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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

From: Jaimie Nicholson <jaimie.nicholson@********.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject: Re: Toxic Cat
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 1997 18:27:29 +1200
*****PRIVATE: L
>>>>>[Well, that was a damn close thing. I headed for the party just
after I got your message, good thing I stuck around s-land. I don't know
how howler got in, but it wasn't too hard for me to bribe my way past a
flunky once I looked the part.

Anyway, your security people and/or lawyers might want to take a look at
this cybercamera footage, it could help in the trial. I don't know if it's
admissable, me being out of the light due to some murder charges (it was
self-defense, BTW, and don't believe a word the Star tell you otherwise).
Still, here it is.

+++++Begin footage

A blank screen begins the footage, then the words "Howler's hit attempt"
show for a couple of seconds.

The camera comes on line with a brief whine, a sign of the aging technology
in the head of a mage who can't risk the unnecessary surgery for upgrades.
The camera serves well enough in this light though, showing all the glitter
and pomp of a mega-corporate Masquerade business party in full swing. A
glimpse in the mirrored dress of a woman the camera passes shows the
camera-man to be wearing the face of a tiger, covering his upper face and
leaving his mouth bare.

Ice looks carefully at each person he passes as he moves quickly through
the crowd of... interesting is the only word for most of them... masked
people. Most clear a path for him, as they do for the man he seems to be
following, a tall man in a charcoal-grey suit and jewelled dragon mask. The
man has no obvious guards with him, but the woman on his arm moves with a
grace and fluidity that scream menace to those who know how to look. She
wears a mask in the shape of a bird of prey, simple and unadorned, unlike
the masks of those around her.

Dragon-mask stops by a man with a blank white oval for his mask, aparently
glad to see him, and they talk for a moment as Ice moves closer. Once he is
close enough to hear what is being said, he takes a drink from a nearby
waiter, and listens unobtrusively. Bird-mask watches the camera, and Ice
nods a greeting. It is not returned.

"Bold," says Blank-mask, indicating the Dragon's countenance.

Dragon-mask laughs, "Were Lofwyr here," he says, "I'm sure he wouldn't mind
at all. In fact, I think he might be flattered."

No expression can be seen on blank mask's face, but he manages to convey
his scepticism with a subtle tilt of the head.

"It doesn't matter, in any case," insists Dragon-mask, "Our glorious leader
is in Stockholme tonight, though of course it is not night there now. He
spoke to me earlier about the Armageddon Project. I have to say that he
seemed a little less than happy about the attitude of the spirits we've
been using, but he is satisfied with our part of the effort."

"That is a relief," Blank-mask says, "I heard what happened to the research
group in Sidney after the Newman's fiasco."

"Exaggeration, I'm sure," says Dragon-mask with a laugh, "Probably designed
to boost our commitment to the project. And it seems to..."

It all happens very quickly. A woman in black fur with a blank black mask
standing at Dragon-mask's back hands her drink to a waiter, mouthing
something that the camera misses, then turns to catch Dragon-mask's
shoulder in her left hand, pulling him round to face her. As she moves, her
mask blurs, turning into the face of a snarling cat. Bird-mask steps
forward, obviusly alarmed, and Ice starts advancing too, but both arrive
too late to stop the woman slashing Dragon-mask's throat with the dull grey
razors that seem to grow out of the fingertips of her right hand. He pushes
at her weakly, trying to get back, and Bird-mask arrives, dropping her
shoulder and knocking Cat-mask to the floor. Cat-mask rolls to her feet as
Bird-mask advances, her razors retracting. The bodyguard throws a jab at
Cat-mask, but she catches the arm and steps around Bird-mask, taking the
bodyguard's weight on her hip and rolling her across it, throwing Bird-mask
to the ground. Ice approaches, tearing out of his clothes as he changes to
tiger form, and someone begins to drag Dragon-mask away from the fracas.
Cat-mask shouts a single word, and a ripple of magical force bursts
outwards from her, washing over the camera and throwing by-standers to the
ground. Some begin to crawl away, but most are knocked unconscious. Ice is
knocked around a little, but throws himself onto Cat-mask, wrapping his
front legs around her and shoving her backwards to the ground. It is not
entirely clear how, but Ice finds himself flipping over her as she hits the
ground on her back, and he is thrown clear. Cat-mask is not unscathed
though, as his claws tear bloody gouges from her upper body before he
releases her, and her mask is torn away. Ice lands on his back and rolls
sideways to his feet, taking a quick look around. Cat-mask is getting up,
turning to face him with rage in her eyes, and Ice lopes forward to attack
her again. She attempts to kick him in the head, but she is not used to
fighting tigers and he is able to duck under the attack, lunging forward to
strike at the side of her supporting knee with one large paw. Cat-mask
squeals, going down, her leg probably broken, and Ice jumps on top of her,
using his weight to hold her down until the security guards arrive with
stun batons and restraints.

+++++End footage

After that, the footage included a tiger's-eye view of me jumping out a
window (I was in no mood to explain how I got to be a tiger, and why I was
at the party in the first place), assorted chase scenes, and me disabling a
security guard who mistook me for a wild animal, none of which is
particularly relevant, so I didn't include it.]<<<<<
-- Ice <23:26:07/03-27-58>

Disclaimer

These messages were posted a long time ago on a mailing list far, far away. The copyright to their contents probably lies with the original authors of the individual messages, but since they were published in an electronic forum that anyone could subscribe to, and the logs were available to subscribers and most likely non-subscribers as well, it's felt that re-publishing them here is a kind of public service.