only that you and I are part of the order, and that you invited me. She knows of no other members unless she has found that from another source. As for past deeds... well, I must admit that the wine did the talking and I have told her a great deal about our past. Some of it was likely incoherent babbling. But she is smart, and will, as they say, put two and two together.

I leave it to your capable hands to deal with her as is best for the Order's interests. I only ask that you not task me with contacting her. Being overcome by her once, I cannot risk that again.

Fritz

You enter your command tent and nearly step on a small dirty bag on the ground. You look quickly around the tent, then momentarily out, but see nothing. You return to the bag and examine it for a moment, then pick it up. Inside you find a small well-trimmed parchment, tied with a blue ribbon, with words written in an intricate, swirling hand.

My dear Lothar. I know of you and your secret society. The Kaiser's brother has spoken to me. He was not very impressive. Perhaps we can work together instead. I have some skills that you cannot possibly possess, but which you will find useful. Meet me in Rome, at the inn called Il Fissato Gallo, on the eve of 12 October. I will be wearing a bliaut of the same color as the ribbon you are probably still holding. And do not make me wait.

Lothar bursts from his tent and scans the camp around him closely. Seeing nothing of interest, he turns and slips away. You know not where he is going, but as he leaves you catch a glimpse of a dark object, likely a cowl, being pulled over his head.

...

You enter the Il Fissato Gallo at the scheduled date, wondering whether your quarry will show himself. At first glance, he is not present, but a second, slower search reveals a man in a dark cloak sitting in a heavily shadowed corner. Lothar has appeared exactly as
requested.

You see the colour of the lady's bliaut before you see her, and your heart leaps -- this is a woman who writes these letters? Her dress is an emerald blue not seen in any but the highest of circles. But it only shows through in a flash, and she wraps a dark cloak around her in a moment.

She looks about quickly, fends off the well-meaning innkeeper, and finally turns towards you. She smiles and approaches.

As she comes you take the opportunity to examine her. Her sparkling eyes, full lips, piles of dark ringlet curls, well-formed breasts shown off by the tight-fitting bliaut... the rest of her body is covered by the cloak, but she appears exquisite in every way.

She approaches slowly and holds her left hand out. Her eyes tell you she expects to be seated as a lady.

"Lothar."

Her voice is like velvet, but what is that accent? You have heard it once, maybe twice before. From the north somewhere.

"I am glad you did not make me wait. Do you like the dark cloak? I was told you prefer them."

She laughs quietly while looking directly at you, then waits for your response.

Lothar gazes at you dispassionately for a long moment. You suspect he is intentionally avoiding looking at your 'assets.' Eventually, he rises and takes your hand, guiding you to a chair in the darkened corner. After returning to his seat, he looks straight into your eyes, with an expression as cold as stone.

"Let it not be said that I am without manners. However, do not think you can manipulate me with your... charms. I bedded the daughter of the Hungarian King in my youth and I am married to a Princess of the Reich. Beautiful flesh is mine for the taking whenever I wish it. It will take far more than an attractive figure to impress me."

Lothar cocks his head slightly.

"You play a very dangerous game. I am not a man to be summoned on a whim. The Order I represent is deadly serious in its purpose and its methods, and we have the power to carry out any action we desire. The Reich moves as we will it and we are not pleased with the manner in which you have conducted yourself. We thrive in the shadows and secrecy is our most heavily prized asset. We will do anything to protect it."

Lothar turns his head, pointedly, and looks out into the inn. You follow his gaze. Several patrons who were formerly engaged in drunken revelry are now staring directly at you with eyes unclouded by ale. They stand between you and the door, and all are heavily armed. Lothar returns his attention to you.

"You would be wise to consider you statements tonight very, very carefully. I would not want to damage one of Sweden's most prized assets." Lothar grins wickedly. "There are things we can do that are far worse than mere death."

The lady looks back at you after noticing the armed men and gathers her cloak around her a little more tightly. At the mention of Sweden she looks almost disappointed, but hears you out, the grin slipping from her face. Then she begins in a whisper.

"Truly, Lothar, I have no ill intentions! How could I, a lone woman, compete with this organization which has operated for so many years undetected! When I heard of the plan to end the life of that General in the sandy lands, I saw an opportunity to make myself known to you, and make known the power of an unexpected voice. It was in my power. I did it. That is over."

The smile returns to her face. Her left hand slides slowly onto the table, and she begins tracing slow curves on it.

"And it worked well, did it not?" She laughs gently again.

