Imperial Interrogation #2

["Emylie Fenring" <emylie@law.com>]

Office of the Imperial Mentat -- Imperial Palace (Kaitain)

        The Imperial Mentat's office is a study in elegance and 
utilitarian design. A plenicenta plant, giving off a sweet aroma, 
resides in an opaline pot seated to the left of the door. An immense 
shigawire reel case fashioned from rich Ecazian mahogany stands to 
the right of the mentat's desk, encompassing the north wall. In the 
southwest corner of the office is a locked display case constructed 
of metaglass and ebony.

        A large, smoky grey metaglass desk commands the room from the 
east, an elegant cheops pyramid inhabiting its lower left-hand side. 
On the lower right-hand side of the desk is a worn, but well-
maintained mnemonic view flasher.

        A large leather suspensor chair sits behind the desk. Behind 
the chair along the east wall sits a small cooling unit with a box of 
empty sapho vials placed in an orderly manner on its top surface. 
Above, and on the wall is an ego-likeness of His Imperial Majesty, 
Erich I. Two suspensor chairs for guests rest in front of the 
metaglass desk, and the entire area is illuminated by a glowglobe 
which hovers above, the light somewhat obscuring a cone of silence 
embedded in the ceiling.

                   (OOC NOTE: Type '+places/help')
Players:
 Adrick
Exits:
 Painted Door <NW> leads to Chambers of the Imperial Chancery - 
Imperial Palace (Kaitain)

A very short man sits behind the desk, surrounded on all sides by 
folders and filmbooks. Adrick holds one of the folders open, a 
picture of the Lion throne can be seen on its cover. He then peers 
over the folder to see who has entered.

A large open cage-like contraption is wheeled in by two grim 
Sardaukar. The plasteel frame holds a black cloth that is whisked 
away upon entry to reveal the bound, gagged, and glowering  
Chancellor. Part of the Emperor's edict is that he be gagged -- and 
covered from sight -- when not in his cell. The Sardaukar gruffly 
remove the gag, but not the bindings, and Yolinar spits on the floor, 
clearing his mouth of the excess spittle from the gag. He works his 
jaw back and forth, massaging some feeling into it, and grimaces  
ferally at Adrick.

As the entrant is rolled in, Adrick's bushy brows rise slowly. With a
graceful move he pops out of his chair, and walks around to the 
front. With his hands on his hips, he looks the contraption up and 
down, his gaze eventually looks into the Chancellor's eyes. As he 
starts to walk back he remarks, "I see His Majesty is generous these 
days. So be it." With a swiftful move he pops into his chair 
again. "Very well, I have a few questions for you. And I expect the 
truth. I have little patience."

Yolinar sneers at the little man. "I have all the patience in the 
world. But I've nothing to hide, Mentat, so ask."

Adrian emerges through the painted door from the Chambers of the 
Chancery. 

Adrick looks at the man with expression of contempt, "First of all, I 
want to know all the facts regarding your attack on the Empress. 
Begin with that very moment you entered her Majesty's room."

Baron Adrian Bin-Alman Corrino enters the office with quiet, cautious 
ease, rather ominously stretching a pair of black leather gloves over 
his hands as he enters. He shuts the door behind himself and pulls 
the second glove taut, nodding to the Mentat before taking note of 
the prisoner. As the glove snaps once its cuff is released by the 
Baron, he pronounces in terse judgement of the Chancellor's 
condition, "Repulsive."

Yolinar turns his head to regard Adrian, taking advantage of the 
small range of movement allowed him. He turns back to Adrick, sour-
faced. "What makes you think this should be so easy, Mentat? I may be 
bound, but my mind, and my will are my own."

Adrick looks at the Chancellor as expecting such a response, "Well, I 
had hoped you would be reasonable. Chancellor of the Imperium, eh? 
How did a coward such as you become Chancellor? Perhaps we should 
just execute the both of you and be done with it. I have too much to 
do as it is."

Adrian watches on as the Mentat undertakes the beginnings of his
interrogations, the Sardaukar officer not deigning to enter the fray 
until he is called upon to do so.

Yolinar's eyes glitter in defiance. "You know nothing of courage, 
fool. So easy to criticize someone strapped down, isn't it? Would you 
have had the courage to do anything His Majesty asked of you, 
consequences be damned? I don't think so. You will remain a small 
man." He pauses, speaks more quietly, menacingly. "And you should not 
speak of executing His Majesty, dolt. You do not deserve to be in his 
service."

