Act 2: Upheaval II - Revelations and search

"Sure, sure. It's just a private meet up with a boy over lunch. Not a date at all." He gives her his best sarcastic look. "But seriously, when should I be back and does anyone want to come with me?"

"Huh? Oh, yes. About that proposition I had for you."

At this point he just looks at whoever is gawking at the phrasing, and says a flat "No."

"Uh, got it captain," Segel says before leaving the cabin.

Femke gets up from her chair and follows the fairy on the deck. Amber stands up to do the same, but before she leaves, she faces Steve and tells him, "I need a bath too, yeah."

She waits for him to leave the room while Fluffle takes his place in her hood.

"Me too." - Mihai shrugs.

Steve walks after Amber. "Cool. Here, take these sacks and put your laundry in it." He hands Mihai and Amber two sacks. "We'll meet back up on the deck and get going."

Steve already has his clothes for wash so he'll wait on the deck for them.

Mihai steps out the door.

"Sorry Segel, mind stepping back in?" - Mihai urges the fairy - "Konrad, your XO has something to say. Your private time's that important?"

With a puzzle look, the first mate flies back into the cabin but doesn't catch the last part of Mihai's sentence. "How can I help?"

"Well, it's about that message I told you and Mr. Mihai about. The one I received last night."

"Please tell us, Master Segel."

"Go on," says the captain. Be it from the events of last night, or the lengthy table discussion he sat through, Konrad had completely forgotten.

"Someone called Wanda Makara wants you to meet her at the Faculty."

"Uh, do we know her?" Amber asks.

"Oh, I know her!" Fluffle exclaims. "She's one of the szefowie we met yesterday."

"Really? Wow. You guys sure are popular."

Segel tilts his head but asks no questions.

"Well, the messenger looked plenty shifty, that's for sure. He didn't say anything else and left after that."

"Really now." Could she have noticed his inner frustration? "He didn't give you a time?"

"No sir. He just said to meet her."

Mihai frowns for a moment, then - "Let's get cleaned up and go meet her." - he walks out the door - "Thank you, Master Segel."

"Uh, my pleasure Mr. Mihai."

Amber hides a chuckle.

"Thank you, First Mate. I'll meet you out on deck."

When the fairy leaves, Konrad douses his pipe. This was probably the shortest and most unsatisfying smoke he'd ever had. "We don't have to meet her before noon, do we?"

"Didn't you have your own date with Nadzieja in a hour?" Amber points out.

"If we are going to meet Wanda Makara we should tell Nadzieja, right? It would be nice to have some backup if something goes wrong like last time."

He groans. "Yes... I mean, thank you, but no, it's not a date. Dammit, why couldn't they just wait one. more. damn. day? Screw it, I'll try to meet her now, and then we can go to Wanda after."

He storms out of his cabin to find Segel.

Femke is leaning against the rail of the ship, admiring the view. She shifts her attention to Konrad when he waves down Segel.

"Yes captain?" the first mate says.

Steve follows Konrad out of the cabin.

"Yes captain!" Segel turns around and gathers a few of his siblings. "Okay, everyone spread out in teams of two and find the nice lady that just left!"

"Oh, the pretty one? Got it!"

                          "Yeah, that'll be easy."

           "It'll take just a minute!"

The fairies salute their first mate and fly away towards the city.
____________

A few minutes later, two fairies return to the Vulcan with the szef behind them.

"We found her! Right here!"

"And she's still pretty."

Nadzieja thanks her guides with a smile and approaches the party members on the deck.

"I didn't expect to come back so soon," she says.

Meanwhile, Segel instructs his siblings to inform the others that Szef Zerva has been found.

"Sorry. Something came up, and we should tell you to be on the safe side."