"What we must discuss is what is before us. This General I wrote to still knows nothing of your order. I, however, do. Shows of armed force only make me more inclined to use" she holds up her thumb, index, and middle fingers, and her smile remains, but hard as steel "these three little insignificant pieces of beautiful flesh to douse your band with a destruction so speedy it will even surprise you."

She holds your gaze for a moment, then drops her hand to the table again and pouts. "However, I have no interest in such games. It would profit us both much more if we could work together."

"So, this is my proposition: pay me ten thousand a year, and I will do the bidding of your society. There are those who are not as strong against my charms as you. And my charms do not always lead to bedding. Some of them lead to..." She gazes up at the ceiling "acquiescence where there was a wall. Or, perhaps, a cold and lonely grave." Her gaze returns to you slowly.

"Refuse me gently, and I will return to my home and speak no more about this to anyone. The choice is yours, Lothar. Your thugs cannot help you here."

Lothar bursts into a hearty, deep-throated laugh.

"You are certainly bold, I will give you that. You remind me of myself when I was younger, brash and arrogant." His grin subsides into a mild smirk. "You also remind me of my own flaws: you are overconfident and you lack respect for your elders."

The smile disappears altogether.

"You have done great damage to our plans already. You may think that your little game with Hans was innocent and without consequence, but you could not be more wrong. I do not know what you did to him, but he has become immensely paranoid as a result. He has taken extra precautions to ensure his physical safety, but more significantly he has expressed his fears to several other prominent men."

"The Order is able to control the Reich because few know we exist and none know the extent of our power. We exercise direct control over events, but we go to great pains to ensure that those events appear to be the result of natural occurrences. If the Brotherhood's actions were publicly known, our work would become infinitely harder."

Lothar pounds his fist onto the table, rattling a candlestick.

"Hans' death was to look like an accident! A storm at sea; a random act of piracy! Now that he has expressed fear of assassination to others, his death will be suspicious, no matter what method we use! Suspicion risks exposure and we will not tolerate exposure!"

Lothar sighs heavily and shakes his head. He leans back into the shadows.

"As I said, you play a dangerous game. The Diet has a web of political connections that are nearly incomprehensible to an outsider. We sit at the center of this web, pulling the threads and manipulating events in silence. Our plots and strategies often take decades to unfold. This is a contest that is far beyond petty power struggles and simple murder. Amateur theatrics may serve for some of the Unenlightened, but we require far greater skills."

Lothar pauses for a moment. You cannot see his eyes in the dim light, but you feel as if he is peering into your soul.

"You have potential, but you are far from ready. We can give you the knowledge and resources you need to be effective, but you will do so under our terms, not yours. We control the Reich, and through it, the fate of all of Europe. You do not make demands of us, we make demands of you!"

Lothar leans in and the light once again spills across his face.

"Ten thousand florins a year?! I could build a cathedral for that sum! Even if you were the best agent in all of Europe, you wouldn't be worth that amount. After your blundering, you should be offering to pay us. If we decide to employ you, you will receive five hundred florins per year and even then we will be overpaying. Furthermore, you will do our bidding exactly as we require it, not on your own foolish whims."

"IF we decide to employ you. I see you are surprised that I know your background. Do not be so arrogant in the future to think you can outdo us. In this game, we are the masters. So, Swede, first you will have to convince me that you are not a foreign agent. The Danes have occupied your country for decades and they are enemies of the Reich. Tell me, why should I trust a vassal of the Danish King?"

The lady's eyes narrow and are filled with a cold fire.

"A vassal of the Danish King!? I am a daughter of the Svea and I bow to no Dane!"

Her shoulders are shaking, then she begins to weep. Lacking soft tissues, you can only look on as she wipes her tears and composes herself.

"I have seen enough of the Danish King to last a lifetime. His tax collectors ruined my father, and then took us, his daughters, back to Köpenhavn to pay the debt that could not be cleared." She looks downward for a moment, then direct into your eyes. "Be sure, I am the last person on earth who would ever do anything for that..."

She begins weeping again, but wipes her face and looks upward at you as her voice drops to a whisper.

"I will accept what pay you offer. In truth I would not know a florin from a pence. I know kronor but that is all. I only said ten thousand because it sounded like quite a lot." She winces for a moment.

"And with honesty, I would gladly accept some instruction from you, who are more experienced at this art. I may look wealthy and regal, but that is because of my clients, not myself. I know little of court etiquette, only country dances and flowers in the hair and that sort of thing, and..." She trails off as she sees your pained expression. "Well, I am a quick learner!"

