Play@YSDC

Odetta looks around the nearly empty church. "You are finding a place than this place is more quiet?" Looking over Jacob's shoulder she calls out to the to the tall beared man in priests vestments who entered the in what sounds as though its probably Albanian "Atë, Atë Marakis!"

The tall man excuses himself from Greg and Clay and walks across towards Jacob and Liz in thickly accented english "Miss, sir, welcome to St Agata's may I ask you what you wish with my parishioner Ms Tito?"

"Thank you," says Liz. "You must be Father Marakis. We wish to help Ms. Tito. I'm sure you do as well."

Father Marakis rattles off something in rapid fire Albanian(?) which Odetta answers as speedily.

"Ms Tito says she left the Tolka's employ several days ago as a result of an argument. She has not been back since, which I myself and several of my parishioners can confirm."

Odetta rattles off something else equally as unintelligable.

"Ms Tito says she never saw the girl or had anything to do with her"

OOC: All,[b]Psychology roll[/b] from anyone listening or watching the conversation. This assumes Greg and Clay have followed the father over to where Jacob, Liz the Father and Odetta are talking.

OOC,Clay did so roll below. BTW, I did a spot hidden earlier but you never said what I spotted.

Clay followed the priest and listens to what he says. Satisfied that a priest would never lie, "Well another dead end."

Psych roll,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3290459/]Psych roll for priest target = whopping 5% (1d100=58)[/url]

Liz is about to respond when she has an insight.

Hmm...
Jacob replies without adding anymore

Psych roll [5%] (1d100=26)

Psychology roll - success (critical?),[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3292179/]Psychology (60%) (1d100=6)[/url]

Greg followed the father to the others and watched the confrontation. "We are concerned for her health," Greg responded. "Father, we spoke on the phone," he offered his hand in greeting for shaking, "Dr. Greg Hammer."

He said, "I think the people who did that to her employers were looking for something... or someone. We only want to put an end to this travesty. Innocent girls are being used as weapons. It must stop."

"I'm sure Father Marakis is translating what Ms. Tito said accurately," says Liz, "but there's something she's not telling us. I was under the impression that the argument was just last night, and that Elira was the subject of the argument. Odetta felt that the Tolkas should not have taken her in because she belonged to someone else." She turns to face Odetta. "I know you're afraid. You've got good reason to be. But none of us can get through this alone. Please, let us help you."

Jacob tries to persuade Odetta by intimidating her.
You know that if the police will find out that you are lying miss you will be in a great trouble. As a solicitor, I may be have a chance to help you.
Turning to the father he add
She must not hide things from us father...

ooc,tell me if you want persuade of fast talk.

Wether reacting to Greg's or Liz's words, Odetta's shoulders sink some more before she straightens up somewhat as though she has made some kind of decision.

"The Tolkas they are good people, a lovely people, not have children, Mr Tolka, he as a problem, with his...thingy? But they forget all about the old country. In Albania they treat old lady with respect, not like this place, full of oodies and knife crimes! They forget all about the old country but they still not deserve to die.".

I work for Tolkas five years, I work for parents in Albania, before they come Britain. The girl was from countryside and from the North, this means she was stupid, they know nothing in the North. The girl was dangerous, I see her, and I see her marks on her body, old marks.

These marks say she belong to Verbetoi, people in the old country treat them like Gypsies or travellers here, everyone hates them, everyone is scared of them, the marks say she is theirs , the verbetoi do not like thieves.

I try tell the Tolkas' girl is bad luck, they not believe me, they forget the old country, but I did not forget, we argue Rosa say I foolish old woman. I say I take holiday come back when girl goes. Then I run and I hide. I am old, but I not want to die."

"Well, it's a good thing you left when you did," says Liz. "I think Elira is still alive. If the Verbetoi started the fire, as seems likely, then they would have taken her. What else do you know about the Verbetoi? Where in the London area would they be living?"

"You are wait here I get something maybe explain Verbetoi."
Odetta then gets up and dissapears into the back of the church, when she returns she has a battered paperback book, of “Albanian Fairy Tales” Sitting down again she thumbs through it until she finds the correct page then.

