24-05-2019, 04:14 PM
"Yeah. Dietz's 'crack commando unit' will be more like if Roger Daltrey's backup band couldn't make it and the replacement band ain't a surprise Who reunion; it's some local garage band they found at the last minute who 'swear blind that they're good and huge fans of Robert Deltree or whoever and know ALL The Beatles' songs. That's the band you was in, right?'"
Helen allowed herself a small smile. Being a fan of Warren Zevon, she appreciated Mander's dedication to "The Masters of Old."
"Luc Allaine from Interpol stopped by earlier and is going to stop by again later." She saw Mander's expression begin to change and his hand go for his gun. "I already explained the pardon!"
Mander relaxed.
"All right. But don't go givin' me one of them Licenses to Kill, cause that'll take half the fun out of it."
"Ramirez says Luc needs Dietz alive. They're at the studio now. Luc's pretty sure Dietz has an inside man there. Someone's at least got enough on the ball to get a job on the lot. However, if the rest are the kind of Wade-level thugs you suggest, we're NOT looking at their best and brightest here. Dead Nazi's still a dead Nazi, though, whatever part of his IQ score gets splattered all over the walls."
"Oh, yeah, more dead ones will be its own reward all the same." Mander took another sip of his pint as Helen lit a cigarette. "From what I know from the news, I wouldn't think the German government's got any part in this. Your Countessness, I'm sure, would know more about anything like that than me."
"No." Helen replied with a drag. "Angela might not be the best kisser in the world, but she's no Nazi."
"Is Great-Grandmama telling the Angela Merkel story?" A third voice asked from the French doors. Mander stood up and turned to face Lady Maria Louisa Francesca de San Finzione. Maria dropped the big novelty checks she'd been holding and ran to him with a flying hug. Mander grabbed the princess and spun her around before setting her down. "I have not seen you since Uongo!"
"Your Princessness is always welcome to come visit the island." Mander turned to Helen and stage-whispered. "Lemme know ahead of time so's I can tell the Birds to dress nice."
"And what are your plans for the day, Dearest One?" Helen asked Maria with a puff of smoke.
"I was going to see Stavro and tell him about the sketch, then I have those donations to make for you." She gestured back to the giant checks she'd dropped.
Helena smiled and nodded, then turned to Mander.
"Julie did the sketch I sent you. We had a security officer artist re-draw it and purposely get some details wrong. If we don't release something to the media soon, he'll know Stavro gave us a good one and that everyone's on to him. If he's smart at all, he'll see through the bluff."
"Si." Maria added. "He'll spot it as a trick right away. If the general public are on the lookout for the wrong man, though, this may embolden him to poke his head out and come at Great-Grandmama."
"And since we're going to be doing stuff," Helen added as well. "Maria's also going to be making a couple of sizable public donations on my behalf to let Heinrich know that I, at least, am on to him and if he's the kind of dick you've been telling me, force his hand. Local reps from the Anti-Defamation League, Simon Wiesenthal Center, Holocaust Museum; that kind of thing."
"I always wondered," Mander thought aloud. "Where Your Countessness and others who make donations with more than three zeroes get them giant checks."
"We print them up on demand." Maria explained. "The castle has a Print Shop just for things like that."
Mander turned to Helen.
"Your Countessness doesn't think maybe that flyer job was done by someone at the castle?"
"Considered. Unlikely." Helen responded with a drag. "We look in on them randomly in case someone gets the 'let's print our own Euros' idea. Only happened twice since I've been in charge, but it feels wrong. Getting a job here and infiltrating the castle to use our printing press would be a lot harder, far more effort, and would make less sense than 'someone at the studio stuffed a stack of blanks into their backpack.' And, as Luc pointed out when they stopped in earlier after briefing the local Interpol office about Dietz; I've got computers and printers all over this place, I could've pulled off a penny-ante scam like that! Hell, JEANNE could have made this, except she's on the other side of the world with the twins, so my money's on 'No' for her. Unless she and Dr. Rocco have worked out that Roboclone of her."
"Ok, valid." Mander replied. "You're probably right about someone at the studio nickin' 'em. As a general rule, your average Nazi ain't a brainbox. He might think he is, cause he's bought into all that Master Race shit. Dunning-Kruger and all that. Human nature tells me that The Path of Least Work is the way they'd go. Stealin' some old ones there'd still be a lot easier than making them at home."
"I see you two are talking business." Maria said, making her way back to the doorway to pick up checks. "I shall go take care of this. I hope you're staying for dinner, Mander."
