Djivan's junkyard
His wagon is in much better state of repair than it was several weeks ago. The roof has been fixed and everything has been given a fresh coat of paint … even the socks stuck on the wall (everyone was afraid to touch them to remove them). But, repaired and painted as it is, it's still full of typical guy clutter. Clothing is tossed in piles and nothing is organized at all.

The door was already open. Djivan is currently sitting with his back to the door and rummaging around through a pile of junk. Every now and then he throws something over his shoulder, muttering, "No, dat no it." He's also quite oblivious to the fact Olivia is standing in the doorway watching him, because a fork comes flying through the air and sticks into the frame … right beside Olivia's head!

Olivia sighs silently to herself and reaches over to pluck the fork from the door frame. Then she says, in an amused way, "My dear, my darling, light and love of my life… you really need to be more careful with what you throw around in here." She wrinkles her nose as she inspects the grungy fork in her hand. "And hire a maid. Yes, a maid would help things considerably."

Djivan sits up and his head jerks to the side so he can look at her with one eye. "Bah, vou shoul' just announc' vourself! An wear a helmet. An body armor. An perhaps a large cheeze vheel to catch stuff vith," he says with a bit of a grin. He spins himself around (which is easy to do when you're sitting on a pile of clothing). "An hirin' a maid require money. Course, mebbe vou in a cute maid dress… "

Olivia puts the fork carefully to one side (where she hopes it won't be stepped on later) and goes over to where Djivan is sitting. With a smile, she sits down beside him and rests her head on his shoulder. "Hey, I do lots of other things for you, I don't have time to be your maid, too." She takes a moment to survey the mess, then asks, "What were you looking for, anyway?"

"My marbles, I lost dem," Djivan grumbles. "An on a day I really need dem, too."

Olivia takes her head off the Skreek's shoulder just long enough to plant a kiss on his temple. "Uh, I hate to tell you this, but you lost those a long time ago. They're never coming back, sorry!"

"Ha ha," Djivan says and then sticks out his tongue. "I vas gon' go play a game wit de otters, an beat em too. I coul' use a bit mo' stuff. But, guess no, dey unscathed, dis time. Muahahaha! Ahem, so vhy vou here? I t'ought vou vere busy vith Madame Natasha."

Olivia now waves the piece of paper she holds in her other hand. "I was, but now she wants you and I to gather the things on this list for her. She needs them to complete a ritual that may help us find out what's wrong with Bravil. You up for a little scavenger hunt?"

"Beh, she prolly jus' trying to keep me out of trouble," Djivan says and makes a grab for the paper. "Does de hunt involve raiding underwear drawers?"

Olivia grins as Djivan snatches the paper from her hand. "If it did, how would that be keeping you out of trouble?"

Djivan turns the list this way and that. His muzzle skews and he comments, "Hey, dis be in some weir' Creen squiggle writin'. It make no sense. Dey like, riddles or something, no a specific list of items."

Olivia's brow furrows. She holds out her hand to take back the list. "Let me have a look… "

Djivan hands the list back, saying, "See for voursel'." The list is, indeed, a list of riddles, not specific items. The first one reads: "A device that measures something that seems infinite for the young and all too limited for the old."

Olivia hmmms softly to herself over the first riddle. "Infinite for the young and limited to the old… " she murmurs, scratching one cheek idly. Then she snaps her fingers. "Oh! I think I know what the first item is! A clock!"

"Vou haf' clocks in dis town?" Djivan asks, looking rather dubious at that.

Olivia grins at the gypsy. "We do – it's just that not everyone around here uses them. I'll just borrow one from the Weaver's compound, we have plenty. We have to make sure that all the apprentices fill their shifts, after all." Then she looks at the next "item" on the list.

The next item seems less like a riddle and more just disturbing: A fang from a local terror.

"Ooooh, er, I wish Natasha had been more specific about this one," Olivia says, pointing to that "item" on the paper. "We have lots of people who could fit this description! Gunther Kettenrad, for one. Most of the otters, for another! I wonder which one it is… or is it even a person, at all?"

