Location:OS&C|Widdershins, Planet Manhattan, New York System
To:Union Corse
Subject:Wink-Wink Nudge-Nudge Say No More!
Kallisti!
I was making a pilgrim run out to Freeport 11 (so far from the goddess, so close to the Nomads, much tragic) when I did NOT take a flight of fancy to the planet Vaitupu, did NOT find an old APM transport called the Brilliance, and most certainly did NOT salvage a nomad power cell from the craft. As you may/may not know/care, the transport of such artifacts caries a rather colorful spectrum of punishments this side of the Taus, depending on who finds you. The punitive rainbow ranges from the dark black of death at the hands of the order to the slightly more stylish black of quiet imprisonment followed by death by the LSF. It's a rather somber rainbow, all things considered, and I'd rather get off the ride before the captain's turned off the fasten-seatbelt sign.
So I thought to myself, who has credits, legal flexibility, and a shockingly high tolerance for the acquired taste that is TAZ house blend nonsense? The Union Corse, of course! So, do y'all NOT have any interest in a NOT nomad power cell that I currently do NOT have on my ship which is NOT (not?) docked on Manhattan? (Add wink-winks and nudge-nudges to taste on that one) Obviously I'm happy to deliver out to Provence, but if you know of an interested third party I'd rather not have to RSVP my way through Liberty twice with this bauble, and that's a real "not", of the tangled Christmas lights variety as opposed to the finger beside the nose variety.
RECIPIENT: M. Seabourne, for the TAZ SENDER: Principal Alfredo Orsini LOCATION: Unknown ENCRYPTION:ABSOLUTE SUBJECT: Re:Wink-Wink Nudge-Nudge Say No More!
Saluti, Monsieur Seabourne.
Congratulations on still being alive after this. I can't believe any of the groups operating in this region hasn't put a bounty on your head.
I understand clearly your message, and I am willing to "not" do this deal. I won't send a ship that will, not, meet you in orbit of Manhattan and who won't make this deal. The price won't be discussed in orbit either. Don't bother with delivering it to Provence.
A little bit of humour, while offering legal protection (maybe) is always welcome, so is this deal.
Location:OS&C|Widdershins, Planet Manhattan, New York System
To:Principal Alfredo Orsini, Unione Corse
Subject:Many Winks, Such Nudge
Kallisti!
It's not good to hear from you, Principal Orsini. I am not pleased to not hear that we can not do business! Hopefully sooner rather than later as the artifact I do not have is currently not irradiating a not-insignificant (not significant?) portion of my cargo bay. It's really being quite naughty.
Name a time and place and I'll not be there! Otherwise I'll not piddle around New York and hope to not run into you or one of your not associates. Oh, what hoops we jump through, hopefully it's all for not.
Location:OS&C|Widdershins, Shasta Orbital Skyhook, Baffin system
To:Principal Alfredo Orsini, Unione Corse
Subject:So About that Orb...
Kallisti!
So, I have the trinket ready to go. And by that, I mean I don't not have it ready. Or maybe I don't not unhave it.
Point is, the good news is that your bauble is ready for pick up in Manhattan Orbit. The Bad news is you're going to need a net and a good set of tweezers to claim it. The local news is we never exchanged credits so I can let you have the some-assembly-required version for the low low price of please-don't-be-mad-with-me. Seems the 5th fleet takes a rather dim view on possession of ancient unspeakable evils manufactured by genocidal aliens being in orbit of their major population areas. I thought it looked rather spiffy on the mantlepiece. In hindsight trying to install a fireplace on a spaceship was rather shortsighted, so maybe it's all for the best.
If I stumble across anything else of interest out there, you'll be the first to know. Well, after myself of course, unless you know something I don't (given the state of things, I should certainly hope that last sentence is true). And the goddess would know, of course. Also whoever lost said trinket to begin with. So there may be a bit of a list, but you definitely have a number in the queue in single digits.
Past me still has your orb, so I suggest you forward (backward?) any future (past?) correspondences to him (???). Be careful, though, that guy's a second degree jerkface with oak leaf clusters!
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