It's been several days since the drokkar-riding shiga merchant has bought one of Francisco's shipments of dolls in bulk. According to a note by the same merchant, apparently just known as Tigerstripe, the dolls have apparently sold in the Empire even better than anticipated. The merchant has invited Francisco to bring more shipments to the docks for another business transaction, made more efficient by being right where they need to be loaded.

The note specifies 'Loading Dock 4-c', where an Empire bound ship is berthed, named 'The Cutty Sark'.

The kitsune, followed by a cougar Khatta pulling a cart stacked with boxes full of Guy Fox dolls, shortly arrives at the dock area. Looking at the note, then the sign denoting the dock, he says, "Ah, here we are. Dock 4-c."

Francisco looks around the place, not seeing this Tigerstripe character yet. "Guess we're early, Josef."

The cougar Khatta the kitsune addresses looks as though he were about to sign a reply Savanite style, but then sighs in remembrance and just nods.

It's not long before the paunchy striped shiga appears, riding a drokkar, and followed by a pair of Vartan porters. The party makes their way onto the dock, the richly-dressed merchant waving cheerily. "Ahh, Guy Fox! I'm glad you could make it!"

Josef's ears wiggle as the mention of the fox's nickname.

The Kitsune waves back in reply. "The name is Francisco, actually. As in 'San'."

"Excellent, excellent, Mr. Francisco-As-In-San!" enthuses Tigerstripe, who dismounts with some help from a Vartan. "I'm usually called by a nickname too. Tigerstripe seems easier for most folks than my Imperial name, you know."

The Cougar Khatta wheels the cart a bit closer to the duo.

The merchant dusts his riding breeches off, and looks up at the kitsune and his assistant. "So then! How many dolls are you able to part with today? I hope you brought plenty!"

Francisco nods. "I can understand about not wanting to tell people your real name. But anyway, I brought a good supply of dolls, yes."

The fox continues, "You said in your note they were selling well, so I brought two hundred along with me. That's about double you bought from me before."

"I'm afraid I couldn't get more at short notice," Francisco finishes.

Tigerstripe claps his leather-gloved paws. "Good! I think I can move that with little or no effort. I appreciate the trouble you're going to on my behalf. You stand to make a tidy sum as well, I'd imagine."

Shrugging a little, the Kitsune replies, "Not that much, really. There's not that great a deal of profit margin in the price."

"As for my name… it's not a secret, really." hisses the shiga. "It's just very difficult to pronounce:" The reptile makes some horrible hiss-gnashing noise deep in his throat.

Tigerstripe shrugs beneath his embroidered cloak. "Well, no matter, Mr Francisco-As-In-San. Selling in such quantities will probably be a healthy boost, nonetheless. What is your price for this bulk sale?"

Francisco waits for a moment for the merchant to say his name, then releases that he wasn't just clearing his throat. "I take your point – 'Tigerstripe' does roll off the tongue easier."

Josef perks his ears up at the name and Francisco's reaction, then reproduces the sound exactly as the reptile said it, then says with a shrug, "Not so hard."

"As for the price, for two hundred exploding dolls," the fox says, "it works out at two gold, two silver." He finishes off with a word he rlearned from a fellow trader in the Bazaar. "Gehnoh?"

The cougar flattens his ears at the kitsune's mention of 'Gehnoh', and shakes his head slightly.

Tigerstripe raises his eyeridges. "Most impressive, my dear Khatta. Sadly, few merchants really care to take the effort you obviously went to." The merchant eyes Francisco a little warily at the bazaar-slang, but shrugs again. "Geh-" he begins. He's abruptly cut off by a high-pitched shriek.

Francisco winces at the noise also, his ears flicking back a little, and instinctively looks around for the source.

The shiga looks discomfited too, but draws his moneypurse anyway, digging a gold and a silver out of it. "It's probably just some couriers fighting over a flag, Mr. Francisco-As-In-San. Let's see… here's one gold, and a silver." The reptile hands the money over, and begins digging his pouch some more. "I hope you don't mind the rest in smaller denomi-" The shriek comes up again, a wild and high-pitched scream. Angry-sounding. Oddly, it seems to come from the Cutty Sark.

Josef perks his ears up at the shriek, peering at its place of origin.