"Aren't dey more annoying den a terror?" Djivan asks and peers at the odd description. "Are dere any actual local terrors ve coul' even get close to?"

Olivia thinks this over. "Well, the only other terror I can think of - if you even believe the stories – is Buffy, the vampire Lapi. She's supposed to be a myth, though… and even if she weren't I don't know how we'd ever get one of her fangs without ending up as dinner!"

"Bleh. No t'anks. Are dere any dead monster bodies aroun' maybe? Or t'ings people mistake fer a monster?" Djivan asks after a bit of thought about a vampiric Lapi.

Olivia scratches her cheek again as she processes this. "The only dead monster around here is Lord Snapfish, the real vampire who once terrorized this area, but his body is locked away in an iron-barred crypt. So I think that possibility is out. But as for something people mistake for a mon- Oh. Oh no, no, no… " she trails off, looking stricken.

"Oh no, vhat?" Djivan asks, brow furrowed as he watches Olivia with concern. "Dere somet'ing vorse den a vampire, or a crypt of a vampire?"

"Yeah, there is – if you're a Weaver," Olivia says with a shudder. "Our awful Loom #4! It tries to hurt us and any of the Kettenrads who come to fix it. Maybe this riddle means we have to take off one of its cutting blades!"

"Eh? Vou afrai' of a loom? An inanimate thingy which does stuff with thread? An, vou know, does t'inks shouldn't vork," Djivan says after a bit of thought. "So, if it dat, removing a blade shoul' be easy, no?"

Olivia looks at Djivan and says, in all seriousness, "Once you see this thing and find out what it does – believe me, you'll know why we're all afraid of it." With another little shudder, she looks at the next "item" on the list.

Another oddly titled item, which seems a bit of a riddle in itself: A vial of falling water.

"Now what is this supposed to mean?" Olivia asks out loud. "A vial of falling water? What, we knock a glass of water off a shelf and put it into a vial? Or collect some water that falls from one of the waterwheels at the Mint Dam?"

Djivan shrugs at that. "Vou gots me. We close to de dam, yeah? Dat voul' be easy to get, righ'?" the Skreek asks.

Olivia nods. "It should be easy to get – as long as Gunther doesn't follow us around and accuse me of trying to sneak a horde into town, or something. But that's my best guess on that one. I just hope it's what Natasha needs… " She shakes her head, then reads the next "item" on the list.

Great, another riddle: A skin which when empty, just lays there. When full, can point the way. Djivan tilts his head from where he's been reading over Olivia's shoulder. "Vhat de heck does dat mean?" he asks.

Olivia's whiskers wilt a bit upon reading this. "Wow, this one's tough," she laments. "Okay, lemme think… signs point the way, compass needles point the way, but neither of those have to do with skins. Hmmm." She puts her head in her hands and thinks so hard and for so long, Djivan can swear he smells smoke coming from her ears. At last, she perks up a little. "Or… maybe it's a glove? Those are made from skins – Rughrat hide and the like. And if you put a hand into it, it can point the way. What do you think?"

Djivan considers the items mentioned by Olivia. His ears twitch, his nose wiggles, and his tail flops around behind him. "Vell, uh, dat makes sense, I t'ink. sure, vhy no? Gloves kin be useful for t'ings. Mebbe she needs one to hold stuff during vhatever she vant to do?" the rat says lamely.

Olivia shrugs and rolls her eyes heavenward. "This is for some sort of magical ritual, goodness only knows what she'll need gloves for. Well, she can have an old pair of my aunt's gloves, they're more likely to fit her if she actually needs to put them on." That said, she reads the next riddle on the list.

And thankfully, the last riddle on the list … unfortunately, it may be just as bad as the last one: An item which has no opening and no key can unlock, yet a golden treasure was placed inside. "Is Madame Natasha mad at us?" Djivan complains loudly.

Olivia sighs. "I'm beginning to wonder that, myself." She puts her head in her hands again, and thinks aloud. "What has treasures placed inside? Safes, but those have openings. Lockets, but those can be opened, too. Hmmm."

