So Severance isn't a Toreador.  Pity, but she's still quite worth cultivating.  I have better grounds for a trade with her than I ever did with Ehlissa.  I must admit that rock climbing doesn't hold as much interest for me as building climbing does; there's nothing worth stealing at the end of it.

I suppose that's one way I could supplement my income.  I once made an adequate living as a burglar and a pickpocket, and I do sometimes miss the thrill.  It's just politically inconvenient if I get caught or am even suspected.  All of the places worth robbing belong to someone who matters, and I need to be respectable right at the moment.

I am a little concerned that Severance knows my attitude toward Setites, however.  I'm not that well known.  Stephen might have told her, perhaps, or Andrew, butÖ  I'd then be curious as to how they know.  I don't hide my feelings if asked, but I don't publicize them particularly, so one has to run with or be acquainted with a certain set to hear.

I do hope that that young Giovanni knows what he's doing with my investments.  I don't, after all, need the money particularly at the moment.  I just want to keep his clan focused on that aspect of what I'm doing.  I want to appear as something they can understand clearly and manipulate through normal means.  If they believe that I don't have clan permission to use the funds, they'll have something to hold over me.  If they realize that I do have permission, I suspect they'll at least respect my willingness to play their game.

The curse does concern me a bit, partly because I can't see how anyone benefits by it and partly because I am at risk from it.  The former actually concerns me more than the latter since I already knew that people in this city might want me dead.  The notion that someone might want to kill me because of my clan doesn't really make me feel any more in danger than the thought that someone might kill me because of my intentions.  No Setite was going to let my soul go free anyway, not given a choice.  I'm more disturbed by the fact that the clan sent me here without telling me about the curse than I am by the fact that it exists.  I didn't gripe because I don't really see a point to it; well, that and treating it as a minor annoyance consisting only of an incomplete briefing emphasizes why I should be trusted with the information.

I wonder what happened to Ezekiel to leave him "unwell."  Given that he appeared physically unharmed, I almost think that the problem had to be psychological or psychic.  Perhaps a lesson went wrong.  My impression is that he's still in good odor with his clan.  Otherwise I'd not have expected him to be in a position to leave the chantry let alone ask me about giving a party.  The news about his sire, perhaps, might explain it.  I've occasionally regretted not getting to know mine, but from what I've seen lacking that relationship simplifies some things.

And now I have a reason to throw a party.  Getting it together quickly will be quite a chore, but I don't think it's beyond my means.  Finding a discreet printer will be the greatest challenge in some ways.  I'd get a calligrapher to do the entire invitation, but I fear that would take too long.  I'll simply have to settle.

Sadly, as hostess, I'll have to list my name on the invitation.  Pity, that means I'll either have to commit to a gender or do something silly with the names.  Ah, well, I assume that people will still be polite when they meet me in my other clothes.  It is one way of separating the courteous from the boors.  I'll simply have to see if Ms. Cardamom has a preference as to the role I play.  I'll do more dancing if I'm Jean, but Gene is my more habitual role.

I do need to know her color preferences as well and her feelings about the idea of live plants.  I'd like to do hangings in colors that compliment the plants, and that will take some planning.  I'd also like to be sure that nothing in the décor clashes with her planned attire.  I'd hate to insult her inadvertantly.  If I were to be that stupid, I'd much prefer it to be deliberate.

Let's seeÖ  I need musicians.  I expect that the Giovanni running Circus Circus will have some recommendations for the cloakroom and for a few discreet people to make sure that the decorations stay where they're supposed to be.  They'll probably be mortal Giovanni; I have no problem with that.  I'll give the two kids a couple of invitations to the party to pass along as they wish as a polite thank you for their assistance.  It can't hurt too much.

Handling the invitations will be a little tricky in some areas.  I've met no Nosferatu so far, at least not that I'm aware of, but I don't want to omit them from the guest list.  Fortunately, I know a person or two back in Europe who might be willing to pass along an invitation.  Doing it that way is a trifle tacky but not nearly so bad as omitting them altogether.  I've asked Rachel about the Ventrue.  The Tremere are easy; all three of them are necessarily on the guest list.  I'll consult Stephen about local Toreador (and others).  Severance may have some idea about the Brujah.  I'll see if Ehlissa has any people she thinks must be invited.

I'll call David and see if he'd like to be invited.  I'm not sure if he'll want the connection advertised at this point.  I must invite Eamon and his daughter as well, but I'll have to make it clear that the dogs are NOT welcome even if they do qualify as long term retainers.  Somehow, I don't think that half a dozen Irish wolfhounds will help the ambience, even if Eamon would find the situation highly amusing.

I know that some people in my position would hesitate to accept the offer from the Tremere to further train my retainers.  I do see the risks, butÖ  Those risks are there every day whether I accept or not.  My people can be taken from me or subverted at any time; that's part of the game.  The fact that there's no point for most people to do so right now is also part of the game.  Most of the people who would benefit most by screwing me over don't have the power to do so.  Yet.

For the moment, the Tremere objectives seem to march reasonably with my own.  Their offer does make me up my estimate of the level of threat we're facing.  I suspect that it's a sign that they don't think we're quite up to it.  That I'll owe them if I survive is a bonus, and I'm sure they'll take advantage of it, but I suspect it's only a bonus.  A tangled, tangled web.

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