"Small change is fine," says the Kitsune, trying to ignore the noises for the moment.

The cougar forgetfully signs something at the shiga and kitsune, his attention still turned towards the Cutty Sark.

A multitude of eeee heads pop over one of the railings on the Sark. One of them cries, "Hahah! Just as we thought, the munitions!" Many more eeee launch off the deck, most of whom are wearing skedat whips and blades. "For the Sabaoth!" "Get the fat-backed Rephidimian bootlickers!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Francisco spies the Khatta gesturing at him, but has no idea what Josef is on about. Then perks his ears at the Eeee voices from the ship.

Nearby dockworkers yelp! Seeing the sudden attack and not being paid to fight, they immediately scramble away from the area.

Francisco blinks at the bats. "What, by Inari's name… ?"

The Vartan porters look to be of the same mind as the dockworkers. They take to the skies, one going low, one going high, and both disappearing from view. The majority of the airborne eeee contingent circles around and swoops on the dock, making quick warning lashes at Francisco, Josef, and Tigerstripe with their whips.

The merchant looks aghast, falling backward as his drokkar churffles, panicking.

"Raiders!" Josef yells aloud, while diving to the ground to avoid the Eeee attacks.

"R-Raiders?" Francisco repeats, backing himself against the cart.

A Gallee on a boarding plank – a poodle to less-finicky naming – looks scandalized as several of his servants drop crates of bottles of undoubtedly expensive wine in favor of diving to shelter behind the airship's railing. "Fools! Be more care – " Seeing the presumed Eeee attackers however, he immediately takes likewise action, diving down the cargo hatch with his robes fluttering.

Josef crawls on all fours towards the cart, grabbing the kitsune by the tails and pulling him underneath.

Francisco yowls!! falling backwards underneath the cart. He glares at the cougar and protests, "Ow! Careful, would ya?"

Skedat whips whistle through the air Josef momentarily occupied. The rest of the eeee on the deck shout savagely, waving chitin swords, and hurling things from the ship at the deck. "Get the tools of war for the Sabaoth!" "We shall bathe in your blood, Temple scum!" Uh-oh… a few eeee on the deck have braces of flintlock pistols.

The cougar once again begins to sign, but catches himself, "Boom dolls, yes?"

"'Tools of war'?" the kitsune asks Josef in a low voice. "Have you got any idea what they're on about?"

Tigerstripe's drokkar seems to be going berserk, and nearly tramples the merchant. The shiga is forced to dive in the other direction, toward the end of the dock. Some of the airborne eeee slash at the cart, viciously, splinters of wood flying from the planks that hold it together. Several of them land on the cart itself, and seize some boxes!

Josef shakes his head, "Squeakers crazy, not know sword from fork." He looks at the multi-tailed fox again, "Boom dolls?"

Sounds of crashing come from the cargo bay of the airship, and cries of "Help! Help! We're beset by Eeee raiders! They want my fine wines!"

"'Boom dolls'? Well, of course – that's what Tigerstripe ordered," Francisco replies. "But what would they want with them."

By 'they', Francisco points in a random direction, where most Eeee seem to be.

"No!" cries Tigerstripe! He stands up, holding out one paw toward the cart, and beginning to run toward it. Whatever he was going to say next is abruptly cut off by the barking report of flintlocks. Red splotches erupt across the merchant's chest, a few blooming on his head. As if in slow motion, Tigerstripe slews backward drunkenly, and topples from the dock, leaving nothing but a few red spatters behind.

The Khatta just nods in acknowledgment, "I show you." Reaching up as far as he can, Josef tries to pull one of the boxes containing the fox dolls off of the cart.

As the sound of shots echoes across the docks, puffs of smoke roiling away from the guns' muzzles, a Titanian yells, "They got a merchant! Look out! They're armed, someone go for the guards!"

Most of the dock-workers are too busy staying far out of sight to respond at the moment, however.

Watching aghast as the merchant disappears, Francisco waits for a splash for some reason. Then he remembers that he's on a floating island.

There's an eeee raider gripping the box Josef happens to select. He snarls fiercely, tugging back at it while more of his raider comrades lift away from the cart with boomfox dolls. One of the flintlock-wielding leaders shouts triumphantly as the shiga merchant falls.