His eyes beginning to narrow, Adrick dismounts again and walk around 
to face the Chancellor. "I could snap your neck with three fingers 
before you would even be able to move. But that would be too merciful 
and too good for you." He steps a bit closer. "What I find may very 
well determine your fate, and your daughter's too. I have already 
collected enough data to know your cowardice. To send others, your 
own daughter to do your own dirty work. She will be executed because 
of you. I can only imagine what the Emperor has in store for you for 
killing the Empress." 

Adrian sighs and takes a few steps forward, hands going to clasp 
behind his back as he looks down at the prisoner. "Should we take it 
 from your statements that you believe what you did to have been in 
service of the Emperor, then?"

Yolinar sneers at Adrick. "I see that your stature is reflective of 
your intellect, Mentat. Wheels spin and you calculate, but with the 
assumptions of a retarded child, you'll never come upon the truth." 
His eyes narrow and he spits a little as he speaks. "First you imply 
that my daughter was an accomplice. Then you call me a coward 
for 'tricking' her. Which is it, hmmmmm? Which of your idiotic 
accusations shall I respond to first? And threatening to snap the 
neck of an unarmed, helpless prisoner?" He clucks 
disapprovingly. "Who's the coward, now, hmmm?" He ignores Adrian for 
now.

Adrick places his hands on hips once more, a thin smile starting to 
appear on his face. With an unusually calm voice, he says "I WILL 
learn the truth, I have already learned truths since you entered." he 
walks calmly around and reseats himself. "You have given yourself 
away already. Do you have any statement you wish to give before I 
report to His Majesty?"

Adrian adds his voice to the encouragement of the Mentat, if in 
calmer and more personable tone, "M'lord, it is no threat to inform 
you that your daughter stands in mortal peril if she is not 
exhonerated from this act ... Exhoneration which only you can give. 
At this point, in this circumstance, at this time, what can it 
possibly profit you to further withhold information from us?"

Yolinar attempts to pierce Adrick with his glare. His tone is 
incredulous. "I've given myself away? Don't bluff a bluffer, Mentat, 
I'm much better at it than you! You've learned 'truths' because I 
chose to tell you. If you're as good as you claim, why do you need me 
to speak? Just have me recite verse from the Orange Catholic Bible, 
and divine my hidden purposes!" He glares at Adrian next. "And do not 
make idle threats against my daughter. You know damn well she had 
nothing to do with this. She's too weak to carry out His Majesty's 
dirty work." He purses his lips as if he's just eaten something
rotten. "As are the both of you, it seems."

Adrick lets out a laugh, barely audible. "Your daughter is as guilty 
as you, she made the tea and presented it to the Empress. Unless some 
kind of exculpitory evidence surfaces, I can guarentee you a front 
seat and her execution. No data supports any other conclusion. Unless 
you have something else Chancellor?"

Adrian frowns in faint disapproval of the Chancellor. "Surely you 
realize at this point that what you do not divulge freely -will- be 
coerced, either from you or your daughter. There's not a seducer as 
effective as the torturer, m'lord, and you'll come to feel the full 
range of his devices if you persist in this foolishness."

"How did you pass your Mentat exams, you idiot? If no data supports 
any other conclusion, then your head must be planted firmly up where 
you eliminate. If you can think of any data that supports the theory 
that Emylie had any clue what was going on, please do tell." Yolinar 
turns to Adrian. "I've tortured more men than you've made eyes at, 
fop. I'll face the tools, anyway, I'm sure, hmmm? What more could you 
possibly want from me? I had my accomplice plant the abortifacient in 
the tea, and had Emylie unwittingly bring it in, to get it past that 
raging hard-on of a Hegemon, and boom, dead baby. Emylie drank it 
too, but I guess the Hegemon never got into her knickers, hmmm?" He 
rolls his eyes. "You fools couldn't find your own asses in the dark, 
could you?"

Adrick leans back in his chair, his expression changing little, his 
tone unconvinced. "Your acomplice, which was whom?"

Adrian sighs in growing impatience and suggests, "Gaspard?"

Yolinar rolls his eyes dramatically. "Gaspard, my valet and 
accomplice who gave the tray of tea to my daughter." He speaks 
slowly, as if to a small child.

Yolinar nods to Adrian, making a show of looking astonished at the 
first intelligent thing he's heard.

Adrian cannot mask the faint smile which tugs at the corners of his 
lips, much as he attempts to remain dour and grim. This Chancellor is 
a halfwise amusing fellow when he's under duress. "And where did you 
or your servant with the entirely too flowery name procure the drug?"

