January 12 - Milano - La Scala

[robertod]

Piazza del Scala is accessible via the Galleria, and has as its centerpiece a large statue of Michelangelo. La Scala itself is a bland-looking building from the outside, the famous opera house is merely large. The front doors are locked until opening night. The only way in is through the stage door, to be found at the back of the building.
A burly doorkeeper with a stern look he watches the entrance.

[Mr. Handy]

"My, aren't you muscular?" says Felicity with a smile. "I suppose that's why you've got this job. We're friends of Caterina Cavollaro, and she personally invited us to opening night. We'd like to speak to Arturo Toscanini, please."

Using Flattery.

[robertod]

The man is hesitant at first, but then sees the possibility that the director meeting these unknown strangers could increase the chance of figuring out what happened to the missing star. One of the stagehands is asked to accompany the visitors through the backstage area up to the music director's room.

Inside, the group soon lose sight of the stage door as strange sights intervene: a tenfoot high wooden nose against a wall, which will be gone the next time they pass this way. Pharaohs sit smoking cigars and playing cards, a trail of stage blood leads underneath a door. Sounds also echo along these walls: sets being built, singers exercising their throats, instruments being tuned, orders shouted and countermanded... activity is frantic as performance times nears.

The mood of the cast and crew is a mixture of sadness and confusion over the loss of their star, anticipation of great things done, and pre-performance excitement. Groups gather to cry or to sing together, creating oases and vortices of sound that wash and intermingle along the corridors, starting and vanishing as suddenly as a desert stream.

Pictures of Cavollaro are stuck up everywhere, garlanded with roses and ribbons. It is as if the singer stares accusingly from every wall, every door. Members of the cast press their lips to these shrines as they pass, worshiping these icons as fervently as Father Angelico feared. The investigators are continually being run past, or shoved aside, or wailed at by wild-eyed singers as they carry on in the tradition of Italian grand opera.
Far from windows, vents, or outer doors, the atmosphere becomes increasingly surreal. A row of plaster statues are dragged past, tied on a long rope, bumping and scraping. Egyptians sporting horrific battle wounds stroll by, cheerfully singing and chattering in torrents. Then a landslide of severed wooden heads cascades down a dark corridor, and forces the visitors down an even darker passage. In the distance the squeak of wood against plaster sounds like giggling. A group of slaves in foil chains skip past. After a sidelong glance they reveal a baleful eye as big as a dinner table glaring at them between the curtains. The visitors are intruding on a world obsessed by its devotion to artifice and trickery. They are behind the scenes, party to the clockwork demon of art.

The investigators are granted a brief audience with Arturo Toscanini. He has had no contact with the star, and while he regrets the absence, he must open as planned, with a substitute singer in the role. However, he is interested in any news of Caterina. He grants the investigators limited permission to remain and ask questions of the staff, up until the time of the production.

[SaintMeerkat]

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Once he is sure he won't be heard, Archie leans in to Felicity, and whispers "Thank you..." as he follows them into the building.

He goes a little fan boy with Toscanini. "I am truly looking forward to hearing the orchestra tonight. Let me tell you, I purchased several of your La Scala orchestra recordings, and I have never heard Haydn 101 sound better. It was so full of life..."

"And thank you. We will do our best not to abuse the privilege."

[Mr. Handy]

"Any time," Felicity whispers back. "Thank you for seeing us, Maestro," she says to Toscanini. "We'll do whatever we can to locate Caterina. How did she act in the time leading up to her disappearance? Was there any change in her behavior, anything unusual she did or said? Was anyone new hanging around her?"

[Mephistophilis]

Finding all the pomp and glamour of the opera utterly unintelligible, Andrew is glad when they have a solid witness to question. 'Was Virginia the understudy for Miss Cavollaro? Her voice is uncannily like Caterina's.'

[aine]

Clarence stares at the giant body parts with a baleful eye and ponders on the upcoming performance. “I’m a little concerned about us all attending the performance.” He mutters as an aside just before being distracted by a trio of chattering dancers in tights.
He stands in the background and listens respectfully to Toscanini.