For a moment, when your second bout of tears began, the Count of Florence's grim façade cracked. His eyes softened and he moved his right arm as if to reach for a handkerchief. However, before the gesture was compete, his eyes narrowed and his hand snapped back to the arm of the chair. As quickly as it had fled, the hard expression returned.

"Now you play coy and innocent with me. Perhaps what you say is true, though I suspect that you are simply trying a different tactic. If so, you will find me a hard man to manipulate, though I applaud you for trying. If your tears are genuine and your story true, you could be of use to us. If not, your skill at feminine dramatics is... commendable, and that also can be an asset."

He leans back in his chair and covers his mouth with the palm of his right hand. There he pauses for a long moment, looking you over in quiet contemplation. Eventually he looks toward the soot-stained ceiling of the inn and gives a soft snort, followed by the briefest of head shakes. He is debating with himself, and the topic is you.

"I will have to think this over. If I decide you are worth pursuing..." You giggle slightly at Lothar's choice of words and he struggles to suppress a hint of a blush. "...eh... employing... then I shall discuss it with the Brotherhood. If they find value in you, we shall contact you again in our own manner. If not..." He shrugs "...you will never hear from us again and you would do well to forget that this conversation ever happened."

He raises his hand and gestures to the door. You notice that his band of thugs have resumed their show of drunkenness and blended back into the crowd. With the exception of one, who leers at you lustfully over a tankard of ale, there is no sign that any of them are even aware of your existence.

"You are free to go."

The lady nods, gathers her cloak tightly around her once more, and stands. She begins to depart, but turns before leaving the darkened corner.

"You have control of many things, Lothar, but there is still one issue I hold over you: I know your name, and you do not know mine."

She grins, her eyes sparkling, and is gone.

Brothers,

This woman is young and requires training, but I believe she could be of use to us. If she were able to find work as a serving wench in the Tavern, she would be ideally placed to socialize and interact with the Electors on a regular basis. Her... charms... and flirtatious attitude would certainly attract a great deal of attention. She nearly had me falling all over her, and I am a hard man to fool.

If done properly, she could make it known that she was a purveyor of information and favors, as well as ale. She would then report all she learned and all potential deals to me, and thence to you. In this way, the Brotherhood would finally have a way to interact with the public that was totally anonymous. For serious negotiations, I could still approach the Unenlightened in my role as Voice, but she could handle the more mundane contacts without risk to us. Even if she is compromised, she only knows the identity of Fritz and myself and could not expose any other Brother.

If she proves to be loyal and trustworthy, we could eventually reward her with more intimate involvement in our affairs. Though that would be a decision for a later time.

Lothar

Brothers,

I will defer to the more senior members of our Order, but I am glad to hear she has passed Lothar's test. And I need not say any more about how well she does at gathering information -- this should be an ideal situation for her.

Fritz

Brothers,

Firstly ONLY Lothar is permitted to speak with this women in the future. The only way she can be of use to us is if ONLY Lothar speaks to her. She must not know anything more than this.

Fritz, please refrain from any more dealing with her on the topic of the Illuminati....forever.

Now, it's seems that there was more concern that was needed with what happened, for that I am pleased.

Secondly we should use her. Her position as another layer between us and the unenlightened is an excellent role.

Lothar’s first task for her is for her to re-contact Hans about another threat and create some confusion on the topic. I'll leave the details to Lothar but he main aim is to further confuse him about the threat on his life. Perhaps she can mention someone else, such has King Jan himself...I really don't care. The main aim is to lead him away from us. Lothar please formulate a plan and present the basics to us before implementing.

I believe we can find much work for her. As a third party working for us, she has greater freedom than Lothar has as the "Voice". We can give her a variety of assignments that Lothar could never do.

HOWEVER...SHE must never work for anyone else. I will not tolerate her double deal or double crossing us at all.

Essentially every member he can use her but only through Lothar.

She will be called the "Whisper", in contrast to Lothar "Voice".

Brothers, we are gaining more than we see here at this time. Reflect on the possibilities and let us all know your thoughts.

Now...to the matter of Hans. I recommend we now see what the "Whisper" can do to him to confuse the matter based on the instructions from Lothar...otherwise we wait...if an opportunity presents itself then we take it...but for now we have missed the chance. To strike now would simply reinforce his beliefs.

Also, welcome Dietrich. Jens selected you for a reason.