"Mebbe 'treasure' isn't treasure in de normal sense?" Djivan suggests and rubs his forehead. "Vhat voul' be useful in a spell? Safes an lockets vouldn' be, I don' t'ink."

Olivia slumps down on her spine. "You're right, they're not. But – hmmm, are food items useful in spells? I think they are, since I keep hearing about Morgan and Isolde using herbs in spells and you can eat some of them, too. What if it's an egg? Those have no openings and their yolks are yellow. It's a wild thought, I know, but it does seem to fit this description."

"Dat better den my idea of stuffing somet'ing in a mudball," Djivan admits with a goofy grin. "Heck, vhy no? If Madame Natasha vanted somet'ing very specific, she shoul' just say so. Tough if she no get vhat she vant. Hmph, hmph, I say."

Olivia smiles at this, feeling her spirits lifted by the teasing. "Yeah, I'm not really sure why she didn't just give us the specific names for these things. I'll ask her that when we bring everything to her. Well then, where should we go first? To the Weaver's or to the dam?"

"Vell, do we haf any'ting to put water in, if ve go to de dam?" Djivan says. He then starts digging through piles of junk. "Mebbe I haf a cup, pot, bowl, somet'ing."

Olivia thinks about this. "The description says a vial, which is a little glass tube with a stopper on it. If you don't have anything like that here, then we'll have to go to the Weaver's first. There might be something like that in the dyeing room."

"I haf! Uh, no sure what dat is, cept it smell bad," Djivan notes and sets aside something rather moldy and fragrant. "Let's go dere first, den," he says and gets to his feet.

Olivia nods and puts the list into a pocket of her skirt. "Right. At any rate, the sooner we deal with Loom #4, the better!"

---

Broadcloth Looms: Loom Number Four
Sirus "Lefty" Wingnut's greatest creation or perhaps his greatest mistake. The loom referred to as Loom Number Four was to be a revolution in broadcloth loom designs; a mechanized loom with automatic shuttle feeding, control over each individual thread going through distinct heddle segments which can be linked up through various control rods. The end result was one ominous looking, huge, machine. The wood and chitin that compose its structure have weathered to an eerie, non-reflective, black hue. Gears with sharp teeth line both sides that control the movements of each heddle and of the sliding action of the shuttle. And, a bar near the back of the look is lined with a sharp chitin blade, intended to cut the cloth and threads cleanly when the desired size was made.

The walk over is uneventful. Not even Gunther interrupts the two; he's probably still sulking somewhere after the events of the morning. Olivia guides Djivan through the weaver's guild and into the infamous room housing loom number four. Once Djivan spots the thing, he yells, "Great Gods of Bottom Burping Fire! Vhat de heck is dat?!"

Olivia, who has come into the room behind the gypsy bearing one large sack and another smaller one, closes the door behind them. "That is our infamous Loom #4. The last time I worked on it, it flung a broken heddle at me which whacked me in the head. The last time Zahnrad tried to fix it, he got thrown from the top of it and got his tail crunched. It's a demon loom, believe me!"

The loom creaks ominously as if to confirm Olivia's statement. Djivan jumps backwards and then hides behind Olivia. "It moved!" he says. "An I t'ink it's grinning."

Olivia just puts her sacks down and begins rummaging through them. "Yeah, that's because of the gears on the sides. The sharp teeth make it look like it's grinning." From the large sack, she empties out two thick pairs of gloves that reach up to one's elbows, two iron pith helmets with goggles attached, and a large wooden paddle. The other sack, once unrolled, proves to be a set of simple tools. "You should put on one of these helmets, at least. If the loom throws anything at you, at least your head and eyes will be protected. I'll have to wear the gloves, too, since I'll be getting closest to the thing. The paddle is for batting back anything really heavy that might get thrown at you, too."

"Hey, vere did vou get iron hats?" Djivan asks as he takes one of them and sets it on his head. He then pulls on the gloves and cackles manically, "Go, get me de magic goo! I vill make it live, mwahaahah!" Apparently he's read a few horror books. It's about then that one of the gears abruptly turns, causing it's grin to snap like a maw. Djivan lets out a loud squeak and grabs the paddle, brandishing it menacingly.

