[handset] audio;

[forgediron]

[On the same day but sometime after this post, every Foreigner's radio crackles.]

The Dust-snorting sacks of garbage are led by Daseng. He's mine to kill. Protect your own, but get out of my way.

Comments

[forgediron]

[A staticky snort.]

He'd have done it anyway. The Palace was his temple. He deserved to have it razed. The package just put his focus on me instead of anyone else.

[akito]

[ that's... good to know, actually. and a mild relief in that he didn't inadvertently cause anyone to be harmed - he's done enough of that already. ]

A beautiful weed that chokes out all other life...

Would he be too proud to ally himself with the loyal Chihuelans?

[ he's hoping no, because that would mean if they catch the tail of one serpent they can find where the other leads as well. ]

[forgediron]

[A short, equally staticky laugh.]

He pretends he has pride, but he's not too proud for anything. He has not morals. He has no limits. That's what makes him dangerous.

[akito]

Do you have a description for him? I could keep an eye out during deliveries. And it would help with, um... Making sure if something happens somebody doesn't kill him before you can, ne?

[ he understands and respects the rules of 'dibs', but isn't so sure the rest of the foreigners do. ]

You have first claim to him, so you definitely should get to kill him.

[forgediron]

No.

[Bitterly.]

He always liked changing his looks. He wasn't that good a shapeshifter. He used to use dyes instead. He's always been good with things like that.

[akito]

If he's been using the shapeshifting substance... It's been more difficult to get a hold of. Would he possibly be the one in control of that market?

[ pause ]

Um... If there's anything I can help with just send me a messsage, ne?

[forgediron]

I don't know. He could be. I don't know. Medicine isn't really his thing, just ... chemistry. But it's possible.

[She grunts.]

Sure, okay.

[But she probably won't.]

[akito]

Medicine and chemistry go hand-in-hand. Drugs are just the application of chemistry, after all.

...Have you gotten any samples of the shapeshifting drug? If it's not made by nature, it could be made by that sack of garbage. Get people relying heavily on it, then limit the production and force people to do more and more for less and less.

[forgediron]

I know that.

[Flatly.]

But he doesn't care about medicine. The drugs he's interested in aren't medicine. They have nothing to do with medicine.

No. He didn't have that when he left and I haven't gotten hold of any now.

[akito]

That still doesn't change the fact that chemical knowledge can be used to create drugs in general - good, or bad.

I will keep an eye out, and if I can get a sample I'll bring it to you for analysis. If we can find out if it's man made it might lead to Daseng, or at least the one responsible for distribution...

Where I'm from, drug dealers always know of each other and their businesses. It's not unlikely they're either cooperating or rivals.

[ a pause, then decides to add: ]

Daseng sounds like a very fitting name for him.

[forgediron]

Are we done?

[Flatly.]