Grand Master.

Grandmaster,

Nicely put I could not agree more with what you have just stated. I like the idea of the name and the role she will have within the Order.

In all the excitement I forgot to welcome Dietrich, welcome brother. Jens had spoken highly of you.

Karl

Brothers,

I need to be very clear with you all on this.

Once the "Whisper" is in play she has no idea about who the rest of us are. She knows Fritz and Lothar...that is it.

You are free to interact with her BUT you must never let her know that you are a member of the Illuminati!!!

Are we clear men? And I use that phrase deliberately. She is clearly a very attractive woman...DON'T be tempted to the dark side...for I am waiting there already...

Grand Master.

Brothers,

I agree with the approach outlined so far. I also officially endorse the designated successor clause.

As for Hans, he will still sail through dangerous waters. Let the fates decide.

Matthias

Grand Master,

Confusing Hans is a good idea and I will assign Whisper that task as soon as I introduce her to her new position. It seems to me that any living Elector that she throws suspicion on could easily refute it with his own words. I believe the best place to direct his attention are the agents who aided the Mongols in eliminating Conrad Salier. There are even rumors that they had something to do with Kaiser Henry's death. This is a logical group to attack him, for he has been instrumental in the Mongol defeats in Outremer. Furthermore, I doubt he will ever get the opportunity to engage one of these assassins in conversation, so there is no possibility of our deception being reversed.

Along with this specific assignment, I am also inclined to give her a more general one. We wish to gain influence over the Kaiser, so I would like to urge her to sink her claws into Siegfried and his allies in any way that she can. Make herself seem like an agent that could work for him, seduce him, or just gain information through a private friendship. I would like to leave the methods to her imagination and simply let her know that we desire information on what the Kaiser is planning and knowledge about how best to manipulate him. Please let me know if these plans are to your liking.

I go now to introduce Whisper to her new life.

Lothar

Brothers,

Lothar that was my next suggestion, she would be a perfect agent to approach the Kaiser on a number of topics.


You are her "Handler" on behalf of the Illuminati.

Feel free to formulate and execute any plans you see fit. Please keep us abreast *cough* of the situations as they develop.

Brothers...again I warn you...a lady amongst this Diet and these nobles could indeed cause a stir...don't succumb to the Dark Side. Secrecy is our Primary weapon.

Fritz has offered to take his life due to his indiscretion. While I commend his dedication to this Order it is the first and only example I will tolerate on breaching the Laws of our Order.

Grand Master

Several days pass without any sign of Lothar Steffen or his minions. You carefully watch your surroundings wherever you go, but see little of interest. Other than a priest at St. Maximillian’s Church, who constantly looks at you in a less than holy manner, you observe nothing unusual. Once again you retire to your room for the night, wondering what tomorrow will bring.

When you reach your door, you check the lock and listen carefully for the sound of an intruder. You are slightly disappointed when you hear nothing. No one else may know your methods, but you are full of deadly surprises. A random burglary would provide some entertainment and good practice. You slip inside the room and lock it behind you. Still vigilant, you scan the interior of the room. There is a particularly dark corner to your left, where a rough bureau casts a heavy shadow in the candlelight. You move closer to peer into the darkness.

“So, this is what your bedroom looks like.”

The shadow quivers and you see the faint outline of a man in a black robe.

“I must admit, I expected something… grander. Perhaps overpaying you will be a good thing, as I doubt you’ll impress high-ranking Electors with these quarters.”

Lothar stands and walks over to the window. The faint light of the half-moon spills over his silk robes, highlighting some areas while leaving others pitch black. The contrast of light and dark seems to suit him well.

“We have decided to employ you. Your terms are thus: You will work as a serving wench at the local tavern near the Diet. Many Electors frequent that place and it will give you ample opportunity to interact with them. If anything, I suspect that your… skills… will draw far more of a crowd than the ale does. In public, you will be a delightful diversion for the Electors from the rigors of the Diet. You will serve them, entertain them, and befriend them if possible.”

His robes swirl as he turns away from the window and faces you.

“Of course, the appearance such an unusual person as yourself will make many of them suspicious. You will confirm their suspicions publicly, but subtly. I leave the methods up to you, but you will make it known that you deal in information and favors, as well as ale. You will make the Electors believe that you can be used as an avenue of communication and negotiation with other Electors, without revealing their identity. So long as the proposal is one that a person in your position would accept, you will aid them as they wish, contacting other people on their behalf and serving as an intermediary.”