"In Albania we have the Kanuni is traditional law we call it the "Kanun of Leke" because the Great Prince Lekë Dukagjini is the man who bring us these laws. These laws are very important to all good Albanians, they tell us how to be honourable, how to behave, how to be a good host and how to good familly. Over here when I talk about the Kanuni, people only know about Gjakmarrja or Hakmarrja, which is the Kanuni tells us someone is allowed to kill another person to avenge a murder or bad deed. This story is is called 'The Two Princes' is very old very fine Albanian fairy tale all about the Kanuni and the Verbetoi". starts to read aloud

There were once two princes they were followers of Leke Dukagjini, the man who wrote the old laws in Albania which we call the “the Kanun”. These two princes were also brothers; one day they were returning from a great victory over the Turks, when they found their path blocked by a beggar. The two brothers told the beggar to get off the road, the beggar told them that while they might be princes among their own kind, he was a Verbetoi and so they should make way for him. The older of the two brothers took the beggars words as an insult to his honor and ran him through with his sword on the spot.

The two brothers went their separate ways each to their own lands, to see their families and prepare for winter, on Christmas Eve there was a knock at the door of the younger brothers house, it was his brother’s youngest daughter. The Verbetoi and come to the lands of the elder prince’s, her father’s land, they had killed all his peasants and burnt their hovels they had besieged his kullë (defensive tower) and set a great fire at the door when the door was but ashes, the Verbetoi killed her mother, her brothers and sisters, the cattle, the horses even their dogs but before they killed her father they sent the youngest daughter to his brother to tell him he would be next.

Though the younger brother was not afraid he sought out the great prince Leke Dukagjini for his advice, and perhaps his aid. But the Leke was not a stupid man he said to the younger brother “te luftoj verbti, te luftoj zjarr me qaj lotoj” which means “to fight the Verbti, is to fight fire with your tears” For though it would be proper for there to be Gjakmarrja (blood feud) between the younger brother and the Verbetoi it was a fruitless thing.

The Leke said the Verbetoi do not know honour as a good Albanian does, they do not know restraint as a good Albanian does. They would not stop with killing the young prince, or his brothers or uncles or cousins which would be right and proper, but they would kill his sisters, his aunts, his wife and his children, his lands and his homes, they would not stop until the princes line were dead and the Verbetois’ fires danced across his families lands and all trace of it was burnt from the world. The Verbetoi are not bound by the Kanun said the Leke and the young prince was not bound to seek Hakmarrja ("revenge") because of it.

So the younger brother sought out the Verbetoi and ended the Gjakmarrja by paying them in gold. But from that day on the younger brothers hearth was always cold even in the deepest winter because the younger brother said he could hear the fires laughter."

Odetta closes the book, "You do not fight the Verbetoi, you do not involve yourself in their business and you hope they do not feel insulted by you. If they live in London they live where they will and who will say they cannot. If they have the girl she is theirs and it is best you leave them to it."

Clay listened closely to the story. But covered his mouth to keep a laugh from escaping. All he could say was "Wow". Clay is thinking this lady is full of it, and that story is the most ridiculous thing he has ever heard.

Odetta clearly isn't taken in my Clay's attempt not to burst out laughing. She starts to glare at him and then her face softens and something clearly sorrowful overtakes her features.

"I should wish it was nothing but fairly tale eh"

"Sounds a lot like organized crime," says Liz. "Albanian organized crime gangs have a reputation for exceptional brutality. That could be what the modern day Verbetoi are up to. And woe to anyone who gets in their way, I get that. You frak with the bull, you get the horns. Okay, so there's no fighting them. It's clear from the story that they do make deals for money. All right, we're not exactly toffs, but maybe we can come up with something they value. What else do they want?"

Clay got himself under control. "I'm sorry miss, I don't mean to diss your country or its fables. But I buy the gang theory a lot more."

"Not gangs, we call them 'Fis', means.... big familly ...clans" Odetta shrugs again "if you find them then maybe give them gold, gold is very important to them."

"That makes sense," says Liz. "Organized crime groups often organize by large families too, so they'd fit right into the criminal underworld. Smart of them to want gold. Currencies are unstable, but gold always holds its value. How much do you think we'd need?"

"They do not have it for wealths sake, Gold is the metal of their god Verbti, it is holy to them. They say the Prince gave them a half talent of gold to make them give up their feud, but I do not think they will talk to you, especially about the girl. She is theirs, she has been marked and they will not give her up"

Father Marakis who has been sitting quietly off to the side gets to his feet. "Listen, Odetta is due to go to see her doctors and I must take her. Perhaps, if you wish to talk to her some more we could all meet here tomorrow? Say around ten? Also I have someone else I would like you to meet who also knows about these Verbetoi."