"We had them specially made when the loom first gave Matthias Weaver a concussion 36 years ago," Olivia replies, donning the other metal helmet and pair of gloves. "It cost a pretty shekel back then but with all the near-fatal injuries over the years, the cost has been worth it." Then she picks up her roll of tools and heads toward the back of the loom where the large cloth-cutting blade rests. She looks the mechanism over, trying to figure out how to best remove the thing.

The blades look to be easily removable and designed for replacement. There are just a few pins that have to be removed and it can slide out. On the other hand, that means she has to get close to that blade. While she's examining it from a distance, it shifts slightly, as if trembling in anticipation.

Olivia shoots Djivan an ominous glance – hard to read with the helmet and goggles covering her head and eyes. "Get ready for anything. I'll have to take out these pins before I can lift out the blade. Come to think of it, I may need a little help with the lifting part. It looks awfully heavy."

"Er, okay," the Skreek says and heads over closer to the blade. It shifts a bit and he hops backwards. Glaring at it, he approaches again and uses the paddle as a lever and inserts it to hold the blade arm steady. "I t'ink I got it to keep from moving. Git it so we kin get outta here," Djivan says.

Olivia mutters darkly, "Believe me, that's my intention, too – get the blade and get out." She takes a pair of pliers out of the roll of tools and then, slowly, gingerly, she begins to remove the first pin holding the blade in place.

The pin slides out easily. As a side benefit, the world doesn't come to an end, either! Only two more to pull.

Olivia sets that pin aside and begins work on the second one. "You okay over there?" she asks the Skreek as she works.

"Jus' peachy," Djivan replies. He seems to primarily be focused on the loom, as if he expects it to leap up and chase him at any moment. The second pin comes out easily too. One more, just one more…

Olivia takes a deep breath in, then lets it out before setting the second pin next to the first one and working on the third.

The third slides out and the blade should now be removable. It looks like it should just slide free now. So far, so good.

Olivia puts the pliers next to the pins she removed. Then she reaches over and grabs one side of the wooden bar that the blade is mounted on. "If you take the other side, I think we should be able to lift the blade free now," she tells Djivan.

Holding the paddle with one hand, Djivan reaches over with his other one and grabs the other side of the bar. "Jus' say vhen," he says.

Olivia nods and counts off their time. "Okay – one, two, three, lift!" she says, and begins to raise up her side.

Djivan lifts as well and up the blade comes. It slides out smoothly and easily. The two then move it to the side and lower the blade to the ground. "Okay, so it look scary but really be no so bad, eh?" the Skreek asks Olivia.

And as if to spite Djivan's little comment, the loom suddenly lurches to life. The place where the paddle is wedged surges and yanks the paddle free. The loom arm spins wildly, but Olivia is well versed in the machine's behavior and without missing a beat or even much raise in heart rate, grabs Djivan and moves herself while also pulling Djivan out of the way. The loom groans and shudders and the arm suddenly stops and sends the paddle flying! It lands with a sickening thud and sticks into the ceiling.

Olivia cranes her neck to stare up at the paddle stuck into the ceiling, then glances back over at the gypsy. "You were saying?" she says archly.

"I be sayin' it be time to leave," the rat deadpans. He hefts up the removed blade and starts towards the door, quickly. "An I haf new respec' fer veavers."

Olivia grins and replies, "As well you should!" She then gathers up her tools and goes over to pick up the rest of the equipment she brought. "I'll just get that paddle out of the ceiling some other day. I'm not about to press my luck any further now!" That said, she follows the Skreek towards the door.

Behind them, the two can hear the clicking of gears. Perhaps the loom is just settling again. Or … perhaps it's laughing at them…

---

The walk over to the dam wasn't as quiet as the one going to the Weaver compound. But, all in all, it wasn't bad. Gunther did stop them, but he seemed rather subdued for Gunther and he eded up letting them pass. He didn't even poke them with a spear. So, the two finally arrive at the dam. All the waterwheels are in full use and the noise is rather intense.