“Of course, you will be informing me of everything that goes on. You will attempt to make yourself seem an asset for everyone, but in reality you further only our ends. In addition, we will occasionally give you more specific assignments. Furthermore, if you see either myself or the other Brother you know in the Tavern, you will treat us just as you would any other Elector. Anything we say to you in public is simply part of the role. We will only have formal contact through more private channels. Keep in mind that there are many Brothers whose identities you do not know. Some of them may frequent the Tavern from time to time. They will not make their affiliation known to you and you will not attempt to discover who they are. As far as you are concerned, in the Tavern, all men are the same.”

Lothar steps closer to you, his body nearly blocking the faint light from the window.

“Let me make one thing perfectly clear. You are in our service and you are our asset. The Brothers do not like to share. If we find out that you are double-dealing, working for another party for any reason other than to further our ends, you will regret it for the very short amount of time that remains in your life. Of course, if you serve us well, we will reward you.”

There is a brief rustle as he brings his hands together. From the manner of movement, you suspect that he is using his right hand to pull something out of his left sleeve. Sure enough, when his arms part there is a large coin purse in his hand.

“This is your full pay for the first year. It should be more than sufficient to cover whatever expenses you have. If you need anything else that you cannot obtain with that, you may request it of me. Understand that we expect you to use initiative in your operations. I do not want to have to give you orders for specific situation. Unless I specifically say otherwise, I care not how you achieve your aims, only that you do.”

“You said before that I do not know your name. Perhaps not, but names mean little in our world, only titles. I have many of these: Sir Steffen, the Count of Florence, the heir to the Duchy of Bavaria, but there is only one that really matters. I am the Voice of the Illuminati. I am exist to speak the will of the Divine Order of the Illuminati and to deal directly with the Unenlightened when necessary. You work for me; you are the Whisper.”

He turns and walks back to the darkened corner. He sits down on a small stool and adjusts his robes.

“I have spoken for long enough and I wish to hear what you have to say on these matters. So, speak, and make your thoughts known to me.”

The lady starts backward as she notices you, and her hand makes a small movement towards the closet. But when your voice sounds out, she relaxes immediately. She takes the purse with a wide grin, but sets it aside as you finish speaking.

"My quarters may not look like much, but" and here she holds your eye for a moment, then smiles "I will gladly accept this. You can be sure I will pass along everything I hear, and rest your mind on that you said about working for someone else. Who would I work for? The other brother assured me that no one could compete with this society of yours."

"He has told me of this tavern, and it seems to be the perfect place for me -- a weak woman amongst the powerful of the earth."

She smiles, then brings her finger up to her mouth and taps her pursed lips a few times. She begins to approach you slowly. A growing light sweet scent infuses your nostrils.

"I do have a question for you." Her voice is at its silkiest. "I can, of course, gather information from these unsuspecting Germans. But it seems you often have certain targets of your..." She is directly in front of you now, blinking and looking up into your eyes. The smell reminds you of a summer flower that grew in fields where your first love and you... "...affections. Is there someone I can be particularly fascinating to?"

You return to your tent to find another stained leather bag on the ground. And again, it contains a well-trimmed parchment wrapped in blue ribbon. You read:

I have already had a rendezvous of sorts with the General I warned. He suspects you. I have put him off the track as best I could. I need a name to attach the guilt to besides yours. Be speedy with your answer.

Lothar scribbles a hasty note.

Whisper,

There is a group of pagan assassins who live in the Eastern lands. They have been known to deal in dark arts and assassinations. It is well known that they were paid by the Mongol Khan to kill Conrad Salier, the former King of Outremer. There are even rumors that they had a hand in the death of Kaiser Henry, many years ago. If you were to infer that you had formerly been under their pay, that might serve. Perhaps make up some story about a disagreement that led to you breaking off the deal.

Feel free to offer your services to Hans to spy on me, or any other party that he wishes, if that will aid your methodology. You are doing well if you are already attempting to deflect Hans' suspicions. I commend you. I will have another task for you in the coming days, but I must discuss it in more detail with the Brothers.

In future, we shall use a single location as a drop point for messages, so that we need not risk being seen in each others' company. For now, place all of your notes behind the paupers' grave marker in the cemetery at the Church of St. Maximillian. I will collect them there and my replies will be substituted in their place.

Voice

Voice, I have contacted the General. I told him of the eastern assassins and offered to gather information from you and pass it to him. More notes after he responds.