"As always, I am at Her Countessness' Service."
"Hey," Helen interjected. "Let's not Willie Garvin things too much. We are still talking business."
Helen allowed herself a small smile. Being a fan of Warren Zevon, she appreciated Mander's dedication to "The Masters of Old."
"Luc Allaine from Interpol stopped by earlier and is going to stop by again later." She saw Mander's expression begin to change and his hand go for his gun. "I already explained the pardon!"
Mander relaxed.
"All right. But don't go givin' me one of them Licenses to Kill, cause that'll take half the fun out of it."
"Ramirez says Luc needs Dietz alive. They're at the studio now. Luc's pretty sure Dietz has an inside man there. Someone's at least got enough on the ball to get a job on the lot. However, if the rest are the kind of Wade-level thugs you suggest, we're NOT looking at their best and brightest here. Dead Nazi's still a dead Nazi, though, whatever part of his IQ score gets splattered all over the walls."
"Oh, yeah, more dead ones will be its own reward all the same." Mander took another sip of his pint as Helen lit a cigarette. "From what I know from the news, I wouldn't think the German government's got any part in this. Your Countessness, I'm sure, would know more about anything like that than me."
"No." Helen replied with a drag. "Angela might not be the best kisser in the world, but she's no Nazi."
"Is Great-Grandmama telling the Angela Merkel story?" A third voice asked from the French doors. Mander stood up and turned to face Lady Maria Louisa Francesca de San Finzione. Maria dropped the big novelty checks she'd been holding and ran to him with a flying hug. Mander grabbed the princess and spun her around before setting her down. "I have not seen you since Uongo!"
"Your Princessness is always welcome to come visit the island." Mander turned to Helen and stage-whispered. "Lemme know ahead of time so's I can tell the Birds to dress nice."
"And what are your plans for the day, Dearest One?" Helen asked Maria with a puff of smoke.
"I was going to see Stavro and tell him about the sketch, then I have those donations to make for you." She gestured back to the giant checks she'd dropped.
Helena smiled and nodded, then turned to Mander.
"Julie did the sketch I sent you. We had a security officer artist re-draw it and purposely get some details wrong. If we don't release something to the media soon, he'll know Stavro gave us a good one and that everyone's on to him. If he's smart at all, he'll see through the bluff."
"Si." Maria added. "He'll spot it as a trick right away. If the general public are on the lookout for the wrong man, though, this may embolden him to poke his head out and come at Great-Grandmama."
"And since we're going to be doing stuff," Helen added as well. "Maria's also going to be making a couple of sizable public donations on my behalf to let Heinrich know that I, at least, am on to him and if he's the kind of dick you've been telling me, force his hand. Local reps from the Anti-Defamation League, Simon Wiesenthal Center, Holocaust Museum; that kind of thing."
"I always wondered," Mander thought aloud. "Where Your Countessness and others who make donations with more than three zeroes get them giant checks."
"We print them up on demand." Maria explained. "The castle has a Print Shop just for things like that."
Mander turned to Helen.
"Your Countessness doesn't think maybe that flyer job was done by someone at the castle?"
"Considered. Unlikely." Helen responded with a drag. "We look in on them randomly in case someone gets the 'let's print our own Euros' idea. Only happened twice since I've been in charge, but it feels wrong. Getting a job here and infiltrating the castle to use our printing press would be a lot harder, far more effort, and would make less sense than 'someone at the studio stuffed a stack of blanks into their backpack.' And, as Luc pointed out when they stopped in earlier after briefing the local Interpol office about Dietz; I've got computers and printers all over this place, I could've pulled off a penny-ante scam like that! Hell, JEANNE could have made this, except she's on the other side of the world with the twins, so my money's on 'No' for her. Unless she and Dr. Rocco have worked out that Roboclone of her."
"Ok, valid." Mander replied. "You're probably right about someone at the studio nickin' 'em. As a general rule, your average Nazi ain't a brainbox. He might think he is, cause he's bought into all that Master Race shit. Dunning-Kruger and all that. Human nature tells me that The Path of Least Work is the way they'd go. Stealin' some old ones there'd still be a lot easier than making them at home."
"I see you two are talking business." Maria said, making her way back to the doorway to pick up checks. "I shall go take care of this. I hope you're staying for dinner, Mander."
"As always, I am at Her Countessness' Service."
"Hey," Helen interjected. "Let's not Willie Garvin things too much. We are still talking business."
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