The cougar Khatta snarls back, and simultaneously pulls as hard on the box as he can while slugging a fist at the bat.

"Squeee… " PAFF! "*Erk!*" The eeee is set off balance, and jerked forward, where he meets Josef's wild swing. Unbalanced, the box falls to the dock, breaking open and spilling gaudily-shirted foxfireworks. The slugged eeee manages to roll with the punch, flying unsteadily away.

"Defenders under the cart! Kill them, kill them!" More whips snap around the air around the cart to try to pin the kitsune and the Khatta, one of them scoring a groove in Josef's shoulder for the moment he's exposed.

Francisco watches the cougar, wondering what it is he is going to show him.

Josef grabs one of the dolls and ducks back under the cart with Francisco, wincing as he is hit. "How make work?" the cougar asks the kitsune quickly, while his shoulder begins to bleed.

(Kill? They talking about us) Francisco wonders quickly, then explains to Josef: "See the tail with the slightly black tip. You light it. Five seconds later, it explodes."

The Titanian looks around panickily, as the Eeee seem well on their way to stealing whatever cargo it is they had in mind. "Guards! Guards!" he yelps. The furor is packing the alleyways of this section of the docks as people struggle to get away, but it's unclear that his calls are having any effect. This is not one of the richer parts of the Rephidim docks.

There seem to be fewer eeee in the air now, and a good portion of the cart's stock is gone. Those that remain still harass Francisco and Josef, and the occasional flintlock barking can be heard, though farther away now. "Babel will not have to face your cunningly disguised explosive devices, foolish Rephidimites!" "How could they think us fooled by such a thin plot?" "They're cute, though… " "Shut up."

Dodging the attacks from the Eeee overhead, Josef grimaces as the method is explained. He looks around wildly for anything available to light the tail with.

Francisco vaguely keeps an ear cocked to listen around. (Who is this Babel?) he wonders. He does, however, try to move under the cart a little further.

A poodle shouts, "HELP! I'm trapped in this airship with … " A pause, a 'pop', and some gurgling later, the voice continues, "HELP! (hic) Someone help me out of here!"

The dock is fairly devoid of… no, wait! The eeee that Josef punched dropped something. It looks like part of a flintlock he was armed with. The pistol is broken, however. all that remains is the stock, and part of the mechanism.

Unfortunately, it's a short distance away from the safety of the cart's cover, and projectiles and whips still bounce and snap around them. Precious few fox-boxes are left.

"Feel quick?" the Khatta asks the kitsune. He then crouches down in a sprinter's stance, eyes set on the pistol stock.

The kitsune peers over at Josef. "What're you doing?" he asks him. "'Feel quick'?"

A certain amount of realization sets in with the fox. "You're going to run and get that pistol?"

Josef turns his head to look at the kitsune, giving him a smile and a nod, "You too!" He then grabs Francisco under one arm, and makes a break as fast as he can towards what's left of the pistol.

"Me? Aiiieeee!" goes the Kitsune as he's pulled quickly out from the cart.

A thrown chitin dagger whizzes past, and embeds itself in the wood of the dock. Some of the eeee lifting 'munitions' from the cart make cursory skedat-whip cracks at the pair as they race from the cart. Their surprise, and interest in the explosives, cause their lashes to be inaccurate, the nearest one doing naught more than tearing a small hole in Josef's shirt.

The cougar, with kitsune in tow, dives at the pistol stock. Once he has ahold of it, Josef drops Francisco to the ground, cocks the mechanism, puts the fuse under the hammer, and pulls the trigger.

Francisco grunts as he hits the floor, and watches the cougar. "Oh! A grenade!" he realizes, really not having seen that side of his product before.

*Snickt!* Some sparks hop as the fuse is caught under the hammer, which lies there for a moment, inert. Then, fire seeps from under the flint, sizzling up the fuse and throwing fat white sparks…

"I really don't think there's that much explosive in those," the kitsune comments. "They are really just for show and effect, after all."

Josef flinches a bit as the fuse flares up (he half expected it not to work). Standing up, he lobs the doll as hard as he can towards the cart and what's left of its cargo.