Adrick leans forward again and nods, "I see. " As Adrian speaks, he 
listens intently.

Yolinar's wrists flex against the bonds, stretching sorely confines 
muscles. He speaks in an exasperated tone. "Smugglers. Illicit 
contacts of mine." He smiles wryly. "Shall I explain the wonders of 
what happens between a man and a woman in the bedroom, next? Fill in 
other obvious gaps in your learning?" 

Adrian snorts in drole sentiment. "Your candor is indeed refreshing, 
m'lord. Certainly, I don't think I've ever heard such remarkable wit 
 from one so detained as you have been. Tell me, what are the names of 
these smugglers? If you had your way with them, then surely their 
life's dreams of utter fulfillment have been realized and they've 
nothing left to live for."

Adrick closes his eyes slowly and shakes his head. "Smugglers. How
convenient. Indeed, unless we can verify this STORY, you just made 
up. It is hardly going to help your daughter."

Yolinar closes his eyes, exasperated, and opens them. "Check the plot 
of land known by the coordinates inscribed on the top piece of 
parchment in the second drawer on the left side of my desk. Can you 
handle that?" He strains to look at one of the Sardaukar  
nearby. "Maybe you should write that down for these two, hmm? Anyway, 
there you will find the bodies of all the smugglers involved, and a 
few to spare who might have known. One of them was carrying a sample 
of the wares, still, and you'll find that as well. It's a good thing 
I tied up the loose ends for you idiots." He sneers softly. "You
are not exactly dazzling anyone with your keen intellects here, 
gentlemen."

Adrian scowls contemptuously. "Mmm, yes, you're quite the accomplished
comedian, aren't you, m'lord? Well think on this as you throw your 
useless barbs: What you have done, out of whatever motivation however 
self-serving or misguided, has shattered your daughter's fragile 
psyche. It is our 'keen intellects' which are left to help her 
salvage the pieces, and the more you maintain this ineffectual 
bravado, the further your sole legacy in this Known Universe is 
endangered and imperiled."

Adrick rolls his eyes once again, his gaze shifting to Adrian, "Can 
you believe this Baron, we're in the presence of greatness, a 
criminal who ties up his loose ends." His eyes then shifts back to 
the Chancellor, and with an even more sarcastic tone, "If there were 
only more criminals out there like you. There may be no need for 
Mentats." He stops and examines several of the folders. After placing 
a pair of spectacles on his nose, he remarks calmly, "We have already 
searched your quarters and your office. We are already in possession 
of the map." He opens one of the desk drawers and plops the map
in front of him for all to see.

Yolinar closes his eyes. "I did what I did on the orders of His 
Majesty. My only regret is leaving his safety in the hands of 
incompetents who revel in kicking His Majesty's best man when he's 
down." He opens his eyes, suddenly looking tired and old. "You have 
all you need, though you needed me to hold your hands and walk you 
through it, and wipe your asses when you're done. Release my 
daughter, she is more than strong enough to cope with your misguided 
accusations. Now, I'll speak no more to those who wouldn't know
the Emperor's will if it were forced on them in the dark of midnight. 
I've done my work, and yours to boot, and I'll do no more for you." 
He closes his eyes, breathing deeply, and remains silent.

Adrian shakes his head in dismay. "As you will, Chancellor." And then 
he looks back to the Mentat. "Master, I don't think we're going to 
get anything else out of him tonight. Perhaps we should tell the 
Hegemon he is free to sully Emylie as he pleases, now that she's as 
doomed as her irresponsible father? If he'll consort with base-born 
smugglers, perhaps he'll get some excitement knowing his flesh and 
blood is being sodomized by that oaf."

Adrick leans over the table, as much as his little body can. "Don't 
insult my intelligence by pretending to work in His Majesty's best 
interests. Best man? You wouldn't even make a good Harkonnen 
slaveboy." He leans back, placing the map back into this desk. He 
looks at the Baron, his expression only that a thin smile. He thinks 
momentarily as the Baron speaks, "I have heard enough as well. Take 
him away. Yes, Baron, perhaps after the Hegemon has had his way, we 
can learn the real truth from the daughter."

Yolinar remains serene, eyes closed, with a faint smile in his lips. 
As the Sardaukar prepare to wheel him away, he whispers, "Heaven help 
the Imperium if these idle chatterers are in charge of anything." The 
Sardaukar grunts stiffly and gags Yolinar, while the other guard 
replaces the black sheet that shrouds the prisoner from view on his 
transit through the halls. 



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