The Mint Dam
The dam is an impressive structure that almost looks out of place when compared to the relatively backwater town of Stonebarrow. It's existed for generations and is currently under management through a joint effort of the Akwavi and Kadie clans (notably the Wingnuts). It spans a good sixty feet and is composed of earth and timber. The top is lined with three equally spaced waterwheels. One of the wheels powers the various Wingnut workshops that reside near the base of the dam. Another wheel powers the various mills that produce paper and other such items requiring milling, such as flour. The third wheel is for general use and powers many various places in the nearby town that require mechanical power. A menagerie of gearing, drive axles, and catwalks also line the top of the dam, interconnecting the wheels and providing service access to them.

Olivia looks off into the distance at the waterwheels chugging along. "As far as I know, the two safest ways to get near the falling water is to either walk the bridge that spans between the wheels, or take this hanging basket-cart thing across the dam. Which would you prefer? Although I have to warn you, the last time I rode in the basket, Gunther drove it!"

"Personally, I don vant to go near it," Djivan admits as he gives the dam a critical look-over. "I voul' tink, tho, to get really falling vater, vou voul' need to use de basket, no? But, vho gon' operate it?"

Olivia grimaces and says, "As I told you, Gunther operated it last time. So I guess he would operate it this time, too. Well, if that's how you'd like to get there, let's get started." She then motions to the Wingnut-built structures nearby and starts towards them.

"Ooookay," Djivan says and follows along after Olivia. The Skreek keeps eying the dam as if it's some great evil monster but at least doesn't comment on it. After the two get up on the gangway leading to the basket, they both hear a female voice behind them, "Do you have permission to be here?"

Olivia turns around to see who has addressed them. "We'd like to take the basket across the dam, please?" she says cautiously.

Djivan looks over his shoulder to see who Olivia is talking to. Behind the pair stands someone Olivia has met before; Deirdre. She's dressed in actual work clothing today and has her arms folded across her chest. She's looking at the two in a rather emotionless way. "Reason?" she asks.

Olivia draws in a quick, silent breath. Uh-oh. This may or may not go well… After a moment's thought, she decides that total honesty is the best policy. From her pocket, she pulls out the vial she brought from the dyeing room and Natasha's list. "Someone isn't well in the gypsy camp," she explains. "Dame Natasha needs a few things to perform a ritual to see what the problem is. One of those things is a vial of falling water – as strange as that sounds. We thought some water falling from one of the waterwheels might be what she's looking for." She offers the list to Deirdre for proof, in case she wants to look at it.

Deirdre doesn't look at the list. She offers a short, curt, nod. "I then take it he's one of the gypsies?" she asks and points to Djivan. Djivan hmphs and says, "I be Djivan. And ves, I be a gypsy." Again, Deirdre nods and then rubs the bridge of her nose for a moment. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she finally asks. "I have a little time before I'm supposed to meet Roy Blacktail this afternoon."

Olivia's shoulders sag in relief. She was expecting the Kadie girl to turn them away outright, given what happened during the last time they met, so her offer of help is a welcome surprise. She returns both the list and vial to her pocket before replying, "If it isn't too much trouble, could you drive the basket over and get us near one of the waterwheels so I can collect the water? The last time I rode in this, Gunther drove and… well, he seemed more intent on scaring me with the possibility of dropping me than anything else."

"All right. Is the rat going with you?" Deirdre inquires, only to get a glare from Djivan. Calling someone a rat isn't polite, even if it's true. "Ves, I be goin' wit her," he says. And then with a whisper to Olivia, he asks, "Vhy do all Kadie girls hate me? Firs' Amelia, now 'er."

Olivia gives the Skreek a quick shrug of her shoulders before squeezing his hand consolingly. "Yes, he's coming along. I hope he will make sure that I don't fall out while trying to fill the vial! And, thanks, Deirdre. I appreciate your help."

Deirdre waves the two towards the basket. "Then get in. Once you're in I'll move it out. Are you returning to this side or the other? And, when you have what you want, wave and I'll either bring you back or send you the rest of the way," the Kadie girl says.

"We need to come back to this side, so we can collect all the other things Dame Natasha needs from the Weavers," Olivia replies, then starts towards the basket with Djivan.

