A black Vartan squeezes in through the back door, yet another doorway in this shop that's seemed to shrink since he last used it. He keeps one arm draped almost protectively over his Savanite companion.

Nicodemus looks up, after sending away a young Vartan with a small bundle, the latter scuttling through the front door and taking to the air. "Zoltan? What is happening?"

"There is much I need to tell you," Zoltan scrawks in Vartanspeak, "Could you close the shop early today? I promise that it's important… and I'll pay whatever business you miss out on out of my own pocket."

Jezebel keeps her gaze downcast, looking very resigned as the Vartan leads her in.

Zoltan signs, "Go to the back room, we'll meet you there."

Nicodemus looks at Zoltan and Jezebel, and nods immediately. "For you? Yes. I can see something is weighing heavily upon you." He goes immediately to put out the sign and close up the shop.

Jezebel nods and slips into the back room that she dashed out of earlier.

Zoltan picks his pack up from the table and walks to the curtained entrance to the back. He waits until the Cervani/Vartan has seen where he plans to go, and then vanishes behind the curtains as well. He takes a seat inside and quietly begins arranging the pack and its contents in his lap.

Not long thereafter, Nicodemus comes into the back room. "Now then," he says, still using Vartanspeak, "can you let this poor old fool know just what in the burning country is going on?" He frowns, even though he is still clinging to his earlier joy over seeing Zoltan safe again.

The Vartan's hands flick in Savanite sign as he speaks, translating both his words and those of his master for Jezebel. "The earlier incident was because of my friend here. The red haired one was apparently her sister, but… there is much bad blood between them right now. We knew it and are trying to clean it away, but things like that take time."

Jezebel only nods, still keeping her gaze at the table.

Nicodemus asks as much as states, "Your friend, you say."

"Yes. We have been through much together," Zoltan scrawks. "Just as I became your friend through all our trials, she became my own. We have been to Paradys together, and have even formed a family. You have not met the cubs yet."

Nicodemus scrawks in alarm! "CUBS?" He furrows his brow. "You have not been gone THAT long, have you?"

Zoltan laughs. "No no no… we found two orphaned cubs on the island. They resemble Savanites, except they have the straight leg stance and can talk." He grins. "They think they are Vartans themselves."

Nicodemus nods. "Oh." He smooths some of his feathers out of habit, though none of them have puffed out. "I was concerned. Of course, you know how peculiar Vartans are that their blood lines can intermingle with some of the other races … but to think that Savanites… " He shakes his head in disbelief.

Zoltan puts an arm around Jezebel's shoulder. "No master, she is just a very very good friend. You know that I am much too old now to think of mates. Our people do not take mates after their thirtieth summer."

Nicodemus nods. "Of course. Of course. Forgive me if I forget how old you are. I keep remembering you as … bah … nevermind that. In any case, you mean to say that this was all only a 'family matter'. I had feared worse."

"From what I gathered, her sister is a favored slave of the Temple. The guard with her feared that I wished to harm her," Zoltan says, his hands still signing madly. "I still frighten people from time to time… "

Nicodemus smiles. "I can understand that." He winks. "I am glad I know you better!"

Zoltan scrawks, "I do not know what will happen now, I have told her that if she wishes to contact us… she may do so through your shop. All we can do now is wait." He grabs the pack in front of him and drags it closer. "There is something else I wish to speak to you about as well… Paradys, although not made of gold, was very profitable for me. And I found many strange things there."

Nicodemus can't help but sit up a bit more, peering curiously at the bag. "How so?"

Zoltan starts to remove some of the strange metal gadgets he found, plus his payment from Boghaz. "I have sworn to the keeper of Paradys that I will not reveal its secrets, but there was an airship graveyard there, and I found many strange things while exploring it."

The Vartan holds up one of the metal cans he found. "Do you recognize the writing on here?"

Nicodemus just sits and blinks for a few moments, his eyes glittering with the light reflected off the booty spread out before him. "Writing? Oh! Yes … Let me look… " he reaches for the cans, and fumbles for his jeweler's scope, even though he doesn't need it to examine this size of text.

Zoltan sits quietly and waits. "I found these on… well, it is hard to describe. It appeared that someone was trying to make a rakhtor out of metal."

Nicodemus hmms. "Strange decoration for an idol." He turns the can around in his hands, examining it closely. "This manner of writing – I cannot read it, but I have seen lettering something like this before – on some junk that someone claimed came from another world."

Zoltan's ears shoot straight up. "Do you still have these items? What were they?"

Nicodemus shakes his head. "Alas, I saw no real worth in them. They were not shiny. I do not deal in artifacts, per se."

"Could you describe to me what they looked like? And the person that brought them?" the Vartan squawks. "I am trying to see if there is a link between the artifacts and the mystery of Shokar."

The Cervani-Vartan steeples his hands together, furrowing his brows deep in thought. "A long time ago … some books … They were badly stained and falling apart. They had ink-drawn pictures in them, and the writing was as if done by type-set."

Zoltan nods. "They have probably disintegrated into dust by now… and I could not read it even if it sat in my lap right now. If the artifact came from the same place where I found these items, then the creators are very technically advanced." He pulls out the little knife handle with the many tools inside. "I found this on the rakhtor as well. In the pockets of a human skeleton. There were also two firearms I found, and the necklace the Jezebel wears around her neck. Odd that an offworld artifact would resemble the Star and Anchor."