[robertod]

Toscanini bursts into a sudden cough. He covers his mouth and leans his head towards the floor.
"Sorry. I'm still struggling with the aftereffects of a bad flu."

Turning again to his interlocutors:
"The substitute singer is in fact Virginia, Caterina's sister. In reality she is older than Caterina by a few years. "
He clears his throat.
"Virginia is not exactly as gifted as her sister. No offence, sir, but... you might have mistaken the quality of Virginia´s voice....
But.. althought not brillant, she is a competent singer. And above all ... she has already sung the Aida many times before and she´s what we have to save the night."
"Honestly, I'm not in much mood to conduct the orchestra tonight while we still know nothing about what happened to Caterina.""
He takes on a tone of protest
"However, it's not just me to decide. Our patrons have been clear. The opening night cannot be postponed.
It won't be a particularly brilliant show. But I withdraw from all responsibility."

Responding to Felicity, Toscanini shakes his head with an emphatic gesture.
"I´m sorry. I can't tell you anything about Caterina. I refrain from getting into the private life of actors and singers."

"Maybe the costumery people can tell you some gossip".
He adds with reproach.

[Mr. Handy]

"You misunderstand," says Felicity. "It's not gossip I'm after. This information could help us find out what happened to Caterina."

Using Flattery.

[aine]

That’s a rotten cough, Sir. It’s always hard running the show, so to speak, when you’re under the weather. How long have you been feeling Ill?” Clarence asks him when he has a moment.

[robertod]

"I only see Caterina at singing rehearsals, I don't know anything about her private life."
He sighs.
"I've never noticed anything unusual at rehearsals. But the theater staff know her best. Maybe they know something, but the police have already questioned everyone and came up with nothing."
He shrugs. Replying to Archie.
"I've been sick for two weeks and not just me. The flu has been hitting many people here at the theater lately."

[Mr. Handy]

"One of my friends is a doctor," says Felicity. "He might be able to help you."

[SaintMeerkat]

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Archie takes a step forward, and nods. "I would be happy to try to help you. We know enough now about the flu to know that it spreads through the air, so, in a theatre environment where it is not possible for even the lowliest stage hand to take a few days off without letting down a lot of people would definitely provide the ideal environment."

Using Medicine.

[robertod]

The director agrees and Archie can ascertain that the man has in fact the after-effects of a respiratory disease, but should fully recover within a few days.

The director comments.
"It's not just the flu. This place seems to be under a curse. In the last six years, La Scala has not been able to keep a lighting designer for more than three months. Every new person fell ill, and furthermore suffered profound disillusionment with the falsity and façades inherent in the theatrical arts. The illnesses included consumption, pneumonia, gastroenteritis, asthma, appendicitis, and in a few cases a strange dermatitis on the chest. Management has done everything possible, but has never pinpointed the cause of these maladies."

[Mephistophilis]

This piques Andrew's interest. 'Any locations particularly affected? Any particular jobs or roles getting these things worse than the others?' He wonder whether they could try and localise the source of this malady and perhaps identify another piece if the Sedefkar Simulacrum.

[Mr. Handy]

"We've met a couple of people who may have had this strange dermatitis," says Felicity. "Perhaps this is where they came down with it."

[SaintMeerkat]

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Once Archie is satisfied that the ailment is conventional in nature, he nods and steps back, listening to the rest.

"Have you experienced this dermatitis, Maestro?"

[robertod]

"No, I just had problems with a flu. Very long and more serious than normal. Other things, including dermatitis, affected the rest of the staff, mainly those who work with the costumes and scenery." the diractor replies.

[Mr. Handy]

"Thank you," says Felicity. "I think we should speak to them next." If there was something that looked like a piece of a statue, they would surely know about it and be around it.

[aine]

Clarence nods sagely. It was as he had suspected.
“What about props? Do you have a store for pieces no longer used- but kept just in case, hmm?”