Case No. 27
CAFE & DINER REQUIEM · NEW ORLEANS, LA · MERCY TRIUMPHS OVER JUDGMENT
BARISTA: AUDITOR
CAFE: ALL
DATE: EARLY APRIL
RECEIPT ID: TWB-01
Well, we've reached a point where we can pay Ms. Bradbury's tab in full. Again. Maybe. It's really a bit of a crapshoot, isn't it?
The last time Ms. Bradbury's tab was fully paid I thought that'd be the last I ever saw of her. Hell, once my own tab was paid in full I was more than ready to put the coffee down for good. Look how that turned out. Of course, what happened to Ms. Bradbury a few Cafes ago was no small feat and the only reason we're able to even consider paying off her tab in full is that she's no longer all "there." I know I said this with Ms. Sandiego, but I really do think we can pull this one off.
But I know what you're really wanting to hear, you want to know what "knowledge" Jack's 8-Ball was willing to share with us. Now, before you get your hopes up it's worth noting that the 8-Ball speaks in riddles at the best of times. You'll never get a straightforward answer out of it that isn't plainly a trap. So, you'll need to read a bit between the lines here, but when Jack asked if this is a worthwhile service it said:
"Should the flame sputter, so be it."
Which to me is as close to a yes as we're going to get. Now... I will concede that "the flame" could mean a couple of things. It might be Nickels instead. Technically, his tab was already settled and at quite a cutthroat rate. I asked and he said he'll be fine if this backfires onto him. The more concerning possibility is that the flame could also be Ichabod... though by that logic it could also be Julius, Jericho, Joy, and a few hundred others blighted by Bradbury's flames. But Ichabod is on board with a final service as well if it means we have a chance to avert a more wicked fate for the Coffee Trade and beyond.
Caffeinated Report: C-TWB-02
"Good News, shown to all: S:18:13"
Apocrypha Trivia | 1 Word
Caffeinated Report: C-TWB-03
"A swiss roll, doodle back, not quite white or on top."
Jazz Trivia | 3 Words
Caffeinated Report: CD-TWB-04
"Something to watch? out for=Roman 6, Arabic VIII, GO!GO!7188-10-24-2001, HHHH, zone velocity lUtra-low."
Research | 2 Words
Caffeinated Report: C-TWB-05
"Silence from…"
Reference | 2 Words
Caffeinated Report: C-TWB-06
"Is it done?"
Reference | 3 Words
Caffeinated Report: CD-TWB-07
"A commonality between the warlock and the singer."
Reference | 3 Words
Caffeinated Report: C-TWB-08
"Ex. 35mm Film, Vertical Flags, Perfect Fifths… etc."
Theology Trivia | 3 Words
BARISTA: AUDITOR
CAFE: ALL
DATE: EARLY APRIL
RECEIPT ID: TWB-09
Another beautiful sorrow befalls New Orleans. Another mercy granted and another shift in the cosmic karmic Fate of the Coffee Trade. I don't think Ichabod or Nickels would have changed their minds on this rotten deal even knowing the consequences. For them, it was worth it. Perhaps it was worth it for me too. I've felt stuck... Or, perhaps I've felt as if I've been moving through a dream of sorts, in many times and many places, I... Well, I know one thing for certain. I need to find a name that is my own. But I can worry about myself later.
Ms. Sandiego is waiting for us behind an Amber Door. We'll need to—
Shit!
What the hell is that rumbling? An earthquake? Or… Could it be some sort of xanthic burn off? Has the Vile… Or—
Oh…
Oh, we might have caused some deaths along the way, huh?