The Cervani-Vartan squints his eyes, looking at the pendant a little more closely. "Yes, but … it is not a complex design. And that is assuming this is 'offworld'. As for the … " He looks at the multi-tooled knife. "What a wonder!"

Jezebel self-consciously rubs a finger across the crux of the pendant, at the highlights of silver peeking through the blackened, tarnished areas.

"The human also had a picture of his wife… or perhaps his daughter or girlfriend inside a necklace," the Vartan says as he folds the tools back inside of the handle. "I left it there with him… but the detail on the picture was amazing. The whole ship was a wonder." He begins unloading the tools and other bits of metal from the pack. "Paradys was an amazing place, although very dangerous. I still am not sure what happened to Shokar."

Nicodemus looks up. "What did you learn of Shokar?" His eyes glint with curiosity.

"Have you seen the Solus who act like Vartans that have come to Rephidim yet?" Zoltan says. "They are the descendants of Shokar's crew… They took some of the spotted cats who also inhabited Paradys as wives… so they resemble felines now. Although if you tell them that they will get very insulted."

Nicodemus nods. "Hmm."

Nicodemus says, "So … there were spotted cats … that can talk? That should be interesting."

Zoltan shakes his head. "They are all dead now except for my cubs. The others were… not very pleasant. We had a great battle against them before we escaped." The Vartan taps a large scar on his chest which has almost healed over; only a streak of grayish down marks its place. "One of them attacked me."

Nicodemus hmms, nodding slowly. "You had quite an adventure, then. But I would have expected nothing less. I would not have been so terribly surprised if you had come back with Shokar himself, really!" He smiles faintly.

"I found where Shokar lived. But he vanished on the island, perhaps the spotted cats took him, or he died of old age somewhere." The Vartan smiles to himself. "I like to think he escaped. Somehow he escaped."

Nicodemus nods, smiling. "Surely he must have escaped."

"Paradys was not an island of gold though. It was a harsh place that cost the lives of many… The only treasure we found was what was in the other airships that had crashed there." Zoltan continues unloading the pack, finally pulling out two very carefully wraped handguns.

Zoltan points to the bundles. "Be careful with these; they are like flintlocks. And you mustn't tell anyone of the treaure in the airships. The Paradysians who remain there do not want to defend their island from looters now that the threat of the spotted cats is over."

Nicodemus nods. "Indeed, this would be much to fight over. Flintlocks, you say?" He knows enough from mention of such things not to do something like look down the barrel or point it at anyone, but curiously examines the mechanisms. "Do they work?"

Zoltan points to the weapon that is loaded with the little boxes. "This one does. I tested it myself. I am sure the other works just as well. I have cleaned them both as best as I was able."

Nicodemus nods. "I will have to see if I can procure some books on firearms. Not that I have any presently. Not exactly in my field of expertise." He smiles.

Zoltan nods. "I would like to learn how to handle them properly. Tell me how much the books will cost you; I can cover it. That also brings me to something else… "

The Cervani-Vartan shakes his head. "Do not worry about that. I have friends. Books can be borrowed."

"Master, remember when you spoke of opening a second shop someplace?" Zoltan scrawks.

Nicodemus smiles, leaning back. "Yes … some day. But … ah … some day… "

Zoltan scrawks, "My earnings from Paradys equals up to about thirty gold… This does not include any money that might be earned from the selling of the artifacts I found." He draws back the knife and the two firearms… indicating that he does not wish to sell these. "Would thirty gold be enough? I can also reccomend several people who could assist you as employees there."

Nicodemus' eyes go wide. "You're … serious?"

"Of course! You know that I am too much of a busybody to retire on the money. And fortunes change… If I keep the gold hidden away, it will surely get stolen from me. This way I know that I am investing in a good cause, with someone who will not cheat me." The Vartan draws out his purse. "All I ask is that you employ me as well; I only need enough to support my family with."

Nicodemus says, "Your offer is one I cannot refuse! Employ? You would be a partner, of course!"

Zoltan looks to Jezebel and wiggles his ears. "A partner then. I have kept a little of the money for myself… Children eat a great deal. But the rest is yours. The Paradysians have proven to be very hard workers, and loyal friends. I think they will make excellent employees. They are the descendants of Shokar's own crew, after all."

The Cervani-Vartan reaches to one of his wings and plucks out a white feather, then holds it to Zoltan. "It will be a pleasure doing business with you … Zoltan Cambios of Mountain Shadow Tribe!"

Zoltan stands and plucks out one of his own wingfeathers. "And with you, Master Nicodemus." He hands the black feather to the Cervani/Vartan.

The two Vartans exchange feathers in a longstanding tradition to seal a pact – or business deal – two adult Vartans, once mentor and pupil, now partners, each with ample reason to respect the other.

Zoltan hugs Third-Eye's shoulders, "Thank you, Mas- er… Partner. I am wondering if you could do one final thing for me… Do you think you could polish the necklace Jezebel wears?" He grins to himself, happy to have finally been able to help his master fulfill his dream.