Djivan sticks his tongue out at the Kadie, who promptly just rolls her eyes. The Skreek, looking pleased with himself, heads over to the basket with Olivia. He helps her inside, then climbs in himself and waves towards Deirdre.

Deirdre starts operating some mechanism. The basket lurches to life and Djivan grips the railing. In short order, the basket swings away from the platform, swaying and creaking ominously. "Uh, I don' like dis t'ing," he says.

Olivia looks quickly over at the gypsy. "Are you afraid of heights?" she asks. "Because if you are, you should've told me before you got in here! I would've gone alone."

"No, it be the swayin' and creakin' dat bother me. I only like dat in, er, nevermin'," the Skreek says with a sheepish grin. The basket continues onward. The sound of water rushes past them as they are now staring at the dam head-on. It always looks so much larger this close up. Mist now fills the air.

Olivia blinks, then laughs. She kisses the Skreek on the forehead and murmurs to him, "That comes later… maybe after we have that date I missed on account of work."

"Vell, after all dis mess to, I voul t' … dat is huge," Djivan says, then just stops and stares. They've stopped in front of one of the replaced waterwheels. Apparently, the Wingnuts decided to make it a bit larger than the old one too. To the side is a larger box that seems to connect the wheel to the drive shaft that the wheel powers. The air here is especially wet and drops of water regularly fly through the air.

Olivia nods emphatically. "You're right – it's enormous! Well, uh, since Deirdre's stopped, I guess this is the place where I try to fill the vial." She pulls it back out of her pocket again. "Okay, you'd better get a good grip on me before I lean out and try to fill it."

Djivan gets a really tight grip around Olivia's waist. "Fill 'er up! Wow, I finally had a use fer dat outside de bar," the Skreek says, then quirks a rakish grin.

"Um, yeah, it's nice to get as much mileage out of that phrase as you can," Olivia says and rolls her eyes heavenward. Then she unstoppers the vial and grips the railing with one hand. After a deep breath, she leans as far out of the basket as she dares while extending the other hand with the vial in it towards the falling water.

Djivan holds onto Olivia firmly. It takes some shifting and stretching and probably more time that either would like, but the vial does eventually get filled with 'falling' water. As Djivan hauls her back, the rat also gooses her bottom. "Oops! Dat vas an accident," he claims.

Olivia stoppers the vial and pockets it again before licking the Skreek on the nose, something she knows will make him twitch. "Yeah, right. So was that," she claims, before giving Deirdre a wave.

Djivan sneezes! The basket lurches again and slowly heads back to the platform it started from. "So, vhat if dat no what she needed?" the Skreek asks Olivia.

"Uh… then I ask Natasha to be a little more specific about what it is that she really needs?" Olivia says, although she doesn't sound convinced that such an approach would actually work.

Djivan shrugs slightly at that as the basket settles back down. The Skreek is rather eager to get out and does so. He then helps Olivia out too. "Vell, I guess ve cross dat bridge vhen ve come to it. Jus … no more basket crossin'," he says playfully.

"Well, if this isn't what Natasha needs, then there definitely won't be any more basket-crossings!" Olivia replies. Hesitantly, she walks over to Deirdre before they leave. "Thanks again," she tells the Kadie girl. "I got the entire vial filled. I really hope this will work for the ritual."

Deirdre waves her hand dismissively. "It was no major effort on my part. Good luck with whatever that was needed for," she says, "I need to go now. I do not wish to be late for m d … meeting with the Blacktail man."

Olivia's ears prick right up at this little verbal fumble on Deirdre's part, but she doesn't comment on it. Her only reply is, "Then I hope it goes well." After giving her a little wave, the Skeek takes Djivan's hand and they start again for the Weaver compound.

Deirdre heads off. The Skreek looks to Olivia and asks, "Vhat vas dat abou?"

A little smile plays on Olivia's lips. "Oh, nothing you'd be interested in. Just girl stuff. C'mon, we've got to get the clock and gloves and all that other stuff from my aunt and deliver them to Natasha. Then we can think about that missed date of ours."