January 13 - Giubecca Island

[Mr. Handy]

Felicity is intrigued by this other side of Archie. She hikes her skirt, thinking it's a shame that it's too dark for the men to see her leg, and draws her own pistol from her thigh.

[robertod]

There's nothing burning in the studio anymore. There is a man with a gun in his hand rummaging through the drawers. He seems to be looking for something important. He is Maria´s lover, Giorgio. The group recognize he is the young man who was at the station when Maria arrived in Venice.

[Mephistophilis]

Without pointing any weapons at the young man, Andrew leans against the wall and casually asks, 'Lost something Giorgio?'

[SaintMeerkat]

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"Hey, there, Giorgio girl... "Remember us?" Archie gently waves the pistol. "Now step back from the desk. I took an oath to do no harm, but I've already broken it a few times on this trip. I would hate for you to join the list. We have already faced zombies, so you,hardly rate. So, step back."

"You should definitely be more scared of my tingling hand right now than any Turk..."

[Mr. Handy]

"Easy there, chaps," says Felicity, lowering her pistol. "Giorgio is a friend, remember? Don't worry, Giorgio, we've already rescued Maria. She gave us this note for you." She holds it out to him. "You need to meet her and get on the next train out of town."

[aine]

Clarence returns with two jugs of water,
"Should I put the fire out?" He enquires.

[robertod]

There are blackened scraps of burnt paper on the floor, but nothing currently burning.
Giorgio points the gun at the intruders, but with little decision, more out of fear than anything else. He doesn't understand much of what's being said until Felicity speaks italian and begins translating something. He seems confused, as if meeting a group of Englishmen who burst in and talk to him about Maria was not among the events he could have expected. He takes the note from Felicity hand and puts the gun back in his pocket.
He stares at the note with troubled feelings, than turns to the group.
"Thanks. Who are you? How do you know her?"

[Mr. Handy]

"You're quite welcome," says Felicity, putting her own gun back in its hiding place against her thigh. "I'm Felicity Hayward. My friends and I met Maria on the train ride from Milan to Venice. We came here looking for you, and for some information. What were you doing here?"

[robertod]

Giorgio relaxes as he answers, but his voice conveys concern.
"I am currently searching for a document, however, it appears that a portion of the content I sought is absent. This issue is quite intricate."
He pauses momentarily before inquiring.
"May I inquire as to the purpose of your search for me? What specific information do you require from my end?"

[Mr. Handy]

"We were looking for Nanni," says Felicity. "Maria said he could help us find you, and she also said he would know what became of the statue of Saint Isidore. Her father had been restoring it, and she said he had given it to Nanni."

[SaintMeerkat]

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After having handled a decade of difficult patients and, earilier on this trip, zombies, Archie doesn't flinch in the slightest when Georgio points the gun back at them. He clicks his tongue, suspecting that would be understood in any Western culture as one of doubt. He pulls back the hammer on his revolver. "Steady, old boy..." he shakes his head. "I wouldn't do that..."

Archie stands ready to pull the trigger if necessary as Felicity converses with the hostile.

[robertod]

Giorgio grimaces, as if attempting to comprehend an unusual situation.
"You guys have come all the way to Italy to speak with Nanni... about a statue... it must be quite an important statue. Are you collectors of relics or something?"
Then he shifts his tone, speaking quickly.
"Regardless, Nanni's not available. He's dealing with other issues. He's evading the authorities. It's not simple to catch up with him at the moment. I suggest you try finding him when things settle down a bit."

Assess honesty: He genuinely seems surprised that you are placing so much importance on a statue of a saint."

[Mr. Handy]

"I don't know if we can stay in Venice that long," says Felicity. "Neither can you or Maria, for that matter. We're all evading the authorities in one way or another. Maybe we can help Nanni with his issues, and he can help us in turn."

Using Reassurance.

Easy there! He had already put his gun away.

[aine]

Clarence tries to look at Giorgio's document without being obvious. Was it ancient, similar to what they'd found on their adventures so far?

[robertod]

Giorgio appears hesitant and indecisive, pausing for a few seconds. Occasionally, he glances at the letter, seemingly feeling obligated by its contents.
"Alright. Come with me. I'll attempt to arrange a meeting with Nanni for you. Just follow my lead without questioning.
The less you're aware of, the better."
The papers on the table don't resemble ancient documents. Much of what's laid out appears to be bureaucratic records related to sales and services. One noteworthy document, however, is a handwritten list of names arranged in a column, lacking any further context or reference, thought.

[Mr. Handy]

Felicity nods and follows.

[SaintMeerkat]

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Archie thinks of his tingling hand and grimaces. "I wouldn't call us collectors... Let's say art lovers." He makes his way over to the desk and slips the list of names into his pocket.

Then he follows the others.

[Mephistophilis]

While the others follow Giorgio, Andrew trails behind at a distance, keeping an eye out for anyone who might be following them.

[robertod]

Giorgio guides the group along the dim, hushed lanes of the Giubecca district, frequently pausing to cast nervous glances around. Eventually, they arrive at a weathered, disused factory shed nestled beside one of the canals. A dense fog has ascended from the waters, shrouding the structure and amplifying its aura of neglect. With a curt nod, Giorgio motions for everyone to follow him inside.

Meanwhile, Andriew, who lingered behind, notices a figure darting into hiding behind a building about 200 meters distant.

[Mephistophilis]

'Psst, someone's following us,' whispers Andrew to the others. 'Keep going with Giorgio and I'll wait here to see who it is.' He ducks inside the door and waits behind it to see who pokes their head through.