The gaily-shirted fox doll arcs lazily through the air, and, to the horror of the Babelite raiders, lands with a plop in the center of the cart. "Shreee!" "Sneak attack!" "He'll blow us to bits!" "I didn't sign on for this!" These comments are made as the eeee drop their cargo, what remains of the cart's load, and lift into the air, darting away as fast as they can flap.

Francisco watches the doll go towards the remainder of his merchandise. "You can't destroy those! Do you know how much they cost me?"

The Khatta ignores Francisco's protests, and hits the ground, tugging the fox to do likewise.

The Titanian yells, "FIRRRRRRE!" Amazingly enough, where the onlookers were pressing on curiously to watch an Actual Eeee Raid, this spurs them to action, rushing off in all directions with screams of "AHHHH!" and "We're all going to blow up!"

The kitsune tries to resist the tugging Khatta, still watching what's left of his cart. (The people I rented that off are gonna hate me… )

The pitiless fuse burns down anyway, despite the kitsune's protests. With a muffled *whump*, the doll explodes into hundreds of bright motes of light. A split second later, the cart is obscured in secondary explosions, bright even by daylight. Guy fox dolls lift off in every which direction, spinning crazily into the air to explode above the docks, or arcing below to treat Underside to a pyrotechnics display.

"Ow!" comes a voice from inside the airship cargo-bay turned wine cellar. "Watch where you throw that – oh my! This is so CUTE!"

Francisco chooses now as a good moment to comply with the cougar, and shields his eyes and himself against the explosions and raining debris.

A few minutes later, the fury of fiery foxes fades fitfully. Charred splinters of wood and doll-cloth scatter willy-nilly in the breeze, leaving a hearty bonfire blazing amidst the blackened and charred remains of the cart.

Josef looks up at the scene, and glances around for any sign of the attacking Eeee.

The eeee seem to be long gone, now, driven away by the explosion. The only activity is amongst dockworkers trying to control the fire.

The kitsune, noticing that Josef is looking up, looks up as well but looks to the burnt remains of the cart, oblivious to whether any Eeee are still around.

"My profits!" Francisco whines.

It is now that guards appear on the scene, shouting and calling for people to clear the way. A fire truck, a large Dromodon-pulled wagon, clatters up bearing several huge barrels filled with water, which two energetic Kavis begin pumping. "Everyone out! Everyone out!" the guards yell, struggling to contain the fire before it ignites the –

*POW!* A little explosion sounds from within the airship itself, followed by the sounds of more explosions, and a singed poodle clambers quickly onto the deck of the Cutty Sark. "My fine wines!" he yells. "Help! Rescue my profits! HELP!"

The cougar stands, and with a sigh pops his back, "Good to be home." He looks at the kitsune, then to the remains of the cart. "Look like need new dolls, maybe less dangerous kind… "

Blue fire billows from the decks of the ship, and the guards yell as they point. The Dromodons bellow.

Francisco continues to look at the remains of the cart. "New dolls?" he echoes softly. "I doubt I could afford to replace that lost stock… "

The Titanian who'd shouted before lumbers back from around a warehouse he'd taken cover by, watching the scene warily. Some of the returning dockworkers shout at each other, and begin a bucket-brigade to help in saving their livelihoods.

Realizing that he's clenching one fist a little, the Kitsune opens it up and looks at the coins he's been holding. He at least has one silver and one gold that Tigerstripes gave to him before they were attacked.

The shaggy Titanian puffs as he comes running up, clasping Josef on the shoulder. "I saw you an' your Exile friend make those raiders back off! I hate to ask more… but we can really use an extra set of paws to put those fires out!"

"Need insurance," Josef casually remarks to the kitsune. He then turns to the attention of the Titanian, his face betraying a bit of annoyance. With a sigh, he nods. "We help… Mister Frankiso, come with!" He beckons the fox to follow.

Francisco pockets the coins and looks around for any dolls that have survived, and sees none. After a moment, he sighs and follows to help with the firefighting.

The huge wolf nods gratefully, and immediately ushers the pair to where the bucket-passing is going on, from stored water nearby. It seems to have enough of an effect in controlling the dock fire to allow the official fire-fighters to begin working on the blaze in the Cutty Sark. An hour or so later, the fires seem to be under control, leaving guards and dock workers milling about in the chaos of the aftermath.

