“Where’s Lou?” Kaiden asked.
“My esteemed associate is off on official theatre business,” Marty said, as unspecific as ever. “So, tell me: why have you come, old friend? Looking to reprise your starring role in my production?”
Pretty sure I’m far too high-level to fight in your arena now, Kaiden wanted to say. But that wasn’t how things were done here. Marty was all double meanings and veiled intentions. A bit of a tiring game to play, but things always seemed to go smoother when he played along with the NPC.
“Actually, no. I think my acting days are behind me.”
“Shame, shame,” Marty said, shaking his head. “The crowds would love to watch your triumphant return. So, then.” He leaned on his scarred and chipped counter and lowered his voice. “What can I do for my favorite warden?”
“We’ve come for information,” Titus said bluntly. “About an organization called ‘The Syndicate.’”
Marty slid back off the counter to stand up straight.
“I am no mere peddler of rumors and heresy, sir. I am a purveyor of the arts! Of stories to make one weep, or cheer. If rumors are what you’re looking for, might I suggest any one of our esteemed drinking houses? They’re always happy to perpetuate nonsense, or so I hear. I abstain, personally.”
“Err... let me handle him,” Kaiden said to Titus through comms. “He has a particular way of doing things.”
“Yeah, this one’s all you, dude,” Titus said with no small amount of relief.
Marty still appeared annoyed when Kaiden turned back to him.
“Marty, Marty, my apologies for my friend. He’s not a fan of... the fine arts. A bit out of place in a theatre, if you know what I mean.”
“That much is painfully clear,” Marty said. “This is a palace of art! An institution beyond repute. I cannot have passersby off the street wandering in and…” He shuddered. “And speaking plainly.”
“Of course you can’t. I completely understand,” Kaiden said, trying to look sympathetic. Do NPCs pick up on such things? Or is the success of my request going to depend solely on my prestige with the criminal underground and my past work with Marty? Eh. Can’t hurt to play the part, right?
“If it’s all the same, though,” Kaiden said, leaning on the counter and lowering his voice. “My friend’s question still stands. You see, we find ourselves in something of a difficult position.”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”
All right, come on now. I’m no good at this game. Kaiden held back his sigh and forced an understanding smile.
“Marty, we’re what you might call in between productions. You see, our last show was a smash hit. Wildly popular. Maybe even too popular, because now the pressure’s on for a follow-up. I’m sure you’ve been in a similar situation yourself.”
“Too many times to count.”
“Ah, so you understand what it’s like, then? You see, we know what we want to do next, and we’re sure audiences are going to love it. The problem is, though, we need some help to make it happen. We have the actors, the story, but what we need are producers. We need the support of some real big shots behind the scenes.”
Marty seemed not to like the sound of that; he pinched his mouth, as if tasting something sour.
“Look here, Kaiden. We’ve done some good work together, there’s no denying that. But if you’ve come to my quaint theatre looking for ‘big shots,’ I’m afraid you’ve come to the wrong place.”
“There’s no need to be humble, Marty.” Kaiden rapped his knuckles on the wood counter. “This is the finest theatre on all of Nassau. I know the performances put on here aren’t massive, but there’s no denying they attract attention. And with how long you’ve been successful, I can’t imagine you haven’t made certain contacts. Or, at the least, that you’ve heard a thing or two. I think you might know something about the... producers we need.” Kaiden gave a wink. “Which is to say the Syn—”
“Okay, okay.” Marty waved his hands. “I’ll thank you not to use their name.” He shook his head, seemingly troubled by the conversation. “You and I have a history as temporary partners. A history that’s benefitted us both. But what you’re asking about, it goes way beyond my little piece of dirt. These producers aren’t the sort of people you want to go asking about. If they see potential in you, they’ll contact you. That’s how it goes.”
So The Syndicate does exist? Kaiden shot a glance over his shoulder. Titus met it, then gave a little thumbs up.
This is progress. But we need more. Kaiden turned back to Marty.
“They’ll reach out if they want us. Okay. That’s good to know, but is there anything else you can tell us? Any stories you might have heard about them? Anything that might help us catch their eye?” Kaiden looked him dead in the face and did his best to look sincere. “We really want our next production to be a success.”
“These producers have a lot of people vying for their attention, you have to understand. And, the critics – oh, the critics are always after them.”
Critics? Does he mean the Warden Corps? Or the Party?
“These producers aren’t the sort to bother with a humble operator like myself. They’re the real upper echelon of the... performing arts. Private box seats sorts. When they give their blessing to a production, it succeeds. Simple as that.”
“Thank you, Marty.” Kaiden reached across the counter to pat the man on the shoulder. “I can feel our impending success already.” He switched to comms and shot a glance back at Titus. “We really need to get in contact with these guys. They could be exactly the ally we need.”
“You’re right, Kai. But I’ve known people like this. They’re not just going to help us out of the goodness of their hearts. We need to make it worth their time. They need to be able to gain something from it. That’s the only way things happened on
