[There are questions that this might all reasonably warrant. But the moment they occur to him, Flint dismisses them out of hand. If it matters - and he can think of two reasons why it could be made to -, then fine. It matters. So instead he takes a seat in the high backed chair behind the desk and draws a piece of paper to him.]
You should start with the delegation. Those idiot magister's boys, even. They'll have had access to the capitol and if they've been afforded any kind of liberty while there, may know the city best. [He draws his pen, and begins scratching a line across it the scrap of paper.]
Did she say if anyone else from the Inquisition was with her?
[ "Idiot" isn't much of a recommendation, but John can't afford to be choosy. He's reminded again of their position here: not much influence, not much money. He's going to have to find motivating factors elsewhere, and in which case— ]
She's alone. But I'm not so sure that means no one else has been left behind. I can't imagine she's the only one who's been unlucky.
[ It's incredibly wishful thinking, but if there's anyone else of use to the Inquisition it would be incredibly helpful. They're unlikely to retrieve Max alone, but if there are others, it helps her chances. ]
[John says out loud what he'd been thinking - that without the additional leverage of more useful or dangerous captives, the Inquisition would be unlikely to mount a rescue on the behalf of a solitary woman of questionable reputation. But that's no shock. John Silver has a way about saying the things he means as Flint means them.
If they're all lucky, the venatori will have captured some people with rift shards in them and then there will be no question about the necessity of their recovery.]
Failing then, try contacting a girl named Kitty Jones. If there's any secure place in Minrathous, she's nosy enough to have found it. [Affording she wasn't dead or captured or hiding in such a secret corner presently.
He pauses then, hand hovering over the page--]
There's a woman. A spy. [Silver evidently isn't the only one who's been shaking trees.] But I can't imagine we have the capital to purchase sending her so far.
[ John sounds equally delighted and suspicious of the prospect. ][ Though they're going to really need to consider their finances when they return from this mission. John can't cheat his way to enough winnings at Wicked Grace to keep this venture afloat. ]
[Nonsense, they're perfectly well equipped. But also when Max does get rescued, remind him to ask her for a loan; he has some minor debts to manage.]
Yseult. In Scouting. [Let's pretend that's how he met her and not that he was after an information broker and uncovered a member of the Inquisition in the process.] She's done work along the coast and knows the Amaranthine account. Whether any of that translates to being useful in any other direction, I couldn't say.
[That can be the end of it. He can resume the matter of charting their journey and let whatever questions he might have be asked at points where they're relevant instead of simply speculative. Instead--]
How far should I expect we'll be willing to chase this?
[He doesn't mean it as an indictment. Not really.]
[He pauses there, fixing Silver with some penetrating look. There's a crookedness to his own expression - he can feel it in the line of his own mouth, the slight cock of his own head. But after a moment, he is either satisfied (unlikely) or concedes that he has no idea what exactly it is he's expecting to find in the figure John paints there. He scratches out a quick note on the paper under hand, and fetches the ruler back to him.]
That's fair. [He's not wrong.] If you find there's something more I can do, let me know.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Think this would be before beleth's message about the missing headcount??? Idk
You should start with the delegation. Those idiot magister's boys, even. They'll have had access to the capitol and if they've been afforded any kind of liberty while there, may know the city best. [He draws his pen, and begins scratching a line across it the scrap of paper.]
Did she say if anyone else from the Inquisition was with her?
yes riP THE TIMELINE
She's alone. But I'm not so sure that means no one else has been left behind. I can't imagine she's the only one who's been unlucky.
[ It's incredibly wishful thinking, but if there's anyone else of use to the Inquisition it would be incredibly helpful. They're unlikely to retrieve Max alone, but if there are others, it helps her chances. ]
I'll try the idiots first, I suppose.
[ fun fun. ]
no subject
If they're all lucky, the venatori will have captured some people with rift shards in them and then there will be no question about the necessity of their recovery.]
Failing then, try contacting a girl named Kitty Jones. If there's any secure place in Minrathous, she's nosy enough to have found it. [Affording she wasn't dead or captured or hiding in such a secret corner presently.
He pauses then, hand hovering over the page--]
There's a woman. A spy. [Silver evidently isn't the only one who's been shaking trees.] But I can't imagine we have the capital to purchase sending her so far.
no subject
[ John sounds equally delighted and suspicious of the prospect. ][ Though they're going to really need to consider their finances when they return from this mission. John can't cheat his way to enough winnings at Wicked Grace to keep this venture afloat. ]
What's her name?
no subject
Yseult. In Scouting. [Let's pretend that's how he met her and not that he was after an information broker and uncovered a member of the Inquisition in the process.] She's done work along the coast and knows the Amaranthine account. Whether any of that translates to being useful in any other direction, I couldn't say.
no subject
[ It's more than John had to begin with, so he'll take the lead. ]
I'll let you know what I come up with.
[ Or if they have to consider alternatives. Unleashing Vane, for instance. ]
no subject
How far should I expect we'll be willing to chase this?
[He doesn't mean it as an indictment. Not really.]
no subject
I don't think Jack Rackham would be best pleased to find we've left her in Minrathous.
[ Which leaves John's feelings out of it entirely. ]
no subject
That's fair. [He's not wrong.] If you find there's something more I can do, let me know.
[Good enough.]