Later…

"A few more, lieutenant," says one of the Jupani guardsmen. The higher-ranked templar nods briefly at his second, and eyes Francisco and Josef. "Hmmm… from the accounts I hear, you two were near the center of this. What happened?"

"I – I'm not sure," explains the Kitsune. "I was meeting a merchant down here for a business transaction, and we were attacked by a load of Eeee."

Francisco continues, "They killed the merchant, and took most of my merchandise."

"Sqeaks attack from ship, try to take dolls," Josef adds, "Cart blow up, make leave."

"Mm… " replies the lieutenant, also a Jupani, but older, with a trace of gray around his muzzle. "Were you able to identify the eeee in question?"

The Khatta shrugs, "All squeaks look alike, but they make Babel war cries. Have skeedat whips," Josef makes a whipping motion with his hands.

The multi-tailed fox shakes his head. "I've never seen them since I've been here."

"Babelite saboteurs!" exclaims the lower-ranked guardsman. The lieutenant rubs his nose thoughtfully. "I can't really see what else it could have been. You say they were made to flee from the explosion of your dolls? What business transaction were you about to take place in?" This last is directed at Francisco.

Francisco says, "Well, this merchant – Tigerstripe, he called himself – came up to my stall in the Bazaar and said that he wanted some 'exploding Guy Fox dolls' to take back to some Empire to sell. Then I got a note from him saying that they sold well, and he wanted more. That's why I was down here – to make the trade."

Nearby, a singed and drenched poodle (wrapped about in an emergency blanket) tells a completely different story. According to him, the sky was blotted out with black wings and their crazed shriekings, they set off enough explosions to level the docks, and even attacked him himself, where he was bravely taking shelter within the Cutty Sark. "I demand that you catch and kill those Eeees immediately! It isn't safe for a man to take a personal wine delivery anymore!"

A Jupani rolls his eyes when the poodle isn't looking, but pats his shoulder. "We'll get on the case right away, sir." They walk off to the side, down toward the Port Authority.

Josef flattens his ears at the poodle's bantering, which is worse than master Oreste's snoring.

"Mm… " repeats the lieutenant. He writes something down in a parchment scratch-pad. "Where is this 'Tigerstripe' now?"

"I told you," says the Kitsune. "They killed him. Last thing I saw of him was him falling off there."

Francisco gestures to the point where Tigerstripe disappeared.

The Khatta nods in agreement, "Cold-blood shot, he fall off side." Not that the cougar looks too unhappy about this mind you.

A guard on the dock whistles as he looks over the edge where the blood-spatters are. "It's a looong way down." The grizzled Jupani in charge grunts. "Dagh… that'll mean more paperwork. All right, you two… I'll need you to come with me to-… " The shaggy Titanian standing off to one side finally speaks up. "Hey now. Those two scared off the eeee, saved the Cutty Sark, and you gonna bug 'em?"

Josef nods, "Mister Fankiso have business, have go." The cougar stands, "Need more job or broke."

Nodding in agreement with Josef, Francisco adds, "He's right. I lost most of my stock in all of this. I have to try and make it back up again."

"Right. Fankiso. Merchant, robbed of cargo by Eeee raiders. Well, I'm afraid that the Temple funds for those who've taken wartime losses are rather slim, but still, I'm sure that there'll be some kind of recompense," the guard says. He puts away his notes on the case and claps the two on the back. "Keep up the good work, you two. Rephidim stands on the shoulders of its dedicated and loyal citizens!"

As the guard walks away, the Titanian murmurs to Josef, "By the way, you thought fast. You looking for job? Always something to do in docks… "

"That Fankiso, not Fankiso… " The cougar replies, but too late to be heard. With a sigh, he turns to the kitsune, "I need hazard pay work for you!"

The cougar turns to the Titanian, "Yes, need works, dock fine. You need guide?" The Khatta looks interested.

Francisco watches the guard walk off, and remains there for a moment pondering over something the guard said. He doesn't hear Josef as he wonders to himself, (Wartime?)

The Titanian claps Josef on the back. "Only iffen you can show me how to get rich on dockworker's pay around here!" The two walk off, leaving Francisco to consider the ruins of his cart and the majority of his stock. A single still-smouldering Guy Fox doll sits nestled in the well-dampened ruins of crates…

*Pow!*