Play@YSDC

The Orient Express stands ready to depart from Paris’ Gare de Lyon station around midnight. It is an exhilarating moment, the shining blue and gold train at the platform, the staff in their perfect buttoned coats gently ushering the passengers aboard. A band plays, and the general conviviality warms everyone against the cold winter night. Stepping aboard, the investigators bask in the heated train, and admire the luxurious paneling and the comfortable berths. Those boarding make in themselves a brilliant assembly but, especially tonight, a large crowd is gatheredon the platform, throwing roses at a vibrant young woman. She is Caterina Cavollaro, the Italian soprano whom Veronique Lorien praised so highly, and her many Parisian admirers are seeing her off.

She came off-stage at L’Opéra little more than an hour ago, and now she is on her way to Teatro alla Scala, Milan’s famous opera house, to perform the title role in Verdi’s Aida. Signorina Cavollaro is still excited after the performance, and about her journey to her beloved Milan. She and her friends sit up in the salon car, drinking and laughing. Cavollaro’s compartment proves to be next to the investigators. She speaks to them in glowing terms of the beauty and generosity of Milan. She promises to show them the city, to take them to “The Last Supper.” She even insists on booking rooms for them at the most beautifully-situated hotel in the world, in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele.

Andrew is quite taken by the young singer, and he sits up with her party drinking and soaking in her presence. He's quite forgotten about the cursed piece of statuary they've stowed with the baggage.

Archie is relieved to be back on the train. He tries to relax as they ride in luxury to the next location, though it's difficult to put the sights out of his mind. He is a little concerned that at any moment the train may end up in whatever dimension the previous one went through. From time to time, he catches himself rubbing his left arm through his jacket and shirt sleeve, and immediately forces himself to stop. He experiments by having a few stiff drinks to see if it will have any effect on the discomfort.

"Signorina Cavollaro, that is a very gracious offer. Thank you."

Felicity has done some shopping before leaving Paris, and she is sporting one of the new dresses she bought, a black sleeveless number with a plunging back. She has also purchased a copy of Ulysses by James Joyce, in English, with the intention of smuggling it back to England under the cover of a similarly-sized book, though she has better things to do than read it at the moment. She is always eager to attend a party.

"Thank you, Signorina Cavollaro," says Felicity with a smile. "I look forward to attending your performance."

Flaunting all her vanity, the singer holds the group talking about her opera. She shows the investigators some photographs of the opera, the famous Aida. She explains that the Aida takes place in Egypt. The setting of ancient Egypt as it was reproduced on the stage is impressive. Cavollaro is enthusiastic in showing the scenography, the orchestra and the costumes. As a last photo, the Italian singer shows a picture of her with the three main patrons of the opera. One of the three patrons is a dark-skinned turkish man. One of the patrons immediately catches the eye of the investigators. They have no doubt. That man is Mehmet Makryat.

OOC:   To recall about Mehmet Makryat, see the London - Headouts thread: https://www.callofcthulhu.org.uk/pbp/vi ... 490&t=7556

"This is wonderful!" says Felicity. "And who are these patrons of the arts?"

Clarence is a little uncomfortable in the presence of yet another beautiful, and somewhat scandalous. young lady. “Charming, charming, hmm.” He mutters but his eyebrows rise at the sight of the Turkish patron.

Cannovaro replies with a vague smile. She points at each of the three men in the photo as she answears.
"This is Flavio Conti, the owner of the Alfa Romeo factory. This one is Arturo Faccia. Faccia is... an important Milanese family. And this one here is an acquaintance of Flavio and Arturo.... he´s a Turkish businessman. I don't remember his name. "

"Is it Mehmet Makryat, by any chance?" asks Felicity.

The singer smiles:
"Oh.. yes, I think this is his name. Do you know him?"

"No, I've never met him," says Felicity, "but I have seen his name and picture in the newspaper. Perhaps you've seen mine in the newspapers. I'm Felicity Hayward."

'I've heard there's quite a few Makyrats,' notes Andrew wryly.

Miss Cavollaro gives an embarrassed smile. She is sorry and she says she doesn't remember Felicity's name.
The singer doesn't seem very interested in continuing a discussion about the strange Turkish figure.

At some point, Cavollaro sways to her feet, and says she will be back in a moment. Fifteen minutes later she sweeps in, dressed in a silver gown, eyes heavily darkened with mascara, with an ankh on a chain about her neck. She announces that she would like to sing them the aria she will be performing three nights from now.
The gathering claps their hands in delight. This song is important to her, she says, because it was Aida she saw at Teatro alla Scala when she was five, her first opera. She was transfixed. Believing a tradition her grandmother told her of, she sang along with this aria, keeping in mind her fondest wish so that it might come true. She had entered La Scala that evening wanting a pony, but then the opera started and she knew she wanted to be a singer more. And so, she says laughing, for her, the opera has always been magical.

The aria she is about to sing is “Ritorna Vincitor”. She explains that Aida is divided in loyalty between the man she loves, Radames, and her father Amonsro, who are the two opposing leaders in a great war between the Egyptians and the Ethiopians. She sings, the aria so clear and rich that the tone and the words etch into the investigators’ memories. Cavollaro explores the very limits of human song and the human soul.

When she finishes, she approaches again the english gentlemen and offers them front-row tickets for opening night in gratitude for their company. Opening night is three days away. Caterina reminds the investigators that she will book them rooms in a hotel in the Galleria, the very center of Milan. With that and “A domani” (“See you tomorrow”), she goes off to bed.

"That was magnificent!" says Felicity. "I look forward to seeing her performance on the stage. Just as well she doesn't know me from the papers, but I'm not as well known outside Britain."

Andrew says nothing, his mouth hanging open in wonder. He accepts the ticket from Miss Cavollaro with little more than gutteral mumblings of appreciation.

Archie was transported as the lovely singer worked her way through the aria. His heart stopped as she reached the peak of the composition, and he blinked back tears as she sang the coda. He had been to opera performances, but the only Royal Opera company tickets he was ever able to score forced him to sit so far away from the performers that he could barely see their faces, much less hear them over the orchestra. This was so intimate and up close and personal that he was stunned to silence.

When she finished, he looked up, eyes wet and cheeks flushed. "Thank you," he finally regained his composure as she handed him the tickets. "That was...amazing. I am looking forward to it."

Clarence, unfortunately, is tone deaf. He sits politely through the performance and watches his friends’ emotions with perplexed jealousy.
“Very, nice. Thank you m’dear.” He replies when offered a ticket.
A room at the Galleria though he really can look forward to appreciating.

When the singer has gone and Andrew has regained his composure he says to the others, 'Well this really is a stroke of luck. I'm sure we could take a little time out of our journey to sample some of the...um, higher pursuits available.'

"Quite," says Felicity. "I always appreciate the finer things in life. We do have enough time to visit Lausanne on the way, as long as we don't spend too much time there."

Clarence just shakes his head.