Interlude: Former Mayor of Räan

Meanwhile, in a dark and damp cellar beneath Capes, Norbert Giles is sitting, fuming about what he just red. In front of him an open newspaper is lying, with a large picture of Nillian, in front of the University. Above it in a large capitation he reads that "sir Luckett going on Dangerous Expedition". In the background of the photograph a few other people are standing, one of which is the cause of his anger.

"That Nillian! He stole her, my Sarah! I knew something was going on when I saw them whispering, back in Räan. They were too close, even then. I don't know what she thinks he can offer her, but I am better. When I will humiliate him she will come back to me, I am sure of it.

And all that talk about an expedition ... I don't know who that Dr. Biene is, but it seems people want him back. Well I will show them something! When I return with this Biene character I will be the hero. People will welcome me home, and hold dinners in my honour. Everything will be forgotten then, and I will be the one in all the newspapers!"

Norbert starts pacing. The cellar he is in is quite small, and he has to circumvent a lot of crates and boxes. They are all filled with bottles or small packets, ready to be distributed. He is hiding in the storage den of some of his accomplices. He had to leave Kataras because the watchmen almost found his hiding place.

It is humiliating for him to be here, hiding in dark cellars, living on the mercy of others... Well, he was going to make sure he could take it out on someone, and that someone was Nillian!

"Peter!"
Norbert hears some shuffling above him, and a minute later Peter comes down the stairs.
"Yes?"
"I have decided. We are going after this Nillian. I want to catch him, humiliate him and kill him. Then we can get this Biene character, and get all the fame."

"Catch him? We'll need a boat then."
"I still have some influences with a few carpenters. We'll just build our own boat!"
"That is going to take time, you know that. How about we steal one? That would be a lot easier. Then we would have someone to steer it too."
"Which boat you idiot? A small fishers boat?"
"Ah ... what about the shuttle? The one going to Apaga? That one is big, and has a captain and such."
"That could work ... Yes, and with some extra sails and such we will be faster than them. Right, that is what we are going to do."

"Say, about that Nillian?"
"Yes?"
"He was called Luckett, right? I met him once. He is one stuck-up twit, I can tell you that. Expecting everyone to do his bidding, and only succeeding because he waves a lot of money around."
"You met him? Where?"
"Here in Capes. I got a thing or two going on with his sister, and he came by. Left in a hurry too, his sister was quite upset about that."
"A sister ... that brings opportunities ... Let me think about that, perhaps we can do something with her."

It is silent for a few seconds as both men think their private thoughts. Then Norbert continues.
"Let's start with gathering all the crooks you can. We have need of workers to help with stealing the boat, and later on we will need a crew."
"I will spread the call. But won't the cops become suspicious when all crime stops?"
"Let them be suspicious! It doesn't matter, in a few weeks we all will be gone. And when we return as heroes there is nothing they can do, ever again."

Peter nods, and goes back upstairs, where Norbert hears some murmuring, followed by a lot of people standing up and leaving. Norbert in the mean time returns to his pacing. He is trying to imagine the crushing defeat he will inflict on Nillian. At the moment he is a bit fuzzy on the details, as he has no clue where he is going. But he is sure that it will happen. And when it does he will get this Biene character, how he doesn't know either, and he will win back his Sarah. And that image is something his imagination is completely capable of providing.